City of London Briefings at Innholders' Hall. These briefings are thoroughly recommended for new liverymen. For more information click here .

WAIST OF TIME?

The Master’s Sponsored Weight Loss for Charity

One of the more pleasurable duties of the Master of a livery company is to accept invitations to numerous excellent dinners, lunches and banquets during his year of office. However, an inevitable drawback of this fine dining is the danger of gaining extra pounds  - or even stones. Therefore, realising this potential problem, our Master, Geoffrey Vero, managed to lose significant weight before his year started in October 2007, but alas, his figure has already taken the toll of the burdens of Mastership, and he is now only 0.7 of a stone below his previous normal weight of 16 stone.

Master Feltmaker, Geoffrey Vero with his wife, Frankie

So he has set himself the challenge of finishing his year weighing no more than 15.5 stone and is seeking sponsorship in aid of the Feltmakers’ charity, the St. Clements’ Fund, of £25 per sponsor plus an optional amount for each pound below 15 and a half stone, up to a maximum liability of 7 lbs. However, if Geoffrey's weight continues to rise, he promises to contribute to the charity, himself, proportionately for every pound over 15.5 stone that he ends up. Two liverymen, Dennis Syberg and Dominic Ely have volunteered to organise weighing sessions every two weeks to monitor his progress, and the results will be displayed on this website.

See the first weighing by clicking here. 

Anyone wishing to be a sponsor, and it is hoped that all members of the Feltmakers Livery will participate, are urged to download the form from the following link, and to complete it and send it off. Instructions for this are given on the form.

Download the sponsorship form here, as an Excel spreadsheet . You can complete some details electronically, if you wish, but you will need to print the form off, sign it, and post it, as directed.

 The Worshipful Company of Feltmakers of London

The Worshipful Company of Feltmakers is today the Livery Company of the hatters.

The first reference to Feltmakers is in London in 1180.  In 1269 the Cappers became officially established.  Hurers made shaggy caps and in 1311 the Hatters were active.  The Hurers and Cappers amalgamated with the Hatters and then merged with the powerful Haberdashers in 1502.  Many feltmakers were already members of the Haberdashers and, as the Haberdashers controlled the retail outlets and the raw materials, this unification seemed sensible. 

In 1583 the Feltmakers petitioned Queen Elizabeth I for their own Charter but it was not granted until 1604, when King James I came to the throne.  In 1667, King Charles II granted an expanded Charter extending their powers.The Company was granted Livery in 1733, number 63 in order of precedence. 

In 1870-74 many famous politicians joined the Feltmakers.  Between them four had been Chancellor, two First Lord of the Admiralty, two President of the Board of trade and two Foreign Secretary.

The hatting trade flourished in the early part of the 20th. century.  Twenty-seven Mayors were elected in 1914-18.  In 1927 there were 9 Knights on the Feltmakers’ Court.  During the second half of the 20th. century, the trade declined.  There are now some 170 Feltmakers drawn from the higher ranks of many professions, businesses and trades as well as the hatting industry.  The Feltmakers have produced two Lord Mayors and are flourishing again.

Read more about us on our History page.........