Mercery

Not to be confused with Mercury.

A mercery (mercer's shop) in Brussels

Mercery (from French mercerie, the notions trade) initially referred to silk, linen, and fustian textiles imported to England in the 12th century.

The term mercery later extended to goods made of these and the sellers of those goods.

Mercer

The term mercer for cloth merchants (from French mercier, merchant originally importing goods from the Eastern world) is now largely obsolete. Mercers were formerly merchants or traders who dealt in cloth, typically fine cloth that was not produced locally. Inventories of mercers in small towns, however, suggest that many were shopkeepers who dealt in various dry commodities other than cloth. Related occupations include haberdasher, draper and cloth merchant, while clothier historically referred to someone who manufactured cloth, often under the domestic system.

By the 21st century the word mercer was primarily used in connection with the Worshipful Company of Mercers, the first in precedence of the twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London.

Prominent mercers

• Wynne Ellis, 19th century British mercer
• Robert Large, (died 1441)
• Geoffrey Boleyn, 15th century English mercer
• Richard le Lacer, 14th century English mercer
• Charles Woodmason

See also

• Haberdasher
• Mercerised cotton

External links

• The dictionary definition of mercery at Wiktionary
• The dictionary definition of mercer at Wiktionary