The coat of arms of the Trades House, registered with the Lord Lyon in 1911. Above the traditional symbols of Glasgow - the bell, the tree, the fish, the bird and the ring - is a crest consisting of fourteen arrows in sheaf, pointing upwards. The motto "Union is strength" sums up the reason for Trades House's existence.
Glasgow's Trades House was formed as a result of a Letter of Guildry in 1605, which regulated both the city's craftsmen (in the form of the Trades House), and its merchants (in the form of Merchants' House). A federation of fourteen craft incorporations acted as an arbiter for disputes, and the provider of welfare for members in need. Membership was strictly controlled and inspections were carried out to check the quality of goods produced in the city. Exclusive trading privileges were abolished in 1846. As many traditional crafts have died out, membership has been drawn increasingly from the professions in more recent times.
Reference: Mitchell Library, 327148
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
charities, coats of arms, crafts, guilds, heraldry, incorporated trades, Letters of Guildry, mottoes, Trades House
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