The Worshipful Company
of Bowyers
Forthcoming Bowyer Events
Click here for details of proposed future Bowyers' Events
Warrior Company F40 Lunch
7 June 2022
Installation & Lunch,
St Botolph's & The Mercer
6 July 2022
New Master's Dinner,
Watermen’s Hall
13 July 2022
City and other News
The Becket Pageant for London and Livery Crafts Fair
Guildhall Yard 17th & 18th June 2022
View details
'Who won at Waterloo' lecture
The Guards Museum
17 May 22
Download further details
Meetings of Common Hall 2022
24 June 2022 & 29 Sep 2022
Eligible Liverymen who wish to attend to vote and/or attend lunch
at Tallow Chandler’s afterwards please book in online/contact the Clerk.
Lord Mayor's Easter Bulletin
12 April 2022
Click here to view
St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate November 2021 Newsletter
Download a copy
Mercian Regiment Update
A copy of the regiment's latest quarterly newsletter can be found at this link
Suited and Booted newsletter
Download a copy here
City of London Livery Briefing
Download the latest edition
Tracing Your Bowyer Ancestors
The Worshipful Company of Bowyers supported the RollCo project by providing transcriptions of admission records which are now freely available online at www.londonroll.org
About the Bowyers
The Worshipful Company of Bowyers is one of the older and smaller of the City of London's livery companies. We celebrate our piece of history, we work hard at our charitable activity, and we provide a convivial sociable environment that keeps our members engaged.
... Find out moreSt George's Charity Banquet
The venue for this year's St George's Charity Banquet was Apothecaries' Hall, the oldest extant livery company Hall in the City of London. More than 75 members with their partners, family and guests attended.
Bowyers Visit to 1 Mercian, Bulford Garrison
On Thursday, 17 February, 2022, a party of 17 Bowyers visited the First Battalion of our affiliated Regiment, The Mercian Regiment, at Bulford Garrison on Salisbury Plain by kind invitation of the Battalion's Commanding Officer, Lt Col Dean Canham, MBE.
Mark Elliott
Court Assistant
Two New Bowyers Publications
As fellow Bowyers will be aware this year, 2021, marks the 400th Anniversary of the Charter of 25th May 1621 granted By King James the First to the Master, Wardens and Society of the Mystery of Bowyers of the City of London, although the company was already ancient at that time with records dating back to 1363. To mark the occasion, the Bowyers have published not one commemorative publication, but two!
Our Coat of Arms
The arms of the Company were granted by Sir Thomas Holme, Clarenceux King of Arms on 10 November 1488. The main charge is the 'flote' which was a device for planing and smoothing the bow stave. The chevron has no special meaning but is simply to separate the 'flotes' in the design. It is commonly found at this time in arms granted to corporations, livery companies and others. Likewise, so far as we know the mullets are merely decorative.
The Crest of three bows may represent the product in use and ties up neatly with the motto: Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt.
The Supporters were granted in July 1996. The dexter is a representative of a medieval bowyer in the livery of his Company (black and white) holding a 'flote' as one of the tools of his trade. The sinister, a representation of an archer of the time of Agincourt symbolises the product in use.
The supporters stand upon a green mound which is strewn with pointed stakes set at an angle such as were used by the archers at Agincourt as a defence against cavalry.
