The History of the
Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights

In the next thirty years or so the City was preoccupied with other matters including the Civil War, the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell, the Dutch War, the Great Plague and the Fire of London. The wheelwrights, independently of the coachmakers made a separate petition for incorporation and on 3rd February 1670, Charles II granted the wheelwrights a Charter. The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights became, in order of precedence, the sixty-eighth Livery Company of the City of London.

After receiving the Charter the Wheelwrights Company carried on the work of the former Guild but the legal status of the Charter enhanced its power and gave it the right to make its own bye-laws and thus govern the operation of the trade. The jurisdiction of the Company covered all wheelwrights working within the City but did not extend far outside its boundaries. Amongst other things the bye-laws empowered the Court of Assistants to visit the house, shop or warehouse of any wheelwright and to search the premises to ensure that wheels were made of good materials and properly constructed. These "Searches" as they were called did not always go smoothly. An old report reads as follows: "17th May 1688. This day Mr. Thomas Girdler appeareing in Court was accused of exposeing to sale sevrall coach wheeles made of unsound Timber and that he being informed of the penalties that would fall upon him by vertue of the Byelawes of this Compaine, the said Mr. Girdler, did in a very unseemly manner revile the Compaine and said he cared not for the Byelawes." Some fairly rich 17th Century language was no doubt used but Mr. Girdler had met his match. The report continues: "Upon hearing the whole complaint this Court did fine him in all four pounds for his rotten wheeles but afterwards he declaring his sorrow for his offences and submitting himselfe to the Court his fine was remitted to 10s which he Payd and his contempt was passed by." A typical wheelwright's shop of the 17th Century would have comprised a Master Wheelwright, who would be a member of the Company, several journeymen and half a dozen apprentices. From the outset women were admitted to the Freedom of the Company. Some were widows of wheelwrights who carried on the trade of their late husbands, others were admitted as apprentices and some by patrimony. One of the earliest entries in the minute books is that of 27th May 1670 which states: " Mrs. Rand did this day promise to pay to this Company towards their charge of Incorporation on Midsomer day next the sum of 5£." "Mrs. Rand did this day promise to pay to this Company the remainder of her Subscription on Midsomer day next." However, the wheelwrights trade in the 17th and early 18th Centuries was one which, whilst requiring great skill, needed, like the blacksmiths trade, a powerful physique and brawny arms. Probably it never provided a lavish lifestyle and the problem of raising funds to meet Company commitments has been a recurring theme for successive Masters. Diversification and the Decline of the Trade Top Considerable changes took place in the last quarter of the 18th Century. On the one hand the Company flourished growing in both numbers and social status. The Company applied for and obtained a grant of Livery in 1763 and in 1793 it achieved the distinction of providing its first Lord Mayor of London – Sir Robert Peckham. On the other hand by 1801 it was discovered that there was not one practising craftsman amongst the Company's membership. There is little doubt that this came about as a result of the greatly increased worldwide trade that was passing through the City. This in turn led to high rents and wages so that even those men who had started life as craftsmen were probably finding more lucrative employment for themselves or more profitable use for their premises. In short, the craft had left the City and moved to the surrounding countryside. In November 1817 twenty-seven new Liverymen were admitted to the Company, amongst them were four drapers, four brokers, two grocers, two ship owners, two pawnbrokers and one fishmonger; there were no wheelwrights. Since the commencement of the 19th Century, the history of the Company has been bound up with its interests in the City rather than with the craft. Throughout its first two hundred years of existence the Company suffered from a serious shortage of funds but with a more diverse membership, the finances of the Company showed a modest improvement and various items of valuable silver were donated. The Company also commissioned a badge in gold and enamel, surrounded by a circle of gold wheels surmounted by the Arms of the Company in pierced gold and enamel, which was first worn by the Master in 1873. In 1872 after an interval of nearly a century the Company again turned its attention to its responsibilities to the craft and in 1882 became a founding member of the City & Guilds of London Institute. In 1892 the Court appointed a Technical Education Committee which, in conjunction with the Carpenters Company, established a class for Wheelwrights at the Carpenters Training School in Great Titchfield Street. Whilst suffering from declining numbers these classes continued until the outbreak of the Second World War. The Company continues to support the craft and for details of its current activities please visit our Craft section. Furthermore, there are now two working wheelwrights who are liverymen and three who are yeomen of the Company.

"The earliest representation of the Wheelwrights' coat of arms dates from 1682 although the origins remain a mystery. However, it was not until 1965 that the College of Arms granted Letters of Patent giving the Company official recognition and rights over its coat of arms".

The Wheelwrights Company maintains a close connection with the City of London and one of its principal roles is to support the Mayoralty and Corporation. The Company is especially proud of the fact that seven of its members have, over the years, served as Sheriff and Lord Mayor of London. They are Sir Robert Peckham in 1793, Sir George Bridges in 1819, Sir William Dunn in 1915, Lord Ebbisham of Cobham in 1926, Sir Murray Fox in 1974, Sir Anthony Jolliffe in 1982, and Alderman Sir David Rowe-Ham in 1987. In addition Michael N. Hinton, Clerk to the Company from 1965 to 1972 was Aldermanic Sheriff in 1977/78, and Kenneth Ballard and John Taylor served as Lay Sheriff in 1978/79 and 1990/91. Sir Murray Fox Lord Mayor of the City of London 1974 Master of The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights 1964 Charitable giving has, from the outset, been a major part of the activities of a Livery Company. Initially to support members and their families who had fallen on hard times and subsequently on a much broader basis. For details the Wheelwright's charitable activities please visit our Charities section.

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