Unbroken Thread

The City of London's livery companies form an unbroken thread of history running back to the twelfth century. From Weavers to Vintners, Grocers to Goldsmiths, their work and legacy are embedded in the street names and architecture of the City. This book traces how the guilds emerged in medieval London, thrived and adapted over the centuries, and remain a vital part of the City's life today. In these pages we meet some of their most memorable figures: the Fishmonger who saved the capital from rebellion, the Mercer who founded the Royal Exchange, and the Baker whose Pudding Lane oven sparked the Great Fire of London. The livery companies have withstood war and revolution, and attacks from kings and radicals alike. Like the mythical salamander of the Ironmongers, they have endured the flames and survived. Though the Blitz destroyed many of their historic halls, the companies still hold their own amidst the skyscrapers, maintaining some of the most splendid interiors in London. Today more than 110 livery companies continue to flourish, with an immense charitable impact and a unique blend of tradition and modernity. Theirs is the story of London itself.