Trade of Mercery

The trade of 'mercery' itself is first mentioned in the 1130s. The term derives from the Latin merx, mercis, meaning wares or merchandise.

In its widest sense mercery could describe all merchandise, although in London the term evolved to mean the trade specifically in luxury fabrics, such as silk, linen, hemp-cloth and fustian, and in a large variety of miscellaneous 'piece goods' such as bedding, headwear, ribbons, laces and purses.

The Company's links with the active trade died out over the centuries. This was mainly because admission to the Company was possible by patrimony. In effect a member could become a member, because his father was a member, without necessarily practising the trade of mercery itself.

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