LONDON LIVERY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 141, 18 June 1927, Page 20

LONDON LIVERY

GOIjPSMITJrIS AND GIBPLERS,

Two Lpndoii •livery companies liaye been celebrating their SOOth anniversary; ■ They fro. really much older. Both Goldsmiths a.nd Girdlerg were horn, asguilds and fraternities, in the misty ages before the Norman Conquest, ana the" grant of a Royal' Charter might bo regarded.as their coming of ajp (saya MThe'Tinies''), In those adolescent years the principles of association Tyere firmly founded .in, religion, gpmmpn' help, projection, and gppd-fellpw ship, A craft aimed at safeguarding .iia' corporate and individual interests under a patron saint,, whose inspiration waa npt incompatible with the display of jaigppd. "fighting spirit on reasonable cause." To-day the same saints rule tjie 'same companies, but: ji peac^ as4'awetfteß_s;;\The Girdlers otti, allegiance 'to ;|3t. Lawrence, and this; . firpJlsmifchs' to St. D/unstan," to wnpm they de4ieased a*chapel in Old St. Paul's, and.whpm they "acknowledge jn the pre_s«Ht;Cattie / drai by a mesaie de■cpratioji. Thiscenturyvinakes ira large demand for girdles, Gold and stiveiy on :thp pther hand,: have never yet been ouj of date. jßp it comes about ijhat.-the court and liyery of the: G.oldsjmiyis' Company -have always, numbered tneiri .bers Jengag^ed.in the trade. 1 :\Thenipde.rn proportion on the epurt /has fcepn: uanalr ly about one-fifth, Arid yery rightly bo, «onsidering tfiat to tjie- company:-is en;truated the duty of controlling definite standards for gold "and silver ware". duty the company- performs without prbfit'tp itself er cost to the; State; ;'enly so much can be charged .for the, service as will cover the /expenses of ;#• Assay Offlqej which, in fact, is, con- ■ ducted at 8' considerable. yearly loss. vWhga yei(ay~tkst gold and silver plate is ?< hallmarked''we. mean (though terhapswedjoßot all know) that it has eea Marked at $he (^ldsmiths' Half. '9;h.e of the ?ysV Manother pnbli« fnnetipn iyhich.falls 'faj the; ■pmitlisl Company. Tjiis'pi^ininitipii of the justness "pf the epuntry?s coinage is. believed to ggf back Jo "J3axpn, and perhaps Roman, .times.' Since' Queen Elizabeth's feign, if " not earlier," the jury has been formed wholly qf -monibers of the Goldsmiths' Copipany. "On pccS3iqn the. Sovereign himself lias presided over the trial, "as, James I.'ijL 1611 Charles 11, in 1669. Coins f rbm" this igversea bra[n§h' miiits,.aß v?e\} as those froci the Eoyal Mint.'haye been SjiLmitted to the ta-iariiinc'e"i9oD. in. that year first came coins from Berth (Western Australia), in 1902 frpm Melbourne #»4 gyfeey, JR 13P9 ffSm Ottawa, in 1W? f jfpnj; Bpi^bfty, and in. 19?4 frpm Pretoria. • Separate verdicts are delivered for each branch mint. The GoldSmithsr.haya Jatejy undertaken a mission for improyiflg'•;■ design in silygrwork. Thechief/object they have in view, is to encourage tho: production of plate characteriatic of present-day taste. Tjje s cpmpany; is pursuing its aim "by .^egng of competitions, Prizewinning, Resigns for racing cups' and' trophies attracted favourable attention at..the Britiah Industries Fair. Last autumn 'three, commissioned by thej Empire ;"';ilarke<iing Board, to be giv^n as prizes in* V: win.dow-dressing competition 'for. Umpire fpit, were shown'for a day at the Eoyal Acadomyw A fnrthet ijomp ; stitionjhas the purpose of securing;; by selection, good examples :of "modqni.'s.ilyerwork^twjth a view to subsegucnt exhibition.