Society of Merchant Venturers
(1552-present)
group and guild
Aged 472
Wikidata WikipediaThe Society of Merchant Venturers is a charitable organisation in the English city of Bristol. The society can be traced back to a 13th-century guild which funded the voyage of John Cabot to Canada. In 1552, it gained a monopoly on sea trading from Bristol from its first royal charter. For centuries it had almost been synonymous with the government of Bristol, especially Bristol Harbour. In recent times, the society's activities have centred on charitable agendas. The society played a part in the development of Bristol, including the building of Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Great Western Railway. It also influenced the development of educational institutions in Greater Bristol, including University of Bristol, University of the West of England, University of Bath, City of Bristol College, Merchants' Academy, Montpelier High School and Wells Cathedral School.
DbPedia
Commemorated on 1 plaque
The Guild of British Mariners founded in 1445 maintained a priest and twelve poor seamen. Their Chapel of St. Clement stood on this site. In 1553 the disused chapel became the Hall of the Society of Merchant Venturers. The Hall was rebuilt 1719. In 1940 it was destroyed by enemy action.
25 King Street, Bristol, United Kingdom where it met