Merchant Adventurers' Hall
Encyclopedia
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
hall in the city of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and was one of the most important buildings in the medieval city. The majority of the Hall was built in 1357 by a group of influential men and women who came together to form a religious fraternity called the Guild of Our Lord Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1430 the fraternity was granted a royal charter by King Henry VI and renamed 'The Mistry of Mercers'. It was granted the status of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of York by Queen Elizabeth I in the sixteenth century. The main part of the building consists of the Great Hall and the undercroft
Undercroft
An undercroft is traditionally a cellar or storage room, often brick-lined and vaulted, and used for storage in buildings since medieval times. In modern usage, an undercroft is generally a ground area which is relatively open to the sides, but covered by the building above.- History :While some...
, which was originally a hospital or almshouse for poor people of York.
The Great Hall is a timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
structure and was built over a five year period. It is the largest timber-framed building in the UK still standing and used for its original purpose. The roof of the hall is of two spans supported by a row of large central timber posts.
The undercroft, like the Great Hall, is divided in two by its supporting row of timber posts. The undercroft also provides access to an attached chapel built for the use of the ill and poor in the hospital as well as the members of the Merchant Adventurers' Guild. It is still used for worship.
The Hall belongs to and is still regularly used by The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York, who, although no longer dedicated to mercantile activities are prominent in York and still exist as a charitable membership group. They have an extensive set of records, with documents dating from the 13th century and accounts dating back to 1432. The pre-1960 archive is described in ‘A Guide to the Archives of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of York’ by David M. Smith, (Borthwick Texts, York, 1990) and a listing is available on the Access to Archives website. The Borthwick Institute for Archives
Borthwick Institute for Archives
The Borthwick Institute for Archives is the specialist archive service of the University of York, York, England. It is one of the biggest archive repositories outside London. The Borthwick was founded in 1953 as The Borthwick Institute for Historical Research. It was originally based at St...
at the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
holds photocopies of many medieval deeds, account rolls, rentals, and of Guild minutes for the period 1677–1985.
The Hall is open as a museum and can also be hired for parties, dinners and special occasions. It is also licensed for weddings and holds wedding receptions throughout the year.
It is a short walk from this hall to the Merchant Taylors' Hall
Merchant Taylors' Hall, York
The Merchant Taylors' Hall in York, England, is a medieval guildhall near the city wall in the Aldwark area of the city.Constructed by the Fraternity of St John the Baptist in the 14th century, it received a new cladding in the 17th century. The main hall is 60 ft by 30ft, with 30ft ceilings...
in York, another medieval guildhall but in less original condition.