History of The Horners Award

In 1946 the Worshipful Company of Horners approached the British Plastics federation with proposals for a link between their ancient craft and the modern plastics industry and on their initiative an exhibition of plastics application was staged at Guildhall.

In the following year the Horners Company generously presented a sum of 50 gns to the Federation to be expanded at the discretion of the council on awards to craftsmen in the plastics industry. These awards were offered for design and emphasis was placed upon encouraging younger craftsmen.

In 1947 there were two classes, one for the designer a mould in which the first ever prize was won by W. Westwood of the Tool Makers, Fox & Offord Ltd. and a drawing for the arrangement of a moulding tool in which the first prize was won by F Seed of United Ebonite and Lorival.

A few years later the regulations for the award were modified to cover the design of a product made from plastics materials.  This relationship between the Federation and the Worshipful Company blossomed strongly over the ensuing years and still flourishes to this very day.

History of The Worshipful Company of Horners

The earliest extant written reference to the Worshipful Company of Horners was in 1284 but the craft of the Horner dates back to "tyme out of mynde". Cornucopia, the horn of plenty, featured in classical literature; bronze age artefacts often contain horn and sounding horns (shofars) are described in the Old Testament.

Horn was inexpensive and readily available and was used for containing solids and liquids and for bugles and simple musical instruments. In addition elaborately decorated horns were used for the conveyancing of land and property. Horn is a natural thermoplastic and can be worked by heat and pressure to make a wide variety of artefacts, such as beakers, buckles, combs and buttons. It can also be pressed into thin translucent sheets that can be used for windows and lanterns .

The Livery Companies of the City of London had their origins well before the Doomsday Book and are similar to the fraternities and guilds (or mysteries) that flourished throughout Europe for many centuries. The Worshipful Company of Horners originally controlled the purchase and sale of raw horns within 24 miles of the City of London and the early statutes were to protect these rights. In addition, the Company controlled the trade by limiting its membership, assuring quality and controlling the admittance of apprentices. It also acted as a welfare organisation, looking after widows and attending to funerals. The term "Livery" refers to the practice of wearing a distinctive form of clothing.

The Horner's Company operates under a Charter received from Charles I in 1638 but it is known that there were earlier charters and the Company is currently 54th in the order of precedence of the City Livery Companies. Quite when this position was established is not known but it was confirmed by the Commissioners on Municipal Corporation in 1837. In any case, the position is somewhat arbitrary because in 1376 the Horners had been listed as 26th out of 41 (some sources claim 48) "mysteries of the City of London". However, there is also some doubt as to whether the position in that list represented the official seniority in the City at that time.

The Industrial Revolution and the subsequent dislike of trade restrictions led to a reduction in the influence of the trade guilds. However, some retained their ancient rights and others became associated with their modern equivalents. Many, if not all, of the artefacts previously made in horn began to be made from plastics and in 1943, the Horners became closely associated with the plastics industry. The association became even closer with the introduction of plastic bottles. The leather bottlemakers were amalgamated with the Horners in 1475 and three leather bottles have been part of their arms ever since. However, the arms had not been officially recognized and in 1992 a Grant of Arms was obtained and references to the plastics association were incorporated into the blazon and crest. The Narwhal Horn surmounting the crest - a Narwhal Horn is in reference to the narwhal Horn that is carried at the head of the procession into dinner at the Annual Banquet ).