Guilds and livery companies are definitely "ranked" in late medieval london. What criteria were used, I don't know, but it affected things like where they were placed in processions, stuff like that.

I believe that a list of the guilds in order of precedence probably survives, since I've seen references to this ranking to the effect that the Guild of horse coursers is 97th of the 115 guilds listed or whatever.

However, I've never seen a copy of the list itself, and don't know what guilds were at the top etc.

Sorry not to be more help

There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to how order of precedence was made during the 15th c.

Here is an example with the problem of precedence:

quote:

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Until the Court of Alderman finally settled the order of precedence of the livery companies in the 16th century, the random variations in the positions in which companies were listed in the 15th century may have arisen from accident or design--but there is no way of knowing which. For example, in April 1420 the Saddlers were 13th in a list of 17 companies, headed by the Mercers, Grocers and Vintners. In the following year, the Saddlers were seventh in a list of 10 companies, this time headed by the Grocers, Drapers and Mercers. Yet again, May 1423, the Saddlers appeared seventh in a list of 18 companies-with the first three places once more going to the Mercers, Grocers and Vintners.

In October 1425 the Saddlers appeared first out of 12 companies summoned for tunnage and poundage-but in June 1437 they were last in a list of 11 companies sworn to keep the peace.(14)

It seems that early 15th-century precedence among the companies-as far as Guildhall was concerned, at any rate-had no special significance. Towards the end of the century, however, it was obviously being taken much more seriously as the celebrated struggle for sixth place between the Skinners and the Merchant Taylors-and the Haberdasher Mayor Billesden's solomonic judgement of 1484-proved. On the other hand, the summoning of the companies for civic ceremonial, their placing on the processional route and the limit on the number of torches to be carried by each company does indicate that there was a rough pecking order in being before it became stratified by alderman decree.

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English Silkwomen didn't rank with any of the gilds - as they never formed a proper gild. They seem to have banded together when needed,to petition Parliament against imports for instance. As to ranking of other gilds, it may be a clue that those silkwomen who seem to have more important were married to mercers, goldsmiths and tailors, so perhaps their prestige was partially due to their husband's social standing?

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