The Fullers and the Shearmen
The rivalry that developed between different branches of the cloth trade resulted in two new companies splitting from the Company of Weavers. These comprised the Fullers and the Shearmen.
These craftsmen clearly saw themselves as distinct groups before they were formally incorporated as companies. The site of the present Clothworkers' Hall was conveyed to a group of individually-named Shearmen in 1456.
In 1480, the Fullers were incorporated as a separate body by Royal Charter and in 1508, the Shearmen too became a Company in their own right.
Once the Companies were incorporated, they became a legal entity and could acquire lands as corporate bodies. This was the basis of their future wealth. Several of the London properties still owned by The Clothworkers' Company may be traced back to bequests by early fullers and shearmen.
Both Companies were dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose image appears on the Shearmen's seal of 1509.
<< Pre 1480 1528 - 1600 >>