Worshipful Company of Masons
Livery company of the City of London / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Worshipful Company of Masons is one of the ancient Livery Companies of the City of London, number 30 in the order of precedence of the 110 companies. It was granted Arms in 1472, during the reign of King Edward IV; its motto is “God Is Our Guide”.
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Motto | God is our Guide |
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Location | 8 Little Trinity Lane, London, EC4V 2AN |
Date of formation | 1376 |
Company association | stone masonry |
Order of precedence | 30th |
Master of company | Alistair Wood LVO MBE |
Website | www.masonslivery.org |
The Masons’ Company (not to be confused with the Freemasons), which emerged in the late Middle Ages, played an important role in medieval and early modern London. It regulated the craft of stonemasonry, for example by ensuring that standards and the training of apprentices were properly maintained, at first just in the City of London, but subsequently also in the City of Westminster and seven miles from each. It was also an important social organisation in the lives of its members. Like most Livery Companies, it maintains its social function, but the Company’s economic and administrative role has changed over time and it no longer oversees the craft in this traditional way, although it remains actively involved in supporting those training in stonemasonry and in promoting the use of natural stone. It remains one of the few Livery Companies today whose craft, particularly its tools, would be recognisable to its early members. Of all the ancient crafts used in Britain, masons have left the most impressive and most permanent evidence of their work. Members of the Company are known to have taken part in the construction of many of these famous structures, for example, the London Guildhall, and St Paul’s Cathedral.