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City of London Corporation
The London Archives

Freedom of the City of London

Research Guide
freedom-of-the-city-ceremony

1. About this guide

This guide explains how to trace individuals known as Freemen who were granted the Freedom of the City of London.

Some records in this guide are available on Ancestry.co.uk. A subscription is required to access Ancestry.co.uk at home but free access is provided at The London Archives.

2. What is the Freedom?

The Freedom of the City of London was a practical necessity for those who lived and worked in the City of London - particularly before the 1850s - as it brought certain rights and privileges. For some groups of people it was even compulsory.

There are four ways of becoming a City Freeman:

Honorary Freedom - granted only by special Resolution of the Court of Common Council to distinguished and worthy people.

Servitude - gained through completing an apprenticeship to a City Freeman.

Patrimony – open to children born to a person who had the Freedom of the City at the time of their birth.

Redemption (or purchase) - This could be achieved through several means:

  • Presentation by an officer of the City of London Corporation or other person who had been granted the right of presenting candidates (usually for a fee). This right was abolished in the mid-19th century
  • Directly petitioning the Court of Aldermen, if becoming free through the intervention of a City Livery Company
  • Directly petitioning the Court of Common Council, if no livery company were involved (possible after 1835 only)
  • By being on the City Parliamentary Register of Electors (possible after 1856 only)

3. Online records

The Freedom admission papers and Alphabets of Freedoms, 1681-1930 are available to search on Ancestry.co.uk. See Freedom of the City Admission Papers, 1681-1930.

The Alphabets of Freedoms are indexes to the Freedom admission papers. They give the month that the person was admitted and the method of admission. You will see the following abbreviations for the method:

  • S for Servitude
  • P for Patrimony
  • R for Redemption
  • RCA for Redemption by petitioning the Court of Aldermen
  • RCC for Redemption by petitioning the Court of Common Council
  • PR for Redemption by being on the Parliamentary Register of electors in the City
  • Hon'y - Honorary Freedom

The Freedom admission papers are the supporting documents. Please note that the Freedom date given on Ancestry.co.uk for these admission papers can often be the date of the apprenticeship indenture or the date that their father received the Freedom.

4. Records only available at The London Archives

  • 1309-1312: Letter book D in COL/AD/01/004 contains a transcript of part of a register of Freemen. This is published and indexed in RR Sharpe's Calendar of Letter Book D.
  • 1437-1497: Recognizances rolls in COL/RG/01/013-025 record Freemen by redemption only and their sureties. Names are indexed in the catalogue.
  • 1495-1649: Repertories of the Court of Aldermen in COL/CA/01/01/001-064 record admissions by redemption only. Names are indexed in the catalogue
  • c.1551-1553: Two fragments of a register of Freemen. One is held at The London Archives in COL/CHD/FR/01/001 and the other at the British Library.
  • 1668-1669: Calendar of register of Freedom admissions in COL/CHD/FR/01/002. Names are indexed in the catalogue.
  • 1931-2010: Freedom admission papers in COL/CHD/FR/02. Please note that admission papers up to October 2008 are closed for 79 years. After this date, they are closed for 82 years as the Court of Common Council lowered the age of admission to 18 on 6 November 2008.
  • 1784-2010: Freedom declaration books in COL/CHD/FR/04. These books give no more information than the admission papers but do give the exact date of admission.

5. New Freedom admissions

For Freedom admissions from 1931 onwards, please initially contact the Chamberlain's Court at Court.assistant@cityoflondon.gov.uk for the date of admission. Once you have this information, you will need to contact us about access to the Freedom admission papers and declaration books.

The Chamberlain's Court can only issue replacement certificates to living recipients.

6. 'King's Freemen'

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the Government enabled discharged military and naval servicemen to obtain a certificate of entitlement from the City Chamberlain. This allowed him or his family to make their living in the City of London without having to be admitted as a City Freeman.

We hold discharge papers for 'King's Freemen' covering 1788-1873 in COL/CHD/FR/11/04. Names are indexed in the catalogue.

7. Further reading

Browse our library catalogue for relevant books. Here are some recommendations:

  • My Ancestors Were Freemen of the City of London by Vivienne E. Aldous (Society of Genealogists, 1999) - library shelfmark 61.2 ALD
  • Sheep Over London Bridge: The Freedom of the City of London, by Caroline Arnold (Corporation of London, 2nd edition 2001) - library shelfmark 16.2 ARN
  • The Chamberlain of the City of London, 1237-1987, by Betty R. Masters, (Corporation of London, 1988 [out of print]) - library shelfmark 16.43 MAS