Glasgow · Founded 1558 · Scottish Charity SC016220
The Incorporation of Cordiners in Glasgow
A modern charity with roots stretching back more than four and a half centuries.
1558
Seal of Cause granted
14
Glasgow craft incorporations
9,000+
pairs of footwear provided, 2024–26
£161,905.50
footwear donations since 2017
Craft · Charity · Fellowship
A Glasgow craft with a living purpose
The Incorporation grew from Glasgow’s community of shoemakers, leather workers and allied trades. Today we preserve that heritage while supporting education, charitable work and fellowship across the city.
We are one of the fourteen incorporated crafts of the Trades House of Glasgow. Our work joins careful stewardship of an extraordinary archive with practical support for people in Glasgow now.
Discover the Cordiners
Follow the craft from its sixteenth-century origins to its charitable work today.
History and heritage
Explore the Seal of Cause, Royal Charter, historic records and the people who shaped the Incorporation.
Charitable work
See how Body and Sole and our wider charitable giving help children, students and communities.
Join the Cordiners
Membership offers fellowship, civic connection and a practical way to support the Incorporation’s work.
Body and Sole · Established 2017
Helping young people take part
Our flagship initiative provides suitable footwear so children and young people can participate in sport, outdoor learning and physical activity with confidence.
Searchable archive
Find people, dates and records
Search published records by name, role, year, category or subject. The Deacons Archive includes the known roll from 1604 to 2026, while individual profiles provide fuller historical context.
Latest from the Incorporation
- Master Court 2025–2026Meet the Cordiners’ Master Court and office-bearers for 2025–26.
- Body and Sole reaches 9,000 pairs of footwearBody and Sole has now supplied more than 9,000 pairs of footwear to help Glasgow’s young people take part in sport, outdoor learning and everyday school life.
- Body and Sole: the 2026 reportMore than 9,000 pairs of footwear and £161,905.50 of support since Body and Sole began in 2017.
- Deacon David McClements visits Basel’s Shoemakers’ GuildDeacon David McClements represented the Glasgow Cordiners in Basel, continuing a friendship rooted in shared shoemaking heritage.
