The Honorary Freedom of the City of London - An exploration of The Lives of the Great and the Good
The Lives of the Great and the Good - Honorary Freeman of the City of London is a new book written by William (Bill) Clark, Past Master of the Woolmen's Company and the prime mover behind the annual Sheep Drive over London Bridge, an event that has now become a popular fixture in the City's calendar and for which Bill was recognised with a Highly Commended award by the City Livery Club's Root & Branch Award committee in 2018. I heard of Bill's project to write a book about the Honorary Freemen of the City of London prior to the City Briefing in September 2021. My first thoughts were about how the Honorary Freedom is defined, a topic which it turns out was the genesis of Bill's excellent work, and one I still do not have entirely straightened out in my mind (see below) despite chatting with the Clerk to the Chamberlain's Court (Murray Craig) about it at the end of that City Briefing. Nevertheless, Bill's book is a masterpiece of penmanship, condensing th