Whilst within the City there are many unusual titles and offices held, that of the Clerk to a City Livery Company is undoubtedly one of the most diverse and multifaceted, and it could be said one of the least well understood. The role of the Clerk is often a mysterious hybrid and no two Clerks have the same job description, duties or terms and conditions of employment.
The company
Clerks
Clerks of Worshipful Company of Fruiterers
There is no doubt that the office of the Clerk is of very ancient creation, although the first mention of one only occurs in the Charter of James 1 in 1605. As it is likely there were registers to be kept, apprentices to bind, quarterages to collect, and many other matters relating to the working of the Guild, to receive attention, it is more than probable the office existed from the very earliest conception of the Company.
It is hard to find a clear description of the role of the Fruiterers Clerk, as it is so wide and varied. In essence the Clerk is the CEO or COO of the Company, responsible for all aspects of the day to day running of the Company, and duties will include:
- Planning and organising company events
- Administration of the company’s membership records
- Preparation of agendas, minutes and reports for Company meetings
- Answering correspondence sent to the Company & managing the Master’s diary
- Website and social media management
- Membership communications (such as via the newsletter and website)
- Overseeing the company’s IT infrastructure
- Security of the company’s treasures and other property
- Custodianship of the company’s history, customs and traditions
- Liaison with Mansion House and Guildhall (eg. Common Hall)
Clerks 1605 to 1948
Richard Colson
1605
John Bell
1686
John Bushnell
1701 - 1711
Joseph Knapp
1712
D Williams
1713 - 1721
John Harwood
1722 - 1756
Charles Lesure
1756 - 1769
William Poell
1769 - 1774
William Brent
1774 - 1812
Charles Martin
1812 - 1838
Nathaniel Martin
1839 - 1861
Octavius Chapman Tryon Eagleton
1861 - 1890
John Eagleton
1890 - 1931
Guy Tryon Eagleton
1933 - 1948
Clerks 1948 to Present
Donald James Methven
1948 - 1960
J Jeremy Moreton
1960 - 1967
David Leslie Hohnen
1967 - 1980
Roger A Hutchinson
1980 - 1981
John Charles Airey
1981 - 1985
Pauline Halliday OBE
1985 - 1986
Brigadier Ronald Eccles DSO
1986 - 1988
Cmdr Michael Tom Harold Styles RN
1989 - 1996
Lt Col Lionel G French
1996 - 2015
Lt Col Philip Brown
2015 - 2019
John Henry Reid Grant
2019 - 2021
Lt Cdr Melville Petrie RN
2021 - 2022
PM John Warner Clerk Pro Tempore
2022 - 2022
Sarah Murnane
2022 - Present