A Study On The Twelve Great Livery Companies Of London From The 14^th Century To The 17^th Century

Company is not only a form of organization of guild,but also regarded by many historians as a development stage of the guild(guild merchant-craft guild-company).As the most important economic and social organization in the Middle Ages,the guild played an important role in the transition from the Middle Ages to the modern times in England.It has long been the focus of scholars.As the capital of England,London has been a political and economic center of Britain for quite a long time.In the late Middle Ages and early modern times,London's economic life was dominated by livery companies.The Twelve Great Livery companies were often regarded as whole,which is very suitable for case.study.With the deepening of domestic research on medieval history in Europe,it is possible to conduct in-depth and specific case studies.This paper attempts to explain the Twelve Great Livery companies in the process of the transition from the late Middle Ages to the early modern period in Britain through the examination of the two aspects of inside and outside.It is the product of the urban guild organization to deal with the late medieval crisis.It has a close relationship with the British royal family,foreign businesses and the London municipal authorities.The Twelve Great Livery companies have their own unique structure and internal organization and operation mechanism.The development of the Twelve Great Livery companies is closely related to the changes of the times.They conformed to the development of the British industry and commerce in the late Middle Ages,the birth of the modern nation-state and the historical trend of the strengthening of the kingship.They dominated the civil society of London,and their fate was also the product of the historical process.