The Clothworker: Spring 2018 by The Clothworkers' Company

News & Notices

Spring 2018 | No. 17

Log on to the Members’ Area of the website for more events, news, and notices relevant to you and your interests: www.clothworkers.co.uk.

the clothworker

Left: Katie Tapponnier, Freewoman. Top row: Suzanne Tate, Paul Smith, and Patrick O’Kelly. Bottom row: Ayesha Tariq and Clare Killeen.

Dates for your diary London Craft Week (11th May) Join us at Clothworkers’ Hall, where weavers from Dovecot Studios will run masterclasses and a free public lecture. Book early to avoid disappointment. Royal Fusiliers WWI Lecture (23rd May) Evening lecture, ‘The Morality and Tradition of the Just War’, at the Church of St Sepulchrewithout-Newgate. Election of Sheriffs, City of London (25th June) Liverymen are eligible to vote; held at Guildhall. Details available in the Members’ Area on our website (login required): www.clothworkers.co.uk.

Staff News at Clothworkers’ Hall Hello and goodbye: The good news is that, although Katie Tapponnier has recently left the team (after seven years), she has joined The Company as a Freewoman. We are delighted that, in this way, Katie continues her involvement with The Company. She is also supporting us with occasional freelance work. Since ‘leaving’, she has been invaluable in helping us organise and evaluate the ‘Making It in Textiles’ conference as well as updating the annual Blue Book (members’ directory). We hope Katie will remain a frequent visitor to the Hall. In addition to our new Membership and Communications Manager,

the clothworker | spring 2018

Renée LaDue, who joined us this past January from the Society of Antiquaries of London, we have a number of other changes to communicate regarding staffing. Suzanne Tate joined us in October, stepping into the role of Personal Assistant to the Director of Finance, Property, and Investments as well as Human Resources Assistant (previously held by Helen Granger). The Company has recently also welcomed a new addition to the Beadle’s team, Paul Smith, as Maintenance and Events Assistant. Patrick O’Kelly has rejoined The Foundation’s team as Senior Grants Officer, covering for Sam Grimmett-Batt during her maternity leave; Patrick previously provided

maternity cover (as Grants Officer) for Sam in 2015’16. During his ‘break’ from Clothworkers’, Patrick spent a year as a grants officer at The Skinners’ Company and as a grants manager at the Henry Smith Foundation. Grants Assistant Ayesha Tariq has stepped up into the Grants Officer role to cover for Laura Street, who just began a one-year sabbatical. Finally, Clare Killeen has joined The Foundation’s team as Grants Assistant during this period, she was previously a sales and programmes coordinator for Fine Cell Work. We hope you’ll join us in wishing Sam and Laura the best of luck and in welcoming our new team members at Dunster Court.

www.clothworkers.co.uk

editor’s note

The Master: A Mid-Year Review

Renée LaDue

The Master, Dr Carolyn Boulter

contents

time may be surprised to learn how we are helping the City to evolve (p 16).

master’s welcome 3 New members

trusteeship 6 charity governance awards 8 clothworkers’ theatre award Bookbinding: An Endangered Craft

textiles 12 Property update

affiliations 18 tributes

notable clothworker

news & notices

Front cover: Detail of textile design by New Designers award winner Abi Bruce.

the clothworker | spring 2018

lthough it’s been a while since you last heard from us, we’ve been working hard at Dunster Court. In the following pages, you’ll hear from The Company’s first Lady Master with a mid-year report about the work she’s been doing. You’ll be introduced to new staff at the Hall (like me), new members of the Freedom, and special individuals The Company and Foundation have had the privilege of supporting. You’ll read tributes to Clothworkers no longer with us, as well as a history of a past benefactor to one of our causes. We’ll share news from military affiliates, highlights on our collections, and quite a bit more. The Clerk, Jocelyn Stuart-Grumbar, is excited about our progress in supporting good governance and trusteeship across the third sector (p 6). Our Director of Finance, Property and Investments is hard at work helping to secure the future of The Company and our property investments. Those who have not visited the Square Mile for some

As a new member of staff, my aim as the Membership and Communications Manager is to help you forge stronger ties with The Company. I hope to deliver more frequent communications from Clothworkers’ Hall. Beginning with this issue of The Clothworker, which has a new look, we will follow up with the next Annual Review and Members’ Supplement later this spring, and then another edition of the magazine in the early autumn. We will also endeavour to send you a monthly instalment of the e-Clothworker (and you should already have received the March and April issues).

“My aim as the Membership and Communications Manager is to help you forge stronger ties with The Company.” Additionally, you can now connect with us on social media, as we’ve launched accounts on Facebook, Twitter (@ClothworkersCo), and Instagram (Clothworkers_Co). We’ll use these to

Sara Thornton (Chair, National Police Chiefs Council) to speak about ‘Policing Challenges’. At a dinner in December, my guest speaker was Lord Crisp; he is a crossbench life peer who was Chief Executive of the NHS and Permanent Secretary to the Department of Health, and is an expert on world health issues. He spoke under the title, ‘Health, Sight, and Insight’, emphasising connections with our own work with visual impairment in the developing world. Both speeches are in the Members’ Area of the website.

share information and news across the organisation— from news about the Master, history from our archives, updates from The Clothworkers’ Foundation, and more information on events happening in the City. Please connect and engage with us there! I’m eager to learn more about you, and a great way to help me do that would be to keep your membership profile on our website up to date (I’d be happy to remind you how to log in). The Members’ Area allows you to upload a profile picture, amend your contact details and preferences on which communications you want to receive, and tell us more about yourself. Additionally, you can keep track of your Clothworker events, read the latest news from The Company, and review the noticeboard with information from other members or livery companies. You also have access to professional photos from past Company events, the latest Blue Book members’ directory (along with the online search tool), and other resources. Until the next edition, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me to share your own ideas about how we can help improve your experience as a Clothworker: reneeladue@ clothworkers.co.uk.

“It is a great privilege to serve our Company and the City.”

irst of all, I want to greet all Clothworkers, Freedom, and Livery. Many of you I have welcomed already to the Hall for the Court and Livery dinners or the Freedom lunch. Thank you for your welcome to me on those occasions as the First Lady Master of this great Company. I have been deeply touched by your acceptance of me. Several Past Masters gave me advice before I began in July, especially the Immediate Past Masters Michael Jarvis and Melville Haggard. It has been invaluable and deeply encouraging. Our senior Clothworker, Lord Slim, wrote to me advising me to use the Court fruitfully and—above all—to have fun. More than half way through, I am indeed having fun! I am deeply engaged in all aspects of The Company, its giving and receiving of hospitality, and its committees that inform the decisions of the Court and the work of The Clothworkers’ Foundation in ensuring our main purpose, that of

charitable giving, is effective, creative, and focused. Whereas many livery companies run schools, we decided some years ago to gather behind the banner of trusteeship. We encourage our Livery to become involved as trustees of charities, support workshops to help people develop skills in trusteeship, and celebrate good governance in the third sector with our annual Charity Governance Awards. You can add to these the support, through The Company, of textiles: skills, crafts, innovation, conservation, and industry. The Company fosters relationships with other livery companies interested in textiles, sponsoring a number of awards, and supporting both higher education in textiles and innovation in materials for healthcare at University of Leeds. This year has also been packed with events and huge opportunities to promote the work we do in the relief of need across the Foundation’s nine categories. At a dinner this past October, I took the opportunity to encourage guests to consider work in one area we fund, that with exoffenders, by inviting Chief Constable

Finally, there have been many opportunities to support the Lord Mayor and the City. My husband, Hugh, and I attended the Lord Mayor’s Banquet, when Theresa May was one of the guest speakers, and I was able to join the planning committee for the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch in aid of The Soldiers’ Charity—a wonderful introduction to the varied institutions and businesses that make the City tick. Hugh is close beside me through all of this, as we decided to utilise the Master’s flat throughout the week this year. We are the first to do this for some time and are greatly enjoying life in the City. The staff look after us wonderfully, and it’s lovely to be able to see Joss, our Clerk, nearly every morning and keep in touch with what’s going on, from the kitchens to the Foundations’ offices. We also go to the midweek Communion at St Olave’s, enjoy the theatre and cinema, and explore parts of London we have never visited before. It is a great privilege to serve our Company and the City; I hope it will prove a fruitful year and one that we will continue to enjoy. the clothworker | spring 2018

editor’s note

The Master: A Mid-Year Review

Renée LaDue

The Master, Dr Carolyn Boulter

contents

time may be surprised to learn how we are helping the City to evolve (p 16).

master’s welcome 3 New members

trusteeship 6 charity governance awards 8 clothworkers’ theatre award Bookbinding: An Endangered Craft

textiles 12 Property update

affiliations 18 tributes

notable clothworker

news & notices

Front cover: Detail of textile design by New Designers award winner Abi Bruce.

the clothworker | spring 2018

“It is a great privilege to serve our Company and the City.”

new MEMBERS This page Top row: Lara Basirov and Mary-Anne Reddaway. Bottom row: Angus, George, and Thomas Harley. Facing page Top row: William Kernick, Harry Kernick, Thomas Reading, and Beth Turgoose. Bottom row: Jack William Alexander Yonge, Sandra Chapman, Gemma Hill, and Helen Martin.

JULY: Lara Basirov Lara was admitted to the Freedom by Redemption on the recommendation of Melville Haggard (Master 2015-’16). Lara obtained a Bachelor of Arts at St Andrew’s University. She worked from 2014-’17 for art dealer Simon Dickinson Ltd, and recently earned a Master of Arts at the Courtauld Institute of Art.

Mary-Anne Reddaway Mary-Anne is the granddaughter of Edith Margery Jay Reddaway (née Horne), Freewoman. She is a second-generation Clothworker, but has a much longer connection through the Horne family, stretching nine generations back to 1753 when Thomas Horne, apprenticed to Edmund

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Smith, was made Free by Servitude and became a coal merchant by trade. MaryAnne earned her degree from Lancaster University, and she currently works as an advertising account manager with Mindshare.

Angus, George, and Thomas Harley These three brothers are the sons of Jonathan Peter Harley and fifth-generation Clothworkers. The family connection goes back to 1871, when James Charles Harley was apprenticed to Benjamin Deffee and subsequently made Free by Servitude in 1878. Angus graduated from Southampton University with a degree in biomedical sciences. He is currently working at Roundwood Estate, where his father is the manager, and saving up

to travel abroad. He hopes to continue in his career as an agronomist or in agricultural research. George works as a landscape architect with WHLandscape. He studied landscape architecture at the University of Gloucestershire and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons). He returned to the same university to complete a master’s degree in landscape architecture in 2014, and became a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute in 2017. Thomas earned a Bachelor of Arts in modern languages (German and Russian) from the University of Bath. He speaks Russian and spent several years living in Russia after graduation. He works as an operations manager with Cartus (relocation specialists).

DECEMBER: William Kernick William Kernick is the son of Lucy Rawson (Assistant to the Court) and grandson of Peter Rawson (Master, 2004’05). William graduated from Cambridge University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in theology. During his studies, he won the Gamlingay Scholar Award, Seton Cavendish Prize, and Theological Prize. He is currently a financial analyst at the marketing firm Douse Associates.

Harry Kernick Harry is William’s brother, and they were admitted to The Company together this past December. Harry is pursuing a degree in history from the University of Warwick, where he plays rugby. He recently interned

for the professional services firm PwC, and before that held a variety of internship positions with Douse Associates.

Thomas Reading Thomas Henry Britten Reading is a sixthgeneration Clothworker, the son of Mrs Penny Reading (Liverywoman, also known as Susan Penrice Reading), and grandson of Lt Col John Britten (Master, 1979’80). Thomas is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Sciences in mathematics from Sheffield Hallam University, where he plays American football as well as cricket and rugby.

Beth Turgoose Daughter of Joanne M Aylward and grandchild

of Liveryman Anthony Case Aylward, Beth has joined her older siblings Emily, Owen, and Ben as a thirdgeneration Clothworker. Beth holds a Bachelor of Arts from Oxford Brookes University and is currently working as a creative and media executive with O2 (Telefonica). Previously Beth has served as an ambassador for One Young World, worked as a ‘Fashion Features’ assistant with Vogue, and volunteered as an orphanage worker and teacher through GapGuru.

Jack William Alexander Yonge Jack is a fifth-generation Clothworker. Both of his paternal grandparents were Clothworkers (Nigel

William Seville Yonge was Master Excused Service in 2002, and Sally Yonge was a Freewoman). Jack’s father is Andrew Yonge (Assistant to the Court). Jack is currently working towards a Master of Arts in history and international relations at the University of Aberdeen.

Sandra Chapman Sandra, a sixthgeneration Clothworker, is joining many of her family members in The Company, including father Clive Martin, uncles Paul and Howard Martin, and cousins Gemma and Helen (both of whom became Free of the Company with Sandra in December). Sandra works as an office manager for Action East Devon and is married with two daughters.

Gemma Hill Daughter of Paul Martin (Freeman), Gemma is a sixth-generation Clothworker. The family connection with The Company began in 1850, when her great-greatgreat-grandfather, Edward Martin (a waterman and lighterman by trade), was made Free of the Company through apprenticeship. Gemma studied advertising management at Bournemouth University and now works as a brand manager for Mothercare UK.

Helen Martin Helen is Gemma’s sister, also the daughter of Paul Martin (Freeman) and a sixth-generation Clothworker. She works in marketing and as a graphic designer for Education South West. the clothworker | spring 2018

the clothworker | spring 2018

Smith, was made Free by Servitude and became a coal merchant by trade. MaryAnne earned her degree from Lancaster University, and she currently works as an advertising account manager with Mindshare.

for the professional services firm PwC, and before that held a variety of internship positions with Douse Associates.

Beth Turgoose Daughter of Joanne M Aylward and grandchild

Jack William Alexander Yonge Jack is a fifth-generation Clothworker. Both of his paternal grandparents were Clothworkers (Nigel

trusteeship The Clerk, Jocelyn Stuart-Grumbar

“An essential but distinct strand of The Company’s focus on trusteeship, is the fostering of awareness, interest, and capability amongst Clothworkers, from Court to Freedom, in potentially becoming a trustee.”

he Company seeks to foster trusteeship across the third sector as well as with its own membership. Externally, the Clothworkers’ quiet but purposeful and enabling role is appreciated. The Company’s support for the promotion of best practice has taken various forms. For some years, we have co-funded, with Close Brothers Asset Management, the Trustee Leadership Programme. Hundreds of would-be trustees have participated, many going on to serve as a trustee, and feedback has been excellent. By last year, the time had come to expand the geographical reach of the programme, and there are now one-day programmes offered in Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, and Glasgow. Accreditation has been secured with the Institute of Leadership Management and our first alumni event was held at Clothworkers’ Hall this past month.

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We have also established a solid and evolving partnership with Reach Volunteering. The Company’s support is directed at Reach’s TrusteeWorks service. This has helped enable Reach to place a record 473 trustees in 2017 (including 33 chairs), to redesign their fee-based recruitment service, and to develop new income-generating schemes. Reach track the retention of new trustees and the impact they are deemed to make, with both at high levels. Newer collaborations, in related areas, include our support for the development, consultation phase, and publication of the new Charity Governance Code. We are also in discussion with the highly-respected Association of Chairs, with a view to assisting them to expand their reach, impact, and sustainability. This May, we will host the third annual Charity Governance Awards. These have become respected within the sector, and we have seen a record number of entries this year—all of a very high standard. An essential but distinct strand of The Company’s focus on trusteeship is the fostering of awareness, interest, and capability amongst Clothworkers, from Court to Freedom, in potentially becoming a trustee (or a school governor). As many members’ profiles on our website remain unpopulated, it is difficult to fathom how many Clothworkers are already trustees and, therefore, to be able to discern and report on progress. Please do let us know, by keeping your profile up to date, if you are a trustee or school governor and, if you aren’t and would like to be, do get in touch to let us know how we can help.

“The tragic events of the night of 14th June 2017 have amplified the demands on the Club to continue its provision of programmes and activities for young people and is instrumental in rebuilding a hurt community.”

Trusteeship: Spotlight on Liveryman Tom Stoddart-Scott The Company is keen to share the experiences of our members who take on roles as trustees for charities or as school governors in the hope of inspiring others to do the same. This common purpose, involving fellow Clothworkers in civil society, aims to tackle a pressing need in the third sector to supply experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate advocates and guardians for their core charitable objectives. Tom Stoddart-Scott joined the Livery in 2010. His father, John, was a firstgeneration Clothworker, nominated by his godfather, Brigadier Kenneth Hargreaves, for his involvement in the Bradford wool trade.

“This common purpose, involving fellow Clothworkers in civil society, aims to tackle a pressing need in the third sector.”

Image: Harrow Club W10, pack 5. Source: harrowclubw10.org.

Supporting the Harrow Club The Harrow Mission was founded in 1883 by philanthropists associated with Harrow School (W10) in an area described as a ‘forlorn, neglected and desolate’ part of North Kensington. Unfortunately this description of the local area is still relevant. Harrow Club’s (‘the Club’) building lies equidistant between Westfield at White City and the forlorn sight of Grenfell Tower itself provides a metaphor for the tireless work the Club undertakes to try and bridge the gap between those with and those without. The tragic events of the night of 14th June 2017 have amplified the demands on the Club to continue its provision of programmes and activities for young people and is instrumental in rebuilding a hurt community. How I got involved I was approached in 2012 by the chairman of the trustees, as they were

looking for a chartered surveyor to join the building committee. The role The committee was tasked with undertaking a review of the Club’s building and to make recommendations to the trustees regarding remedial works required to bring the property into a proper state of repair. A firm of chartered surveyors was appointed to undertake a formal review and to formulate a five-year preventative maintenance strategy. We have so far raised funds and undertaken essential repairs and improvements in the region of £200k, replacing dance studio and sports hall floors, installing new boilers, and upgrading the changing rooms. A big challenge of the trustee role is managing time; it is easy to be drawn into the day-to-day running of the charity and premises, rather than focusing on strategy and the delivery of first-class youth work.

What next? In order to support a commitment by the trustees to increase the activities and programmes of the Club by some 30 per cent over the next three years, we aim to undertake the next phase of refurbishment of the Club this year. This will include the essential replacement of the lift, which will provide improved disabled access to the sports hall on the first floor and the boxing club in the basement. It will also include other essential upgrades necessary to the fabric of the Grade II Listed building, such as works to the lighting and intruder and fire alarm systems. Accordingly, we will be making applications to various grant-making foundations, as well as launching a further appeal within the Club. Members may have seen Tom’s story posted to the website as well. Please get in touch if you would like to share your own experiences.

the clothworker | spring 2018

trusteeship The Clerk, Jocelyn Stuart-Grumbar

the clothworker | spring 2018

“This common purpose, involving fellow Clothworkers in civil society, aims to tackle a pressing need in the third sector.”

Image: Harrow Club W10, pack 5. Source: harrowclubw10.org.

the clothworker | spring 2018

charity governance awards

Clothworkers’ Theatre Award

The Clothworkers’ Company

The Clothworkers’ Foundation

ow in its fourth year, the Clothworkers’ Theatre Award is part of The Foundation’s five-year £1.25m proactive Dramatic Arts initiative. To be eligible for the £150,000 award, theatres must be English regional ‘producing’ theatres (which produce their own work to be staged in house and on tour, as well as ‘receiving’ work from other theatres). They must also be members of UK Theatre, the UK’s leading theatre and performing arts membership organisation.

he third-annual Charity Governance Awards ceremony is around the corner, to be held on 24th May 2018. We continue to work with our partners—New Philanthropy Capital, Prospectus, and Reach Volunteering—to recognise and celebrate good governance in the third sector. Last year, we acknowledged exceptional achievements from the following outstanding organisations, which each received a £5,000 prize.

the clothworker | spring 2018

The regions to be invited to compete for the Clothworkers’ Theatre Award in 2018 will be the East and the South East of England, with the winner—once again—to be announced at the UK Theatre Awards. A Star is Born: Luke Thallon

• Board Diversity and Inclusivity: Voluntary Arts

• Improving Impact (4-25 staff ): The Prisoners’ Education Trust

• Embracing Digital: Asthma UK

• Improving Impact (26+ staff ): Step by Step

• Embracing Opportunity and Harnessing Risk: Preston Road Women’s Centre

• Managing Turnaround: Off the Record (Bristol)

• Improving Impact (0-3 staff ): St Peter’s Community Wellbeing Projects

Celebrating good governance at last year’s Charity Governance Awards (Clothworkers’ Hall).

theatre makers, and practitioners. Derby Theatre has an increasing reputation for making excellent theatre, innovative participatory programmes, and for reaching audiences and artists from all backgrounds; and this award will help us to further develop that mission.’

For more information on awards and award winners (including video testimonials from the recipients), visit: www.charitygovernanceawards.co.uk.

In 2017, eight theatres from the East Midlands and West Midlands region were invited to compete for the award, which was won by Derby Theatre. The £150,000 award will be used to mount a two-year community participation and learning programme: Our Place, which invites the community into the heart of a production through a large-scale show based on an adaptation of a children’s novel; and Your Place, which takes theatre into the community, including into deprived settings. On winning the award, Sarah Brigham (Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Derby Theatre) said, ‘We are thrilled to have been given the Clothworkers’ Award to support our production of excellent theatre, which connects the community to the very best artists,

Luke Thallon was the recipient of the 2016 Clothworkers’ Foundation Laurence Olivier Bursary, which helped him through his final year at the Guildhall School. Luke had to miss his graduation ceremony because it coincided with a performance of a show at the Almeida Theatre, where he was playing the role of Gabriel in Mike Bartlett’s play Albion. The performance earned him a nomination for the Evening Standard’s Emerging Talent Award. Luke said of his nomination:

‘Astonishing! I’ve never been ushered down a red carpet before and the beauty of the Evening Standard Awards is that there are only three categories for actors in plays, and only three nominees in each this year! So to be sitting in the rather star-studded Drury Lane amongst fellow nominees Glenda Jackson and Andrew Scott, and indeed Victoria Hamilton, was just completely dream like. To be there as a recognised actor was just indescribable. I can’t imagine being back anytime soon, but goodness me, still pinching myself.’ Members may be interested in seeing Luke in his next production, The Inheritance, directed by Stephen Daldry. The play has already opened at the Young Vic. Immediate Past Master Michael Jarvis has had the pleasure of meeting Luke and seeing him on stage. He emphasised the continuing interest The Clothworkers’ Foundation takes in all those students it has supported under its proactive programme for the dramatic arts. Luke’s success, while far from typical, is an inspirational reminder of the enduring effect The Foundation’s work can have on those that benefit from its programmes.

Luke as ‘Gabriel’ in Albion. © Almeida Theatre, photography by Marc Brenner. Source: Evening Standard (17 November 2017). the clothworker | spring 2018

charity governance awards

Clothworkers’ Theatre Award

The Clothworkers’ Company

The Clothworkers’ Foundation

the clothworker | spring 2018

• Board Diversity and Inclusivity: Voluntary Arts

• Improving Impact (4-25 staff ): The Prisoners’ Education Trust

• Embracing Digital: Asthma UK

• Improving Impact (26+ staff ): Step by Step

• Embracing Opportunity and Harnessing Risk: Preston Road Women’s Centre

• Managing Turnaround: Off the Record (Bristol)

• Improving Impact (0-3 staff ): St Peter’s Community Wellbeing Projects

Celebrating good governance at last year’s Charity Governance Awards (Clothworkers’ Hall).

For more information on awards and award winners (including video testimonials from the recipients), visit: www.charitygovernanceawards.co.uk.

Luke as ‘Gabriel’ in Albion. © Almeida Theatre, photography by Marc Brenner. Source: Evening Standard (17 November 2017). the clothworker | spring 2018

Bookbinding: An Endangered Craft

he Company continues to support the endangered craft of hand bookbinding by commissioning fine bindings from established bookbinders and by funding prizes in the Open Choice category of the Designer Bookbinders’ Annual Competition. The Company also continues to fund and support The Queen’s Bindery Apprenticeship Scheme, now in its second year of taking apprentices.

by Evelyn Lord (2014), also with an accompanying box. His preparatory work and drawings illustrate his reactions to the vivid descriptions in the book. His overarching emotion was of an oppressive and threatening blackness from above, hanging over everything, conveyed by colouring the upper half of the goatskin cover black, graduating to dark red at the bottom. The crosses refer to both the holy cross and the warnings painted on the

Anthony Belfield

doors of plague-affected houses, with

Two new bindings were commissioned from leading bookbinders during 2017, and two bindings from our rolling programme of commissions have been received recently. Jenni Grey completed her second commission for us, a beautifully designed and illustrated book examining Chris Ofili’s artistic development, written in 2009.

the bumpy embossed grain of the leather used for the binding acting as a reminder of the buboes associated with bubonic plague. The Open Choice category of the Annual Bookbinding Competition is where craftspeople choose their own titles to bind. First prize in 2017 was awarded to Richard Beadsmoore for The Book I’ve Read Before by Charles R.

To reflect the unsettling quality of Ofili’s work discussed in the book, Jenni chose taxidermy eyes. Her use of glass seed beads echoes the way Ofili uses mapping pins, and her design stemmed from the idea of interlaced fingers of pale and dark skinned hands. The boards are covered in grey linen to enhance the brightness of the lime green beads. The spine is cherry wood, covered in lizard skin with acrylic end caps; the box, which doubles as an exhibition stand, is constructed in stained tulipwood and dyed ash veneer.

Ballard (1890, reprinted 1972). It is poem about the joy of returning to a favourite book instead of the countless new ones vying for attention, so the design plays with the idea of the circular ousting the linear. The cover is stone veneer, the staples 18ct gold, and there is gold and palladium (a soft silver-white metal similar to platinum) tooling. Second prize went to Tracey Bush for Dusk (2016), a limited edition artist’s book. Through seven hand-cut wreaths, one can glimpse large British Moths printed from original drawings by the binder. It is sewn together

Top: Jenni Grey’s mixed-media bookbinding, resting on its custom display stand. Bottom: The evocative bookbinding and box by Julian Thomas.

the clothworker | spring 2018

Julian Thomas MBE, former Head of the Conservation Section at the National Library of Wales, has created a suitably macabre design for The Great Plague: A People’s History

in a double concertina, 160 cm in length, and bound in black Lokta (handmade Nepalese paper)

Top: Richard Beadsmoore’s award-winning binding, with stone veneer and gold

screen-printed boards.

staples. Bottom: Tracey Bush’s delicate design, which won second place. the clothworker | spring 2018

Bookbinding: An Endangered Craft

Anthony Belfield

doors of plague-affected houses, with

Top: Jenni Grey’s mixed-media bookbinding, resting on its custom display stand. Bottom: The evocative bookbinding and box by Julian Thomas.

the clothworker | spring 2018

Julian Thomas MBE, former Head of the Conservation Section at the National Library of Wales, has created a suitably macabre design for The Great Plague: A People’s History

in a double concertina, 160 cm in length, and bound in black Lokta (handmade Nepalese paper)

Top: Richard Beadsmoore’s award-winning binding, with stone veneer and gold

screen-printed boards.

staples. Bottom: Tracey Bush’s delicate design, which won second place. the clothworker | spring 2018

New Designers Clothworkers’ Company Associate Prize

Making it in Textiles The Clothworkers’ Company

“Companies are eager to encourage students to use their skills and enthusiasm in a broader range of areas.”

his past October, The Company’s fourth-annual ‘Making It in Textiles’ conference was once again held in Bradford, supporting 120 representatives from final year textile degree courses as well as their tutors.

Above: Abi Bruce accepting her New Designers award (2017). Right: Abi’s designs are created by combining screen, digital, and heat-transfer printing techniques across different textiles.

n June 2017, we were delighted to present Abi Bruce with our associate New Designers award. The New Designers exhibition brings together a network of design educators, consumers, and industry leaders. Together, their aim is to support the continuing success of the industry by celebrating and recognising the creativity and innovative spirit of the next generation of designers. The Company’s commitment to supporting education, as well as training in technical textile skills and the encouragement of new talent, is the driving force behind this annual award. Abi demonstrated a brave, trend-setting style alongside a full and complete knowledge of the technical production required to bring her designs to life. She combined screen, digital, and heat-transfer printing techniques with a variety of textiles

the clothworker | spring 2018

such as neoprene and natural fibres to produce her final designs and earn the award—accompanied by a £1,000 cash prize and an invitation to our annual Alumni Dinner at Clothworkers’ Hall. Abi has a Bachelor of Arts in textile design from the Edinburgh College of Art. In addition to the New Designers exhibition, she has also shown her work at the Degree Show as well as two fashion shows at her university. She is a joint founder of ETC, a collaborative project with IKEA to sell bespoke unisex products using the company’s unused fabrics, and previously completed work placements with Timorous Beasties and Jyot. Learn more at www.abibruce.com. The next New Designers exhibition will be 27th-30th June at the Business Design Centre (London).

The conference is a collaboration with The Worshipful Company of Weavers and The Drapers’ Company as well as the Campaign for Wool, who recognise a skills gap in the textiles industry. Only a finite number of students will find positions in design roles whilst companies are eager to encourage students to use their skills and enthusiasm in a broader range of areas such as supply chain management, resourcing, quality control, production management, and client relationship management. The conference therefore aims to provide opportunities to forge stronger links between educational institutions and the UK textile manufacturing industry. Students have access to experts and leaders in the industry, attending presentations but also benefiting from time to network, ask questions, and receive feedback meant to help them shape their future careers. Notable figures involved this year included Design Consultant at Carruthers Associates Sheila-Mary Carruthers, Margo Selby (entrepreneur and creative

director of her own brand), Sales Director of Laxtons Specialist Yarns Alan Thornber, and the Director of Dashing Tweeds Guy Hills. One of our own, Clothworker Paul Johnson (Managing Director at his family mill, W. T. Johnson & Sons) also presented. Guests were privileged to visit and tour local mills and manufacturers, an opportunity to see the textile industry in action. We’re grateful to the following mills and businesses for welcoming us during our 2017 conference: Abraham Moon Alfred Brown Antich & Sons A.W. Hainsworth Laxtons Specialist Yarns Marton Mills Pennine Weavers Robert Dyers & Finishers Stanley Mills W. T. Johnson & Sons

Behind the scenes at The Weave Shed, which opened its doors for the ‘Making It in Textiles’ conference. the clothworker | spring 2018

New Designers Clothworkers’ Company Associate Prize

Making it in Textiles The Clothworkers’ Company

“Companies are eager to encourage students to use their skills and enthusiasm in a broader range of areas.”

Above: Abi Bruce accepting her New Designers award (2017). Right: Abi’s designs are created by combining screen, digital, and heat-transfer printing techniques across different textiles.

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Behind the scenes at The Weave Shed, which opened its doors for the ‘Making It in Textiles’ conference. the clothworker | spring 2018

Textiles Abroad SOUTH AFRICA Immediate Past Master Michael Jarvis connected with textiles in South Africa.

amburg (a name chosen by its original German settlers in the 1850s) is a small village on the southern coast of Africa, lying between East London and Port Alfred, and situated where the Keiskamma River flows into the Indian Ocean 20 kilometres up a mud road. The Keiskamma Trust is a community venture established there in 2000, by then very impoverished. It has two key programmes.

BHUTAN Clothworker Harry Jonas travelled to Bhutan last year, where he learned of exciting initiatives in textiles.

he Royal Textile Academy (RTA) was instituted in May 2005 under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck, the Queen Mother of Bhutan. It was registered as a non-government, non-profit organisation on 11th June 2012.

Top: The Royal Textile Academy. Middle: Photo exhibition dedicated to His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan. Bottom: Yarns on display to exhibit locally available natural dyes.

The RTA is dedicated to preserving and promoting Bhutanese textiles in particular, and the 13 arts in general, and celebrating the unique culture and traditions of Bhutan by creating international awareness and encouraging international collaboration to promote mutually beneficial exhibits and educational programmes. Training programmes at the Weaving Centre include a ‘Skill Development Training for Weavers’, where students

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and weavers are trained in different techniques, the art of yarn dyeing, marketing, colour combination, and basic bookkeeping skills. Pre-booked short courses on yarn dyeing and weaving are also arranged for visitors. The Textile Museum at the RTA includes two galleries. The upper gallery is dedicated to a permanent exhibition that gives visitors a comprehensive understanding of the various types of Bhutanese textiles. The exhibitions in the lower gallery are changed annually and are often related to the national events of the year. Such exhibitions are not only interesting to foreign visitors, but are also of interest to the local audience. A four-phased construction project for the Academy began in 2013. The third phase, focused on the offices, will be completed shortly. It will include an additional gallery and office spaces for rent. This will be a major source of income for the sustainability of the RTA and its programmes. We wish them luck with their future endeavours!

The first is an initiative to encourage local women to learn embroidery and related clothworking skills. They have now become a powerful band of more than 100 artists who generate an income from their output, jointly designing and creating a range of work from their relatively routine production of craft items—ranging from cushion covers and toy animals to awardwinning artworks of monumental scale. Several of these works have been exhibited internationally, and a number are in important collections. Among

them is the ‘Keiskamma Tapestry’ (‘tapestry’ is used in this context to denote a sizeable work—this one is approximately 120 metres and made of wool, embroidered onto hessian). It pays significant regard to the form and substance of the Bayeux Tapestry, offering an historical narrative relating to the Eastern Cape, but in this case over a much longer period than the few years surrounding the Battle of Hastings. The ‘tapestry’ was purchased by Standard Bank and is now on permanent display in the parliament building in Cape Town. Michael was inspired by the Keiskamma Tapestry and decided the Trust was an appropriate recipient of the Discretionary Grant each Master may propose during his or her year of service. He visited Hamburg in November 2017 to see the art project at first hand. One group was working on a piece commissioned from Australia, and Michael was fascinated by the design process—in this case involving an overall ‘cartoon’ on paper, the embroidery of individual figures and other iconography that were then sewn onto the backing material, with further

stitching by way of background. He also witnessed a demonstration of felt making. During his visit, Michael was also introduced to the Trust’s second main arm, its Music Academy, which instructs young members of the community in classical musical education. He attended an interesting concert at a local secondary school, featuring students performing on everything from violins to saxophones, flutes to pianos, and even an African drum. The Trust recently showcased its art and music programmes in London. This past December, students from the Music Academy (aged 14 to 22) performed in Manchester, Birmingham, and Oxford before visiting London for a special celebration at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP). Before the concert, the RCP unveiled a tapestry commissioned from the Trust to commemorate the College’s 500th anniversary. Michael was delighted to be at the event, and particularly touched to be able to meet Wonke Mapuma (18), who holds the special honour of being the Trust’s first student to have passed the Grade 8 exam on the clarinet. The tapestry is now on display in one of the RCP’s public spaces.

Left: Keiskamma Art Project. Right: Detail from the ‘Keiskamma Tapestry’. © The Keiskamma Trust. the clothworker | spring 2018

Textiles Abroad SOUTH AFRICA Immediate Past Master Michael Jarvis connected with textiles in South Africa.

BHUTAN Clothworker Harry Jonas travelled to Bhutan last year, where he learned of exciting initiatives in textiles.

Top: The Royal Textile Academy. Middle: Photo exhibition dedicated to His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan. Bottom: Yarns on display to exhibit locally available natural dyes.

the clothworker | spring 2018

Left: Keiskamma Art Project. Right: Detail from the ‘Keiskamma Tapestry’. © The Keiskamma Trust. the clothworker | spring 2018

PROPERTY UPDATE Director of Finance, Property and Investments, Hamesh Patel

The Company completed a deal with Generali, the Italian insurance company, where The Company took freehold ownership of the total site, and granted a 200-year head lease to Generali. Generali subsequently obtained planning permission to construct a c 450,000 square-foot building, the majority of which had been prelet to M&G, the fund management arm of Prudential, for its new head office. NatWest, who originally had a banking unit on the site, were relocated to new unit on the site.

ur property portfolio continues to perform well and is expected to generate an annual rental income of £5.2 million in 2018. The total portfolio, excluding the Hall, consists of 16 properties, of which one is held by The Clothworkers’ Foundation and the remainder by The Clothworkers’ Company. The portfolio, which is owned freehold, is mainly situated in the Moorgate and Fenchurch Street areas. The majority of our tenants have a long leasehold interest, and take on the risk of sub-letting. We are active investors, however, and rather than extract maximum capital value in return for a peppercorn rent, we retain a level of interest whereby the ground rent is based on a percentage of the head tenant’s rental income, subject to minimum rent levels. The Company owns three multitenanted properties that are directly

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let, where we have appointed managing agents dealing with dayto-day operations. The third property at 54 Fenchurch Street was acquired at the end of 2015, and in the last issue, I wrote that having acquired the vacant property, we undertook a full refurbishment of the building. The property is now let to a range of office occupiers; after a successful application for a change of use for the ground floor, it is now occupied by Superdrug. In the last issue, I referred to significant developments undertaken by our head tenants at two of our properties. Both have progressed and an update is given below.

ONE FEN COURT (FORMERLY KNOWN AS 120 FENCHURCH STREET) The Company originally owned only 40 per cent of the total site. In August 2014, as part of a complex transaction,

A topping-out ceremony was held in September 2017. In the Master’s and Clerk’s absence, the ceremony was attended by Melville Haggard, John Wake, and myself on behalf of The Company, along with our advisers, Capital Real Estate Partners. The ceremony signified the completion of the roof of the building and also served as a marketing event. There were several City dignitaries present, including the Lord Mayor, who gave a speech praising the developer and the vision of the architect. The M&G space reached practical completion in January 2018, with the rest of the building expected to complete in April 2018. Terms have been agreed for some of the remaining office space, two of the retail units, and the restaurant on the roof of the building. Negotiations are ongoing for the letting of the remaining office space and the three remaining retail units. The restaurant and roof garden will be open for public access.

1 ANGEL COURT 1 Angel Court has been a longstanding asset within The Company’s portfolio. A development was undertaken by the head tenant, Mitsui Fudosan, in conjunction with Stanhope, and the building reached practical completion with an official launch in February 2017. The building consists of seven ‘garden floors’ of c 25,000 square feet and 17 ‘sky floors’ of c 9,000 square feet. The letting of the office space has been successful to date, with major tenants such as BUPA and the new financial services trade association, UK Finance, taking space. The upmarket serviced office company, Clubhouse, have also taken space, and a tenants’ lounge has been established. With further deals currently under negotiation, it is hoped that almost 80 per cent of the building by floor area will soon be let. A ground floor restaurant and café area has been created around the base of the building, with a range of tenants new to the area such as Coya (an upmarket Peruvian restaurant), Notes (a coffee shop by day and wine bar by evening), Temper (a tandoori-style barbecue restaurant), and Natural Kitchen (a ‘healthy living’ café). The Company currently receives no income from the property (reflecting the previous peppercorn lease arrangements), but once these lettings complete and the property becomes income producing, The Company will receive a ground rent based on a proportion of the rents received by the head tenant, subject to a minimum level.

Images show the ‘Topping Out’ ceremony from 120 Fenchurch Street, including an image of Past Master Melville Haggard accepting a souvenir tankard on behalf of the Master. the clothworker | spring 2018

PROPERTY UPDATE Director of Finance, Property and Investments, Hamesh Patel

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ONE FEN COURT (FORMERLY KNOWN AS 120 FENCHURCH STREET) The Company originally owned only 40 per cent of the total site. In August 2014, as part of a complex transaction,

affiliations scots guards Supporting the Troops

affiliations hms dauntless Entertaining the Crew

ince 2007, we have sought to nurture a vibrant affiliation with HMS Dauntless. We’ve supported the ship from the time of its construction, through its sea trials and commissioning ceremony, to the present day and have been able to support the ship and its crew in various ways. Today, the 500-foot Type 45 Air Defence Destroyer is the largest escort ship ever built for the Royal Navy and among the most advanced warships in the world. Designed to be stealthier than previous models, it is also equipped with cutting-edge technology including two ‘Rolls-Royce’ WR-21 gas turbine engines, Sampson Radar capable of simultaneously tracking more than 300 flying objects within a 250-meter radius, and Sea Viper missiles able to hit targets as small as a cricket ball. The Company has taken an active interest in keeping this special vessel shipshape, and maintaining close ties with the crew. However, long-distance relationships are challenging, and in recent years, Dauntless has been on active duty in distant waters for much of the time. This past year, the destroyer was anchored in Portsmouth for a protracted refit, and we took the opportunity to get to know some of the ship’s company. Assistant to the Court Andrew Yonge has acted as an informal liaison with Dauntless for the past few years. He and other members of the Court and Livery hosted the crew at the Hall in April 2017—an event enjoyed by Clothworkers and crew alike!

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“The HMS Dauntless is the epitome of seaborne strength and submarine stealth.” “A life less ordinary since 1642,” the Scots Guards are an infantry regiment steeped in history... “I joined to make something of myself.” Ally, Scots Guards

e’re proud of our close relationship with the Scots Guards, where Honorary Liveryman, HRH the Duke of Kent, is Colonel of the regiment. The Company has funded the Regimental Welfare Fund (designated for those injured on duty) and traditionally supports the annual social functions for soldiers and their families.

The Company attends special ceremonies each year—like the Queen’s Birthday Parade—and hosts an annual lunch for soldiers at Clothworkers’ Hall, the most recent of which was this past September. Assistant to the Court (and former Scots Guards Captain) Tom Ingham Clark acts as a special liaison to the regiment and helps foster this close relationship. the clothworker | spring 2018

affiliations scots guards Supporting the Troops

affiliations hms dauntless Entertaining the Crew

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tributes

SIR PAUL JUDGE

orn 25th April 1949, Sir Paul Judge was described in his obituary as a ‘philanthropist, entrepreneur, and businessman’; he was also someone who dedicated a considerable part of his life to the City of London and supported political and educational causes for more than 30 years. His death, on 21th May 2017, was sudden and sad. Sir Paul was born and educated in London, attending Christchurch School, Forest Hill, and St Dunstan’s College. He graduated from Cambridge University in 1971, and went on to earn a Thouron Fellowship and an MBA at Wharton Business School. He began his career at Cadbury Schweppes, and at the age of 28 had already been promoted to deputy finance director, after which he continued to excel and rise higher in the company. Eventually, he facilitated a buy-out of the company, creating Premier Brands. The success of Premier Brands earned him millions. He wasted no time in making a large donation to his alma mater, funding the Judge Institute for Management Studies. Today, the Judge Business School (as it is now known) supports more than 80 academic staff and 400 students.

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Sir Paul had a strong sense of civic duty. He was director general of the Conservative Party (1992-’95), helped to found the ‘Jury Team’ to support Independent political candidates, and held a variety of roles within the City of London. He became a Freeman of the City of London in 1970 and was chairman of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal (under Sir John Stuttard), elected Alderman of the Ward of Tower in 2007 and again in 2012, and Sheriff (2013-’14). In addition, he was Master of The Worshipful Company of Marketors as well as a Liveryman and Assistant to the Court of our own Company. In addition, he demonstrated one of the Clothworkers’ core values, trusteeship, serving on committees and boards for many charities. Past Master Melville Haggard described him as ‘full of energy and eager to talk to all comers on any topic.’ Melville went on to share the following memory with The Company’s Court last June: ‘During my Master’s year, I sat next to [Sir Paul] at Trinity House’s 300th anniversary lunch. It was a grand occasion attended by HRH The Princess Royal. When the first course was served, Paul noticed that my helping lacked the adorning anchovy, whereas his had two. Quick as a flash, he scooped up one of his anchovies and put it on my plate— oblivious to the formality and pomp of the occasion. The action illustrated a sensitivity and consideration for others that was not always on public view; but for me, that will be his epitaph. He was unbounded by those traditions that sometimes hem us in. He was a modern man.’

he married Elizabeth, who has been a dedicated supporter of The Company. Past Master Anthony West described Tim as ‘one of the nicest, friendliest, and most humorous of men, with [a] wicked chuckle,’ and shared the following memory with the Court last summer: TIMOTHY EVERSFIELD MORGAN

im was born in 1941, son of Liveryman Vernon Morgan and nephew of Master Cedric Morgan (1968-’69). He started his education at Sutton Valence School (governed by The Company following the death of William Lambe, its founder, in 1580 until The Company returned its charter in 2002), and later moved to the United States. He was educated at the University of Virginia and the London Polytechnic Business Institute. He began his early working life with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), but later pursued a career in the wine trade, eventually running his own wine merchant business. A fourth-generation Clothworker, he became Free by Patrimony in 1962, advancing to the Livery in 1964. He joined the Court, as a Warden, in 1993 and was Master Excused Service in 2007. He served on the Wine Panel from 2000 and as chairman of the new Wine Committee (2006-’08). Our Company continues to enjoy the fruits of his expertise (especially as it relates to our selection of red wines in the cellar). Tim is survived by five daughters, four of whom are Clothworkers. In 2002,

‘I last saw him, at Henley Regatta, in late June, where Elizabeth had driven him from Sussex. He was in a wheelchair, looking very poorly, but with a huge smile, surrounded by friends and puffing on his customary cigar. His one Clothworker regret was the withdrawal of cigars at Livery Dinners and the inability to smoke anywhere in the Hall … We shall all miss him, greatly.’ Anthony claimed there could be no better epitaph for Tim than his email address, which began ‘MerryTim’.

a sole proprietor. He later became a partner at Clifford Cole, and then went on to work as a consultant for Tayler & Fletcher. He was elected to the Professional Associate of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 1960, and then became a Fellow of RICS in 1970. Errol was a fourth-generation Clothworker (son of Liveryman and Warden Roy Mews); he became Free by Patrimony in February 1956 and joined the Livery later that same year. Errol served as Fourth Warden in 1986, Second Warden in 1987, and became an Assistant to the Court in 1988, then Assistant Emeritus in 2006. He was a familiar face at Clothworker events over the years. Both his daughters, Cecilia and Vanessa, joined The Company as well. Sadly, Cecilia died just a few months before her father, in March 2017. Errol’s beloved wife, Priscilla, touchingly suggested that, if desired, family and friends could make donations to the Clothworkers’ Livery Fund in lieu of flowers at his funeral.

created a brand for Scottish cashmere recognised around the world. He realised early on that British manufacturing could not compete with India (and then China) if the goal was to make products quickly and cheaply, but it could maintain a high-standard of quality across its products that would allow it to thrive. He had the skills, experience, and resources to see his goal through, coming from a long line of millowners and weavers. He himself trained as a worsted weaver while completing a course in textiles from Huddersfield College of Technology. He then joined the Bradford yarn spinner W&J Whitehead, selling knitting yarns, and so began his long and successful career in textiles and manufacturing.

JAMES SUGDEN

F ERROL MEWS

adly, we’d also like to recognise the passing of Errol Mews (Master Excused Service, 1999), who died on 29th July 2017. Errol, born 1934, grew up in Warwickshire, the eldest of three boys. He was educated at Harrow School. Errol began his professional career with Bigwoods in Birmingham before practising as

inally, many Clothworkers will be sad to hear of the death of James Sugden this past December, aged 71. Although he was not a member of our Company himself—he was actually a Liveryman of the The Weavers’ Company—he was a notable ‘clothworker’. We were honoured when he agreed to join the Textile Committee in 2017, and although he was with us briefly, his contributions to our Textile Strategy were invaluable. For those unfamiliar with him, James was a renowned textile manufacturer in the UK, who

In Memoriam We regret to announce the following deaths: Mr Bill Allan Mr Peter Blaxland The Revd John Cowling Mrs Betty Crawford-Hutchins Mr David Hall Ms Cecilia Mews Mrs Mary Pownall Sir Ninian Stephen Mr John Sweetapple

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tributes

SIR PAUL JUDGE

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JAMES SUGDEN

F ERROL MEWS

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Notable Clothworker: Charles Day

harles Day was born in 1784, son of a Covent Garden hairdresser. The family was originally from Yorkshire, but Charles’ father came to London to seek his fortune in the late 18th century. Charles often helped in his father’s shop on Tavistock Street, and there struck up a friendship with Benjamin Martin (a journeyman hairdresser, also from Yorkshire).

Although not a Clothworker, Charles Day is best known to The Company as a result of his philanthropy; however, his descendent Neil Price paints a picture of a life far more colourful—a story including blacking, blindness, bluffing, blackmail, benevolence, and Bleak House ...

Above: This portrait of Day (c.1820, artist unknown) hangs at Clothworkers’ Hall. A slight squint and enlargement of one

Together, they discovered a perfect formula for boot blacking; at the time, gleaming black boots and shoes were de rigueur. They began manufacturing ‘Real Japan Blacking’ in the back of the Days’ shop, establishing the firm of Day and Martin. By November 1801, they were advertising their wares in the Morning Post. The pair hit on a cunning marketing ploy. Day recruited 100 men, suited and booted them and sent them to all the suitable shops in London, separately, to purchase a bottle of ‘Day and Martin’s.’ Shopkeepers, after receiving the same request again and again, immediately began ordering significant levels of stock. Business boomed! By 1805, the firm had moved to purpose-built premises at 79 High Holborn. In 1808, Day bought Martin out with a sum of £10,000 (nearly £1 million in current terms). The business continued to thrive under the name ‘Day and Martin’, making Day a staggeringly wealthy young man. However, while successful in business, his private life became complicated.

eye alludes to his damaged sight. Facing page: Advertising card for Day and Martin’s (after 1870). Source: Boston Public Library.

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In 1806, Day married Rebecca Peake; their daughter was born in 1808. Unusually for the times, they had no

other children. By 1816, age 33, Day was blind—likely due to syphilis. Rebecca’s youngest sister, Susannah, became a close friend and confidante; through her, Day was introduced to a cousin, Sarah Peake, with whom he began a secret relationship. Unbeknownst to Rebecca, Sarah bore Charles a son, Henry, in 1823. Day provided them with a home in Earl Street (now Broadley Street), Marylebone, where they lived with Susannah. He visited regularly. A second son, Alfred, was born in 1824, and a third, Edmund, in 1827. By this time, Day’s second family was living in Seymour Place, less than a mile from Charles and Rebecca’s residence, Harley House. In January 1829, all three boys were baptised, recorded as the children of John and Sarah Price. Although Edmund had already been christened there some 18 months before, there is no recorded query from the parish. Charles visited his children regularly, but his real identity as their father was never revealed to them. Family legend passed down through the generations has it that ‘John Price’, their mythical father, died in 1831. In 1832, probably sensing his time was limited, Day made provision for his sons’ futures—bequeathing bonds of £5,000 each (about £500,000 in current terms) upon his death. The bonds were drafted by his clerk, using forms supplied by solicitors Frederick and Antonine Dufaur. In 1834, he made his final Will, although a number of codicils were subsequently added. Shortly after, Day lost the use of his limbs. In 1836, he began

suffering a number of epileptic fits and died in October of that year. A legal dispute over his Will arose almost immediately. The validity of a controversial fifth codicil to Day’s will, in which the young lawyer Frederick Dufaur was appointed a co-executor (along with a £500 bequest and right to receive commission from the collection of Day’s rents), was challenged by the executors to the Will. The codicil was declared invalid, but Dufaur appealed the decision. He took the case to the Privy Council, assuming the family would try to make a financial settlement with him for his silence and avoid details of Charles’ secret life being exposed. The family called his bluff, and years of litigation followed. Dufaur’s appeal failed, probate was eventually granted in 1840, and the Court of Chancery subsequently became involved in the administration of the directions in Day’s will. Reports of the snail’s pace of proceedings regularly appeared in The Times, and the published letters of Charles Dickens confirm that the case was used as justification for Jarndyce v Jarndyce in Bleak House. Dickens wrote in the preface: ‘At the present moment there is a suit before the Court which was commenced nearly twenty years ago; in which from thirty to forty counsel have been known to appear at one time; in which costs have been incurred to the amount of seventy thousand pounds…and which is (I am assured) no nearer its termination now than when it begun…’ In 1839, Dickens had moved to Devonshire Terrace, just 100 yards

away from Harley House, so it is likely he even knew the surviving Day family. Indeed, many aspects of Day’s life have a resonance with the plot of the novel, with its themes of illegitimacy and the dishonour that went with it. Charles Day’s three sons would have discovered their true identity as their lives were played out in the courts and newspapers, but they were thereafter sworn to secrecy. They were bequeathed enough money to live quiet-but-comfortable lives out of the public eye; none of the 18 children of two of the sons’ marriages knew that their fathers were illegitimate. Only now, following recent research by Neil Price (the great-grandson of Day’s middle son, Alfred) has the true story been revealed. However, it is important that this colourful story should not overshadow the legacy of an otherwise important businessman and philanthropist.

Of an estate valued (upon his death) at some £450,000 (about £52 million in current terms), Day left more than £194,000 in his Will to individuals and charities, including an endowment of some £100,000 (at least £10 million in current terms) was set aside to establish the Blind Man’s Friend, a charity to provide pensions for poor, blind, or visually impaired persons. The Will also established a separate trust to manage and maintain a row of alms houses in Edgware, which Day had built in 1828. The charity still continues its good work today. The administration of the Blind Man’s Friend (BMF) passed to The Clothworkers’ Company in 1947, although the offices of the charity had been moved to Clothworkers’ Hall in 1909. The BMF was by a number of later Charity Commission schemes amalgamated with similar trusts favouring the blind, and was from 2004 part of the Clothworkers’ Charity for Welfare of the Blind. the clothworker | spring 2018

Notable Clothworker: Charles Day

Above: This portrait of Day (c.1820, artist unknown) hangs at Clothworkers’ Hall. A slight squint and enlargement of one

eye alludes to his damaged sight. Facing page: Advertising card for Day and Martin’s (after 1870). Source: Boston Public Library.

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In 1806, Day married Rebecca Peake; their daughter was born in 1808. Unusually for the times, they had no

News & Notices

Spring 2018 | No. 17

Log on to the Members’ Area of the website for more events, news, and notices relevant to you and your interests: www.clothworkers.co.uk.

the clothworker

Left: Katie Tapponnier, Freewoman. Top row: Suzanne Tate, Paul Smith, and Patrick O’Kelly. Bottom row: Ayesha Tariq and Clare Killeen.

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The Clothworker: Spring 2018

Articles inside

Notable Clothworker: Charles Day

Textiles Abroad: South Africa

Textiles Abroad: Bhutan

The Clothworkers' Theatre Award

Bookbinding: An Endangered Craft

New Members: July and December 2017