Freedom of the City of London
History and origins
While most of the practical reasons for obtaining the Freedom of the City have disappeared, it remains a unique part of London’s history, to which many people who live or work in the City are proud to be admitted. To this day, members of the City Livery companies must become Freemen of the City of London before progressing within their Companies as Liverymen. The medieval term 'freeman' meant someone who was not the property of a feudal lord but enjoyed privileges such as the right to earn money and own land. Town dwellers who were protected by the charter of their town or city were often free – hence the term 'freedom' of the City.
From the Middle Ages to the Victorian era, the Freedom represented the right to trade, enabling members of a Guild or Livery Company to carry out their business in the Square Mile.
A fee would be charged and in return the Livery companies would ensure the goods and services provided were of the highest possible standards. In 1835, the Freedom was widened to incorporate not just members of Livery Companies but also people living or working in the City or those with a strong London connection.
Until 1996, the Freedom was open only to British or Commonwealth Citizens. Now it has been extended globally, and people of any nationality may become Freemen. There is a long-standing tradition of admitting women.
Murray Craig, former Clerk of the Chamberlain's Court, reveals the secrets of this ancient City tradition in this short video on YouTube.
The City of London is keen to maintain the Freedom as a living tradition. It is open to all who are genuinely interested and invited or born to it. Freemen of the City come from a very broad cross-section of the population.
Applications
There are several ways to apply for the Freedom of the City, which are explained below:
- Livery Company – applications are made using an online form, after which they are sent to the Court of Aldermen for approval. A fee, known as the Freedom Fine, is payable at the time of application.
- Nomination – anyone may apply for the Freedom of the City via nomination, regardless of background or nationality. Applicants must be nominated by two Aldermen/Councillors of the City of London, or Liverymen of a year’s standing. The Freedom Fine is requested after the application has been vetted and reviewed by the Freedom Applications Sub-Committee. It is then sent to the Court of Common Council for approval.
- Servitude – for those who have completed an apprenticeship and subsequently become a Freeman of a Livery Company. The Freedom Fine is payable at the time of application.
- Patrimony – if an applicant was born after their father or mother became a Freeman of the City, they qualify by right of patrimony. This may be via a Livery Company or nomination by two Freemen of the City. The Freedom Fine is payable at the time of application.
- Ward List – registered voters in City of London elections may obtain the Freedom without the need for Common Council approval – either via a livery company or by nomination. There is no fee payable, and applicants should state the address where they are registered to vote on the Ward List (not their home address, if different).
- Special Electoral Nomination – for anyone who wishes to stand for election for the Court of Common Council but does not have access to eligible nominators. In these cases, an applicant may be supported by any two electors registered in the City or by two passport countersignatories. Please see the Speak for the City website for details of how to register to vote and stand for election in the City of London.
To apply, please click on the link which applies:
- I am a member of a Livery Company: Freedom of the City of London via a Livery Company – Patrimony, Servitude and Ward List applicants should use this link if they are members of a Livery Company.
- I am not a member of a Livery Company but have two eligible nominators to support my application: Freedom of the City of London by Nomination – Patrimony and Ward List applicants should use this link if they are not members of a Livery Company.
Fair processing notice
The information you provide when applying for the Freedom of the City of London, or other information provided in support of your application, will be held by the City of London Corporation in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998. It will be used for the purpose of processing your request to receive admission to the Freedom of the City of London.
The fact and means of your admission may be made public in the records of the Court of Common Council and Court of Aldermen, consisting of name, occupation and address, published as part of any required application to either of these Courts for admission. Your personal data will otherwise not be disclosed to third parties.
The City of London Corporation may use your contact details to contact you about City Corporation initiatives or to consult you about its services, but only if you have given your consent for us to do so.
Contact information
Please direct any other enquiries to the Chamberlain’s Court office via email. Our team will endeavour to reply within two working days.
If you would like to find out more about your ancestors connected with the Freedom of the City, contact The London Archives.
For information about the City Livery Companies, consult the Livery Committee website.
The Ceremony
Freedom ceremonies take place in the Chamberlain’s Court at Guildhall and are usually conducted by the Clerk of the Court, Deputy Clerk or Registrar.
Freemen, their nominators and guests are escorted to the Court by the Beadle, who wears a top hat and frockcoat. The Clerk of the Court wears a silk gown, and if the Chamberlain conducts the ceremony, they wear the traditional fur-trimmed gown. The prospective Freeman is invited to read the ‘Declaration of a Freeman’ and to sign the Freeman’s Declaration Book.
The copy of the Freedom – a parchment document with the recipient’s name inscribed by a calligrapher – is presented by the Clerk, together with a copy of Rules for the Conduct of Life which dates from the mid-18th century. The Clerk or Chamberlain extends the right hand of fellowship to the recipient and greets them as “a Citizen of London”.
After the ceremony, there is time for informal questions, the opportunity to view interesting items, photographs and artefacts in the Court Room such as a letter from Lord Nelson, Florence Nightingale’s Freedom box and a replica of the Crystal Sceptre.
The Declaration of a Freeman
“I do solemnly declare that I will be good and true to Our Sovereign Lord King Charles the Third.
That I will be obedient to the Mayor of this City; that I will maintain the Franchises and Customs thereof, and will keep this City harmless, in that which in me is.
That I will also keep the King’s Peace in my own person; that I will know no Gatherings nor Conspiracies made against the King’s Peace, but I will warn the Mayor thereof, or hinder it to my power; and that all these points and articles I will well and truly keep, according to the Laws and Customs of this City, to my power.”
Non-British and Commonwealth Citizens have the option to substitute “our Sovereign Lord” with “His Majesty”.
Famous Freemen of the City
Honorary Freedom
The Honorary Freedom is the highest honour the City of London can bestow. Recipients are invited by the Court of Common Council to take the Freedom and the presentation ceremony usually takes place in Guildhall or the Mansion House before the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Common Councillors and invited guests.
Historic Honorary Freemen include: William Pitt the Younger (1784), Lord Nelson (1797); Edward Jenner (1803); The Duke of Wellington (1815); Thomas Clarkson (1838); David Livingstone (1857); Benjamin Disraeli (1878); William Gladstone (1881); Henry Morton Stanley (1887); Florence Nightingale (1908); Winston Churchill (1943); Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (1946); Queen Elizabeth II (1947); King Charles III (1971); Sir Tim Berners-Lee (2014); and most recently, Stephen Hawking (2017)
Freedoms by Special Nomination and by Invitation
Several times a year, the Chamberlain invites public figures to take up the Freedom in recognition of their contribution to society. Recent recipients include Bryn Terfel, Corporal Joshua Leakey VC, Lord Foster of Thamesbank, Major Tim Peake, Baroness Lawrence, Baroness Hale, Captain Sir Tom Moore, Dame Mary Beard, Lemn Sissay, Sir Chris Whitty, Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, Lady Mary Peters, Simon Armitage, Sir Lenny Henry and Sir Matthew Bourne.
The Lord Mayor, Remembrancer and Chair of Policy and Resources may also invite applicants to be admitted to the Freedom. These include prominent figures from the business world, the clergy, the military, medicine, law, arts and culture, and sport.