Timeline of the Hall
The Merchant Adventurers’ Hall has been a witness to seven centuries of history.
Our timeline below highlights some of the important dates in the history of the York Merchant Adventurers Company and their Hall.
Medieval Origins
A religious fraternity dedicated to Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary is established by a group of merchants. A deed for land is granted (right).
1356
Construction Period
Construction on the granted land begins on the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall in 1357, originally known as ‘Trinity Hall’.
1357–1361
1373
The Undercroft is licenced as a hospital.
The original chapel is thought to be too small and the Hall's present Chapel is built.
1411
Trading Hayday
1430
The fraternity is granted a Royal Charter by King Henry VI. They are renamed the ‘The Mistery of Mercers’ and deal predominantly in cloth. The expenses for the Charter still exists in our archive (left).
King Richard III takes the English throne. The Mistery of Mercers were present to greet the King when he came to York. This event was commemorated in a Pageant in 1909 (right).
1483
Marion Kent dies. She was a successful merchant who supplied iron and other materials to York Minster. She was a member of the Mistery of Mercers from 1447 and sat on the council of the guild - highly unusual for this time
1500
1581
Queen Elizabeth I grants a second Royal Charter to the guild, now renamed to ‘The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York’.
An extension to the Hall is built, comprising of a series of rooms in which to sell cloth. The Committee Room is also created.
1601
Decline of Trading Power
Traditional river trade in York is on a terminal decline as the River Ouse silts up and ports such as Kingston Upon Hull and Newcastle Upon Tyne grow in size and influence.
1730s
1742
Fashionable goods were still making their way into York such as silk. John Stow who was Governor in 1742 was a silk mercer and was described as the "most eminent" in the city.
A Time of Change
The Hall is primarily used for meetings, charity work, and civic functions. On one occasion the Great Hall was hired out for a man to show his lions!
18th–19th centuries
1850
There are only half a dozen Members of the Company recorded in this year.
1881-1882
Sir Joseph Terry, confectioner and philanthropist (and inventor of the chocolate box assortment) is Governor.
Preservation Era
1913
Dr Maud Sellers - economic historian, teacher, curator, archivist and steamboat lady becomes the first female Merchant Adventurer in 400 years.
The Hall undergoes its first major restoration to ensure survival of the timber structure. The Chapel is underpinned, the floor in the Undercroft is raised to its present height, 1.5 metres higher than the original level.
1920-1938
A new range of buildings is added encompassing the toilet block, Governor’s Parlour and archive storage.
1947
1989
David Rymer is Governor. He joined the Company in 1957 and he is the longest serving Member ever. He will mark 70 years of being a Merchant Adventurer in 2027.
Modern Day
The Hall is made fully accessible with the addition of a lift and level access ramps.
2003
2015
The Hall floods to a newly recorded height of 3ft 6ins (1.1 metres).
The Company appoint Dr Delma Tomlin MBE as its Governor, the first woman in the role since 1357.
2022
Explore the Hall in more depth
Discover the Hall’s beautifully preserved architecture, artefacts and displays, including an array of oils, watercolours, prints and drawings depicting notable figures, royalty and historic scenes from York.
The Hall is also home to interesting pieces of furniture as well as two outstanding collections of silver; one of which was made and hallmarked in York.
Plan your visit
Everything you need to know to plan your visit in advance; from access information to plotting a route from the car park.
Learn more