A Change of Emphasis The Great Fire of London caused great disruption to the trades and crafts in the City of London and began the process which led to the almost complete divorce of The Clothworkers' Company from its craft.
The ceremonial side of the Company continued, however. An important Master of the period was Sir Robert Beachcroft, elected in 1700, who served as Lord Mayor in 1711-12.
The occasion of the Lord Mayor's Day involved much pageantry, including a floating procession along the Thames. The Company ordered a new barge in 1728, which was moored in a bargehouse in Vauxhall.
Charitable work also remained and the Company continued to acquire new Trusts. Chief among these were the 8 charities established by John and Francis West, mainly concerned with support for the blind, with which the Company became particularly associated.
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