CITY OF LONDON LINENS AND FURNISHINGS ASSOCIATION

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0074 LMA/4655
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: CITY OF LONDON LINENS AND FURNISHINGS ASSOCIATION
Date(s)	: 1921 - 2013
Level of description	: collection
Extent	: 0.18 linear metres
Name of creator(s)	: City of London Linens and Furnishings Association xx City of London Wholesale Linen Trade Association xx City of London Linen Trades Association

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Founded in 1921, the Association was initially entitled the City of London Wholesale Linen Trade Association. Membership consisted of buyers and agents within the wholesale linen trade who paid an annual subscription to join. In order to reflect changes in the industry, this was later expanded to include those from the manufacturing and retail sectors. By 1962, the name had been changed to the City of London Linen Trades Association (CLLTA). Further changes in the trade led to greater links with soft furnishings and a further name change in 1992 to the City of London Linens and Furnishings Association (CLLFA).

The aims of the Association were: 'to encourage and maintain the feeling of good fellowship amongst the membership and the trade' and 'to enable interchange of views between buyers, agents and manufacturers in their mutual interest and of the trade as a whole'.

Committee meetings were held monthly, initially at offices of the members (first meeting at 25 Noble Street. Other addresses include 16 Little Britain and The Guildhall Chambers, City of London. The Association was run by a management committee enrolled at the publically held Annual General Meetings in January of each year. A Benevolent fund, administered by 5 trustees, was established in 1926. This fund was set up to support members, former members and their dependents with financial assistance in times of hardship or ill health and was registered with the Charity Commission in 1962 as the City of London Linen Trades Association Benevolent Fund (later the City of London Linens and Furnishings Association Benevolent Fund).

Membership peaked at over 300 members (in the mid-1990s). Annual golf days, snooker, cricket and bowls events were organised for the benefit of members and to raise funds.

In 1979 a vote was passed to accept female members and the first (and only) female President, Jean Biggs, was elected in 1985.

Owing to a decline in linen manufacturing, membership began to reduce and in 2011 the Committee and Trustees made the decision wind up the Association as of 31 December 2011.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the City of London Linens and Furnishings Association including Minutes of the Benevolent Fund (1926-2012), annual accounts of the Association and its Benevolent Fund (2009-2011 only), 1 photograph of committee (1985), typed historical notes, President's Chain of Office.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

LMA/4655/01: Minutes and accounts
LMA/4655/02: Printed material
LMA/4655/03: Photograph
LMA/4655/04: Artefact

Conditions governing access:

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright is held by the City of London

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Deposited in May 2013.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
Added June 2014