A calendar of the City of London traditional ceremonies

The City of London, being very ancient has many traditions and ceremonies, and as many of us still like dressing up in livery finery, many of them still happen today.

Many of the ceremonies take place in private and aren’t open to the public, but as they involve processions from Halls to Churches, that can be observed.

So it’s no surprise to be wandering around the City sometimes and run into a group of people wearing furs and lace, carrying something special to a ceremony.

Much better to know when they happen – so herewith, a calendar of ceremonies.

Event	Venue	Usual Date	Confirmed Date
Admiral Phillips commemorative service	St Mary le Bow	January	21/01/19
Trial of the Pyx	Goldsmiths’ Hall	2nd Thursday in February	29/01/19
Sir John Cass service	St Botolph Aldgate	In January or February
Cakes and ale ceremony	Stationers’ Hall	Shrove Tuesday	05/03/19
Spital sermon	St Lawrence Jewery	In March or April	07/03/19
Bridewell service	St Bride Fleet Street	2nd Tuesday in March
United Guilds’ service	St Paul’s Cathedral	March	29/03/19
Stow commemoration service	St Andrew Underchaft	On or near 5th April every 3rd year	2020
Butterworth charity	St Bartholomew the Great	Good Friday	19/04/19
Gift of fish to the Mayor of Tower Hamlets	Billingsgate Market	April
Firefighters Memorial Service	City Church to “blitz”	Sunday in May	05/05/19
View day by the Lord Mayor	St Barts Hospital	2nd Wednesday in May	08/05/19
Festival of the Sons of the Clergy	St Paul’s Cathedral	May	21/05/19
Pepys commemorative service	St Olave Hart Street	On or near 26th May	24/05/19
Beating the bounds	Various churches	Ascension Day, May	30/05/19
Bubble Sermon	St Bride Fleet Street	1st Tuesday in June	04/06/19
Trinitytide procession and service	Trinity House to St Olave Hart Street	Week after Whitsun
Fishmongers procession	Fishmongers Hall to St Magnus the Martyr	Usually in June
Knollys Rose ceremony	Seething Lane to Mansion House	On or near 22nd June	17/06/19
Skinners procession	Skinners Hall to St James Garlickhythe	Corpus Christi Day, June	20/06/19
Election of Sheriffs	Guildhall	Midsummers Day, June	24/06/19
Jailed and Bailed	Central Criminal Courts	New ceremony	01/07/19
Vintners’ procession	Vintners Hall to St James Garlickhythe	Usually 2nd Wed in June	10/07/19
Swan Upping	River Thames	3rd week in July	15/07/19
Cart marking ceremony	Guildhall Yard	On or near 19th July	17/07/19
Doggett’s coat and badge race	River Thames	In July or August	04/09/19
Christ’s Hospital School procession	City church to Guildhall	St Matthew’s Day, September	20/09/19
Admission of Sheriffs	Guildhall	Last Friday in September	27/09/19
Costermonger’s Harvest Festival	Guildhall to St Mary le Bow	Sunday in September	29/09/19
Sheep Drive across London Bridge	London Bridge	Late September	29/09/19
Harvest of the sea service	St Mary at Hill	Sunday in October
Quit Rents ceremony	Royal Courts of Justice	October
Election of the Lord Mayor	Guildhall	On or as close to 29th September	02/10/19
Lion sermon	St Katharine Cree	16th October	16/10/19
Painters-Stainers procession	Painters Hall to St James Garlickhythe	St Luke’s Day, October	18/10/19
Presentation of fruit to Lord Mayor by the Fruiterers	Mansion House	Last week in October
Submariners parade and service	Submariners Memorial, Embankment	Sunday before Remembrance Sunday	03/11/19
The planting of the crosses	St Paul’s Cathedral	Usually first Mon in November preceding Remembrance Sunday	04/11/19
Admission ceremony of the Lord Mayor (Silent Ceremony)	Guildhall	Friday before the 2nd Sat in November	08/11/19
Lord Mayor’s Show	Mansion House to the Law Courts	Second Sat in November	09/11/19
Service/Wreath laying/HAC march past	St Paul’s Cathedral/Royal Exchange	Remembrance Sunday	10/11/19
Wreath laying by Royal Fusiliers	St Sepulchre Church	Remembrance Sunday	10/11/19
Presentation of hat to Lord Mayor by Feltmakers	Mansion House	November	12/11/19
Presentation of boars head to Lord Mayor by Butchers	Mansion House	On or near 6th December
City’s New Year sermon	St Michael’s Cornhill	January	10/01/20
Challenge at the Tower of London	All Hallows Church	Ascension Day, every 3rd year	30/05/20

This is based on a document given to me by the former Chamberlain of the City of London some years back, and then lost in paperwork until found again last month.

Hording has its advantages!

If you have some more dates to add, or fill in gaps, let me know below:

from IanVisits http://bit.ly/2L2jZPz