Carol Service 2023
Carol Service 2023
This year's Carol Service will be held in the beautiful chapel within Mercers' Hall on Monday 11 December. With music from the Bread Street Chamber Choir of St Paul's Cathedral School, this will be a lovely event for the festive season. Drinks and Canapes will be available following the service in the Ambulatory where there is currently an exhibition entitled Whittington's Legacy on display. If you wish to have a little more time in the exhibition, the Mercers' have kindly agreed to open the Hall from 5pm to allow attendees to view the exhibition before the service begins at 6pm Please see below more information about the exhibition: 2023 marks 600 years since the death of Mercer Richard Whittington, and the start of his remarkable philanthropic legacy. Whittington’s Legacy, an exhibition celebrating Whittington as merchant, Mercer and philanthropist ,will be on display until 15 December 2023. The exhibition commemorates both the anniversary of his death and the establishment of his charity. Richard Whittington (c 1350-1423) was the youngest son of a minor landowner in Gloucestershire and came to London as an apprentice. He made his fortune in the Mercers’ trade and through financing the Crown. Whittington was active in civic life, serving as Lord Mayor four times, and Master of the Mercers’ Company three times. He was known for being charitable in his lifetime, as well as leaving his entire estate to charity. Whittington directed his trustees to entrust his legacy to the care of the Mercers’ Company and his substantial bequest established the Company as a manager of charities. Works from the Company’s own archive and collection will be displayed alongside loans from private collections and institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the London Metropolitan Archives and the Leathersellers’ Company. A key object on display will be the...