The Guilds of the City of Dublin were associations of trade and craft practitioners, with regulatory, mutual benefit and shared religious purposes. In their eventual number they were sometimes called the "25 minor corporations", in contrast to the city's principal authority, the Dublin Corporation). They operated in various forms from near the time of the Norman invasion of Ireland - the Merchants’ Guild existed in some form by 1192 - until the mid-19th century, and a few of which have descendent operations to the present day.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
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The guild system in Ireland was first established under a royal charter from Prince John in 1192.[7] It largely ceased between 1840 and 1845, but subsequently some guilds developed residual activities.
The Guilds elected 96 of the up to 144 members of the Common Council, the lower house of the City Assembly, the governing body of Dublin Corporation, with 31 seats controlled by the Merchants Guild, and each of the others electing 2, 3 or 4 Common Councillors.[8] The remainder of the Common Council consisted of up to 48 Sheriffs' Peers, former holders of the office of Sheriff of Dublin City, while the upper house of the Assembly was the Board of Aldermen, with 24 aldermen, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, elected from a slate of nominated aldermen, and two Sheriffs, who had to have a certain level of property value.
List of Guilds of the City of Dublin
Source:[9]
| Order[a][5] | Name[5] | Other name(s)[5] | Meeting place / Hall[5] | Date established[5] | Date of cessation | Common Council seats[8] | Notes[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merchants | Holy Trinity Guild | Merchants' Hall, Wellington Quay | 1192 (reputedly, first explicit charters mentioned re. 1451 and 1438) | 31 | The Tailors ceded precedence to the Merchants, who had by far the greatest electoral share in Dublin Corporation elections. Operated for most of its history from the Tholsel, the city's assembly hall, prior to its demolition in 1809. It moved to City Assembly House, and later moved again to a dedicated premises, Merchants' Hall (the city insisted on the breaking through of Merchant's Arch) on Wellington Quay, built c. 1821, by 1824.[10] Cooperated with the Tailors' Guild with regard to the latter's endowed school. By the 19th century, possessed two properties other than their Hall, the rental from which covered operating expenses. | |
| 2 | Tailors | Guild of St John the Baptist | Tailors' Hall, Back Lane | 1207 (reputedly, first formal charters known 1418, 1419)[5] | 4 | Claimed precedence of all guilds, but then ceded first place to the Merchants, and remained second in precedence thereafter. Tailors' Hall was used by many other guilds over time (as was Carpenters' Hall). By the 19th century, possessed multiple properties on Back Lane, a mill and other plots in central Dublin, the area of Baskin in north Dublin, and multiple properties near Wicklow town. Assets transferred to Trust in 1841, school formed, moved to Merchants' Arch 1873, then to Molesworth St.;[5] Trust subsists. | |
| 3 | Smiths | Guild of St Loy | Used Merchants' Hall, Tailors' Hall and Carpenters' Hall at Audeon's arch; previously Gormond's Gate | 1474 (earliest known charter) | 1841 (dissolution) | 4 | Third in precedence from early times. As of 1688, included ironmongers and girdlers, and by the 19th century also included glaziers, pewterers, braziers, founders, tinplate workers, pattern makers, wire-drawers and workers, embroiderers and trunk makers.[5] |
| 4 | Barbers (& Surgeons, Apothecaries and Periwigmakers) | Guild of St Mary Magdalen | Used Tailors' Hall, (previously based at the Pole Gate (tower, Werburgh St.), a hall on Smock Alley and various pubs)[11] | 1446 (1577) (1687) (Charters, as Guild of Barbers, later Barber-Chirurgians or Barber-Surgeons, or at one point "of Barbers, of Chirurgeons, of Apothecaries and of Periwig-Makers")[11] | 4 (reduced to 2 when Apothecaries seceded in 1747) | Chartered 15 years before the equivalent London guild. Second charter granted 1577, which formally took in surgeons, though they had been joining the guild for many years already. As of a new charter in 1687, included apothecaries and wig-makers.[11] Apothecaries seceded in 1747 when the Guild of St Luke was established subsequent to a Charter of 1745. Other professions also split off over time; much of the role taken over by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (split off in 1784).[11] | |
| 5 | Bakers | Guild of St Anne and St Clement | Used Carpenters' Hall at Audeon's arch,[12] Bakers' Tower on Wood Quay, Bakers' Hall near St Audeon's | 1478 (first known charter; banners showed 1483)[13] | 4 | See Saint Anne's Guild. Additionally various "Bakers' Societies" operated over time - including the Boot Lane, Little Britain St., New Lane West, Werburgh Street and other Bakers', or Operative Bakers' Societies. | |
| 6 | Butchers | Guild of the Virgin Mary | Used Tailors' Hall | 1684 | 3 | ||
| 7 | Carpenters, Millers, Masons and Tylers | Guild of the Fraternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the house of St Thomas the Martyr | Carpenters' Hall at Audeon's arch | 1508 (Charter, 23 Henry VII) | 3 | The hall at Audeon's Arch was the headquarters of the Carpenters' Guild, who then allowed other guilds to use it. As of the 1830s, there was a ruinous hall on St Andrew's Lane, and some plots on Thomas St. | |
| 8 | Shoemakers | Guild of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Used Carpenters' Hall at Audeon's arch | 1465 (Charter, 5 Edward IV) | 4 | Held two houses on each of High Street and Castle Street to provide rental income | |
| 9 | Saddlers, Upholders, Coach and Coach-harness makers | Guild of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Used Tailors' Hall | 1588 (Charter, 1677: 29 Charles II) | 3 | ||
| 10 | Cooks and Vintners | Guild of St James the Apostle | Originally Cooks' Hall on Cook Street | 1444 (Charter, 22 Henry VI) | 1841 | 2 | The Cooks' Guild operated out of a hall on Cook street until 1782. They later moved to the Eagle Tavern on Eustace Street from 1816–41, before having a listed address at 1 Dawson Street (Morrison's Hotel) until the last meeting was held in 1841.[14] |
| 11 | Tanners | Guild of St Nicholas | Used Tailors' Hall | 1688 (Charter, 4 James II) | 2 | Also known as the Guild of the Arts and Mysteries of Tanners[8] | |
| 12 | Tallow-chandlers | Guild of St George | Used Carpenters' Hall at Audeon's arch | 1583 (Charter: 1674) | 2 | Also known as the Guild of Tallow-chandlers, Soap-boilers and Wax-light makers[8] | |
| 13 | Glovers and Skinners | Guild of the Blessed Virgin Mary | Used Tailors' Hall | 1476 (Charter, 16 Edward IV) | 2 | ||
| 14 | Weavers | Guild of St Philip and James (at least two charters: Guild of the Blessed Virgin Mary)[15] | Weavers' Hall, Coombe (built 1681-2, new Hall nearby started 1745) | 1446[15](Charter, 25 Henry VI) | 1840 | 3[15] | Jurisdiction in city and within 6 miles of its precincts. Reconstituted 1688. Combers added as a wing, 1697.[15] Also known as the Corporation of the Arts and Mysteries of Weavers.[8] Guild ceased in 1840. The much altered Weavers' Hall in the Coombe area, and two adjacent houses, were finally demolished only in 1956.[16] |
| 15 | Sheermen and Dyers | Guild of St Nicholas | Used Tailors' Hall | 1660 | 2 | ||
| 16 | Goldsmiths | Guild of All Saints | *Werburgh Street (1709) *22 Golden Lane (1812) | 1637[17](Charter, 13 Charles I) | Successor office still in operation[17] | 4 | Existed in some form in the 15th century but formally incorporated when issued with royal charter by Charles I, 22 December 1637.[17] The guild successor, The Company of Goldsmiths, continues to exist and runs the Dublin Assay Office. |
| 17 | Cooper | Guild of St Patrick near Dublin | 93 Abbey Street | 1666 (Charter, 18 Charles II) | 1983 | Received its royal charter from Charles II in 1666. The guild survived until 1983 when its remaining members voted it out of existence. See also Amalgamated Society of Coopers. For a period they met at Homes Hotel on Usher's Quay. | |
| 18 | Felt-makers | Used Carpenters' Hall at Audeon's-arch | 1667 (Charter, 19 Charles II) | 2 | |||
| 19 | Cutlers, Painters, Paper Stainers and Stationers | Guild of St Luke the Evangelist | Stationers' Hall on Skinners Row (demolished June 1762), later Capel Street | 1670 (Charter, 22 Charles II) | 3 | The Dutch golden age painter Ludowyk Smits was a member from 1681 - 1688. | |
| 20 | Bricklayers and Plasterers | Guild of St Bartholomew | Used Carpenters' Hall at Audeon's-arch | 1670 (Charter, 22 Charles II) | 2 | Its successor body later operated from a dedicated hall at 49 Cuffe Street, Dublin 2 from the 1880s until it was demolished as part of a Dublin Corporation road widening scheme in 1985[18][19] | |
| 21 | Hosiers and Knitters | Guild of St George | Weaver's Hall | 1688 (Charter, 4 James II) | 2 | ||
| 22 | Curriers | Guild of St Nicholas | 4 French Street (Mercer Street Upper) | 1695 (Charter, 7 William III) | |||
| 23 | Brewers and Maltsters | Guild of St Andrew | Morrison's Hotel, 1 Dawson Street | 1696 (Charter, 8 William III) | 4 | ||
| 24 | Joiners, Coylers and Wainscotters | Used Tailors' Hall, Back Lane | 1700 (Charter, 12 William III) | 2 | |||
| 25 | Apothecaries | Guild of St Luke | Guild of St Luke and Company of Apothecaries' Hall: Apothecaries' Hall, 40 Mary Street, later 95 Merrion Square, from 2011 at Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Kildare Street. | (1446) (1577) (1687) 1745 (Charters) 1791 (Act of Parliament) | Successor body still in operation | 2 | Previously members of the Guild of Barbers, see above, but seceded in 1747 following incorporation of the Guild of St Luke by the Charter of 1745. See Apothecaries' Hall of Ireland. Company of Apothecaries' Hall incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1791. Now hosted by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland at their building on Kildare Street |
See also
- Guild
- Guildhall
- Livery company
- Brotherhood of Saint George - a short-lived Dublin military guild