About the Worshipful Company of Innholders

We are a Livery Company based in the heart of the City of London. 32nd in the order of precedence, our first Royal Charter was granted by Henry VIII in 1514.

About the Worshipful Company of Innholders

A tradition of fellowship, conviviality and philanthropy

Today the Worshipful Company of Innholders’ offers fellowship to its members, conviviality to their guests and charitable service to the community. From our historic Innholders’ Hall we offer hospitality in its broadest sense, in accordance with our motto Hinc Spes Effulget: ‘Hope Shines Out from Here’.

The history of our Hall

Explore some of the history of Innholder’s Hall

Historic Innholders’ Hall

The Hall and the Blitz

The Hall in 1939

The Hall and the Blitz

In the heart of the City, before the Second World War Innholders’ Hall was surrounded by densely packed buildings.

A narrow escape

Gordon Marsh, the Company’s Beadle (1934-1979) ensured the Hall survived the incendiary raids of 10-11 May 1941

A narrow escape

Marsh persuaded his contacts in the Enfield Fire Brigade to attend Innholders Hall. ‘Help us to put this fire out, and we’ll help you to something which will put you out’ he declared, and the Company’s wine stocks were duly declared ‘blitzed’.

Damaged but not destroyed

Extensively damaged and without its roof, the Hall survived and remained operational throughout the war.

Damaged but not destroyed

Reconstruction took place after the war which restored much of the panelling and plasterwork. Sadly most of the stained glass was lost.

The New Court Room

Pictured in the 1890s, the stained glass was lost to the Blitz.

The New Court Room

The New Court Room was refurbished and new furnishings were commissioned to celebrate the Millennium

St Julian and the Star of Bethlehem

Reflecting a tradition of hospitality

St Julian and the Star of Bethlehem

Our patron saint is St Julian the Hospitaller, patron saint of hospitality. Our motto is ‘Hinc spes effulget’: ‘From here hope shines forth’. Our emblem is the star of Bethlehem, illustrating our motto.

The History of the Worshipful Company of Innholders

The Company’s official history is The Innholders: A History of the Worshipful Company of Innholders by Stephen Coote (2013)

The History of the Worshipful Company of Innholders

If you are interested in researching the history of inns or of individual members of the Company, you will find our historic records at the Guildhall Library. They are catalogued by the London Metropolitan Archives, you can go there by clicking on the button below.

Innholders and
the Hospitality Industry

The Worshipful Company of Innholders has its origins in the hospitality trade. Although many of its members now have no direct links to hospitality, during the 1970s the Company looked to strengthen its relationship with the trade to which it had historic links. To that end, in 1978 members of the Company were instrumental in creating ‘The Master Innholders’, an organisation for leading hoteliers.

The Master Innholders is now an independent organisation but links between it and the Company remain strong and many members of the Company are also Master Innholders.

If you are a Master Innholder and are interested in joining the Company, please contact the Clerk at [email protected] for further information.

The Company supports the hospitality industry through the Innholders’ Charitable Foundation which sponsors the Innholders’ Scholarships, along with the Savoy Educational Trust and the Lord Forte Foundation. These scholarships are for professional development of mid-career hotel managers who have the potential to go on to be leaders in the industry. The alumni association of the programme is known as the St Julian Scholars.

You can find out more about the Innholders’ Scholarships and the St Julian’s Scholars from the Master Innholders who administer the scheme.

Philanthropy

Charitable giving has always been a fundamental aspect of the City’s livery companies and the Company is proud to continue in this tradition through the Innholders’ Charitable Foundation.

Annual Review

Please find our most recent annual review document in PDF format for download below.

WCI_AnnualReport_2023 web