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 more

Bowyers at Isley Walton 2021

For 260 years between 1629 and 1890, the Bowyers' Company owned a farming estate at the village of Isley Walton in Leicestershire which had been bequeathed to it by our great benefactor, James Wood. It was the income from farm rents on that estate that enabled the Bowyers to survive as a Company for the long term after military longbow-making died out. It originally comprised 260 acres, and in 1824 the Bowyers purchased an adjacent 147 acres. The estate included a handsome Manor House, a village school and a small parish church.

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Bowyers' Sailing

Fellow Bowyers – Do you Sail? Or would you like to give Sailing "a go"?

Not long ago, a handful of us set up the Worshipful Company of Bowyers' Sailing Club as an informal group with fellow Bowyers. Some already had Sailing experience and others were new to Sailing, but all of us enjoyed being out on the water.

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City Walk and Supper

At 6 o’clock on the 6th July 15 Bowyers and their 5 guests gathered at St Nicholas Cole Abbey, a church that was for a long time the meeting place for the Bowyers, and the church in which our great benefactor James Wood is buried. We then drank a toast to James Wood at his memorial plaque in the church and ventured out on our City walk.

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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.