The John Stow Memorial Service

A service to commemorate the life and work of John Stow, Elizabethan antiquary, historian and author of The Survey of London, is held every three years.

It is sponsored jointly by LAMAS and the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors (Stow's own company). Central to the service are a short address in Stow's honour and 'the Ceremony of the Quill' in which a fresh quill pen is placed in the hand of his effigy on the monument on the north wall of the church.

The last service was on 6 April 2011 at Noon at St Andrew's Undershaft and was attended by LAMAS’ President, Prof Martin Biddle (also a Merchant Taylor), Chair, Laura Schaaf, Hon. Treasurer, Martin Williams, Hon. Secretary, Jackie Keily, members of Council, Jessica Freeman and Colin Bowlt and Chair of the Local History Committee, Eileen Bowlt, as well as a number of LAMAS members. The address, John Stow and the 'River of Thames’ was given by Gustav Milne, of University College London and the Thames Discovery Programme. LAMAS would like to extend its thanks to the Merchant Taylors for organising the event and for supplying a photograph from this year’s service.

The Master of the Merchant Taylors’ Company, Dr Julian Oram, replaces the quill in the John Stow memorial © Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors