History

Brigantes was founded in 2014 to enable Liverymen of the City of London to meet regularly in the North of England

Over many years, a claim often heard from Liverymen at City of London functions has been ‘I am from the North of England but very few other Liverymen live there’. 

In 2014 the Sheriff and three Northern Masters of that year decided this claim required further investigation. 

Contrary to belief, they found that around 2,000 of the City of London’s 25,000 Liverymen were resident in the North of England, with over 40 Livery Companies having ten or more Liverymen in this area. 

As a result, consideration was given to enabling Liverymen of all City of London Livery Companies to meet regularly together in the North.

Following consultation with the then Lord Mayor, the Brigantes Association was born - the name deriving from the Brigantes tribe which occupied a similar geographical area in pre-Roman times. 

Since then Liverymen of all Companies and their guests have been meeting at Brigantes events in the North, usually alternating between East and West of the Pennines. 

The most prestigious occasion is the annual Brigantes Breakfast – a formal lunch with entertainment, held in mid-summer at one of the North’s fine venues, and attracting up to 400 Liverymen and guests.