Much like the guilds that existed throughout Medieval Europe, the Horner’s Company oversaw the trade and processing of all horn around the city of London. Horn was an inexpensive and readily available product with a vast variety of uses. It was used to produce buckles, buttons, carvings, combs and all kinds of cutlery. The Horner’s Company made sure the manufacturers maintained a certain standard of quality and controlled all purchases and sales. It also acted as welfare, looking after widows and attending to funerals.