to the Master, Warden, and Commonalty of Cordwainers, the sum of £8 per annum out of the rents, to be employed by the Company towards the maintenance of two Scholars at the Universities of Cambridge or Oxford. The exhibitions are tenable for five years.

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF IRONMONGERS. God is our strength.

THIS fraternity was incorporated by letters patent of the third year of Edward IV. A.D. 1464, by the appellation of "The Master, and Keepers or Wardens, and Commonalty of the Art or Mystery of Ironmongers of London." They consist of a Master, two Wardens, and the whole livery are assistants.

This Company is one of the twelve principal Companies: their hall is situated in Fenchurch Street.

1555. Thomas Lewin devised property in London to the Company of Ironmongers for various uses, one of which was that the Master and Wardens, for the time being, and their successors, should pay £5 to two poor Scholars, one at Oxford and the other at Cambridge, towards their maintenance there. The students are appointed by the Master and Wardens, and receive the payment of £2. 10s. each yearly, if resident, till they are admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

1579. Margaret Dane, by her will, bequeathed to the Master, Wardens, and Company of Ironmongers, the sum of £2000, upon condition, that the Master and Wardens should pay, amongst other things, the sum of £5 to each of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, for the relief and bringing up in learning of two poor Scholars, one in each University.

In consequence of an information filed in the Court of Chancery, a decree was made by the court, directing the £2000, after deducting the costs of the proceedings, to be invested in the funds: the result of this has been that the dividends only amounting to £59, and from which expences are also deducted, have been divided between the two scholars instead of £100 a year, as was the case while the company held the money, and the scholars receive about half what they used to do.

1622. Thomas Hallwood, by his will, ordered his executors to pay to the Wardens and Company of Ironmongers £400 upon trust, that the wardens, together with his executors, should make choice

of four poor Scholars, two scholars of Magdalene College, in Oxford and two other scholars of Christ's College, in Cambridge, or suc other two colleges as the wardens and executors should allow an appoint: unto whom he devised that the said wardens and executor should pay such rents and profits as should grow or be made ou of the said £400 every half year, during the space of three whol years, for the better maintenance of the said four poor scholars, i they should so long continue their studies, and be resident in eithe of the said Universities, and should study and proceed to divinity and from the end of the three years or sooner discontinuance by either of such poor scholars of his residence in one of the said Uni versities, that they should pay the like rents and profits to some other poor scholar, by them to be elected for other three years, and so in succession for ever: and he desired if any of his own kindred should happen thereafter to make suit for the said exhibition, then such his kinsman, being a member of one of the said Universities and studying divinity, and standing in need thereof, should be preferred before any other and to the end the said wardens should have some benefit to them and their successors, he wished that there should be deducted out of the said rents and profits the sum of 40s. a year for ever.

The four scholars are chosen by the Company at their quarterly courts, and each scholar receives a payment of £4 a year for three years, unless he ceases to reside in the University, or takes his degree before the expiration of that period.

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF SALTERS.

Sal sapit omnia.

THIS Company, though of considerable antiquity, as appears from a grant of a livery made to it by Richard II. in the year 1394, was first regularly incorporated by Queen Elizabeth, in the year 1558, under the appellation of "The Master, Wardens, and Commonalty of the art or mystery of Salters in London." They are governed by 3 master, two wardens, and a court of assistants. Their hall stands in

St Swithin's Lane.

1633. Mr William Robson, in his lifetime, by deed, deposited in the hands of the Salters' Company £5000, upon an agreement with them for various uses, one of which was, that the company should pay

to St John's College, Cambridge, towards the maintenance of two poor Scholars there, the sum of £10, by £5 a-piece.

In the event of any freeman of the company requiring the amount, the court of assistants interpose in his behalf, otherwise they pay the sum of £10 annually to the bursar of the college to be applied by him to the proper objects.

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF SKINNERS.

To God only be all glory.

THE Skinners' Company was incorporated by Edward III. in 1327. At that period the skinners consisted of two brotherhoods, which in the 18th year of Richard II. were consolidated into one body. Henry VI., in 1438, confirmed their former grants, and directed that every person when admitted to the freedom of the company, should in future be presented to the lord mayor. The charter of Henry VII. is the first which confirms them by the name of "The Master and Wardens of the Guild or Fraternity of the Body of Christ of the Skinners of London." James I., in the fourth year of his reign, granted the Skinners a new charter, confirming their original incorporation, and adding several new specifications, among which was the power to elect a court of assistants.

The government of this company is vested in a master, four wardens, and a court of assistants, who distribute more than £1000 a year in charities. Their hall is situated on Dowgate Hill, the site of the ancient building.

1618. Sir James Lancaster, by his will, gave certain lands, &c. to the Company of Skinners, in trust, for various purposes, one of which was, that out of the profits of the estates they should for ever pay to such four poor Scholars who should study divinity in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or such of them as the master and wardens for the time being should think good, the sum of £60, namely, to each of the said four poor scholars, £15 per annum; and that as often as any of the said four scholars should be preferred to better means of living, or should depart from the University, the said master, wardens, and commonalty should place and prefer such other students studying divinity to the pensions aforesaid, as they should think fitting in their good discretion.

By an order of the Court of Chancery in 1713, it was decreed t the four exhibitioners should be nominated by the Skinners' Compa and that two of them should be students at Oxford and two of th students at Cambridge.

1673. Edward Lewis, by his will, gave to the Skinners' Co pany, of which he was a member, the sum of £100, upon trust, t the master, wardens, and assistants of the company should, after decease, pay yearly, for the better maintenance of one godly and r gious poor scholar in the University of Cambridge, an Exhibition £5 to be paid in two half-yearly payments of £2. 10s. each.

The more valuable exhibitions in the gift of the Skinners' Compa are appropriated to scholars educated at Tunbridge school.

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF DRAPERS.
Unto God only be honour and glory.

THE Company of Drapers, which was an ancient society or guil was first incorporated in 1439 by Henry VI. under the style of "Th Master, Wardens, Brethren and Sisters of the Guild or Fraternity o the Blessed Mary the Virgin, of the Mystery of Drapers." A new charter was granted in the 4th year and confirmed in the 9th year o James I. by which a Court of Assistants was instituted. The Com pany is now governed by a Master, four Wardens, and the Court o Assistants: their annual revenue was in 1833 reported to be £23,811. Their hall is situated in Throgmorton Street.

1593. Thomas Russell, by deed poll, granted to the Drapers Company a yearly rent-charge of £52. 10s. to be applied to charitable uses, one of which was, that £6. 13s. 4d. should be paid to each of two poor Scholars of Oxford and Cambridge, to be chosen by the Master and Wardens of the said Company. The exhibitioners may retain their exhibitions for six years, if resident and of good behaviour, and without preferment.

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF GROCERS.

God grant grace.

THIS fraternity, anciently denominated Pepperers, afterwards changed their name to that of Grocers, and were incorporated by letters patent of Edward III. A.D. 1345, by the name of "The Wardens

and Commonalty of the Mystery of Grocers in the City of London." This Company consists of a Prime and three other Wardens, and a Court of Assistants.

Their hall is situated in Grocers' Hall Court, 35, Poultry.

1587. Mrs Emme Backhouse, by her will of the date of Aug. 27 of this year, gave her houses in Wood Street, London, to the Master and Wardens of the Grocers' Company, in trust, to dispose of £40 out of the rents yearly towards the maintenance of four poor Scholars in the University of Cambridge, and four in the University of Oxford, to each £5, to be named, placed, and displaced by the said Master, Wardens and Company, at their discretion, "hoping that they would prefer some of her own kindred to such scholarships, being fit for the same, before strangers; and the residue of the rents of the said premises to be disposed of to such good uses as by the said corporation should be thought convenient."

Eight Exhibitions at the present time are granted by the company to students at Cambridge. Each of these exhibitions has been raised to £25 per annum by voluntary augmented payments made by the company. It has been ordered by the court that the exhibitioner shall hold the exhibition until the expiration of a year after he shall have taken his degree, unless he shall sooner quit the college; but no exhibitioner shall in any case continue to hold the same beyond the expiration of the fourth year from his first entering upon actual residence.

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF GOLDSMITHS. Justitia Virtutum Regina.

THIS fraternity appears to be of great antiquity; for in the 26th of Henry II. A.D. 1180, it was, among other guilds, amerced for being adulterine, that is, set up without the King's special licence. Edward III. in consideration of the sum of ten marks, incorporated this Company by his letters patent, A.D. 1327, by the name of the "Wardens and Commonalty of the Mystery of Goldsmiths of the city of London," with a privilege of purchasing, in mortmain, an estate of £20 per annum, for the support of three valetudinary members; which charter, in the year 1394, was confirmed by Richard II. for the sum of twenty marks. Edward IV. in the year 1462, not only confirmed the aforesaid grants, but likewise constituted the Society a Body Politic and Corporate, to have perpetual succession, to