A Mercer Dealt in Fine Cloth
A mercer sold silks and fine fabrics. The trade was among the most prestigious in medieval London.
A mercer was a dealer in fine fabrics, especially silks and velvets. The trade sat at the top of the London hierarchy: the Mercers' Company ranks first among the Great Twelve livery companies, and Dick Whittington, the historical lord mayor behind the pantomime, was a mercer. The word comes from Latin *merx*, merchandise.
- A dealer in fine cloth. *A city mercer.*
- Mercery — the goods traded. *A mercery shop.*
- Mercer as a surname. *A common surname.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | mercer | A wealthy mercer. |
| Plural | mercers | The Mercers' Company. |
| Noun | mercery | Fine mercery. |
| Related | merchant | A cloth merchant. |
| Related | draper | A local draper. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The Mercers' Company ranks first.Among London's livery companies.
- A mercer sold silk; a draper sold woollens.The trade distinction.
- Dick Whittington was a mercer.And four times lord mayor.
London's Great Twelve livery companies
- Mercers — fine cloth, ranked first
- Grocers — spices and dry goods
- Drapers — woollen cloth
- Fishmongers — fish
- Goldsmiths — precious metals, and still assay London's hallmarks
From Old French *mercier*, a trader, from Latin *merx*, merchandise — the same root as *market* and *merchant*.
Mercer or draper?
A mercer dealt in silks and fine imported fabrics; a draper in woollen cloth. Both trades are now largely extinct as separate callings.
What are livery companies?
London's ancient trade guilds, which regulated their crafts and still exist as charitable and ceremonial bodies.