THEME Business, trade and industry

The Goldsmiths Company

Goldsmiths Hall

The Goldsmiths Company, founded in the 14th century, still plays an important role in society today. It maintains the Assay Office and the annual Pyx trial by which the nations currency is protected from being debased.

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Sir Hugh Myddleton

Sir Hugh Myddletons New River Head a lasting Mark on London

Sir Hugh Myddleton was a brilliant 17th century engineer who was in part responsible for improving the water supply to London via the New River project which still provides 8% of the capitals water supply.

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The Midland Revolt 1607

Midland Revolt 1607

The Midland Revolt 1607, a period of failed harvests, enclosure, famine and despondency. Shakespeare writes about this in his play Coriolanus and refers to other uprisings and tensions in his plays Henry IV and 2 Henry VI.

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The Mercers’ Company

mercers' company

The Mercers’ Company is one of the top twelve Livery Companies in the City of London Considered by many to hold first place in the rank of the Livery Companies, the illustrious names on its roll of members,  charitable associations and trusts, it can have a justified claim to its position as such. Its corporate…

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IT Livery Companies History and Dame Shirley

This entry is part 6 of 12 in the series Intriguing Women

Dame Stephanie Shirley, aka Steve computing pioneer, philanthropist and advocate for strategic projects in Autism and child escaping Nazi Germany via the British Kindertransport initiative. She survived and succeeded against the odds, one 10,000 against one and a half million that perished..She is part of history and very much alive and still making it happen, she is for me an inspiration and continues a long line of great contributions to British life that started with the story of a migration and the struggles of an immigrant trying to make the best of the cards life has dealt the, We can all learn something from Dame Shirley.

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Bank of England History

Bank of England Sealing of the Charter

Bank of England History next to the East India Company one of our oldest institutions and ironically as the old lady of Threadneedle Street one of the few ‘last men standing. Founded by an associate of Isaac Newton from Trinity College Cambridge days maybe not such a strange connection give Newton was Master of the Royal Mint. Rothschilds to the rescue, so many intriguing connections to an institution we think of as a steadying force. It was not always so. Find out more here…

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Spinning Jenny Industrial Revolution?

Spinning Jenny Industrial Revolution

Spinning Jenny Industrial Revolution, what was this invention and what impact did it have on the textile workers of 18th century Britain? Why was the invention necessary and how did it connect with John Kay’s Flying Shuttle?

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Joint Stock Ownership and the Corporate entity

This entry is part 1 of 1 in the series Business Trade and Organisation Key Concepts

Joint Stock Companies grew once the restrictive trade practices endorsed by the Bubble Act o 1720 were repealed, no longer requiring a Royal Charter to form a Company that could trade its stock accelerated the growth of business ownership and success of British business trade and industry in attracting the capital needed to expand and develop successful businesses across the Empire on the back of the Industrial Revolution.

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