Jewel of the Thames – Watermen’s Hall

The Company held its Winter Court and Dinner at Watermen’s Hall in January. The Master is pictured proudly seated in the Master Watermen’s chair, an ornately gilded piece with the magnificent royal coat of arms and that of the company adorning the chair back. The chair’s armrests are enormous carved griffins; the emblem of the City, symbolizing power, courage, and divine guardianship.

The occasion is worthy of mention, not only because it is one of Master Richard’s favourite halls, but indeed it was the venue for his last dinner during his first term 2019-20, when COVID struck and his Master’s year was effectively terminated.

The chair represents the leadership of the Company, which was established in the 16th century to govern Watermen (who carried passengers) and Lightermen (who moved goods) on the River Thames.

The chair is the ‘throne’ of the Master of the Watermen and Lightermen’s Company, one of the few without livery, and resides inside the Court room at Watermen’s Hall situated at 18 St Mary-at-Hill. Also of impressive interest in the Court room is the splendid giant coat of arms over the fireplace, displaying an erect arm holding a boat oar with supporters of dolphins and an image of a boat afloat the Thames on the badge. Jussu Superiorum: The motto means ‘At the command of our superiors’.

Watermen’s Hall is the only surviving Georgian hall in the City of London, built in 1780. With its unusual neo-classical frontage, it is the headquarters of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen. The Hall is adorned with many treasures of the river and their trade.

First regulated by an Act of Parliament in 1514 during the reign of Henry VIII and granted permission to hire apprentices during the reign of Mary I in 1555, this is a City company without grant of livery for historic reasons and therefore does not feature in the order of precedence. It does however play a major role in livery life because it is one of the 41 companies that own their own Hall, moreover the Watermen’s Hall is the only property of its type in the City of London that is still today substantially as it was in the 18th century.