20 July 2007
Steam rises as Lord Mayor Stuttard marks the carts for a second
year
The annual Cart Marking ceremony took place at Guildhall Yard on
Wednesday, 18 July. During the ceremony over 40 vehicles were
branded with the letter Q representing the year 2007. Lord Mayor
John Stuttard marked the cars before an audience of over 200 car
fans.
For centuries, the City of London Corporation controlled all
carts and carriers in the Square Mile. The number of these vehicles
was strictly limited and each bore an individually numbered brass
plate. Every year all the registered vehicles were brought to
Guildhall to be branded with the year’s letter.
Today the Square Mile is much busier and carts and carriers are
no longer managed by the City of London Corporation. Some cars are
still branded by Worshipful Company of Carmen for ceremonial
purposes as a reminder of their centuries of service.
The Lord Mayor, who is a car fanatic and had branded the carts
last year when he was Sheriff, said: “It is great to continue such
an ancient tradition, as the annual Cart Marking ceremony has a
history of many centuries. What a wonderful chance for everyone to
see some really unusual cars.”
Of the varied vehicles on display, the 1896 steam-powered cart
and the massive army tractor unit were the most unusual. One of the
three impressive horse-drawn carriages, the 1902 tunnel van, was
used by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress to move their possessions
to their new home, Mansion House, in November 2006.