Worshipful Company of Glovers
The Worshipful Company of Glovers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London.[1] Glovers separated from the Cordwainers to form their own organisation in 1349 and received a Royal Charter of incorporation in 1639. The company is, as are most other Livery Companies, a charitable body, but it still retains close links to its original trade.
| Motto | True Hearts and Warm Hands |
|---|---|
| Location | City of London |
| Date of formation | 1349 |
| Company association | Glove Trade |
| Order of precedence | 62nd |
| Master of company | Clive Grimley - November 2023 - November 2024 |
| Website | www |
The Company ranks 62nd in the order of precedence of Livery Companies.[2] They are a member of the 'Leathery Group' of Livery Companies, along with the Leathersellers, Coachmakers & Coach Harness Makers, Cordwainers, Curriers, Girdlers, Loriners, Saddlers, and Pattenmakers.[3]
The company’s motto is True Hearts and Warm Hands.[4]
History edit
Glovers, along with Girdlers were originally classified as Cordwainers, but separated to form their own organisation in 1349. Following a decline in numbers, they were merged with the Pursers in 1498 and then the Leathersellers in 1502. They became independent again under a Royal Charter of incorporation from King Charles I in 1638.[5] Royal links are still maintained; for example, the Company presented Princess Elizabeth with 30 pairs of gloves in a casket on the occasion of her marriage.[6] The Company has previously formally presented the Sovereign with a glove upon his or her coronation, however King Charles lll used the glove presented to his grandfather King George Vl by the Company in 1937.[7]
The hall was abandoned in the late 18th century.
The coat of arms was first granted in 1464, and the supporters were added in 1986. The arms are “on a field of six pieces Sable and Argent three Rams salient armed and unguled Or” and feature sheep, which provided much of the raw material for gloves. The supporters are a male apprentice of the Glovers’ Company, and a Sempster (a sewing woman) dressed circa 1638.[8]
Charitable Giving edit
The Charity Projects Committee (CPC) administers the Glovers’ charitable donations.[9] Around 50 charities are supported,[10] the largest group of which are homeless charities and hospices who receive gloves for warmth, clinical needs and catering purposes. Other glove donations include gardening gloves to help with mental and physical therapy, cryotherapy gloves for patients undergoing cancer treatment at Portsmouth Hospital[11] and protective gloves for charity led emergency services such as London’s Air Ambulance and community programmes. A significant recent initiative is the provision of prosthetic and myoelectric hands from Open Bionics for children and adults who would not otherwise be able to access them.[12][13] The CPC offers student bursaries and grants to selected schools and colleges and supports community projects in areas of need.
The Glove Collection Trust edit
The Trust dates back to 1993 when it was established as a charity to advance public education in the historical, social, and artistic value of gloves. It took on its present form in 2003 when The Worshipful Company of Glovers of London gifted its collection, then numbering about 250 items, to the Trust. The trustees have subsequently expanded the Glove Collection to approximately 2300 items which can be viewed on the Trust’s dedicated website.[14] The collection is held in the care of the Fashion Museum, Bath.[15] The trustees are asked from time to time to lend items for display at other museums, UK and overseas, and it is the trustee’s policy to agree to such requests whenever possible.
Glove Trade Activity edit
Whilst traditional glove making has largely moved offshore[16] there are still specialist UK companies engaged in the design, development, importation and distribution of technical, military, medical and industrial gloves as well as fashion companies making or distributing dress gloves in the UK and for export markets.
The Glovers run an annual "Golden Glove Award for Innovation".[17] This was won in 2022 by the British Equestrian Federation.[18] Student glove design and safety poster design competitions are also run annually to encourage practical and innovative glove design, and an awareness of hand protection in an industrial environment. The 2024 glove design competition had two categories: a Glasto Glove (for any music artist who has ever played at Glastonbury), or an Aesthetic Prosthetic (a prosthetic hand design that reworks function and form to a new artistic level).[19] The competitions are sponsored by The Glovers Company[20] and the winners in all categories receive cash prizes, which are presented at a formal luncheon in a City of London Livery Hall.
Affiliations edit
The Worshipful Company of Glovers, like many other Livery Companies, has forged links with units of the Armed Forces.[21] Specifically:
- THE ARTISTS RIFLES - The connection was formed in 1955 when the then Commanding Officer was a member of the Company. The Artists have provided a small Guard of Honour at the Glovers' annual dinner.[22]
- HMS ARTFUL - The Company became affiliated to HMS Cumberland in 1999 but this frigate was decommissioned in 2011. Since then, it has become affiliated to a new nuclear powered Astute Class submarine, HMS Artful, which was fitted out at Barrow in Furness. She was officially named in September 2013 at a ceremony attended by several Glovers.
- 296 (STOKE NEWINGTON) SQUADRON ROYAL AIR FORCE AIR CADETS - The Glovers were affiliated to 444 (Shoreditch) Squadron Royal Air Force cadets who were disbanded in 2021.The Glovers then became affiliated to this Cadet Squadron on 2 February 2022. The cadets of 296 had previously formed a carpet guard at the Glovers annual Banquet in 2021 and assisted on the Glovers float at the Lord Mayors show in the same year.
- ST JOHN AMBULANCE 467 BARNET CADETS - The Company became affiliated to this Cadet Association in 2014.
References edit
- ^ "Livery Companies & their modern day role | Livery Companies of the City of London". www.liverycompanies.info. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "List of Livery Companies by Precedence" (PDF). Livery Companies of the City of London. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Livery Company Trade, Craft & Professional Groups" (PDF). Fellowship of Clerks. March 2021 – via Livery Committee.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "The Worshipful Company of Glovers of London". www.thegloverscompany.org.
- ^ Waggett, Ralph W. (2008). A History of the Worshipful Company of Glovers of London (2nd ed.). Chichester, England: Phillimore & Co (now The History Press). p. 32. ISBN 9781860775390.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ "Paris Gift to Princess". The Glasgow Herald (City ed.). 9 October 1947. p. 5. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Historic Coronation Vestments from the Royal Collection will be reused by His Majesty The King for the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey". The official web site of the British Royal Family. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ "A brief guide for new members" (PDF). Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ^ Kramer, Adam (15 September 2013). "The Charity Projects Committee (CPC)". The Worshipful Company of Glovers of London. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ "Charity Projects supported by the Glovers 2022/23". The Worshipful Company of Glovers of London. April 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ "Helping to reduce side effects of Taxol Chemotherapy for ovarian cancer patients". www.porthosp.nhs.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ PA, Megan Baynes; Baker, Hannah (26 June 2020). "Teacher receives 'life-changing' bionic arm". Business Live. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ Tooley, David (26 August 2023). "Fundraiser starts to buy seven-year-old Shropshire boy a bionic arm". www.shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ "Home". The Glove Collection Trust.
- ^ Moss, Richard (14 February 2019). "A remarkable collection of gloves from The Worshipful Company of Glovers of London goes on display at the Fashion Museum in Bath". Museum Crush. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ Malloy, Tomas (8 September 2023). "The 700 year rise and fall of Yeovil's booming glove trade". Somerset Live. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ "Golden Glove | Glove Competitions". www.thegloverscompany.org. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ^ "Minutes of the Meeting of The British Equestrian Federation Board of Directors Held on Tuesday 6th December 2022 at Equestrian House" (PDF). British Equestrian Federation. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ^ "The Annual Student Glove Competition - The Art of Gloving | Glove Competitions - static pages". www.thegloverscompany.org. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ Taylor, Matthew (11 July 2023). "University of Northampton student wins prize in Annual Student Glove Competition". Northampton Chronicle and Echo. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ "Company Affiliations". Worshipful Company of Glovers of London. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
- ^ Young, B. A. (1960). The Artists and The SAS. 21st Special Air Service Regiment (Artists), T.A. pp. 56–57.
External links edit
- Official website of the Worshipful Company of Glovers
- Official website of the Glove Collection Trust