[Back to Quick Tour]

The Worshipful Company of Plumbers is one of the most ancient of the Livery Companies of the City of London. Although it is not possible from the evidence, which exists to fix the precise date of its origin, there is no doubt that, it was one of those guilds or mysteries that developed from the earliest craft fraternities.

The term "Livery" is mainly associated with the wearing of a distinctive uniform for the purpose of identification. Retainers, bishops and academics are examples of individuals who dress in livery appropriate to their role in life. In churches and universities livery is a practical, mandatory method of providing immediate recognition through gowns of particular design. Members of the Company's Court of Assistants wear black gowns with gold colour trim on formal or ceremonial occasions. Today, there are over 100 Livery Companies in the City of London. They are ranked in order of precedence based on the time of their original acceptance by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City.

The Company is proud to be one of the oldest Liveries. placed at number 31, with 630 years of continuous service to the City of London and the craft of plumbing.

Livery Companies were established to set high standards of craftsmanship and business conduct. They embodied activities similar to those carried out at present by employers' organisations, trade unions and professional institutions. To trade in the City, a person was required to be a Freeman of the City of London and a Freeman of the Livery Company related to his craft. The discipline exercised by this system accounted for London becoming a significant centre of international trade during the Middle Ages. Livery Companies also assumed responsibility for the education and training of apprentices to their craft. Indeed, it was initiatives taken by the Corporation and Livery Companies that led to the foundation of the City and Guilds of London Institute in 1878. Now acknowledged worldwide as a centre of technical excellence, City and Guilds created what has been described as Britain's first industrial University, the City & Guilds College of the lmperial College of Science and Technology, University of London.

Some Livery Companies still own or manage schools and, in former times, their sense of social obligation often led to the assistance of Members who were experiencing personal or business difficulties.

The ancient Craft Guilds in the City of London were closely linked to the Church. Their origins were therefore as much religious as for the protection of the trade. The relationship is reflected in the title "Worshipful Company of Plumbers" whereby it is both traditional and proper for all Court

Meetings to be preceded by prayerful worship. The Company further affirms its commitment by virtue of an uncompromising motto "IN GOD IS ALL OUR HOPE".

In the eleventh and twelfth centuries the heart of the community in the City of London was the Parishes. From 1200 to 1900 there were 99 Parishes within the City. The average Parish covered an area of 3.5 acres and had about 60 or 70 householders representing up to 300 parishioners.

The Churches were the worshipping centres of small groups of the community, and many were dedicated to the Saints of trading countries, for example St. Magnus and St. Olav of the Vikings and St. Clement of the Danes.

The first Craft Guilds emerged in the twelfth century. The Guilds represented groups of men with a common profession and they began to acquire Guildhalls. Initially the religious, social and charitable functions of the Guilds flowed together with Parishes, but in the course of time the balance of power shifted from the Churches to the Guildhalls. Therefore it was not surprising to find a Common Council established in 1376, to which each Craft elected between 2 and 6 men to consult with the Lord Mayor and to elect the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs.

The origins of the Fellowship of Plumbers are uncertain, but as early as 1365 the Fellowship was in a sufficiently strong position to prepare Ordinances which were presented to the Aldermen for their approval. The Ordinances indicated that it was the desire of the craftsmen that their work should be well done. The First Article provided that the plumber should submit himself to examination by the best and most skilful men in the trade in order that he might be certified so that "the trade might not be scandalised, or the commonalty damaged and deceived by folk who do not know their trade". In common with other Guilds, the Fellowship of Plumbers had two elements, the wider Guild and the restricted Livery, corresponding respectively with Freemen and Liverymen today.

From earliest times the Church of the Company was St. Michael's, Crooked Lane, and for this reason the Patron Saint of the Company is St. Michael. It is now traditional for the Court to hold a dinner as close as possible to the feast of St. Michael, the 29th September. The Company's halls stood on a site in Chequer Yard, Bush Lane, close to the Church of St. Michael's, Crooked Lane. This Church served as the Church not only of the Plumbers' Company, but also of the Fishmongers' and Coopers' Companies. The first of the Company's Halls in Chequer Yard was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. The Hall was rebuilt in 1669 and occupied by the Company until 1863 when it was demolished to make way for Cannon Street Railway Station. A commemorative plaque was placed at the main entrance to the station in 1983. In the meantime, the Church of St. Michael's, Crooked Lane, had suffered a similar fate. That too had been destroyed in the Great Fire and rebuilt by Wren.

During the construction of Rennie's London Bridge in years 1830/31, the Church of St. Michael's Crooked Lane was united with St Magnus the Martyr in Lower Thames Street, and since that date St. Magnus has been the Company's Church. The Rector of St. Magnus is still also the rector of St. Michael's, and the Honorary Chaplain of the Company holds that Office by virtue of his tenure of the living of St. Michael's rather than St. Magnus.

A finely carved fireplace from the Company's last Hall stands in the Vestry of St. Magnus, and two of the windows in the Church display the Company's arms.

The company received its first Charter from King James I in 161I. The charter was expressly intended to be "for the utility, advantage and relief for the good and honest, and for the terror and correction of the evil, deceitful and dishonest".

One of the early activities of the Court of the Company was to see that no one should work as a plumber unless he had been apprenticed for seven years at the craft, and in this they were only carrying out a statutory requirement of the time of Queen Elizabeth I, which was not repealed until 1814.

In 1883 the Company inaugurated a voluntary system for the National Registration of Plumbers.

A Congress was held, over which the Master of the Company presided at the National Health Exhibition, and the registration scheme became established. A Register was instituted in 1886. The threefold object of the registration was to enable the public to recognise those plumbers who had qualified by examination and who had, by signed agreement, undertaken the obligations imposed upon them by their registration; to encourage the development of apprenticeship and technical education in accordance with modem conditions and to keep up the standard of plumbers' workmanship and practice in the interests of public health. Registered Plumbers were entitled to place the letters "RP" after their names - a privilege which is still highly valued.

The Register was managed for the Company by the Registered Plumbers' Association, but when that body was merged with the Institute of Plumbing in January 1970, the Company readily agreed to relinquish its authority to issue Certificates of Registration and hand over its Register to the Institute.

The Company has retained its interest in the Registration of Plumbers by accepting an invitation to appoint two representatives each year to maintain liaison with the Institute of Plumbing.

Between 1975 and 1977, the Company strove to secure the Statutory Registration of Plumbers through a Plumbing Industry Working Group, but was reluctantly obliged to concede that the climate for a scheme of Statutory Registration of Plumbers was unacceptable. However, through pressure from an all party group of Parliamentarians and the initiative of the Confederation for the Registration of Gas Installers, in 1990 legislation was passed requiring that from I April 1991 all those carrying out gas installations must be registered. The quest for the mandatory registration of plumbers who are responsible for drinking water and sanitation systems continue.

The Company exists to:

Today, there are some 340 members. About 70% are directly connected with the plumbing craft or allied disciplines concerned with water supply, sanitation, heating and all other activities associated with plumbing engineering. The remaining members cover a wide spectrum of interests and professions such as architects, builders, lawyers, accountants and many others. There are eight lady Liverymen. Although the Company is a City of London Livery Company and the majority of the Livery come from London and the Home Counties, one quarter live more than 100 miles from London.

Like most Livery Companies, the Plumbers' Company consists of:

The Court of Assistants is drawn from within the Livery and reflects in its membership, those disciplines which are needed for the Court to advise and help the Officers of the Company to run the affairs of the Company. The Master and Wardens are installed annually in October by the Court and serve for one year. Stewards serve for seven years and officiate at specific functions in the Livery Year.

There are four major committees: Freedom and Livery, Finance, Technical and Social. All Chairmen are members of the Court. Members of the Livery can be co-opted to serve on committees. In addition, a special committee guards the interests of the Company in our Museum at Singleton.

Liverymen, as Freemen of the City of London, are permitted and encouraged to exercise their rights to elect the Sheriffs of London and the Lord Mayor. In addition, there are certain formal Company functions during the year which they are encouraged to attend.

A person wishing to join the Company is invited to complete a proforma and obtain both a proposer and seconder, both of whom must be in the Livery. Admittance can be under any one of four headings:

The length of time it takes for a candidate to be admitted varies, but it may be 6-14 months depending on the sittings of the Court and candidates' availability to attend for interview and receive the Freedom of the City of London.

Candidates are admitted to the Company during one of the Quarterly Court of Assistants' meetings, when they are formally robed of the Livery.

Liverymen of the Company are expected to:

For more information or enquiries contact:

This page only Copyright © 2002 The Worshipful Company of Plumbers.