The Barbers’ Company traces its origins back to 1308 when Richard le Barbour was elected to maintain order among his fellow barbers by the Court of Aldermen. Initially, barbers primarily assisted monks, who were the traditional practitioners of medicine and surgery, as religious decrees prohibited monks from directly spilling blood. Alongside their grooming services like haircutting, hairdressing, and shaving, barbers also performed various surgical procedures, including bloodletting, tooth extraction, and treating boils and cysts.
Over time, surgeons with limited barbering skills began to join the company. However, in 1368, surgeons were granted permission to form their own unincorporated fellowship, distinct from the barbers. Despite this separation, the Barbers’ Guild retained authority over surgical practices in London. In 1462, the guild received a royal charter, officially becoming a company.
The merger of the Fellowship of Surgeons with the Barbers’ Company in 1540 marked a significant development. This amalgamation led to the formation of the Company of Barbers and Surgeons, governed by an Act of Parliament. The Act stipulated that barbers could not practice surgery, and surgeons could not perform barbering tasks, except for tooth extraction. The iconic barber pole, with its red and white spiraling stripes, symbolized the dual crafts, with red representing surgery and white representing barbering.
Apprenticeship was the path to membership in the company. Prospective members underwent seven years of training under experienced barber-surgeons, gaining practical experience in various surgical procedures. After demonstrating their skills to Company-appointed examiners and paying a membership fee, they would officially join the ranks of the Company.
The Company’s first Master, Thomas Vicary, a prominent royal physician, received the charter in a ceremony depicted in a painting by Hans Holbein the Younger.
As surgery professionalized, surgeons broke away from the barbers in 1745, forming the Company of Surgeons, later known as the Royal College of Surgeons. The Barbers’ Company shifted its focus away from hairdressing, maintaining its connection to surgery. Today, a significant portion of its members are medical practitioners, reflecting its ongoing commitment to supporting medical and surgical causes through charitable endeavors.
