The Scrivener

EXTRACTS FROM THE NEWSLETTER OF THE WORSHIPFUL

COMPANY OF SCRIVENERS OF THE CITY OF LONDON

ISSUE 10                APRIL 2008

Membership Committee

APPRENTICES

The Membership Committee is keen to encourage the Livery to take apprentices as a means of introducing young people to the Company. The Court has also resolved that every Company apprentice aged 18 or over be invited annually to one of the Company’s two main dinners free of charge. The short article below sets out the procedure.

By ancient custom of the City of London apprentices of Liverymen are entitled, when having completed a term of between 4 and 8 years, to be admitted to the freedom of the City. An apprentice may not be younger than 14 nor older than 21 when indentured and the binding must be voluntary. In addition a minor must have parental consent to be bound.

The indentures must be in a form according to the Custom of London and include, inter alia, prohibition on the person bound attending theatres, gambling houses and taverns. Needless to say, these are rarely, if ever, enforced these days. The indentures must be entered into and signed at the livery company’s hall or office and traditionally the person to be bound is asked 3 questions, to ensure the identity of the apprentice, to ensure the apprentice likes his/her trade and master and to ensure the apprentice is willing to be bound.

During the first year of binding, but not on the day of binding itself, the apprentice is required to attend in person at the Chamberlain’s Court with the indentures (2 copies), birth certificate and his master’s certificate of freedom to be inroled (sic). There is no inrolement fee. When the term of service has been completed the apprentice, by right of servitude, is made free of the livery company in which he/she was bound. Most livery companies these days levy no admission fine or require a nominal sum.

The company now has 2 apprentices and there is room for a lot more. Bringing younger people into our company will ensure a secure future. From a very early period “colourable” or notional bindings were allowed. This is where young people are bound as a matter of form to masters whose trades they do not intend to follow and who undertake no obligations as regards their welfare or education. I would urge fellow Scriveners with sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, grandsons and daughters, et al to encourage suitable young people to be apprenticed to them so that in a few years time we have a youthful company. Always remember that you can insert any number of clauses into modern indentures to ensure weekly:- a tidy bedroom, a freshly mown lawn or even a newly washed family car.

With acknowledgements to Caroline Arnold (erstwhile Scrivener) and her book The Freedom of the City of London.

PATRIMONY

Whilst most members enter the Freedom by Redemption (by payment) the premier mode of admission is by Patrimony. If the mother or father was in a livery company at the time of the child’s birth then the child is admitted to the freedom of that company prior to being made free of the City of London. It may only be claimed by natural, not adopted, children through the mother or father. It cannot be claimed through grandparents or other relatives. The membership committee would be delighted to learn of anyone in the Company whose offspring would qualify under this category of admission to the freedom of this Company.

LLB
Renter Warden & Chairman of the Membership Committee

Admissions to the Freedom of the Company

Since the last edition of the newsletter the following have been admitted to the freedom of the Company, and we give a warm welcome to:-

PETER MOORE, a member of the Toastmasters’ Guild and currently Town Crier for the Mayor of London.

BARBARA JANET CONNELL, who is now retired, having for many years worked for National Westminster Bank.

MICHAEL FORSTER PISAPIA, solicitor and New York Attorney at Law.

HAYDN EVANS, Headteacher, Sir John Cass’s Foundation and Red Coat Church of England Secondary School.

VICTORIA BEATRICE SALMON, who is a solicitor and UK and European Patent Attorney currently employed with Eversheds LLP.

CLAIRE MILES, Solicitor and Partner in Dewar Hogan Solicitors.

RICHARD DOUGLAS MAIR, UK and European Patent Attorney and UK Trade Mark Attorney and Partner at Abel & Imray

Admissions to the Livery

PETER MOORE was admitted to the livery on 29th October 2007, along with DIMITRIOS ALAFOUZOS, MICHAEL ARTHUR LYND and SYLVIA LYND.   EDWARD JOHN MACEY-DARE was admitted to the livery on 23 January 2008 and BARBARA JANET CONNELL also on that day.

DAVID PHILIP PELCHEN was admitted to the livery on 17th April 2008, after publication of the Newsletter.

Admission to the Companionship

The establishment of the Companionship Order, open to the widows and partners of deceased former members of the Company, was announced in the September newsletter. We are delighted that the Company now has its first Companion, PENNY O’MEARA, widow of Barry Desmond O’Meara, who was Master in 1996-97.

Deaths

Sadly, the Reverend John Tadman a senior member of the Livery has died after a long illness. He joined the Livery in 1978.

Sexcentenary Fund.

To commemorate the award of a choristership at St Paul's Cathedral School the Company has had a medallion struck, a photograph of which appears below. The current beneficiary, Benjamin Christopher,  was presented with the medallion on 4th December 2007 by the Master. Benjamin has already sung solos in Handel’s Messiah and Britten’s Ceremony of Carols.