The company no longer retains an association with the hairdressing profession, and principally acts as a charitable institution for medical and surgical causes.

The first mention of the Barbers' Company occurs in 1308 when Richard le Barbour was elected by the Court of Aldermen to keep order amongst his fellows.

[1] Barbers originally aided monks, who were at the time the traditional practitioners of medicine and surgery, because papal decrees prohibited members of religious orders themselves from spilling blood.

In addition to haircutting, hairdressing, and shaving, barbers performed surgery: neck manipulation; cleansing of ears and scalp; draining/lancing of boils, fistulae, and cysts with wicks; bloodletting and leeching; fire cupping; enemas; and the extraction of teeth.

The Act specified that no surgeon could cut hair or shave another and that no barber could practice surgery; the only common activity was to be the extraction of teeth.

[2] The first Master of the Company of Barbers and Surgeons was the superintendent of St Bartholomew's Hospital and royal physician, Thomas Vicary.

It does, however, retain its links with surgery, principally acting as a charitable institution to the benefit of medical and surgical cases.

The current hall is at Monkwell Square after its predecessor was completely destroyed by bombings during World War II.