Company history and timeline
The milestones that carried the Company from seventeenth-century London to the present spirits industry.
Explore the Company history and timelineAboutHistory and heritage
The Distillers’ Company has been part of the City of London for almost four centuries. Its story connects medicine, monarchy, trade, civic life and the development of the modern spirits industry.
From royal physicians to a Royal Charter
Heritage is visible in the Company’s Royal Charter, coat of arms, records, silver and ceremonies. It also continues through annual traditions, the service of successive Masters and the knowledge passed from one generation to the next.
The Company’s origins are closely associated with Sir Theodore de Mayerne, a Genevan-born physician whose career took him from the French court to the service of James I and Charles I in England.
De Mayerne believed that distilling should be organised and practised to proper standards. With the support of fellow royal physician Sir Thomas Cademan and courtier Sir William Brouncker, he helped secure the Royal Charter granted by Charles I on 9 August 1638.
The Charter created a corporate body to govern the art and trade of distilling within a defined area around London and Westminster. Sir Thomas Cademan became the Company’s first Master.
A history shaped by change
The Company’s early development was interrupted by dispute and civil war. Its Charter was enrolled by the City in 1658, and Livery status followed in 1672 after the Restoration.
Over the centuries, the Company’s regulatory powers faded as the economy and the distilling trade changed. What remained were fellowship, education, charity and the ability to convene people with knowledge of the industry. They still shape the Company today.
HeritageExplore our heritage
Follow the Company’s history, heraldic identity and ceremonial collection.
Coat of Arms
The still, barley, vines and falling water represented in the Company’s heraldic identity.
Discover the Coat of ArmsCompany treasures
Silver, ceremonial objects and gifts that carry the memory of former Masters, members and important moments.
Explore the Company’s treasures
Living traditions
The annual Installation of the Master, meetings of the Court, the Loving Cup, formal toasts and shared occasions connect present members with generations who came before them.
These traditions create continuity, encourage service and provide a setting in which people from the industry and the City can meet as equals.