The Worshipful Company of Dyers is one of the Livery Companies of the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

. The Dyers' Guild existed in the twelfth century; it received a

Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but s ...

in 1471. It originated as a trade association for members of the

dyeing Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular c ...

industry but is now mainly a charitable institution. Each year the company participates in the ceremony of Swan Upping along the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

. The Dyers' Company ranks thirteenth in the order of precedence of Livery Companies. The company's motto is ''Da Gloriam Deo'', Latin for "Give Glory to God".

Current activities

The activities of the company are focused on the development of dyeing techniques and the support of various charitable causes. The Dyers' are associated with several organisations, including the

Society of Dyers and Colourists The Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) is an international professional society, with headquarters in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK, specializing in colour in all its manifestations. Founded in 1884, it was granted a Royal Charter of Incorporati ...

, the

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

and

Heriot Watt University Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted univ ...

. The company also maintains the

Dyers Almshouses The Dyers Almshouses are a group of 30 almshouses belonging to the Worshipful Company of Dyers, a London Livery Company. Built in three stages between 1939 and 1971, they are located close to the town centre of Crawley, a New Town and borough in ...

, a group of 28 almshouses built between 1939 and 1971, in the Northgate area of Crawley, West Sussex. In education, the company is associated with several schools including

Archbishop Tenison's School Archbishop Tenison's School, commonly known as Tenison's, is a Church of England mixed secondary school located in the London Borough of Lambeth. Admissions Tenison's is an 11–16 boys and girls comprehensive school, part of the educationa ...

, Boutcher School,

Norwich School Norwich School (formally King Edward VI Grammar School, Norwich) is a selective English independent day school in the close of Norwich Cathedral, Norwich. Among the oldest schools in the United Kingdom, it has a traceable history to 1096 as a ...

and

St Saviour's and St Olave's Church of England School St Saviour's and St Olave's Church of England School is a secondary school and sixth form for girls located on New Kent Road near Elephant and Castle, in the London Borough of Southwark, England. It is a voluntary aided Church of England school ...

Dyers' Hall

The hall of the Dyers was originally located west of London Bridge, but was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. The current hall, designed by Charles Dyer and constructed in 1839–40, is at 10–13 Dowgate Hill in the

Coat of arms

The blazon for the coat of arms is: Sable a chevron engrailed argent between three bags of madder of the last, corded Or. Crest, three sprigs of the graintree erect Vert, fructed Gules. Supporters, two

leopards The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus ''Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...

rampant guardant Argent spotted with various colours, fire issuing from their ears and mouths Proper, both ducally crowned Or.

Gallery

File:Leopards_Rampant_(19191297559).jpg, Worshipful Company of Dyers: Da Gloriam Deo (Give Glory to God) File:Livery company 20130324 064 (2).jpg, Worshipful Company of Dyers: Da Gloriam Deo (Give Glory to God)

References

External links

* Dyers 1471 establishments in England Organisations based in London with royal patronage Grade II* listed livery halls {{London-stub