View source for Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths

{{short description|Livery company of the City of London}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox Livery Company
| name                = Goldsmiths' Company
| image               = Arms of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.svg
| image_size          = 220
| caption             = [[Coat of arms|Goldsmiths' arms]]: <br>''Quarterly Gules and Azure in the first and fourth quarters a Leopard's Face Or in the second and third quarters a Covered Cup and in chief two Round Buckles the tongues fesswise points to the dexter all of the Third''. <br>The Company's [[hallmark]] for [[gold]] is <br>''a Leopard's Face ducally crowned''.
| motto               = ''Justitia Virtutum Regina''
| location            = [[Goldsmiths' Hall]],<br /> [[London EC2]], England
| formation           = {{Start date and age|1327|df=yes}}
| association         = [[Goldsmith|Gold]] and [[silversmith]]ing
| precedence          = 5th
| website             = {{URL|http://thegoldsmiths.co.uk/}}
| master              = [[Ed Butler (British Army officer)|Brig. Ed Butler]] {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=90%|CBE|DSO}}
<br>([[Warden|Prime Warden]] for 2025/26)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jewellerymonthly.co.uk/richard-reid-appointed-697th-prime-warden-of-the-goldsmiths-company/|title=Richard Reid Appointed 697th Prime Warden of The Goldsmiths’ Company}}</ref>
|Purpose=Support and train jewellers and silversmiths, protect consumers by testing and hallmarking precious metals, work with charitable, educational and cultural partners to help people improve their lives.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/company/today/company-strategy/ | title=The Goldsmiths' Company 2027 Strategy }}</ref>}}
[[File:Goldsmith Hall - 2nd half of the 19th century.jpg|240px|thumb|The third and present Goldsmiths' Hall in the late 19th century]]
The '''Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths''' (commonly known as '''''The Goldsmiths' Company''''' and formally styled '''''The Wardens and Commonalty of the Mystery of Goldsmiths of the City of London'''''),<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of the Company|url=https://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/company/history/history-of-the-company/|access-date=9 April 2021|website=Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths}}</ref> is one of the [[Great Twelve City Livery Companies|Great Twelve Livery Companies]] of the [[City of London]], headquartered at [[Goldsmiths' Hall]], [[London EC2]].<ref name=ft/>

The [[Livery company|company]], which originates from twelfth-century London, received a [[Royal Charter]] in 1327 and ranks fifth in [[Livery company#List of companies in order of precedence|precedence]] of the City Livery Companies. 

Its [[motto]] is ''Justitia Virtutum Regina'', [[Latin]] for ''Justice is Queen of Virtues''.

==History==
[[File:EH1286469 Goldsmiths Hall 03.jpg|thumb|Frontage of Goldsmiths' Hall, EC2]]
Established as a [[medieval]] [[guild]] for the [[goldsmith]] [[trade]], the term ''[[hallmarking]]'' derives from [[precious metal]]s being officially inspected and marked at Goldsmiths' Hall in the [[City of London]]. They were an influential guild, supplying more than 50 [[Lord Mayors of London]].<ref name="Gold4">The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths [https://books.google.com/books?id=3iY9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA4 "The London Goldsmiths"] pg. 4</ref>

Its parish church of [[St John Zachary]] in [[Maiden Lane, Covent Garden|Maiden Lane]] in [[Covent Garden]] was destroyed in the [[Great Fire of London]] in 1666.<ref name=Twyford>{{cite DNB|wstitle=Twyford, Nicholas|author-link=Albert Frederick Pollard|first=Albert Frederick |last=Pollard|year=1899}}</ref>

[[File:Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths' Alms Houses, Acton.jpg|230px|thumb|Goldsmiths' Alms Houses, Acton W3]]
In 1812, twenty [[almshouses]] were built on the former Perryn estate in [[Acton, London|Acton]],<ref>[http://www.actonhistory.co.uk/acton/page7.html www.actonhistory.co.uk]</ref> on land bequeathed to the company by [[Acton, London#History|Alderman John Perryn]] in 1657.<ref>[https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/london-aldermen/hen3-1912/pp22-32#google_vignette www.british-history.ac.uk]</ref><ref>[https://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/company/history/history-of-the-company/ Official history] Retrieved 18 June 2018</ref>

In 1891, the Goldsmiths' Company founded the [[Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute]], becoming [[Goldsmiths' College]] then [[Goldsmiths, University of London]].

==Current Role==
One of the few Livery Companies today playing a formal role in its ancient trade, it oversees [[the Goldsmiths' Company Assay Office]], where objects made of precious metals are tested for purity, and then marked with an official [[symbol]] should they pass the necessary [[Metallurgical assay|test]]s. At the [[Trial of the Pyx]], the Goldsmiths' Company is also responsible for checking the validity of [[British coinage]].

The Goldsmiths' Company also maintains a [[library]] and [[archive]] for those wishing to research goldsmithing, silversmithing and [[hallmark]]ing.

==List of select recent Prime Wardens==
*1950/52: [[W. Godfrey Allen|Godfrey Allen]]
*1984: [[Arthur Grimwade]]<ref name=Grimwade>"Arthur Grimwade", in ''[[The Times]]''; published 3 December 2002; p. 34</ref>
*2004: [[Toye, Kenning & Spencer|Bryan Toye]]
*2008: [[Grant Macdonald]]
*2012: Hector Miller
*2013: Richard Agutter
*2014: [[Welbeck Abbey|William Parente]]
*2016: [[Boodles (company)|Michael Wainwright]]
*2017: Judith Cobham-Lowe
*2018: Michael Prideaux<ref>[https://www.burkespeerage.com/ www.burkespeerage.com]</ref>
*2019: [[Schröder family|Timothy Schroder]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Hailes. S|date=30 May 2019|title=Goldsmiths' Company names new prime warden|url=https://www.professionaljeweller.com/goldsmiths-company-names-new-prime-warden-2/?amp=1|website=Professional Jeweller}}</ref>
*2020: Richard Fox
*2021: [[Lynne Brindley|Dame Lynne Brindley]]
*2022: [[Mark Bridges, 3rd Baron Bridges|Lord Bridges]]
*2023: [[Robin Mackworth-Young#Family|Charles Mackworth-Young]]<ref>[https://www.imperial.nhs.uk/consultant-directory/charles-mackworth-young www.imperial.nhs.uk]</ref>
*2024: Richard Reid 
*2025: [[Ed Butler (British Army officer)|Brigadier Ed Butler]] (698th)

===Goldsmiths' Centre===
[[File:Goldsmiths Centre (geograph 6029785).jpg|thumb|230px|Goldsmiths’ Centre, Clerkenwell EC1]]
In 2012 the Goldsmiths’ Centre, a space for workshops, exhibitions and events, and education including apprentice training, opened in [[Clerkenwell]].<ref name=ft>{{cite news|last=Engel|first=Matthew|title=British institutions: livery companies|url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/e42e19a0-47da-11e2-a899-00144feab49a.html#slide0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/0R5vc |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=22 December 2012|newspaper=ft.com|date=21 December 2012}}</ref><ref name=gc>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldsmiths-centre.org |title=Goldsmiths' Centre |publisher=Goldsmiths’ Centre |access-date=25 January 2019}}</ref>

===Current activities===
In July 2017, the Goldsmiths' Company announced it was to become a founding partner of the new [[Museum of London]], donating £10 million to the new site.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/arts/museum-of-london-strikes-gold-with-10m-donation-and-loan-of-treasures-a3578481.html |title=Museum of London strikes gold with £10m donation and loan of treasures |date=3 July 2017 |publisher=The Evening Standard |access-date=24 Nov 2017}}</ref> It also announced a contribution of £250,000 to [[Westminster Abbey]] for the [[Westminster Abbey Museum|Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries]], which opened in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.churchbuilding.co.uk/goldsmiths-company-makes-major-contribution-westminster-abbey/ |title= The Goldsmiths' Company Makes A Major Contribution To Westminster Abbey |date=3 June 2017 |publisher=Church and Heritage Building |access-date=24 Nov 2017}}</ref>

The Goldsmiths’ Company supports two large educational initiatives, providing funding for a science initiative in primary schools created by [[Imperial College London]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_8-12-2016-12-10-20 |title=Imperial and Tigtag launch new resource to boost primary science |date=8 December 2016 |publisher=Imperial College London |access-date=24 Nov 2017}}</ref> and the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]]’s programme of streamed recordings for primary schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/151242/sir-lenny-henry-launches-on-demand-in-schools-primary|title=Sir Lenny Henry launches On Demand in Schools Primary|date=4 November 2016|access-date=24 Nov 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201082133/https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/151242/sir-lenny-henry-launches-on-demand-in-schools-primary/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Great Twelve City Livery Companies]]
* [[Harache family]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book
  | last = Forbes
  | first = John S.
  | year = 1999
  | title = Hallmark: A History of the London Assay Office
  | location = London
  | publisher = Unicorn Press
  | isbn = 978-0-906290-26-2}}
* Jefferson, Lisa (ed.) (2023). ''The Register of the Goldsmiths' Company: Deeds and Documents, c. 1190 to c. 1666'', Vol. 1–3. Boydell and Brewer.

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk The Goldsmiths' Company]
* [http://www.goldsmiths-centre.org/ The Goldsmiths' Centre]

{{Livery Companies in the City of London}}
{{coords|51.5158|-0.0957|display=title}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Great Twelve City Livery Companies]]
[[Category:12th-century establishments in England]]
[[Category:1327 establishments in England]]
[[Category:1870s in London]]
[[Category:Livery companies|Goldsmiths]]
[[Category:Corporatism]]
[[Category:Companies of medieval England]]
[[Category:Charities based in London]]
[[Category:History of the City of London]]
[[Category:English goldsmiths]]