History

Duchess of Wessex with CoopersThe Coopers Livery Company is 36th in the hierarchy of the City of London Liveries having been instigated at least as early as the 11th century, and was first mentioned as an established fellowship in the Mayor's Court records of 1298.

Many of our members hold a keen interest in the history of the Coopers Livery Company, and we maintain a fascinating collection of artefacts of the Company and the trade in Coopers Hall, which members are cordially invited to visit by appointment.

We welcome any additions and contributions to the written records and to the collection, which is lovingly managed by Liverymen who have a particular interest in collecting examples of the tools associated with our craft, which by their nature have remained little changed over the centuries.

Another focus of the collection is the depiction of casks in our culture - principally in advertising and signage - and we have a diverse assemblage of objects collected from across the country and the years.

Coopers' toolsMore rare, and of great interest to us, are artefacts from the Coopers Livery Company itself, including correspondence, badges, buttons and regalia, and we are always happy to help to identify and record any such mementoes.

We are very proud guardians of our long history, which is laid out brief in this section of the website, and hope you enjoy exploring it with us and welcome any contributions you may have.