Brewers' Book Launch Part 2 with the London Record Society

Following the launch of volume one in 2024, the launch of volume two of The Brewers’ Book – a transcription of the memorandum book of William Porlond who was Clerk to the Brewers’ Company from 1418 to 1440 - earlier this month was another roaring success. Co-organised by the Brewers’ Company and the London Record Society, the Hall was buzzing with over 60 guests, comprising many eminent London historians, several Clerks, a Past Master Brewer, a number of Livery Company archivists, family and friends alongside members of the LRS and the Brewery History Society.

The current Clerk (the 28th we know of) welcomed everyone to Brewers’ Hall, the same site on which William Porlond lived and worked as the second Clerk. After explaining the Company’s membership rules which keeps the Livery truly representative of its trade he handed over to Professor Caroline Barron, Chair of the LRS, who introduced the speakers.

Beginning with the author and editor Caroline Metcalfe who has meticulously transcribed and indexed the original handwritten text, we enjoyed listening to some of the many highlights included in the second part of the book, which covers the years 1429-1440. Perhaps most significantly, this was the period during which the Brewers sought their Royal charter, granted by King Henry VI at Windsor on 22 February 1438. Porlond recorded payments to officials to help procure the charter, and the cost of £8 10s. for the King’s seal to be attached. A dinner was held for the Masters and past Masters to examine the new charter.

Porlond continued his long lists, recording those admitted to the Freedom, those who joined the fraternity, quarterage payments and who bought livery cloth. There are also glimpses into everyday life - vast quantities of food ordered for feasts and the entertainments held, annual payments to the almspeople who lived on the Hall site, and payment to a man to clear snow out of the gutters.

Finally, we heard from Kit French, the J. Frederick Hoffman Professor of History at the University of Michigan and an expert on late medieval England. She is currently researching and writing about a property on Wood Street, very close to the Hall, which contained a brewhouse, initially called the Key on the Hoop, later the Cross Keys. Much of her research has been at Westminster Abbey as they were the landlord, tracing leaseholders and changes to the buildings (stables, brewing, rooms to let…). It became an inn in the early 16th century; much later on Charles Dickens stayed there, including it in Great Expectations. Two of the attendees on the evening, who had also been researching at Westminster Abbey, were the great grandchildren of the last people running the Cross Keys before it was demolished.

The Master’s delicious beer was served following the talks, book sales boomed and many interesting conversations were held and new connections made.