Wardens
The chief officer of the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers is the Prime Warden. She is supported by an Upper and Under Warden. The Company had only a Prime Warden and a Junior Warden until 1998, when it was felt that due to the growing demands on the Prime Warden, it would be better to have two Wardens supporting them and to give the Prime Warden an extra year in which to learn and understand their role.
The Wardens are elected each year at the July Court meeting and installed in October. Installation Day begins with a Service of Thanksgiving at our Guild Church of St. Margaret Pattens. We then move to a Livery Hall for lunch and the installation of the Wardens for the forthcoming year.
The Basketmakers’ Company is one of seven London Livery Companies to have a Prime Warden. The others are the Fishmongers, Goldsmiths, Dyers, Saddlers, Blacksmiths and Shipwrights. All the other Companies have a Master, with the exception of the Weavers, who have an Upper Bailiff. The Basketmakers appear to have had an Upper Warden as their main officer from their foundation until 1846, when it was decided to change the title to Prime Warden. No reason is given for this change.
Wardens
2023 - 2024
Lady Lauriston
Prime Warden
Lady Lauriston - Prime Warden 2023-2024
Award-winning writer Dorothy Newlands of Lauriston was voted Britain’s Technology Journalist of the Year and has written - as Dorothy Walker - for most of the national newspapers. She runs a bid-writing practice working with infrastructure companies. Her early career was in financial systems in the City, in business development and marketing.
Dorothy is a Trustee of the Basketmakers Charitable Trust. She is a Director and Under Warden of the Guild of Freemen of the City of London and chaired the Guild’s Membership Committee for its first six years. She is Chair of the Scottish Castles Association and she served as Deacon of the Incorporation of Wrights, heading the Glasgow-based charity.
Dorothy holds a degree in archaeology from the UCL Institute of Archaeology, and she and her husband, William, have restored their medieval Lauriston Castle in Aberdeenshire, once a royal fortress.
Julian Adams
Upper Warden
Julian Adams - Upper Warden 2023-2024
Julian has spent his entire working life in the City of London. He was an Executive Director of the Bank of England where he was responsible for the supervision of the insurance market in the UK. In 2015 he stepped down from the Bank to join Prudential PLC’s Global Executive Committee to take on responsibility for regulation and Government Affairs across the group. Following its demerger from the Prudential, Julian joined M&G PLC to perform the same role. He stepped down from his executive roles in April this year. Julian has been a Trustee of the Charitable Trust since 2013.
Mark Cooper
Under Warden
Mark Cooper - Under Warden 2023-2024
Mark’s background was initially in academia having started his career lecturing in and teaching modern European languages. After a period working and lecturing in central France, Mark carved his career in Learning and Development working for a series of large construction and facilities companies, becoming Director of People Development for an International construction and services company in 2011. In 2014, he set up his own business offering training and consultancy services to leadership and executive teams in the UK, Europe and Middle East.
Mark joined the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers in 1997 and has served as a steward, Chairman of the Membership Committee and secretary to the 450th Anniversary Committee. He is our liaison to our RN affiliate, HMS Richmond. He is also the secretary of the Basketmakers Lodge. Mark holds a BA(Hons) in Modern Languages from Bristol University.