The purpose of the Court

The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers is a unique organisation serving and representing the furniture and furnishing industry.

As a City of London livery company, the Furniture Makers taps into 900 years of history and the emergence of the global trade from which we benefit today. In the 12th century, as specific trades started to develop, so tradesmen around the City of London began to form guilds, grouping together to regulate competition within their trade and maintain high moral and quality standards. Such guilds controlled the manufacture and selling of goods and services in the City, or the Square Mile as it is called. They sought to guarantee that a member was trustworthy and fully qualified and that goods they produced were of reputable quality.

Many of these guilds adopted a common hierarchy, headed by a Master, and governed by a board called the ‘Court’. Today, The Furniture Makers’ Company’s Court includes the Master, its two wardens, 15 assistants and several Past Masters of the Company.

There are two types of assistants, 12 elected assistants and three corporate assistants. To become an elected assistant you need to be a liveryman and to put yourself forward for election. Corporate assistants have to be a corporate liveryman of one of our corporate members.

So, what does the Court do? The Court has the ultimate control over financial management, charitable activities, and the maintenance of our historic customs. It meets four times a year and is responsible for setting policies, overseeing Company finances, and ensuring the organisation’s charitable and livery commitments are upheld. Court assistants usually chair one of our committees, and report back to the rest of the Court on the progress that has been made in the past quarter and if the Company is meeting the ambitions set out in the five-year strategy.

Additionally, the Court upholds the ceremonial and social aspects of the Company, ensuring that traditions and formal events, such as dinners, processions, and charitable initiatives, are properly conducted.

If you’re a liveryman and have ambitions of one day being Master, the first step is to join one of our many committees and actively get involved with the work it performs. Through this you’ll be helping contribute to the Company’s success but also get a taste of the commitment required to progress. After serving on a committee for a period, there will be an opportunity to become chairman, and if successful, it is likely you will be encouraged to stand for election on to the Court.

Once on the Court the next step to becoming Master is to be elected as second assistant and then you will progress over the next four years to becoming Master.

Elections to the Court take place early in the calendar year. A liveryman wishing to join the Court is elected as an assistant for a six-year term and may then stand for a second six-year term. Assistants can progress to being second assistant as soon as they are elected. Corporate assistants need to become elected assistants before progressing to second assistant.

Candidates for assistant are elected by the whole livery and at least one will be sought every year as other assistants progress through the stages. Other vacancies occur as individuals leave the Court. The roles of second assistant, first assistant, junior warden, senior warden and Master are for a one-year term.

Joining the Court and going on to become Master is not a quick process, but for those who are passionate about the Company and the vital work it does for the betterment of the industry, there is no greater reward. It offers the opportunity to shape the future, make meaningful contributions, and leave a lasting impact on both the Company and the industry as a whole.