Company of Watermen and Lightermen

The Company of Watermen and Lightermen is a City Guild without Grant of Livery whom historically licensed Thames Watermen (now licenced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency).

Watermen are river workers who transfer passengers across and along city centre rivers and estuaries in Britain and its colonies. Most notable are those on the River Thames and River Medway, but other rivers such as the River Tyne and River Dee, Wales also had their watermen who formed guilds in medieval times.

Lightermen were workers who transferred goods between ships and quays, aboard flat-bottomed barges called lighters in the Port of London.

More information on the Wikipedia page.

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