The next contribution to our heraldry you can find on the street series comes from Jenni

The Worshipful Company of Apothecaries are one of the City of London Livery companies and like other trade guilds it was formed to protect the interest of its members, to attend to their welfare and to regulate trade by ensuring high standards of quality were maintained.  The Apothecaries Hall is the oldest livery company hall in the City – completed in 1672 it was built on the same site as an earlier hall which burnt down in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

 Their Coat of Arms can be found above the entrance to the courtyard of the Apothecaries Hall – it shows Apollo, the god of healing, overcoming the dragon of disease; the motto translates as “I am spoken all over the world as one that brings Help”.  The blue animal on top is a rhino, since the rhino’s horn was supposed to contain healing properties.

 Jenni Bowley and Di Eccles lead a series of walks throughout the year on the livery companies – the next one, “Celebrating the Livery Companies”, will take place on Thursday 18^th and Sunday 21^st July.  This walk explores their many traditions and ceremonies which are still performed today – visit the Guildhall Yard on Wednesday 17^th July to see the Cart-Marking Ceremony and then come on our walk to hear about many other ancient traditions.

You can find out more about London’s Medical History on Jenni’s walk

Death, Dissection and Disease: 2000 years of Medicine in the City of London on June 6th at 11am