Address: The Hall, Fossgate, York, YO1 9XD (on the corner of Merchant Adventurers’ Hall wall, need to look from the bridge into the gardens, then look up)
Description
A faded square yellow ghost sign on the back wall of the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall hints at past messages in black text, now barely visible.
History
This sign’s origins are shrouded in mystery, as there are no historical photographs to reveal its past.
The remaining bright paint suggests it once featured a yellow background with an image or text on the left side.
For the last 600 years, this building has been owned by the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall. Paint-on-brick signs became popular in the 19th century as literacy rates soared, allowing more people to read and understand such signs.
Because of this, it’s likely that this was once an advertisement for the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall on Fossgate.
The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York, a guild founded in the 14th century, was established in 1357 when influential men and women formed a religious fraternity and built their Hall.
By 1430, most members were mercers, and they created a trading association or guild alongside the fraternity.
They used the Hall for business transactions, social gatherings, charity work, and prayer.
Today, the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall continues to operate as a museum, preserving its rich history.
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