Our work and role in The City
The Worshipful Company of Plumbers is proud to be among the ancient Livery Companies in the City of London.
Our initial Ordinances were granted by the Lord Mayor and the Aldermen in 1365, and ever since, we have strived to support the City of London and the Mayoralty.
We strive to achieve this by supporting City and Livery functions.
We take part in The Lord Mayor’s show, and in some years provide a float illustrating some aspect of plumbing. We also involve schoolchildren in the decoration of the float, and have received tremendous support from the children at the Columbia Primary School in Tower Hamlets. The Sea Cadet Unit at Richmond is supported, and they provide a carpet guard at our Annual Banquet at the Mansion House.
All Liverymen are encouraged to attend the annual United Guilds Service at St Paul’s. This service started following a meeting of the Masters and Prime Wardens of the Twelve Great Companies, held at Goldsmiths’ Hall, on February 1st 1943, when it was decided to hold a service in St Paul’s Cathedral for the Livery Companies and Guilds of the City of London. The idea behind the service was to help lift the spirits of the City following the Blitz during the Second World War. The Livery Companies continue gather together every year at St Paul’s on Lady Day.
Encouraging Liverymen to actively participate in City elections
All Liverymen are Freeman of the City of London and are encouraged to exercise their right to participate in the election of the Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs. The Company through the Master and Wardens participates in Ward elections.
Raising funds for Lord Mayor’s Charities
The Lord Mayor nominates a charity or charities for their year. The Plumbers make it a point to contribute usually giving the Lord Mayor a cheque at our Annual Banquet. We also strive to attend functions held on behalf of the Lord Mayor’s charity.
Lord Mayors of the City of London
We are proud to have had 7 Lord Mayors drawn from our Company, including the second female Lord Mayor:
1892 Sir Stuart Knill Bt
1909 Sir John Knill Bt
1910 Sir Thomas V Strong
1925 Sir William Pryke Bt
1963 Sir James Harman GBE
2006 Sir John B Stuttard
2013 Dame Catherine Fiona Woolf DBE DL
The Worshipful Company of Plumbers is proud to support the City of London
The Livery Company Database
The database lists contact details of Livery Companies, Guilds, and other organisations.
The Livery Committee
We support the Livery Committee who produce quarterly Livery briefings. The Livery Committee assists Livery Companies in their support of the Mayoralty and the City of London Corporation.
It is aimed at creating awareness amongst Liverymen and the general public of the work of the Livery Companies. It undertakes such tasks which are intended to be in the best interests of the general body of the Livery.
Livery Climate Action Group (LCAG)
The Plumbers’ Company have signed up to LCAG and are creating their own Climate Action Plan.
St Magnus-the-Martyr, our Church in the City
The Company holds the Installation and Carol Services at St Magnus-the-Martyr, along with other services during the year.
See a virtual tour of the church, that was developed during lockdown with the help of a grant from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. This includes videos, drone footage, 360° photography, information pop-ups, high-resolution ‘zoomables’, music recordings by the organist and choir, voice recordings by a professional actor, and a 3D virtual reality scan of the model of old London Bridge made by Past Steward David Aggett.
