Fellowship Porters' Hall

A Dictionary of London by Henry A Harben.

On the east side of Beer Lane at No. 22. In Tower Ward.


Formerly on the west side of St. Mary at Hill, at No. 17, north of Watermen's Hall in Billingsgate Ward (Lockie, 1816-O.S. 1880).

Hall, etc., sold (Builder, 9.2.07).

The tackle-porters and ticket-porters were united and constituted a fraternity in 1603. No livery. Ordinances made 1589 and 1620.

The Company of Porters exercised the rights of the Corporation for metage of salt, grain, fruit, etc., and were variously called Billingsgate Porters, Corn and Salt Porters, or Fellowship Porters. Regulated by orders made by the Court of Common Council.

Said to have existed from time Edward I.

The Governor of the Fellowship was the Alderman of Billingsgate Ward. Wore badges or tallies. One of the rulers of the Fellowship was in attendance at Porter's Key, another at Billingsgate.

Fellowship dissolved by Act of Common Council 1894.

Many of the ordinances are set out in a paper by Mr. Welch in M. and H. Notes and Queries I. 2, p. 46.

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