Hidden away on the first floor of a C-listed 18th-century tenement at 36 George Street in the centre of Perth, Glovers' Hall remains the meeting place of the Glover Incorporation, one of the city's ancient guilds. Originating as an organised body perhaps as long ago as the 10th century, the Incorporation was granted a Royal Charter by King William the Lion in 1210. The Glovers regulated trade in the glove-making craft, which at its peak made upwards of 30,000 pairs of gloves annually in Perth, but also looked after their members who were sick, unable to work or had fallen on hard times. Having had their meeting hall in the Fair Maid's House in Curfew Row for many years, the Glovers' bought this building in 1821, it having previously served as the office of the Sheriff Clerk of Perthshire. The room continues to be used for meetings but also contains a number of historical artefacts relating to the Glovers.
The Incorporation is led by a Deacon and the other principal office-bearer is the Boxmaster (or treasurer). Once the owners of extensive tracts of land which provided a significant income, today the Glovers' assets are rather more modest and are used for charitable ends. Membership is only open to the sons of existing Glovers and therefore the group now comprises a very few members drawn from within four families. The glove-making industry no longer exists in Perth
