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Sir John Knill's Shrieval chain, 1903
An historic shrieval chain
14th October 2026Bath
It’s been a quiet week, with no London engagements, although there’s been plenty of admin to keep me occupied! And, of course, it’s impossible to escape a Livery connection, wherever you happen to be.
My husband was having lunch with an old friend in Bath this week when the conversation inevitably turned to Livery matters. Our friend revealed that both his grandfather and great-grandfather had served as Lord Mayor of London. Better still, he produced a photograph of his grandfather’s magnificent Shrieval chain, dating from 1903.
His great-grandfather, Sir Stuart Knill (1824–1898), was elected Alderman for the Ward of Bridge Within in 1885, became an Aldermanic Sheriff in 1889 and served as Lord Mayor in 1892–93. A member of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers, he also served on the Court of the Goldsmiths’ Company.
Our friend's grandfather Sir John Knill (1856-1934) became an Aldermanic Sheriff in 1903 and Lord Mayor in 1909–10. He was also Master of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers on three occasions: 1902–03, 1903–04 and 1909–10.
So, even in a week without a trip to London, the Livery managed to find us — this time through a family whose connections with the City went back over 140 years, to the 1880s!