Following in the footsteps of his Great Great Grandfather, John Underwood, who was Lord Mayor of Leicester and was also granted the freedom of the City of Leicester, Jonathan Castleman, managing director of Norman & Underwood, the long-established Leicester-based roofing and glazing group, has been made a Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Plumbers, one of London’s oldest Livery Companies and Craft Guilds, and also granted the freedom of the City of London at a ceremony held at London’s ancient Guildhall.

Membership of the Plumbers Company (currently some 340) is granted to craftsmen who not only have extensive experience of using the craft skills of the traditional plumber to carry out complex restoration work on a wide range of historic buildings, but also are committed to actively promoting the vocational training of craft apprentices.

Jonathan, a seventh generation member of the 183 year old firm’s founding family, originally joined Norman & Underwood as a craft apprentice in the roofing division and as a skilled leadworker has worked on a large number of major contracts on landmark buildings such as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the British Embassy in Moscow, St Paul’s Cathedral and Chatsworth House.

The Plumbers Company was already well established when it received its grant of Ordinances in 1365. The First Article provided that the plumber should submit himself to examination by the best and most skilful men in the trade in order that he might be certified so that “the trade may not be scandalised, or the commonalty damaged and deceived by folk who do not know their trade”. The Company received its Grant of Arms by Letters Patent on 24 November 1588 in the reign of Elizabeth 1, and established the Register of Plumbers in 1886 ‘… only for plumbers who have satisfied the company of their competence are entitled to style themselves Registered Plumbers with the letters RP after their names.’

A 19^th Century publication recently reprinted by English Heritage and aimed at the school leavers of the time, defined the trade of The Plumber as follows:

‘The business of the Plumber consists in casting and working of lead, and using it in buildings. He furnishes us with a cistern for water, and with a sink for a kitchen; he covers the house with lead, and makes gutters to carry away the water; he makes pipes of all sorts and sizes, and sometimes he casts leaden statues as ornaments for the garden. The plumber also is employed in making coffins for those who are interred out of the usual way. He also fits up water-closets and makes pumps.

In the country it is not infrequent to find that the business of a plumber, glazier, and painter, is united in the same person.

The health of the men is often injured by the fumes of the lead.

Journeyman earn about thirty shillings a week; and we recommend earnestly to lads brought up to either of the before mentioned trades, that they cultivate cleanliness and strict sobriety, and that they never, on any account, eat their meals, or retire to rest at night, before they have well washed their hands and faces.’

A job description and health and safety advice that a Norman & Underwood plumber would still recognise today!