Charter Night 2024
April 6, 2024
March 21st was a big night in the Shrewsbury Drapers Company’s Calendar as it was their Charter Night. This means that the current Master is
Menu
Shrewsbury Drapers Company is a long-established Guild which was granted a royal charter in 1462 and was historically responsible for the importation of unfinished Welsh cloth into England. The Guild has been running almshouses continuously since 1444.
Whilst proud of it’s history as a Guild, the modern Shrewsbury Drapers Company is an active, volunteering organisation whose members participate in its principal objectives of preserving their heritage, providing almshouses and furthering education in textiles by running an annual competition for students and adults
The importance of its volunteering contribution to the local community was recognised in 2022 by the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
The Guild is very conscious of the historical background and works to preserve two important buildings in Shrewsbury – Drapers Hall and Hospital of the Holy Cross adjacent to the Abbey Church in Abbey Foregate.
There are almshouses in Longden Coleham, Abbey Foregate, Wenlock Road, and Horsefair.
Many of us reach a point in our lives when we feel that, although we are physically fit and healthy, we would like to have the security of knowing we do not have to worry about the maintenance of our home and the paying of the bills that relate to it. We would like to be living in a community where our needs are understood but we can maintain our independence whilst living in our own home.
An almshouse is residential accommodation, usually a house or flat, which belongs to a charity, is provided exclusively to meet the charity’s purposes (for example, the relief of some disadvantage-age, financial etc.) and is occupied or is available for occupation under a licence by a beneficiary who meets the Charity’s criteria.
Shrewsbury Drapers Holy Cross Ltd has 51 such units the 25 most recent built in 2017 and caters for both single and double accommodation
For more details of our almshouses click here
March 21st was a big night in the Shrewsbury Drapers Company’s Calendar as it was their Charter Night. This means that the current Master is
On the 27th June the Shrewsbury Drapers and residents of the Drapers Almshouses enjoyed some extremely delicious cakes and scones (purchased from the Refresh cafe
Recently the Master, Brian Newman and the Clerk of Shrewsbury Drapers Company, Jan Boyd attended a Royal Garden Party at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh in recognition
Last week Shrewsbury High School for Girls held a careers conference to which many universities sent their representatives, and also many other organisations including Shrewsbury Drapers Company.
In addition to the High School pupils, children from other local schools also attended including The Priory, Meole Brace, The Corbett School and Shrewsbury College.
The Drapers delegates engaged with a large number of attendees chatting about all the many and varied careers that could be pursued if they took a qualification in art and in particular textiles, depending on the courses offered by their particular educational establishment. They were also trying to encourage the students to enter the Draper’s annual Textile Competition which is being held in the Library in November, details can be found on the Drapers website.
It was a very interesting and enjoyable evening and the High School was an extremely good host. #shrewsburyhighschool #theprioryschool #meolebraceschool #thecorbettschool #shrewsburycollege ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
King Charles is a Draper!
www.facebook.com/100050232861148/posts/1008376820846737/?app=fbl🎨Today, The King unveiled a new portrait by Jonathan Yeo. The new work depicts His Majesty wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975. The painting will ultimately hang in Drapers’ Hall in London. The artist said of the experience of painting His Majesty:
"It was a privilege and pleasure to have been commissioned by The Drapers' Company to paint this portrait of His Majesty The King, the first to be unveiled since his Coronation. When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and much like the butterfly I've painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject's role in our public life has transformed. I do my best to capture the life experiences and humanity etched into any individual sitter's face, and I hope that is what I have achieved in this portrait. To try and capture that for His Majesty The King, who occupies such a unique role, was both a tremendous professional challenge, and one which I thoroughly enjoyed and am immensely grateful for." ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
A group of Shrewsbury Drapers, friends and family were treated to a private tour of the Military Museum within Shrewsbury Castle. The museum was originally curated by Mr Parfitt, the father-in-law of one of our very own Drapers.
The exhibition of the Shropshire Soldiers evolution going back nearly 300 years from 1755 to 1968 was fascinating and impressively displayed. There is a spectacular collection of uniforms, weapons, medals and silverware.
Towards the end of the tour we were given a very informative talk about the history of rifles, showing examples of muskets from the 18th century right up to guns used in the present day. We were also shown (and allowed to handle and try to pick up) the enormously heavy equipment and protective gear that a modern soldier has to carry.
If you haven’t already been to the museum it is well worth a visit! #shrewsburycastle ... See MoreSee Less
6 CommentsComment on Facebook
Fabulous report, thank you Sally and a great visit. I echo your sentiments in saying the museum is well worth a visit. My Father would be thrilled to be mentioned here. His work was a life long love, for which we are all very grateful that it is again in safe hands.
Wonderful to read the success and support for Shrewsbury Castle regimental museum, daddy i.e. Geoff Parfitt would be thrilled with his legacy, definitely well worth a visit!
👏🏻 wonderful to see 🥰 thank you 🤩 🙏🏻
Richard Gurden
Poppy Gurden Jenny Barker
Chris Lee Charles Lee Elle May
View more comments
March 21st was a big night in the Shrewsbury Drapers Company's Calendar as it was their Charter Night. This means that the current Master is replaced with whoever has been the Senior Warden for the past year, the Junior Warden becomes the Senior Warden, and a new Junior Warden is appointed. The immediate Past Master is Gaynor Bowen, the new Master is Trevor Hunt, the Senior Warden is now Nancy Sykes Waller and Mandy Thorn is the new Junior Warden. It is also an occasion to give a warm welcome to the new Drapers who also attended the evening.
The evening saw the tradition of the loving cups being used, but not in the same way as previously, because since Covid the cups have not been passed round to share as obviously they could spread germs! So now just the Master and the Wardens drink from individual silver loving cups. The loving cups are a symbol of friendship and fraternity but the full ceremony when they are passed round for all to drink from has a less convivial origin.
The Loving Cup's Tradition History.
The Ceremony of the Loving Cup is linked with the assassination of the Anglo-Saxon King Edward in 978.
The story goes that King Edward's stepmother plotted his death so that her son Ethelred (the Unready) should succeed him. On arrival at Corfe Castle in Dorset, Edward was stabbed in the back whilst he was drinking from a goblet of welcome held in both his hands. To prevent any repetition of this dreadful event, the back of the drinker is now guarded by their neighbour in the Ceremony.
During Celtic times, the Loving Cup Ritual was a regular feature of banquets and ceremonial toasts. In Scotland, this cup is known as a quaich, which comes from the Celtic word cuach, meaning cup. It can symbolise the unification of two families and strengthens the tie between the two who drink from the two-handled cup.
The Ceremony
When your neighbour with the Cup in their hand turns round to face you, you rise from your seat and you each bow to each other, then they drink and wipe the Cup. The drinker hands you the Cup and you bow to each other again.
You turn round to face your second neighbour, on your other side. They rise and you bow to each other. You then hand the cup to them, and you bow to one another for the second time.
You then turn your back to the person to whom you have just handed the cup thus guarding their back to prevent assault in the manner suffered by King Edward. When they have finished and handed on the cup, you resume your seat.
No more than three persons should be standing at the same time.
This is just one of the many traditions that The Drapers try to preserve, the main one being the running of Almshouses which we have been doing since the 1440's. Today we have 51 Almshouse units in 5 different sites providing safe, comfortable and affordable homes for people in their later years. ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Today a few of the Shrewsbury Drapers Company were treated to a tour of the new kitchens at the restaurant Rhubarb, at Drapers Hall in Shrewsbury. We were given a short, but very informative talk by Robin Gough (chairman of the Drapers Hall Preservation Trust) who has worked closely with Adrian and Miriam (proprietors of Rhubarb) on the project. We were extremely impressed that it only took 6 weeks to complete considering the amount of work involved which included digging out 4 feet of earth from the floor!
The restaurant and boutique hotel are now open again and ready to welcome customers old and new! ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentComment on Facebook
Wow, great looking kitchen there you have, chefs dream, good effort
A PRESENTATION OF LETTERS FROM BUCKINGHAM PALACE To Shrewsbury Drapers Company took place at FAIRFORD PLACE
A presentation of two framed letters from Buckingham Palace was made at a residents Coffee Morning at Fairford Place on Tuesday 12th March 2024. The presentation was made by the current Master Gaynor Bowen and the Immediate Past Master Brian Newman in the company of residents, Drapers and members of staff.
The first letter received on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the second letter on the Coronation of King Charles III will be displayed alongside each other in the Mulberry Room at Fairford Place, Shrewsbury. ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook