Mercery

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, "notions dealer") is now largely obsolete. Mercers were formerly merchants or traders who dealt in cloth, typically fine cloth that was not produced locally. However inventories of mercers in small towns suggest that many were shopkeepers who dealt in various other dry commodities, not only 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, one of the twelve great Liveries Companies of the City of London.

Prominent mercers

• Wynne Ellis, 19th century British mercer
• Geoffrey Boleyn, 15th century English mercer
• Richard le Lacer, 14th century English mercer
• Charles Woodmason

See also

• Haberdasher