Skinners’ Company History Group

The History Group serves as a forum for members of the Company interested in exploring the Skinners’ long and remarkable history. It was set up at the end of 2007 following the successful lecture on Sir Thomas Smythe given at the Hall by Dr Ian Archer of Keble College, Oxford. ‘Membership’ consists in nothing more than asking for your name to be put on the circulation list.

The Group’s Committee aims to arrange a series of events throughout the year, ranging from lectures or talks from people, both inside and outside the Company who have expertise in a particular field, to presentations or local tours. The events are primarily for Skinners, but there will generally be scope to welcome guests, as many topics will be of interest beyond the Company. The Group is self-funding, so a small charge to attend events may be made.

If you would like to be on the circulation list of the Group or if you have any suggestions and ideas for future activities, do please get in touch with the assistant clerk Mervyn Bassett at: beadle@skinners.org.uk

or the Committee Chairman, Professor Colin Seymour-Ure at:
C.K.Seymour-Ure@kent.ac.uk.

Events currently being planned are listed below. Further details will be added as soon as they are confirmed.

• Monday 9th of November – Presentation Nimrod Expedition.
  Following on from the successful presentation last year prior to the event Mr Will Gow has kindly offered to carry out a further talk on the event itself and the outcome.
• Monday 30th November – Livery Companies Development 1660-1760
  A short presentation by Dr Perry Gauci on the development of the livery companies from about 1660 through to 1760 will be given covering the many facets that have shaped and directed the Livery Companies over that period.
• Monday 25th March – Skinners Girls School
  Dr Gillian Sutherland of Newham College has agreed to give a talk on the history of the Skinners Girl school in context with the development of women’s education in the 19th century.
  
• Sir William Cockayne, Jr.
  We are exploring the possibility of a joint event with the Clothworkers. Cockayne was Master in 1609, 1611 and 1625, and Lord Mayor in 1619. He was involved with the City Companies’ plantation of Ulster and he backed the explorer William Baffin. For Skinners, of course, his family's tangible memorial is the Cups. But to the Clothworkers he is of less happy interest. He devised a scheme to increase the export of finished (as opposed to unfinished) cloth. This proved so disastrous that the trade never fully recovered. The event should conclude (should it not?) with a toast drunk from the cups.

• Historical Meal
  This is still very tentative. We have an introduction to Ivan Day, an applied food historian based in Cumbria. (See his website at www.historicfood.com). We also have contact with an historian at Lincoln College, Oxford, Dr Perry Gauci, who is an expert on food history. There is therefore a range of possibilities, such as an historical meal preceded by a lecture, or one without the other, or some other variation. It would be helpful to have expressions of interest, however tentative.

• Outings
  At present the Committee are regarding these as only a possibility. For example Ian Archer’s account of Sir Thomas Smythe’s memorial in the church at Sutton-at-Hone (in countryside in the angle of the M25, M2 and A2) might make a suitable focus for a visit.  

• Other subjects of interest
  Interests drawn to our attention by members of the Company include the Company’s pictures and plate; its connections with the East India Company; the formation of the Livery; trade with Muscovy and America; the Restoration period; and the scope for an oral history programme.

• Part-time archivist?
  The Skinners are one of only two of the Great Twelve that do not employ an archivist (generally part-time). We hope to find out more about what the others’ archivists do and to see if there are lessons for us.

 

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