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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0963.PDF
20 July 1956 109 The Duke of Edinburgh receives the Letters Patent from the Lord Mayor, Sir Cuthbert Ackroyd. THE GUILD HONOURED Grant of City Livery IT was a proud occasion on July 11 for the Guildof Air Pilots and Air Navigators, for that daysaw the handing-over to their Grand Master, the Duke of Edinburgh, of letters patent confirm- ing the grant of livery to the Guild. This took place at a short but impressive ceremony in the Long Parlour of the Mansion House, London. When the Duke of Edinburgh had robed in the Venetian Room, a procession formed led by the City Marshal, who was followed by the Master, Wardens and Clerk of the Guild, then the Town Clerk and the two senior Aldermen. Next came the sword bearer and mace bearer, immediately preceding the Lord Mayor and the Duke of Edinburgh. When everyone was assembled the Town Clerk announced the occasion of the meeting and the order of the Court, and a speech by the Lord Mayor, Sir Cuthbert Lowell Ackroyd, followed, in which he said:"May it please Your Royal Highness: "On September 29 last year I was elected by the liverymen of thisCity to be Lord Mayor for the year ensuing. There were gathered together in Guildhall on that occasion Mercers and Goldsmiths, Car-penters and Cordwainers, Drapers and Clothworkers, Master Mariners and Shipwrights, in fact the liverymen of all the eighty guilds that have achieved the right to be livery companies of the City of London "A Charter granted by Edward III in 1341 enables the City to makeorders for things new arising, providing such orders are for the common profit of the citizens and consonant with good faith and reason. Thusthe City must feel certain that things new are for the common good before it gives its blessing. So naturally it has not lightly extended theprivilege of livery to new organizations, only 12 guilds having been granted a livery in the last 150 years. "Nevertheless, when a trade, profession or occupation not previouslyrepresented among City Companies has sought recognition and has demonstrated beyond doubt that it has the welfare of the City and thecitizens at heart and is willing to honour the custom of London, then the City has always been ready to amend the franchise accordingly.The City has never considered the livery companies to be antiquarian survivals, but living institutions capable of development. "To-day we welcome the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators tothe rank of a Livery Company, even as our predecessors welcomed the Coachmakers in the less hurried days of 1687. In civic history theAir Pilots have been swift, as becomes their profession, to achieve the status of a livery company. The City is well aware that it owes muchof its status and prosperity to the fact that it was a natural centre for trade and commerce by land and sea. Its future prosperity will restmore and more on efficient communication by air. This grant of livery demonstrates that the Guild values deep roots of proven stabilityand that the City, as always, is pleased to foster enterprise, invention and technical skill. Mr. Chamberlain, however, may be faced witha problem when there appears at Guildhall for admission to the free- dom—an automatic pilot! "We are confident that the Livery Companies of London will bestrengthened by the accession of your Guild, and that you, the good men of the Guild of Air Pilots, will do all in your power to raise thestandard of knowledge, practical proficiency and professional conduct in accordance with your objects. "Can I say how much the Guild of Air Pilots is honoured by havingas the first Master of the Livery His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh? I am delighted to welcome His Royal Highness heretoday as your Grand Master." The Lord Mayor then handed the grant of livery to the Grand Master. Extracts from 'Jie letters patent read as follows: "To All and Singular that shall hear or see these presents WeCuthbert Lowell Ackroyd Esquire, Lord Mayor and the Aldermen of the City of London send Greeting."Be it known that on the sixteenth day of November in the third year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth the Seconda Petition of the good men of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Naviga- tors of the British Empire was read in the Court of Mayor andAldermen before Harold Walter Seymour Howard Equire Lord Mayor and the Aldermen in the Inner Chamber of the Guildhall praying thatthe said Lord Mayor and Aldermen might constitute them a Livery Company of the City of London in such manner as to the Lord Mayorand Aldermen might seem fitting. ... the Lord Mayor and Aldermen on the tenth day of April in the year aforesaid did grant confirm andratify unto the good men of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators of London that they be a Company of the City of London and enjoy a Livery subject to the limitations aforesaid that the Chamberlain ofLondon admit their freemen to the Freedom of the City and enrol their apprentices in accordance with the custom of London ...Accepting the letters patent, the Duke of Edinburgh said: "My Lord Mayor and gentlemen, allow me, on behalf of the Masterand Wardens and all the members of the Guild of Air Pilots, to express our very deep and sincere thanks to you and to the City authorities forthis great privilege. The Guild as a whole is fully aware that this is, to say the least, an unusual occurrence, and I am sure they would alllike me to say how very much they appreciate this honour and to thank you personally for the amount of trouble which you have taken in thissubject. It is very true that the profession of pilot is young, but you will notice, gentlemen, that the Guild includes navigators—and that,if you'll remember, is one of the oldest professions known to man, but not before in the air. "You will notice that these two—the pilot and the navigator—areresponsible between them for the safe and regular passage of great numbers of aircraft, millions of passengers and immense quantities offreight all over the world, at all times of the year. It is true also that the profession of flying is young, but in a relatively short time, in moreways than one, it has made a very considerable impact, of which the City should not be unaware. ... in the Services it is already assumingalmost a dominant partnership, and in the world's civil life has literally made all men neighbours. "In granting this Livery to the Guild, the City, for all its ancientinstitutions, has shown, once again, that it is well aware of modern development, and I think it also recognizes that the air is a newmedium of transport and a new means of commerce of the utmost importance to this great centre of commercial enterprise. For itspart the Guild will always, my Lord Mayor, attempt to show that everybody engaged in the air transport industry will constantly try toperform its duties efficiently, and to be active and helpful partners to the business interests of the City and for the welfare of the nationas a whole. "My Lord Mayor, we undertake not to introduce 'George' or any ofhis mechanical navigator assistants until the Lord Mayor of London himself is a robed robot." Following the ceremony, luncheon was held, by permission of the Lord Mayor, in the Mansion House. Captain J. C. Harrington, Master of the Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators of London, proposed the toast of the Lord Mayor and the Corpora- tion of London. He thanked the Lord Mayor and Aldermen on behalf of all the members of the Guild for the very great honour bestowed upon them by the City that day. The history of flying had been one of courage gaining ascendency over adversity; of hitherto unbelievable achievements being attained. "As you well know, my Lord Mayor," the Master said, "we have reached the position today when man travels faster than sound and flights to other planets might even be attempted during our lifetime." The Master then mentioned briefly the group of enthusiastic and discerning pilots and navigators who, in 1929, met at a London restaurant with the intention of ensuring that the dignity and status of a pilot's calling should be jealously guarded and maintained. That meeting marked the birth of the Guild. In conclusion the Master said: "We are very conscious that compared with other City guilds we have little to offer in experi- ence but we are proud of our profession and the distinguished part it has played during its relatively short lifetime." The Lord Mayor replied with congratulations and good wishes and a pertinent reference to technical education. He concluded with the time-honoured City toast: "May it (the Guild) prosper root and branch and flourish for ever."
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