Livery companies were organizations of master tradesmen which developed in the city of London during the Middle Ages. Their purpose was to control the numbers and character of new entrants. Originally livery referred to the special clothing of retainers and servants, but later the term became associated with distinctive costumes for grand occasions. Prosperous companies erected their own guildhalls and endowed churches dedicated to the patron saint of their crafts, with chapels for their use. They have retained their independence to the extent that, currently, members of a company have the status of freemen of the city of London. By 1979 there were 84 livery companies.

A Dictionary of British History. Copyright © 2001, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.