Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

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Discover one of the finest medieval guildhalls in the world. Home to York’s entrepreneurs for 660 years and counting. merchantshallyork.org

We are looking at a section of an illuminated manuscript showing a Queen sat in a clearing amongst the forest. She is wearing a long pink dress and has her hair in Princess Leia type buns on her head. She is holding a large gold chalice-goblet. So far so normal. Next to her is a red goblin monster thing with 6 small heads (which are all very smiley by the way) and then one large head with spiky tendrils. The monster looks like they’ve had a few. The Queen is giving some excellent side eye to the monster.
We are looking at a classical style green court stand with three niches painted in white. Details including the columns and pediment are picked out in gold. In front are two scales and once again the floor is illuminated by light from unseen sash windows.
We are looking at a brightly coloured stained glass window of the Annunciation depicting the Virgin Mary and the Angel Gabriel plus other smaller figures. The sunlight streaming through is casting colourful patterns on the stone flagged floor.
We are looking at a section of oak staircase with wide spindles. The sun is coming through an unseen window and catching on the turned wood. The red walls glow in the sunlight.
We are looking at a panelled door within a lather panelled wall. It is painted a green color which is illuminated by sunlight from unseen windows.
We are looking at a section of roof which is tiled in browns, reds and oranges. The chimney stacks are plain but have very tall chimney pots on top.
We are looking at a close up of a copper alloy door handle highlighted by rays of sunlight. It is a turquoise blue black im colour.
We are looking at a close up of the chapel showing an ornate brass lectern with twists and swirls. The light oak altar rail is made up of turned spindles. They are illuminated by sunlight from the unseen stained glass window to one side.
We are looking at a close up of the Great Hall floor showing the pine and pitch pine floor boards. They are illuminated by sunlight by an unseen sash window.
We are looking at the exterior of the Hall - a section of framing with vertical oak studding and yellow ochre plaster. It is broken up by four sash windows.
We are looking at a section of timber frame and studding with some delicious overstuffed infill. In the middle is a small shield with the coat of arms of the merchant adventurers on it.
We are looking at a black and white photo of the Tudor entrance to the Hall. The stairs are all wonky and worn and one door to the first floor is open - you can just make out a window in the Great Hall in the gloom. There is also one door open on the ground floor but this opens into complete darkness.
We are looking at a watercolour painting of Christ Church in York showing Holy Trinity Church (sometimes known as Christ Church) in King's Square. The Church dates from the 13th century but had been reduced in size in the late 18th and early 19th century. It was closed in 1886 and was used by the butchers on the Shambles as a holding pen for animals awaiting slaughter. It was demolished in 1937 which created an open space often used by street entertainers. The buildings on the right are W. Dawson’s beer house (which became the Grapes Inn) and W. Ellis butchers. The painting is inscribed at the bottom right-hand corner with “Christ Church, York. E. Crombie”.
We are looking at an illustration on the front of a magazine showing a woman wearing a canary yellow fitted jacket and long skirt with a petticoat on view at the bottom. It has flouncy sleeves and she has a fur stole around her neck and long black gloves. She is also wearing a big hat with a matching yellow bow. She looks to be skipping towards the viewer with a big smile on her face.
We are looking at a black and white photo of a middle aged man with swept over hair, glasses and an excellent bushy moustache. He is wearing a suit and tie. He is working on a painting or illustration on a small easel on a table.
We are looking at the same scene in the watercolour but a contemporary view showing a large square and the same medieval buildings in the background. It is a busier scene with people coming and going.
We are looking at a close up of the watercolour showing an older figure, most likely a man wearing a hat walking along the pavement holding the hand of a child. They are heading away from us to the beginning of the Shambles which is illuminated by an unseen street light.
We are looking at a close up of a watercolour showing the two medieval buildings. One has a warm glow from its windows whilst the other building is dark.
We are looking at a close up of a watercolour scene showing two women in long skirts and blouses with aprons stood chatting. One has her hand on her hip whilst the other is holding a basket. There is a small child holding one of the women's hands as if pulling her away from the conversation.
We are looking at a watercolour of a view looking towards the Shambles from King’s Square in York. It is an evening view with two female figures facing each other, the one looking towards us holds a child’s hand. In the background is a jettied building and next to it a three story building which also appears to be jettied but with newer sash windows. There is also a male figure holding a child’s hand walking away towards the Shambles – York’s most famous street.
We are looking at another very fine timber framed building of three stories in Stratford Upon Avon. It had a number of four light million windows and a wooden porch. It’s a nice building made a million times more interesting as William Shakespeare lived there!
We are looking at a black and white photo the Hall looking all sophisticated and sexy…or as much as a medieval guild hall can be. It is one end of the Great Hall with its timber frame, Tudor panelling and a row of paintings, one of which is Queen Henrietta Maria. In the foreground is a rectangular oak table with chairs around it.
We are looking at a scene from a medieval manuscript showing a red headed Venus standing in a choppy river. She is naked apart from a red hat that looks like a beret. In her hand is a conch shell but really really looks like a Greggs pasty - knowing Venus it’ll be a cheese and bean one. She is surrounded by other naked women who are all looking away from Venus, probably in disgust at her pasty choice. On the river bank is a man with large feathery wings studiously not looking at the naked pasty eating but is concentrating on firing an arrow at a non existent target.
We are looking at a print of the South Transept of York Minster showing the entrance to the Minster or ‘Arm of the Cross’ of the Minster, dedicated to St Peter. There are smaller buildings on either side of the entrance which were cleared away in the 19th century.
We are looking at a replica Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I, identified by the code "PR-A" and serial number R6690. It is painted in brown, green and has a French flag painted on a tail.
We are looking at the Undercroft on a sunny afternoon. Light is streaming in through unseen windows and is hitting the aged oak of the central posts. They span upwards in a tree like fashion holding up the ceiling which is also the floor of the Great Hall.
We are looking at the Halk on a sunny morning with just a few wispy clouds in a blue sky. In the foreground are green rose bushes heavy with the weight of pink roses in full bloom. Behind is the Hall in all its half timbered glory.
We are looking at a close up of the cat like monster with the man’s legs sticking out of his mouth. The monster’s body is peppered with spears or arrows but despite this he looks remarkably cheery and quite pleased with what he’s ‘caught’.
We are looking at a medieval painting depicting a large cat like monster who has partially eaten a man - just his red hosed legs can still be seen. The monster has a collar and is on a lead which is held by a woman who is not in the least perturbed that her pet has eaten a man. She is wearing a blue dress, yellow cloak and a white wimple. In the background are men holding cross bows, swords - they appear to have been in the middle of a battle but have stopped whilst the man is getting chomped on.
We are looking at the exterior of the Hall on a very sunny and hot lunchtime. There are a couple sitting on a bench under the shade of the Hall. Others are sitting around tables with parasols.
We are looking at a winter scene showing people skating and sledging on a frozen canal. Other people are stood on the river banks huddled against the cold. The sky is leaden grey and looks like it might start to snow at any minute.
We are looking at a close up of the plan of York showing a cherub holding the state and cap of maintenance.
We are looking at close up of a section of the plan showing a more rural part of York made up of fields, lots of trees and the odd building. In the centre is a large church. In the distance are more buildings and a windmill.
We are looking at a close up of the print showing two crenellated towers with a church directly behind. In the distance are more buildings and then on a hill is a windmill.
We are looking at a close up of the plan showing the gothic masterpiece which is York Minster with it's square central tower and two western towers with spirelets. There is a small cupola on top of the main tower. Below the minster are rows and rows of tiny houses, dwarfed by the scale of the building.
We are looking at a close up of the print showing in the background a section of the walls and rows and rows of houses. In the foreground are neat fields partitioned with hedges with a single tree in each one. There are two huge bulls in the field - much much larger than the farmer stood in one of the adjacent fields.
We are looking at a close up of the plan showing York's walls at the front and then on the left a mound with the squat stone structure of Clifford's Tower on top. There are various churches with spires and towers and then on the right an Italianate tower which was St Crux and marks the entrance to the Shambles.
We are looking at a close up of the plan showing a section of York's city walls with a gateway in which figures are heading in and out of it. There are trees and buildings on the inside of it and more outside the fortifications.
We are looking at a close up of a section of the plan of York showing the walls and a gateway as well as the river which has several sailing boats going up and down it. In the distance are other buildings with their towers and spires.
We are looking at a detailed plan of York titled, "The South East prospect of the ancient city of York". It is dominated by York Minster to one side and then in the foreground are fields, hedges and trees. The city can be seen in the distance, a myriad of spires, walls and buildings. At the bottom of the plan is a key - each building of note is numbered so the viewer can identify what they are looking at.
We are looking at the Great Hall on a sunny day. The oak framed roof rises up majestically gently glowing from the sunshine coming in through Georgian sash windows.
We are looking at a 16th century print showing men working at a printing press press. One is pulling out the completed paper whilst the other is inking the form.
We are looking at a stained glass window made up of different segments of coloured and painted glass showing blue sea, masted ships in colours of brown, beige and pink and then in the background a town of timber framed buildings and a stone church tower, again in muted colours of peach, orange and cream.
We are looking at the Great Hall with its soaring oak roof full of people sat at long tables drinking beer, chatting and generally having an excellent time.
We are looking at a painted scene from a manuscript showing three people wearing gold crowns in a bed - two of them are bearded. Two are asleep whilst the central person is reassessing his life choices.
We are looking at an entrance way to the Hall with two oak doors opened wide. There are then 7 wooden stairs up to a red room which opens into the Great Hall. The stairs are beautifully wonky and seasoned with age and wear.
We are looking at the Tudor entrance to the Hall on a summer's day - the sky is blue, the clouds are white and fluffy and the plasterwork on the Hall is a lovely honey yellow. On either side of the stairs are summer flowers.
We are looking at the Great Hall from an unusual view point of the centre of the room showing the oak posts which hold up the impressive oak frame of the roof. The floor gently meanders and undulates into the centre from slightly raised points at the sides of the room.
We are looking at a close up of an illuminated manuscript showing a rabbit blowing a trumpet.
We are looking at a section of the Undercroft showing one of the large oak posts and the chapel beyond. The stained glass window has light streaming through it casting coloured patterns on the stone flag floor.
We are looking at a close up of the seat section of the carved oak chair showing the two carved bones in a cross shape.
We are looking at an oak arm chair with decorative carved back panels with scrolls and patterns. The seat has two carved bones in a cross pattern on the panel.
We are looking at pair of parcel gilt plain coasters being surmounted by two rows of rope decoration in sizes. The sides being plain, the base having a moulded border. The interior being gilt, the base being engraved with the coat of arms, crest and motto of the Company of Merchant Adventurers’ of the City of York. The wooden underside has three castors.
We are looking at a round, bronze personal seal matrix set into a small ivory handle with knop. The round seal depicts the personal Coat of Arms of Andrew Perrott, the last Governor of the York Residence of the Eastland Company and Governor of the Merchant Adventurers, 1691 to 1694. The coat of arms consists of three pears in chief (a rebus for his surname) over a 3-masted ship on waves.
We are looking at a circular Porringer having a caulked edge. The lower part of the body being chase with a band of acanthus leaves. The two applied cast scroll handles having notched outer edges. Above and below is a line of dot decoration; on one side is the script engraved inscription “Geo Overend JunR 1727” below which “Ex Dono Jane Scourfield”. The flat base having the hatched engraved initials “IT” and a punched mark (possibly collectors mark from the 19th Century).
We are looking at a tall goblet, the plain flat based U-shaped bowl being engraved upon one side with the Coat of Arms of the Company of the Merchant Adventurers of England; the tall stem of baluster tapered form, cast in two sections; the plain domed circular foot being engraved, “Guift of Mathew Topham, Alderman of this Citty to the Company of Merchants who deceased the last of…Ja 1635”. The underside of the based being engraved: “Wt 17 ounces and a Halfe”. Made in London circa 1635 by Walter Shute. His mark on either side consists of a bow and arrow – (the symbols being a rebus for shoot).
An oval Soup Tureen, the bellied body being chased with panels of acanthus leaf decoration being intersected by bull-rush plants above and below. The domed cover being similarly fluted and being surmounted by a standing horse (‘Angler’) which forms a handle. Upon the foot is a band of concave fluting each side having a scroll-shaped cartouche – one being engraved: “Won by Angler August 21 1824”, whilst the other is engraved: “York Meeting August 1824, Earl of Scarborough, Lord Milton M.P. and Jas Wortley Esq., M.P. Stewards” The exterior of the base of the rim being inscribed: “Presented by Sir William Milner Bt., F.R.I.B.A., F.S.A., in Commemoration of his and his Forebears Membership of the Merchant Adventurers Company of York. Charterday Court April 1958.”
We are looking at a silver table centre on a stepped wooden base depicting the four main windows of York Minster with a Naval crown above. It has the badge of HMS York on one side.
We are looking at a silver mounted Coconut Cup; the shaped circular coconut rising from a plain trumpet shaped foot; the rim mounts of escalloped form having engraved stylised leaf decoration to the points.
We are looking at a circular dish, having a wire plain flange border. Below are two bands of wavy decoration which are engraved with straight lines to represent part of the Coat of Arms; barry wavy azurs. The hammered finished body having a raised centre. The border is engraved with a cross being surrounded by part of the York Merchant Adventurers’ Prayer, in script engraving reading: “Make us to be true Merchant Adventurers, bold travellers into thy world of spirit; and, finding there great treasure, to bring it back and enrich man’s life on earth”.