The Company
The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York is an organisation that has shaped the city’s development since the 14th century.
The Company is a historic guild that has played a significant role in the city’s commercial and social life for centuries. Founded in the medieval period, it continues to support business, heritage, and the local community today.
What is the Merchant Adventurers’ Company?
The Merchant Adventurers Company is a guild established in the 14th century, originally bringing together merchants who conducted business, supported one another, and contributed to society.
Members used their Hall as a place for commerce, social gatherings, charitable work, and religious practice. The Company was formally incorporated under a Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1581 and today consists of around 170 members from a wide range of professions.
Who founded the Company?
In 1357, a group of influential men and women came together to form a religious fraternity and to build their Hall.
By around 1430, many of these members were mercers, and they developed the fraternity into a trading guild, known as the Mistery of Mercers. These early figures laid the foundations for an organisation centred on enterprise, collaboration, and mutual support.
Supporting business for over 660 years
The Company has a long and distinguished history of promoting enterprise and commercial risk-taking, often referred to as “venturing.”
A Merchant Adventurer was someone who invested their own resources in trade, embracing both opportunity and risk. Today, the Company continues this legacy by supporting economic development in York and encouraging and inspiring young entrepreneurs.
Heart of the community
Beyond business, the Company has always been deeply rooted in the community. Historically, members cared for the poor and supported charitable causes, and this remains a core focus.
Today, the Company maintains and enhances its historic Hall for public education and enjoyment, while also delivering charitable work through its trusts and contributing to the wider wellbeing of the city.
Learn more about our charity work
Preserving the Hall for the future
The Merchant Adventurers’ Hall is carefully preserved to ensure its medieval character can be enjoyed for generations to come.
Managed by the Company, ongoing restoration and maintenance respect its heritage while keeping the Hall a welcoming space for learning, events, and community use.