Roger Anderton becomes youngest Freeman of the City of London

We at Andertons are tremendously proud of Roger Anderton who on Wednesday the 7^th November 2018 became the youngest ever Freeman of the City of London according to Murray Craig (Clerk of the Chamberlain’s Court). This is an amazing personal achievement for Roger with the family and team at Andertons expressing their congratulations to him.

Traditionally; “The Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected citizens freedom from serfdom.” Today, the status of honorary freeman is awarded for “persons of distinction and persons who have, in the opinion of the council, rendered eminent services” to the local area. In Roger’s case this is the second stage in the process to becoming a Liveryman, an order had been passed by the Court of Aldermen, for the admission of Roger to the Freedom of the City of London for his services to butchery. The first step to becoming a Liveryman was his admission as a freeman into the Worshipful Company of Butchers.

The ceremony took place at the Guild Hall in London, where Roger took his declaration/oath of a freeman to the Clerk of The Chamberlain’s Court. The Clerk in turn accepted Rogers Oath and presented him with two items, the first was Roger’s parchment copy of his freedom of the City of London, the second, a book, titled “Rules for The Conduct of Life”. To which all freemen are to conduct themselves by.

By way of background, being a freeman, comes with its privileges also; “There are a number of rights traditionally but apocryphally associated with freemen – the right to drive sheep and cattle over London Bridge; to a silken rope, if hanged; to carry a naked sword in public; or that if the City of London Police finds a freeman drunk and incapable, they will bundle him or her into a taxi and send them home rather than throw them into a cell!”

We are all tremendously proud of Roger and wish him all the luck as he ventures onto the third and final stage which is to progress to a full membership as a Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Butchers.