The livery companies probably had their origins in this country
before 1066. Guilds (or mysteries, from the Latin 'misterium',
meaning professional skill) flourished throughout Europe for many
centuries.
The development of guilds in Britain was not
confined to London. The Cutlers of Hallamshire in Sheffield, the
Merchant Venturers of Bristol and the Fellmongers of Richmond in
Yorkshire are examples of those still in existence around
Britain.
The word 'guild' derives from the Saxon word
for payment, since membership of these fraternities was (and is)
paid for. The word 'livery' refers to uniform clothing as means of
identification. Today, new companies in their formative years are
usually referred to as guilds.
The early companies were the medieval
equivalent of trading standards departments, checking quality of
goods and weights and measures. They also controlled imports, set
wages and working conditions and trained apprentices. After many
years of fierce dispute, an order of precedence for livery
companies was finally settled in 1515, starting with Mercers at
number one.
Today City street names - such as Milk Street,
Bread Street, Ironmonger Lane, Poultry, Cloth Fair and Mason's
Avenue - mark the sites where it all began.