Membership

There are three tiers to our Company membership, all with numerous opportunities for participation in events and activities.

There are three tiers to our Company membership, all with numerous opportunities for participation in events and activities.

A connection to, or concern for stonemasonry or the construction industry and the preservation of our historic stone buildings is desired, as is an interest in the City of London, its history and traditions.

We have a wide spread of talented professionals in the Company and many members bring valuable skills to the various financial, training, communications and social committees as well as our charitable causes.  Freemen and Liverymen must be over 21 years of age to be eligible for admission.

While all City Livery terminology refers to ‘men’ this comprises all genders and the Masons’ Company welcomes all.

Liverymen

In order to qualify for full Livery you must be a Freeman of the City of London and a Freeman of our Company as outlined below. Initially you will need to be proposed by two Liverymen of the Company, both of whom are of three years standing.

From there you will be invited for interview and a report is then submitted to the Court, with a recommendation, before you are accepted into the Company and admitted.

Besides the Master’s Banquet, held in February or March at Mansion House, where members customarily entertain their spouses and other guests, Liverymen are invited to attend Common Hall each June to elect the new Master and Wardens and the ensuing lunch.  The Livery dinner takes place each November at which Liverymen entertain guests other than their spouses and every couple of years Liverymen are invited to attend a Court lunch.

Freemen

Entrance to the company as a Freeman is welcomed through one of four categories:

Patrimony – applicable if either of the applicant’s parents were a Freeman of the Company prior to their birth.

Servitude – if an applicant has been apprenticed to, or is a stone mason with relevant qualifications.

Redemption – if a candidate has been been proposed by qualified Freemen and Liverymen of the Company.

Presentation – as follows:

  • If the Court wishes to recognise some particular service or achievement.
  • If a candidate is a recipient of the Master Craftsman’s, Journeyman’s or Apprentice Mason’s Certificate and Cathedral Workshops Fellowship Graduates since January 2019.

Freemen may attend the Master’s Banquet (as above) and there is an active informal social programme which enables Liverymen and Freeman alike to visit behind the scenes at many historical and occasionally, otherwise inaccessible, institutions.

On joining a Freedom fine is charged, with those going on to be Liverymen paying an additional Livery fine.

There is also a yearly sum due –  termed ‘quarterage’ despite being annual.  The quarterage figures are different for Liverymen and Freemen.

Support of the charities is expected in addition to quarterage which is purely to cover Company running costs.

Yeoman Masons

Despite being the most recent category of membership Yeoman Masons form a fundamental and much valued tier of our organisation.

The Company offers to Yeoman Masons particular support in career progression and an active interest in their work, showcasing talent at any given opportunity.  In return the Livery Company enjoys links to the grass roots of our craft and awareness as to how best it can support the continuation and development of key skills.  There is a nominal quarterage charge for Yeomen Masons to cover administrative costs.

Applications to be admitted as a Yeoman Mason will be considered from:

  • Individuals who have been an apprentice or student, who have qualified at Level 3 or equivalent, or at Trailblazer Masonry Standard, and who are currently working in stone in England & Wales.
  • Individuals who have voluntarily helped in promoting the Company at high profile events.  Such events include, but are not limited to, attendance at Blists Hill Victorian Town, the Weald & Downland Living Museum, or the Livery Showcase event.
  • Holders of the Duke of Gloucester Award or other prizes awarded by the Company.
  • Stone masons or stone carvers whose work has been acknowledged by any Award Scheme supported by the Company or charities, such as the Master Craftsman’s Certificate.
  • Lecturers in stone related topics at approved colleges.