The Aldermen of Crippleg^te Wmrd, with an account of the Office of ff lderman of the Gity of London. 'Tou jours Tret. 'Blades, East & 'Blades, 'Printers, 2j, tAhchurch Lane, London, E.C. THE ALDERMEN OF CRIPPLEGATE WARD FROM A.D. I276 TO A.D. I9OO. K > pa H o 0< u o 03 o £ CD O sf H "f U <"• W 25 o 3 S <* C< O S p a H fa O w J M I— < CO I O THE ALDERMEN OF CRIPPLEGATE WARD FROM A.D. 1276 TO A.D. 1900. TOGETHER WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE OFFICE OF ALDERMAN, ALDERMAN'S DEPUTY AND COMMON COUNCILMAN OF THE CITY OF LONDON. ( 1 IMPILED BY JOHN JAMES BADDELEY, I )eputy for Cripplegate A\ ard Without. Author of tl The Church and Parish of St. Giles Without Cripplegate" and " The Guildhall of the City of London." J I Printed for Private Distribution. LONDON 1900. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Preface - - - List of Authorities ------ The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward Chronological List of Do. Biographical Notes of Do. The Aldermen's Deputies - Cripplegate Ward and its Common Councilmen The Aldermen of the City of London Qualification of Nomination of ----- - Election of - Duties of -------- To Reside in the City - Punishment for Refusing Office by - Punishment and Dismissal of Discharge from Office of Removal and Translation of The Common Council ------ Miscellaneous Extracts - - - - - Alphabetical List of the Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward Index ------- PAGE i V 5 9 109 1 27 137 141 148 164 i73 177 182 186 192 207 227 237 241 PREFACE UNTIL the present time no complete list has been published of the names of citizens, who have been appointed, or elected to the honourable and important office of Alderman, of any of the Wards of the City of London. Of the attempts hitherto made in this direction, the best known is that of the late Mr. B. B. Orridge, a member of the Common Council for the Ward of Cheap, who in 1867, included in his admirable work " T/ic\ Citizens of London and their Rulers" biographical notes of a few of the Aldermen of his ward. In reading Mr. Orridge's book it suggested itself to the writer, that a list of the names, and short biographies of the Aldermen of the Ward of Cripplegate, would be of interest, not ojdy to the inhabitants of that Ward, but possibly to those of the other City Wards, and it is to be hoped th.it the example thus set, may be followed by members of other wards, so that in course of time, a complete list and biography of the Aldermen of the City may be made available to the student of national, as well as municipal history. It is certain that the publication of further volumes, would be of great public civic service, and would assist to drive home the fact to the citizen of to-day (who is unfortunately, usually indifferent to such matters), the great part that our Lord Mayors and Aldermen have had, in shaping and influencing the affairs not only of the City of London, hut of the nation at large. Although the raison d'etre of this compilation was to give an account of the Aldermen of Cripplegate (of whom we have a record extending ii Preface. over six hundred years), yet the lengthy search among the Corporation Records, necessary for its production, revealed so much that is of interest concerning the qualifications, elections, etc., of Aldermen, not hitherto published, that it has been thought desirable to include some of the more important extracts from the Records, as an appendix to this volume, and also to give an account of the Aldermen's Deputies, and of Common Councilmen, obtained chiefly from the same sources. For the use and assistance of others who may think of setting about the compilation of a similar work, the full titles of the printed books consulted, and to which references are made in the text, are given, the greater part being accessible to the reader in that great storehouse of books relating to the City of London — the Guildhall Library. Other information than that contained in these printed books, is to be found in the series of Husting Rolls, Letter Books, Repertories and Journals in the custody of the Town Clerk. It is not pretended that all possible sources of information respecting the Aldermen of Cripplegate have been investigated ; all that can be said is, that a fairly diligent search has failed to procure further material information than is here given. In all chronological references, the Gregorian or New Style (reckoning the year to commence on the ist January, instead of the 25th March) has been adopted throughout. Individual Aldermen are mentioned by the title which they held at the date of their election or of the circumstance under narration — as in the case of the present Alderman of Cripplegate, Sir Henry Ldmund Knight, Knt., who at the time of his election, had not received the honour of Knighthood. The year of the election of a Lord Mayor or of a Sheriff should be carefully noted ; as it frequently happened that the more important events of a Mayoralty or of a Shrievalty occurred in the year following the date given of the election. The dates of the election of Sheriffs are chiefly taken from Mr. Orridge's book above referred to. In connection with the searches that have been made in the many original MSS. and printed books in the possession of the Corporation, Preface. iii I very gratefully tender my thanks to those gentlemen who have materially assisted me by their invaluable aid and advice, first amongst whom, I would mention Dr. Reginald R. Sharpe, Records Clerk in the Office of the Town Clerk, and whose volumes, The Calendar of Wills, and London and the Kingdom, have been found invaluable, and from which I have largely quoted. In the Guildhall Library much attention was afforded me by the Librarian, Mr. Charles Welch, F.S.A., whose lives of the Lord Mayors in the Dictionary of National Biography, have given me information respecting some of the Aldermen of Cripplegate. I am also indebted to the senior Sub-Librarian, Mr. E. M. Borrajo, and the other officials of the Library, for the attention they have given, in my searches in the large collection of London books which the Library contains. I have also to acknowledge the receipt of much valuable informa- tion from the Clerks of many of the Livery Companies and the Royal Hospitals, especially from Sir John Watney, F.S.A. (Mercers'), Sir Walter Prideaux (Goldsmiths'), and Sir Owen Roberts, M.A. (Clothworkers'). To the Rev. A. B. Beaven, M.A., late Head Master of Preston Grammar School (who for many years has made the personal history of the Aldermen of the City of London a special study), I am indebted for much valuable advice and assistance, and particularly for some of the details and numerical tables in connection with the removal of Alder- men, as given in the chapter devoted to that subject ; and also for the kindness he has displayed, in placing his numerous manuscript notes respecting the Aldermen, at my disposal. In the preparation of this book my original intention was to issue a small edition for private distribution, but on further considering the matter, and upon showing the result of my labours to Cripplegate friends, I was led to believe that a larger issue might possibly be desired. The idea then suggested itself to me, of assisting the funds of the Metropolitan Dispensary (an old Cripplegate Institution), of which I am the Honorary Treasurer. for this purpose I requested the Committee of Management to accept for the purposes of sale, a moiety of a larger edition than had at first been contemplated. This they have been iv Preface. pleased to do, and it is to be hoped that many of those who daily frequent the Ward of Cripplegate for business purposes, may become possessed of the book, and by a perusal of it, be led to take an interest in the affairs of the Ward. They will at the same time have the satisfaction of knowing that they have assisted the funds of one of the most deserving Institutions in the City of London. In commending this work to my friends in the Ward of Cripplegate, I would say, that the time spent in compiling the information con- tained in the present volume has not been inconsiderable, but they can well understand that the work could never have been undertaken and accomplished, except as a labour of love. The only recompense that I desire for my labour, and which I trust to obtain, is the approval and goodwill of my fellow citizens, and especially of my many friends in the Ward. J. j. B. Chapel Works, Moor Lank, Cripplegate. December Jisl, igoo. LIST OF AUTHORITIES Barber Surgeons' Company. See Young, S. Calendar of Wills. See Husting Wills. Catalogue of Tombs of London. Payne Fisher. Reprint. 1885. Chronicles of the Mayors and Sheriffs of London, a.d. 1188 to a.d. 1274. Translated from the original Latin and Anglo-Norman of the "Liber dc Antiquis Legibus" in the possession of the Corporation of the City of London, by H. T. Riley, M.A. 1863. Clode, C. M. The early History of the Guild of Merchant Taylors, with notes of the lives of some of its eminent members. 1888. Cromwelliana. A chronological detail of events in which Oliver Cromwell was engaged from the year 1642 to his death, 1658. Westminster, 1810. Dictionary of National Biography. 63 Vol. 18S5-1900. East India Company, Minutes of. Fifteenth Century Chronicles. Three fifteenth-century chronicles. Edited by James Gairdner. 1880. [Camden Society, New Series, Vol. XXVIII.] Foss, E. Biographia Juridica. A Biographical Dictionary of the Judges o( England from the Conquest to the present time. 1870. Gentleman's Magazine. Goldsmiths' Company. See Prideaux, Sir W. S. Gregory's Chronicles. The historical collection of a citizen of London in the fifteenth century. Chronicler of William Gregory, Skinner. Edited by James Gairdner. 1876. [Camden Society. New Series, Vol. XVII.] Hazlitt, W. C, The Livery Companies of the City of London. 1892. vi List of Authorities. Herbert, W. History of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of London. 1887. Husting Wills. Calendar of Wills proved and enrolled in the Court of Husting, London, a.d. 1258 to A.n. 1688, preserved among the archives of the Corporation of the City of London at the Guildhall. Edited by Reginald R. Sharpe, D.C.L., Records Clerk in the office of the Town Clerk of the City of London. 2 Vol. 1889-90. Ironmongers' Company. See Nicholl, J. Journals. See Letter Books. Kearsley, G. London Register, containing lists of Lord Mayors, Sheriffs, Aldermen, etc., from 1660. Published 1787. Le Neve, J, Monumenta Anglicana, being inscriptions on the monuments of several eminent persons deceased in or since the year 1600 to the end of the year 1718. 5 Vol. I7I7-I9- Le Neve, P. Pedigrees of the Knights made by King Charles II, King James II, King William III, Queen Mary, King William alone, and Queen Anne. Edited by George W. Marshall, LL.D. 1873. [Harleian Society. Vol 8.] Letter Books preserved among the archives of the Corporation of the City of London at the Guildhall. The series is being edited by Reginald R. Sharpe, D.C.L. , Records Clerk in the office of the Town Clerk of London. They derive their title from being marked with a distinctive letter, commencing with "A" and through the alphabet to " Z." with two odd volumes marked respectively "&c." and "A B," and again from "A A" to " AZ." In point of time they extend from the early years of the reign of Edward I almost to the close of the reign of James II. The series comprise just fifty volumes. Books A and B have been published (1899-1900), C and D are in the printer's hands. The early Letter-Books, and the "Journals" until 1 51 7, 8 Hen. VIII, Tor. Merfyn, No. 11, contain the entries of the proceedings both of the Courts of Aldermen and of the Courts of Common Council, together ; after which time all the proceedings of the Courts of Aldermen are in books called "Repertories" denoted by the names of the successive mayors, and by numbers ; — and those of the Common Council in books called "Journals" similarly denoted. Liber Albus, or White Book of the City of London, compiled a.d. 1419 by John Carpenter, Common Clerk. Translated from the original Latin and Anglo- Norman by H. T. Riley, M.A. 1861. London and the Kingdom. Sec Sharpe, R. R. Luttrell, N. A brief Historical Relation of State Affairs from September, 1678, to April, 1714. 6 Vol. 1857. Machyn, H. Diary, 1550 to 1563. Edited by J. G. Nichols, E.S.A. 1S48. [Camden Society, 42.] List of Authorities. vii Maitland, W. History of London from its foundation to the present time. New edition by the Rev. J. Entick, M.A. 2 Vol. 1775. Mercers' Company. See Watney, J. Merchant Taylors' Company. See Clode, C. M. Metcalfe, W. C. A book of Knights Banneret, Knights of the Bath, and Knights Bachelor. 18S5. Nicholl, J. Some account of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers. Second edition. 1866. Notes and Queries. 100 Vol. 1849-1900. Orridge. The Citizens of London and their Rulers. 1867. (The dates of the election of Sheriffs are chiefly taken from this book.) Overall, W. H. Some account of the Ward of Vintry and the Vintners' Company. 1869. Pepys' Diary. The Diary of Samuel Fepys, M.A., F.R.S. Edited, with additions, by Henry B. Wheatley, F. S.A. 10 Vol. 1893-99. Prideaux, Sir W. S. Memorials of the Goldsmiths' Company, being gleanings from their Records between the years 1335 and 181 5. 1896. Pulling, A. Treatise on the laws, customs and regulations of the City and Port of London, 1842. Remembrancia. Analytical Index to the series of Records known as the Remembrancia, preserved among the Archives of the City of London, A. n. 1 579-1664. [Edited by W. H. Overall, Librarian, and II. C. Overall, Town Clerk's office] 1878. These records consist of a series of nine volumes, embracing the period from 1579 (21st Elizabeth) to 1664 (16th Charles II), and contain copies of the correspondence between the Sovereigns, their Ministers, the Frivy Council, the Lord Mayors, Courts of Aldermen and Common Council, upon matters relating to the Government of the City, etc. Repertories. See notes under Letter Books. Riley, H. T. Memorials of London and London Life in the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries. 1868. Rymer's Foedera. Syllabus (in English) of the documents relating to England and other Kingdoms contained in the collection known as " Rymer's Foedera." 3 Vols. 1869-85. viii List of Authorities. Sharpe, R. R. London and Ihe Kingdom, a history derived mainly from the Archives at Guildhall in the custody of the Corporation of the City of London. 3 Vol. 1894-1S95. Smyth's Obituary. The obituary of Richard Smyth, Secondary of the Poultry Counter, London ; being a catalogue of all such persons as he knew in their life. Extending from a.d. 1627 to a.d. 1674. Edited by Sir Henry Ellis, K. H. 1849. [Camden Society, 44.] Stocken, J. J, Manuscript biographical collections relating to the Aldermen of the City of London. Guildhall Library, MS. 533. Stow, J. Survey of London. Edited by John Strype, M. A. 2 Vols. 1720. Stowe Manuscripts, British Museum. Vintners' Company. See Overall, W. H. Watney, J. Some account of the Hospital of St. Thomas of Aeon in the Cheap, London, and of the Plate of the Mercers' Company. 1892. Weever, J. Ancient Funerall Monuments within the United Monarchic of Great Britaine, Ireland and the islands adjacent. 163 1. Young, S. The Annals of the Barber Surgeons of London. 1890. INTRODUCTORY NOTES ON THE ALDERMEN OF CRIPPLEGATE WARD. Various writers mention the names of " Altwold," of " Jakell," and " William de Haverhill " as probably having been aldermen of Cripple- gate in the early part of the thirteenth century, but of this no proof seems forthcoming. It is also probable that Laurence de Frowyck was alderman about the middle of the same century, but the Corporation Records make no definite mention of an alderman of the Ward prior to Henry de Frowyck. The knowledge we possess of the first twelve of the aldermen, from Henry de Frowyck, 1276, to John de Mitford, 1365, is derived from their names appearing as witnesses (as alderman of the ward) to deeds enrolled in the Court of Husting, or from being men- tioned in the Letter Books as having been present at various civic meetings or ceremonials. Early in 1276 we find mention made of "the Ward of Henry de Frowyk within the Gate" (i.e., Cripplegate) ; and ten years later (arc. 1285), he figures in the earliest list of aldermen extant in the City's Records, as alderman of the same ward (Calendar of Letter Book A, pp. 209, 226). The first recorded election of an alderman of the ward is that of John Maryns, and occurs in 1375, from which date, with one or two exceptions, the exact dates of appointment and the avoidance of the office are duly recorded. In what manner Maryns was elected we are left to conjecture. He may have been elected to the office for life, as probably were his pre- decessors, but he evidently was forced to retire in consequence of a new order made in 1377, when the Mayor issued his precept lor the men of each Ward to meet on Saturday, the 7 March, and elect an alderman Other than the sitting alderman, and to have the name of the alderman so elected, endorsed on the Bill at the Guildhall, on the I cast ol S. ( Gregory next, at 8 o'clock at the latest, under penalty. In obedience to this precept the "good men'' of the Ward of Cripplegate elected Robert Lucas. During the next ten years, five different aldermen were elected, the election taking place yearly on the 12 March. During the 2 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. early part of this period (until 1385), no man served two years in succession as alderman of the ward. Hence we find several men who had been aldermen of Cripplegate, sitting as aldermen of other wards, when not qualified to sit for Cripplegate. Under an order of the King (1394) to the effect that aldermen should cease to be elected yearly, but remain aldermen unless discharged for reasonable cause, William Evote was elected by the "freemen inhabitants Alderman of Crepulgate," and became the first alderman of Cripplegate elected for life. Evote held the office until 1402, when he either re- signed or died, and John Wodecok was elected in his place. Soon after, the " freemen inhabitants " were deprived of the right they had hitherto exercised of directly electing their alderman, for we find that in 1402 an order was made by the Mayor and Aldermen, that in future the inhabi- tants were merely to nominate four men from whom the Court of Aldermen should select one to be alderman. This order was re-affirmed in 1420, and under these conditions all the aldermen of Cripplegate were elected, up to, and including Sir William Stewart, who was elected 31 July, 1711. In September of that year an Act of Common Council was passed for the nomination of two persons only, followed in 17 14 by another Act (an abstract of which is given on page 159). Sir John Williams was elected in 1723, and became the first alderman of Cripplegate who was directly elected under the new Act by the freemen inhabitants of the ward. It will be noted that in 1291 John de Banquell removed from Cripplegate to Dowgate, and that, from the time of the aldermanry of John Botiller, 1423, to that of Thomas Fowle, 1686, frequent mention is made of aldermen removing to or from Cripplegate. During the period mentioned, seven aldermen of Cripplegate had previously been aldermen of other wards, and sixteen removed from Cripplegate to become alder- men of other wards. John Botiller, 1423, was the first, and Sir Richard Chiverton, 1663, the last to remove from another ward to Cripplegate. John Stokton, 1470 (at that time Mayor), was the first, and Thomas Fowle, 1687, the last to remove from Cripplegate to another ward. Early in 1479 it was ordained by the civic fathers that no alderman should relinquish his ward until he had served two years {Journal 8, fo. 192). This order seems to have been strictly kept in Cripplegate, as for example, Christopher Pack was elected alderman of Cripplegate, 10 October, 1647, and 2 October, 1649, was nominated and elected alderman of Cornhill, but not having served the full term of two years, was disqualified from accepting the new appointment, and remained in Cripplegate. From the large number of removals of aldermen from Cripplegate, the ward would at first sight appear to have been The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 3 unpopular, but by a reference to the removal of aldermen from other wards, this does not seem to have been the case, as in most other wards the removals were quite as numerous as from Cripplegate, the principal exceptions being the Wards of Cheap and Lime Street, which which seem to have been favourite wards. 1 The cause of the desire to remove is not apparent ; upon a vacancy occurring in any ward, the Mayor had the prerogative of removing to that ward, as in the case of John Stokton, who removed from Cripplegate to Castle Baynard or Lime Street, 14 December, 1470, soon after entering upon his Mayoralty. Another notable feature is, that many men who were elected alder- men of Cripplegate Ward, paid a fine rather than serve the office. The first case was that of John Hudson, "Upholder" (i.e., Upholsterer), 6 April, 1624, followed a week later by Thomas Overman, Leatherseller ; the first paid a fine of ^500, and the second, one of ^,700. The next case was that of William Methold, Skinner, 1647, who paid the great sum of ,£800 sooner than occupy the position; then in 1657 came Samuel Langham, Grocer, and seven others, paying between them the sum of ^3,246. The total amount of fines levied this year from the whole of the wards was about ^9,000. In October, 1658, Samuel Lewis was elected and sworn, but declining to serve, paid a fine of ^500 and 20 marks, and was then excused taking upon himself the office. This is the last instance in Cripplegate, of a citizen being elected against his will, and on the order of the Court of Aldermen, paying a fine to be excused serving the office. It will be seen that the unwilling- ness to take the office of alderman of Cripplegate, as in other wards, first took place during the early years of the reign of Charles I, and it is probable that both Hudson and Overman were nominated at the instigation of the Court party, and elected by the same party in the Court of Aldermen for the special purpose of punishing them for some public action of theirs. The same can probably be said respecting the eight men who were fined in 1657, but at this time the Cromwelhan party were in power, and those favouring the Royalists were punished ; but, however this may be, it is also probable that in 1657, wealthy men, whom it was known would not serve (many of whom were Masters of the various Livery Companies), were nominated for the office, for the express purpose of raising money to meet the deficiencies in the City's (1) In 250 years, Cheap Ward had two, and Lime Street Ward, three removals, one of the latter being to Bridge Without Ward. In the same time twenty Aldermen removed to Cheap and twenty-one to Lime Street. 4 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. exchequer, caused by the many demands that had been made upon it by Parliament, for the support of the army, or for equipping and maintaining its own train bands. In the year 165 1, as much as ^30,000 was raised by fines upon newly elected aldermen. In several cases a special sum of 20 marks is mentioned as part of the fine, which was given to the Ministers of Newgate and other prisons. These fines were levied by right of an old custom mentioned by John Carpenter, the learned Common Clerk, in his Liber Albus, Riley's translation, p. 35, compiled 141 9, in which he states : " And if the person [an alderman] elected, after he has been admitted, shall refuse to accept or undertake such charge, by custom of the City he shall lose his freedom ; and he is not to be re-admitted to the same without making a notable fine and ransom." Although Nicholas Cooke, who was elected an alderman in 1657, was discharged on the payment of a fine, after holding the office a few days, we find him, strangely enough, recorded ten years later in the minute books of his Livery Company as "Alderman Cooke." Another similar case is that of Robert White, chosen alderman the same year and shortly afterwards discharged, who is also described in the minute books of his Company as "Alderman White." Possibly other cases may be found in the records of the various Livery Companies, and some explanation may be forthcoming. The Corporation Records give no clue respecting the particular building in which the nominations were made (from 1402 to 171 1) of the four men, whose names the Mayor duly reported to the Court of Aldermen as having been nominated for alderman, by the freemen inhabitants of Cripplegate Ward. The formal returns merely commence by stating thus : "His Lordship sitting lately in the Ward of Cripplegate." But from the time that the electors directly chose a single person to be their alderman (the first being Sir John Williams), the place of election is duly recorded. The elections of Sir John Williams, in 1723, and of John Blach- ford, 1 743, are mentioned as having taken place "at the Parish Church of St. Giles, Cripplegate, London;" that of John Cartwright, 1759, and Sir James Esdaile, 1767, "at Cripplegate Church;" of William Staines, 1793, Matthew Wood, 1807, and Thomas Challis, 1843, " at the Parish Church of St. Giles, Cripplegate;" and of Henry Edmund Knight, 1874, "at Lady Holies Girls' School Room." As the vestry room of the church was of small dimensions, and the room in the Quest House attached to the church, in which ward and parish business has until recently, been con- ducted for generations, is still smaller, it would seem that the elections took place in the church itself, and one can imagine the disturbance of its sacred quietude by the tumultuous gatherings during the election and the six weeks scrutiny, prior to the election of Sir John Williams. CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF THE ALDERMEN OF CRIPPLEGATE WARD. Date when first mentioned. Name. Livery Company. Sheriff. Mayor. Pepperer - 1274 1276 - - - - Henry de Frowyck - 1286 - - - - John de Banquell - 1292- - - Walter de Fynchyngfeld Goldsmith ----- 1307 - - - - John de Wyndesore - ------- . . 1 3 14 - - - - Elias de Suffolk - - - Goldsmith - - (Thomas de Ley re was probably Alder -man some time between these dates.) i33i - - • - 1334 - - - - 1336 - - - 1337 - - - - 1343 - - - - 1347 - - - - 1348 - - - - 1365 - Date of Election. 1375- 1377- 1378. T 379- 1380. 1381. 1382. 1383. 1384. Aug. 31 Mar. 12 Goldsmith Goldsmith 1334 Robert le Bret - - John de Hyngeston - Henry de Seccheford Richard Costantyn - - Draper - - - 1321 William de Pontefract - - - - - - - 1338 Richard de Basingstoke Goldsmith - - 1347 Simon de Worstede - - Mercer - - - - - John de Mitford - - - Draper - - - 1364 John Maryns - - Robert Lucas - - Robert Warbulton John Maryns - - Robert Warbulton Robert Lucas - - Thomas Carleton Robert Warbulton Adam Bam me Goldsmith Goldsmith Broderer - Goldsmith 1382 (1390 1 1 396 B 2 > The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. Date of Election. Name. Livery Company. Sheriff. Mayor. 1385. Mar. 12 Robert Warbulton -------- - - 1386. „ „ Robert Warbulton -------- - - 1387. ,, „ Adam Bamme - - - Goldsmith - - 1388. „ ,, John Loveye - - - - Mercer - - - 1389 1389. „ „ John Loveye - - - - Mercer - - - 1390. ,, ,, John Loveye - - - - Mercer - - - - - 1 39 1. „ ,, John Loveye - - - - Mercer - - - 1392. (No record of an election, but probably John Loveye.) 1393. Mar. 12 John Loveye - - - - Mercer - - - 1394. ,, „ William Evote - - - Draper - - 1400 1402. ( m ,/l"f,' w „.) John Wodecok - - Mercer 1397 1405 1408. (, w t D knw»i) Walter Cottone - - - Mercer - - - 141 1 141 7. Jan. — Thomas Aleyn - - - Mercer - - - 1414 1423. June — John Botiller - - - - Mercer - - - 141 9 - - 142^. Oct. K William Estfield - - - Mercer - - - 1422 -J 1446. May 27 William Cantelowe - - Mercer - 1448 1461. Nov. — John Stokton - - - - Mercer - - 1467 1470 1470. Dec. 14 Humphrey Hayford - - Goldsmith - - 1467 1477 1473. J u b T J 6 Edmund Shaa - - - Goldsmith - - 1474 1482 1485. Nov. 7 Ralph Tilney - - - - Grocer - - 1488 1487. Mar. 14 William Isaack - - - Draper - - - 1488 1499. Apr. 9 Thomas Wyndout - - Mercer - - - 1497 1500. July 16 William Browne - - - Mercer - - - 1491 1507 1504. May 7 William Stede - - - Grocer - - - 1500 1506. Oct. 16 Christopher Hawes - - Mercer - 1503 1508. Dec. 5 Thomas Exmewe - - Goldsmith - - 1508 15 17 1529. Mar. 2 William Forman - Haberdasher- - 1533 1538 1547. ,, 3 Augustine Hynde - - Clothworker - - 1550 1554- Aug. 30 John Whyte - - Grocer- - 1556 1563 1558. Mar. 31 Alexander Avenon - - Ironmonger ■ - 1561 1569 1566. Dec. 17 Rowland Hayward - Clothworker - 1563 . I ^'° 1 57 t. Nov. 6 John Braunche - - Draper - 1571 1580 1586. Oct. 28 William Elkyn - - Mercer - - - 1586 1588. April 1 John Catcher - - - - Pewterer - - - 1587 1596. July 27 Thomas Skinner - - - Clothworker - - 1587 1596 1597. Feb. 10 Robert Hampson - - Merchant-Taylor 1598 - - The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 7 Date of Election. Name. Livery Company. Sheriff. Mayor. 1602. June 22 John Swynnerton - - Merchant-Taylor 1602 161 2 161 7. Feb. ig William Holliday - - Mercer - - - 161 7 - - 1624. April 6 John Hudson - - - - Upholder- - - - - 1624. ,, 13 Thomas Overman - - Leatherseller - - 1624. „ 20 Rowland Heylin - - Ironmonger - - 1624 1632. Mar. 13 Samuel Cranmer - - - Brewer - - 1631 1640. Nov. 10 John Towse - - - - Grocer - - 1640 1645. J une : 7 Samuel Avery- - - - Merchant -Taylor 1647 1647. Sept. 23 William Methold - - - Skinner - - - - - - - 1647. Oct. 10 Christopher Pack - - Draper - - - 1649 ^54 1653. Sept. 27 Tempest Milner - - - Merchant-Taylor 1656 - - 1657. May 12 Samuel Langham - - Grocer - - - 1657. June 11 John Heather - - - Grocer - - 1657. ,, 24 Thomas Bromsall - - Draper - - - - - 1657. Aug. 11 Henry Hodges - - - Dyer - - - - 1657. „ 20 Robert White - - - - Leatherseller- - 1657. Sept. 8 William Worm well - - Vintner - - - 1657. Oct. 6 Nicholas Cooke - - - Innholder- - - 1657. ,, 23 Davy Davyson - - - Grocer 1657. Nov. 24 Walter Bigg - - - - Merchant-Taylor 1653 1658. Oct. 26 Samuel Lewis- - Merchant-Taylor 1658. Dec. 7 John Robinson Clothworker - 1657 1662 1663. Oct. 1 Richard Chiverton - Skinner 1650 1657 1667. Mar. 12 William Duncombe - - Mercer - - - 1668. Feb. 13 John Forth - - Brewer - - 1668 1676. June 15 Sir John Lethieullier - Barber-Surgeon- 1674 1676. July 4 Sir John Shorter - - Goldsmith - 1675 1687 1683. Oct. 1686. May 1687. July 1687. i) 1687. Aug APPOINTED BY ROYAL COMMISSION. 16* Sir Benjamin Bathurst 4* Thomas Fowle - - Goldsmith - 1686 - - if Sir Jeremy Sambrooke ----- 7t William Delawood 6f Sir John Shorter - - - Goldsmith - - 1675 1687 * Dates nil which the Royal Commissions were read in the Court of Aldermen f Dates on which the Royal Commissions were issued ; these three are preserved in the irehives of the Corporation. 8 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. Date of 1688. 171 I. I723- 1743- 1759- 1767. 1793- 1807. 1843. 1874. Election. Name. Oct. g Sir Thomas Stampe - - July 31 William Stewart - - - June 20 Sir John Williams - - May 9 John Blachford - - - Sept. 29 John Cartwright - - - Feb. 6 Sir James Esdaile - - April 10 William Staines - - - Sept. 14 Matthew Wood - - - Oct. 6 Thomas Challis - - - Aug. 31 Henry Edmund Knight Livery Company. Draper - - - Barber-Surgeon - Mercer - - - Goldsmith - - Fishmonger - - Cooper - - - Carpenter - - - Fishmonger - - Butcher - - - Spectacle Maker Sheriff. Mayor. 1676 1711 1729 1745 1761 1766 1796 T809 1846 1875 1 69 I 1721 1735 175° 1777 1800 Il8l5 H816 1852 1882 Biographical Notes OF The aldermen of cripplegate Ward. HENRY DE FROWYCK, Pepperer. He first appears as an Alderman of Cripplegate in 1276, and is again named as Alderman of that Ward in the earliest list {arc. 1285) extant in the City's Records. He was appointed Custos or Warden for the King in the year 1 27 1 and served as Sheriff in 1274. The occasion of his appointment as Custos was as follows : — "Upon the Feast of Saint Martin (11 November), the members of the King's Council, seeing that it would be of no use to any further delay this matter [the election of Mayor], called before them the Aldermen, as well as Walter (Herevy) and his adherents, and said to them — " His Lord- ship the King wishes to preserve all your liberties unimpaired ; and as you cannot unanimously agree to the election of the same person as Mayor, it is his will, that both Walter Herevy and Phillip le Taillur shall be re- moved from the Mayoralty, and that you shall have a Warden from among ourselves — ■' who for me may keep the City in my behalf, and in that of Edward my son.' And immediately thereupon, Henry de Frowick was made Warden of the City, to keep the same until the Feast of Saint Hilary (13 January) next ensuing; but at whatever hour the citizens should be willing unanimously to agree upon the same person for Mayor, they were to present him to his lordship the King : and the King, removing Henry from the Wardenship of the City, would willingly admit him to the Mayoralty." 1 His Will 8 was enrolled in 1286, on Monday next before the Feast of S. Dunstan [19 May], and is to this effect : — To 3 Isabella his wife rents in the parishes of S. Dunstan towards the Tower and S. Matthew in Fridaystrate. To John his son rents (1) Chronicles of the Mayors and Sheriffs of London, p. 157. (2) Calendar of Wills. Vol. I, p. 76. (3) Daughter of Thomas de Durham. io The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. before the gate of S. Martin le Grand in the parish of S. Michael. To Reginald his son houses in Melkstrate and Yvilane, and a garden in the parish of S. Giles, with four adjacent houses. To William and Stephen his sons shops in Eldefistrate, parish of S. Vedast. To Thomas his son a shop and rents in Westchep ; and to Anke'tin his son rents in the parish of S. Agnes. To Johanna, Rosamund and Johannetta his daughters, shops and rents in Eldefistrate and elsewhere in the parish of S. Vedast, and at the Red Cross. In the reign of Henry III the conduit in Newgate Street was built at the charges of Henry Frowyck and Sir Henry Basynges. 1 A grandson of Henry de Frowyck was one of the " three pious citi- zens " who in the year 1356 gave considerable property for the endowment of a chantry in the Guildhall Chapel ; another descendant in the person of Sir Henry Frowyck, Mercer, Alderman of Bassishaw Ward (elected 1 7 July, 1424), was Mayor 1435 ar *d again in 1444, and was one of the four members for the City in the Parliaments of 1422, 1423, 1437, 1447, 1450. A monument was erected in the Guildhall Chapel to his memory in 1460."' In the year 1246 Laurence de Frowyck was one of the Sheriffs, and during his year of office " the citizens of London took Queen- H\ the, they paying a yearly rent of fifty pounds to Earl Richard, and sixty shillings to the Sick of St. Giles's without London." 1 ' From this entry it is fair to presume that the Sheriff had some connection with the parish of St. Giles's, Cripplegate, wherein was a Hospital for the sick, and that being so, he possibly may have been Alderman of the Ward and a relative of Henry de Frowyck. Henry de Frowyck was son of Thomas de Frowyck of Old Ford, Hertfordshire. In the Calendar of Letter Book A, (p. 194), the following appears :— Sheriffs of London, 1274. Pledges of Henry de Frowyck. ( Gregory de Rokesle/ ( Reginald de Kantebregge,'"' Sworn to pay the ferm of the City and preserve its liberties. Henry de Frowyck was buried in Grey Friars Church. (1) Foss' Biograpliia Juridica. p. 283. (2) Stow. (3) Chronicles of the Mayors and Sheriffs, p. 13. (4) Gregory de Rokesle was one of the richest goldsmiths of the clay, and served (lie office of Mayor in 1275 and the six following years, and part of 1285. (5) Little is known of Reginald de Cantebrigge : hut he appears to have died before 1284. Hust. Roll. 14 (210). The " ferm of the City " probably refers to the sum of ,£300/(7 annum paid to the Crown by the City for the Sheriffwick of Middlesex, or perhaps (as Mr. Horace Round insists) for the Sheriffwick of London and Middlesex. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. i i JOHN DE BANQUELL. The City's Records afford us but scanty information of John de Banquell or Batquell, as the name is variously recorded, beyond the fact that at one time he filled the office of " Common Clerk " (or as we should say, at the present day, " Town Clerk ") of the City. His City residence or " mansion house " appears to have been in close proximity to the Guildhall. In 1286, and again in 1293, we find certain deeds in the Court of Husting, conveying to him divers tenements in that locality which the City had previously acquired from Sir Roger de Clifford. The property thus conveyed became famous in the cloth trade for many centuries as Blackwell Hall. The origin of the Alderman's family name is one of conjecture, but there appears good reason for supposing that his family originally hailed from Bakewell, in Derbyshire. On the other hand, a writer on Jewish history favours the belief that " Bakewell " Hall (as it was sometimes spelt) was once a public building of the London Jews, and is " probably a corruption of Bathwell Hall, the bathing place or Mikveh of the Jewesses, where they used to perform the ritual lavations prescribed by Rabbinic law." ' However this may be, Black- well Hall continued to be the great city emporium for foreign cloth down to the present century, the building being eventually removed in 1820 to make room for the erection of various law courts. Banquell appears to have succeeded Henry de Frowyck as Alderman of Cripplegate on the decease of the latter in or about the year 1286,- and to have continued alderman of that ward until his removal to Dowgate in 1291 in succession to Gregory de Rokesle, who died on the 13 July of that year. :t That Banquell enjoyed the confidence of the King no less than that of his fellow citizens is evinced by the fact that in 1296 he was selected as escort to Cardinal Albano on his journey to Scotland to negotiate with Edward 1 a truce with France,' and two years later was one of those specially commissioned by the same King to see that his ordinances made for safeguarding the city were strictly observed. 5 He met his death in 1308 by the fall of a wall whilst witnessing the Coro- nation of Edward II in \Yestminster Abbey. 6 (1) Sec The London Jewry, 12Q0 — a lecture delivered at the Anglo-Jewish Historical Exhibition, Royal Albert Hall, 5 May, 1887, by Joseph Jacobs, 15. A. (2) His will was proved in the Court of Husting in May, 1286. — Calendar oj Wilh, Vol. I, p. 76. (3) Dictionary of National Biography. (4) Calendar, Letter Hook />'. p. 239. (5) Riley's Memorials, pp. 35, 36. (6) Chron. Ed. I & 1 1 ( Rolls Series), i, 153. 12 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. WALTER DE FYNCHINGFELD. Goldsmith. He is first mentioned as Alderman in 1292, 1 his name also appears in the list of the Aldermen for 1293, 2 and is many times men- tioned as Alderman between this date and 1307. He does not seem to have served the office of Sheriff, but he appears to have been one of the sureties of Robert de Cantebrugge, who was one of the Sheriffs, 1284. His death occurred previous to 13 10. He early took part in City work, as we find his name appearing arc. 1285 as one of the two "reputable men sworn of every Ward to consult with the Aldermen on Common Affairs of the City of London " for the Ward of Cripplegate. 3 His is the first known instance of a member of the " Common Council " afterwards attaining the position of Alderman of Cripplegate. He was one of the two members of Parliament for London in 1 298/ in i299, 5 and again in 1304-5. The Parliament of 1298 met at York, 25 May, and sat probably for a few days only, that of 1299 was summoned to Westminster, and that of 1304-5 sat at West- minster, from 22 January to 21 March. Walter de Fynchingfeld was one of six chosen in 1306, on the direction of the King (Edward I), by the Aldermen and Citizens, to superintend the affairs of the City on the occasion when John le Blount, the Mayor, was made knight in company with Edward, the eldest son of the King, and a number of others, previous to the mission to Scotland to put down the rebellion of Bruce. 6 The mayor, with the other new knights, probably accompanied the King. Fynchingfeld himself had previously travelled to Scotland in 1299 with Henry le Galeys and Elias Russel to treat with the King for a confirmation of the City's Charter, and other weighty matters affecting the City. 7 His son Walter, described as Walter de Fynchingfeld the younger, married a daughter of Henry de Frowyck. Another son, "Albric," devised a plot of land towards the maintenance of the fabric of St. Giles' Church, circa 13 10. (1) Hust. Roll. 21 (48). (4) London and the Kingdom. Vol. 3, p. 473. (2) Letter Book C. fol. 6. (5) Letter Book C. fo. 28. (3) Cal. Letter Book A. p. 210. (6) Letter Book C. fo. 88. (7) Cal. Lettei Book B. p. 74. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 13 JOHN DE WYNDESORE. He is first mentioned as Alderman in 1307. 1 All that can be found respecting the above Alderman, is contained in the Will 2 of his brother William (1332), in which certain rents in the lane of S. Nicholas de Candehvykestrete, in the parish of S. Nicholas Hacoun are to be devoted to chantries in the church of S. Leonard, for the good of the testator's soul and the souls of Idonia his wife, his father and mother, and John his brother; and other rents without Crepelgate in the Parish of S. Giles to be devoted to the maintenance of wax in the same church and to charitable uses. His Livery Company cannot be traced. ELIAS DE SUFFOLK. Goldsmith. Only occasional references are made to this Alderman in the Hast- ing Rolls — these occurring between 13 14 and 1322. These references are of only a slight nature, just sufficient to fix the time during which he held the office. In 131 7 we find him described as Alderman of " Wodestrete," that street at the time being the most important street in the Ward. An interesting list of Aldermen appears in a general ward assessment for the purpose of raising a talliage levied for the King, anno 13 Edward II [a.d. i3i9-2o], :i and amongst these Aldermen, occurs the name of Elias de Suffolk, who is described as Alderman of "Crepelgate" and "Crepelgate Extra," thus showing that, even at this early date, the area of the Ward was contained both within and without the City walls, as at the present day. Elias de Suffolk was probably succeeded in the Aldermanry by Thomas de Leyre, but this is not clear. In 1331, one Thomas de Leyre makes a bequest of one hundred shillings to the New Hospital within Cripplegate, and other slight references point to the probability of his being Alderman of the Ward. (1) Husting Roll, (36) 30. (2) Calendar of Wills. Vol. I, p. 373. (3) Letter Book E. fo. 104b. 14 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. ROBERT LE BRET. Goldsmith. He is first mentioned as an Alderman in 1331. The following is an abstract of his Will ' :— " Bret (Robert le), goldsmith. His tenement in Melkstrete in the parish of S. Laurence in the Jewry to be sold to pay his debts and to fulfil his testament. To Agnes his daughter his shop in the Gold- smithery in the parish of S. Matthew de Fridaystrete. Dated London, Wednesday next after the Feast of Commemoration of Souls [2 Nov.] a.d. 1334." JOHN DE HYNGESTON. Goldsmith. Sheriff 1334. He is first mentioned as an Alderman 1334." Sheriff 1334, with Walter Turke, who was Mayor 13 so. The same name also appears in the first recognised list of the Common Council, as one of the six members for Cripplegate, 1347. This was probably a son of the Alderman, and of whose Will an abstract is here given 11 : — " Hyngeston (John de), goldsmith. — The residue of debts due to him to be divided into three parts, whereof one part is to be devoted to the good of his soul, the second part to go to Isabella his wife, and the third to his children To Simon his son in tail a tenement in Wodestret which he purchased of the executor of Henry atte More, provided that his own debts shall have been satisfied by the payment of what is due to him ; remainder to William his son in tail ; remainder to his infant en ventre sa mere; remainder over. The said Isabella and Simon de Worstede [who was then Alderman of Cripplegate] appointed guardians of Gilbert Bordeyn, his kinsman, and of Johanna, sister of the said Gilbert, until they shall come of age. Dated at Wodestrete, Palm Sunday [5 April], a.d. 1349." (1) Calendar of Wills. Vol. I, p. 410. (2) Hust. Roll, 62 (27) (37). (3) Calendar of Wills. Vol. I, p. 594. The Aldermen of ' C rift ft legate Ward. 15 HENRY DE SECCHEFORD. He is first mentioned as Alderman (of Aldersgate Ward) in 1320, 1 and from time to time is also mentioned as one of the Aldermen of the above or other Wards, until 1336, when we find him Alderman of Cripplegate. He was appointed Chamberlain in October, 1328, in succession to Andrew Horn, 2 the executors of the late Chamberlain rendering their account in August of the following year as follows : — " To all the faithful in Christ to whom these present letters shall come, John de Grantham, Mayor, the Aldermen, and the other citizens of the City of London, greeting in the Lord. Whereas, Sir William Horn, Rector of the Church of Retherhethe, John atte Vyne, and Master John de London, Notary, executors of the Will of Andrew Horn, late our Chamberlain of the Guildhall of London, being lawfully called before us to render account for the same Andrew . . . Whereupon, after computing all things that ought to be computed, as well for the receipts as the expenditure of the said Andrew . . . and which are set forth in the roll of his receipts and expenses, had been by him faithfully expended on the business of the said city. And in like manner, the said executors did deliver up all the different things to the Chamber of the Guildhall aforesaid pertaining, which the said Andrew had held in his charge, unto Henry de Seccheford, the present Chamberlain, by indenture between them and the same Henry made, as in the same indenture is more fully contained." :1 The last mention of Seccheford, as Chamberlain, is in 1335, but he probably retained the office, together with that of Alderman of Cripplegate, until his death in 1337. The following is an interesting extract taken from Letter Book E, fo. 232. ' "Moneys expended by Henry de Seccheford, Chamberlain of the Guildhall of London, the account being rendered in the month of July, \.i>. 1332, in the sixth year of the reign of King Edward, after the Conquest the Third ; — The said Henry renders account . . . Also for 25/. 7s. 5^/. paid for divers presents sent to Sir Geoffrey Lescrope, John de Eltham, brother of the present King, and then Guardian of England, Master Henry de (1) Letter Book E. fo. [04b. (3) Riley's Memorials, pp. 1 76 7. (2) Id. fo. 189. (4) Id. pp. 185-186. 1 6 The Atdermen of Cripplegate Ward. Clifford, deputy of the Chancellor, and the Bishop of Norwich, as set forth in four sums in the Roll of Particulars. . . . Also, for 10/. \^s. 6d. paid to Sir Simon de Swanlond, late Mayor, for expenses incurred for the City at the Coronation of our Lady Phillipa, Queen of England, in the third year of our Lord the King now reigning, etc., as set forth in the particulars in the Roll of Expenses. Sum total of all expenses, 258/. 8s. short by one halfpenny." His Will was enrolled 1 on Monday after the Feast of St. Martin [n November], a.d. 1339. "To Amy his daughter, a nun in the Church of S. Elena, an annual rent in the parish of S. Alban de Wodestrete for life ; remainder to Henry his son. His tenements in the parishes of S. Michael le Quern and S. Leonard in S. Vedast Lane to be devoted for the space of ten years after his decease to the maintenance of chantries for the good of his soul and the souls of Isolda and Matilda his wives, and to payment of his debts. Tenements and rents in the parishes of S. Agnes within Aldrichesgate, S. Nicholas Shambles, S. Margaret in Fridaystrete, etc., to be sold by his executors, and one hundred marks of the proceeds to be given to Matilda his daughter for her marriage, provided she marry with the consent of Alice her mother. All his tenements not sold to remain to Henry his son in tail. Dated Tuesday next after the Feast of S. Bartholomew [24 Aug.], a.d. 1337." " Whereupon came the aforesaid A/ice, widoiv of the testator, and put her claim as to doiver of the tenements devised for sale." He was one of the two members of Parliament for the City in 1323-4, 1325, 1326-7 and 1336."' All the Parliaments of which Seccheford was a member met at Westminster, that of 1323-4, from 23 February to 18 March; 1325, from 18 November to 5 December; 1326-7, from 7 January to 9 March; 1336, from 11 to 20 March, and afterwards at Nottingham, 23 to 26 September in the same year. His Livery Company cannot be traced. He was probably a Brewer in the parish of St. Michael le Quern. (1) Calendar of Wills. Vol. I, p. 435. (2) London and tlie Kingdom. Vol. Ill, pp. 474, 475. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 17 RICHARD COSTANTYN. Draper. Sheriff 1321. He is first found as the Alderman of Bassishaw Ward in 1320. 1 The first mention of him as Alderman of Cripplegate Ward is in 1337.- His Will, dated 6 January, 1342, orders that he "be buried in the church of S. Mary de Aldermanbury. To John his son he bequeaths ten pounds of silver . . . also two goblets of silver made after the fashion of glass ; a silver water-vessel ; two plain goblets, enamelled at the bottom, with covers, one enamel being of S. John the Baptist and another of S. Thomas the Martyr ; also a sapphire of value, a silver ring with precious stone, and a horn of ivory ; together with all his stock, crops, etc. in his manor of Hovydene " [Co. Suffolk ?]. He also makes other bequests. 3 WILLIAM DE PONTEFRACT. Sheriff 1338. The first mention of him as Alderman [of Cripplegate?] is in 1343. He seems to have been translated from Bishopsgate. His Livery Company cannot be traced. RICHARD DE BASINGSTOKE. Goldsmith. Sheriff 1347. He was probably Alderman the same year that he served the office of Sheriff. The following is an abstract of his Will, by which it will be seen he had a great interest in the Ward : — "To Richard, son of John de Guldeford, his godson, he leaves his tenement wherein he lived in the parish of S. Michael de Wodestrete. To Thomas his son he devises {inter alia) a brewery in the parish of S. Alban de Wodestrete, and another brewery called ' le Horssho ' in the same parish; also tene- ments in the parishes of S. Mary Magdalen de Melkstrete, S. Peter de Wodestret, S. Peter de Cornhull, and S. Mathew de Frydaystrete, subject to the payment of an annuity of forty shillings to Amy his daughter. His tenements in the parish of S. Laurence Jewry to be devoted to the maintenance of chantries in the church of S. Michael de Wodstret. . . . Dated London, Friday the Feast of Apostles Philip and James [1 May], A.D. 1349." ' (1) Letter Book E. fo. 104I). (2) HusHng Roll. 64(55). (3) Calendar of Wills. Vol. I, p. 482. (4) Id. Vol. I, p. 567. 1 8 The Aldermen of Cripple gate Ward. SIMON DE WORSTEDE. Mercer. His name appears as one of the six representatives of Cripplegate in the Court of Common Council, in the list of 1347. 1 He was probably elected alderman in 1348, on the death of Richard de Basingstoke, whose Will was proved as before stated. He is frequently mentioned as one of the Aldermen almost up to the date of his Will, 2 which is dated 1364 and enrolled 1366, in which he is described as Alderman. By his Will he orders that he shall be buried in the church of S. Alban de Wodestret, near to the tomb of his children. He bequeaths to his wife tenements in the parishes of S. Alban de Wodestret, and S. Alphege, charged with the maintenance of a chantry in the chapel of S. Mary in the church of S. Alban. By the Will 3 (a.d. 1349) of John de Hyngeston (see page 14), he was appointed one of the guardians of the testator's kinsmen. JOHN DE MITFORD. Draper. Sheriff 1364. He is mentioned as Alderman of Cripplegate in 1368, and as being present at the election of William Walworth and Robert Gaytone as Sheriffs 1370/ but was probably elected in 1365. In his Will 3 he orders that he "be buried in the chancel of the church of S. Mary Magdalen in Milkstrete, and bequeaths to Johanna his wife all his lands and tenements in the City of London and suburbs for life . . . remainder to the rector and parishioners of the Church of S. Mary aforesaid, for the maintenance of chantries for the good of his soul, the souls of Johanna his wife, John his son, Juliana his daughter, and others . . . Bequests to the Fraternity of S. John the Baptist of the Guild of Tailors ... to various orders of friars, and to the church of S. Mary aforesaid . . . To Henry Padyngton he leaves a grypeshey [cup made of a vulture's (?) egg] garnished with silver gilt, and to John, son of the same, seven silver goddettes [goblets]. Dated London, 31 July, a.d. 1375." (1) Riley's Memorials, p. lv. (3) Calendar of Wills. Vol. I, p. 594. (2) Calendar of Wills. Vol. II, pp. 95-6. (4) Riley's Memorials, p. 345 (5) Calendar of Wills. Vol. II, p. 181. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 19 JOHN MARYNS. Elected 31 August, 1375. The following is a translation of the first record of an election of an Alderman of Cripplegate, 1 by the inhabitants of the ward : — " Friday, viz. : — the last day of August the 49th year of the reign of King Edward the Third. John Maryns was elected Alderman of the Ward of Crepulgate by good men of the same Ward and was pre- sented to the Mayor and admitted and sworn to faithfully perform the things appertaining to his office." He is mentioned as being present on the first day of August, 1376, with the Mayor, eleven of the Aldermen and "an immense number of the Commonalty, when there was added to the Common Seal of the City of London, in their presence, a certain sign called a " mo/et," and the same stands, or is placed, in a small port, which is in the same Seal beneath the feet of St. Paul." 2 He remained in office until March, 1377, when the first of the Annual Elections took place, at which (in consequence of the new order forbidding re-election until after the interval of a year) he was ineligible. He is not heard of again as alderman, and probably died in 1381, when we find the Will of John Maryns, apothecary, in which he leaves to John, his son, " the reversion of tenements in the parish of S. Giles without Crepulgate in tail." 3 His Livery Company cannot be traced. ROBERT LUCAS. Goldsmith. Presented and Sworn 12 March, 1377. 4 This election was the first in Cripplegate under a Precept by the Mayor (51 Edward III, a.d. 1377) that all Aldermen should vacate their offices and should not be re-elected. The Will of Robert Lucas'' is dated 2 September, 1382, and orders that he is "to be buried in the Monastery of Westminster;" and he (1) Letter Book H. fo. 21. (3) Calendar of Wills. Vol. II, p. 248. (2) Riley's Memorials, p. 400. (4) Letter Book II. f<>. 58. (5) Calendar of Wills. Vol. II, p. 230. 20 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. devises to " Margaret his wife a life interest in his dwelling-house in the parish of S. Michael in Hoggenlane ; remainder in trust for sale for pious uses for the good of his soul, the souls of Isabella his former wife and others." Stow also says that : " He bequeathed to the Fabric of the church of S. Michael Wood Street ,£40, to buy two copes to serve in the said church ten Marks, and also to the Monastery of Westminster ^20." ' ROBERT WARBULTON. Presented and Sworn 2 March, 1387. 2 The following is an abstract of his Will, 3 dated n June, 1387: — " Makes his testament as to those tenements in the City of London which formerly belonged to John Aubrey, and of which he had been enfeoffed jointly with others. His share in the said tenements he leaves to William Parker and Dionisius Lopham until such time as his executors have been repaid the sum of eighty pounds disbursed by him in various ways on behalf of the said John Aubrey, after which his said share is to be surrendered to his joint feoffees to carry out the terms of John Aubrey's will." His Livery Company cannot be traced. JOHN MARYNS. Presented and Sworn for the second time 12 March, 1379/ ROBERT WARBULTON. Presented and Sworn for the second time 12 March, 1380/ ROBERT LUCAS. Presented and Sworn for the second time 12 March, 1381. 6 (1) But this is not found in the Will as proved and enrolled in the Hitsting Roll in (56), as above quoted. (2) Letter Book H. fo. 84. (4) Letter Book H. fo. 106. (3) Calendar of Wills. Vol. II, p. 262. (5) Id., fo. I2lb. (6) Id., fo. 132. The Aldermen of Ci-ipplegate Ward. 2 1 THOMAS CARLETON. Broderer. Presented and Sworn 12 March, 1382. 1 We find him as Alderman of Coleman Street Ward in 1388.- He was one of the four members of Parliament for London which sat at Westminster from 6 to 24 October, 1382. The following is an extract from his Will, 3 and can be taken as a good example of a Will of an Alderman of the period : — " Monday next after F. of SS. Perpetua and Felicitas [7 March], 1389. "Carleton (Thomas) 'brouderer.' — To be buried in S. John the Baptist's Chapel within the north gate of S. Paul's. To the Master of the Fraternity of S. John the Baptist, London, its four wardens, and their successors he leaves a rent charge on his tenements in the parish of S. Alban in Wodstrete at the corner of Adelane, for the maintenance of a chantry in the aforesaid chapel ; in default the said rent to go to the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the City for the same purpose. Bequests also of a vestment of blue silk, namely, a chasuble with white amice, stole, phanon, girdle, together with two frontals, two curtains, two towels, a cushion for supporting a book, a chalice with corporas and cover, two cruets, a bell, and a paxbred of silver to serve in the said chapel. Five marks to be expended upon a marble slab to put over his place of burial, having his shield of arms worked in laton in the middle of a cross and a record of the day of his decease. To Johanna his wife he leaves all his tenements, rents, etc., and a tenement called ' le lyon on the hope,' with shops, etc., in Wodestrete in the parish of S. Alphege, for life, unless the same has to be sold to discharge his debts ; remainder to Agnes his daughter in tail ; remainder in trust for sale for pious and charitable uses. Bequests also to the churches of S. Peter de Wodstrete in Chepe and S. Alban in Wodstrete; to Emma his mother, William his brother, Marion his wife's sister, and others. To the aforesaid chantry he further leaves in reversion two books, viz., a Bible (unam bibletecam) and a Legend of .Saints. Dated 25 December, A.I). 1382." (1) Letter Book H. fo. 140. (2) Id. fo. 226. (3) Calendar of Wills. Vol. II, pp. 272-3. C 2 22 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. ROBERT WARBULTON. Elected for the third time 12 March, 1383. 1 He was elected for Bassishaw Ward in the following year. 2 ADAM BAMME. Goldsmith. Presented and Sworn 12 March, 1384. Sheriff 1382. Mayor 1390, and again 1396. Adam Bamme was a candidate for the Mayoralty in 1389, being strongly supported by the Goldsmiths, the Mercers, and the Drapers, but the majority of the citizens voted for William Venour, a Grocer. 3 He served the office of Third Warden of the Goldsmiths' Company in 1373, and that of Prime Warden, or Upper Warden as the ofhee was then called, in 1377. 4 He was also one of the four Members of Parliament for London which met at Cambridge, and sat from 9 September to 17 October, 1388, and the following extract from Letter Book H (Norman-French) fo. 245, 5 respecting the payment of the Members of Parliament for the City, is interesting : — " Expenses incurred in attending Parliament at Cauntebrigge by Adam Bamme, Henry Vanner, William Tonge and John Clenhond. " In the first place, — for timber and carpentry, tilers, and daubers, in preparing the house for their lodging, as well the chambers as the hall, buttery, kitchen, and stables for the horses ; and for making stoles and fourmes throughout, and for carting out the rubbish, such house being quite ruinous : as also, for payment made to the good man of the house, for the said lodging, £6 gs. " Also, — for cloth bought for napery, for canvas, doser and costers for the hall, of striped worstede ; and for all other utensils, many in number, that pertain unto the hall, kitchen, pantry, and buttery ; save and except vessels of pewter only, which were bought by the Chamber- lain of the Guildhall, £6 1 6s. Sd. "Also for firewood, charcoal, to rf and segge, ,£5 13J. Also, for the hire of horses and for hay and oats, and for straw for the beds, as well as for litter for the horses; and for horse shoeing, ^12 15s. jd. . . . Also, — (1) Letter Book H. fo. 163. (2) Id. fo. 174. (3) London and the Kingdom. Vol. I, p. 239. (4) MS. Records of the Goldsmiths' Company. (5) Riley's Memorials, pp. 511, 512, The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 23 for expenses incurred by the aforesaid Bam me, Vanner, etc., and their servants in riding on horseback to Cauntebrigge, and back ; and for carriage of their wine, and all their harness thither and back, — £1 i6.y. &d. Also, for two pipes of red wine taken thither from London, and for other wine bought at Cauntebrigge, — ^9 2s. Also, for vestments for them and their servants, arrayed in like suit, — ^22 15s. Also, — expended at Cauntebrigge throughout the time of the Parliament, on bread, ale, flesh-meat, fish, candles, sauce, the lauender, and in gifts to the minstrels of the King, and of other lords ; together with divers other outlays made, — ^23 $s. gd. " Also, — for payments made to their officials, such as steward, butler, cook, and others ; and to vadlets helping in the kitchen, and elsewhere, ^7 135. 4d. Sum total, ^112 js." The above extract shows that Members of Parliament for the City at this period had all their expenses paid in connection with fulfilling the duties of their office. It also gives a luminous idea of the cost and style of living in the fourteenth century. In addition to the expenses of the Members being paid, they also had certain allowances by way of "duties," "fees," or "wages" for their attendance in Parliament, besides gowns, robes or liveries for themselves and their servants. Adam Bamme no doubt enjoyed all the above-mentioned perquisites in the way of gowns, etc., and in addition received the fee or wage of two shillings a day to which he was entitled as a burgess. Stow writes : "Adam Bamme, goldsmith, mayor 1391, in a great dearth, procured corn from parts beyond the seas to be brought hither in such abundance as sufficed to serve the city, and the countries near adjoining ; to the furtherance of which good work he took out of the orphans' chest in the Guildhall two thousand marks to buy the said corn, and each alderman laid out twenty pounds to the like purpose." He died in his second Mayoralty, 6 June, 1397, Richard Whitington taking his place for the remainder of the term, by order of the King, and also succeeding him as Alderman of Lime Street Ward. Whitington was elected by the citizens in the usual form in the following year. Adam Bamme was buried in the Church of St. George, Botolph Lane. His son Richard held the Manor of Tillingham, Kent, in 1432. 24 The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. ROBERT WARBULTON. Presented and Sworn for the fourth time 12 March, 1385. 1 ROBERT WARBULTON. Presented and Sworn for the fifth time 12 March, 1386." ADAM BAMME. Elected for the second time 12 March, 1387.' At the end of his year of office he migrated to Cheap. Adam Bamme's record is rather remarkable. He served the office of Alderman of Aldersgate Ward in 1382, Cripplegate Ward 1384 and 1387, Cheap Ward 1388, 1389, 1390 and 1391, Lime Street Ward from 1393 until his death in 1397. JOHN LOVEYE. 4 Mercer. Presented and Sworn 12 March, 1388. 5 Sheriff 1389. He was one of the four Members of Parliament for London 6 in the Parliament which sat at Westminster from 12 November to 3 December, 1390, and Member for Middlesex in that which sat at Gloucester, 20 October to 2 December, 1407. JOHN LOVEYE. Presented and Sworn for the second time 12 March, 1389,' JOHN LOVEYE. Presented and Sworn for the third time 12 March, 1390. 8 (1) Letter Book H. fo. 189b. (2) Id., fo. 200. (3) Id., fo. 215. (4) In the list of M.P's in the Blue Book the name is spelt " Loveneye." (5) Letter Book H. fo. 226. (6) London and the Kingdom. Vol. Ill, p. 478. Letter Book If, fo. 253. On fo. 255 William More is given in place of John Loveye. (7) Letter Book H. fo. 240. (8) Id., fo. 248b. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. JOHN LOVEYE, Presented and Sworn for the fourth time 12 March, 1391. 1 1392. In this year the King's Commission sat at Eton, co. Bucks ; the Mayor, Sheriffs and Aldermen were convicted of several mis- carriages, and the liberty of the City (by the judgment of the Court) seized into the King's hands. The King, by the advice of his Council at Windsor, " constituted Baldwyn Radington, Mayor, in the room of John Hynde"; two other Sheriffs and twenty-four Aldermen, to hold during the King's pleasure. 2 It may be taken as certain, though no official record of his election is extant, that John Loveye was again Alderman of the 'Ward this year. He was present as an Alderman on St. Edward's Day (13 October), when William Staundon was elected Mayor. JOHN LOVEYE. Presented and Sworn for the sixth time 12 March, 1393. 1 WILLIAM EVOTE. Draper. Presented and Sworn 12 March, 1394. He is mentioned as Sheriff in 1400, and as one of the Aldermen present at the first election of Richard Whitington as Mayor, 1397 ; 4 he was also present as an Alderman of another Ward (Coleman Street), when Whitington was elected Sheriff in 1392,'' and in this same year he was chosen one of the Auditors of the Accounts. ° He was the first of the Aldermen of Cripplegate who, by the order of King Richard II, 1393/ were " not to be removed without good and reasonable cause"; he retained his office until 1402, when he either resigned or died, John Wodecok being elected in his place. (1) Letter Book H. fo. 258. (4) Riley's Memorials, p. 546. (2) Maitland. p. 180. (5) id. p. 533. (3) Letter Book H. fo. 279b. (6) Id. p. 534. (7) Letter Book II. fo. 291. 26 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. JOHN WODECOK. Mercer. Sheriff 1397. Mayor 1405. He was one of the four Wardens of the Mercers' Company in 1398 and again in 1408. He is mentioned as one of the Sheriffs present at the first election of Whitington as Mayor, 1397. ' He was then in all probability Alder- man of Coleman Street Ward, although proof of this is wanting. He served the office of Mayor 1405, and it was previous to presiding in that capacity at the election of his successor (Whitington, for his third term of office) that the first religious service previous to the election of Mayor of which we have any account took place. The account of the proceedings in connection with this is interesting, and is as follows 2 : — " On Wednesday, the Feast of the Translation of St. Edward the King and Confessor [13 October] in the 8th year, etc. [of the reign of Henry IV], John Wodecok, Mayor of the City of London, considering that upon the same day he and all the Aldermen of the said city and as many as possible of the wealthier and more substantial Commoners of the same city, ought to meet at the Guildhall, as the usage is, to elect a new Mayor for the ensuing year, ordered that a Mass of the Holy Spirit should be celebrated, with solemn music, in the Chapel annexed to the said Guildhall ; to the end that the same Commonalty, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, might be able peacefully and amicably to nominate two able and proper persons to be Mayor of the said city for the ensuing year, by favour of the clemency of Our Saviour, according to the customs of the said city. Which Mass having in the said Chapel been solemnly celebrated, there being present thereat the said John Wodecok, the Mayor, John Prestone, Recorder, Nicholas Wottone and Geoffrey Broke, Sheriffs, the Prior of the Holy Trinity, John Hadlee, William Staundone, Richard Whytyngtone, Drew Barentyn, Thomas Knolles, John Shadworth, William Askham, William Bramptone, John Warner, William Walderne, William Venour, Robert Chychely, Thomas Fauconer, Thomas Polle, (1) Riley's Memorials, p. 546. (2) Id. p. 565. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward, 27 William Louthe, William Crowmere, Henry Bartone and Henry Pount- freyt, Aldermen, and many reputable Commoners of the City aforesaid ; the same Mayor, Recorder, Sheriffs, Aldermen and Commoners, entered the Guildhall, where the precept of the said Mayor and Aldermen, as the cause of the said congregation was becomingly set forth and declared by the said Recorder to the Commoners aforesaid ; to the end that such Commoners should nominate unto the said Mayor and Aldermen, such able and proper persons as had before filled the office of Sheriff in the City aforesaid ; it being for the said Commoners to take no care which one of the persons so to be nominated should be chosen by the Mayor and Aldermen to be Mayor for the ensuing year. Which being done, the said Mayor, Recorder, Sheriffs and Aldermen, went up into the Chamber of the Mayor's Court, within the Guildhall aforesaid, there to await the nomination of such two persons. Whereupon, the Commoners peacefully and amicably, without any clamour or discussion, did becomingly nominate Richard Whytyngtone, Mercer, and Drew Barentyn, goldsmith, through John Westone, Com- mon Countor of the said city, and presented the same. And hereupon, the Mayor and Aldermen, with closed doors in the said Chamber chose Richard Whytyngtone aforesaid, by guidance of the Holy Spirit, to be Mayor of the City for the ensuing year ; after which, the Mayor and Aldermen coming down from the Chamber into the Hall, to the Commoners there assembled, as the custom is, notified by the Recorder unto the same Commoners, how that, by Divine inspiration, the lot had fallen upon the said Richard Whytyngtone, as above stated. And further, the said Commoners unanimously entreated the Mayor and Aldermen, that they would ordain that in every future year, on the day of the Translation of St. Edward, a Mass of the Holy Spirit, for the reasons before stated should be celebrated, before the election of Mayor, in the Chapel aforesaid. And hereupon the Mayor and Alder- men, considering the entreaty of the said Commoners to be fair, reasonable, and consonant with right, and especially to the glory and laud of God, and to the honour of the said city, by assent and consent of the said Commoners, did ordain and decree that every year in future a solemn Mass with music shall be celebrated in presence of the Mayor and Aldermen; the same Mass, by ordinance of the Chamberlain for the time being, to be solemnly rhaunted by the finest singers in the Chapel aforesaid, and upon that beast." 28 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. John Wodecok seems to have died possessed of considerable property. In his Will he directs that he shall be "buried in the church of S. Alban in Wodestrete," and makes many bequests to the same church, and " for the maintenance of divers chantries therein for the good of his soul, the souls of William his father, Johanna his mother, and others. Bequests to the churches of S. Mary Magdalen de Mylkstrete, S. Michael de Bassyngeshawe," and others, and to various hospitals and orders of friars ; to the nuns in the house called le Menoresse without Algate, the nuns of the houses of S. John de Clerkenwell, Halywell, S. Elena within Bisshopesgate, and S. Katherine near the Tower, "to prisoners in Newgate and Ludgate, the Flete, Marshalsea, and King's Bench, etc. His funeral to be con- ducted without pomp ; leaves fifty pounds for its expenses . . . To Felicia his wife, by way of dower and her reasonable part, he leaves two thousand marks sterling, and all utensils, ustilments, linen and woollen cloths, etc., appertaining to his house, together with certain char -geours, platers ; silver saucers, a silver pouderbox, etc. . . . also his lands, tenements and rents in the parish of S. Alban de Wodestrete ... To John and William his sons, Johanna and Philippa his daughters, he leaves two thousand marks sterling, to be divided among them," and to the above named sons, his estates and manors in Kent, Surrey and Essex. This Will was dated 29 November, 1408, and proved 24 February, 1413. 1 In his year of office "great abuses were now committed in the River Thames by Fishermen and others, in erecting great numbers of Wears, in the said River, which proved not only defective to the young fry, but also greatly endamaged the Navigation thereof; for the remedying of which Sir John Woodcock, the Mayor, caused all the said Wears from Stanes to the river Medway, to be destroyed and the Nets burnt, which proceeding occasioned a great controversy at Law between Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury, &c, and the Mayor and citizens of London ; when at last, by virtue of the City Charter, it was adjudged in their favour." 2 Stow writes : "A monument in St. Alban, Wood Street." (1) Calendar of Wills. Vol. II, p. 397~9- (2) Maitland. Vol. I, pp. 184-5. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 29 WALTER COTTONE. Mercer. He is mentioned as Sheriff 141 1, and as one of the Aldermen present at the election of Nicholas Wottone, 1 as Mayor, 141 5, and proceeding with the other Aldermen and "an immense number of the Commonalty," on foot to Westminster, and having first made devout thanksgiving, with due solemnity in the Minster there, for the joyous news that had then arrived (the victory of Agincourt), the said Nicholas Wottone was by the said Aldermen and Commonalty presented before the Barons of the Exchequer of our Lord the King, at Westminster, admitted and sworn. One of the four Wardens of the Mercers' Company, 1415. He was discharged from his office of alderman through infirmity on the Morrow of S. Katherine (Nov. 25), 4 Henry V [1416]. 2 THOMAS ALEYN. Mercer. Probably elected January, 1417. Sheriff 1414. He is mentioned as being present as an Alderman at the election of Richard Whitington to his fourth Mayoralty, 1419. 3 He was one of the four Wardens of the Mercers' Company in 1404, 1 416, and again in 1422. The following is an abstract of his Will, 4 dated London, 8 July, a.d. 1437: — "Monday next before the Feast of St. Alphege, Bishop [19 April] 1448. To be buried according to directions contained in another will. To the perpetual vicar of the church of S. Laurence in the Old Jewry, and to the Wardens of the Fraternity and Light of the Holy Cross called ' Rodelight,' and of the lights of S. Katherine and S. Anne in the said church, he leaves certain shops near Sopereslane in the parish of S. Pancras for the maintenance of a chantry at the altar of Holy Cross in the aforesaid church for the good of his soul, the souls of Margery his wife and the brethren and sisters of the fraternity afore- said. In case of default made the shops to go over to the Master of the House or Church of S. Thomas the Martyr, called ' de Aeon,' for like purposes ; remainder, in case of default, to the relief of the poor of the Ward of Chepe on the occasion of a tax or talliage being levied on the King's behalf." (1) Riley's Memorials, p. 620. {2) Journal /. fo. 4b (City's Records). (3) Riley's Memorials, p. 676. (4) Calendar of Wills. Vol. II, pp. 514-15. J o The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. JOHN BOTILLER. Mercer. Probably elected June, 1423. Sheriff 1 1419. Elected to Farringdon Ward Within, 1 June, 1420, and remained there till his election to Cripplegate. He was one of the four Members of Parliament for London in 141 7, and is described in the Blue Book as John Botiller, Junior, Mercer. This Parliament met in the November of that year at Westminster, and sat till 17 December. One of the four Wardens of the Mercers' Company, 141 6. He died in 1423, and was buried in S. Peter's, Cheap. 2 WILLIAM ESTFIELD. Mercer. Sworn 5 October, 1423S Sheriff 1422. Lord Mayor 1429, and again in 1437. He was made a Knight of the Bath in his second Mayoralty. One of the four Wardens of the Mercers' Company, 1425, in 1429, and again in 1441. He lived in Aldermanbury, and was a public-spirited citizen. Stow writes : — " In this Aldermanbury street be divers fair houses on both the sides, meet for merchants or men of worship, and in the midst thereof is a fair conduit, made at the charges of William Eastfield, sometime Maior, who took order, as well for water to be conveyed from Teyborne, and for the building of this Conduit, not far distant from his dwelling House, as also for a Standard of sweet water to be erected in Fleet street, all which was done by his executors." Stow further writes : — " Sir William Eastfield, Knight of the Bath, Alderman and Maior 1438 [1437-8], a great Benefactor to that Church [St. Mary Aldermanbury], lies buried under a fair monument ; he also builded their Steeple, changed their old Bells into five tuneable Bells, and gave one hundred pounds to other Works of that Church. Moreover, he caused the Conduit in Aldermanbury, which he had begun, to be per- formed at his Charges, and Water to be conveyed by Pipes of Lead from (1) In the following year, John Botiller, " Draper," was Sheriff, but what relation, if any, to the " Mercer," does not appear. (2) Stocken MSS. (3) Journal 2. fo. 9b. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 31 Teyborne to Fleet street, as I have said ; and also from High Bery to the parish of St. Giles without Cripplegate, where the Inhabitants of those parts incastellated the same in sufficient Cisterns." This conduit was situated near the triangular space by Red Cross Street, White Cross Street, and St. Giles' Church. Estfield was Mayor when Henry VI was crowned, which was not till the eighth year of his reign (a.d. 1429). His claim to serve the King on that occasion in his official capacity, and to receive for his fee a gold cup and ewer, is entered in the City's Records as having been duly made by the mouth of the Recorder, according to the liberties and customs of the City. 1 There is evidence to carry back this custom to the Coronation of Richard I, the earliest Coronation of which any detailed account is preserved, and the service then claimed and per- formed by the citizens of London was called at that time an " antient service." The following lengthy abstract from the last of Estfield's two Wills 2 is here given as a fair example of the Wills of wealthy men of the period. It is dated London, 15 March, a.d. 1445, and enrolled Monday next after the Feast of S. Mathias, Apostle [24 February], 1446-7. " Estfeld (William), Knt., citizen and mercer, and Alderman of the City of London. — Testament touching his movables. To be buried in the Church of S. Mary de Aldermanbury. Directions as to funeral, which is to be conducted without display. The torches used at his funeral to be afterwards distributed among various churches. Bequests to the poor of the parishes of S. Mary de Aldermanbury, S. Peter near Powliswharf, S. Mary Somerset, S. Benedict at Powlis- wharf, and S. Laurence in the Jewry ; to the vicar and chaplains of the church of Tikhill [Yorkshire, of which county he was a native], the chaplain of the chapel in the castle of Tikhill, and the poor of the parish ; to the inmates of divers hospitals and prisons ; the lepers in and near London ; the various orders of friars in London, the friars of Hicchyn and Tikhill ; the nuns of Burnham near Wyndesore, Ankerwyk, Roughsparre, Blakbergh, co. Norfolk, Higham, co. Kent, the nuns of Huntyngdon and Feveresham ; also to his apprentices, servants, and others. For the repair and maintenance of the bridge at Wallyng- ford he leaves forty shillings, and divers sums to the churches of (1) Letter Booh A', fo. 70. (2) Calendar of Wills. Vol. II, pp. 509 11. 32 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. Gedeleston, Greneford, and Wotton. To the poor-box of the Mercers of London twenty pounds, and other sums to the chaplains of the Art of Mercery, the beadle of the art, and for a breakfast to be given to the apprentices to the art that they may pray for his soul. The gold cup and ewer which he received when he attended as Mayor at the coronation of the lord the King he leaves to John Bohun, son of Margaret his daughter, and in default of an heir of the body of the said John the same is to go to Humphrey Bohun, brother of the said John, and again in default of an heir the cup and ewer are to be sold, and five silver chalices to be bought out of the proceeds and given to churches in the country that require them. Leaves a cask of red Gascony wine or its value to the Abbey of S. Alban, the Priory, Christ Church, Canterbury, the House of the Salutation of the Blessed Mary of the Carthusian Order near London, the Priory of Walsyngham, and the Convent of Sapwell, he being a capitular brother of each of the said houses. Among other bequests he leaves one hundred pounds for the repair of highways between London and Hoddesdon. To Humphrey Bohun his son-in-law he leaves the coler of gold given to him by the King and silver vessels to the value of one hundred marks. Another coler of gold set with precious stones and pearls is to be offered at the shrine of the Virgin Mary at Walsyngham, whilst an ouche of gold set with precious stones and pearls is to be similarly offered at h Shryne of S. Thomas of Canterbury. His personal apparel of silk and gold, as well as that of Alice his late wife, to be converted into vestments for churches. Bequests for sermons to be preached at S. Paul's Cross and in the pulpit at the Hospital of S. Mary without Bisshopesgate, and also to clerks of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge coming to London to preach the word of God, so that his soul be had in remembrance by them. The Bishop of Lincoln, to whom he leaves his large Portifory and a silver-gilt cup, appointed one of his executors." William Estfield was one of the four Members of Parliament for London, 1431, and again in 1442. Both these Parliaments sat at Westminster, that of 143 1 from 12th January to 20th March, and that of 1442 from 25th January to 27th March. As one of the Members of Parliament for London in this year, Estfield must have conformed to the new ordinance as to a Member's expenses made in 1429. Dr. Sharpe, in London and the Kingdom^ The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 33 Vol. I, pp. 2 7 3-4, ' says : " Members of parliament representing the City of London had hitherto been allowed a certain amount of cloth and fur trimming at the City's expense, wherewith to dress themselves and their personal attendants in a manner suitable to the position they held. Those who had from time to time been elected members appear to have abused this privilege — where a yard had been given, they had literally taken an ell — and it was now thought to be high time to take steps to check the abuse in future. Accordingly it was ordained by the mayor and aldermen on the 12th August of this year [1429], and the ordinance met with the approval of the commoners on the 29th day of the same month, that for the future no alderman elected to attend parliament should take out of the chamber or of the commonalty more than ten yards for gown and cloak, at 155-. the yard, and \oos. for fur if the alderman had already served as mayor [Estfield served the office of Mayor this same year], otherwise he was to have no more than five marks. Commoners were to be content with five yards of cloth and 33^. <\d. for fur. Each alderman, moreover, was to be allowed eight yards of cloth at 28 pence a yard for two personal attendants, and each commoner four yards of the same for one attendant, if the parliament was sitting in London or the neighbourhood, and eight yards for two attendants if parliament was sitting in some more remote place ' as was formerly- ordained during the mayoralty of John Michell ' (1424-5)." He was son of William Estfield, of Tickhill, Yorkshire, and was buried, as directed by his Will, in the Church of S. Mary, Aldermanbury. He evidently died soon after the date of his last Will (15 March, 1445), as his successor was appointed two months later. (1) A very interesting account of the mode of election of Members of Parliament for the City of London, and their expenses, together with a list of the Members for the City from A.D. 1284, is given by Dr. Sharpe in Vol. 3. Appendix B, of the above work. 34 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. WILLIAM CANTELOWE. Mercer. Elected 27 May, 1446. Sheriff 1448. He was one of the " Knightes of the Bathe made at the Tower of London before the coronation of Kinge Edward the Fourthe." 1 [1461] One of the four Wardens of the Mercers' Company, 1432, 1446, 1450, 1456, and again in 1463. The following translation, extracted from the Journal* is given as showing the mode of election at this period, the procedure being that four names were to be submitted to the Court of Aldermen on the nomination of the Commonalty or Freemen of the Ward, from which number, the Court of Aldermen selected one to be Alderman. Friday, 27 May, 1446. Mayor, Recorder, Frowick, Gedney, Pattesle, Chalton, Wandesford, Olney, Coumbes, Norman, Wifold, Horn, Derby, Canynges, Feldyng, Scot, Gregory, Forster, Wetenhale, Sutton. 3 " Item, the same day there are nominated by the Commonalty of the Ward of Crepulgate the four persons underwritten, that one of them may be elected by the said Mayor and Aldermen into the Aldermanry of the Ward aforesaid, viz. : — Thomas Beaumond ] Of whom by the said Mayor and Aldermen *Matthew Philip f the aforesaid William Cantelowe was elected William Cantelowe f into the Aldermanry of the Ward afore- t William Dere ) said, no one dissenting, &c." Cantelowe was one of the four Members of Parliament for London in 1453, and again in 1455. The Parliament of 1453 met at Reading, and sat from 6 March, 1452-3, to 12 November, 1453 (three Sessions) and (prorogued to) Westminster 11 February to 16 March, 1454, in all four (1) Metcalfe's Book of A 'nights, p. 3. (2) Journal 4. fo. 129. (3) The names given are those of the Aldermen who were present at the election of Cantelowe. In the original entry in the Journal (a facsimile of which is given as a frontispiece to this book), it will be seen that the letter C (for Cantelowe) is placed over the name of every Alderman except one, who probably did not wish to vote. * Philip was afterwards Alderman of Aldersgate Ward, and Mayor, 1463. f Dere was afterwards Alderman of Dowgate Ward. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 35 Sessions, an unusually lengthy Parliament for the times. Four hundred days' expenses were allowed. That of 1455 sat at Westminster, from July, 1455, to 25 February, 1456 (three Sessions). Although he held the office of Alderman fifteen years after he was elected for Cripplegate, he did not serve the office of Mayor, being "discharged" in October 1461, on the score of old age and infirmity. " He appears in his time to have had financial dealings with the crown, on one occasion conveying money over sea for bringing Queen Margaret to England, and on another supplying gunpowder to the castle of Cherbourg, when it was in the hands of the English. He is thought by some to be identical with the William Cantelowe who afterwards (in 1464) captured Henry VI in a wood in the north of England;" but the known date of his death precludes this idea. One of the frequent and sudden outbreaks against the 'merchant stranger' took place in 1456, when the young Mercers of the City rose against the Lombards and subjected them to very rough treatment. Cantelowe, a Mercer, was sent for by the King, who was at Coventry, and " promptly committed to 1 )udley Castle for safe keeping, as having been implicated in the attack on the houses of the Italian Merchants." 1 The following account of this is published by the Camden Society 2 : — "This yere [34 Henry VI] was a grete horlynge be twene the mercers and Lombardes ; and then the kynge helde his Counsell at Coventre. And Cauntelowe, mercer and alderman, was sent ffore to come a ffor the kynges Counsell ; and as sone as he came he was a rested by the kynges commaundement, and the Baron of Dodley had him in kepinge in the Castell of Dudley for the mater a for wretyn." An inscription on a monument in S. Mary Magdalen, Milk Street, read as follows : — " Here lieth also buried in this Church Sir William Cantlow Knight and Sheriffe of London in the yeare 1448, who died in the yeare 1462."'' The same authority says " an ancient Familie of great repute in many places of this Kingdome." This Alderman came from Faversham, Kent. (1) London and the Kingdom. Vol. I., p. 292. (2) Three Fifteenth- Century Chronicles. Camd. Soc. (N.S., No. 28), p. 70. (3) Weever. p. 695. 36 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. JOHN STOKTON. Mercer. Elected November, 1461. 1 Sheriff 1467. Lord Mayor 1470. He removed from Cripplegate to Lime Street Ward on 14 December, 1470. 2 One of the four Wardens of the Mercers' Company, 1454, 1458, and again in 1469. He was elected Sheriff 20 June, 1467, in the place of Thomas Brice, and only held the office until the next usual annual election of Sheriffs, on St. Matthew's day (21 September). During the time that he was Mayor, the Wars of the Roses came to an end by the victory of Edward Duke of York, over the Lancastrians at Tewkesbury. Stokton, like most of the other Aldermen, preferred Edward on the throne, licentious and extravagant as he was, to an imbecile like Henry. On Henry's restoration he fell ill or, as Fabyan (a brother Alderman) puts it, feigned sickness and took to his bed, and Alderman Cooke (who had been Mayor in 1462, and was a strong Lan- castrian) assumed the duties of the Mayoralty, 3 but later on Stokton was rewarded for his astuteness as, before his term of office came to an end, he, with ten of the Aldermen, were all made Knights in the field by Edward IV, for their good service done to him in resisting the bastard Falconbridge. The City's doughty Recorder was soon afterwards raised to be Baron of the Exchequer. 4 He came from Bratot, Co. Lincoln. He was buried in St. Pancras, Soper Lane, and his Will proved in 1473. ( 1 ) Journal 6. fo. 79b. (2) The Record slates that he was elected to the Ward of Lime Street in place of John Crokc discharged. This may be a scribe's error, as John Croke appears to have been at the time Alderman of Castle Baynard Ward. (3) London and the Kingdom. Vol. I, p. 313. (4) Herbert. Vol. I. p. 250. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. T,y HUMPHRY HAYFORD. Goldsmith. Elected 14 December, 1470. Sheriff 1467. Lord Mayor 1 477. Knighted in his Mayoralty. 1 He was Alderman of Langbourn Ward from 18 July, 1464, till 9 December, 1468, when by the King's (Edward IV) mandate he was ordered to be discharged and "to be released for ever from serving the office of Alderman," but as the following translation from the *Jonr?ial shows he was elected^by the Court of Aldermen, after that body had thrice rejected the nominations of persons sent up by Cripplegate Ward. 14 December, 49 Henry VI [a.d. 1470]. " On that day Humfrey Hayford who was lately discharged from the office of Alderman by precept of Edward late King of England, is elected Alderman of the Ward of Cripplegate loco John Stokton, by the Mayor and Aldermen inasmuch as the election made by the Ward has been thrice rejected." In 1468, we find him impeached with others of treason. 3 "That yere were meny men a pechyd of treson, both of the cytte and of othyr townys. Of the cytte Thomas Coke, knyght and aldyrman, and John Plummer, knyght and aldyrman, but the kyng gave hem bothe pardon. "And Umfray Hayforde, the Scheryffe of London, was a pechyd and loste hys cloke for the same mater; and many moo of the cytte loste moche goode for suche maters." Removed to Lime Street Ward 4 June, 1473, 4 of which he remained Alderman till early in 1480, when probably he died. He was evidently a person of importance in the Goldsmiths' Com- pany, being third Warden in 1448, Prime Warden in 1452 and again in 1457, second Warden in 1461, Prime Warden again in 1465 and 1467, and third Warden in 1474. On this occasion he is for the first time styled "Alderman."'' He was also an eminent member of the Mercers' Company. Son of Roger Hayford, of Stratford-le-Bow, Essex," and was buried in the Church of St. Edmund, Lombard Street. 7 (1) Metcalfe, p. 223. (2) Journal 8. fo. 2. (3) Gregorys Chronicles. (Cam. Soc. N.S., No. 17), p. 237. (4) Journal 8. fo. 51b. (5) MS. Records of the Goldsmiths' Company. (6) Herbert. Vol. 2, p. 200. (7) Stocken MSS. 11 2 2,8 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. EDMUND SHAA. Goldsmith. Elected 16 July, 1473. 1 Sheriff 1474. Lord Mayor 1482. He was son of John Shaa of Dukinfield, co. Chester. Knighted in his Mayoralty." He removed to Cheap, 24 October, 1485, 3 on the death, from the "sweating sickness," of the Alderman of that Ward, Sir Thomas Hill, (who served with Shaa as Sheriff, 1474), at that time Mayor. "Hill died in the year of the death of King Edward V, and of the accession of Richard III, and Shaa's brother (Dr. Shaw) preached a notorious sermon at S. Paul's Cross, in which he inveighed against the character of the late King, and endeavoured to excite the feeling of the citizens in favour of the Duke of Gloucester, as successor to the Crown. The Mayor himself had commercial dealings in his capacity of Goldsmith, with Gloucester, and was doubtless ready to give political support to one, who had also honoured him by making him a member of the Privy Council." "On 25 June, 1483, two days after the execution of Hastings and the arrest of Jane Shore, Richard was waited on by his creature Buckingham, the Lord Mayor (Edmund Shaa) of London and a body of the Citizens, who having been previously suborned by the Protector's agents, clamorously insisted on his investing himself with the supreme power."' He was fourth Warden of the Goldsmiths' Company in 1466, third Warden in 1467, and Prime Warden in 1476, when he is for the first time styled " Alderman." 4 From Stow we learn that at his decease he appointed his executors, " with the cost of four hundred marks, and the stuff of the old gate, called Cripplesgate, to build the same gate a new, which was performed and done in the year 1491." 5 Shaa directed his executors to purchase and convey to the Goldsmiths' Company certain property whereout to pay an annual quit rent of ,£17 to support for ever the salary (,£10) of a Priest cunning in grammar and able to teach it in the Parish of Stockport- cum-Chester alias Stockport. The remaining £7 the Testator directed to be applied to certain superstitious uses. The payments for supersti- tious uses were discontinued in the reign of Edward VI, and the rights (1) Journal 8. fo. 51b. (2) Metcalfe, p. 223. (3) Journal 9. fo. 91b, (4) MS. Records of the Goldsmiths' (5) Stow. Company. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 39 of the Crown in respect of such superstitious uses were subsequently released to the Company by a private Act of Parliament passed in the fourth year of the reign of James I, and were, by Letters Patent, subse- quently granted to the Company by the same King. The annual payment of ^10 was made by the Company to the Master of Stockport School until about the year 1830, when the Company, having acquired some adjoining land at their own expense, greatly improved the school house and buildings, and added largely to the stipends of the Masters, making the School free. In i860 the Company, with the consent of the Charity Com- missioners, transferred the School to the Mayor of Stockport and twelve other persons, who were appointed Trustees of the Charity, and they settled upon the School out of their private corporate funds an endowment of ^290 per annum over and above the ,£10 payable under Shaa's Wills. 1 Richard III made Shaa a Privy Councillor. 2 He appears to have lived in Foster Lane, where, and in the neighbouring West Chepe, the goldsmiths kept their shops. In the Memorials of the Goldsmiths' Company 3 we read: — "Ex- penses of trumpets to go to Westminster with Master Shaa, Sheriff; of hats, &c, for the minstrels, and of a cup given to Shaa." He died 20 April, 148S, and was buried in the hospital church of St. Thomas of Aeon, where he founded a chantry for the souls of his wife Juliana, his son Hugh, and others. This trust, with many singular injunctions attached, he placed under the charge of the Mercers' Company. RALPH TILNEY. Grocer. Elected 7 November, 1485.' Sheriff 1488. Removed to Castle Baynard Ward 13 March, 1487,' and resigned the Aldermanry of that Ward 10 October, 1499. He was Master of the Grocers' Company in the years i486, 1489, 1490, 1494 and 1498. He died in 1503, and was buried in the Church of St. Thomas of Aeon. 6 (1) M.S. Records of the Goldsmiths' Company. (4) Journal 9. fo. 91b. (2) Diet. Nat. Biography. Vol. 51, p. 434. (5) Id., q. fo. 143. (3) Vol. I, p. 25. (6) Watney. p. 174- 40 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. WILLIAM ISAACK. Elected 14 March, 1487. 1 Sheriff 1488. Removed to Coleman Street Ward 14 March, 1499, 2 and remained there till 10 October, 1503, when he was exonerated upon his declaring that the whole of his property, inclusive of "sperate" 3 debts did not extend to ,£1,000. Of what Livery Company he was a member, cannot be traced. He died 10 September, 1508, and was buried in St. Dunstan's in the East. Although Alderman for sixteen years, he never served the office of Lord Mayor. THOMAS WYNDOUT. Mercer. Elected 9 April, 1499.' Sheriff 1497. M.P. for London in the Parliament that sat at Greenwich, January, 1497. He was apprenticed to Sir Henry Colet, Lord Mayor, i486 (father of Dean Colet, the founder of the celebrated St. Paul's School), and was admitted to the Freedom of the Mercers' Company in 1475, Warden 1492, and Master in 1499, and was a notable benefactor to the Company.'' He probably died some time in 1503, as on 18 December of that year we find that " John Styles and Thomas Baldry, Mercers, Executors of the Testament of Thomas Wyndoute, Alderman and Mercer of London, brought in to the Wardens a standing cup, gilt, of the gift of the said Thomas Wyndoute, which was shewed openly in the Court." He was buried at St. Antholin's, Watling Street. (1) Journal 9. fo. 143. (2) Repertory 1. fo. 49. (3) i.e., "hopeful," in contradistinction to "desperate" or "hopeless." (4) Journal 10. fo. 153b. (5) Watney. p. 179. (6) Ibid. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 41 SIR WILLIAM BROWNE. Mercer, Elected 16 July, 1500. 1 Sheriff 1491. Lord Mayor 1507. Removed to Lime Street Ward 13 April, 1504, 2 and remained there till his death, 22 March, 1508. One of the four Wardens of the Mercers' Company in i486, 1497, and again in 1504. Received the honour of knighthood at London Bridge 1489. He died in his mayoralty, and so, singularly enough, did his cousin and namesake Sir William Browne, Alderman of Cordwainer Ward, and Lord Mayor 15 13. There has been some confusion as to the identity of these two William Brownes, but by the Will of the Alderman of Cripplegate the relationship seems clear. The Will was dated 20 March, 1507, and proved 6 June, 1508, and in it he describes himself as "William Browne the elder, Citizen and Alderman of the Citie of London," and desires to be buried in the parish church of Our Lady in Aldermanbury. He makes bequests, among others, to " my cozyn William Browne, Alderman, sonne of Sir John Browne, Kt." 3 The family came from Oakham, co. Rutland, and seem to have settled in Cripplegate. Sir William Browne, the Alderman of Cripple- gate, was buried in the church of St. Mary, Aldermanbury, according to his expressed wish. The above-mentioned Sir John Browne was Master of the Mercers' Company, 1450, and Alderman, first of Farringdon Within Ward; elected 22 September, 1470; Lord Mayor 1480; removed to Cheap 9 June, 1488. Died 1 January, 1497-8, and was buried in the church of St. Mary Magdalen, Wood Street. His cousin, Sir William Browne, remained Alderman of Cordwainer Ward from 11 November, 1505, till his death, June, 1514, in which year he was one of the four Wardens of the Mercers' Company. He founded a chantry in the hospital church of St. Thomas of Aeon, where he was buried. (1) Journal 10. fo. 191b. (2) Id. fo. 307b. (3) Notes and Queries. 7 1 li Scries. Vol. V., p. 152. 42 The Aldermen of Crifip legate Ward. WILLIAM STEDE. Grocer. Elected 7 May, 1504*' Sheriff 1500. Master of the Grocers' Company, 1502, and. again in 1506. Died 1506, 2 and was buried in St. Magnus. CHRISTOPHER HA WES. Mercer. Elected 16 October, 1506. 3 Sheriff 1503. One of the four Wardens of the Mercers' Company, 1 506. For some imaginary crime he was imprisoned by the King, and being a timorous man, soon died from excess of grief. He was buried in the Church of St. Alban, Wood Street, where the following inscription was on his monument : Pray for the soul of Christopher Hawes, Mercer and Alderman of London, and Merchant of the Staple. Dyed 15 October, Anno. Dom. 1508. 4 THOMAS EXMEWE. Goldsmith. Elected 5 December, 1508.' Sheriff 1508. Lord Mayor 1517. Son of Richard Exmewe, of Ruthin, Flintshire. He was third Warden of the Goldsmiths' Company in 1492, Prime Warden in 15 14, when he is described as "Alderman," and again in 1520. 7 He was Knighted during his Mayoralty. The 8 Records of the Court of Aldermen state that Thomas Exmewe, Mayor, was created a Knight at the Bishop of Winchester's Palace on Saturday the feast of St. Cuthbert, 9 Henry VIII [15 17]. The following is extracted from his Will, 9 dated 17 December, 1528, and proved on Monday the Feast of S. Faith, Virgin [6 Oct.], 1533 : — "To John Hardy, Alderman of London [Aldersgate], and Master of the Guild or Fraternity of S. Katherine of the Craft of Haberdashers (1) Journal 10. fo. 311b. (5) Repertory 2. fo. 53b. (2) Stocken MSS. (6) Herbert. Vol. II. p. 200. (3) Repertory 2. fo. 16. (7) MS. Records of the Goldsmiths' Company. (4) Stow. (8) Repertory j>. fo. 200. (9) Calendar of Wills. Vol. II, pp. 636-7. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 43 of the City of London, and wardens of the same, a certain tenement of which he had become solely seised in Hogenlane in the parish of S. Michael in Wood Street, charged with the observance of an obit for the souls of John Mathewe, late Yeoman of the Chamber to King Henry VII, citizen and baker of London, Katherine, wife of the same, and others, with distribution of sums of money, &c, in manner as directed. In case of default the property is to go over to the Master and Wardens of the Craft and Fellowship of Whytte Bakers of London under like conditions, with further remainder to the parson and churchwardens of the church of S. Michael aforesaid." Exmewe's name appears in the following interesting entry which relates to the devise to the Goldsmiths' Company by Sir Edmund Shaa of certain property subject to a charge for specific purposes, and which shows that the Company were not very eager to accept the Trust which they foresaw might prove onerous : — "The lande to be receyved of Dame Julyan Shaa, and of the executors of Sir Edmund Shaa." "Also at a sembly holden the V th day of November the saide yere atte Goldesmythes Halle, it was agreed and accorded by the iiij Wardeyns, Sir Hugh Bryce, aldreman, Adys, Kelke, Sayles, Bellamy, Bulkeley, Sudbery, Clement, Pyke, Harryson, Exmewe, Tyrry, Ryce, Flynt, Ferby, Moldesdale, Marchall, Lowthe, Johnson, Jolyf, Lubbyshed, Assheley, Sampton, Randolf and Pannttey, and all thei grannted atte the request of Thomas Ryche, mercer, in the name of the said Dame Julyan and alle thexcutours of Sir Edmunde Shaa that if the Crafte of Goldsmythes might have XLli of land clere towards the vacacion and reparacions of XVII li of annuite yerely to be paide aftyr the wille and testament of the said Sir Edmunde Shaa that then the said Feleship shulde take of the said executours the said lande." 1 " He made the water conduit in London Wall by Moorgate. " He died in 1529, and was buried in the Church of S. Mary Magdalen, Milk Street. (1) MS. Records of the Goldsmiths' Company. (2) Herbert. Vol. II, p. 200. 44 The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. WILLIAM FORMAN. Haberdasher. Elected 2 March, 1529. 1 Sheriff 1533. Lord Mayor 1538. Son of William Forman, of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. Knighted 18 October, 1537." He was one of the four Members for London in the Parliament of 1545, being elected in February, 1546, in the place of Alderman Roche, who had been committed to prison. This Parliament met at Westminster, and sat from 23 November, 1545, to 31 January, 1547, and although a comparatively lengthy one, had but two Sessions, from 23 November to 24 December, 1545, and 14 January, 1547, until dis- solved by the King's death, 31 January following. Forman did not hold the position long, as we find that in con- sequence of "being unable to attend Parliament through illness," Sir Richard Gresham was elected in his place 10 November in the same year. Musters of the Citizens were frequent in the reign of Henry the Eighth and Queen Elizabeth. An account of the muster of the Citizens on the 8th of May, 1539, the 31st of Henry the Eighth, is given at length in the Journal 14, fo. 164-168. "They marched from Mile End to Whitehall, and from thence to Leadenhall, Wyllyam fforman, knyght & lorde mayer of the Cytye yn bryght harnes whereof the curass the maynsers gaunteletts & all other ptes were gylt upon the crests & bordures And ov 1 that he had a cote of blak velvett w l a ryche cross embroderyd & a great massy chayne of golde abowte hys necke And on his head a cappe of blacke velvett w' a ryche Juell ; he had a goodly Jenett rychely trapped, w* embrodery of golde sette upon crymsyn velvett, aboute hym attendyd iiij fote men all appelled w l whyte satten hose & all puffed oute with whyte sarcenet." He died 13 January, 1547, and was buried in the Church of St. George, Botolph Lane, where a monument was erected to his memory. 3 (1) Repertory 8. fo. 24. (2) Stocken MSS. (3) Catalogue of Tombs, p. 36. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 45 AUGUSTINE HYNDE. Clothworker. Elected 3 March, 1547. 1 Sheriff 1550, Elected for Farringdon Ward Without 13 April, 1546. He refused to accept office, and was committed to Newgate by the Court of Aldermen, and his windows and shops were ordered to be closed. After two days' imprisonment he altered his mind and was duly sworn into office 15 April. On the same day the Court of Aldermen resolved that for divers reasonable considerations " hath thys day lovyngly grantyd (as moche as in theym ys) that he shall be clerely respyted and dyscharged " from the shrievalty for "thre hole yeres" and to have until Whitsuntide to provide his apparel, &c. 2 As will be noted, he afterwards duly served the office of Sheriff. His widow married Sir John Lyon, Kt, Alderman of Queenhithe Ward, who was elected 1 March, 1547, and died 1564, and who had been co-Sheriff with Hynde in 1550. He was Master of the Clothworkers' Company 1545. By his Will dated 23 June, 1554, he gave (inter alia) to the Cloth- workers' Company, the sum of ^100 upon condition to lend the same to four young men of the Company, ^25 to each for three years upon good security. In the year 1569, Lady Lyon also gave to the Company the sum of ^'20 for "loan money." He died 10 August, 1554, and was buried in the Parish Church of St. Peter Cheap, at the South- West corner of Wood Street, in Farringdon Ward Within, where a monument was erected to his memory, with the following inscription : — " Here under this Stone lieth Buried the Body of Augustine Hinde, Clothworker, Alderman, and late Sheriffe of London. Who deceased the tenth day of August, Anno Domini, 1554. " Here also lieth Dame Elizabeth his Wife, by whom he had issue foure Sons and two Daughters. Which Dame Elizabeth deceased the 12 day of July, An. Dom. 1569. " God grant us all such Race to run To end in Christ as they have done." 3 (1) Repertory 1 1. fo. 313. (2) Id. fos. 254-255. (3) Stow. 46 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. JOHN WHYTE. Grocer. Elected 30 August, 1554. 1 Sheriff 1556. Lord Mayor 1563. Knighted in his Mayoralty." Son of Robert Whyte, of Farnham, Surrey, and brother of John Whyte, Bishop of Winchester, who was committed to the Tower in April, 1559, and upon being released in July of the same year, was allowed to repair to his brother's house. Machyn in his Diary says : " this being an instance (to which there are many parallels) of two brothers bearing the same Christian name." Removed to Broad Street Ward 29 March, 1558/ and to Cornhill Ward 27 February, 1567,' remaining there until his death, 9 June, 1573. He was President of Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals from 1568 till 1573. He was Master of the Grocers' Company, 1560, and Member of Parliament for London, 1 57 1. His first wife, Sibell, was sister of Sir Thomas Whyte, the eminent Merchant Taylor (Lord Mayor, 1553), who founded Merchant Taylors' School and St. John's College, Oxford. His Mayoralty occurred during one of the great plague years (there were 1,163 burials in St. Giles', Cripplegate, in that year) and no feast was held on Lord Mayor's Day in consequence. Stow states : " The great frost and Thames over-frozen this year." The following concerning Sir John Whyte, and his beard and bonnet is interesting: " Syr Thomas Lodge, beynge Mayr of London, ware a beard, and was y e fyrst that (beynge Mayr of London,) ever ware eny, y e whiche was thowght to mayny people very straynge to leve y e cumly aunsyent custom of shavynge theyr beards ; nevartheles he ware y e comly auncient bonet with iiij cornars as all othar his predysesowrs had done before hym. . . . But y e next yere afftar Ser John Whit, beynge mayre, ware bothe a longe beard and allso a rownd cape that wayed not iiij ouncis, whiche semyd to all men, in consyderation of y e auncient bonyt, to be very uncomly." 3 He was buried at South Wanborough, Hants, where there was a monumental inscription to his memory. (1) Repertory 1 j. Part I, fo. 195. (2) Metcalfe, p. 118. (3) Repertory 14, fo. 19b. (4) Repertory 16, fo. 16b. (5) Three Fifteenth Century Chronicles, pp. 127-8. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 47 ALEXANDER AVENON. Ironmonger. Elected 31 March, 1558.' Sheriff 1561. Lord Mayor 1569. He was son of Robert Avenon, of King's Norton, Worcestershire,'' and was knighted at Somerset House during his Mayoralty. 3 Removed to Farringdon Within Ward 12 December, 1566, 4 and to Bread Street Ward 27 May, 1578/ President of Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals from 1573 till his death in 1580, and Treasurer of S. Bartholomew's for the year 1555-6. He was Master of the Ironmongers' Company eight times between 1559 and 1578." On his accession to office as Lord Mayor, he was presented to the Lieutenant of the Tower at the outer gate, by writ, 18 October. 7 "His first wife Elizabeth died 7 July, 1570, but he was not incon- solable, for we find by the Registers of Allhallow's Bread Street that within a few days of the close of his Mayoralty he married again. The entry runs: — 'Anno 1570, October 22, was married Sir Alexander Avenon, Lord Mayor and Mistress Blundon, widow, by license within his own house.' ' Mistress Blundon's ' first husband was Hugh Methwold, Mercer, and her second John Blundon, also a Mercer. She died 21 November, 1574. Sir Alexander married a third time to Agnes Sampto, who probably survived him. s The following are extracts taken from the History of the Iron- monger? Company. The first refers to the burial of his first wife, and the second and third to the duty cast upon the Livery Companies of the City, of raising men for service under the Crown. "1570. It is agreed that Robert Goodyng and Giles Carton shalbe stewards for the burvall dynnar of the Lady Maris of London, which dynnar to be kept at hir buriall daye, viz. the xvij. of Julye, at oure hall, and the Lord Mayor, Sir Alexander Avenon, gave to the same dynner the somme of syxe pounds, thirteen shillings, and foure pence." 9 (1) Repertory 14. fo. 20b. (2.) History of the Ironmongers' Company, p. 51S. (3) Metcalfe, p. 124. (4) Repertory 16. fo. 147b. (5) Repertory 19. fo. 34b. (6) History of the I ronmongeis' Company, p. 518. (7) Remembrancia. p. 312. (8) History of the Ironmongers 1 Company, pp. 518-19. (9) /. 353. (2) Id. fo. 540. (3) Watney. p. 200. (4) Repertory 21. fo. 541. E 2 54 The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. at his own earnest [request] made to this Co^te did surrender and yeld upp to this Co r te his said roome and place of an Alderman w th in this Citty, of w ch surrender this Co r te did accepte. And thereupp yt is ordred y' y e lord Maior shall forthw'.' 1 procead to the nomynacon of an Alderman in the said warde of Creplegate in the place of the said M' Ketcher." 1 On 27 July his successor, Thomas Skinner, was translated from Bishopsgate to Cripplegate Ward. His petition, which was referred to a Committee for consideration, is not set out in the Repertory, but from the Committee's Report pre- sented to the Court on the 9 August, 2 the following particulars are obtained : — " Whereas Mr. ' Katcher ' in his petition declares the losses and inconvenyence to have happened unto him by undertaking the office of Shrievalty, by w cb namely he obiecteth the losse of his trade, a losse happened unto him by reason of an escape oute of Newgate and charges growing hereby a fyne assessed uppon him in the Starr Chamber and xxx weekes imprisonm' for the same. As also the ordinary exp'ture of that place in that year of 88 fell hevily and extraordinarily uppon him to the increase of his losse," he also stated that a loan of ^300 had formerly been promised him and had not been granted. In consideration of his allegations the Committee now recom- mended the said loan should be granted to him, and also a lease of the " Stockes " for thirty years. The Court readily agreed to the Report, and referred the same to the City Lands Committee for performance accordingly. He lived in Lothbury, in the house that had formerly belonged to the Abbots of St. Albans. He died in 1602, and was buried in the Church of St. Peter le Poer. (1) Repertory 23. fos. 548, 561b. (2) Id. fos. 563b, 566. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 55 THOMAS SKINNER. Clothworker. Elected 27 July. 1596. 1 Sheriff 1587. Lord Mayor 1596. He was son of John Skinner, of Saffron Waldron, and married Blanche, daughter of William Watson, merchant to Queen Elizabeth. He was Sheriff, conjointly with John Catcher, and succeeded him in the Aldermanry of Cripplegate on the latter being discharged. He removed from Bishopsgate, where he had been elected 28 Sep- tember, 1 5 8 7 . 2 Master of the Clothworkers' Company, 1584. Shortly after the month of November, 1588, Alderman Skinner was detained in custody for disobedience to an Order of the Queen in Council, and was suspected to be one of those that upon retirement out of the City, or some other cause, refused to contribute what was allotted him towards Her Majesty's Loan from the City. The Queen (Elizabeth) interfered with the ordinary course of elec- tion of Lord Mayor as will be seen by a "Letter (dated 1st Sept., 1596) from the Aldermen to Mr. Alderman Skinner informing him of her Majesty's desire that Mr. Alderman Billingsley should not be elected to the office of Lord Mayor for the following year, and requesting him to re- pair to London not later than the 7th or 9th of September to confer with them touching his election to that office," which he accordingly did, and was elected Lord Mayor, but died on the 30 December of the same year. The following is a verbatim copy of this quaint letter 3 : — It is not vnknowen vnto yo u what message hath been delivered vnto us from y e Q. Ma tie toutching y c omission of M 1 Alderman Billingsley not to bee elected to y c place of Maio r for this year following and what paines wee have taken to prevent the same as a thing inconvenient and very preiudiciall not only to yo r self but to this whole Cytie Whearin having vsed all our best means for hir highnes satisfaction & the reteyning of o r auncient coustoom in electing of him who is next in succession aswell by soom other of the LL: of y e Counsell as by the speciall and earnest solicitacon of y* right honourable the L: High Treasurer who having moved hir highnes at divers times & specially of late \v Ul the assistance of our very good L: the L: Keeper of the great Seal in very honourable and earnest manner and fynding hir Mat" to be fully resolved to hould on hir pourpose for his pretermission anil greatly offended that shee should bee farther importuned hearabout as his Lp. now lately hath signified vnto vs wee thought very meet to acquaint yo w hearwithall to whom yt matter doth specially concern beeing y c next w th out all contradiction to supply that place whearin as wee hope yo"' will take in good part O r Brotherly care & earnest endevour to have satisfied hir highnes (if it might have been) and lo prevent this bourden that in due order & of very necessitie is to light vpon yo w , soe wee dought not but yo" wilbee carefull to prepare yo r self to bee well fournished of all such necessaries as y c place requireth to y c contentment of y c Q. Ma tic & hir honourable Counsell, yo r own credit & y c hono' (i) Repertory 2j. fo. 562. (2) Repertory 21. fo. 471b. (3) Retnembrancia II. 165. 56 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. of this Cytie for w ch cause wee ar very earnestlie to intreat yo w to repaier hither with all convenient speed that yo w maie bee hear with vs by y c 7 th daie or 9 th at the farthest of this moneth of September that wee maie conferr & deliberate w th yo w toutching y c proceeding in this your election. And hearof wee intreat yo w by no means to faile, from London the first of Sept. 1596. Vo r loving bretheren & assured good friends To o r very loving friend and Brother etc. M r Alderman Skynner. During Skinner's year of office the City was threatened with a famine. The citizens generally were in a poverty-stricken state, so much so that many who had been well off had to considerably reduce their expendi- ture, whilst others had to relinquish their trades and break up their households; and although wheat was offered at a very moderate price, many were too poor to purchase any. At this time the Queen applied to the City to provide ten ships for the public service, a war with Spain in the Netherlands being then proceeding. Earlier in the year the Queen had made demands upon the Londoners for soldiers to assist her to reinforce the town of Flushing, which as usual had been complied with, but the demand for ships at the close of the year had to be refused. The City's reply to the Queen's Council set forth the utter inability of the citizens, how r ever willing they might be, to supply more ships. "They had already expended on sea service alone, and irrespective of their dis- bursements in 1588 [Armada year] no less a sum than 100,000 marks within the last few years, so that the Lords of the Council would see that the citizens had not been wanting in good will and affection towards that service." The City was in debt to the extent of ,£14,000, and so were quite unable to assist the Queen. He left by Will to the Clothw r orkers' Company the sum of ^20 for a dinner after attending his funeral, and to the several Hospitals in and about London -£120 to be equally divided among them. He was also a liberal benefactor to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Stow says that he was buried in the Church of St. Mary Magdalen, Milk Street, and that a handsome monument erected to his memory bore the following inscription : — " Here lieth y e Corpes of Thomas Skynner late Citizen & Alderman of Londo, borne at Saffron Walden in Essex who in the 65 yeare of his age & on the 30 day of Decebr A Dm 1596 being then Lo Mayor of this Citye deptd this Life leaving behinde him 3 Sonnes & 3 daughters." Two of his sons, John and Thomas, were knighted on the corona- tion of James I, at Whitehall, 23 July, 1603. ' (1) Metcalfe, p. 147. The Aldermen of Cripp legate I Vara*. 57 ROBERT HAMPSON. Merchant -Taylor. Elected 10 February, 1597. 1 Sheriff 1598, Removed to Dowgate Ward 19 June, 1602. 2 Knighted by James I at Whitehall, 26 July, 1603. 3 Warden of the Merchant Taylors' Company, 1588, and again in 1594. Elected Treasurer of St. Bartholomew's Hospital 20 September, 1596, resigning his orifice upon becoming Alderman. In the year 1607 the Hospital received a legacy of ^20 under his Will. He was one of eight prominent Merchant Taylors who at a meeting of citizens, 22 September, 1599, held at Founders' Hall, under the presidency of the Lord Mayor (Sir Stephen Soame), supported the project of establishing a company to trade with the East Indies — himself subscribing ,£300 — the full title of the company being The Governors and Company of Merchants Trading with the East Indies, afterwards generally known as the East India Company. 4 In the Memorials of the Merchant Taylors' Company, p. 539, there is the following quaint entry in connection with Robert Hampson's election as Sheriff: — "Mr. Robert Hampson, a wor? 11 member of the Societie, doth presently supply the roome of one of the Sheriffs of this Cytty for the present year, by a note lately received from the Yeldhall, under the hand of one of my Lord Mayor's clerks. The Merchantailors Company are to provide for the Lord Mayor's feaste, as follovveth viz : — Sixteene psons to sitt at Mr Sheriff's table, viz: the third table. Six nsons to welcome guests. Two to attend the kitchen. Tenn of the comliest young men of the yeomanry to attend the lo:dresser for carrying of meate and lynnen and plate to the Judges. Remember to gyve knowledge to the tenn wayters that there is noe breakfast pvided for them at the feaste." lie died 2 May, 1607, aged sixty-nine, and was buried in the ( Ihurch of St. Mary-at-Hill. He was the ancestor of the Hampsons of Buckinghamshire. (1) Repertory 24. fo. 31. (2) Repertory 25. fo. 410b. (3) .Metcalfe, p. 151. (4) History o f the Merchant Taylors' Company. Part I, p. 255. 58 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. JOHN SWYNNERTON. Merchant-Taylor. Elected 22 June, 1602. 1 Sheriff 1602. Lord Mayor 1612. Son of John Swynnerton, of Oswestry, Salop, and was born about 1566; he travelled in Spain in his youth, and was Farmer of the impost on wines, on or before 1594, a post from which he acquired vast profits; was M.P. for Petersfield, 1601, and for East Grinstead, 1604-n. Knighted at Whitehall, 26 July, 1603. 2 He resided in the same house (in Aldermanbury) in which Sir William Estfield (Mayor 1429 and 1437) lived and -died. When Master of the Merchant Taylors' Company, he entertained James I and his Queen, at a cost to the Company of ^,1,061 $s. id. It was for this entertainment, that Dr. John Bull (Music Lecturer of Gresham College) wrote the National Anthem (God save the King), July 16, 1607. The pageant, entitled "Troia Nova Triumphans," written by Thomas Dekker, was performed on his accession to office as Mayor, on which occasion he entertained the Count Palatine, afterwards hus- band of the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James I, and presented him, in the name of the City, with a bason and ewer, gilt, weighing 234 ozs. 3 grs. ; and a pair of "dansk Potts, chased and cheseld," weighing 513^ ozs. ^ gr., "having the armes of the City and the wordes Civitas London engraved thereon in divers places. The pageant performed at the opening of the New River during his Mayoralty was written by Thomas Middleton, the well-known dramatist, and referred to the great work then just completed, the New River, or as it was called, " The Running Streame, from Amwell Head into the Cisterne neere Islington." A namesake of the dramatist succeeded Swynnerton as Lord Mayor. He was Master of the Merchant Taylors' Company, 1606, and was one of the founders of the East India Company, subscribing for that purpose ,£300 at the meeting held at Founders' Hall, 22 September, 1599. (1) Repertory 25. fo. 411. (2) Metcalfe, p. 151. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 59 On the trained bands being divided into four regiments in 1616, Sir John Swinnerton was given the command of one. In his Will he is described as of Stanway Hall, Essex, which he devised to his eldest son. He left a rent charge of 2s. \\d. arising out of an estate near Colchester to the parish of S. Alphage, Cripplegate, to be distributed to the poor in bread every Sabbath day. Died 8 December, 16 16, and was buried in the church of St. Mary, Aldermanbury. WILLIAM HOLLIDAY. Mercer. Elected 19 February, 1617. 1 Sheriff 1617. He was one of the Committee of the East India Company 1615, 1618, 1619, and Governor 1620 till his death, 14 March, 1624, aged fifty-eight years. He was nephew of Sir Leonard Holliday, Mayor 1605, and built Corsham House, Wiltshire, and endowed an Alms House there. Warden of the Mercers' Company in 1606, and Master 161 7, and again in 1624. By his Will, dated 16 December, 1623, he gave ,£200 to the Company to be lent, free of interest, to two young freemen. He also gave to the Company ,£50 to provide a funeral dinner. From the second Warden's accounts for the year 1623-4, it appears that a dinner was provided at the Hall on the 18 March, 1623, costing ^27 8s. 3., 13. (2) Diet. Nat. Biography. Vol. 43, p. 28. (3) Metcalfe, p. 205. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 65 President of Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals from 1649 until 1669. The minute referring to this election runs as follows : — 9 November, 1649. This Court was principally appointed & kept for the election of the President of this Hospital, in the place & stead of Sir John Wollaston, Knt. & Aid", The last President here having been formerly a Governor of Christ's Hospital & lately elected President there, &: was pleased to accept the same. Wherefore this Court proceeding to their election, & M r . Aid". Penington, M r . Ald n . Atkins, M r . Ald n . Andrews, M r . Aid". Fooke, M r . Aid". Kendricke, M r . Aid' 1 . Cullum, M r . Aid". Edmonds, M r . Aid". Avery, M r . Aid". Vynor, M r . Aid". Packe, & M r . Aid". Noel being nominated thereunto for one of them to be elected President of this Hospital, whereof the said M r . Aid". Packe and M r . Aid". Noell being only here present, & going forth of the court into the great Hall, it appeareth evidently & plainly that the said M r . Aid". Packe is duly elected & chosen President of this Hospital, who with M r . Aid". Noell being intreated by M r . Treasurer, M r . Hancock, ISP. Lisle, Mr. Pease, M r . Jones & divers other Governors to go into the Court, & the said M r . Aid". Packe being acquainted with the said election, desired to accept of the same place & was pleased so to do. On the 2 October, 1649, he was elected Alderman of Cornhill Ward but, at the request of the inhabitants, declined to leave Cripple- gate Ward. The following is the entry in the Repertory 1 referring to this. "Court of Aldermen, Tuesday, 9th October, 1649 : — " Item, Whereas Mr. Alderman Pack (being nominate amongest others by the Inhabitants of the Ward of Cornhill for Alderman of the said Ward) did lately declare his acceptance of the said nominacon, and by consent of this Court did remoove from ye Ward of Cripplegate (wherof hee was before Alderman) to the said ward of Cornhill. Now upon the humble Petition of the Coihon Councelmen of ye Ward of Cripplegate, in behalfe of themselves and the rest of the Inhabitants of the same Ward expressing their great desire to have Mr. Alderman Packe still continued Alderman of their said Ward, And for as much as it appears that ye said Mr. Alderifl Parke hath not bene fully two yeares Alderifl of ye said Ward of Cripplegate ; himselfe alsoe now declareing (1) Repertory 5Q. fo. 505b. 66 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. his willingness to abide in the said Ward of Cripplegate, Notwithstand- ing his acceptance of the s d new Eleccon. This Court doth hereby annull their form 1 " pceedings upon ye sd nominacon. And pceeded to election by Scruteny according to antient Custome. and did thereby elect Thomas Noel goldsmith ... to be Alderman of Cornhill [etc. etc.]." He remained Alderman of Cripplegate until 22 September, 1653, when he removed to the Ward of Bassishaw. 1 We find him, 24 June, 1647, appointed, together with Alderman Warner and Colonel Player, as representatives of the City "to go to Fairfax and the army and remain with them until further orders." 2 In this appointment he is described as "Deputy Pack"; probably the Alderman's Deputy of the ward of Cripplegate Without. He was shortly afterwards elected the Alderman of Cripplegate. In 1649 he was one of the Commissioners of Customs. In 1654 he was one of the treasurers (with Alderman Vyner, of Langbourn Ward) of the fund collected for the relief of the protestants in Piedmont, and in the same year, when Lord Mayor, he was thanked (with the rest of the Militia Commissioners of London) by the Protector, upon the advice of the Council of State, " for their forwardness in execution of their trust." In 1655 he was a Member of the Council of State, and held under it the position of Admiralty Commissioner, and in the same year was chosen, with others, to meet the Committee of Council to consider the proposals of Manasseh Ben-Israel on behalf of the Jews, who soon after were allowed to return to England. In January, 1656, Cromwell and his Council proposed to send Pack, with Whitelocke, on an extraordinary embassy to the King of Sweden. On 11 May, 1656, he lent ^4,000 to the State to pay the wages of the fleet, lately returned into port. He was one of the four members for the City in Cromwell's third and last Parliament (1656), and on 23 February, 1657, he brought forward his famous " remonstrance," or as it is sometimes called "petition and advice," desiring the Protector to assume the kingly dignity and to restore the House of Lords. As is well known, Cromwell declined the first proposal, saying, "I cannot undertake this government with the title of King, and that is mine answer to this great and weighty business." The rest of the terms he accepted. (1) Repertory 62. fo. 386b. {1) London and the Kingdom. Vol. II, pp. 248-9. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 6j For his services to the Commonwealth, and more particularly as the prime mover in the restoration of the second House, he, with another Alderman (Tichborne), was made a Member of it (1658); at the same time retaining his position as Alderman, but the new Lords obtained no right of precedency over their brother Aldermen. In March, 1658, he was made, with Sir Thomas Vyner — his old colleague in the Piedmont Relief Fund — treasurer of the fund for the relief of protestant exiles from Poland and Bohemia. He is described (4 Novem- ber, 1658) as "Christopher Lord Packe." 1 At the Restoration, although he signed a declaration (5 June, 1660), together with the Lord Mayor, one of the Sheriffs, and ten other Aldermen, of "their acceptance of His Majesty's free and general pardon, engaging, by God's assistance, to con- tinue His Majesty's loyal and obedient subjects," he was included with sixteen others who were to be disqualified from holding in future any public office or employment (the Act of Oblivion), under penalty of being excepted from the act of pardon. Pack was accordingly, with six other Commonwealth Mayors, removed from the office of Alderman ; his last attendance being on 7 August, 1660. He was succeeded as Alderman of Bassishaw by the great Royalist and Merchant Taylor, Sir Abraham Reynardson. After his retirement from office he spent the remainder of his life at his mansion at Cotes, adjoining Prestwold, Leicestershire. He was thrice married, first to Jane, daughter of Thomas Newman, of Newbury ; secondly to Anne, eldest daughter of Simon Edwards ; and thirdly to Elizabeth, widow of Alderman Herring, of Castle Baynard Ward. He had no issue by his first and third wives, but by his second wife, who died in 1657, he had two sons, Christopher and Simon, and three daughters, Anne, Mary, and Susanna. Pack's youngest son, Simon, settled in Westmeath, Ireland. Christopher Pack died 27 May, 1682, and was buried in Prestwold Church, Leicestershire, where there is a fine monument to his memory. The Latin inscription states that he was about eighty-four years old at his death. Note. — The account of Pack's work for the State has been chiefly taken from the Calendar of State Papers, and his life from the Dictionary of National Biography. The portrait of Pack is reproduced from the engraving by Basire, and published by |. Nichols, 1800, in his History of Leicestershire, which was taken from an original painting by Cornelius Janssens still in the possession ol the family. It represents him in his official robes of Lord Mayor, with laced hand and tassels, and laced ruffles turned over the sleeve of his gown. (1) Repertory 6(\ fo. 142 (147). 68 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. TEMPEST MILNER. Merchant-Taylor. Elected 27 September, 1653. 1 Sheriff 1656. Removed to Candlewick Ward 5 May, 1657, 2 and was discharged from that Aldermanry 5 May, 1662, the Commissioners appointed by the King removing him with another Alderman (William Love of Portsoken Ward) as having been " faulty in the late troubles." The King appointed William Turner in his place, as "a person of well known fidelity." Master of the Merchant-Taylors' Company, 1655. SAMUEL LANGHAM. Grocer. Elected 12 May, 1657. 3 Discharged on the payment of a fine of ^420. He was one of the Wardens of the Grocers' Company, 1649. It it probable that he was a relation of Sir John Langham, Sheriff, 1642 — who was also a Grocer — and who with Sir John Gayre, Mayor in 1646, and with Sir Abraham Reynardson, Mayor in 1648, was sent to the Tower by Cromwell for refusing to publish the Act for the exheredation of the Royal House. The following extract from the Repertory'' on his petition for discharge from the position of Alderman, to which he was unwillingly elected, can be taken as an example of the entries respecting the seven following Aldermen, who were elected, sworn, and paid a fine to be discharged. Court of Aldermen. Thursday, 28th May, 1657. "This day Samuel Langham Esq lately elected Aldran of the ward of Cripplegate made his humble Request unto this Court to be dis- charged of the said place submitting himself unto this Court for a fine. Whereupon it is Ordered that if within fourteene dayes now next ensewing he shall pay into the Chamber of London to the use of the Maior and CoTalty and Citizens of the said Citie the sume of CCCC 1 ' and xx H more towards maintenance of Ministers for the prisons of this Citie, according to a late Act of Comon Councill in that behalfe This Court doth discharge (1) Repertory 62. fos. 390b, 396. (3) Repertory 65. fo. 106b. (2) Repertory 65. fo. 103b. (4) Id. fo. 1 1 6b. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 69 him the said Samuel of and from the place of Aldran of the said Ward and of all other Wards of this Citie for ever hereafter, and will recomend him to the Comon Councill to be discharged from being Eligible to the office of Sherriffe." JOHN HEATHER. Grocer. Elected 11 June, 1657. 1 Discharged 13 June on the payment of a fine of ,£420. THOMAS BROMSALL. Draper. Elected 24 June, 1657. 2 Discharged 6 August on the payment of a fine of ^420. HENRY HODGES. Dyer. Elected 11 August, 1657. 3 Discharged the same day on the payment of a fine of ^200 and " 20 markes." He took up his Freedom of the Dyers' Company 18 November, 1652, but does not appear to have been elected to the Court. ROBERT WHITE. Leatherseller. Elected 20 August, 1657.' Discharged 25 August on payment of a fine of ^420. He was apprenticed (in 1625) to Thomas Overman, who had the year before been elected Alderman of Cripplegate and paid a fine rather than serve the office. Robert White was Master of the Leathersellers' Company in 1659-60, and was described in the Minute Books of the Company as "Alderman," and he was so described when attending the Court of the Company, 7 December, 1660,'' but on 15 October, 1661, he is described as Robert White, Esq. (1) Repertory 63. fo. 130b. (2) Id. fo. 136. (3)/^. fo. 167. (4)^- fo. 168. (5) He was only Alderman until the fine was paid and his successor appointed, so that he could not have been properly described as " Alderman " in 1660 or 1661. F 2 jo The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. WILLIAM WORMWELL. Vintner. Elected 8 September, 1657*' Discharged 15 September upon payment of a fine of ,£500 and 20 marks. He was Master of the Vintners' Company, 1658. 2 NICHOLAS COOKE. Innholder. Elected 6 October, 1657. 3 Discharged 13 October on payment of a fine of ,£420. In July, 1 64 1, in pursuance of the Lord Mayor's precept, a return was given (inter alia) of such persons as had filled the office of Master of the Company of Innholders, in which the name of " Nicholas Cooke " appears. In the books of the Innholders' Company he is described as Nicholas Cooke, " of the parish of St. Edmunds in Lombard Street in the Ward of Langbourne." He was Master of the Company, 1634. During his Mastership the Arms of the Company were granted. In 1665 he presented the Company with a Silver Cup weighing 29 ozs. 14 dwts. Cooke was a sufferer by the Great Fire. The minutes in the books of the Company (2 April, 1667) state, that after a view of the houses in Coleman Street demised to Nicholas Cooke, Esq., is taken, the Master and Wardens, calling together such of the Assistants of the said Com- pany as they shall think fit, they do go to Mr. ' Alderman ' Cooke at his house in Greenwich and make agreement with him touching the re- building of the said houses. Cooke seems willing to rebuild for on 31 May, 1667, we find it ordered that "Mr. 'Alderman' Cooke be en- couraged to rebuild the said house in Coleman Street, which was blown up at the time of the late fire, and he shall have a Lease for the term of 60 years to begin from the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary last past, at and under the yearly rent of Ten pounds the first payment to be made upon Michaelmas Day which shall be in the year of our Lord 1668 abovesaid." (1) Repertory 65. fos. 175b, 180b. (2) History of the Vintners' Company, p. 122, where his name is spelt ,; Wormell." (3) Repertory 63. fos. 192, 199. The Alderynen of Cripp legate Ward. 71 DAVY DAVYSON. Grocer. Elected 23 October, 1657. 1 Discharged 27 October, on payment of a fine of ,£420. WALTER BIGG. Merchant-Taylor. Elected 24 November, 1657." Sheriff 1653. Elected for Castle Baynard Ward 6 September, 1653, 3 subsequently removing to Cripplegate Ward on the above date. Discharged 19 October, 1658, "by reason of infirmity," without payment of a fine. Master of the Merchant-Taylors' Company, 1654. By his Will he bequeathed to the Company certain property in St. Giles-in-the-Fields, the annual income of which is directed by way of a scheme of the Charity Commissioners to the payment of four poor freemen of the Company, who each received ,£12 per annum. The residue is applied to the payment of certain other poor freemen, or the Widows, or Orphan daughters of such freemen, all of whom are called " Bigg's Pensioners." He was a native of, and M.P. for, the Town of Wallingford, Berk- shire, and dying 5 August, 1659 (aged fifty-three), was buried there. 4 SAMUEL LEWIS. Merchant-Taylor. Elected 26 October, 1658.' Discharged 18 November on payment of a fine of ^500 and 20 marks. Admitted to the Freedom of the Merchant-Taylors' Company, 2 September, 1657. (1) The record of his election {Repertory 6j, fo. 204b) gives Lime Street as the Ward to which he was elected, evidently a scribe's error. (2) Repertory 66. fo. II. (3) Repertory 62. fo. 377. (4) Stocken MSS. (5) Repertory 66. fos. 139b, 142b. 72 The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. JOHN ROBINSON. Clothworker. Elected 7 December, 1658. 1 Sheriff 1657. Lord Mayor 1662. He was elder son of William Robinson, D.D., Archdeacon of Nottingham in 1635, a Prebendary of St. David's and Westminster, Rector of Bingham, in Nottinghamshire, and Rector of Long Whatton, in Leicestershire, and nephew of Archbishop Laud, by Sarah his wife (daughter of William Bainbrigge, of Lockington, in Leicestershire, Esq.), by whom he had two sons, viz., John and Henry, Rector of Long Whatton, who was deprived of his living during the Commonwealth, but lived to be restored. \ He removed from Dowgate Ward, where he was elected 18 December, 1655,' to Cripplegate, and afterwards to Tower Ward 22 September, 1663. 3 One of the four Members of Parliament for the City 1 660-1 661, and Member for Rye 1 661-1679. Colonel of the Green Regiment of the London Militia from December 24, 1659, until his death. He was President of the Honourable Artillery Company from 5 July, 1660, till his death, and was one of the Committee of the East India Company 1660, 1667, 1668, 1674, 1675, 1677. He had been a promoter of the King's Restoration, and in return for his services he was knighted at Canterbury, May 26, 1660, and created a baronet in June the same year, and after his entertainment of Charles and his Queen in 1663, received an augmentation of arms. 1 The pageant performed by his Company at his inauguration as Lord Mayor was entitled "London's Triumph." King Charles II and his Queen, the Queen's mother, and the Duke and Duchess of York, dined with him at Clothworkers' Hall (where he kept his Mayoralty), on the 23 June, 1663. 5 The London Gazette of April 23 to 26, 1666, contains an account of the trial of certain persons for high treason for conspiring to kill him and other officers of the Tower, and to fire the City. As a Member of the Restoration Parliament for the City, 1660-1661, the sum of ,£37 4-r. od. is recorded in the Chamberlain's accounts as being paid to him for his attendance as a " burgess " for the City. (1) Repertory 66. fo. 161. (2) Repertory 64. fo. 32b. (3) Repertory 6g. fo. 199b. (4) London and the Kingdom. Vol. II, p. 401. (5) Hazlitt's City Livery Companies, p. 338. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 73 He was full of his own self-importance. Pepys calls him "a talking, bragging, buffle-headed fellow," 1 boasting of his powers over his brother Aldermen, but nevertheless attentive to the wants of the City. This latter commendation seems to be well borne out by the following tract published during his Mayoralty, intituled "The Ancient Honours of the City of London recovered by the noble Sir John Robinson, Knight and Baronet, Lord Mayor for the year 1662-3, in the true English and manlike exercise of Wrestling, Archery, Sword and Dagger; with the speeches of Mr. William Smith, master of the Game, and Clerk of the Market, upon this solemn occasion. Intermitted twenty-four years since Garway was Mayor." 2 In the Gentleman's Magazine of November, 1769, under the head- ing of " The Character of the Lord Mayor of London, and the whole Court of Aldermen, as it was drawn and presented to his Majesty King Charles II soon after the Restoration, now first printed," occurs the following : " Sir John Robinson hath been most industrious in the civill govern- ment of the Cittie, watchfull to prevent any thing that might reflect any prejudice or dishonour upon the King's government, happy in dispatch of business to the great contentment of the people." 3 He was Master of the Clothworkers' Company, 1656. Married Anne, daughter of Sir George Whitmore, of Barnes, in Surrey, Knt, by whom he had several children, amongst whom were — 1. Sir William Robinson, Knt., born 16 December, 1654, who travelled five years abroad in France, Italy, Egypt, and Palestine, and died before his father, 16 February, 1678. 2. Sir John, his successor, and 3. Sir James, successor to his brother. Appointed on the 25 June, 1660, Lieutenant of the Tower of London, being the first who held that Office after His Majesty's Restoration, and continued in the chief command of the fortress with a salary of ^1,000 per annum, until about the year 1678, when James, Earl of Northampton, was made Constable. Died in 1679, aged sixty-five, and was buried at Nuncham Courtenay, in Oxfordshire. Will proved 24 February, 1680, and 25 October, 1683. (1) Pepyi Diary, 17 March, 1665. (2) Herbert. Vol. ii, p. 660. (3) The characters of Richard Chiverton, 1663, and John Forth, 166S, are given in the same article — see particulars under their respective names. The originals are contained in the Sluwe MSS. at the British Museum, and were written about 1672. 74 The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. fTt * <*" \ ^^fcp. Hj|^^^p9 ,& Rl v**-YS I^B ^^m E^B^HL al (From a print in the Guildhall Library, published by S. Woodburn, 1S14.) SIR RICHARD CHIVERTON. Skinner. Elected 1 October, 1663. 1 Sheriff 1650, Lord Mayor 1657. He was second son of Henry Chiverton, of Trehouse, Cornwall, and the first of that county who became Mayor of London. Before being elected for Cripplegate he was successively Alderman of Portsoken Ward (19 July, 1649), 2 Dowgate Ward (17 September, 1652), 3 and Cordwainer Ward (11 December, 1655), 4 and on 5 March, 1666-7, accepted the sinecure Aldermanry of Bridge Ward Without, 3 re- maining there until he died in 1679. He served the office of Mayor before being elected Alderman of Cripplegate. He attended at Whitehall, October 15, and was presented to Cromwell. We read that " Alderman Chiverton, Lord Mayor Elect of the City of London, for the year ensuing, was by the Recorder and Aldermen presented to His Highness, in the usual manner, for approbation and His Highness approved of the said election." 6 He was Mayor at the time of Cromwell's death, and his name appears first on the list of the Privy Council who proclaimed Richard Cromwell, Protector. We read that " so pleased was Cromwell with the City at (1) Repertory 69. fo. 205 b. (2) Repertory 59. fo. 460. (3) Repertory 62. fo. 189. (4) Repertory 64. fo. 27b. (5) Repertory 72. fo. 71b. (6) Cromwelliana. pp. 169, 176. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 75 the critical period of 1658 that he conferred the honour of Knighthood on the Mayor (Richard Chiverton) and upon John Ireton (who suc- ceeded Chiverton in the Mayoralty), a brother of Henry Ireton his own son in law." ' In May of this year there was an attempt at a royalist emeute in the City, which the authorities prevented, and in July the Mayor (Chiverton), Aldermen and Sheriffs, with the City's Recorder, Sir Lislebone Long, waited on the Lord Protector to congratulate him upon " the deliverance of his person, the city and the whole nation " from the designs of the late conspiracy. 2 Chiverton was again knighted by Charles II at Whitehall, 12 October, 1663. In the Gentleman's Magazine of November, 1769 {see note, p. 73), Chiverton is mentioned as "old, capable of doeing neither much goode nor hurt, in the summer he seldom appears in the City," and he is also mentioned with John Forth and two other Aldermen "who have not lived in London, nor built houses for themselves since the fire, they have neither encouraged the building of the cittie, nor have they any great interest among the inhabitants, being strangers to them. The King is advised to command them to come forthwith and inhabite among the cittizens, or else lay downe their gownes as by doing so the King and government will be delivered of three or four evil persons." He was elected President of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, 8 February, 1660, and in the books of the Hospital, under date 15 December, 1675, the following minute respecting his resignation of the office appears : — " Whereas Sir Richard Chiverton, Knight, declaring his age and indisposition of body and his great imperfection for want of his hearing, that he could not so well hear or understand the motion and debate of the Court ; thereupon he thought fit to make his resignation of the place to be any longer President, and desired the Governors to elect a person as they thought fit, Whereupon the Court being sensitive of the great care and pains Sir Richard had taken for many years in the affairs of the Hospital, It was therefore unanimously agreed to give him thanks, which was accordingly done and performed by Sir Thomas Player." In 1659 he gave the Hospital the sum of ^10, and by his Will, which was proved in 1679, he left it a Legacy of £100. (1) Cromwelliana. p. 171. (2) Id. p. 174. j6 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. He was the last Alderman of Cripplegate to remove from or to another elective Ward, and was also the first and, up to the present time the last, Alderman of Cripplegate who has accepted the Aldermanry of Bridge Without. He lived in Clerkenwell and there died; he was four years old in 1620. 1 WILLIAM DUNCOMBE. Mercer. Elected 12 March, 1667/ Duncombe was elected upon Richard Chiverton going to Bridge Without, but after having caused the Court of Aldermen several months' annoyance through his obstinacy in not taking up the duties of his office, he was discharged as "unworthy." Previous to his discharge the following entry occurs in the Records of the Court of Aldermen 3 : — Tuesday, 21 January 1668. " This day Willm. Duncombe Esq Aldran of the Ward of Cripplegate having withdrawne and wholly absented himselfe from the Duty of his said place and office, ever since the 14th day of May last past and so still continuing to the disservice of his Mat y , great hindrance and damage to the publiqe Affaires, in manifest Contempt of this Court and Governm 1 of the Citty, and contrary to his severall oathes taken at his admission into the freedome of this Citty and eleccon to the said office, Is now fined at £ h to be forthwith levyed and paid by and upon the said Will' 11 Duncombe to his Ma ts use for his said Contempt and offence. " And it is ordered by this Court that the said fine shall be estreated into the Excheq r in case the said Mr Duncombe shall not pay downe the same into the Hands of the Sheriffes within eight dayes now next ensuing." The entry concerning his discharge is dated n February, 1668, and runs as follows : - 4 " This Court (of Aldermen) taking into consideracon his long absence and being well informed of sundry Judgm ts and Execucons for Debt obteyned against him and severall other matters scandalous and disgracefull in his conversation . . . doth . . . dismiss and discharge him as a person unfitt and unworthy." He was admitted to the Freedom of the Mercers' Company in 1636, but did not serve any office. (1) Le Neve's Knights, pp. 176-177. (2) Repertory 72. fos. 78, 84. (3) Repertory 73. fo. 53. (4) Id. fo. 75. The Aldermen of Cripple gate Ward. 77 JOHN FORTH. Brewer. Elected 13 February, 1668. 1 Sheriff 1668. After serving eight years, he was discharged 8 June, 1676. He was elected Assistant of the Brewers' Company, 30 July, 1668, and Master, 18 August following. Under date 16 February, 1669, an entry appears in the Minute Books of the Brewers' Company as follows : — " This day the Court did consider of making a present to our Master from the Company he being Sheriffe of London, as hath been formerly done to others in the like case, and it is ordered by the Court that our Master Sheriffe Forthe be presented with 100 Markes from the Company towards his cellar." In the Gentleman's Magazine of November, 1 769, 2 the following reference to this Alderman (together with other Aldermen) appears : — "He is a hasty passionate person no lover of the Church of England ; and he makes it his business to misrepresent those who are so. It is concluded by very many, that his loyalty consists much in his excise farms and the profits he makes by them. He rarely sees the inside of a church, and therefore it cannot be said how he behaves himself there. He hath a consecrated chapel in his own house, but that is all the conformity that it hath, a nonconformist and a brewer officiating there, when he is at leisure on Sundays to hear. He is a man of no reputation for keeping his word." He had a brother "Dannett," who was Alderman of Cheap (from 20 July, 1668, until 8 June, 1676) Sheriff 1670, and Master of the Brewers' Company, 1670. He is described in the Gentleman's Magazine (1769) as a person who hath much more command of his passions than his brother; hath a greater care of his word and a man of greater abilities in business, but as to church affairs of the same principles with his brother. Both brothers were discharged from their Aldermanries on the same day. The following entry occurs in Repertory Si, fo. 210b: — Thursday, 8 June 1676. "Upon a letter received from Danett Foorth Alderman of Cheap and John Foorth Alderman of Cripplegate requiring to be discharged for reasons signified They are freely dismissed." (1) Repertory yj. fos. 77, 8lb. (2) See Note. p. 73. yS The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. SIR JOHN LETHIEULLIER. Barber-Surgeon. Elected 15 June, 1676*' Sheriff 1674. Knighted 29 October, 1674, in his Shrievalty. Lethieullier was elected Alderman very much against his wish, the following entries in the Repertory- clearly show his importunity to be discharged : — . " 20 June, 1676. — Sir John Lethieullier was sworn in, and he then made an earnest request to this Court to be discharged of the said place Alledging many urgent reasons to incline this Court thereunto. Never- theless this Court did agree and Resolve not to discharge the said Sr. John Lethieullier from the said Place at this time." "22 June, 1676. — Sir John Lethieullier "did again earnestly renew his desires" . . . "Whereupon this Court again taking the same into consideration, Did for good reasons now declared, not think fit to dis- charge him from the said place." "Tuesday, 27 June, 1676. — At the Earnest and importunate desires of Sr. John Lethieullier, Knt. and Alderman of the Ward of Cripplegate now Repeated unto this Court for his discharge from the said place, Offering many reasons for that purpose. This Court did think fit freely and Lovingly to discharge him from being Alderman of the said Ward and of all other Wards of this City hereafter, Upon his promise and Ingagement now made unto this Court, That if after the Expiration of Seven years from henceforth, he shall be again Elected to be an Alder- man of this City, he will then take the said Office upon him if he shall then be in fitting circumstances and duly qualified for the same." He was born in 1633, 3 and was descended from the Le Thieulliers, an old Protestant family in the Low Countries. He was apprenticed to Sir John Frederick (Lord Mayor, 1661). Sir John Lethieullier was a free brother of the Company of the Society of Merchant Adventurers of England, and of the Society of Merchants of London Trading to the Levant Seas and the East Indies. In the London Directory of 1677, he is mentioned as carrying on business in Mark Lane. Master of the Barber Surgeons' Company, 1676. He died 4 Jan., 1 7 19, aged eighty-six. Buried in Greenwich Church. (1) Repertory 81. fo. 214b. (2) Id. fos. 221, 224, 230. (3) Annals of the Barber Surgeons, p. 556. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 79 SIR JOHN SHORTER. Goldsmith. Elected 4 July, 1676. 1 Sheriff 1675. Lord Mayor 1687. He was the second son of John Shorter, of Staines, and was born in 1625, lived at Southwark, married Isabella, daughter of John Birkett, " of Croistath, Boroughdale, Cumb." (probably Crosthwaite, Borowdale). He had a son, John Shorter, of Bybrook, in Kent, who was born in 1660, married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Erasmus Philipps, Bart., and by her had three sons and two daughters ; John Shorter, of London, Erasmus Shorter, Arthur Shorter, Catherine Shorter, who married Sir Robert Walpole, K.G., and was mother of Horace Walpole, and Charlotte Shorter, who married Francis Seymour-Conway, Lord Conway, ancestor of the present Lord Hertford. 2 Knighted at Guildhall 29 October, 1675. He was Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths' Company in 1676, and President of Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals from October, until his death. In t68i, he, with another Alderman (Thomas Gold), who had been his colleague in the Shrievalty, both of the Whig party, was nominated for the office of Lord Mayor in opposition to Sir John Moore, a Tory and a favourite of the Court party, but failed in securing election. The numbers for were: Moore 1,831, Shorter 1,591, Gold i,523. 3 Luttrell calls him a great Presbyterian "who has kist the Kings hand to be Lord Mayor of the City." Evelyn writes of him: "An Anabaptist, a very odd ignorant person, a mechanic, I think." ■ On 9 May, 1681, his name, together with the Lord Mayor and seven other Aldermen, was omitted from the Commission of Lieutenancy. 3 In December, 1682, he fell foul of Charles II for attending a conventicle at Pinmakers' Hall, and the Court of Aldermen received orders to remove him from his Aldermanry, and in October, 1683, Sir Benjamin Bathurst was appointed in his place on the nomination of the King. On 6 August, 1687, he was restored to his Aldermanry and to his rank of precedence by commission from the King (James II) and by the same usurped authority he became Lord Mayor. A Clause was inserted in the Royal Patent that he was to have "whom he pleased to preach (1) Repertoiy 81. fos. 238, 240b. (2) Notes and Queries, 26 July, 1884. (3) London and the Kingdom. Vol. II, p. 476. (4) Diary. Vol. I, p. 643. (5) Luttrell. Vol. I, p. S3. (6) London and the Kingdom. Vol. II, pp. 523-4. 8o The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. before him." The customary banquet on Lord Mayor's Day in the Guildhall was attended by the King and Queen, the Queen Dowager, their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Denmark, and the Court, together with the Pope's Nuncio, who was associated with other foreign visitors. Luttrell 1 says: (October 24) "Sir John Shorter being of the Goldsmiths Company the Company are making great preparation against the Show," and on the 29th he says 2 "the 29th was the anniversary of the Lord Mayors Show, the new one, Sir John Shorter, now entring on his office, the shew was splendid, and the entertainment great, according to custome his Majestie with the Prince of Denmark did the Citty the honour to dine with them at Guildhall. The Streets were new gravell'd all that morning on one side of the way, from Charing Crosse to the Citty for his Majesties passage. His Majestie was well satisfied with the whole entertainment." During Shorter's year of office the City was in a state of great unrest, the trial of the seven Bishops took place, and the agitation took form, which resulted in the invitation to the Prince of Orange and the abdication of James II, just previous to which, however, the King restored the City's Charter, which had been in his hand for six years, during which time the citizens were deprived of their privilege of electing their Lord Mayors, Aldermen and Common Councilmen, but Shorter did not live to see this restoration, for on 27 August, 1688, he fell from his horse, and died on 4 September following. The accident is thus recorded : " The lord mayor, Sir John Shorter, gott a fall from his horse in proclaiming the fair at Smithfield ; he is very ill with it, haveing gott a feavour." 3 His lordship had a piece of helpless comfort brought him before he died, which was that a corn meter's place and the common cryer were fallen void the same day which were worth to him, or rather his executors, ^3,000. He had called on the Keeper of Newgate on his return from proclaiming Bartholomew Fair, in accordance with the old custom, to partake of a ' cool tankard of wine, nutmeg & sugar.' After he had drank, the lid of the vessel fell with so much force that the horse started and threw him. (The custom thus described was discontinued in the Mayoralty of another of Cripplegate's Aldermen, Sir Matthew Wood. 1817.) Luttrell writes, "about n in the morning the Lord Mayor dyed of a feavour ; and some Aldermen went down to Windsor to acquaint the (i) Diary, Vol. I, p. 417. (2) Id. p. 418. (3) Id. p. 458. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 81 King with it, and to have a commission to act." This was done by order of the Court of Aldermen. The entry in the Repertory is as follows : — Special Court held in the Justice Hall, Old Bailey 31st August 1 6*88. "This Court considering my Lord Maior's sicknes and the small hopes of his recovery, Doth order in case of his death That the 4 Senior Aldren now in Town vizt. Sr Peter Daniel, Sr Wm Gostlin Mr Aldran Mawson & Sr Wm Ashurst or any three of them with Mr Townclerke doe imediatly wait on his Mat*' at Windsor to give him an Account of his Lopp s death, and desire his Ma ties appointmt of another Lord Maior. And in default of any of the said Aldermen, That the next Senior Aldran in or about the Town have notice to go in their roomes. And one or more coaches (as there shall be occasion) to be provided for them. " And it is further ordered that Mr Sheriffes with Mr Townclerke do forthwith repair to his Ma ties chief Minister of State in towne and acquaint him with my Lord Maior's condition." 1 Sir John Shorter was sixty-four years of age at the time of his death, and was buried in St. Saviours, Southwark. Upon reference to the Lo?idon Directory of 1677, it will be seen that Sir John Shorter was living at the time of his death at Bankside. SIR BENJAMIN BATHURST. Appointed by Royal Commission, 16 October, 1683, He held the office until the Accession of James II, and was again re-appointed by Royal Commission, 9 February, 1685. He was one of the Committee of the East India Company, 1684- 1698, Deputy Governor, 1686- 1688, 1 695-1 696, Governor, 1688- 1690. Knighted at Whitehall, 17 January, i68r. He was evidently a Court favourite, for he was for many years Treasurer to the Princess of Denmark, and was Cofferer of her house- hold from her accession to the throne, in 1702, till his death. The following is interesting as showing the freedom (?) of voting at Parliamentary elections at this time. 2 (1) Repertory 93. fo. 106. (2) LuttrelL Vol. III. p. 537. 82 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. "Oct. 15. 1695. The Princesse of Denmark has ordered Sir Benjamin Bathurst to acquaint all her servants that it is her desire that they vote for Sir Stephen Fox and Mr Montague to be members for Westminster." Sir Benjamin Bathurst was father of the first Earl Bathurst. His Livery Company cannot be traced, probably he was not a member of one. He died 27 April, 1704, and at that time was the Tory member for Romney. He was previously M.P. for Beeralston, 1685-1687. THOMAS FOWLE. Goldsmith. Appointed by Royal Commission, 4 May, 1686. Sheriff 1686. Removed to Vintry Ward 1 July, 1687, by the appointment of the King, and discharged in September of the same year, he was afterwards (15 December, 1691) elected in ordinary form Alderman of that Ward. 1 Knighted 26 September, 1686, during his Shrievalty. After his discharge from the Aldermanry of Vintry Ward he was elected (November, 1688) one of the Common Councilmen for Farring- don Without Ward. Whig M.P. for Devizes from March until December, 1690, when he was unseated. Thomas Fowle does not appear to have served any office in his Company, but by his Will, dated the 30 July, 1691, he gave to the Company ^10 to be distributed amongst five poor Widows. 2 Luttrell 3 writes, 25 September, 1686: — "His Majestie hath con- ferred the honour of knighthood on Thomas Fowle Esq, Goldsmith and Alderman of London and hath appointed Sir Thomas Rawlinson and he, to be Sheriffs of London and Middlesex for the year ensuing." These Sheriffs were not long in the King's favour, for we find that on 25 September in the following year that "The two late sheriffs of London, Sir Thomas Rawlinson and Sir Thomas Fowlis are removed from being Aldermen of London ; and the two new sherifs Sir Basil Firebrasse and Sir John Parsons, were sworn accordingly on the 29th.'" Sir Thomas Fowle died of apoplexy at his house in Fleet Street, where he carried on the business of a goldsmith, 11 November, 1692/ (1) Repertory 96. fo. 72. (2) MS. Records of the Goldsmiths' Company. (3) Luttrell. Vol. I, p. 385. (4) Id. p. 414. (5) Luttrell. Vol. II, p. 614. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 83 SIR JEREMY SAMBROOKE. Appointed by Royal Commission, 1 July, 1687. 1 hscharged by Royal Commission upon payment of a fine of ^520. On 16 August, 1694, he was chosen one of fifteen persons to prepare bye-laws for the "new bank" (Bank of England). 1 In Le Neve's Knights, p. 361, we read: " S r Jeremiah Sambrooke, Merchant of London, Knighted on board y e Earle of Barkley's Ship 31 Jan 1 68 1." He was a noted merchant, and left his estate to his son, who married a daughter of the Lord Keeper. 2 He was one of the Committee of the East India Company, 1678- 1687, 1695-1698, Deputy-Governor i683-i684. :i Probably not a member of a Livery Company. One of his daughters married Sir Humphrey Edwin, Lord Mayor, 1697. He had a house by the Guildhall, and "died suddenly in his garden 27 April, 1 705," 4 presumably at Edmonton, Middlesex, as we find that he was buried in Edmonton Church. WILLIAM DELAWOOD. Appointed by Royal Commission, 7 July, 1687. Unlike the three preceding Aldermen, who were appointed by Royal Commission, he was first nominated by the Court of Aldermen, 5 July, 1687, and submitted for the King's approbation. The King quickly approved the nomination, for at this time he was thinking about restoring the Charter, and thus obtaining the favour of the Citizens, in view of looming troubles ; but I )elawood does not seem to have been sworn in, nor to have attended a Court of Aldermen. On the 6 August a further Royal Commission was issued transferring him to Hassishaw Ward, evidently to make room for Sir John Shorter, who was re-consti- tuted Alderman of Cripplegate by the same Commission, and who was sworn in on the 10 August. Delawood was immediately afterwards discharged, Edward Underbill being sworn Alderman of Bassishaw in his room on the 1 6 August. Ilr was probably not a member of a Livery Company. (i) Luttrell. Vol. Ill, p. 357. (2) /,/. Vol. Y, p. 545. 1 Minutes of East India Company. 141 Le Neve's Afonumenta, Vol. IV, p. 106. G 84 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. SIR THOMAS STAMPE. Draper, Elected 9 October, 1688. 1 Sheriff 1676. Lord Mayor 1691. Son of Richard Stampe, of Reading, co. Berks. Knighted at Guildhall in his Shrievalty, 31 October, 1676. 2 Master of the Drapers Company, 1692. On the death of Sir John Chapman, Lord Mayor in March, 1689, Sir Thomas Stampe, Sir Thomas Pilkington, and two others were nominated for the Mayoralty, Stampe receiving 1,975 votes, and Pilkington 1,973, but the Court of Aldermen elected Pilkington, 3 who was Lord Mayor for the remainder of the year and was re-elected for the two following years ; Stampe attaining the Mayoralty in 1691. This election also was stoutly contested ; again four candidates were nominated on Michaelmas Day, two were put up by the Church party, Sir Jonathan Raymond and Sir Samuel Dashwood, and for the Whigs Sir Thomas Stampe and Alderman Fleet. The poll gave the following result : — Stampe 2,191, Fleet 2,113, Raymond 1,956, Dashwood 1,881. On the 1 3 October the Court of Aldermen met, and chose Sir Thomas Stampe. In March, 1700, he fought Fleet, who was now supported by the Tories, for a vacant seat in Parliament for the City, but was beaten by a majority of 2 83. 4 Early in the same year that he was elected Alderman of Cripple- gate, he was appointed to command one (the yellow) of the six regiments of the Trained Bands." On 28 March, 1690, the new commission of Lieutenancy was opened, and " they turned out five of the old Colonells of the City trained Bands, but they continued Sir Thomas Stampe still in," 6 but at its meeting on 11 July, 1702, the Court of Lieutenancy " turned out the six old colonells, amongst whom was Sir Thomas Stampe." 7 His address is given in the "London Directory," published in 1677, as Basinghall Street. He died at Springfield Hall, Essex, 25 July, 171 i. s For some years previous to his death he was " Father " of the Court of Aldermen. ( 1 ) Repertory 94. fo. 6b. (2) Le Neve's Knights, p. 310. (3) London and the Kingdom. Vol. II, p. 547. (4) Lnttrell. Vol. V, p. 29. (5) Lnttrell. Vol. I, p. 517. (6) Lnttrell. Vol. II, p. 25. (7) Lnttrell. Vol. V, p. 193. (8) Le Neve's JMonumenta Anglicana, Vol, IV, p. 232. The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 85 WILLIAM STEWART. Barber-Surgeon. Elected 31 July, 171 1. 1 Sheriff 1711. Lord Mayor 1721. He was elected President of St. Bartholomew's Hospital 10 Septem- ber, 1 7 12, and held the position till his death in 1723, and was one of the Directors of the East India Company. In politics he was a Tory. Knighted with John Cass, his fellow Sheriff, and Samuel Clarke, at St. James' Palace, on presenting a loyal address of the City, 14 June, 1 7 12. The following entry, extracted from the Records of the Court of Aldermen, is given for the purpose of showing the mode of election of an Alderman up to that date, and is interesting as being the last one conducted '"according to ancient custom" (from A.D. 1402) at an election of an Alderman of Cripplegate. 2 "Court of Aldermen, 31 July 17 n. " This day The Right Honob le The Lord Mayor made report to this Court, That his Lordship sitting lately in the Ward of Cripplegate to take the Nomination of the Inhabitants of the said Ward, Freemen of this City, for an Alderman thereof in the Room and Stead of Sr Thomas Stampe, Knt. Lately deceased, the said inhabitants did Nominate S r Francis Child and Sr William Withers Knts and Aldermen, William Stewart Esq, Citizen and Barber Surgeon one of the Sheriffes Elect and William Edmonds, Citizen and Weaver of which nomination this Court did Accept and Allow, And S r Francis Child and Sr William Withers refusing to Remove, This Court proceeded to Election by Scrutiny according to ancient Custom, and did elect the said William Si. wart to be Alderman of the said Ward, who being forthwith sent for appeared in this Court, and was here Sworn for the due Execution of the said Place, And also took the Oaths and made and subscribed the Declaration and took and subscribed the Oath of Abjuration, according to the several Laws made for those Purposes." In the Annals of the Barber Surgeons' Company, p. 562, are the following entries : — (1) Repertory 1/5. 0. 310. (2) An Art of Common Council was passed 20 September, 1711, by which two persons only, were to be nominated to the Court of Aldermen, instead of four. I'll.- only oilier election of an Alderman after Stewart's, under the old manner of electing, was that of Gerard Conyers, for the Ward of Broad Street ; the Ward- mote was held previous to the passing of the Act, although for some reason, he was nol sworn until 4 December in 'he same year, G 2 86 The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. "Sir William Stewart was admitted to the freedom 22 nd July, 1686, by redemption." As will be seen he was translated to the Goldsmiths' Company. " 2 1 st July 1 720. The Master acquainted the Court that S r William Stewart K l and Alderman of the City of London a Freeman of this Company being the senior Alderman under the Chair of this City except one Did make at his request to this Court That he might be translated from this Company to the Company of Goldsmiths forasmuch as it was required by the Custom of London That he should be free of one of the first twelve Companys of this City before he could be put in eleccon to be Lord Mayor." 1 Sir William Stewart appears to have been a man of considerable importance. He was made free of the Company of Goldsmiths on the 27 July, 1720, and was elected Prime Warden on the 31st. On the occasion of his Mayoralty, the Goldsmiths' Company decided, although he was only a Member of their body by translation, to show him all accustomed civility, and they offered him the use of the Hall for his year of office at the rent of ,£130. The Wardens were desired by the Court at the same time to ascertain from the Lord Mayor elect, what he was prepared to pay towards the expense of a Show and, after some deliberation, Sir William Stewart replied ^60. The Company, it is expressly stated, were at that time not in a pecuniary position to bear the expense of a Show, but nevertheless it would seem, from the following interesting account taken from the Memorials of the Goldsmiths' Company, that a brave show was made by the Company : — "Monday, y e xxx th October, 1721. — This being Lord Mayor's Day the Ffoot Marshall drew up the Arm Bearers and Banner Bearers in their blew gowns and capps, being 52 in number, who were followed by the Companies almesmen ; and then came the Gent. Ushers in velvet (or black) coats and gilt chains, the Budge Bachelors in {blank in MS.) gowns, and the Rich Bachelors in (blank in MS.) gowns ; after whom came the New Livery, and the rest of the Company, the youngest going foremost ; and so waited on Sir Win. Stewart, Knight, Lord Mayor, at Drapers' Hall (the Drapers' Company dining at Goldsmiths' Hall which could not be got ready for his Lordshipp), and from Drapers' Hall this Company preceded his Lordshipp to the 'Three Cranes' where they took barge, went to Westminster, relanded at Blackfriars, returned to Drapers' Hall, and from thence went to the 'Home' Tavern, in Ffieet Street, to dinner; at which place the Rich Bachelors, Budge Bachelors, and Gent. Ushers, were before treated while the Company were on the water." 2 (1) Annals of the Barber Surgeons, p. 562. (2) Memorials of the Goldsmiths'' Company, p. 201. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 87 His Will is dated 28 March, 1723, and by it he bequeaths various legacies of ,£2,000 each to nephews and nieces, and sundry other smaller legacies to friends and servants, ,£700 to St. Bartholomew's, and ^100 each to St. Thomas', Christ's, and Bethlehem Hospitals. ,£50 to the London Workhouse. 1 ,£500 to his Housekeeper. He died at his house in Mark Lane, 29 April, 1723, aged seventy- nine. His corpse was carried, preceded by a hundred boys of Christ's Hospital and fifty boys belonging to the London Workhouse, each with a wax taper in his hand, and was interred at Guildhall Chapel, 7 May following." A tablet was placed in the Guildhall Chapel to his memory, which was removed some time before its demolition, to the Church of St. Lawrence Jewry. SIR JOHN WILLIAMS. Mercer. Elected 20 June, 1723.' Sheriff 1729. Lord Mayor 1735. He was Master of the Mercers' Company, 1723. Director of the South Sea Company and Tory M.P. for Aldeburgh, He received the honour of knighthood at Kensington, 23 June, 1713, 1 together with Samuel Ongley and Christopher Desbouverie (a fellow Mercer), they being Directors of the South Sea Company. An exciting contest took place for the Aldermanic representation of the Ward, between Sir John Williams and one Felix Feast, who had been Sir William Stewart's Deputy for Cripplegate Without from 1718 until the Alderman's death. The Wardmote for the election was held 1 May and was not finally closed until the 20 June following — during this time both Williams and beast were also candidates for the Shrievalty — and very strong and bitter opposition seems to have been displayed one to the other, arising probably from the fact that they were political opponents -Williams being a Tory and Feast a Whig. Williams was eventually elected Alderman, but beast and his co-candidate were duly elected Sheriffs, on Midsummer day ; the number of votes being, as stated by Mr. E. Falkingham, the representative of Sir Richard Hopkins and (1) The London Workhouse was situated in Moor Lane, within his Ward. (2) . I finals of the Barber Surgeons, p. 562. (3) Repertory 1 2f. fo. 417. (4) tendon Gazette. 88 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. Mr. Feast at the counting of the votes, as Hopkins, 3,248; Feast, 3,244 ; Lockwood, 3,191 ; Williams, 3,188. Previously to this, Mr. Sheriff Parsons (who at the election of Williams for Alderman was said to have "awed the scrutineers" in Williams' favour) declared the number of votes as follows: — Lockwood, 3,185; Williams, 3,181; Hopkins, 3,152 ; Feast, 3,149. Richard Lockwood, who stood as colleague with Williams, was then one of the Tory Members for the City. Sir Richard Hopkins was afterwards Alderman of Lime Street Ward and Whig Member for the City 1724 to 1727. On the death of Feast in February, 1724, Williams again became a candidate for the Shrievalty, but was again defeated, this time by Sir Edward Bellamy, Fishmonger. The first result of the poll was: Williams, 3,557 ; Bellamy, 3,102 ; but upon a scrutiny the numbers were considerably reduced, especially in the case of Williams — the numbers on scrutiny being: Bellamy, 2,868; Williams, 2,850. The election of Sir John Williams as Alderman of Cripplegate is interesting in several ways. His predecessor's (Stewart) election was the last under the old mode of election that had been in use for more than three hundred years, by which the Court of Aldermen elected one from four names submitted to them, by the freemen inhabitants of a Ward. In 1 7 14, an Act of Common Council altered the mode . of election, to one that was in use previous to 1402, by which the inhabi- tants of a Ward directly elected one man to be their Alderman, as it remains to this day. Probably the novelty of the change in the mode of election, had something to do with the excitement that took place, and kept the Ward in a state of turmoil for nearly eight weeks. At any rate, the election is noteworthy, as being the only contested election, for an Alderman in Cripplegate under this new mode of election. This unique position, warrants the following lengthy (but abridged) account of the proceedings of the election of Sir John Williams — First, in order, is the report to the Court of Aldermen, as to the proceedings at the Wardmote held on the 1 May, 1723, by the Attorney or Assessor attending the Lord Mayor, who as usual presided : — "Att a Wardmote held before the Right Honourable Sr Gerard Conyers, Knight, Lord Mayor of the City of London, on Wednesday the first day of May, One thousand seaven hundred and Twenty three, at the Parish Church of St. Giles's Cripplegate, London, for the Eleccon of an Aldran for the said Ward, in the Room of Sir William Stewart, Knight, deceased. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 89 "The candidates or persons put in Nomination were (vizt) ffelix ffeast Esq, Citizen and Brewer, Mr. Deputy William Patten, 1 Citizen and Grocer, and Sir John Williams, Knight, Citizen and Mercer. Who being severally put up, His Lordship declared, That, by View of hands, the Eleccon to have fallen on ffelix ffeast Esq. " But a Poll being demanded on the behalf of Sir John Williams, Knight By Charles Smith, Citizen and Girdler of London. William Warner, Citizen and Weaver of London. Thomas Bell, Citizen and Cooper of London. Roger Broome, Citizen and fframeworker Knitter of London and John Buscoe, Citizen and Vintner of London. His Lordship granted the same; which began to be taken the same day. And from thence adjourned it to Thursday the Second day of May, aforesaid. And the same being compleated at two of the Clock the same day, The Books were shut up. Upon the Close and Casting up thereof, it appeared to his Lordship, That by the Majority of Votes the Eleccon was likewise fallen on ffelix ffeast Esq." The Lord Mayor in his statement does not give the majority for Feast, but Feast in his petition gives the numbers as : Feast 623, Williams 597. " Whereupon a Scrutiny was the same day demanded, on the behalfe of Sir John Williams Knight by William Giggs, Citizen and Cordweyner of London. Edward ffrye, Citizen and Bricklayer of London. I >aniell Bonner, Citizen and Merchant-Taylor of London, and Charles Smith, Citizen and Girdler of London. Which being likewise granted by his Lordship: the Scrutineers to manage the same, were as follows (Vizt) "On the part of ffelix ffeast Esq Mr. Charles Hartley, Staconer. Mr. Samel Wright, Weaver. Mr. Samuel Scott, Salter. Mr. Humphrey Gregory, Weaver. Mr. Thos. Jackson, Draper. Mr. David Jones, Apothecary. (1) Patten had been the late Alderman's Deputy for the Inner Ward. 90 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. " On the part of Sr. John Williams, Knight. Mr. Thos. Bell, Cooper. Mr. Roger Broome, fframework knitter. Mr. Wm. Giggs, Cordweyner. Mr. Charles Duke, Goldsmith. Mr. Joseph Tucker, Wyerdrawer. Mr. Daniel Bonner, Mercht. Taylor. "After which Appointment of Scrutineers, the said Court was by his Lorp. adjourned to "Wednesday the twenty second day of May aforesaid. " When being met His Lordship entred upon, and proceeded in, the said Scrutiny and afterwards adjourned to ffriday, the twenty fourth day of May aforesaid. " When being again met, the said Scrutiny was renewed, and his Lordship further adjourned the said Court, to Saturday the twenty-fifth day of the same Month. " When meeting again, the said Scrutiny was reassumed and afterwards his Lorp. further adjourned the said Court, to Monday the twenty seventh day of May aforesaid. " When being likewise again met, His Lordship reentered upon the said Scrutiny and afterwards adjourned it, to Thursday the thirtieth day of the same Month. " When being again met, the Scrutiny was also renewed, and after- wards adjourned to ffriday, the thirty first day of May aforesaid. " When meeting again the said Scrutiny was likewise renewed and thoroughly gone thro'. But some Doubts remaining, as to the Qualificacon of some of the pollers as were Quered in the Books on the Scrutiny, His Lordship had a Case prepared and ready drawn of all such Pollers aforesaid, which was read to both Candidates p'sent, And his Lordship then acquainted them That he was desirous to have the opinions of Mr Recorder and Mr. Comon Serjeant thereon, before his Lordship would give his Determinacbn in the said Eleccon, if they would then approve of the said Case as stated and read to them, which they unanimously approved of and agreed to ; Thereupon his Lordship thought fit, further to adjourne the said Court to Wednesday the twelfth day of June thence following. " When being again met his Lordship was pleased to acquaint the Candidates and Electors, at the said Court, That he had not received The Aldej'men of Cripplegale Ward. 91 the Opinions of Mr Recorder and Mr Coition Serjeant on the aforesaid Case, And therefore his Lordship further adjourned the said Court to Thursday, the twentieth day of June aforesaid. " When being again likewise met His Lordship declared, That after a full Hearing at the said several adjournements and Strict Examination made and after the Scrutiny was finished, His Lordship reced a Peticon of ffelix ffeast Esq, with two Affidavits thereunto annexed, and several! other Affidavits, touching the said Scrutiny, wherein it is Suggested that Sir John Williams, threatened one of Mr ffeast's Scrutineers, with an Action of Ten thousand pounds. And that he, the said Sir John Williams took upon him to menace and threaten the rest of the Scrutineers for Mr ffeast, with bringing of great and heavy Actions against them : while they were in the Execucon of their Duty, and not doing or saying anything inconsistent therewith ; which, as it is apprehended, so intimidated and terrified the said Mr ffeasts Scrutineers from giving their proper Objec- cons and reasons, in such manner as they could have done. "There are other Allegacons in the said Peticon, besides these much to the same effect. To which said Peticon and Affidavits Relacon being had, will fully and at large appear to this Honourable Court. " His Lordship further declared That he had likewise received severall Affidavits to confront the said Peticon of ffelix ffeast Esq, and Justilie Sir John Williams in his dropping some words, as contained in the said Peticon of and Affidavits on the behalfe of ffelix ffeast Esq, against the said Mr ffeast's Scrutineers. Relacon being likewise had to the said Affidavits will more fully and at large appears to this Court. '• And his Lordship likewise declared in the said Court of Wardmote that the Reason of thus acquainting him, was, That he would lay the said Peticon and Affidavits on both sides, and the Matter of Fact before this Honourable Court, to do and determine as to this Court may seem just and equitable. " But his Lorp was of an Opinion as the Scrutiny stood, That Sir John Williams had the Majority of good Voices for Aldran for the said Ward, in the Room of Sir William Stewart, Knight, deceased. And there- upon the said ( 'ourt of Wardmote was dismissed according to forme. " Edward Peirce " Attorney attending his Lordship." The Order of the Proceedings before the Court of Aldermen is entered in the Repertory as follows (abridged) ; — 92 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. Tuesday, 2 July 1723. ''The Ld Mayor delivered in his Report of the election &c. of Alderman of the Ward of Cripplegate, Within and Without, The con- sideration whereof is adjourned till next Tuesday. 1 Tuesday, 9th July 1723. " This day the Report made by the Rt. Honoble. The Lord Mayor touching the late Election of an Alderman for the Ward of Cripplegate, Within and Without, in the Room of Sr. William Stewart, Knt. lately deced was taken into Consideration and the Petition of Felix Feast Esq was Read and the Affidavits of Mr Henry Lowth, Mr Nathaniel Phillips and Mr. Humphry Gregory, annexed to the said Petition, were likewise Read. And the Affidavit of Mr. Thomas Bell, Mr. Daniel Bonner and Mr. Samuel Hoyle were also Read, and the further Consideration thereof is Adjourned till Tuesday next, and Notice is to be given to both the said Candidates, and in the mean time Mr. Town Clerk is to Search Prece- dents to see what hath been done on any such occasion." Tuesday, 16 July 1723. "This Court proceeded to consider of the late election &c. . . . and Felix Feast Esq. presented a Petition to this Court complaining (among other things) that several of his Scrutineers were so menaced and Threatened by Sr John Williams and awed by Humphrey Parsons Esq. one of the Sheriffes of this City, That they were Intimidated, Terrified, and Discouraged in the proceeding on the said Scrutiny That they did not make the Objections proper to be made, to such as were illegal pollers on the part of Sr John Williams nor offer what was proper to be offered to Maintain the Right of such Pollers as had Polled for the said Mr Feast, as had good right to Poll at that Election, which together with the Affidavits of Samuel Wright, David Jones, and 1 )aniel Booth, to Prove the Allegations thereof, were severally Read, in the presence of the said Mr. Feast, who then withdrew, And Sr John Williams being called in was by Order of this Court Acquainted by Mr. Recorder of the several proceeding of this Court relating to the said Election, and the said Petition, and Affidavits, before mentioned all which were now again Read in his presence, who then withdrew. Whereupon this Court doth adjourn the further Consideration thereof till next Tuesday when they will proceed to the further Consideration (1) Repertory 127. fol. 370. (2) Id. fol. 394. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 93 thereof and Examin such Witnesses on Oath, Viva Voce, as shall be produced by either of the said Parties, as to the point of Menacing and Threatning the Scrutineers, only For this Court doth Resolve not to Intermeddle with any other matter relating to the said Election than to the Threats and Menaces Complained of in the said Petition. And it is ordered in the meantime That each of the said Parties may have Copies (if they think fit) of the said Petition and Affidavits, or of such of them as they shall think necessary, And Sr John Williams being called in was Acquainted therewith, but Mr Feast being gon, it was Ordered he should be informed thereof.' Tuesday, 23 July 1723. "The Court proceeded to consider &c. &c. . . . And S r John Williams and Felix Feast Esq were severally called in and the Return of the Right Honoble. The Lord Mayor of the said election was Read, as likewise the Petition of Felix Feast Esq, which was read at the last Court, complaining of several Menaces and Threats used by S 1 ' John Williams to the said M r Feast's Scrutineers, was now read again, together with the several Affidavits referred to by the same and several Witnesses were Examined on Oath on the part of the said M r Feast, after which several Affidavits were read, and several Witnesses examined on Oath on the behalf of S 1 John Williams. And after Hearing all the said Parties and their Evidence they withdrew, Whereupon (after some debate) This Court came to the following Resolutions, vizt : " Resolved : That it appears to this Court That unjustifyable Menaces were used by S r John Williams upon the Scrutiny of the said election. "Resolved: That the said Scrutiny was not affected by the said Menaces, so as to Turn the said Flection in favour of M r Feast. '• And it appearing by his Lordship's return That S 1 ' John Williams, Knight, Citi/en and Mercer had a Majority of good Voices for Alder- man for the said Ward, It was Resolved that the said S r John Williams should be called in and Sworn, And he being called in accordingly, Did appear and was here sworn for the due Execution of the said Office, and also Took and Subscribed the Oaths and made and Subscribed the 1 >c- claration according to the several Law.-, made lor those purposes."" Sir John Williams was Alderman of the Ward for twenty years. He was a Turkey Merchant, and lived in Norfolk Street, Strand. He died 7H1 May, 1743-' (1) Repertory 127. fol. 402. (2) /,/. fo. 416. (3) Kearsley's Loin/on Register of Mayors. 94 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. (From a print taken from the original painting of a group of Aldermen, in Goldsmiths Hall.) JOHN BLACHFORD, Goldsmith. Elected 9 May, 1743. 1 Sheriff 1745. Lord Mayor (23 May, 1750). In 1745, great difficulty was experienced in getting men willing to serve the Shrievalty, and it was not until 9 July that Blachford was elected Sheriff, having as his colleague, Alderman Cokayne, of Cornhill Ward. Fourth Warden of the Goldsmiths' Company in 1737, third Warden in 1740 and again in 1741, second Warden in 1742, and Prime Warden in 1744." He was elected Lord Mayor on the death of Sir Samuel Pennant, Alderman of Bishopsgate, who with another Alderman, two Judges, and many other persons, fell a victim to the gaol distemper. John Blachford finished the year, but was not re-elected. He was elected President of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, 8 February, 1754, and retained the office until his death. As an enthusiastic Jacobite it was unfortunate that he should have been one of the Sheriffs at the execution of Lords Kilmarnock and Balmerino on 18 August, 1746. 3 ( 1 ) Repertory 147. fo. 244. (2) Records of the Goldsmiths' Company. (3) Stocken MSS. J lie Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 95 He presented to his Company (in 1752) a portrait of himself and five other Members of the Goldsmiths' Company (styled a Conversation piece), in a group, who are supposed to be drinking the health of the King "over the water.'" In the Memorials of the Goldsmiths' Company, 2 the following entry appears in connection with this picture : — " 20 February, 1752. — Mr. Alderman Blachford acquaints the Court that he has caused his picture, together with those of Mr. Alderman Ironside [Cordwainer], Sir Henry Marshall [Farringdon Within], Mr. Alderman Benn [Aldersgate], Mr. Alderman Alsop [Coleman Street], and Mr. Alderman Rawlinson [Broad Street], to be drawn as a Conversation Piece, which he desires the Company to accept ; whereupon it is moved and seconded that the thanks of this Court be given to Mr. Alderman Blachford, as well for the many favours by him heretofore shown to the Company, as for this very agreeable present ; and, the question being put, the thanks of the Court are unanimously voted to him for the same." As will be noticed the Goldsmiths' Company were well represented in the Court of Aldermen at this time, no less than six of their number being Members of that body. John Blachford died 25 September, 1759. JOHN CARTWRIGHT. Fishmonger. Elected 29 September, 1759.' Sheriff 1761. Knighted on Lord Mayor's Day, on the occasion of King George III and his Queen honouring the Guildhall Banquet with their presence. The pageant in the streets on Lord Mayor's Day was a memorable one. the Fishmongers' Company paying honour to Cartwright, by an allegorical display -comprising a statue of St. Peter, a dolphin, two mermaids, and two sea horses. He was elected on the Court of the Fishmongers' Company, X February, 1754, but never served the office of Prime Warden. Resigned on account of ill health (3 February, 1767) without serving the office of Lord Mayor. He died 29 August, 1772. (il See note under portrait. (2) Vol. II. pp. 243 4. (3) Repertory 163. fo. 399. 9 6 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. (From a print published 1793, taken from the original painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds.) SIR JAMES ESDAILE, Knt. Cooper. Elected 6 February, 1767. 1 Sheriff 1766. Lord Mayor 1777. He was son of Peter Esdaile, of the Parish of St. Luke, Middlesex, and carried on the business of an accoutrement maker, in Bunhill Row. He was a great print collector. His fourth son, William, was a noted banker, the senior partner in Esdaile, Hammet & Co., 21, Lombard Street. He came from Great Gains, Essex. In 1766, there was a difficulty in obtaining Sheriffs, and eventually Esdaile was elected on 4 September. His eolleague in the Shrievalty was Sir Robert Darling, 1 ' who from 1768 till his death in 1770 was Edmund Burke's colleague in the representation of Wendover in Parliament. Knighted in his Shrievalty (28 October) on the occasion of the presentation of an address by the Corporation to the Throne. (1) Repertory 17 1. fo. 186. (2) On 24 June, Conquest Jones anil William Reynolds, were elected, and on being discharged, Robert Darling and 1'hillip Stephens, were elected 24 July, and as Stephens did nol appear to give his bond, Esdaile was chosen. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 97 On being sworn into office as Lord Mayor, the Lord Chancellor said : " His Majesty highly approves of the choice made by the City of London" and added for himself: "What pleasure the citizens must feel on a return of that dignity, peace and tranquillity which had been lost and disturbed for many years past " and hoped " matters would return to the old channel." This referred to the estrangement between the King and the City from the time of Beckford's " remonstrance." In his year of office the country was at war with the American Colonies and on the 15 January, 1778, he laid a plan before the King for opening a subscription "to raise land and sea forces," but the Common Council the next day resolved that " to give any countenance, or to be in any way instrumental in continuing the present war with the Colonies will reflect dishonour on humanity." Next day, however, the proposed subscription was opened at the London Tavern, and ;£ 14,000 was sub- scribed for enlisting men for service in the war. How different was this to the reception of the proposition of the Lord Mayor in 1899, when the quasi colony of the Transvaal declared war against this country — when, feeling the justice of the country's cause (which it did not in 1778), the Common Council voted ,£25,000 towards assisting a fund to equip 1,000 volunteers for service in South Africa — 1,500 volunteers being raised, equipped and sent out within four weeks ; the corps being known as the City Imperial Volunteers. Over ,£100,000 was subscribed by the Citizens. Later on, Esdaile refused to put to the Common Hall a resolution of thanks to the four City Members in Parliament for their opposition to " a weak and wicked administration," recommending them also to continue their best endeavours to prosecute them to shame and punishment. The Common Council on 19 November gave instructions to their representatives (all Members of the Court) to make strenuous efforts to prevent the loss of our Colonies, and the " shame and distress of this unhappy country." Esdaile does not appear to have served any office in the Coopers' ( lompany. He was Colonel of the Green Regiment of the London Militia from 1763 to 1789, when the distinction of colours was abolished, and continued to be one of the Colonels of the Militia till his death, which occurred at his residence in Bunhill Row, 6 April, 1793,' his successor in the Aldermanry being elected only four daws after. (1) Gentleman's Magazine, 1793- p. 3S0. 98 The Aldermen of Cripplegate ]] r ard. Kb *, ' w^ * «^BI Hff/f-'/y ■ '' *ll riivisBi Rfwf3| Mij ***M(' 1 L-— - K^ P^j( 'bj£^**< a m (From a p> in I taken from a painting by Sir William Beechey in Carpenters' Hall.) SIR WILLIAM STAINES. Carpenter. Elected 10 April, 1793. 1 Sheriff 1796. Lord Mayor 1800. Knighted in his Shrievalty (26 October) on the occasion of attending, with his brother Sheriff (Stephen Langston), and the Lord Mayor (Brook Watson), to present an address to the King, expressing the satisfaction of the City at hearing that an envoy was to be sent to Paris to negotiate for peace. Master of the Carpenters' Company, 1793, and on the death of the Master in 1799, served for the remainder of his term. The following is an abbreviated extract from the European Maga- zine for November, 1807 : — " The late Sir William Staines whose memory it is our ardent wish to transmit to posterity, was one who by a firm reliance in Providence, seconded by the unremitted efforts of his own industry and supported by the most undeviating integrity, raised himself to the height of Civic honour. He was born of humble parents early in 1731, probably in St. George's, Southwark, and was apprenticed to a mason in the City, but after serving part of his time, ran away to sea and made a voyage to (1) Repertory 197. fo. 167. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 99 Portugal, but on his return the ship was captured by the French, and after several months' captivity, he was exchanged with other prisoners. He returned home deeply penitent for his misconduct in leaving his Master, who took him back into his service, Staines serving him as apprentice, not only for the length of his legal term, but also for the period in which he had been absent. He commenced business on his own account as a Mason and Builder, in Philip Lane, Cripplegate, his business gradually grew, and eventually he was in a position to undertake the erection of public buildings, and amongst other works the repairing and relaying the streets, with what was then termed ' Scotch pavement.' His position still improving, he built himself a large house in Barbican in which place he had long resided, and soon after (in 1784), such was the esteem in which he was held by his fellow Citizens, that they elected him one of their four representatives in the Common Council for the Ward of Cripplegate Without. He was appointed the Alder- man's Deputy in 1791, and on the death of Sir James Esdaile, he was elected Alderman of the Ward, being then in his 63rd year. He was Lord Mayor in 1800. 'In all these situations his strength of mind and innate integrity, while they reflected the highest honour upon his abilities, afforded the greatest satisfaction to his constituents and were of the utmost advantage to the public' In 1786 he carried into effect a benevolent design, that he had long contemplated, of building and endowing nine almshouses. These were built in Jacobs Well Passage, Barbican," and in 1866 were removed to Tottenham. Staines entered upon his year of office as Lord Mayor, on the day that Nelson arrived in London, after the battle of the Nile, and who joined the procession on its return from Westminster. So popular was Staines that his carriage was dragged by the populace from Blackfriars Bridge to the Guildhall. Nelson took part in the feast, and the same night received a sword of honour, that had been voted him, by the Corporation. It is said that five thousand ladies and gentlemen were present : and the scene was one of great enthusiasm. During his year of office, on the first day of the nineteenth century, the Union of Great Britain and Ireland was celebrated by the ringing of all the Church bells in the City. In consequence of the long continued war with France, provisions were very dear, especially flour, concerning which a Royal proclamation was issued, recommending the use of other pro- visions than flour, the reduction of the use of flour in every household by one third, and the restriction of one loaf to each person per week. ioo The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. Staines had a troublesome year of office, riots frequently occurring, but at the close, the preliminaries of peace with France having been signed, rejoicings and illumination ushered out the year. Of Sir William Staines there are many curious stories, amongst others, some concerning his penchant for his pipe. He seldom rode out without a well-charged pipe, and when he alighted, it was handed to his coachman to keep it going until his master's return. Staines was fond of simple social habits and neighbourly society, and would relate over his pipe and glass the following anecdote : — " When he was at work as a bricklayer, at a parsonage house at Uxbridge, the parson's wife told him, to his astonish- ment, she had a dream that he would wear a gold chain and be Lord Mayor of London. The same dream again occurred to the lady, and was told him." He finished his work at the house and left, probably thinking but little of the matter, but this incident may possibly have been an incentive to him to attempt to rise in life. The parson lived to be Chaplain to Staines when Lord Mayor. The Vestry of St. Giles, Cripplegate, showed their gratitude for some of his earlier services thus : — " 20 March, 1792, Ordered — That a very handsome silver Tobacco box and stopper be made and presented to Mr Deputy William Staines, with a suitable inscription as a reward for his service done to the Parish, and the two Churchwardens and Mr Clarke and Mr Browning be a Committee for seeing the same done in a proper manner." In 1803 he left his house in Barbican, and resided at Clapham, where he died 10 September, 1807, aged seventy-six years. He was so much respected, that his funeral was attended by the Lord Mayor and most of his brother Aldermen, and by all the authorities of the Ward and Parish with which he had been so long connected. He was buried in the Churchyard of St. Giles, Cripplegate. In the Church there is a handsome monument to his memory. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 101 From a print published by Royde/l, 1S1-, taken from the picture painted by Lady Bell.) MATTHEW WOOD. Fishmonger. Elected 14 September, 1807. 1 Sheriff 1809. Lord Mayor 1815 and 1816. He was born at Tiverton in 1768 and, after receiving his education in the famous BlundelPs Free Grammar School in that town, was apprenticed to a druggist. At the age of twenty-two he came to London, and in 1801 established himself in business in Cripplegate as a Hop Merchant. In 1802 he was placed at the head of the poll as one of the four Common Councilmen tor the Ward of Cripplegate Without. On 29 Sept., 1807, the Lord Mayor reported the election of Matthew Wood (who was then absent in Ireland) to the Court of Aldermen, which resolved that "This Court doth grant him further time to make his appearance to take upon him the said office." Wood attended 27 October, and was duly sworn in. Prime Warden of the Fishmongers' Company, 1834, and at that time was described as residing at Highbury Place, Highbury. Eight years after his election as Alderman, he was elected to the Mayoralty, in which he distinguished himself by his unrivalled energy (1) Repertory 211. fo. 459. 11 2 102 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. and ability as a Magistrate. The critical state of the country in 1816, the great scarcity and consequent dullness and dissatisfaction, rendered it important that a firm man should be chosen as Chief Magistrate of the City, and for the first time for several hundred years, the Civic Chair was filled during two consecutive terms of office by the same individual. This confidence in Wood was not misplaced, for soon after (3 December, 1816) the commencement of his second year of office a series of riots had taken place in various parts of the country. In agricultural districts ricks had been fired, and in manufacturing towns machinery had been wantonly destroyed. In December a riot known as the " Spa Fields Riot " broke out, but was repressed without much difficulty — thanks to the courage of the Lord Mayor. 1 During Wood's second Mayoralty, in 181 7, he was returned to Parliament as representative of the City of London, without any oppo- sition. He sat in ten consecutive Parliaments, extending over a period of twenty-five years, and headed the poll in the contests of 1818, 1820, 1835, and 1837. Upon the decease of George III, in the year 1820, Wood was applied to by Queen Caroline (then abroad) for advice. Being fully persuaded of her innocence, with that straightfor- ward decision and hatred of oppression which distinguished him through life, he at once exhorted her to face her accusers by returning to England, and with consistent firmness, regardless of the attacks of a portion of the Press, he stood by her cause to the end. Theodore Hook wrote a bitter satire on Alderman Wood's espousal of the Queen's cause, entitled, "An Essay towards the History of Whittington," but satire though it be, the following verses that occur in it were undoubtedly true : — " Serche England round, naye all the erthe, Itte mychtelie would trouble you, To find a manne so ryche in worthe, As honeste Matthew W. He's notte the manne to doe you wronge, Nor wythe false speeches trouble you, Whyle beef grows fatte, and beer grows strong, Long lyfe to Matthew W." (1) The account of Wood's conduct in the early suppression of the riot, which might have led to a repetition of the anarchy that prevailed in the Gordon Riots of 1780, is given in full in London and the Kingdom, Vol. Ill, pp. 299 to 305. The Gentleman's Magazine of November, 1843, furnishes the greater part of the information respecting Wood's career as here given. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 103 On the occasion of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, honouring the Corporation by her presence at dinner at the Guildhall, 9 November, 1837, Alderman Wood was informed by Lord John Russell of Her Majesty's intention to confer on him the dignity of a Baronetcy. He had acted as trustee in the management of the affairs of Her Majesty's father, the Duke of Kent, and it was owing to his recommendation that the Duke and Duchess returned to England from Brussels, in order that their eldest child might be born a Briton. He was a Radical Reformer during his whole career, his votes being given in favour of Free Trade, Reform of Parliament, Vote by Ballot, Emancipation of the Roman Catholics, and other Liberal measures of Reform. As a Magistrate he was firm and upright, yet kind and indulgent to the poor and distressed. He was highly esteemed as a man of the utmost strictness and honour in all his transactions. He married Maria, daughter of John Page, a surgeon, of Woodbridge, co. Suffolk, and left three sons — John Page, who was in Holy Orders, and succeeded him in the Baronetcy ; William Page, and Western. His second son, William Page Wood, after filling successively the offices of Solicitor-General, Vice-Chancellor, and Lord Justice of Appeal, became Lord High Chancellor in Mr. Gladstone's first Ministry, and was raised to the Peerage, with the title of Lord Hatherley, derived from an estate in Gloucestershire, left to Sir Matthew by a namesake, " Jemmy " Wood, the Banker, it is said through the instrumentality of a lady relative, in gratitude to Sir Matthew Wood for his conduct in defending Queen Caroline. The third son, Western Wood, represented the City of London from July, 1861, till his death in 1863, having been elected (after a close contest, in which he defeated the then Lord Mayor, William Cubitt) to fill the vacancy caused by the elevation of Lord John Russell to the Peerage. On his death Mr. Goschen succeeded him, entering Parliament then for the first time. The eldest son, the Rev. Sir John Page Wood, died in 1866. He had three sons, the youngest of whom is Sir Henry Evelyn Wood, K.C.B., V.C., whose distinguished services are well known. He entered the Royal Navy in 1852, and served with the Naval Brigade in the Crimea, where he was wounded; he entered the Army in 1855. His Victoria Cross was gained for conspicuous bravery during the Indian Mutiny. Sir Matthew Wood died 25 September, 1843, aged seventy-five. io4 The Alder men of Cripplegate Ward. (From a painting in Butchers' Hall.) THOMAS CHALLIS. Butcher, Elected 6 October, 1843. 1 Sheriff 1846. Lord Mayor 1852. He was born in Fore Street, Cripplegate, where his father (Churchwarden of the Parish of St. Giles, Cripplegate, in 1804) was in business. An obituary notice in The Times Newspaper, 22 August, 1874, runs as follows: — -"Throughout his term of office he took a leading part in encouraging the formation of schools of art, and other educational matters. For many years he carried on business in Finsbury and Bermondsey as a Hide Merchant, and for some time (1852-57) represented Finsbury in the House of Commons, his colleague being Thomas Slingsby Buncombe [Tom. Buncombe]. He was known as a painstaking Magistrate and was highly respected in the Corporation." Master of the Butchers' Company, 1839. Entering into the Mayoralty when the body of the great Buke of Wellington was lying in state awaiting burial, the usual Procession to Westminster was dispensed with, and the Banquet postponed. He was a Liberal in politics. Buring his year of office Billingsgate Fish Market was constructed. At the time of his death (20 August, 1874) which occurred in his eighty-first year, he was Father of the Court of Aldermen. (1) Repertory 247. fo. 379. The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 105 ■ "' ff&s -V ^VHkSBh ■w^ KJl x"Q r -,V* - ji^. s*^^- 1 " HENRY EDMUND KNIGHT. Spectacle Maker. Elected 31 August, 1874.' Sheriff 1875. Lord Mayor 1882. Born 25 March, 1833. The youngest son of John William Knight, of Marylebone and St. Albans. He was educated at the City of London School, and was Captain of the School on leaving. He commenced his business life with Messrs. Brettle & Co., of Wood Street, in 1849, and on his own account, in 1857; elected to the Common Council for Cripplegate Within on St. Thomas's Day, 1867, and soon took an active part in the work of the Court. He was Chairman of the City of London School Committee in 1869, being the first pupil of the School to attain that position, and at the time of his election as alderman, was Chairman of the Improvement Committee of the Commissioners of Sewers. He served the orifice of Sheriff with Edgar Breffltt, who was elected alderman of Cheap Ward by the Court of Aldermen, after it had thrice rejected the return by the ward of Sir John Bennett. The Sheriffs in his Mayoralty were Joseph Savory and Polydore de kevser. He was the last I.ord Mayor to be sworn in at the Royal Courts at Westminster. His year of office' was eventful. Amongst the chief func- tions that he attended as Lord Mayor was the opening of the new I .aw (1) Repertory 278. to. 278. 106 The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. Courts in the Strand by Her Majesty the Queen, and similar ceremonies at the new City of London School on the Thames Embankment, and the City of London College, in White Street, Cripplegate, by T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of Wales ; the opening of the Birkbeck Institute by H.R.H. the Duke of Albany, and the dedication to the use of the public by the Corporation, of Burnham Beeches and Coulsdon Commons. Chief amongst the many brilliant gatherings of the Mayoralty, was the presen- tation on 1 1 April of an address enclosed in a gold box, to General the Right Hon. Lord Wolseley, G.C.B. (who had already received the Freedom of the City, 22 October, 1874), and the Freedom of the City together with a Sword of Honour, to Admiral the Right Hon. Lord Alcester, G.C.B., as a recognition of the able and gallant services rendered by them in Egypt. The ceremony in Guildhall was fol- lowed by a splendid banquet at the Mansion House, given in their honour, which was attended by the officers of the Navy and Army who had taken part in the Egyptian Campaign, who were then in England. The Prince of Wales and several members of the Royal Family, and six Cabinet Ministers, honoured the occasion with their presence, after which the Lady Mayoress held a reception, at which over two thousand guests were present. Relief funds were opened in aid of the sufferers from a disastrous fire in Jamaica, an earthquake in Ischia, and severe gales in the Western Isles and Highlands of Scotland, large sums being collected, and relief given. During his year of office the atrocious murders of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mr. Burke were consummated in Dublin, and at the time when a feeling of horror ran strong through the community, Sir Henry was waited upon by a deputation of Irishmen (some of whom had recently taken part in a meeting at the Farringdon Memorial Hall, at which the dreadful crime was spoken of with favour), requesting him to open a fund for the relief of the Irish people, who were said to be suffering great privations. Whilst sympathising with the people in their distress, he voiced the sentiments and feelings of the citizens, by strongly denouncing, not only the authors of the outrage, but all those, who by their public action appeared to encourage them, and refused to open the suggested fund, but promised to do everything in his power to promote the prosperity of the country. He soon after inaugurated and warmly supported an Exhibition of Irish Lace, held in the Mansion House, which was attended by T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. 107 Wales and several other Members of the Royal Family, which was highly successful in promoting the native industry of Ireland. His action in the matter gave great satisfaction to the Government, and to the country at large. During his year of office, a Royal Commission held an enquiry as to the administration of the Funds of the Livery Companies. Sir Henry Knight took advantage of his position, to inform the public of the admirable work, that these Guilds were carrying on, both in the cause of Education and of Charity, and it was not a little owing to his advocacy and determined attitude in the matter, that influential public men were led to see the injustice that would be done, if the property of the Guilds was confiscated. Eventually the threatened danger was averted. Sir Henry Knight is prominent amongst his brethren of the Court of Aldermen in upholding the various ceremonies and traditional usages of the City, considering, that most of these usages possess more signifi- cance than is apparent to a superficial observer, and urges the claim for their retention, on the grounds that they may become of serious im- portance, and that the continued observance of them, will materially assist in sustaining the veneration and respect in which the Corporation deserves to be held. He was knighted at Osborne, 31 December, 1883. He has been Chairman of all the Committees of the Court of Aldermen, and is now Chairman of the General Purposes Committee. At the time of his election as Alderman, he was a member of the Spectacle Makers' Company, but on the 8 January, 1887, was translated to the Fishmongers' Company. Sir Henry has been twice married, and has a numerous family. During his Mayoralty one of his daughters was married in St. Paul's Cathedral, by the Archbishop of Canterbury ; this being the only marriage besides one other, celebrated in the Cathedral for the past 1 20 years. His city address is 75, Aldermanbury, and his residences are 41, Mill Street, Mayfair, and Stain Hill Park, Hampton, Middlesex. THE ALDERMEN'S DEPUTIES. An account of the office of an " Alderman's Deputy," taken from the Corporation and other Records, appropriately follows the Biogra- phical Notes concerning the Aldermen. The references here given, are intended to, as far as possible, illustrate the origin of the office, and the position a deputy occupied in his ward, and as this work is intended to be chiefly devoted to the ward of Cripplegate, special mention is naturally made of the deputies of that ward. As will be noted, the office of deputy is of considerable antiquity, for we find that Shakespeare, writing at the end of the sixteenth century, evidently believed that the office of an alderman's deputy was in existence two centuries before his time, for in the first part of Henry IV, Act 3, Scene 3, he refers to "the deputy's wife," and in the second part of the same play, Act 2, Scene 4, occurs the following, the scene being laid in a room in the Boar's Head Tavern, Eastcheap : — Host. Tilly-fally, Sir John, never tell me; your ancient swaggerer comes not in my doors. I was before Master Tisick, the deputy, the other day : and, as he said to me, — it was no longer ago than Wednesday last, — "Neighbour Quickly," says he; — Master Dumb, our minister, was by then; — "Neighbour Quickly," says he, "receive those that are civil: for," saith he; " you are in an ill name"; — now he said so, I can tell whereupon ; "for," says he, " you are an honest woman, and well thought on ; therefore take heed what guests you receive; Receive," says he, "no swaggering companions" — There comes none here; — you would bless you to hear what he said : no, I'll no swaggerers. The earliest definite record that at present can be traced of an alderman appointing a person to execute the duties of his office, and therefore presumably appointing one, who is now described as an alder- man's deputy, is found in the Corporation Records, and is as follows : — 14 June, 3 Henry VI [a. i>. 1425]. The same day Robert Talersall desired that Thomas Ayer, draper, should occupy the office of aldermanry, &c, of the said Robert, &c.j so long as the said Robert should happen to be out of the town. — Journal ?, fo. 44b. Latin. This appointment seems to have been of short duration, for on 20 July following, we find this entry : — The same day, Robert Tatersall, alderman appointed and put in his place John YYhateley, mercer, &c., in his aldermanry of Bread Street.— Journal 2, fo. 48b, These entries in the Journals seem to indicate that by permission of the Court of Aldermen, an alderman could appoint a deputy to execute 1 10 The Aldermen s Deputies. the whole of the duties of an aldermanry. It must, however, be remembered that at this period an alderman did not hold the position of a Justice of the Peace ; the appointment of the senior aldermen as Justices not taking place until 26 Oct., 23 Henry VI [a.d. 1444]. Later in the same century a similar appointment of a deputy seems to have been made as follows : — 15 Dec, 18 Edward IV [a.d. 1478]. Robert Tate admitted to occupy [his place ?] in the stead and name of John Tate, alderman, &c, on account of the imbecility and infirmity of the said John, ike— Journal 8, fo. 190. Although Robert Tate was infirm, he probably was a junior Alderman. He did not serve the office of Mayor. Another reference to a deputy found in the records, occurs 31 August, 1527 [19 Henry VIII], and as will be seen, is in connection with the election, or rather the selection, of common councilmen. For some years previous to this time, elections of Common Councilmen had been carried out in a very irregular manner, and fresh orders were now made; that portion referring to the deputies' duties runs as follows, and is taken from Letter Book O, fo. 47 : — "Therefore it is thought expedient that from henceforth be recited in every commission that shall be given to the aldermen against Saint Thomas's day before Christmas, that every alderman in his ward, with his deputy do appoint and name two of the most wisest circumspect persons within his ward to be of the Common Council, and they four to name and appoint the residue of the most politic and wisest persons, such a number as in every ward of old time hath been accustomed." The next reference contained in the records is found in Repertory 10, fo. 96b, 24th April, 1539 [30 Henry VIII]. The entry is as follows: — ■ At thys co r te ys agreed that Humfrey Pakyngton, mercer, shall at the costs and charges of Peter Starky deputye to Mr. Monoux, Ald'man [Bassishaw Ward] Exercyse the Rome of the said Starky. Notwithstanding this order Peter Starky was not removed from his position, for on 24 March in the following year, we find the following entry : — Itm yt ys agreyd that for asmoche as there ys moche evyll and vycyous rule maynteyned w'in the Warde of Byssyshawe wherof Mr. Monoux ys nowe Alderman that there shalbe a Pre devysed to the seyd Mr. Monoux to adv'tyse hym therof, And to requyre hys help for the reformacbn therof. And to apoynt summe other deputye there bycause Mr. Starkye ys so aged, &c. — Rep. 10. fo. 201. In the Order of Hospitalls (1557), there is a reference to " The Alderman of the Warde or his Deputie." Another reference to a Deputy is found in Archbishop Parker's Correspondence {Parker Society Ed"- page 276). Sayer, the Deputy of the Ward of Cripplegate Without, The Aldermen's Deputies. 1 1 1 backed up Robert Crowley, the Vicar of St. Giles', in the dispute as to the use of the surplice in the Church, for we read that the " Clerks " in attendance at a funeral came to the Church "dressed in their habits," and attempted to enter, but were prevented by the Vicar and the Deputy. Archbishop Parker reported the matter to Sir William Cecil, "Secretary to the Queen's Majesty," 4 April, 1566, as follows: — "The deputy seemeth to be an honest man, yet peradventure too much leaning from the surplice ; he protested that he threatened the singing men to set them fast by the feet [in the stocks] if they would break the peace. By his tale there was a fond uproar among them, but the singing men shrank away and they then fell to quietness with shrewd stomachs." The Deputy was proceeded against for his action in the matter, and was bound over in ;£ioo to keep the peace. In the parish register of St. Giles, Cripplegate, we find an entry in 1591 of the death of "John Hilliare, Goldsmith, deputie." He was churchwarden of St. Giles in 1556. The following entry is found in the Corporation Records, 17 March, 1602 : — Item yt is ordred that Richard Sharpe, waxechandeler deputye of the Ward of Tower under Mr. Aldr'an Watts shall for dyvers causes this Corte espially moving be removed from the place of Deputy there. And that ye sayde Mr. Watts shall chose another to serve in his place. — Rep. 26, part 1, fo. 116b. A monument is to be seen in St. Giles' Church, in memory of Edward Harvist, who is described as " Citizen and Brewer of London, Alderman's Deputie of this Parish and one of His Majesties Gunners." He was buried in the church in 161 1. In a play entitled " Eastward Ho," written by Ben Jonson, Marston and Shirley, in the year 1605, and which is founded expressly on City manners and customs, the following dialogue occurs between a trades- man and his son-in-law, who had lately been his apprentice (Act 4, Scene 1 ) : — — Touchstone. Ha ! Go/ding. Golding. It hath pleased the worshipful commoners of the city to take me one i' their number at presentation of the inquest. And the alderman of the ward, wherein I dwell, to appoint me his deputy Touchstone. How? Golding. In which place I have had an oath ministered me since I went. — Touchstone. Now, my dear and happy son, let me kiss thy new worship, and a little boast mine own happiness in thee. What a fortune was it (or rather my judgment indeed) for me first to see that in his disposition, which a whole city so conspires to second ! Ta'en into the Livery of his Company the first day of his freedom ! Now (not a week married) chosen commoner and alderman's deputy in a day ! Nought but the reward of a thrifty course. The wonder of his time ! Well, I will honour Master Alderman for this act (as becomes me), and shall think the better of the Common Council's wisdom and worship while I live. 1 12 The Aldermen s Deputies. In 1637 the office of deputy was thought to be of sufficient importance, for the Privy Council to order that "no deputies were to depart out of the city except other deputies were put in their places" {Rep. 31, 251b), and again in 1640, the following appears in the records : — 8 th September, 1640. Item it is thought fitt and soe ordered by this Co r t that in regard of the great danger y' may arise vnto this Cittie in these times of trouble all the Aldren shall abide here in Tovvne and y ( p'cepts be forthwith directed to ev ; y Aldren to coiiiaund his deputy the Captaine & CoiTTon Councell within his Ward not to dept out of Towne without licence of y e lo: Maio r but ev^y one of them to continue and reside at their sev^all hibilacbns. And alsoe y' Precepts be likewise directed to certitie the Lord Maio r by Saturday next y e names of all the hable men as well English as Strangers from Eighteene years to fiftie within this Cittie and LilAies thereof. — Repertory 54, fo. 282b. During the two following centuries, many entries are to be found in the vestry minute books, and the churchwardens' accounts of the parish of St. Giles Without Cripplegate, concerning various deputies of the ward (the ward and parish of St. Giles, Cripplegate are co-terminous), and there can be no doubt, that the similar books of other city parishes would reveal many names, and possibly give some information respecting the duties and the position of the deputies at this period, which would be of interest at the present time. The names of the following Deputies of the ward of Cripplegate Without, appear in the above-mentioned books of St. Giles. Mention has already been made of Sayer, 1566, John Hilliare, 1591, Edward Harvist, 161 1; other names are Robert Allison, 1591, Robert Newman, 1598, William Streaton, 16 10, Robert Maynwaring, 1648, Charles Mynne, 1652, Ralph Tasker, 1662, and also the names contained on page 115; of these particular mention may be made, of Christopher Pack, Deputy 1647, John Cliffe, Deputy in 1670, Augustin Newbold, Deputy 1679, and of Felix Feast, Deputy 17 18. Mention of Deputy Pack is made on page 64. John Cliffe (Deputy 1670), had been Churchwarden of St. Giles in 1 66 1, and seems to have been dilatory in settling the accounts of his wardenship, at the same time, holding and refusing to deliver leases, deeds, and writings that had been placed in his charge. He may have advanced money out of his own pocket, for church and parish expenses, as was often the practice at this period in Cripplegate, and may have taken this means of recouping himself. Poth the ward and parish were The Aldermen s Deputies. 113 at this time in a constant state of turmoil and petty quarrels, and Cliffe was probably an honest and straightforward man, who was worried and baited by his fellow vestrymen. The matter seems to have been allowed to drop until he was appointed by the Alderman (Forth) as his Deputy, nine years later. The malcontents of the vestry seem to have then revived the matter, and also to have called him to account for withholding money received for fines from persons refusing to serve parochial offices. Complaint was made to the Court of Aldermen in May, 1672, and in June of the same year the Vestry ordered a petition " to be made ready to the Lord Mayor and Council of Aldermen " on the subject, which was taken into consideration by the Court. The entry concerning this in the Corporation Records is as follows : — Tuesday, 12 th Nov. 1672. Whereas on the 14 th day of May last upon complaint and proofe made unto this Courte That M r . John Cliffe Deputy of the Ward of Cripplegate without had unduly received of severall persons divers sumes of money as fines for their discharge both from Parochiall & Ward offices & disposed of the said fines at his pleasure \v th out rendring thereof any account which practise this Court conceiving illegall & unjustifia- ble did then Order that the said Deputy should forthwith restore againe all such monies as he had received for fines of pochiall offices to the severall persons of whom he had received them soe injuriously & should forthvv" 1 render an account of the fines reced for ward offices to all the Comon Councell men of the said Ward. And whereas afterwards on the 15 th of October last upon proofe made unto this Court That the said Deputy had (notwithstanding the said order) not only obstinately refused to performe the same but did still presume to continue his former illegall practise without respect to this Court or their orders and did alsoe refuse to appeare before this Court. This Court did then order that an informacon should be preferred against the said Deputy & prosecuted in the utter Court by M r . Common Serjeant for his disfranchise- ment And that the said M r . Cliffe should from thence forth forbeare to Act or Intermeddle as Deputy of the said Ward The execution of which said last order was afterwards on the 22 nd day of the said month of October at the request of the Aldfan of the said Ward suspended by this Court for three weekes and a day appointed for the said Deputy to make his defence before this Court. Now this day the said Deputy Cliffe appearinge with his Councell & informing the Court that he could not repay the said monies as aforesaid by him received to the persons of whom he had reced the same in regard he had disposed thertof for the use of the said pish before the said order of this Court made the said 14"' day of May last. Th's Court doth notwith- standing adhere to the said order & agree that the same shall be still observed by the said Deputy Cliffe & he repay unto the particular persons the severall sumes of money which he hath reced of them as aforesaid. Upon performance whereof this Court will make such further order touching the matters aforesaid as shall be agreeable to Equity and Justice. {Repertory yS, fo. 6b.) By this, it will be seen that the Deputy justifies himself by stating that he had disposed of the money " for the good of the Parish," which was most probably the case. As we find that he continued Deputy until 1675, he evidently satisfied the Court of Aldermen, and was allowed to 114 The Aldermen s Deputies. retain his position. By the above extract from the Records it will be seen that the Court of Aldermen had full power to remove a Deputy from his position, and did this, by way of disfranchisement. Augustin Newbold (Deputy 1679) put the finishing touch to Richard Smyth's well known obituary as follows: — "Mar. 26, 1675. Friday, old Mr. Richard Smith my honoured friend aged 85 years dyed and was buried in Cripplegate Church on ye i st of April following, he was ye collector of the aforesaid Catalogue and of many excellent Books, he was a just man and of good report and worthy of imitation." Felix Feast (Deputy, 17 18), was appointed Deputy by Sir William Stewart, but upon the alderman's death in 1723 he contested the vacancy for alderman of Cripplegate with Sir John Williams, who, upon being elected, appointed Richard Farrington as his Deputy for the Ward Without. Felix Feast was a prominent Member of the Brewers' Company, and in the Minute Book of the Company the following appears : — " 14 August 1 7 16 — For Midle Warden were nominated Mr. Feast and Mr. Mayo, and Mr. Feast was chose, and being acquainted thereof was excused serving that office upon the payment of ^7 \os. od. for a fine. Afterwards he was put up for Upper Warden and chose and was also excused serving that office upon the payment of ^7 ioj-. od. more. " For Master; Mr. Feast and Mr. Mayo was put up in nomination when the choice fell on Felix Feast Esq. "On the 13 August 1717, he was chosen Master for another year and on the 9th August, 1723 he was named and chosen Master, he being one of the Sheriffs elect for the City of London and Middlesex. He was knighted in his Shrievalty, but did not long enjoy his honours, as we find that he died on the 24 February, 1724, his death being reported to the Court of his Company on the 13 March following. Since the year 1668, the returns made by the aldermen of the names and qualifications of persons elected to the Common Council at the various wardmotes, have been received by the Town Clerk, and carefully preserved in the archives at Guildhall. From 1668 to 1710, the names of the deputies appointed by the aldermen, are only occasionally given. The Aldermen s Deputies. 1 1 A LIST OF THE DEPUTIES OF THE INNER AND OUTER WARDS OF CRIPPLEGATE. Tin-: ward with ix. Thomas Yallance. William Kerl. Leonard Wiltshire. John Obadiah Jaques. Henry Smith. Francis Bennoch. James Hoole. Herbert Lloyd. John Parker. Benjamin Spilsbury. William Brass. William Braham. 1890 :£ Robert Hargreaves Rogers. t Henry White was elected Common Councilman in 1 77 1 , appointed Deputy 1776, lmt was not re-appointed the two following years : again appointed in 1 79^- thus acting as Deputy for the exceptionally long period of 32 years. \ Sheriff 1N97. and Knighted in his Shrievalty. The above are the only names obtainable from the Corporation's Records, but search in the parish books of the four Churches that stood in the Inner Ward, might probably supply the names and information respecting many other deputies of this ward, that are not otherwise to be found. THE WARD WITHOUT. 166 1 1670 *John Cliffe. 1675 Humphrey Jones. 1679 * Augustine Newbold. 1682 * David Wythers. 1681 Laurence Dyer. i8it 1 69 1 Samuel Wing. 1824 1706 John Egleton. 1833 1712 Edmond Skinner. 1837 l 7L5 Thomas Foxall. 1841 1720 William Patten. 1853 1729 Thomas Elton. 1854 1749 Robert Molineux. 1857 1763 Henry Probyn. 1867 1772 John Moore. 1875 1776 fHenry White. 1877 '795 William Clifford. 1888 r 79 8 Henry White. 1890 1793 1803 1803 1806 1683 *William Newberry. 1686 John Fearne. 1690 *[Thomas] Rawlinson. 16S4 T693*Thomas Ernes. 1 706 Roger Poston. ! 709 * Richard Blowing. 171 1 William Edmunds. 1 7 18 Felix Feast. 1 1 723 Richard Farrington. 1745 John Wallington, 1 769 Edward farmer. 1772 John Jones, 1780 James Bonner. 1789 Robert French. 1792 William Staines. 2 17^3 1757 1S02 1807 1831 ■839 1843 1849 [852 [857 [858 185 4 1870 1865 1874 iS^S 1832 1843 1874 1887 Robert Clarke. Thomas Simmonds. Samuel Lake. Matthew Wood." Thomas Dolley. 1 8 10 Joseph Daker. 1820 John Pullen. Edwin Alderman. John Atkinson. Richard I >ixon. Francis Sadler. ( ieorge Meadway. John Johnson. Septimus Read- John Pickering. I )avid Smith. 1879 Henry William Nind. 1886 James Harvey. 1899 John James Baddeley. The date in the margin in italics is that in which the Deputy served the office of Senior Churchwarden of St. Giles, Cripplegate. It would seem that during the last si\ty years the office of Churchwarden has heen a stepping-stone to the office of Common Councilman, and eventually, in some cases, to that of Deputy. (1) Sheriff, 1723. (2) Sheriff, 1796, Lord Mayor, 1800. (3) Sheriff, 1S09, Lord Mayor, 1S15-16. 1 1 6 The Aldermen s Deputies. The hiatus in the Records of the Corporation in the foregoing list of the names of the deputies of the Outer Ward, is supplied from entries in the minute books of the vestry, or the account books of the church- wardens of the Parish of St. Giles Without, Cripplegate. In the above list the names marked with an asterisk are those found in these books, all others are either contained in the Corporation Pocket Books, or are to be found in the returns mentioned on page 1 14. In each case the date given is that in which first mention of the name appears as Deputy. APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTIES. While the appointment of deputies seems to have been always with the individual alderman of a ward, the Court of Aldermen evidently held control over their conduct, and when, as in the cases above quoted, their rule was weak or bad, or their character indifferent, the Court had power to remove them from office, and order the alder- man of the ward to appoint others in their places. Until the year 171 2, apparently, appointments were made quite irrespective of the person appointed being a member of the Common Council or not. The deputy mentioned in 1527 (see page no) as assisting his alderman in selecting common councilmen, was certainly not a member of the Common Council, and in Stow's time {circa 1598), it is plainly evident that none of the deputies were of the Common Council, for in giving the number of the representatives of the different wards, he invariably does so in the following manner. Taking Cripplegate as an example, he says : "The ward hath an alderman and his deputy within the gate, common council eight, without the gate it hath also a deputy, common council two." By this it is clear that he did not look upon the deputy as one of the Common Council, and as we know that at the time Cripplegate had ten representatives for the two wards, the deputies were clearly not counted in Stow's enumeration of the councilmen. It is probable that the same system of appointment continued for many years after Stow's time, and it was only in the latter half of the seventeenth century, that some of the aldermen began to appoint men as their deputies who had been duly elected to the Common Council. This will account for the halting information as to the names of the deputies contained in the lists preserved in the Town Clerk's office (which commence in 1668), up to the time when, by the Act of Common Council, the aldermen were compelled to appoint persons who were of the Common Council, and none other. The Aldermen s Deputies. 117 The following is an abstract from the Act, which is dated 6 I )ecember, 1 7 1 2 : — And whereas several of the Aldermen of the said City that now are. have appointed persons to be their Deputies, who are not of the Common Council, whereby great inconveniences do many times happen : l>e it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all and every such Deputy and Deputies shall, at the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle next ensuing, be removed and absolutely discharged from their several places of Deputies ; and that from and after the said Feast, no Alderman of the said City, shall at any time or times, nominate or appoint any person to be his Deputy, biit such as shall be of the Common Council of the said City, for that Ward whereof he is Alderman, and that every nomination, election or appointment of any other person shall be void to all intents and purposes whatsoever, any law, custom or usage of the said City to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. And be it also enacted, that no Common Councilman, so to be nominated and appointed as aforesaid, shall continue in the said place of office of Deputy any longer than for the time that he shall be and remain of the Common Council o! the said City, for the Ward wherein lie was Deputy. And that upon his removal from, or not being chosen of the Common Council for that Ward, for any succeeding year, every such nomination and appointment to be Deputy, shall be void : And in such case every Alderman shall nominate and appoint some other person being of the Common Council of the said City, for the Ward whereof he is Alderman, to be his Deputy, in his room and stead. It will be noted that the above Act docs not compel an alderman to appoint a deputy to assist him in his duties, hut only insists that should he do so, the person so appointed must be a duly elected common councilman of his ward. There have been several instances in modern times of an alderman withholding the appointment of his deputy. Although it is usual for an alderman to appoint the senior common councilman of his ward, as his deputy, as one having the longest experience, it by no means follows that this is an invariable rule. As instances of this, are the extreme cases of the appointment of John Hampton Hale (by Sir Sills John Gibbons, alderman of Castle Baynard Ward) in 1872. he being the junior, but one, of the Common Council of the Ward. He. however, resigned the office very shortly after. No deputy was subsequently appointed throughout the year, until St. Thomas' Day, when the alderman re-appointed Frederick I'arrar, who had previously been deputy for sixteen years. Another case is that of the late Samuel Elliott Atkins, who was appointed by Mr. Alderman Carter, of Cornhill Ward, as his deputy, on the day of his first election to the ( !ommon Council (in [865), and who held the position until his death in 1 898. Somewhat similar cases have occurred in this and other wards in very recent times, so that it will be seen that the appointment or non appointment of, and the choice of a deputy, is entneU and wholly in the hands of an alderman : but in connection with the appointment it may be said, that the above-mentioned cast' in Castle Baynard is one 1 iS The Aldermen s Deputies. of the very few instances on record in recent times, of an alderman refusing to re-appoint the same person as his deputy on St. Thomas' Day, for the ensuing year. Upon the election of a new alderman, one of his first acts after being received by the Court of Aldermen, and sworn in, is to appoint his deputy, and in the great majority of cases, and unless for very special reasons to the contrary, the deputy appointed by the previous alderman is chosen. DUTIES OF DEPUTIES. There seems to be no possibility of definitely ascertaining the duties of an alderman's deputy in olden times, but it is fairly certain that his position was of a far more public character, and his responsibilities far greater than at present — for as an alderman "ruled his ward" in reality, very considerable powers devolved upon his deputy in assisting him to do so. We may be assured, that not the least of his duties were, to take care that peace was kept among the oftentimes unruly citizens and their apprentices. The quotation from Shakespeare (page 109), clearly indicates that the deputy was supposed to be holding and presiding over some kind of court, held for the regulation of the affairs of the ward, and in this case was settling some matter connected with 1 )ame Quickly's Tavern ; and this same easy and fatherly treatment and advice seems to have been continued until the early part of the present century, and even possibly until the time when various Acts of Parliament- -including the Police Act of 1839 and several Acts of Common Council — materially curtailed the powers he exercised as his alderman's deputy. One of his duties consisted in mustering the Watch, which until nearly the middle of the eighteenth century assembled at the city gates. The extract taken from the Records respecting the "evyll and vycyous rule" in Bassishaw Ward in 1539 would seem to show the importance of the office ; and according to the strong and wise rule of an alderman, carried out by his deputy, so was peace and good conduct maintained among the inhabitants. The minutes of the Vestry of the Parish of St. Oiles, Cripplegate, no doubt in common with the minutes of the other parish vestries in the city, clearly show that quite up to the end of the last century, and indeed in some cases, well into this, the deputy qua deputy was a most important personage, who was consulted The Aldermen s Deputies. 1 19 upon and gave orders respecting many important ward and parish affairs (see Cliffe's case, page 113). In the early part of the present century, the deputies had the charge of the annually elected constables, (the "Charleys"), and the most zealous of them made the round of their ward at night, to see that the constables were performing their duty. A deputy's duties at the present day, are shortly as follows : — In the absence of the alderman, to preside over wardmotes (except the one held for the election of officers on St. Thomas' Day), and of meetings held for recommending or otherwise of publicans 3 licenses to the licensing magistrates, and of all other meetings of members of the common councilmen of his ward, called for the settlement of ward matters. He can also execute all other ward duties of his alderman, amongst which are to see that the rates levied by the Corporation, and the Trophy Tax (which is levied by order of the Court of Lieutenancy of the City) are duly collected, and to act as treasurer of the money raised for the payment of (and to pay) ward officers, and the expenses connected with the holding of Ward-Motes, Ward Meetings, and other Local purposes connected therewith. He is ex officio a member of the Police Committee of the Corporation, of which an Alderman is invaria- bly the Chairman ; by custom a Deputy is chosen the Deputy Chairman of the Committee. (This is the only Committee of the Corporation in which a Deputy Chairman is recognized.) His position as a member of the Committee is a remnant of his authority over the Watch. By virtue of his office, he is one of Her Majesty's Lieutenants of the City. i 20 The Deputies of Cripplegate Ward, /cjoo. ROBERT HARGREAVES ROGERS, Deputy of the Ward Within. He was first elected to the Common Council on St. Thomas' Day, 1886, and appointed the Alderman's Deputy (on the death of William Braham) June, 1890. Chairman of the Music Committee, 1 89 1, Deputy Governor of the Irish Society, 1894, and Chairman of the Improvements and Finance Committee, Public Health Department, 1900. Overseer of St. Mary, Aldermanbury, 1887, and Churchwarden, 1890, in which year he presented a drinking fountain to the Parish. He has been a Governor of Christ's Hospital since 1897. He contested the Shrievalty in the year 1895. The names of the candidates and the number of votes polled are as follows :— John Pound, Alderman - 1,101. John Robert Cooper - 1,053. Robert Hargreaves Rogers, Deputy - 1,008. In the following year Deputy Rogers again fought for the position, and as will be seen, was returned by a large majority, in some extent due to the fact, that the members of the Livery objected to return two Aldermen, when there was a suitable Commoner Candidate before them. The numbers were : — ■ Robert I iargreaves Rogers, Dep. - 1.7 14. | James Thompson Ritchie, Aid. - 787. Walter Yaughan Morgan, Alderman - 304. With his brother Sheriff (Alderman Ritchie), he received the honour of Knighthood at Osborne, 18 August, 1897 ; being the Diamond Jubilee Year of the Queen's reign. The Deputies of Cripplegate Ward, igoo. \i\ JOHN JAMES BADDELEY, Deputy of the Ward Without. First elected to the Common Council 4 March, 1 886, and appointed the Alderman's Deputy (on the death of James Harvey) 13 April, 1899. He has been Chairman of the following Committees of the Corporation: — Gresham, 1889; Library and Art Gallery, 1894; Bridge House Estates, 1895; Jubilee (Works), 1897; City Lands, 1898 (with the title of Chief Commoner) ; during his year of office as Chairman of this Committee, the long pending negotiations with Her Majesty's Government relative to the acquisition of Newgate Gaol and the re- building of the Sessions House, in the Old Bailey, were brought to a successful issue, leaving the Corporation free to proceed with the erection of a suitable building, the designs for which have been approved by the Court of Common Council. Early in the present year he was specially added to the Committee to assist in the furtherance of the work. In the Parish of St. Giles Without Cripplegate, he has been Hon. Treasurer of the Metropolitan Dispensary (Cripplegate) since 1887; a Governor of Lady Holies' Girls' School (at the present time Deputy- Chairman), and of the Separate Gift Estates — now the Cripplegate Foundation— since 1888. He was Overseer in 1885 and Churchwarden in 1887. A Governor of St. Bartholomew's Hospital since 1895, and is a Trustee of the Mitchell Citv of London Charity. I 2 2 Richard Lambert /ones Taken from an Oil Painting hanging in the Board Room of the Crij>f>lt'gate Institute. RICHARD LAMBERT JONES, F,S.A. Although Richard Lambert Jones was neither Alderman, of Deputy of Cripplegate, the work that he did for the City and the ward, fully justifies his name being included among other worthy citizens mentioned in this book. He was elected Common Councilman for Cripplegate Without, in the year 1819, and continued to represent the ward until his retirement in 185 1. To him belongs the great honour of moving in the Court of Common Council (8 April, 1824), "That it be referred to a Special Committee to enquire and examine into the best mode of arranging and carrying into effect, in the Guildhall, a Library of all matters relating to this City, the Borough of Southwark and the County of Middlesex." The motion was carried, and resulted in the establishment of the present splendid library of over 100,000 volumes. He was Chairman of the Library Committee for nineteen years, and greatly assisted the development of the institution. In the earlier part of the time he occupied this position, he was also Chairman of the Bridge House Estates Committee as well as of the Special Committee appointed by the Corporation for the re-building of London Bridge, and as such, held a most onerous and responsible post. The foundation stone of the Bridge was laid 15 June, 1825, by the Lord Mayor, John Garratt. After many Richard Lambert Jones. 1 2 3 and delicate negotiations with the Government, (chiefly in connection with the approaches to the Bridge, and in which he personally received the uniform assistance of the great Duke of Wellington) the undertaking was completed, and opened 1 August, 183 1, by King William IV, who was accompanied by Queen Adelaide. At the completion of the ceremony, a dejeuner was served in a marquee erected on the Bridge, during which the King did Jones the great honour of asking him to take a glass of champagne with him. When the work connected with the Bridge was finally completed, the members of the Committee over which he had presided for more than eight years, presented him at their own expense, with a rich service of silver plate, as a mark of their approval of his conduct as Chairman. Truly has Richard Lambert Jones been described, as a "giant for public work,'' for, not content with what he had accomplished in founding the Guildhall Library, and in presiding over the deliberations of the committee entrusted with the great undertaking of building London Bridge, he, upon the destruction of the Royal Exchange by fire, 10 January, 1838, accepted the position — to which he was unanimously elected — of Chairman of the joint committee of the Corporation and the Mercers' Company, upon which bodies rested the responsibility of re-erecting the Exchange. The foundation stone was laid by the late Prince Consort, 17 January, 1842. In his reminiscences, Jones writes : "As in the case of laying the foundation stone of London Bridge, a splendid banquet was given in the evening by the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House, at which his Royal Highness the Prince Consort was present. I had the honour of sitting opposite the Duke of Wellington, and was the only person with whom His Grace took wine at dinner, a circumstance which gave rise to some comment, and was afterwards mentioned by the Lord Mayor at the Court of Aldermen." The Common Council thanked the joint committee over which he presided for " the admirable arrangements made for the accommodation of the Corporation." At this time he was still Chairman of the London Bridge Committee, and presented a report to the Common Council, recommending the con- struction of a viaduct for avoiding the steep declivities of Holborn Hill. This work was afterwards carried out, and is now known as the Holborn Viaduct. 124 Richard Lambert Jones. On 28 October, 1844, the Royal Exchange was opened by Her Majesty the Queen, who was accompanied by the Prince Consort. Lambert Jones, as Chairman of the Committee, took a prominent part in the day's proceedings, and had the honour of kissing the Queen's hand, and was informed by Her Majesty and the Prince Consort on leaving the building that " they had been greatly pleased and much gratified at the reception which had been given them." The reception of the Queen and Prince Consort has been cleverly depicted upon one of the panels in the Ambulatory of the Exchange by R. W. Macbeth, A.R. A. The Chairman is seen standing on the right hand of the picture. The painting was the gift of Mr. Deputy Snowden, of Farringdon Within Ward, Chairman of the Gresham Committee, 1891, and is one of a series that is now being presented by other generous and public- spirited citizens. He was Chairman of the Committee for nine years, and at the close of its labours was thanked by "the Grand Committee of the Royal Exchange, the City and Gresham Committees held on Gresham affairs," for his " truly valuable services as Chairman." The magnitude of the work over which he, as Chairman, presided, will be best under- stood by the following figures : — London Bridge with its approaches (exclusive of a contribution from the Treasury), cost ,£1,505,153. The Royal Exchange, including enlarging the site, cost ,£398,578. During the time the building of the Exchange was proceeding, another important matter was taken into consideration by the same committee, viz., providing suitable accommodation for the Gresham Professors, who, until the time of this fire, had delivered their lectures in one of the rooms in the Royal Exchange. In 1843 a building was erected at the corner of Basinghall Street and Gresham Street (then known as Cateaton Street) — and named Gresham College — at a cost of nearly ^10,000. In 1846, the Lord Mayor (Alderman Johnson) convened a public meeting at the Mansion House, " to consider the propriety of taking some steps to present Richard Lambert Jones with a testimonial, in consideration of the public services which he had rendered, especially in connection with the improvements of the metropolis." A committee was formed of which the Alderman of Cripplegate Ward was a member, and a considerable sum was subscribed — with a portion of which his bust in marble, by "Behnes" was executed, and which now adorns the Richard Lambert Jones. 125 Old Council Chamber in Guildhall. A gold medal was struck by " Wyon," the obverse bearing a portrait of Jones in bold relief, and on the reverse the following inscription: — "Presented by his grateful fellow citizens, to commemorate exertions by which the City of London was improved and art encouraged, health and conveniences promoted." The remainder of the fund was invested to found a scholarship, to be called the " Lambert Jones Scholarship in the City of London School." He also received a flattering vote of thanks from the Cripplegate Without Ward- mote, held 21 December, 1846; and the Vestry of St. Giles, Cripplegate, requested him to sit for a portrait, to be hung in the Vestry Room, at the Quest House. The portrait was painted by F. H. Dixsee, and a copy made and presented to Mrs. Jones. A reproduction of the portrait here mentioned, is shown at the head of these notes. He lived for many years at Highbury, in North London, and died 16 August, 1863, in the 81st year of his age. Truly a man whom Cripplegate may well hold in remembrance. 126 Cripplegate, CRIPPLEGATE. (From a print published in ijbi.) In 1244 the original gate became ruinous, and was rebuilt at the expense of the Brewers of London, many of whom carried on business in the district. In 1488 Sir Edmund Slum, Alderman of Cripplegate Ward, bequeathed money for its repair, -which was carried out in 1490. During the Mayoralty of Sir John Robinson, in 1663, who was another Alderman of Cripplegate Ward, it was again repaired and a foot postern made in one of the towers. The gale was removed in 1760. (The above view is hum within the walls.) CRIPPLEGATE WARD AND ITS COMMON COUNCILMEN. The name of this ward is undoubtedly taken from the name given to the gate or postern in the City Wall, leading to the north, which was probably in existence for many years before the City was formally divided into its twenty-five wards, and received their respective names. The generally accepted origin of the name of Cripplegate, is, that cripples were in the habit of congregating at that gate, for the purpose of begging from persons passing through, but one can hardly be expected to believe that beggars solicited alms at one gate, more than at any other of the City gates. The historian Stow, seems to have started this derivation of the name, and many succeeding writers have blindly followed him, but the most reasonable, and more correct, if less interesting origin is, that given by the late Rev. \Y. Denton, who writes : " The etymology must be sought elsewhere. Cripplegate was a postern gate leading to the barbican, while this watch-tower in advance of the City walls was fortified. The road between the postern and the barbican or 'burgh- kenning' ran necessarily between two low walls, most likely of earth, which formed what in fortification, would he described as a covered way. The name in Anglo-Saxon would be 'Crepel,' 'Cryfele 5 or 'Crypele,' a den, or passage under -round, a burrow (meatus subt'rranens) and ' geat ' a gate, street or way. ((>. Sax., gat, a hole; Germ., gasse, a thoroughfare, narrow road. See Bosworth's Anglo Sax. Diet.) This is confirmed by the occurrence of the name in Domesday Hook, where in the Wiltshire portion we read, 'To Wansdvke, thence forth by the dyke to Crypelgeat.' ' This derivation seems to be further confirmed, by the way the name was usually spelt in early times, for we find in the Dusting Rolls, circa i-7- 1310, and in various other records for two centuries later, the name variously spelt, as follows: Crepelegate, CrepeT gate, Crepelgat, Creplegate and Crepulgate. The name bv which the irate was known was no doubt given to that portion of the City, that we now know as Cripplegate Within, many years before the district outside the walls contained more than a sparse 128 Cripplegate Ward and its Common Councilmen. population, but the ward seems to have been known as the ward within and without the gate, at least as early as the year 1276, for in that year we find mention made of the ward within the gate, evidently implying that a portion of the ward was situated without the gate. The entry as contained in Letter Book A. fo. 134b, is as follows : The Ward of Henry de Frowyk Within the Gate. Monday the Feast of St. Hillary [13 Jan.], 4 Edward I [a.d. 1276], came John Ballard, "armerer," to the Guildhall and acknowledged himself indebted to Symon Godard, pepperer, in the sum of 15.V. , or in lieu thereof to give him a coat of mail of the same value. In respect to the men sent to Guildhall, or as we should say at the present day, "to represent" the ward, we find in 1285 {Letter Book A, fo. 116) an entry in the records, under the heading of "The names of reputable men sworn of every Ward to consult with the Aldermen on Common Affairs of the City of London," in which the names of Walterus de Finchingfeud (afterwards alderman) and Thomas de Stanes as representing the ward of " Crepelgate," are given. In 1 31 7 [11 Edward II] we find five men from the ward of Cripplegate attending at the Guildhall, with other "good men of the Commonalty of the City," viz., Richard Constantyn, John de Winton, William Joy, Andrew Cortoys, and Roger Lespit. — Letter Book E, fo. 66 b. In 1320 [13 Edward II], Letter-Book E, fol. 104b, we find the ward described as "Crepelgate" and "Crepelgate Extra," thus still more clearly showing, that the ward extended outside the city walls. In 1347 [21 Edward III] amongst the names of persons "chosen in their respective wards to come to the Guildhall of London, when they should be warned thereto, to treat of business touching the City " for the Ward of "Crepelgate," were Richard Goldbetre, John de Hyngestone, Simon de Worstede, William Payn, Adam Walpol and William le Chaloner. — Letter Book F, fo. 136b. In 1383 [7 Richard II] Cripplegate was still represented by four members. Maitland (p. 181) says "that in 1393, Cripplegate Without was not a separate ward but only a ' Liberty ' or part of the former [the ward within], under one alderman as at present." There is a rough list of the Common Council, in the City's Records, in 1459 (Letter Book L>), when Cripplegate appears to have ten members, but at what period the four additional men were added to the six mentioned in 1383 cannot be ascertained. Cripplegate Ward and it$ Common Councilmen. 129 About the year 1549 [Edward VI] we find that Cripplegate still had ten representatives. These were returned by the still undivided ward, but twenty years later, from the following extract from the records, the ward seems to have been divided into two, for both representative and administrative purposes, and two of the ten members, were allotted to the ward without. The entry is as follows : — Court of Aldermen, Thurs. , 31 Mar., 11 Eliz. [1569.] — ItmP this daye it was agreed thaf from hensforthe ij rPcepts shalbe made to thaldran of the Ward of Creplegate at suche tyme as p'cepts be made furthe to my mrs thaldren (that is to saye) thone for Creplegate YV th in and another for Creplegate \Y th out and the like to be made to the Aldran of the Ward of ffarington Without. — Rep. 16, fo. 464. It is certain that the ward was so divided before the close of the sixteenth century, for Stow, writing in 1598, says: "without the gate it hath an Alderman, his deputy, and common council two." The City's records are silent in respect to the addition of two more representatives for the ward without, who were added some time before 1675, thus making four in all, at which number it remained for the next 150 years. Four more members were added in 1826. This was the result of an agitation that had been carried on by the freemen inhabitants of the Ward Without for several years previously, and is interesting as showing the persistence with which the Ward pursued its claims for additional representation. A committee was appointed at the wardmote held on St. Thomas' Day, 1820, and a petition ordered to be prepared and presented by them, to the Court of Common Council, praying the Court " that the Wards of Cripplegate Within and Without should be united in the election of Common Councilmen in like manner as the Wards of Bishopsgate Within and Without, and Aldersgate Within and Without, or otherwise to equalise the representation." The Ward Within objected to this, and petitioned the Court, on 25 January in the following year, praying it "to reject any application that may be made on the part of the inhabitants of Cripplegate Without, having for its object an encroachment on the elective rights of Cripplegate Within." This petition was ordered to lie on the table, but on the presentation of the petition of the Ward Without, 2 June, 1821, both petitions were referred to the Committee for General Purposes. By the 17 May, 1822, the Committee had not reported, and possibly with the idea of urging on the matter, we find, on the above date, the freemen inhabitants of the Ward Within petitioning that "the Wards Within and Without be united in the wardmote tor election of ward officers." On the 6 June following, 130 Cripplegate Ward and its Common Councilmen. other inhabitants of Cripplegate Within petitioned against the above petition. The Committee reported 31 October, 1822 : — In their report they state that " they were attended by the respective petitioners, as also by William Bolland, Esq., as Counsel for the inhabitants of the Ward of Cripplegate Within," and " that they had directed the Town Clerk and the City's Solicitor to search the Records of the City relative to the appointment of Common Councilmen for the respective wards, and whether any additions or alterations, and what, have been made therein from time to time, and whether anything appears in the said Records to warrant the Court complying with the prayer of the petition of the Ward of Cripplegate Without ; and they were also ordered to enquire and report, ''whether the elections of Common Councilmen and other Ward Officers, for the Wards of Cripplegate Within and Without, have ever been made by one Wardmote, and if so, how they have since been divided." The officers having delivered in their report, the Committee reported to the Court that "it will not be advisable nor expedient for the Court to decrease the number of Common Councilmen sent by any ward of this City for the purpose of increasing the number of Common Councilmen to be sent by any other ward.'' The Court then adjourned the consideration of the report. The freemen inhabitants of the Ward Without were not satisfied with the Committee's Report or the adjournment of the question by the Court, for we find, 19 December in the same year, a petition from the " Committee " of the Ward Without against the Report of the General Purposes Committee, and the report was sent back to the Committee, for further consideration. This they did, and again instructed the Town Clerk and the City Solicitor to make further searches in the City's Records, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the Wards of Cripplegate Within and Without, had ever been one Ward, and one Wardmote held for the election of officers ; and also, whether the Court of Common Council had power to increase the number of Common Councilmen for any Ward. The following is an extract from their report, delivered in December, 1823: — "We find that in 13 Edward II, the Wards are there described as 'Cripplegate' and ' Cripplegate Extra,' and subsequently as ' Cripplegate Within ' and ' Cripplegate Without.' That the wards locally situate partly within and partly without the walls, but within the liberties of the City, viz., between the Walls and the Barrs, as Aldersgate and Bishopsgate, were not in ancient times distinguished as Wards Within, and Without Cripplegate 11 ard and its Common Councilmen. 1 3 1 the City, but that the Ward of Cripplegate, subsequent to the 13th Edward II, and the Ward of Farringdon subsequent to the 17th Richard II, were so distinguished." The officers further reported that two distinct Courts of Wardmote appear to have been always held, one for the Ward of Cripplegate Within, and the other for the Ward of Cripplegate Without, at each of which distinct inquests and ward officers are chosen. (The order for two precepts in 1569 (see p. 129) had evidently escaped their attention). The officers were again ordered to make further searches, and report as to the power of the Court to increase the number of mem- bers. This they did, and cited cases where the numbers had been increased, and added "We are therefore, led to conclude that the right exists in the Court of Common Council to make an addition to the number of Common Councilmen for such Wards as they may deem expedient, so that the whole number of Common Councilmen does not exceed Two Hundred and Fifty, inasmuch as a Common Council to consist of a number of citizens not exceeding Two Hundred and Fifty, is claimed by the pleadings on the part of the City in the proceedings on the Quo Warranto in the 34th year of the reign of King Charles II. [a.d. 1682], wherein the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens, by way of rejoynder to the replication of the then Attorney General, alledge as follows : — " And the said Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London further say, that the Citizens and Freemen of the City aforesaid, on the aforesaid 17th day of September, in the 26th year aforesaid, and always were and are now very numerous, to wit, Fifty Thousand Men and more, and that within the said City of London, to wit, at the aforesaid Parish of St. Michael Bassishaw [in which parish the Guildhall is partly situated], from time to the contrary whereof the memory of man lias not existed, there was a Common Council of the said City, from time to time as often as was necessary within the said City assembled, consisting of the Mayor and Aldermen of the said City for the time being, and of certain citizens being Freemen of that City, not exceeding the number of Two Hundred and Fifty persons of the Citizens and Freemen of the City aforesaid, annually elected to be of that Common Council, the which Citizens so elected in this Common Council are called the Commons of the City of London." They further stated, that, "apprehending it to be of tin- utmost importance that the question as to the right and the extent of it 132 Cripplegate Ward and its Common Councilmen. should receive the sanction of high legal authority previous to any measures being adopted upon the subject, we respectfully submit to the consideration of this Worshipful Committee the necessity and propriety of advising with Mr. Recorder and Mr. Common Sergeant thereon." This latter report of the officers was dated 20 October, 1824, and on 24 February in the following year Mr. Recorder (Newman Knowlys), and Mr. Common Sergeant (Thomas Denman), gave their opinion as follows : — " We are of opinion that it appears by the exercise of the power of increasing the number of the Common Council from time to time, that such power exists in that body. And we think they are bound by their pleading on the Quo Warranto Information in the reign of Charles II not to exceed the entire number of two hundred and fifty." On 8 December in the same year (1825), the petition of the Com- mittee appointed at the Wardmote of Cripplegate Without, on St. Thomas' Day, 1820, for increase of the number of representatives, was read in Court, and on the 19th, the same was considered and again adjourned. On 19 January, 1826, a petition was presented by freemen inhabitant householders against the petition of the Committee of the Ward, they stating that the Committee was not a proper one, and that they were satisfied with the number of representatives. This was followed by a petition of the " Committee " of the Ward against the above petition, and both were referred to the General Purposes Committee, who reported to the Court on 26 October follow- ing, that " no evidence had been adduced before us, upon which we could feel justified in recommending any increase to be made in the number of Representatives in the Common Council for the Ward of Cripplegate Without." However, an amendment was moved to the report as follows :— " That the wish of the Freemen Householders of the Ward of Cripplegate Without, so frequently expressed in their petitions, be acceded to, and that the number of their representatives in this Court be for the future eight instead of four." This was carried, and it was again referred to the Committee for General Purposes " to consider and report the best mode of carrying the Resolution into effect ; and if it should appear to be requisite to be by an Act of this Court, that they do prepare and bring in a Bill accordingly." This was done, and a Bill was brought in and read a first and second time on 6 November, and a third time and passed on 30 November, 1826. On the following St. Thomas' Day, 1826, eight representatives were returned to the Court of Common Council. Cripplegate Ward and its Common Councilmen. 133 The following list gives the names, Livery Company (if of any), and the date of first election of the present representatives of the Ward : — CRIPPLEGATE WITHIN. Sir Robert Hargreaves Rogers - (L) Loriner ... 1886 Dep. (1890). Richard Stapley - - (L) Gold and Silver Wire Drawer 1887 George Briggs - - - (L) Girdler - - - 1897 William Oatley ... Painter Stainer (L) Barber 1898 Alexander Tillie - - - A Freeman - - - 1899 Thomas Henry Wye - - (L) Haberdasher- - - 1899 Joseph Messenger - - - A Freeman ... 1899 Alfred Edward Palmer - - A Freeman - ^99 Clerk— Charles Walter Sawbridge, 68, Aldermanburv. CRIPPLEGATE WITHOUT. John Jas. Baddelev, Dep. (1899) (L) Framework Knitter - 1886 Francis McCarthy - - - (L) Loriner - 1887 Alfred Double - - - (L) Basket Maker - - 1887 James Patrick Mclntyre - - (L) Weaver - - - 1894 George Thomas Sirrell Tranter - (L) Loriner ... 1894 James Westerhv A Freeman - - - 1899 Henry Vialou - - - - A Freeman - - - 1899 James Lake - (L) Loriner- ... 1900 ■Clerk — Robert Pearce, Cripplegate Institute, Golden Lane. The letter L denotes that the member is a Liveryman of his Company. In the early part of the present century the inhabitants of the Ward Without were particularly energetic in the cause of reform. We find the Freemen inhabitants of the ward, at the Court of Wardmote, held on St. Thomas' Day, 1824, petitioning the Court of Common Council, as follows : — " The humble Petition of the Freemen Inhabitants of the Ward of Cripplegate without, London, " Sheweth, "That your Petitioners are Freemen of the City of London and Inhabitants of the Ward of Cripplegate without, who from the most ancient time were entitled to vote for Representatives in Parliament for the City of London. That this right has been most sacredly confirmed to them by eighteen Kings, in between thirty and forty different Charters, all of which have been most unalterably fixed by the Statute of jd William and Mary, cap. 8. K 2 134 Cripplegate Ward and its Common Councilmen. " That your Petitioners are convinced that those Charters have been obtained, by purchase, by conquest, or by valuable services, and that therefore they are as much the lawful inheritors of those rights, as any possessors of freehold property that has been obtained either by purchase or by inheritance : that therefore no person can -lawfully deprive them of those rights that have been thus dearly purchased, and have been so repeatedly most solemnly confirmed to them by so many Kings. " That notwithstanding these most solemn contracts and sacred ties of the Legislature, some persons did procure a Bill to pass in Parliament in 1725, declaring that the right of voting for Members of Parliament, &c. should be only in the Livery of the different Companies, and there- fore your Petitioners who are not Liverymen are not suffered to exercise their unalienable birthright of voting for the Representatives in Parlia- ment for the City of London. * * * * " That your Petitioners consider thus to be debarred from exercising their ancient right of voting for Members of Parliament, is a standing reflection on their characters, particularly so while the householders of the City of IVestminster and the Borough of Southwark continue to enjoy their ancient right of voting for such Members : and your Petitioners hope they will continue for ever to enjoy such rights perfectly agreeing with Magna Charta and the Bill of Rights. " Your Petitioners therefore pray your Honourable Court im- mediately to procure a Bill to be brought into Parliament, to repeal the disqualifying clauses against your Electors and Petitioners the Freemen of London." As is well known, the object of the Petition was attained by the Reform Bill of 1832. In 1848, the Common Councilmen of the Ward, and the inhabitants generally were called upon to take their share in the old time "Watch and Ward," for at the time of the anticipated Chartist riots, we find that on the 7 April in that year a meeting of the Alderman and the Common Councilmen of Cripplegate ward without, was held at the Quest House, in obedience to the request of the Lord Mayor, that special constables should be sworn in immediately " to aid and assist in keeping the peace within this City." A similar meeting was held in the ward within at the " Ward Within Committee Room, Sion College Gardens, London Wall." Twelve hundred special constables were sworn in the inner ward, and Cripplegate Ward and its Common Councilmen. 1 3 5 eight hundred in the outer. The Common Councilmen were given the command of certain numbers of these, and each placed in charge of a district in the ward. Special constables were again sworn in on 31 December, 1867, by Alderman Challis. This seems to be the last occasion on which the inhabitants of a ward, were called upon to be sworn in, as constables, within their own ward. As an instance of the survival of the duty cast upon the wards of raising men to serve in the train bands, and which is still done in the indirect way by payment of the Trophy Rate, we find by the Ward Books that on 2 September, 1852, "Her Majesty's Commissioners of Lieutenancy requested the Ward within to raise 22 men, and the Ward without, 18 men, for the Royal London Militia." Great changes have taken place both in the Inner and Outer Wards of Cripplegate during the last half century, and it will be seen that by the number of special constables enrolled in 1848, that the wards at that time must have been densely populated. The resident house- holders of the Inner Ward have for the most part long since vanished, whilst the resident population of the Outer Ward, which in 1851 amounted to over 14,000, is now about 1,000. The old mansions and dwelling houses in both wards have been razed and warehouses and factories erected in their stead. A day census was taken by order of the Corporation, 27 April, 1891. The number of persons engaged in business in Cripplegate Ward was as follows : — CRIPPLEGATE WITHIN. Number of Principals - 1,117 „ Males employed over 15 8,563 Females „ „ 3,451 „ Children under 15 354 Total 13,485 CRIPPLEGATE WITHOUT. Number of Principals i.3°5 „ Males employed over 1 5 10,217 ,, Females ,, ,, 8,161 ,, Children under 15 1,892 Total 2i,575 A similar census is ordered to be taken in April, 1901, and it is believed that the numbers will be found to have largely increased. THE ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OF LONDON. The following account of the Aldermen, and the various ordinances made at different times, from about the third quarter of the thirteenth century, in connection with their qualification, nomination, election, duties, removal, etc., will materially assist in explaining the position of the Aldermen of Cripplegate ^'ard, and therefore justifies its in- clusion here. It is probable that no definite account of the origin of the Office of Alderman, or of the body known as the Court of Aldermen can ever be written, for unlike the prosaic and arbitrary creations by Acts of Parliament, of the Aldermen of County Councils, Boroughs, and Towns in modern times, the office of the Aldermen of the City of London came into existence by a process of natural growth and development, created by the necessities of the times. " Aldermen," we are told (Putting, p. 26), "are mentioned in the reign of Henry 11 [1154-1189] as presiding over the district guilds, and in the reign of Henry III [12 16- 1272] aldermanries had become a common term for a civic district having its own local government, and comprised within a leet jurisdiction as well in London as in other cities, and were then a property in fee and hereditary." This was, however, an usurpation upon the ancient rights of the citizens, for in an ancient MS. book in the possession of the Corporation {De Antiquis Legibus, fo. 63b), we find an account of an election of aldermen having taken place as early as a.d. i 200. In that year, so runs the record : — "were chosen five and twenty of the more discreet men of the City, and sworn to take counsel on behalf of the City together with the Mayor." Although this is the first mention of discreet citizens being called together to assist the mayor, it is exceedingly probable that the chief men of the City, the owners of the " sokes " or " wards," or the presidents of the district guilds, were in the habit of meeting together in conference when the good of the City required. 138 The Aldermen of the City of London. In curly times both mayor and aldermen were often arbitrarily removed by the king. A case occurred in 1257, when "new aldermen were elected by the wards in the room of those who had been deposed." In 141 9, John Carpenter, the learned Common Clerk, or Town Clerk of the City, finished his great work, the Liber Albus, and in it we find a description of the ideal alderman. He writes: (Riley's Translation, p. 29), " If we look to the etymology of the word 'alderman,' the more aged were so called. For aide in Saxon means 'old,' and aider is our word ' older,' and hence, as the judgment is most vigorous in persons of more mature years, the dignitary who among the Romans was known as Consul or Senator, among us is called ' Alderman.' And yet, in the case of Aldermen, maturity of mind is to be considered rather than of body, and gravity of manners in preference to length of years : hence it is that in the ancient Laws of King Cnut and other kings in Saxon times, the person styled 'Alderman,' is now called 'Judge' and 'Justiciar,' as set forth in the Liber Custumarum. Yet in several other laws of Saint Edward, the personages who are now styled ' Justiciars ' were called lagemanni, from the Saxon lage, which corresponds with the Latin lex or ' law,' the lagemannus being a 'man of law,' such as we now call a 'lawyer,' or more correctly a ' legislator.' These Aldermen too, in respect of name as well as dignity, it is evident were anciently called Barones. For it is matter of experience that even since the year of our Lord, 1350 at the sepulture of Aldermen the ancient custom of interment with baronial honours was observed; for in the church where the Alderman was about to be buried, a person appeared upon a caparisoned horse, arrayed in the armour of the deceased, bearing a banner in his hand, and carrying upon him his shield, helmet and the rest of his arms, along with the banner, as is still the usage at the sepulture of lords of Baronial rank. . . . " Indeed, no person was accepted as Alderman unless he was free from deformity in body, wise and discreet in mind, rich, honest, trust- worthy, free, and on no account of low or servile condition; lest perchance the disgrace or opprobrium that might be reflected upon him by reason of his birth, might have the additional effect of casting a slur upon the other Aldermen and the whole city as well." The following extracts, taken from the records, of ordinances made by the Court of Aldermen, for the purpose of safeguarding the honour and dignity of its own body, and of civic institutions generally, clearly show that the Court of Aldermen has always had that same high ideal The Aldermen of the City of London. 139 of the duties of the Court, and of each individual member of it, as was in the mind of the learned Common Clerk of the City when he compiled his book, detailing the duties and responsibilities of the Mayor, Aldermen and Common Councilmen as existing from time immemorial, by the custom of the City he loved so well. It is very remarkable that the modes of election of Aldermen, of Mayor, and of the members of the Common Council, the boundaries of the various wards, and the general administration of the City of London, have stood almost unaltered for six centuries, during which time, every ancient Corporation in the kingdom has been altered and reformed out of all knowledge, whilst the Throne itself, Parliament, the Courts of Law, and nearly every other Institution, not only of this country but on the Continent of Europe, have been subjected to vast changes, and indeed, in many cases have been revolutionized. In reference to the survival of our Civic Institutions beyond the oldest of the Courts of Law (the Court of Exchequer, which was practically abolished in 1884), Lord Chief Baron Kelly said, "although long threatened by many enemies in many quarters with what may have been termed reform, the Corporation has survived a Court, which after an existence of eight hundred years has passed away." There must have been something inherently sound and good in the constitution of the City's institutions, (anomalous as they may have been, and in the minds of some, still are) to have withstood the attacks that have been made upon, them by jealous and unscrupulous enemies. The ancient rulers of our city acted in keeping with their faith in adopt- ing for the City's motto, Domine Dirige Nos. God has indeed directed and protected us, and has assisted the City Fathers to steer clear of many dangers that have from time to time environed them, and to weather many an apparently overwhelming storm. The citizen of to-day may well be proud of the great fights his ancestors have made in defence of the City's rights and privileges, the knowledge of which, must incite him also, to stoutly withstand any attempt that may be made, to hastily change or break the continuity of the City's mode of government, its ceremonials and traditions. Much has been written and said at various times in favour of the periodical election of aldermen. It will be noted that from 1377 to 1394 the aldermen were annually elected, although prior to 1385 they were not eligible to sit for the same ward two years in succession, but after these few years of trial, the citizens saw the inconveniences 140 The Aldermen of the City of London. of the system, and by statute 17 Richard II, it was altered to its original state, viz., an election for life, as it remains to the present day. We, ourselves, no doubt, would even to a greater extent than our forefathers, find out the inconveniences of a periodical election of aldermen. It must be remembered that an alderman of the present day, is a Justice holding special powers, which would never be entrusted to him were he removable at the popular will. Moreover, an alderman, periodically elected, could not act so impartially as he does under the present system, owing to the precarious tenure of his office. The arguments that have been advanced in favour of the periodical election of the aldermen, may seem reasonable and fair to those who do not know, or appreciate the altogether unique position of an alderman of the City of London. Not only is the latter the only directly elected magistrate in the country, but he also holds an office that has come down in unbroken succession for over seven hundred years. To be elected alderman of a City ward, a man must usually have carried on a successful business in his ward for many years, and at the time of his election, must be worth at least thirty thousand pounds. In most cases he will have gained an intimate knowledge of the procedure of municipal business, as a member of the Common Council for the same ward as that of which he aspires to be alderman. (The present Lord Mayor, Mr. Alderman Frank Green, is an example of this, having served thirteen years on the " floor of the Court " before being elected Alderman of his Ward). By this means, and by slow degrees, he gains the confidence of his neighbours, who, in their turn, are ready to confer on him the highest gift in their power, viz., the appointment to an office for life, from which he cannot be removed, except for just and reason- able cause. The confidence thus acquired has seldom been misplaced, so that in exceedingly few cases can it be said, that the electors have regretted their choice. It is true that, in some few instances, aldermen have held their position when incapacitated from advanced age and infirmity, from properly fulfilling the duties of their office, and so occasionally stopping the way of someone in their ward, willing and desirous to take upon himself the responsibilities of the position, but the cases have been very few, and even if they were frequent, should not in the eyes of those who love the City and its traditions, urge them to attempt to alter an arrangement, that has worked on the whole, so well for the true interests of the City. The Aldermen of the City of London. 141 It will be noted that the following chapters treat in regular sequence of an alderman's position — first his qualifications for office, then the modes of nominations and elections at various periods, his duties, privileges, punishment, removal and dismissal, etc. THE QUALIFICATION OF AN ALDERMAN. The Court of Aldermen has been from the very earliest times, exceedingly jealous of the dignity of the Court, and from time to time has made special ordinances, guarding against the inclusion in its body of unworthy and unsuitable persons. One of the earliest orders concern- ing the election of aldermen, states 'that they must be "good and discreet men, who in morals and in temporal goods are fit to be a judge and alderman, and most fit to support the honours and burthens of the city." The following extract from the Records, will show that the citizens took great care, that no foreigners should be qualified to attain the position. 16 Oct. 1 Henry V [a.d. 14 13]. By the advice, consent, and discretion of the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London it was ordained and established that no one in future shall be an Alderman of the said City unless he be born within the realm of England and his father be English. Latin. — {Letter Book L, fo. 126.) On the 17 January, 1626, one Gedean de Lawne, apothecary, on the nomination of the Ward of Dowgate, was elected Alderman, but on it being pointed out that he was "borne at Reames in France," and upon the King's request on his behalf, he was discharged. Many ordinances were made from time to time, by which entry into the Court was rendered impossible, except to men of the highest character, who were possessed of a fair share of " temporal goods ; " in fact, the responsibilities, the danger, and the expense of the office became in time, so great, that men endeavoured to shirk the honour of election, and among other modes of escaping, assumed apparent poverty, and took advantage of an order made 9 Edward IV [a.d. 1469], that no one should be an-alderman of any ward, unless he had goods and hopeful debts to the value of ^1,000, and if anyone so elected should swear that he was not worth that sum he was to be discharged. — Letter Book Z, fo. 64b. By reason of this ordinance, Stephen Fabyan, who had been elected alderman, and imprisoned in Newgate for not taking office, was dis- charged. — -Journal 7, fo. 198. 142 The Aldermen of the City of London. William Isaack, successively Alderman of Cripplegate and Coleman Street Wards, was also exonerated on this account 10 October, 1503, after having been alderman for more than sixteen years. In course of time a mean advantage was taken of the order, and wealthy men drove the figurative coach and four .through it, from the fact that land was not strictly considered to be goods, so that those desirous of getting out of their obligations to serve civic offices, bought land and houses, thus rendering the order of no effect. In 1525, it was found necessary to issue the following order : — 17 Henry VIII [a.D. 1525]. " Where that the xxix daye of July, the ix yereof the reigne of kyng Edward the iiij th yt was agreed and decreed by the maire and aldremen than beynge, that noo freeman from thensforth shulde by admytted in the rowme of an alderman of eny warde within the liberties of this citie, but yf his goodes, catalls, and detts sperate shulde extend to the value of oon thousand pounds ; And if and when it hapenyd eny man withyn the said citie to be chosen alderman of any warde of the said citie, yf he wold swere without fraude or male engyne that all his goods, catalls, and detts sperate extended not to the veray value of oon thousande pounde, he shulde by his said othe be discharged, as by the said acte and ordynance in the boke of L fob 64, more playnly apperith : Soo it is that the maire and aldermen nowe beynge well considerynge that nowe of late dyvers and many of the substanciall citezeins of this citie, Iitell or noo thyng regardynge theyr othes which they toke and made when that they were first admytted into the liberties of this citie, wherein, amongs other articles, oon specyall article is conteyned that they shulde be contributory to all manner charges wythin this citie, as somons, wacches, contribucions, tasks, tallages, lotte and scotte, as in the said othe more playnely is conteyned at large, have bestowed and employed grete parts of their substances in byinge and purchasynge of landes and tenements, oonly and to thentent that they wolde not take upon them the said office and rowme of aldreman, whan they or eny of theym shulde be alotted therunto, not onely to the greate displeasure of Almighty God, but also to the grete detryment and hurte of the liberties of this citie, whereby that not onely this courte but also the wardes of this citie shoulde be destitute of aldremen yf it shulde soo contynewe : For reformacion whereof yt ys nowe agreed, graunted, and by the saide maire and aldremen nowe beynge fully decreed, that from hensforth, yf eny citezein of this citie, beynge of substaunce in lands or tenements by hym or any other to his use bought or purchased to be solde, and in goods, catalls, and detts sperate to the veray value of two thousandis marks, and happen to be chosen aldreman of any ward within this citie, that then he shall take uppon hym the same, onlesse that he, without fraude, disceyte, or male engyne, will swere upon the holly evangelies that he is not of the said value of ij thousand marke in goodis, catalls, detts sperate, and lands or tenements bought and purchased to be sol Je. And if he will swere as is aforesaid, that then he to be by his othe for that tyme discharged. " The Othe. — Ye shall swere that all your goods, catalls, detts sperat. and landes or tenements by you or any other to your use bowght and purchassyd, extend not yn all to the sume of MM. marks, and this othe you make without fraude, dysceyte, or male engyne, as God you help and all seynts, and by that boke." — {Repertory 7, fo. 45b. Letter Book N. fo. 287b. ) By an Act of Common Council passed 9 August, 9 Anne [a.d. 1 7 10], the qualification of an Alderman was fixed at ^15,000, and The Aldermen of the City of London. 143 the fine for refusal to take office at ,£500. The same Act made orders concerning the election and discharge of Aldermen, and the prevention of expenses at elections. The following is an abstract concerning this : — "That if any person free of this city who then was or thereafter should be chosen an alderman of any of the wards within this city or liberties thereof, according to the custom of the said city, will voluntarily take his corporal oath before the lord mayor and greater part of the aldermen, in open court of the said lord mayor and aldermen for the time being, that at the time of his said election he was not of the value of fifteen thousand pounds in lands, goods, and sperate debts . . . then such person shall be and is hereby discharged and exempted of and from the said election . . . That if any person free of this city should be thereafter duly chosen or elected alderman of any of the wards of this city, according to the custom of the said city . . . and should not personally appear before the court of lord mayor and aldermen for the time being at the next court, and then and there take upon him the office and charge of alderman of the said city, and of the ward whereof he should be chosen alderman . . . or shall openly declare his refusal to take upon him the said office, every such person so neglecting or refusing to appear or so declaring his refusal to take upon him the said office . . . shall forfeit the sum of five hundred pounds ... to the use of the mayor and commonalty and citizens, unless he should be duly discharged for want or defect of ability in wealth . . . and in case any person shall be so discharged, or incur the forfeiture aforesaid, the lord mayor for the time being shall, within four days then next ensuing, cause a wardmote to be duly summoned and holden, and the inhabitants of that ward of which such person was so chosen alderman, shall and may proceed to a new nomination according to the custom of the said city." This Act was followed by another a century later, in which the qualification was fixed at ,£30,000, and the fine for refusing to take office remaining at the same amount as by the Act of 17 10. The following are abstracts of the Act of 181 2 : — 17th April, 52 George III [a.d. 1812]. "An act for repealing an act of common council made the 9th day of August 17 10, entituled, 'An act concerning the election and discharge of aldermen of this city, and to prevent expences at such elections,' and for making other provisions in lieu thereof, And enacts that if any person, free of this city, who now is, or hereafter shall be, elected an alderman of any of the wards within this city or liberties thereof, according to the custom of the said city, will voluntarily take his corporal oath, before the lord mayor, and greater part of the aldermen in open court of the said lord mayor and aldermen for the time being, that at the time of his said election he was not of the value of thirty thousand pounds in lands, goods, and sperate debts, and do likewise bring with him six other citizens, freemen of the same city, of good credit and reputation, who shall likewise voluntarily testify upon their corporal oaths, that in their consciences they do believe that the said person so elected alderman hath deposed and sworn truly concerning his value as is aforesaid, then, and in ever)- such case, such person shall be, and he is hereby, discharged and exempt of and from the said election. It also enacts that any person hereafter elected alderman neglecting to attend, or declaring his refusal to lake upon him the office, " shall forfeit the sum of five hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to the use ol the mayor, commonalty and citizens, unless he shall be duly discharged ol the said office ol alderman for want or defect of ability in wealth upon oath taken as is aforesaid : and in case 144 The Aldermen of the City of London. any person shall be discharged of the said office upon his oath for insufficiency of estate as aforesaid, or incur the forfeiture aforesaid, the lord mayor for the time being shall, within eight days then next ensuing, (Sundays excepted,) cause a wardmote to be duly summoned and holden, and the inhabitants of that ward of which such person was so elected alderman, being freemen of the city and householders paying scot and bearing lot within the said ward, shall and may proceed to a new election according to the custom of the said city. In addition to the qualifications before stated, it was necessary, until about the middle of the seventeenth century, that an alderman should belong to one of the principal Livery Companies, or as they were called in early times, Craft Guilds or '• Mysterys." The great power exercised by these Companies in early times in procuring the election of members of their body, as aldermen, is shown by the many ordinances made by the Court of Aldermen for the purpose of excluding from that body all who belonged to the inferior Companies, and as will be seen from the following extracts, a person once elected alderman, either had to pay a heavy fine, to be excused serving the office, or leave his parent Company and get himself transferred to one of the twelve great Companies. It would seem that some time prior to 1441, an ordinance had been made, restricting the number of aldermen belonging to any one Mystery, for we find an entry in the Journal as follows : May, 19 Henry VI [a.d. 1441]. — Dcclaracio. It seems to the Aldermen that the communication formerly held touching the number of Aldermen belonging to one mistery is not reasonable because contrary to their expressed oath and moreover because the communication, if it became an ordinance, would restrict the Aldermen to one person ; it is not therefore displeasing that it should be made an ordinance. — Latin, (/or. 3, fo. 86b.) This was soon followed by another ordinance defining the number that might be elected. 25 Feb. 24 Henry VI [A.D. 1446]. — It was agreed that in future there shall not be elected more than six Aldermen of one art and mistery, etc., provided there be other persons of other misteries within the City aforesaid sufficiently able. Latin.— (Jor. 4, fo. 118.) In 1503 four persons were named by the inhabitants of Alders- gate Ward, for one to be elected alderman ; the first one named was elected by the Court of Mayor and Aldermen, and ordered immediately to transfer himself into another mystery, he being an "Armorer." Rep. 1, fos. 143b (184b.) As will be seen by the following extracts from the Repertory, the Court of Aldermen was very peremptory in the demand that a duly elected alderman should transfer himself: The Aldermen of the City of London. 145 5 Nov. 13 Henry VIII [a.d. 1521]. "At thys Court came Raufe Dodmer Bruer which now lately was by the Mayer and Aldermen electe to be Alderman of the Warde of Quenehythe in stede and place of Master Wylkynsone late decessed And yt was declared un to hym that he shulde chose of oone of thees misteres folowyng That is to say Mercers Grocers Drapers Fysshemongers Goldsmythys Skynners Habberdasshers and Iremongers and to be Translated from the said mistere of Bruers unto oone of the said misterys And forasmoche as he Refused thys to doo he ys by thauctorite of thys Court commytted to the custodie of Master Breton oone of the Shyreffes whiche Master Shireff hadd streightly in comandement that he shuld suffer none of hys company to speke w* hym." — {Rep. 4, fo. 99.) 16 May, 15 Henry VIII [a.d. 1523]. — Four persons were named by inhabitants of Farringdon Without, and one being elected by the Court, he refused to accept it, and was by them committed to Newgate ; he afterwards, on the same day, chose his translation to the Mercers' Company, and there being six aldermen of that Company, he was directed to select another ; he then begged to be translated to the Haberdashers', which was granted him and lie was then sworn. — Repertory 6, fo. 36. John Tolos, clothworker, who was elected alderman of Tower Ward, 15 January, 29 Henry VIII [a.d. 1538], was committed to Newgate for refusing office and for disobedience (possibly for refusing to change his Company). The case is interesting, as on the 24th of the same month we find the following curious entry, which gives the probable date of the inclusion of the Clothworkers' Company in the twelve principal Livery Companies or Misteries : — John Tolos clothworker who afore was elect Alderman of the warde of the Tower was sworne and toke upon hym the sayd oftyce accordynglye and at the humble Request and Petycon of the sayd Mr. Tolos and the Mr. and Wardeins of Clotheworkers yt ys agreed that in consyderacon that the sayd companye ys nowe one of the xij heckle companyes of london And for that that they have promysed faythfullye thys Courte that they woll and shalbe at all tymes redy to do there dutyes accordynglye as they be bounde to doo for the hono r and conion welth of thys Cylye The sayd Mr. Tolos shall styil contynue in and w"' hys sayd companye of Clothworkers w th out Alteracon or Translacbn in to any other mysterye. And also the good wyll of thys courte ys graunted to hym that he shall have respyit iij yeres for exercysynge of the offyce of Shryvaltye. Letter Book P, fo. 139. On the 23 April, 5 Edward VI [a.d. 155 1], Thomas Curtes, Pewterer, was elected Alderman of Farringdon Within Ward {Repertory 12, part 2, fo. 328), and as will be seen by the following entries in the Repertory, he most obstinately refused to leave his parent company (the Pewterers), and he translated to one of the twelve great companies, hut the Court of Aldermen were equally obstinate and determined, that the 146 The Aldermen of the City of London. unwritten law respecting the usual transfer should not be broken; the dispute occupied four years, but Curtes had to bow to the inevitable, and eventually was duly translated to the Fishmongers' Company. The following selections from the many entries in connection with the above case, give a luminous idea of the course of procedure in bringing an unwilling alderman to a right state of mind : — Tuesday, 9 October. 1 and 2 Philip and Mary [a.d. 1554]. — Itm this daye it was orderyd and agryed that Mr. Alderman Curtes who by no gentle and earneste requeste and pswasyon of this courte will agre to chaunge his copye and to be translated to one of the xij head copanies accordynge to the auncyet laudable lawe vse and custome of this Cytie shalbe after this day sequestryd from the comynge eny more hither to this Courte before this daye thre wekes and that he do then make vnto the said Courte a p 9 cyse answer whyther he will chaunge his Copie or not at his pyll. — Repertory 13, part 1, fo. 212. Tuesday, 8 January, 1 and 2 Philip and Mary [a.d. 1555]. — Itm this day Mr. Thomas Curtes Alderman for his wylfull styfenes and disobedyence dyv°selie shewyd to my Lorde Mayer and the hole courte and namelye for that that he very obstynatelie and wylfullye neyther regardynge his othe & duetie towardes the Cytye or the honor worship and wealthe of the same or yet eny thyng relentynge or gevynge place to the manyfolde very gentle and brotherlye mocyons pswasyons and requests of the saide Lorde Mayer & Aldren to hym div°se and sundrye tymes heretofore gevyn and made did vtterlye refuse and denye to chaunge his copye of the pewterers whereof he was ffree to one of the xij head and pryncypall copanyes of this Cytie was comyttyd to warde in Newgate there to remayne till he obedyetelie shalbe cdtentyd tc stonde *o the order of this courte for and cocernynge the p*mysses accordynge to the good Auncyete and laudable laws ordenances and customes of the saide Cytie and it was orderyd that the Reader of the saide Gayle shoulde not pmytte or suffer eny of the saide ffelowshyppe of the pewterers to speake w th hyme durynge the tyme of his imp'sonmete there. — Repertory ij, part I, fo. 245b. Thursday, 10 January, 1 and 2 Philip and Mary [a.d. 1555]. — Itm Henry Clerck [& others] who made sute unto this Courte in the favo r of Mr. Curtes Alderman nowe for his mysdemeano r towardes this Courte remaynynge in Warde were wyllyd to forbeare the speakynge w th the said Mr. Curtes tyll they shall have further knowledge of my Lorde Mayres pleasure therein forasmoche as it was p^vtelie orderyd that the Chaunceler of London shall this afternone furste speake w th hyme. — Repertory 13, part 1, fo. 247. Saturday, 12 January, 1 and 2 Philip and Mary [a.d. 1555]. — At this Courte the fyne of Mr. Thomas Curtes Alderman for his cotemptyous and disobedyete mys- demeano r towardes the hole courte was pvtelie assessyd at m 1 m'rks and he nev°theles comyttyd to warde ageyne. Itm Mr. Bowes, Mr. Gresham, Mr. Hyll and Mr. Recorder were assignyd to declare unto my Lorde Chancelo r and my Lorde Treasorer this after none the conty- newance of the frowardenes of Mr. Curtes Alderman. . . . — Repertory /j, part l, fo. 248. On Tuesday, 15 January of the same year (1555), Alderman Curtes agreed to change his Company, but it will be seen from the following extracts that he was still obstinate, and only endeavouring to gain time, and so put off the evil day. — Repertory Ij, part 1, fo. 249b. The Aldermen of the City of London. 147 Tuesday, 3 September, 2 and 3 Philip and Mary [a. d. 1555]. — At this Courte Mr. Thomas Curtes Alderman declaryd to the saide courte that he was cotentyd to departe from the ffealowshippe of the pewterers whereof he was free and to be tr a nslatyd and set over to the copany of the clotheworkers and he agryed to cause the wardeyns of the same cGpany shortely to repayre hither and to declare to the courte here whyther they be cotentyd to receyve hyme in to theire cGpany or not. — Repertory 13, part 2, fo. 316b. Tuesday, 19 November, 2 and 3 Philip and Mary [A.D 1555]. — Itm Mr. Alder- man Curtes hathe the nexte Courte daye to shewe certaynely unto thys Courte whate Company he wyll be tnslated unto and not to delay the Courte eny further lor the declaracon and fynyshynge thereof. — Repertory 13, part 2, fo. 345. Thursday, 13 February, 2 and 3 Philip and Mary [a.d. 1556]. — Itm it was agryed here the nexte Courte daye shall take order w th Mr. Alderman Curtes for chaunginge his copie and occupacon w th oute eny further delay. — Repertory 13, part 2, fo. 370. Thursday, 26 March, 2 and 3 Philip and Mary [a.d. 1556]. — Itm it was agryed that a fynall order shalbe taken the nexte Courte daye w th Mr. Curtes Aldermane for his departure frome th'occupacon of the pewterers to one of the xij head Copanyes of this Cytye. — Repertory 13, part 2, fo. 381b. On 14 April it was ordered that it be no longer deferred than "till next court day," and on the 16th Mr. Curtes was to have "till this day 3 week" to be transferred. — Repertory 13, part 2, fos. 384b and 387. As will be noted by the concluding extract, his parent Company gave their assent to his translation, and the Fishmongers' Company agreed to accept him as one of their body, under certain conditions. Tuesday, 22 September, 3 and 4 Philip and Mary [a.d. 1556]. — Itm this day the Mr. and Wardens of the ffealowshippe of the Pewterers gave theire assente to the Courte here for the tr'nslacon and settynge ov° by the same Courte of Mr. Curtes, Alder- man frome theire fealowshippe to the Copanye of the Fyshemongers who have agryed as is appearethe at the Courte here holden 15 instant Septembris to receyve hyme accordyngely And as towchynge theire requeste for the steynge of the said Mr. Curtes from the takynge of any app'ntice from hensfurihe the Courte agreyd to be advysed thereof. — Repertory 13, part 2, fo. 430b. Thomas Curtes (or Curteis) was Sheriff 1546. Lord Mayor 1557. Although the necessity of a person elected as alderman becoming a member of one of the twelve great Livery Companies, passed away during the latter half of the sixteenth century, it seems that it was necessary for many years afterwards, that he should be a member of one of the twelve before he could be elected Lord Mayor. We find Stephen Soame, Lord Mayor elect in 1598, translated in that year from the Cirdlers' Company to the Grocers', and Sir William Stewart (elected alderman of Cripplegate Ward in 171 1, a Freeman of the Barber Surgeons' Company), translated to the Goldsmiths' Company the year before he became Lord Mayor. In 1703, Sir John Tarsons was allowed to take orifice, although a member of one of the minor Companies (Brewers), but the rule continued to be observed until 1742, when a Cooper was elected Lord Mayor, followed by another Brewer in 1748. 148 The Aldermen of the City of London. At the present day, the only qualification required of an alderman is, that he should be an able and sufficient citizen, and a Freeman of the City. No qualification as to residence or carrying on business within a ward is now necessary, but in exceedingly few cases is an alderman elected from outside his ward, or unconnected with a Livery Company. NOMINATIONS FOR ALDERMEN. The reader will see in the following pages, by the description of the modes of electing aldermen, that until the year 1397, each ward directly elected its own alderman. In that year, however, an Act of Common Council was passed, enacting that " two at least to be nominated, one of whom must be fit to be a judge and an alderman." — Letter Book If, fo. 314. The names of the two persons thus nominated were to be submitted to the Court of Aldermen, for the election of one. In 1402 the number of names so to be submitted was increased to four ; the order runs as follows : — 3 Henry IV [1402]. On the twentieth day of September, in the third year of the reign of King Henry the Fourth, after the Conquest, it was agreed and ordained by the Mayor and Aldermen that in the elections of Aldermen henceforth to be made, four of the better and more sufficient citizens of the City should be nominated and chosen, of whom the one most fit to support the honours and charges of the City should, according to the discretions and sound consciences of the Mayor and Aldermen for the time being, be admitted and sworn to execute that office as is more fully con- tained in the ordinance thereof lately made in the time of Richard Whyttyngton as appeareth in Liber H, fo. 314. (Latin.) — Letter Book /, fo. 1 6b. One of the earliest entries concerning the rejection of the nomination of a ward by the Court of Aldermen occurs on 24 July, 1444 [22 Henry VI], when four persons were nominated by the Commonalty of Bridge Ward that one might be elected by the Mayor and Aldermen, the alderman of the ward ; but because each of the persons did not seem sufficient to sustain the burthens of the office according to the award and judgment of the Mayor and Aldermen, they rejected the nomination pursuant to ancient custom, and a new nomination was to be made within fifteen days. — Journal 4, fo. 5 1 (36). Again, three years later, a nomination was rejected for the same reasons that are given in the previous case, which seem to have been the chief reasons that actuated the Court during the whole of the time it held the power, i.e., the exclusion of unworthy and impecunious members. The entry in the Journal runs as follows : — The Aldermen of the City of London. 149 22 February, 26 Henry VI [1448]. Four persons presented by the Commonalty of Lime Street Ward, and because it seemed to the Court that not any of the persons is fit for the office, a new election to be proceeded in according to ancient custom. — Journal 4. fo. 225b. Apart from the unsuitability of a person by reason of insufficient means, or of indifferent character, other matters were taken into considera- tion, before accepting the nominations of the inhabitants of a ward ; for instance, a ward sometimes attempted to evade an order made in 1480 (see page 158) "that two aldermen and two commoners should be nominated" by including as one of the two aldermen, an alderman who had not served two years in his ward — which he was required to do before removing — or by nominating fewer or more persons than four, or nominating one who was not a freeman. These and other instances are contained in the following abstracts : — 2 July, 14 Henry VII [a.d. 1499]. — "four persons were nominated by the inhabitants of Bridge Ward, that one be elected alderman ; which bill seemed to the Court of Mayor and Aldermen insufficient," — Rep. 1, fo. 52 (93). — On the 9th of same month "four other persons were nominated by the inhabitants of that ward, and the bill [again] seemed to the Court of Mayor and Aldermen insufficient." — Rep. /, fo. 53b (94b). 10 May, 17 Henry VIII [a.d. 1525]. — An alderman and three commoners nominated by the inhabitants of Billingsgate Ward, but because it seemed to the Court that the nomination was insuffi- cient, and that not every one of them is sufficient in goods, etc., the nomination was rejected, and the Mayor to proceed to a new election. — Rep. 7, fo. 39b. In the same year a nomination was rejected because five persons were presented : see the following entry : — jo May 17 Henry VIII [a.d. 1525]. — The lord (dominus) Mayor, Master Lamberd, Alderman, Master Pargetter [salter] master Fermour grocer [and] Master Nycholls, nominated by the inhabitants of the Ward of Ouenehythe that one of them may be elected by the Mayor and Aldermen as Alderman of that ward loco Nicholas Lamberd late Alderman there and who was lately translated from that Ward to the Ward of Byllingesgate according to his prerogative And because the said five persons were nominated where only four should have been nominated according to the ancient laws and customs of the City. Therefore the lord Mayor proceeds de novo in the said Ward of Quenehythe. — Latin. (Rep. 7. fo. 43!). I., -iter Book N. fo. 284.) Two days after, the ward made another nomination, "and because not every <>l the four prisons named was sufficient and able to 150 The Aldermen of the City of London. support the charges and costs of the office, the nomination was con- sidered insufficient and not valid, and rejected, and the Mayor was ordered to proceed anew to election in the ward." — Rep. 7, fo. 44. In 1547, a similar case occurred in Cripplegate Ward ; Sir William Forman, the Alderman of that ward, died 13 January in that year, and to fill the vacancy, the ward nominated four persons ; but because one of them was not of sufficient " Substance," the nomination of the whole four was rejected ; the entry in the record in reference to this is given in full, and is as follows : — 10 February, 1 Edward VI [a.d. 1547]. — Itm this day my lorde mayer reported to the Court here that the inhitants of the Warde of Creplegate had nolate & appoynted f Roland Hyll knyght & M r Hynde Alderman & Nicholas Spakeman habd & John lyon groc before his lordship syttyng there for the eleccon of a newe Alderman for the seyd Warde in the stede of f Wyllfn Forman knyght late Alderman of the same Warde nowe depted unto the rrrcye of Almyghty God, upon whose soul Jesu have lircye, that this Court Accordyng to the Auncyent lawes & customes of this Citie shulde by scrutynye electe & chuse one of theym the seyd foure psones to be Alderman of the seyd Warde. Which noiacon & eleccon was accordyng to the seyd lawes adiuged insuffycient & reject by this Court for that the seyd Spakeman was denied not to be of substance mete for the seyd rome. — Rep. 11, fo. 335 (311). 30 January, 37 Elizabeth [a.d. 1595]. — The nomination of four persons by the inhabitants of Lime Street Ward for disorderly proceeding utterly rejected, and the Lord Mayor ordered to proceed to a new nomination. — Rep. 23, fo. 347b. Another cause for the rejection of a nomination is indicated in the following : — 21 April 3 James I [a.d. 1605]. — The nomination of John Robinson, mercer, with three others, for the Aldermanry of the Ward of Farringdon Without, rejected by the Mayor and Aldermen, he being principal Searcher at His Majesty's Custom House and therefore exempted from being an alderman by Act of Parliament. The nomination was adjudged " insufficient " and as such rejected, because " by the ancient usages and customs of this City in every nomination and choice of an alderman in any ward within the same, where an alderman is wanting, if at that time it shall be thought in the judgment of the Lord Mayor and Court of The Aldermen of the City of London. 151 Aldermen, that all the said persons so nominated, or any one of them be insufficient for any respect for the place of an alderman, or shall not be capable or eligible thereunto, that then every such nomination shall be void, and the Lord Mayor to proceed to a new nomination." — {Letter Book CC, fo. 78.) 1 March, 17 Charles I [a.o. 1642]. — The inhabitants of Vintry Ward having nominated three aldermen and one commoner, for that one alderman would not remove, and another could not accept it till he had continued alderman of his ward two whole years, viz., John Towse, Alderman of Cripplegate, elected 10 November, 1640, and that the third was but lately chosen, and that the commoner being free of the Grocers, of which Company there were already six aldermen, was adjudged by the Court to be utterly insufficient, and the lord mayor directed to proceed to a new nomination. — Rep. 55, fo. 381. 14 August, 19 Charles II [a.d. 1667]. — The inhabitants of Vintry Ward having nominated two aldermen with two others, and because it did not appear that one of the latter (Richard Mountney) was a freeman of the City, the Court rejected the nomination as insufficient, and directed the lord mayor to proceed to a new nomination. — Rep. 72, fo. 157. 19 September, 19 Charles II [a.d. 1667].— The lord mayor, an alderman, and two commoners, being nominated by the inhabitants of Bread Street Ward, the nomination, for the unfitness of the com- moners, especially one of them (John Hawkyns) " being a person of noe qualification worthy the place and dignity of an alderman," was by the Court rejected as utterly insufficient, and the lord mayor directed to proceed to the ward for another nomination in his room and stead. — Rep. 72, fo. 190. It will be seen that the Court of Aldermen held and used dis- cretionary powers as to the reception of nominations. From this time onward many instances occur, after the nominations of a ward had been three times rejected, of the Court electing a person from the whole body of citizens, and this continued after the abandonment of the system of nomination by the ward and the return in 17 14 to the "ancient manner " of electing an alderman. Although this power of veto, and election of an alderman has many times been strongly attacked, the power still remains with the Court of Aldermen, who have several times during the present century exercised their right, to the generally acknowledged benefit of the citizens, and the honour of their body. 15- The Aldermen of the City oj London. A few cases are here given, in which this power of electing an alderman from the general body of citizens was exercised, after the Court had three times rejected the nomination or election by a ward. In 1463, after the nomination of four persons had been three times rejected, and six weeks having passed, the Court of Aldermen chose Nicholas Marshall, ironmonger, from four persons put up for election. — Journal J ', fo. 41b. In 1470, the nominations made by Cripplegate Ward having been three times rejected, Humphrey Hayford " lately discharged alderman by precept of the late King (Edward), was elected alderman by the mayor and aldermen." — Journal 8, fo. 2. In 1483 four persons were named by the Mayor and Aldermen that one might be elected alderman of Aldersgate Ward, because the election by the men of that ward was three times rejected, and John Mathew (the first named) elected. — Journal 8, fo. 273. 25 February, 5 Henry VII [1490]. — John Mathewe, alderman, dis- charged by the Mayor and Aldermen from Bridge Ward, where he was alderman, and elected by them alderman of Bassishaw Ward, " for that the Mayor had been three times in that ward for holding the election of an alderman, and the inhabitants of the ward could in no wise agree among themselves concerning such election."— Journal 9, fo. 244b. 29 August, 19 Henry VII [1503]. — The Mayor and Aldermen having three times rejected the nominations made by the inhabitants of Bishopsgate Ward for certain causes them moving, they, according to the antient custom of the city in like cases, proceeded to the election of an alderman to be chosen at large " of the hole bodye of citezyns, after their discrescions, consciences, and wisdom, most hable for the same weighty rowme, and chose Thomas Kneysworth, fishmonger, by the number of most voices." — Rep. 1, fo. 138b. October, 25 Henry ATI I [1533]. — -An alderman and three com- moners being nominated by Broad Street Ward, " the bill was rejected by the Court and because the Mayor had thrice gone to the ward, and the nomination was thrice rejected, therefore to the Court belongs the election of an alderman, according to custom." — Hep. p, fo. 28. 18 November, 21 Charles II [1669]. — The lord mayor, an alder- man, and two commoners being nominated by the inhabitants of Broad Street Ward, the Court again, for the third time, rejected the nomination as insufficient, because John Moore, Esq., grocer, who had each time The Aldermen of the City of London. 153 been presented, had been formerly discharged of the place of alderman, and appointed the next Court " to consider of electing out of the body of the city a fit and able person to be alderman, according to the custom." William Salmon was subsequently elected by the Court. — Rep. 75, fos. 17, 22b. Many other cases might be cited in support of the predominant authority of the Court of Alderman; that known as "Scales' case" being the leading case on the subject. The outline of this much-contested election, and of the various legal proceedings thereon is here given, as contained in the "Ceremonial Book" (1864. Ed., pp. 144-5). In 1831, Mr. Michael Scales was elected alderman for the Ward of Portsoken, and was returned to the Court of Aldermen ; but petitions from some of the electors were presented against him on the ground of his ineligibility ; and, after several hearings, a motion to swear him in was negatived. Upon which Mr. Scales applied to the Court of King's Bench for a Mandamus, to which the Lord Mayor and Aldermen made a return that Mr. Scales was not a sufficient freeman of the city, and that he was not a fit and proper person to support the dignity and discharge the duties of an alderman, and that therefore they did not admit and swear him. This return was held sufficient. Upon this an action was brought by Mr. Scales for a false return ; and during the pendency of that action a fresh election took place. Mr. Scales was again elected by a majority over the other candidate, Mr. Hughes. The Lord Mayor returned Mr. Scales to the Court of Aldermen, but the Court swore in Mr. Hughes; upon which proceedings in Quo warranto were instituted by Mr. Scales against Mr. Hughes, who disclaimed, and judgment of ouster was entered. Mr. Scales then applied a second time for a Mandamus ; a rule Nisi for which was granted, the action being stayed in the meantime : this rule was subsequently made absolute. The Lord Mayor and Aldermen made a return essentially the same as before, which was argued ; and eventually there was judgment for the defendants, Mr. Scales being allowed to proceed in the action against the former return. In the course of the next year (1833) a third election look place in consequence of the disclaimer of Mr. Hughes. Mr. Scales was again elected by a large majority, Mr. Thomas Johnson being next to him in number of votes; whereupon the Court of Aldermen, according to ancient custom, after this third return of Mr. Scales, named Mr. Johnson as alderman, and swore him in. In the ensuing term a Quo warranto was applied for on behalf of Mr. Scales, and granted, against Mr. Johnson ; the issues upon which were tried at Guildhall before Lord Denman and a special jury, on Saturday, December 20th, 1834. A verdict was directed for the defendants ; a bill of exceptions was tendered to the judge's ruling, which came on for argument before the Court of Exchequer Chamber, June 2d, 1836, and Lord Denman's ruling was affirmed. Against this judgment Mr. Scales appealed to the House of Lords, who, on February 19th, 1839, without hearing the counsel for Mr. Johnson, gave final judgment in the latter's favour, affirming the legality of the rejection of Mr. Scales, and the right of absolute nomination by the Court of Aldermen, after the third return of a person adjudged by them to be ineligible, according to the customs of the City of London. It should be stated that, during the course of these proceedings, the action against the return to the first Mandamus was brought to an end, the court having directed that the traverse to the return should be taken off the file. 154 ^ nc Aldermen of the City of Loudon. It will be seen that the Court of Aldermen exercised their right of veto, by electing Thomas Johnson, who was duly sworn in, and acted as an alderman throughout all the subsequent proceedings in the Law Courts, serving as Sheriff in 1838, and Lord Mayor in 1840. In 1877, Sir John Bennett (who had served as Sheriff in 187 1-2), was elected Alderman of the Ward of Cheap, and was refused admission by the Court of Aldermen. He was afterwards elected a second and a third time, and on each occasion refused admission ; the Court then elected (according to ancient custom) Edgar Breffitt (Sheriff 1875), who filled the office until his death in 1882. ELECTION OF ALDERMEN. In early times, and probably until nearly the end of the thirteenth century, the aldermen obtained their position from the fact of holding sokes or estates in the City, and so having a kind of proprietary right over the Wards. Thus, for instance, we find Cripplegate Ward described in 1276 as the ward of Henry de Frowyk. Nevertheless, some kind of election undoubtedly took place as early as the year 1200, for we read that " this year was elected twenty-five of the most discreet citizens and sworn to consult for the city, together with the Mayor." — {De Antiquis Legibus, 63b.) The citizens thus elected were probably aldermen, the number corresponding to the number of the wards in the City. Again, in 1257, new aldermen were elected by the wards in the room of those who had been deposed. In 1293 [21 Edward I] the election in each ward seems to have been in the hands of a few, " the richer and the wiser." The entry con- cerning this is as follows : — The whole commonalty being assembled in the presence of John le Bretun, the warden, that is to say, from every ward the richer and the wiser, the individuals from each ward severally elected to themselves aldermen, freely of their good will, and with their full consent ; and the same aldermen so elected they presented to the said warden in this manner, viz. : that all matters which the said aldermen, of their council and discretion, with the warden and their superior for the time being, should make and ordain for the government of the city and keeping the peace, should be firmly observed ; and for other provisions touching the commonweal of the city, they shall hold stable and firm, without challenge or gainsay ; and also each ward elected to itself an alderman, for whom, as to his acts touching the city and state of the same, they will be responsible. — (Letter Book C. fo. 6.) The names of the aldermen so elected are given in the same Letter Book, Walter de Fynchingfeld, of Cripplegate, being among them. The Aldermen of the City of London. 155 At this time it will be noted that the City was in the hands of the King, who appointed a custos or warden in the place of the Mayor. An order made 8 June, 1319 [12 Edward II], to the effect that the aldermen were to be removed from year to year on St. Gregory's Day and not re-elected, and others to be chosen by the ward {Liber Custumarum, Rolls series, Vol. I, p. 269), does not seem to have been acted upon, or if acted upon, soon fell into desuetude. No further ordinance respecting the election of aldermen seems to have been made until the year 1377, when the aldermen were ordered to be elected annually (under this order Robert Lucas was elected in Cripplegate, see page 19). The entry is as follows : — ji Edward III. Precept (bilk) for the men of each Ward to meet on Saturday the 7th March and elect an Alderman other than the sitting Alderman, and to have the name of the Alderman so elected endorsed on the Bill at the Guildhall on the Feast of St. Gregory next at 8 o'clock at the latest under penalty. French. — {Letter Book H, fo. 58.) This precept seems to have been the occasion of the following ordinance made on Friday, 6 March, 51 Edward III [a.d. 1377], with the assent of the mayor, aldermen and divers representatives from certain of the Livery Companies to the effect that aldermen removed for good and reasonable cause shall not be open for re-election ; but that those who go out of office on St. Gregory's day, and have not miscon- ducted themselves may be re-elected after the interval of one year. {Letter Book JL, fo. 58b.) The matter was evidently considered im- portant, for quite a large number of the members of the chief Livery Companies were appointed to confer with the mayor, etc. The Com- panies represented were the Mercers, Grocers, Drapers, Fishmongers, Vintners, Skinners and Tailors, who each sent six representatives, and the Saddlers, Haberdashers, Girdlers, Chandlers and Cordwainers, who each sent four, and the Armourers, who sent two representatives. In 1384 the rule was modified so as to allow an alderman to be re-elected for his ward at the expiration of his year of office, without any interval {Letter Book JL, fo. 173). " Warbulton " and "Loveye" were thus elected under the above modification {see page 24). The aldermen were annually elected under the above ordinances until the year 1394, but during the early time of these annual elections, viz., from 1377 to 1382, they seem to have been elected at different times prior to being sworn in on 1 2 March. This necessitated an order to regulate the date of election. The order is as follows : — 156 The Aldermen of the City of London. 11 Dec. 6 Richard II [1382]. No aldermen shall be chosen within any ward in the city henceforth before the Feast of the Purification of our Lady [2 February] but that it be well lawful for every ward to choose their alderman between the said Feast and the Feast of Saint Gregory [12 March] then next following, when it shall please them, so that at all times the names of those elected be returned to the mayor for the time being before the Feast of Saint Gregory, to the end that they be at the Guild- hall the same Feast to take their charge. French. — {Letter Book H, fo. 160.) The ordinance respecting annual elections was repealed by the King in 1394, the new order being as follows : — 6 March 17 Richard [1394]. Richard, by the grace of God, King of England and of France and Lord of Ireland, to our dear and well-beloved, the Mayor, Sheriffs, Aldermen, and other good people of our City of London, greeting, Whereas, we, by the assent of our ancient of our council and your request, have ordained and granted, that the ward of Farringdon, within our said city ; and without, should be chosen henceforth two aldermen ; and have also by the same assent ordained, for the honour and greater increase of the good government of our said city, that they who should be chosen aldermen of our same city, should not be removed out of their offices during their lives, unless for just, reasonable, and notable cause ; and that ye shall cause to Ije chosen the same aldermen as well of such as now are in that state as of others ; Therefore we will and command you, that at this next election by you to be made of the same aldermen, ye cause to be chosen such aldermen as are the most sufficient, discreet and loyal, who best know will and can profit the honour and good government of our said city ; not willing, for certain causes which hereunto move us and our said council, that the aldermen thus by you chosen, should meddle with their office of alderman before that ye have certified unto us their names, and that ye should know our will therein. Given under our privy seal at Westminster, the sixth day of March, the seventeenth of our reign. By virtue of which letter the underwritten aldermen were chosen and afterwards presented to our lord the king at Shene, and by the same our lord the king admitted and accepted. French — (Letter Boo-k H, fo. 291.) Under this order William Evote was elected alderman of Cripple- gate Ward, 12 March, 1394. The King affirmed the above order on the 18th of March following. The entry runs as follows : — 18 March, 17 Richard II [a.d. 1394]. Whereas it was ordained and granted by King Edward great grandfather, and also by the King grandfather of the King who now is, that the aldermen of the City of London should cease and be removed from their said office every year at the feast of Saint Gregory, and that they should not be re-elected the year next following, but that another sufficient person of the said city should be every year chosen anew, and put in the offices aforesaid. Nevertheless our said lord the King, for certain causes him especially moving, and likewise for the better government of his said city in time to come, willith and hath ordained, by the advice and assent of his council in this present parliament, that henceforth the alder- men of the said city shall not be put out or removed from the said office of aldermanry at the said feast of Saint Gregory, nor any other time of the year without honest or reasonable cause, nor any others chosen or put in their places, but remain from year to year in their said office, until they be removed for just and reasonable cause, as above, notwithstanding the ordinances above mentioned. — (Letter Book H, fo. 291.) The Aldermen of the City of London. 157 No attempt seems to have been made to disturb the ordinances thus enacted respecting an election of an alderman for life, until three hundred years later. It may have been that, as in the case of Cripple- gate, the vacancies for the position of alderman were of such common occurrence, that no one anxious for the honour had long to wait, and it may also be said that the duties, responsibilities and dangers of the office stopped many men from wishing to undertake it. This Act of King Richard II was followed in 1397 by an order of the Mayor, aldermen and commonalty, which took away the right of the wards of directly electing their aldermen, only allowing a ward to nominate two persons of whom the Mayor and Aldermen were to choose one to be alderman. The order runs as follows : — Be it remembered, that on the 1st clay of August in the 2 1st year of the reign of King Richard the Second [a.d. 1397], in order to avoid the less dissen- sions and perils which have oftentimes heretofore happened in divers wards of the city, by the captious, partial and improvident election of the aldermen of the same, it is agreed and ordained by the mayor, aldermen, and commoners of the said city, that henceforth, in all such elections of aldermen, two, at the least, good and discreet men, both of whom in moral and temporal good be fit to be a judge and alderman, of the aforesaid city shall be peaceably and quietly elected by the good men of such ward as may happen to be without an alderman of the said city for the time being, so that either of the same men, whom the mayor and aldermen shall agree to be admitted and sworn to execute well and faithfully the office of such aldermanry. Latin. — {Letter Book H, fo. 314. For some reason not explained, the number of men nominated by the wards was not considered sufficient, for five years later, viz., in 1402, the following order was made : — The 20th day of September the 3rd year of the reign of King Henry IV [a.d. 1402] it was agreed and ordained by the Mayor and Aldermen that in elections of Aldermen to be made in future there shall be nominated and elected four of the more approved and discreet citizens of the City whereof one, the most fit for supporting the honours and burdens of the City according to the discretion and sound consciences of the Mayor and Aldermen for the time being shall be admitted and sworn to exercise that office as is more fully contained in the ordinance herein lately made in the time of Richard Whityngtone as appears in Letter Book H. fo. 314. The above approved by the Common Council 23 Nov. 4 Henry IV [a.d. 1402]. Latin. — {Letter Book L, fos. 1 6b. 17b.) It would appear that the above order of 1402 had been evaded or allowed to fall into desuetude, for in the year 1420, it was deemed expedient to issue a new order in the following terms : — 10 Oct. 8 Henry V [a.d. 1420] it was agreed and ordained by the Mayor and Aldermen that for the future in elections of Aldermen four sufficient and capable men for undertaking that office shall be nominated and presented &c. Latin. — {Letter Book /, fo. 249.) 158 The Aldermen of the City of London. In 1448 a vacancy occurred in Lime Street Ward. The King interfered with the ordinary course of election. Four persons were nominated and presented to the Mayor and Aldermen by the common- alty of Lime Street Ward for the election of alderman, but in con- sideration of royal letters addressed to them, the Mayor and Aldermen elected Philip Malpas (the Court favourite) to be alderman of the ward, " so that his admission be in nowise held as an example to expel the Mayor and Aldermen in future from their liberty to elect any alderman whomsoever." — {Jor. 4, fo. 230b.) In 1480 the following order was made to correct an abuse that seems to have sprung up of nominating four aldermen and thus depriving commoners of their right of nomination : — Be it remembered that on the 7th Nov. 20 Edward IV [a.d. 1480] it was agreed by John Broune the Mayor and the Aldermen of the City that for the future in elections of Aldermen by the Wards, there shall be presented by the inhabitants of the Wards only two Aldermen if it happen that any Aldermen be presented, and if they present more than two Aldermen with two Commoners in such elections, that their election and presentation be void, &c. Latin. — {Letter Book L. fo. 157. Cf. Jor. 8. fo. 234b.) The above order was generally, but not always acted upon, the Court of Aldermen apparently waiving any objection they might have had, in respect of departures from the order. No alteration in the above-mentioned practice of electing aldermen took place until the commencement of the eighteenth century, when the citizens seem to have aroused themselves from the lethargy into which they had been plunged by the arbitrary proceedings under the celebrated quo warranto of Charles II, and James II. They were then seeking a reform in the details of the city's government. It may be noted that during the time of the suspension of the Charter, aldermen were nominated by the King, although sometimes previously recommended by the Court of Aldermen. In 171 1 a return was made to the practice of nominating two persons only, for presentation to the Court of Aldermen, one to be an alderman and the other a commoner. The Common Council passed an Act on the 20 September in that year repealing the ordinance of the 20 September, 3 Henry IV [a.d. 1402], and enacting in lieu thereof, that : — "In all elections of aldermen of this city there shall be named, elected and presented to the court of lord mayor and aldermen for the time being, by the The Aldermen of the City of London. i 59 householders of that ward which shall be destitute of an alderman, being freemen of the said city, and paying scot and bearing lot, two persons, and no more, viz., one alderman, and one able and sufficient citizen and freeman of this city not being an alderman : which alderman may remove to, accept, and take such ward, in which case there shall be a wardmote holden, and the like nomination and presentment made by the inhabitants of the ward within four days next ensuing. And in case the alderman so nominated and presented should be absent, or declare his refusal to remove, in every such case the other person nominated and returned with the said alderman, shall by the said court of lord mayor and aldermen, be accepted, admitted and sworn." Another Act in the following year [a.d. i 7 1 2] prescribes the modes to be adopted in cases of polls and scrutinies in the nominations and elections of aldermen and common councilmen. (The scrutiny at the election of Sir John Williams for Cripplegate was taken under this Act.) The most important change in the mode of electing aldermen since the end of the fourteenth century, was effected by the Act of 13 Anne [a.d. i 7 14] which was entituled "An Act for reviving the ancient manner of electing aldermen." It repeals all — "Acts and ordinances of common council, so far only as they or any of them oblige and require the inhabitants of the several wards in election of aldermen, to nominate, elect, and present more than one person to the said court of lord mayor and aldermen." And enacts that : " For reviving the said ancient custom, and restoring to the said inhabitants their ancient rights and privileges of choosing one person only to be their alderman, that from henceforth, in all elections of aldermen of the said city, at a wardmote to be holden for that purpose within the time and by the laws of the said city limited for holding the same, there shall be elected according to the said ancient custom, by the householders of that ward which shall be void of an alderman, being freemen of the said city, and paying scot and bearing lot, only one able and sufficient citizen and freeman of the said city, not being an alderman, which person so elected shall be returned by the lord mayor or other person duly authorized to hold such wardmote, to the said court of lord mayor and aldermen, within the time for that purpose by the laws of the said city limited and appointed, and shall be by them admitted and sworn well and truly to execute the said office of alderman." In 181 2 an Act of Common Council was passed regulating the election of aldermen, and ordering that a wardmote should be held within eight days (Sundays excepted) next after the death or resignation of an alderman, but by an Act repealing this, 1 William IV [a.d. 1831], the time was extended to fourteen days (Sundays excepted). Since this time no material alteration has been made in the mode of electing, or in the procedure attending the same, although on many occasions, attempts have been made to do so, the most serious of which, was made by the inhabitants of the Ward of Cripplegate Without, who 160 The Aldermen of the City of London. petitioned the Court of Common Council on the 21st February, 1833, in relation to the election of aldermen, etc. After five years' struggle this ward had (in 1826), succeeded in obtaining from the Court, the right to elect four additional representatives, and there was at that time and for many years after, an active reforming and radical spirit in the ward. The action could hardly have been taken for the purpose of ousting their own alderman (Matthew Wood) from his position, for he was most popular, and a reformer of reformers. However, the fact remains that the Ward of Cripplegate Without urged their petition on the Court, the chief points of which were that the proceedings of the Court of Aldermen should be carried on in open Court, and that the aldermen of the City should be elected periodically, and hold office for a fixed period, but be qualified for re-election. A special committee was appointed by the Court, which heard the petitioners — their spokesmen, Mr. Dillon and Mr. Newell, being heard at length. The whole matter was referred by that Committee to a special sub-committee, who were ordered to search the records of the City and " report all such evidence as they may be able to obtain illustrative of the origin, nature and duties of the office of alderman, and of the Court of Aldermen, the alterations which have taken place therein from time to time, and the authorities under which such changes have been made." The committee took great pains in the matter, and obtained a large amount of valuable information from the archives of the Corporation, and duly reported to the Court in March of the following year (1834). In their report, the Committee made various recommendations, amongst which were :— that open court should be in the discretion of the Court of Aldermen ; that the election of aldermen should not be in the hands of the freemen only of the ward, but that "all persons within each ward capable of voting for Members of Parliament for the City of London under the Act of Parliament of the 2 William IV, cap. 45, intituled An Act to amend the Representation of the People in England and Wales (the great Reform Act) shall have votes in the election of aldermen, and should be made compellable to serve all ward and corporate offices. That the aldermen should be continued for life subject to the following restrictions, viz., bankruptcy, insolvency, arrangement with creditors by deed of composition or taking benefit of the Act, conviction of fraud or other misdemeanour by the verdict of a jury ; absence for a given time without leave of the court, and The Aldermen of the City of London. 161 general imbecility. That no person should be elected an alderman unless he possessed a qualification, such qualification to be ten thousand pounds ; and the party to be excused, or to vacate his seat, on swearing he is not worth fifteen thousand pounds. At the same time the Committee reported " That it is expedient to amend the representation of the citizens of London in Common Council, by adapting the same to the existing state of the population, property and municipal taxation of the various wards of the City." (In 1840, this recommendation was carried out.) It will be seen that the report on the whole was moderate and reasonable, the position of the aldermen remaining untouched. The report was taken into con- sideration by the Court of Common Council exactly a twelvemonth after, viz., 28 March, 1835, whereupon a motion was made that "The present aldermen be continued, and all future aldermen be elected for life" (with the restrictions above noted), to which an amendment was moved : "That all aldermen hereafter to be chosen should be subjected to periodical re-election by their constituents." And on the question being put, the Lord Mayor declared the same to be carried in the affirmative : and a division being demanded and granted, there appeared— For the Affirmative. For the Negative. 1 Lord Mayor, o Aldermen. 9 Aldermen. 61 Commoners. 26 Commoners. 2 Tellers. 2 Tellers. 63 38 Majority for the Affirmative ... ... 25 Whereupon the same was resolved in the Affirmative. Motion : " That the period of such re-elections be once in every seven years." — Agreed to. Resolved and Ordered: "That the Town Clerk do communicate to the Municipal Corporation Inquiry Commissioners, the Resolutions agreed to this day." As is well known, the Municipal Corporation Commissioners reported in 1837 that every other municipal body in England and Wales required reform, but that the Corporation of London needed no reformation at the hands of Parliament; and so the resolution of the ( !ourt of Common Council, in connection with the periodical election of aldermen, came to nothing. 1 62 The Aldermen of the City of London. On the 24 February, 1854, a committee of the whole Court of Com- mon Council reported (inter a/id), that the election of the aldermen by the ward should be without veto and that the election should be for life. On the report coming on for discussion, the first item was agreed to, but in the latter an amendment was moved to strike out the words "for life" and insert "once in every year." This was negatived on a division — affirmative 30 ; negative 49. In a Bill which the Corporation introduced into Parliament through Sir Robert Walter Carden, in 1857, the following clause appeared: — "It shall be lawful for the Common Council at any time, upon a requisition in writing, signed by a majority of the electors of any ward, to remove from office, if they shall so think fit, the Alderman then representing such ward, and every vacancy to be occasioned by the removal of an Alderman from office as aforesaid shall be supplied as the same would be if such Alderman had died instead of having been so removed." This Bill was withdrawn. John Carpenter, writing in 141 9 (Liber Albus, Riley's transla- tion, page 35), says : — " Upon the election of an alderman, it is the custom for the Mayor to proceed to the ward that is vacant, and, at the place where the wardmote of such ward is usually held, to cause to be summoned before him by the bedel all the freemen who inhabit such ward, with a view to filling up the vacancy." Very little alteration has been made in the procedure in the election of an alderman, from the time Liber Albus was written ; for within fourteen days of the death or resignation of an alderman, the lord mayor issues his precept for a wardmote, to be held for the election of a successor, and on the day appointed attends the wardmote in state. When the wardmote is opened the lord mayor, who is attended by his legal assessor (the City Solicitor), calls for nominations, and should there be more than one person nominated, takes a show of hands, and declares the election to have fallen upon the one he judges to have the greatest show. Should a poll be demanded, he orders it to take place on the following day. The poll is taken by ballot, and all those whose names are on the Ward Lists are entitled to vote. On the declaration of the poll the lord mayor informs those present that the result will be reported to the Court of Aldermen. This is done in due course by the City Solicitor. " When the alderman chosen by the ward is to be sworn into office, which cannot be until after seven days from his election \jhis The Aldermen of the City of London. 163 interval is alloived to give an opportunity for enquiry to be made as to the fitness and qualification of the party returned^, he attends at (iuildhall a quarter of an hour before the time for which the court is summoned, and waits in an adjoining room, with those who are to present him, until summoned to the court by the common crier, who precedes him with the mace." "The City Solicitor (as the Lord Mayor's Attorney) reads the return to the precept for the election. Upon which the question is put that the alderman be called in and sworn, which being carried, the common crier acquaints him accordingly. The alderman is then presented to the Court by some of the principal inhabitants of the ward for which he is elected, one of whom usually addresses the Court at the bar on the occasion. Upon the presentation being made they retire." "The alderman elect appears in full dress in his livery gown, and after having made and subscribed the declaration required by Act of Parliament, is sworn into office, he is then clothed with the violet gown, the whole Court being in their scarlet gowns, and the sword-bearer presents him to the lord mayor and aldermen, according to seniority, who each take him by the hand ; he is then conducted to his seat, and the officers in succession congratulate him. The lord mayor takes him home in his state coach, and on a subsequent occasion entertains him and the other members of the Court of Aldermen at dinner." From a perusal of the preceding extracts from the City's Records of the various modes of electing aldermen of the City of London during the last six hundred years, it will be seen that the alterations made from time to time have been comparatively insignificant, and that for nearly the whole of that time the composition of the constituency making the election, viz., the freemen of the wards "paying scot and bearing lot," was unaltered. It will also be noted that it was only in quite recent times (1867) that an alteration was made in the constituency, by the abolition of the necessity of a voter being a freeman. From the fact of his being required to be rated as a householder (to the extent of ,£10 per annum), and also being liable to serve ward and parish offices, and on juries, he still retains the old qualification of "paying scot and bearing lot.'' M 164 The Aldermen of the City of London. THE DUTIES OF ALDERMEN. A perusal of the following series of extracts taken from the Corporation records, will clearly show how important, responsible and incessant, were the duties of an alderman, more particularly in the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. During the three following centuries, the growth of order amongst all classes, rendered the position less martial in its character, but each of these centuries brought with it, new and varied dangers and responsibilities. In the sixteenth century, the records contain numberless examples of orders that were given to the aldermen, to raise men for the prosecution of wars on the continent. The seventeenth century was perhaps the most troublous period of all. The Rebellion against the arbitrary measures pursued by Charles I, rendered it necessary for the aldermen to take up a decided position for King or Parliament. The Commonwealth brought the aldermen and citizens a little respite from their troubles, but the tyrannical proceedings of Charles II under the celebrated quo ^warranto rendered the execution of the duty of an alderman of that period by no means enviable. A great improvement, however, in an alderman's position, took place in the following two centuries, so that it no longer became necessary to force a citizen to take upon himself the duties of the office under pains and penalties for refusal. Of late years the electors have seldom been without candidates wishful for the privilege of undertaking the duty. As before stated one of the most important part of the alderman's duties was to keep the peace within his ward, " The watch, then a very efficacious military force, was under his command, and he bore his banner and arms as a baron. The ward was under his government and personal inspection ; he kept a roll of the inhabitants, containing their names, dwellings, places of abode and trades, he regulated inns and other places of public resort, tried weights and measures, held the views of frank-pledge, and enquiring after suspected persons, superintended the cleansing of the highways and water courses, and in short, had the constant superintendence of the police of the district." {Pulling, p. 29.) An equally onerous duty was cast upon him, in defending the city from any possible attack from without, and for several centuries elaborate precautions were taken to effect these objects. At the close of the reign of Edward I [a.d. 1307] we find an ordinance to the effect that "Every alderman shall have three horses for keeping the peace, and that watch should be kept each night by the aldermen and men of the The Aldermen of the City of London. 165 wards on horseback." {Letter Book C. fo. 90b.) The following order, issued in 132 1, will give an instructive idea of the aldermen's duties in keeping the peace, and may be taken as the general orders in force during the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries. 14 Edward II [a.d. 1321].— "The manner in which the safe-keeping of the City ought to be performed. — That is to say: — that the Mayor and Aldermen shall be properly armed, in manner as pertains to them and all their household. And that every Alderman shall cause to assemble in his Ward, in such place as he shall think best, the most proved and most wise men of his Ward : and that they, to prevent perils that may arise to the City — the which may God forbid — shall survey all the hostels of the Ward, in which they understand any strangers or suspected persons to be lodged ; and that they shall enjoin such manner of hostelers and herbergeours, that they shall not harbour or receive any persons whomsoever, if they will not be answerable for their deeds and their trespasses, if in any way they offend. And that every Alderman, in his own Ward, shall cause all those of the Ward to be assessed to arms ; that so they may be armed according as their condition demands, for maintaining the peace of our Lord the King, and saving and preserving the same in the said city. And that all the Gates of the City shall be well guarded by day and by night ; that is to say, every gate by day, by 12 men, strong and vigorous, and well instructed, and well armed ; so as to overlook those entering and going forth, if perchance any one be suspected of coming to do mischief to the City ; and by night, by 24 men ; so that those who keep ward by day, come at sunrise, and remain until sunset ; and those who keep watch at night, come at sunset, and remain until sunrise. And that the bedels of the Wards of those who are summoned to keep ward, shall be there ready with the names of those upon whom they have made summons, before the Aldermen of their Wards. And that every Alderman shall come there at the hour aforesaid, to see that those who are summoned to keep ward are strong and powerful men, and well and sufficiently armed. And that every night all the great gates shall be closed at sunset by the Warders thereunto assigned ; that is to say, by two of the loyal and most powerful men of all the Ward, and sworn thereunto ; and that the wickets of the gates shall be kept open until curfew rung out at Si. Martin's le Grand ; and that then, all the wickets shall be closed, for all the night through, that so no one enter until Prime rung at St. Thomas of Aeon : and then all the wickets shall be opened until sunrise, at which time the great gates shall be first opened. And that above the gates, and upon the walls between the gates of the city, there shall be placed sufficient people for watch and ward, that so no men-at-arms or other persons approach the walls or the gates, for doing mischief to the city. And if any one shall approach there in manner aforesaid, then the horn is to he sounded, that the nearest guards may be warned to come to such spot in defence of the City. And that those who are assigned to a certain guard, shall not, for any noise, for any cry, or for any affray, elsewhere in the City, in any manner depart from their guard ; unless by the Mayor or by the Aldermen they be commanded so to do. And that every night there shall be ordained 200 men, well armed, or more, according as need demands, to go throughout the City to keep the peace, and to aid those who keep watch at the gates, if need he. M 2 t66 The Aldermen of the City of London. And that no ship or boat shall moor or lie to at night, elsewhere than in the hythes of Billyngesgate and Queen Hythe, from sunset, namely, to sunrise. And that two good and strong boats shall be provided on the Thames at night, with armed men, on the one side of London Bridge, towards the West, and two boats on the other side, towards the East ; so as to guard the water by night, and watch that no one may enter this part of the City to do mischief ; and, if they see peril, to warn the people of those Wards which are keeping guard upon the water." — Latin and Norman-French. {Letter Book E. fo. 119b.) Riley's Memorials, pp. 143, 144. The aldermen were not only required to protect their own wards from outside attack, but at times (as for instance in 1377) were ordered to protect the shipping on the Thames. The following is a portion of the extract referring to this : — 1 Richard II [a.i>. 1377] .... "that every day and night four Aldermen, from noon to noon, should be on board the said shipping, having with them at least 100 men-at-arms of their Wards, besides archers ; and then on the next day, other four Aldermen, with the men of their Wards, and so on in rotation, to the Feast of St. Michael, in the order there written. Which Aldermen, with their people, in case the enemy should come to set fire to the shipping and invade the City, were to keep them in check, until succour from the City should reach them and the ships, in greater force." Also, — it was ordered on the same day, that certain arbalesters should be hired by the City, and receive wages to remain continually in the outer ships. . . . All such ships being moored between Le Redeclif and London Bridge. — Latin. {Letter Book H. fo. 73b.) Riley's Memorials, p. 410. Special orders were also given to the aldermen in respect to the Watch on certain occasions, notably on the Eves of Feast days, as the following orders will show : — Order for Setting the Watch in the City on the Eves of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist and of St. Peter and St. Paul. I Richard II [a.i>. 1378]. — We do command you that together with the good men of your Ward, you be well and sufficiently armed, arrayed in red and white, particoloured, over your armour, to keep the watch on the Eves of the Nativity of St. John [24 June], and of St. Peter and St. Paul [29 June], next to come, in manner as done heretofore, for the honour of the City, and for keeping the peace ; and this you are not to omit, on the perils that attend the same, and as you would save the honour of the City. And upon this, by advice of the Mayor and Aldermen the said Watch was made as follows ; that is to say, — all the Aldermen, with the good men of their Wards, assembled in Smythefeld on the Eve of St. John, arrayed as aforesaid, and from thence passed through the City, first the Aldermen, and then the men of their Wards, as follows, — First, — the Wards of Tower, Billyngesgate, Aldgate, Lymstret ; with cressets, the lances white, powdered with red stars. Secondly, —the Wards of Bridge, Candelwykstret, Dougate, Walbroke ; with lances all red. Thirdly, — Bisshopesgate, Langebourne, Cornhulle, Bradstret ; with white lances, environed, that is to say, wreathed with red. Fourthly, — Farndone, Castle Baynard, Aldrichesgate ; with black lances, powdered with white stars. Fifthly, — Chepe, Crepulgate, Colmanstret, Bassyeshawe ; with lances all white. Sixthly, — Bredstret, Queen Hythe, Yintry, and Cordewanerstret ; with lances. [The description abruptly closes here.} — L.atin and Norman-French. {Letter Book H. fo. 79b.) Riley's Memoiials, p. 419. The Aldermen of the City of London. 167 2 Richard II [a. d. 1379]. — "We do command you for the honour of the Lord the King and of the City, that you order sufficient men of your Ward to be armed with bacinet and gauntlets of plates, and with an axe in hand, arrayed in red and white, for watch on the night of St. John next to come, with the Mayor and Aldermen of the City. And that you be at Smethefeld, yourself arrayed in the said colours, with the said men so arrayed, on the Eve of St. John aforesaid, at nine of the clock, with three or four iron cressets burning. And this thing you are not to omit, as you do have the honour of the City at heart." — Norman- French. {Letter Book H. fo. in.) Riley's Memorials, p. 433. 7 Henry IV [a. d. 1405J. — We do command and charge you ....'" that you do order good and sufficient watch of folks, properly armed and arrayed, to be kept in your Ward every night during this solemn Feast of Christmas ; going always, and passing, through all the streets and lanes in your said Ward, in manner as heretofore has been wont to be done. And that no persons shall go in the said City, or in the suburbs thereof, with visors or false faces, on the pain that awaits the same. And that on the outside of every house that is upon the high streets and lanes of the said City, every night during the solemn Feast aforesaid, a lantern shall be hung, with a lighted candle therein, the same to burn so long as it may last ; on pain of paying four pence to the Chamber of the Guildhall, every time that default in such light be made. And this you are in no manner to omit. Written at London, under the Seal of our Mayoralty, the 13th day of December, in the 7th year of the reign of our most dread Lord, King Henry, now reigning." — Norman- French. [Letter Book L. fo. 47.) Riley's Memorials, p. 561. In 1418, it was ordered "that the Alderman of every Ward that lies without the gates should, immediately after the procession ended on the Eve of the Apostles Peter and Paul, enter his Ward and keep watch there, until 3 of the clock ; and that every Gate of the City shall be shut at 10 of the clock and opened at 6." — Latin. (Journal 1, fo. 47.) Riley's Memorials, p. 662. Henry VI [a.d. 1446]. — The same day it was agreed that all the aldermen should again keep watches for another twelve nights by turn as before, etc., and that the Mayor should commence again this night. — Latin. (Journal 4, fo. 129.)* The following instances of the duty cast upon the aldermen of raising men at various times — for military purposes — are taken from Vol. I of Dr. Sharpe's "London and the Kingdom." In the case of the peasants' revolt under Wat 'Tyler in 1381, orders were given to each alderman to provide men-at-arms and archers to guard the City's gates, and to see that no armed person entered the City, except those who declared on oath they were about to join the King's expedition against the rebels. In 1386 orders were given to the aldermen of the City to assemble the men of their several wards, to see that they were suitably armed according to their rank and estate, and to make a return of the same in due course. * See the fourth and fifth lines of the frontispiece of this l><>ok. 1 68 Ilic Aldermen of the City of London. In 14 r 7 each alderman was ordered to instruct the constables of his ward to go their rounds and warn all soldiers they might come across, to vacate the City and set out in the King's service (i.e., in the war that Henry V was then waging in France). Again, we find that in 1460 each alderman was ordered to make enquiry as to the number of strangers residing in his ward, and the reasons for their being in the City. At the time of the Pilgrimage of Grace, in October, 1536, the various Livery Companies were called upon to furnish men for the service of the King [Henry VIII], and upon Sir Ralph Warren succeeding to the mayoralty, " it was resolved that each member of the Court should provide at his own cost and charges, twenty able men, fully equipped, in case of any emergency that might arise, whilst the Com- panies were again called upon to hold their men in readiness." On the occasion of the war with France in 1544, the City was ordered to raise and send a force of five hundred men to Boulogne, and the Court of Aldermen agreed that each of their number should on the Saturday night make the round of his ward, and select " fifty, forty, twenty or ten " tall and comelv men who should be warned in the king's name to appear the next morning before seven o'clock at the Guildhall. In the following year, in connection with the same war, the Lord Chancellor paid a visit to the City and sat in Guildhall, and charged each alderman to call before him every person in his ward who was worth ^40 and upwards, so that a subsidy in aid of the war should be collected. And lastly, in 1625, the aldermen again had the duty cast upon them of acting as a "press gang," for on the occasion of the attempted recovery of the Palatinate by the King (James I), the City were called upon to provide one thousand men. The mayor issued a precept to the aldermen of each ward to seize in their beds or otherwise, all able-bodied men, and especially "all tapsters, ostlers, chamberlains, vagrants, idle and suspected persons," and to convey them to Leadenhall or Bridewell. The liabilities of an alderman did not end here. In 15 13, when the City was suffering under a scarcity of wheat, each alderman was called upon to contribute a sum of ^5 towards alleviating the distress which prevailed. As will be seen by the following extracts, it was the duty of an alderman to visit and " goe over " his ward weekly, and not the least The Aldermen of the City of London. 169 of his work in performing this duty was to see that such small sanitary regulations as were in force at the time were duly observed. Many entries in the Records are to be found enforcing this duty on the aldermen. 5 November, 2 Elizabeth [a. n. 1560.] — Item yt was orderyd and agreyd by the co r te here this daye that every one of my maysters thaldremen that nowe arr and hereafter Aldremen of this cyttye shall from hensforthe, wekely uppon the mondaye goe over and puse in his owne pson beinge w'in the cyttye and in healthe his hole warde, and puse examyn and dylygently consider the estate and ordre of the same warde, and then and there without delaye pvyde and take ordre and dyreccon for the reformacon and amendement of all suche mysorders and defaults as they shall then and there fynde that they of their owne aucthorytye maye laufuly reforme and redresse and for the resydue that they shall not be hable to reforme without the ayde of this co r te that they with all convenyent spede shall make Relacon of the same to the sayd co r te that spedy remydye maye be in due order of the lawe pvydyd for the same. And yt was also orderyd by the cote that precepts shall forthw 1 be made out to every one of my maysters thaldremen for the due execucon of this present order and decree, & dyvers artycles concernynge the coen weale and good order of this cyttye to be delyveryd to every of them w' the sayde precepts. — Letter Book T, fo. 13b. 5 October, 16 Elizabeth [a.d. 1574]. Itm it was agreed by this Court that everye of my masters thaldermen shall every Frydaye weeklye from hencefurth by hymselfe in his psone, or eels by his deputye, if he be sick, viewe and oversee his and their severall wardes, to the entent such abuses as are daylye therm, maye be amended and reformed, and especiallye concerninge the ceassinge of the plague. — Letter Book X, fo. 337 b. It will be noted in the preceding extract that the plague was rife ; as indeed the City was scarcely ever free from it, and the aldermen, individually and collectively, had little respite from their work in attempting to stay the infection. 30 Jan., 26 Elizabeth [a.d. 1584]. — Itm yt ys orderyd that precepts be dyrectred to every of th'aldren of thys Cyttye requiringe them that betweene thys and the xix" 1 daie of ffebruarye next they reforme all suche abuses and dysorderds as are presented in the Indentures by the Wardmote inquests of theyre Wards And such abuses as they themselves cannot reforme that then that take order with everye person soe presented parsonallyc to appeare heare in thys Courte on the sayde xix daye of ffebruarye to th'end thys Courte maye jiceede thearein as shall apprtayne. — Repertory 21, fo. 24. Early in the reign of Queen Elizabeth it became the duty of those aldermen who were justices to settle the several rates of wages paid to artificers, and later on we find in the Repertory (14, fo. 194,) under date 22 April, 1574, an order for the Lord Mayor, the Recorder, and the aldermen of the "gray cloke" to be in attendance on "Satterday in thafternone" for the assessment of servants' wages "according to the statute." 170 The Aldermen of the City of London. Troublesome and unpleasant as some of the foregoing duties were, none was more so (especially to those aldermen possessed of a strong religious feeling) than the duty imposed upon them in 1554, when each alderman was ordered to call before him all the householders of his ward, both rich and poor, on \\'ednesday,i7 March, at six o'clock in the morning, and strictly charge them, that they, their wives, their children and servants, behave themselves in all things, and more especially in matters of religion, following the example of the Queen [Mary] herself. Recompense for unpleasant duties was occasionally made to the aldermen, by the granting of special privileges over their fellow citizens, as witness the following : — 3 and 4 Philip and Mary [a.d. 1556J. — At this courte it was agryed, that whenso- ever and as often hereafter as any howse belonginge to this cytye mete or convenyente for an alderman to dwell in or inhabite hymeself, shall happen to be voyde, then and so often it shalbe lawful to any of my masters the aldremen to be suetors to this howse for the same, and that they shall have the prefermente of every such howse as they shall thinck to be meate for theyme ; and that no other person shall have at any time hereafter any lease of any suche howse, if it shall please any of my said masters the aldermen for the time beyinge to have the same. — Repertory 13, part 2, 452b. An alderman's duty in his ward during the seventeenth century, is well summed up in the following extract from the Repertory under date January, 1631 :— " Item. That better and more speedy reformacon may be had of the abuses and offences committed within this city, and presented by the wardemote inquest of the severall wards within the same, it is thought fitt and soe ordered by this court, that every alderman with his wardemote inquest shall once a month, at the least, set in his warde, and examine the severall abuse, misdemeanours which are now presented to them the same, and according to his best judgment and discression take order for redresse therein. And for such offences as shall appear of a higher nature, and unde- terminable in his said wardmote inquest ; the same to be delivered in writing unto the towne clerke of this citty, that by him bills of indictments or informacons may be drawne according to the nature of the severall offences to th'end the offenders may be proceeded against at the sessions, and punished as by the lawes and statutes of this realme is ordeyed and appoynted." — Repertory 43, fo. 84. Until the Police Act of 1839, an alderman sat in his own ward and dealt with cases occurring in the ward in a similar manner as above described. Amongst the aldermen's many duties, not the least was that of regulating the doings of the various Livery Companies. In a letter written 7 April, 1620, by the Recorder and certain of the " Ancientest Aldermen" to the Attorney-General in reference to a dispute between The Aldermen of the City of London. 171 the White and Brown Bakers — the Court of Aldermen are described as " The common fathers of all Companies of London, to whom in such cases all Freemen were by oath bound to resort." — Remembrancia, p. 102. The duties of an alderman of the City of London at the present day, are multifarious, and of a most responsible character ; the most important probably being those attached to his position as a Justice of the Peace. This privilege was first bestowed upon some of the aldermen by letters patent dated 26 October, 23 Henry VI [1444], whereby the Mayor and Recorder for the time being, and all the aldermen who had served the office of mayor, and those who should thereafter serve the said office, were created Justices of the Peace, so long as they remained aldermen. This privilege was confirmed by the Charters of 2 Edward IV [1462], 4 Edward VI [1550J, and 6 James I [1608]. An extension of the Charter was made 18 October, 14 Charles I [1638] to the following effect : — "The mayor, recorder, and aldermen who had been, or should thereafter be, mayors, and the three senior aldermen who had not been mayors, were constituted and appointed justices of the peace;" and in the Charter of 28 July 4 William and Mary [1692] it was further extended by adding " six other aldermen who have not served the office of mayor beyond the three other next the mayoralty as justices." Lastly, by the Charter 25 August, 15 George II [1741], on the petition of the mayor and aldermen, all the aldermen were constituted Justices of the Peace, whether they had passed the chair or not. Very extensive powers have been conferred upon the aldermen as Justices, under various statutes. By 43 Elizabeth [1601], cap. 2, sec. 8, every alderman may within his ward, execute such duties under the Act, as are appointed and allowed by the Act to be done and executed by one or two Justices of the Peace of any County; and under the Summary Jurisdiction Act, 1848, an alderman has the power, when sitting at either of the City Justice Rooms, to do alone (in the absence of any express enactment to the contrary) any act which, by any Statute (past or future) is directed to be done by more than one Justice, and by the Summary Jurisdiction Act, 1879, an alderman sitting in a Court at which he is authorized by law to do alone any act authorized to be done by more than one Justice, shall be deemed to be a Court of Summary Jurisdiction consisting of two or more Justices, and also to be a Court of Summary Jurisdiction sitting in a Petty Sessional Cou>t House. In addition to 172 The Aldermen of the City of London. the daily sittings of Justices at the Mansion House and Guildhall Justice Rooms, a Magistrate sits twice a week in one of the Courts at Guildhall, for the purpose of hearing Summones taken out by the police for offences under the City Police Act, 1839, the Metropolitan Streets Acts, 1867 and 1868, the Hackney Carriage, and other Acts. The aldermen as Justices administer the Licensing Acts. The Court of Aldermen appoint a number of their body as Visiting Justices of H.M. Prisons of Newgate and Holloway. Every alderman is, ex officio, a Governor of the Royal Hospitals, viz., St. Bartholomew's, Christ's, Bridewell and Bethlem, and St. Thomas'. Under the City Police Act, 1839, the approval of at least three aldermen is required to any orders or regulations framed by the Commissioners of City Police for the general government of the Police Force. Other duties under this Act devolve upon each alderman, in connection with the making of rates in his particular ward. The re- maining duties of the aldermen consist (chiefly) in each taking his share in the representation of the Court of Aldermen upon various bodies in which the Corporation is entitled to be represented, such as The Irish Society, Queen Anne's Bounty, The Honourable Artillery Company, Sir John Morden's Charity, Sir John Soane's Museum, City and Guilds Institute, United Westminster School, Emanuel Hospital, Wilson's Charity, Aske's Charity, The Thames and Lee Conservancies, etc. In accordance with a very ancient custom, if an alderman is one of the two senior or four junior aldermen, it is his duty to meet Her Majesty's Judges at St. Paul's Cathedral, on the first Sunday in Trinity Sittings. In addition to being members of the various Committees of the Court of Aldermen, a certain number of aldermen are allotted to every Committee of the Court of Common Council. The presence of, at least, two aldermen, in addition to the Lord Mayor, or his locum tenens, is required, for the proper formation of a Court of Common Council ; whilst at least thirteen are required to be present to constitute a duly formed Court of Aldermen. By courtesy and by long custom, the senior alderman present, has the privilege of seconding a motion made in the Court of Common Council, by a commoner (usually the "Chief Commoner"), for the presentation of the Freedom of the City, or of addresses to Royal or distinguished personages. The Aldermen of the City of London. 173 The aldermen, in respect of their public duties within the city, have several privileges and exemptions, such as to be free from offices and serving on juries. It was enacted, 23 Henry VI [a.d. 1444], that— The aldermen, so long as they are aldermen, and bear the burthens of office, not to be put, without the City, on assizes, juries, attaints, recognizances, or inquests, nor made collectors of tenths, fifteenths, taxes, talliages, or other burthens, acquittances or imposts whatsoever, without the City, to be granted or given to the king, his heirs and successors. The exemption at the present day is claimed under the charter of 2 Edward IV [1462], and has been allowed by the judges, the charter itself having in some cases been produced. Cases occurred of aldermen being summoned on juries outside the City in 1828, 1830, 1837, 1841, 1844 and 1845, m each of which, they were excused by the judges. See Ceremonial Book, 1864 Ed., p. xix. All the aldermen are Justices of Oyer and Terminer, and, as such, are named in the Commission for holding the Old Bailey Sessions. AEDERMEN TO RESIDE IN THE CITY. In the turbulent times of the latter part of the middle ages, it was imperative that those in authority should always be in evidence, and ready at any moment to assert their authority. Exhortations to this effect, were from time to time sent out by the reigning king, and the following may be taken as a good example of one of those sent by Henry V in 141 7. Henry by the Grace of God King of England and France and lord of Ireland tn our very dear and much beloved Mayor of our City of London greeting. Whereas by our letters under our seal lately directed to you and the Aldermen of this our City we have written to put you to as much care and diligence as you shall know and are capa- ble of in the preservation of the peace within our said City : nevertheless, as wc are informed, divers Aldermen of our said City are at present absent from it whose counsel and assistance might avail and profit much towards the preservation of the said peace. We therefore desire, command and charge you to cause your letters to be addressed to each one of the Aldermen so absent from our said City charging him straitly on our behalf therein to return to our said City and reside there in order to strengthen you and administer counsel and assistance in all that appertains to the preservation of the said peace and the good government of our said City according to the effect and pur- port of our aforesaid letters. Given under our privy Seal at Westminster the 1 2th day of August in the 5th year of our reign. French. — {Letter Book /, fo. 19S. ) The Court of Aldermen itself, kept a tight hand upon its members, recalling them from the country for the protection of the City whenever circumstances seemed to demand their presence. Thus, in 1485, John Ward, Alderman of Dowgate, was ordered by the Court of Aldermen to 1/4 The Aldermen of the City of London. return with his family and reside in the City under a penalty of ^500. — {Journal 9, fo. 78b.) It may be that the alderman was merely "out of town," but it is possible that he was absenting himself, so that he might not have to take part in the struggle between King Richard III (who was being supported by the Mayor and Aldermen) and the Earl of Richmond. When trouble was expected in the City in the summer of 1549, the Mayor and Aldermen supported the young King, Edward VI, riding with him, we are told, from Southwark to Charing Cross, where the aldermen took their leave, the King saluting them and " putting of his capp to everie of them." On such occasions all the aldermen were expected to attend ; some, however, were noticed to be absent, and as rebellion was rampant in the eastern counties (commonly called Kets rebellion), and it was necessary that everyone in the City should be ready to cope with it, the aldermen and chief commoners were ordered home. The following is the order : — 5 August, 3 Edward VI [1549]. " Item yt is agreid that all the Aldermen and chief Comers of this Cytie nowe being owte of this Cytie be all \v lil all spede sent for to Repayre home into the Cytie & that their s'vnts have in comaundem' to send their M rs worde that they furthw" 1 come to this Cytie vpon their pylls." — Letter Book A', fo. 32. On the death of King Edward VI, trouble was again in the air. The Lady Jane Grey was being brought forward in opposition to Mary, the rightful heir to the crown ; the citizens viewed the matter with intense interest, and again the Mayor was called upon to summon the aldermen to their posts of duty. The entry runs as follows : — 11 July, 1 Mary* [1553]. " Att this Corte it was agreed that my Lorde Mayer shuld wryte to all my masters th'aldermen nowe beinge owte of the Cytie to repaire home to the said Cytie wythe spede for the safe custodie and good governaunce thereof. — {Repertory 13, part I. fo. 65b.) We find, 12 Charles I [1637], an order of the Privy Council for no alderman to depart out of the City except by leave of the Court of Lord Mayor and Aldermen, nor any deputies to depart out of the City except other deputies be put in their places; and the Lord Mayor and aldermen not to give leave to aldermen, but so as there may be thirteen aldermen (the Mayor and Sheriffs being therein comprised) *NOTE. — Mary was not proclaimed Queen until the 19 July. The Lady Jane had been proclaimed Queen on the 10th, but the Mayor took no part in the ceremony. There were Courts of Aldermen held on the 13th and 1 8th of July, the regnal year being entered in the Repertory as anno prima Jane, but Jane was subsequently erased and Marie substituted. The Aldermen of the City of London. 1 75 continually residing in the City, and later in the same year we find the Court of Aldermen (probably for some specially urgent reason) granting leave of absence to Alderman Fenn for two months, and to Alderman Harrison for fourteen days. — {Repertory ji, fos. 251b, 255.) In 1649 a further order was passed for all the aldermen not having dwellings in London, forthwith to provide them within the walls, and none to dwell without the walls, without license, and that not to extend beyond the liberties. — {Repertory jp, fo. 513b.) Eight years after the Great Fire, viz., in September, 1674, large areas of the City were still unbuilt upon, and the aldermen, amongst others (see the case of Nicholas Cooke, p. 70), were chary of expending money in rebuilding their homes that had been destroyed, many probably living, as did Cooke, in their country houses, only occasionally visiting the City, to the great loss of good government. It there- fore became necessary to take some stringent steps to enforce their return, and the following Act of Common Council was passed on the 17 September, 1674. 26 Charles II. [1674]. " Forasmuch as great mischief and inconveniences have already happened to this citty and to the government thereof by reason of the many houses that, since the late dreadfull conflagration, which have been commodiously built, continue desolate and uninhabited, and that diverse large tofts of ground remaine still in their own ruines unbuilt ; and whereas diverse of the aldermen and magistrates of this citty, who by the duty of their said office ought to reside and inhabitt within this citty or the liberties thereof, doe, notwithstanding frequent intimacions to the contrary, continually reside and inhabitt in the countrey, and thereby doe not only neglect the duty of their said office, but exempt themselves, from being lyable to beare their just proporcion of the many taxes, impositions, and other the great charges that the cittizens and other the inhabitants of this citty are forced to pay and beare, by reason of which many cittizens and others are diverted from returning to dwell and inhabite within this citty, and the present inhabitants thereof greatly dissatisfyed and discouraged : and whereas diverse of the aldermen and magistrates of this citty have, in former times, for being negligent of their duty, and being continually resident in the country, been displaced, disfranchised, and others grieviously lined, examples whereof are frequently mencioned in the ancient bookes and records of this citly : But to the end that such of the aldermen and magistrates of this citty who doe not continually dwell and inhabitt in the country with their families, and who are earnestly desired and intreated by this court to come, dwell, and inhabitt within this citty or the liberties thereof, may, in case of a refusall, be left without any further pretences or excuses. He it enacted, by the right honourable the lord major, aldermen, and commons in this common councell assembled, that every person that now is, or hereafter shall be, an alderman of this citty, that shall not, within three months next after the makeing and publishing this act, or within three months next after his being chosen and takeing upon him that office, come and inhabite with his familye within this citty or the liberties thereof, as an housekeeper, and not as a lodger or sorjourner, every such alderman shall forfeit the sum of 500/. 176 The A Mermen of the City of London. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that noe alderman of this city that shall not within six months next after the makeing and publishing of this act, or within six months next after his being chosen to and takeing upon him that office, come and inhabitt with his familye within this citty or the liberties thereof, as a housekeep, and not as a lodger or sorjourner, shall hereafter be eligible to the office of lord major of this citty : and every such alderman that shall not so come and inhabitt with his familye within this citty or liberties thereof, is hereby made absolutely in- capeable of the office of lord major ; and if any person that now is, or hereafter shall be, an alderman of this citty, shall be so obstinate and refractory to the government of this citty, as that he and his family doe not come and inhabitt within this citty or the liberties thereof as a housekeeper, and not as a lodger or sorjourner, within nine months next after the makeing and publishing of this act, or within nine months next after he shall be chosen to. and shall take upon him that office, Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that every such alderman that shall not within nine months next after the makeing and publishing of this act, or within nine months next after he shall be chosen to and shall take upon him that office, be an inhabitant within this citty or the liberties thereof with his family as a housekeeper, and not as a lodger or sorjourner, in case he shall have then borne the office of sherriffe, shall be absolutely disfranchised from the freedome and liberties of this citty, and is hereby made and declared in- capable of being eligible to any place or office of trust or profit perteyning to the freedome of this citty ; and that they shall be proceeded against, in order to have their disfranchisement according to the ancient laws, customes, and usages of this citty, in cases of disfranchisements." {Journal 48, fo. 90b. ) This Act was the subject of dispute between the Courts of Alder- men and Common Council. The aldermen endeavoured to get the same rescinded, although it cannot be doubted they were fully conscious of the evils of their own non-residence in the City, for on 1 7 November, they themselves passed an order for all the aldermen to come and inhabit in the City before the following Easter under the utmost penalty of the Court. The aldermen, however, seem to have been slow in taking up their residence in the City, notwithstanding the above order, for on 1 1 January, 1 68 1, a letter was directed to be sent to Sir William Hooker, who con- tinued to reside at Greenwich, to come and attend his duty in the Court of Aldermen and in his ward. At the present day it is the custom of an alderman to obtain leave of the Court of Aldermen prior to being absent for any length of time. There are several instances during the last few years in which leave of absence of three and six months has been granted, on the application of aldermen, on the grounds of ill-health. The Aldermen of the City of London. 177 PUNISHMENT FOR REFUSING OFFICE. As will be noted in the biography of the Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward, the Court of Aldermen was very firm in its determination, that a man once nominated, and elected by the Court, as alderman of a ward, should properly serve the office, or pay a heavy fine, or undergo imprisonment in Newgate, this latter punishment soon bringing an unwilling alderman to a right state of mind. The imprisonment of Augustine Hynde, of Cripplegate Ward (1547), is a case in point. The amount of the fines varied very considerably, and no par- ticular system or principle seems to have been acted upon ; the sum levied was seldom below ,£100, but usually ,£400, and in some few cases, as much as ^800 was required to be paid before a discharge was granted, but these amounts usually also exonerated the person elected alderman, from being elected to the Shrievalty ; the Court of Aldermen promising to move the Court of Common Council to discharge him from the "office of Sherivaltye of this Cittie of London, and Countie of Midd. for ever hearafter." On 3 December, 1656, an Act of Common Council was passed, enacting among other things, in addition to the fine for discharge : — "that noe Aldran of this Citty now in being nor other person that hereafter shall he an Alderman of the same who shall at any time hereafter desire to be dis- charged from that office vppon his ffine in that behalfe shall be discharged from the same vnlesse hee shall first pay into the Chamber of London the summe of twenty markes . . . towards the maintenance of the said ministers [viz., Preaching Ministers of Newgate. Ludgate and the two Compters] n —Journal 41*, fo 144. The account of the imprisonment of John Gedeney, for refusing the office of alderman, contains within itself the general procedure- taken by the Court of Aldermen upon a citizen refusing to serve, and is worthy of being repeated here in extenso, as set out in Riley's Memorials, pp. 601-603 : — 2 Henry V. [a. n. 141 5]. — Forasmuch as a laudable custom which has hitherto prevailed in the City of London, has so prescribed and ordained, that the inhabitants of each of the Wards of the said city are at liberty to elect an Alderman whensoever they need one, to rule them in their own Ward ; provided always, that the person so elected is presented to the Mayor and Aldermen, for the time being, and by them is deemed worthy to be admitted and approved. — And whereas, on the third day of January, in the 2nd year of the reign of King Henry etc., one Ralph Lobenhar.i, late Alderman of the Ward of Farndone Without, having voluntarily resigned the rule of that Ward, the inhabitants of the Ward thereupon, according to the usual custom, met together at the usual place within the Ward, for the purpose of electing an Alderman thereof, and there unanimously chose one John Gedeney, citizen and draper, to hold the office of Alderman of the Ward aforesaid, and presented such choice u< Thomas 178 The Aldermen of the City of London. Fauconer, the then Mayor, and the Alderman, in the chamber of the Guildhall ; the said Mayor and Aldermen, holding such election to be good and ratified, confirmed the same, and admitted the said John to the office, and approved of him as sufficient unto the same, and deserving thereof, as well as to worldly goods as to the requisite discreetness. After which, the said Mayor and Aldermen commanded John Pickard, Common serjeant-at-arms of the said city, whose especial office it is, according to custom, to attend to the performance of duties and services of that nature, to warn the said John Gedeney to appear before the Mayor and Aldermen on the 17th day of January then next ensuing, to take the oath, and to do such other things as upon him on behalf of the Court should then be enjoined. By virtue of which warning, the said John Gedeney appeared before the Mayor and Aldermen, in the Chamber aforesaid, and after the reason for his being so summoned had been first stated to him, precept was given to him forthwith to take his seat there in Court, that he might take the oath that pertains unto the office and rank of Alderman. Whereupon, the same John Gedeney, after first setting forth his excuses on the ground of his inability, and his insufficiency for the office, wholly refused to accept it ; upon which, he was informed by the Court that he could not refuse this office, to which, as being a fit person, he was admitted by the Court, without breach of his freedom, and of the oath which by him, when he was admitted to the freedom of the City, had been made ; and this the more especially, as every freeman is bound to be a partaker in Lot, which is liability to hold office, and in Scot, which means contribution to taxes and other charges, by reason of such oath. But all and singular the matters before stated notwithstanding, he altogether refused to accept the office, like a person who was utterly obdurate. And hereupon, the matter having been considered by the Mayor and Aldermen, because that it appeared to them that if any one, when elected to such office, should be at liberty at his own will and pleasure to refuse the post, and pass it by, not improbably the City before long would be left destitute, as it were, of all rule and governance whatsoever ; the same John Gedeney was by the said Mayor and Aldermen committed to prison, there to remain until the Court should be better advised what to do as to the matters aforesaid. And in the meantime, precept was given to the Sheriffs of London to shut up the shops and houses of the same John Gedeney, and to sequestrate his goods and chattels, until the Court should be better advised thereon. And afterwards, on the 18th day [probably January], through the mediation of many reputable men of the said city, who intervened, word being brought that the same John Gedeney was willing, if the Court should think proper, to undertake the duties of the office aforesaid ; he was therefore brought here on that day before the Mayor and Aldermen, and, having first obtained dispensation for breach of his oath made by him when he was admitted to the freedom of the City, he was admitted and sworn, as the usage is. — Latin. (Letter Rook I. fol. 1 57. ) John Gedeney afterwards became Sheriff in 141 7, and Mayor in 1427, and again in 1447. He did penance for marrying a widow, who had made a vow of chastity. Stephen Fabyan, draper, was elected Alderman of Bridge Ward on the 30 July, 1468, and upon declining to serve was committed to Newgate, but was the next day released. The following is the order : 30 July 8 Edward IV\k.T>. 146S]. Memorandum to the effect that on the above day Stephen Fabyan, draper, was presented by the inhabitants of the Ward of Bridge together with others, according to The Aldermen of the City of London. 179 the custom, in order that one of them might be elected Alderman of the Ward ; that the said Stephen was elected by the Mayor and Aldermen, and that as he refused to take the oath of office he was committed to Newgate until he could obtain favour and that afterwards viz : on the 31st July next ensuing he was released, being found insufficient. — Latin. (Lette> Book L. fo. 58b.) In July, 1469, he appears to have been again elected, this time for the Ward of Bishopsgate, and was again committed {Letter Book L, fo. 64b). He was afterwards discharged upon taking oath that he was not worth ^1,000, that sum having, a few days later, been fixed as the qualification. The order runs as follows : — Be it remembered that on the 29th July 9 Edward IV [a.d. 1469] it was agreed by the Mayor and certain Aldermen that no one for the future should be admitted Alderman of any Ward within the City unless his goods and chattels and hopeful debts amount in value to iooo 1 ' And if in the future it shall happen that any be elected Alderman within the said City for any ward of the same, and he be willing to swear that his goods, chattels and hopeful debts do not amount in value to iooo" he shall be exonerated. By reason of which ordinance, Stephen Fabyan lately elected Alderman for the Ward of Bishopsgate and committed to Newgate for refusing to accept office was discharged from the office of Alderman because he honestly swore that his goods, chattels and hopeful debts did not amount to the value of iooo 1 '. — Lathi. (Letter Book L. fo. 64b.) In December, 1536, one Henry Hamcottes or Amcotts, a Fish- monger, was elected Alderman of Billingsgate Ward. On refusing to take the office, he was fined ^40, and eventually the Sheriffs were directed to shut up his shops until he "woll doo hys duetye." He held out until the following April, when he was brought before the Court of Aldermen, and still declining to serve, was committed to Newgate. This soon brought him to change his mind, for a week later he appeared before the Court, and took the oath as required. He afterwards duly served the offices of Sheriff (1542) and Mayor (1548) and received the honour of knighthood. The following are the entries concerning this matter : 9 Jan. 28 Henry /'///[a.d. 1537]. At this Corte it ys agreed that letters from [stc] Master Henry Hamcottes fysshmonger shalbe made commandyng hym upon his othe to be here upon tuysday next commyng to abyde suche order as shalbe takyn yn that behalf. — {Repertory 0, fo. 233b.) 16 Jan. 28 Henry VII 1 [a.d. 1537]. Item that a letter be made to Master Henry Hamcottes lately elected Alderman of the Warde of Byllyngesgate that he upon payne of 40 1 ' all excuses layed aparte he here upon tuysday next commyng to here what order shalbe takyn yn that matter and that the same he conveyed to hym by an officer of thys Cytye at the costes nf thys Cytye. — (A/, fo. 235b.) 180 The Aldermen of the City of London. i Feb. 28 Henry VIII [A.D. 1537]. Item that the Shyreffes of London shytteyn the shoppes and howses of Master Henry Hamcottes stokfisshmonger and sequester hys goodes and catalles and kepe them under sequestracion after the custome of thys Cytye tyll he woll doo hys duetye accordyng to the lawe yn the booke of J. fo. 157 .* — (Id. fo. 239.) blh Feb. 28 Henry VIII [a.D; 1537]. Item it ys agreed and commaunded that Master Shryeffes shall enclose the howse and shoppes of Master Henry Hamcottes lately elect Alderman of Byllyngesgate and wolle not take upon hym albeit that he hath had dyverse gentyl monycions as well by letters as otherwise yet he wolle not doo hys duetye contrary to hys othe wherfore it ys agreed that the order takyn yn that byhalf in case semblable yn the booke of J. fo. 157 shalbe duely observyd. — (Id. fo. 239b.) 10 April 28 Henry VIII [a.D. 1537]. At thys Corte Master Henry Hamcottes fysshmonger late elect Alderman of the Warde of Byllyngesgate [fo.] 230 and bycause (after dyverse lawes of thys Cytye Redde to hym and dyverse gentyll exhortacions gyven to hym yn this Corte, yet the sayd Master Hamcottes wolde not be obedyent to doo hys duety accordyng to hys othe whiche he acceptyd and tooke at suche tyme as he was fyrst admytted ynto the libertyes of thys [Cytye] ) ys commytted to prison of Newgate there to remayn tyl it be otherwyse orderd by thys Corte and then refused to take hys othe accordyng to the law therof made [sic.]. — (Id. fo. 246.) N.B. — Reference in margin to Letter Books I. fo. 157; /.. fos. 58, 64; and N. fo. 287. 77 April 28 Henry VIII [a.D. 1537]. Item Master Henry Hamcottes fyshmonger lately elect Alderman of the Warde of Byllyngesgate toke hys othe to be Alderman and hath libertye for the space of three yeres after Mighelmasse next comyng for thexercysyng of the Shryvaltye of London and also hath Respyte for the exercysyng of the office of Alderman tyll 14 days afore Christmasse next commyng. — (/n the 15 October following, it was necessary to address a letter to him to take upon himself the office. On the 28 October, he was ordered three times by the Court of Common Council, to appear and take the oath of office, and on his failing to do so, he was 1 88 The Aldermen of the City of London. fined ,£1,000. And on the 6 May the next year, he petitioned to be discharged from both the offices of Lord Mayor and Alderman on the following terms : — 1524, 6th May. 16 Henry VIII. "Memorandum, that where at the courte of the make and aldremen, holden in the inner chamber of the Guihald the vj daye of May. the xvj yere of the reigne of Kyng Henry viij, Maister Monoux, alderman, exhibited to my saide lorde maire and his bretherne a Bill of Supplication, theffecte whereof is, that forasmoche as he is aged and feble yn his lymes, by reason whereof he cannot doo his office duetie to thys citie accordyng to his othe, and in consideracion that heretofore he hath borne the charges of offices of this citie, for those and other causes and consideracions by hym alledged in the said bill, he mekely and lowly requyreth and praieth my said lord maire and his bretherne that it may please theym that he myght be dysmyssed of the rome of aldermanshippe, ana that for the same dysmyssynge he wolde appoynte that, after the decesse of hym and my lady his wiffe, his brew hous, next unto the brigge hous in Southwark, with thappurtenances by hym nowe lettyn but for xx marc by yere, whiche hous, as he saith, was wont heretofore to be letten for xxiiij 1 ' by yere, shall remayne to this citie for ever to the advauncement of the common weale of the same, yelding yerely and perpetually xx s out of the same brew hous to the maister and wardeyns of Drapers to be disposed accordynge to the last wide, and that upon the goodnes of my saide lorde maire and his bretherne to hym showed in the premisses, and havynge their lawful] favours and kyndnes in tyme comynge, he entendeth by the grace of God to appoynte further benefyts lor the weale of this citie, and also, in the ende of the said bill, he maketh request that the decree made ageinst hym in the Guihall uppon Symonds and Judis daye last past, may be revoked and admitted, forasmoche as declareth there that in him was noon offence, ne lawe broken nor disobeyed ; which bill or supplicacion dislynctly and openly redde to and before my saide lord maire and his brethern in the presence of the said Mr. Monoux, beynge than desired to deparle, departed the hous for a season ; and in the meane tyme the said maire and his brethern, with great diligens, not onely examyned and resoned the contents of the said bille, but also they called to their re- membraunce the greate gravitie, politique w isdome, and other good qualities which by longe experience and good prouf they perfightly knewe to be in the said Maister Monoux. And after many reasons thereof amongs theym, with greate deliberacion made and debated, the)' holly and lovyngely, withoute any maner discrepaunce or contradiccion, considerynge his age and impotencie of his lymmes, and other premissis, concluded, as moche as in theym was, that if the said M. Monoux wold be content to gyve nowe immediatly the said brewhous with thappurtuances to this citie, and to make it sure to thuse of the maire and commonaltie of the same as by the lemed counsell of the same citie shalbe advysed, and not charge the same brewhous with the saide yerely rent charge xx s , that than as moche as in theym is, they wold dispence with the said Mr. Monoux, that hereafter he shold not eftsones be chosen mayre of this citie, nor here the charges of the same. And also they aggreed that the said decree made agaynst hym upon the said Symond and Jud s daye shalbe admitted ; and over that he contynewynge still aldreman [durynge his lyffe, they be content to dispence with hym of his dayly attendaunce and comynge to this courte, notwithstandynge any sumaunce or warn) ing to hym or at his hous geven to the contrary, except it be of his owne good mynde whan he feleth hymselff disposed and hable to come, excepte also at suche tymes whan urgent necessitie shalbe concernynge the kyngs buysynesses or the weale of this citie, at whiche tymes the saide Mr. Monoux beynge within this citie, or within a daies journey of the same, and beynge hable to ryde or goo, shall, upon due warnynge, repaire and come to this courte in as spedy manner as he can, there to give his best advice and counsell, all other excuses laide aparte : upon the whiche aggrea- The Aldermen of the City of Loudon. 189 nient the said Mr. Monoux was called agene into the said courte, and than and there the said aggrement was shewed unto hym, and the said Maister Monoux beynge there- unto somewhat conformable, declared furtherly hys mynde in that behalffe to my said lord maire and his bretherne on this wise, sayinge, that forasmoche as they were con- tent to dispence with hym in suche maner and forme as is on their behalffe afore re- hersed, he wold be content that the said brewhous, with thappurtenances, should be made sure to thuse of the maire and commonaltie of this citie, and they and their successours to take the issues and profyts thereof from and after the ffeast of the natyvitie of our Lorde God nexte comynge, for ever disposyng yerely and perpeteually xx s thereof by the chambleyn of this citie for the tyme beynge, or by the brigge maisters of the same, at the choyse of the said maire and his bretherne, for the soule helth of the said Mr. Monoux, accordynge to his testament and last wille, thereof to be declared, to thentent that hereafter it shulde not be had in oblyvyon how and from whome the sayde brewhous came to this citie. And my saide lord maire and his lnxiherne considerynge the good conformitye of the said M. Monoux, and that his mynde and entent in that behalffe is good and reasonable, havynge also special 1 trust and confidence in the contynewaunce of the good and benyficiall mynde that he bereth and hereafter will here lowarde the further avauncement of the common weale of this citie, with their hole mynds voyc s lovyngly assented to the said latter graunte, mynde, and entent of the said Maister Monoux, and thereuppon my saide lorde maire and all his bretherne the aldermen with one assent aggreed and decreed, and also com- maunded that the saide graunte and aggreament shulde here be entred of recorde for a perpetualle remembraunce. •'And nowe at this common counsell, holden on Saterdaye the xxiij daye of July, the xvj yere of the reigne of king Henry the viij, the matter as is aforesaid was redde and well understond. And forasmoche as the said Mr. Monoux, aldreman, hath graunted to the maire and commonaltie of this citie, to thuse of the said common- altie, his said brewhouse, with thappurtenances and implements belongynge to the >ame, and hath waraunted the same to be of the yerely value of xx marks, above all charges and reprises, uppon condicon that x s parcell of the rente shall yerely and perpetually be distributed and disposed in coolys to and amongs the pore people in the w arde of Bassishawe of London for the weale of the soule of the said Maister Monoux, accordynge to his last wille. It is therefore by thauctoritie of this common counsell agreed and fully decreed, that the said Mr. Monoux. for his saide good gifte, shalbe discharged and disDenced withall, accordynge to the agrement aforesaid," &c. — Letter Book N, fo. 265b. Journal 12, fos. 287, 288. As will have been seen by the above, his request was agreed to by the Common Council ; but does not appear to have been carried into effect, as we find an entry in the City Records to the effect that the Mayor would not give his assent thereto. Eventually, the matter was settled by his entering into an agreement, on similar conditions as given in the above extract, to continue to be an alderman of the City, and the City undertaking to release him from the mayoralty again, and giving him leave to absent himself from certain of his aldermanic duties, except when specially called upon to fulfil them. He continued alderman until he resigned in 1541, seventeen years after he had described himself as "aged and feble yn his lymes." 190 The Aldermen of the City of London. The following are given as examples of discharges in the 16th and 17th centuries. The first is one in which the Common Council ratified the decision of the Court of Aldermen to discharge one John Brown from his office of Alderman, and excusing him from being called upon to serve other offices which are enumerated, in the extract, on his presenting to the Mayor and Commonalty, "standynge potts of silver." Court of AUermcn, ijlh November, 1 8 Henry VIII. [A.D. /J26.] At this Co r te yt is agreed that M r Brown Aldremen at his specyall Request & desire made by M r Spencer Aldr and others on his behalff to be discharged of the Rowme of Aldreman shalbe clerely discharged of the same, ffor the whiche he hathe gevyn to the Chambr ij grete standynge potts of Sylver and gylte whiche nowc be in the Custodye of the Chamberleyn. — Letter Book O, fo. 19. Common Council, iolh December, 18 Henry VIII. [A.D. 1526. | Itni at the humble sute of M r John Broun Alderman of the Warde of ffar" infra which hathe long tyme laboured in grete & contynuell sekenes of his body and yet so contynueth that by reason of the same that he ys so very impotent & feble of his body- that he can not ne may not exercise the seyd Rowme nor yet eny other Wherfor he ys nowe by th'auctorite of this Coen Counsell from hensforth clerely discharged aswell of the seyd Rowme of Aldreman, the Sheryffwyke, Mayraltie, Chambleyn, Bryge Mast r , Auditor of the Chamb' and of the Bryge, As of all other hedde Offices w th in this Citie, ffor the whiche he hathe nowe Geven to the Mayre & Coialtie of this Citie ij Grete Standyng potts of Sylv° weying unces which were nowe openly in this Courte shewed, And thereuppon delyv' ; ed to the Custodie & kepyng of the Chamberleyn. ^/7/<*/ 12, fo. 366. The following cases seem to show that aged and unfortunate aldermen still had but little consideration shown them by their brethren of the Court of Aldermen. Discharge of John Sadler, Alderman of Coleman Street Ward. 16 February, 37 Henry VIII [A.D. 1546]. Item at the liable sute & petycon of Mr. John Sadler Alderman & for dyv'se & meny Reasonable consideracons & causes movynge the Co r te & namely for & in consideracon of contynuall syknes & dyseases wherw" 1 he of a longe season hath beyn & yet is dayly trobled & afHcted & also for & in respecte of hys losses of meny & sundry greate & notable sumes of money aswell by the seas as by evyll detto r s yt ys assentyd & agreid that he truely con- tentynge & paying to the hands of the Chambleyn to the use of the Coialtye (if this Cytie w th in one moneth nowe nexte insuinge C mfks stel shalbe clerely exon°ate & dyscharged of his seid Rome & offyce of Aldermanship for ev\ — Letter Book Q, fo. 161b. Discharge of Henry Goody ere, Alderman of Porlsoken Ward. 5 July, 3 Edward VI [A.D. 1549]. At this courte it is agreyd that mocon shalbe made to the coen counsell here to be holden upon Thyrseday next for the utler discharge of Mr. Goodere Alderman from the office of Shrevealtie of this & of the Shere of Midd. for ever for the whiche tV for the dischargyng also of hym from his The A Mermen of the City of London. 191 Aldermanship he is contentyd to gyve the Citie C li Whereunto this courte forcerten consideracdns did assent & p'myse to helpe hym forewarde w l the coen counsell to the best of their power. — Repertory 12, pt. 1, fo. 102. 11 July, 3 Edw. VI [a.d. 1549]. Itm at this Court yt is pfytely agreyd graunted establysshed and enacted by the Lorde Mayer Ald r men & coen counsayll assemblyd and by aucthorytie of the same that Mr. Henry Goodere Ald r man in con- syderacon of his gratt age wekenes and debylytie both of his bodye sight & other senses shall upon his humble & hartye request and sute here made this daye & for such reasonable and competent fyne as y e said lorde mayre & Ald r men shall hereafter tax & assesse upon him from hensforth be clerely & utterly exon^atyd acquytt & dis- charged out & from his said Rome of Ald r manship & also of & from the Offyce & rome of the shrevealtye of the Cytie of London & of the countie of Midd. for ever and nev'more be elygible to eyther of the same offyces.— Journal 16, fo. 20. Discharge of David JVoodroffe, Alderman of Bishopsgate Ward. 5 January, 2 Elizabeth [a.d. 1560.] Itm yt was this day lovyngly graunted and agreyd by the hole Court here for certeyne verye good causes and consyderacons espyally movynge the same and namely for and in consyderacon of the great and contynuall dysease and wekenes of bodye of M r Davyd Woodrof Alderman that he gevynge to the use of the coyaltie of this Cytie Cli shalbe clerely dyscharged of his Cloke and rome of Aldermanship of the said Cytie for ever. — Repertory 14, fo. 271. In addition to the above class of cases, there are many cases of men who were discharged, and excused further service without payment of a fine, but especially strong reasons had to be given by an alderman wishing to be relieved of his duties before the Court would consent. We find, among other reasons, the following: — " being in foreign parts," " being sick, deaf, and blind," for " various infirmities," for " losses beyond the sea and otherwise," "age and debility," for "deafness and other infirmities," "being in debt and confined to Newgate"; there are also several hundred cases of those discharged on the payment of a fine on the day of election or within a few days after, as is mentioned on page 177. It was the custom of the City not to discharge one so elected to be an alderman, without his first being sworn into office, as was the case when Sir Baptist Hicks (who it was known would not be called upon to serve) was elected to the Aldermanry of the Ward of Bread Street, 12 November, 161 1, when upon taking the oath, "according to auncyent order," upon the King's request, he was discharged. Towards the latter half of the seventeenth century it became usual for those aldermen who were desirous of being relieved of their aldermanries and who had served any length of time, to be allowed to surrender or resign their office, without a fine, as obtains at the present dav. 192 The Aldermen of the City of London. REMOVAL AND TRANSLATION OF ALDERMEN. From the earliest time of which we have any definite record concerning the aldermen, it appears to have been their practice to occasionally remove, or be translated from one ward to another. The records are silent as to the origin of the custom, but it seems to have been one of the recognised rights, or as it was called, " the prerogative of an alderman " to do so. One of the earliest recorded instances of this, is that of John de Banquell, who in the year 1291 (see p. 11) removed from Cripplegate to Dowgate Ward. During the next four centuries, nearly four hundred of such removals are recorded. Upon a vacancy for alderman occurring in any ward, the inhabitants usually nominated two aldermen (of whom one was frequently the Mayor) and two commoners, for the election of one of them by the Court of Aldermen ; and it was the prerogative of one of the aldermen to remove to the vacant ward, as did John Stokton, who removed from Cripplegate to Lime Street Ward in the year of his Mayoralty, 1470. The following cases are given as instances of the form of pro- cedure in the removal of an alderman from one ward to another during the 14th, 15th, 1 6th and 17th centuries. 49 Edward III [a.d. 1375]. — William de Halden, Alderman of Cheap Ward, surrendered his office, and on the same day was elected Alderman of Lime Street Ward, " by the good men of that Ward," and was admitted and sworn, and we find that Adam Stable surrendered Coleman Street Ward and was elected Alderman of Cheap Ward, in place of Halden. — Letter Book H, fo. iq. 17 October, 1 Henry VII [A.D. 1485]. Richard Gardyner / , , , j Persons nominated by the Inhabitants of the Henry Colet ) L I Ward of Bassishaw. that one of them be William Capell Draper. < sworn as alderman *of the Ward aforesaid I nomas Shelley Mercer. I . , , . _,. , , _, , ,,, in the stead of Richard Rawson late Alder- man there. Of whom the said Richard Gardyner was according to his prerogative chosen Alderman of the Ward aforesaid. — [Translation.] Journal g, fo. 91. 19 February, 15 Elizabeth [a.d. 1573]. — Itm this day my Lord Maio r did declare and report to this Court that his Lordshipp had taken the nominacori and election of an Alderman in the Ward of Langbourne in place of S r William Chester knyght now by this Court displaced for divers causes moving the same. In w ch eleccon was noiated to be an Alderman of that Ward, M r Langley, M 1 Ramsey Alderm, M r Garrat Goore & M r Anthony Gamage cominers w ch mencon this Court dyd alow of and by cause M r Alderman Langley by his prerogative might chaung his ward dyd requere to have The Aldermen of the City of London. 19 j the same & be admytted therunto w ch was graunted to him by this Court And therupo it is ordered that my lord maio r shall goe to a new eleccon in Quenehith Ward of an Alderman there. — Repertory iy, fo. 44Sb. 8 July, 17 James I [a.d. 1619]. — Item this daye the right ho ble the Lord Maio r , [Sir Sebastian Harvey] made report to this Court that his LoPP sitting this daye in the Warde of Cheape for the nominacon of an Alderman in place of S r Stephen Soame, knight deceased late Alderman there, the Inhabitants did nominate his LoPi', M r Richard Piot Aldran, M r Hugh Hamersley haberdasher, Sherife of the Cittie of London and M r Richard Deane skynner, Sherife elect of the same Cittye, of which noiacon this Court did accept & allowe. And thereupon the Lord Maio r by vertue of his precedencye made choise to be Aldran of that Warde, And it is therefore ordered that his Lopp shall proceede for the noiacon of an Alderman in the Ward of Billings- gate where his Lop was Alderman. — Repertory 34, fo. 174b. 1 Oct. 1663. This day the right hono ble the Lord Maior [Sir John Robinson] made report unto this Court that his Lo r p sitting of late in the Ward of Cripplegate for the noiacon of an Aldran in place of his Lo r pp lately removed. The Inhabitants thereof did noiate M r Alderman Chiverton, S r Thomas Aleyn K' & Bar', Thomas Bonfoy Dyer and Nicholas Bonfoy Clothworker, Of which noiacon this Court did accept and allow. And thereupon M r Aldran Chiverton declared his consent to remove from y c ward of Cordweyner whereof hee is now Aldran to the said Ward of Cripplegate, It is therefore Ordered that my Lord Mayor proceed to the noiacon of an Aldran in the Ward of Cordweyner in place of the said M r Aid. Chiverton. — Repertory 69, fo. 205b. Failing either of the aldermen consenting to remove, the Court of Aldermen elected one of the commoners. An instance of this is the case of the election of John Braunche as alderman of Cripplegate, in 1571 : — 6 November, 13 Elizabeth [A.n. 1571]. — Itm this daie my lord Maio r declared to this Courte that he haith sitten in Creplegate Warde for the eleccon of an Alderman of that Warde in stede & place of S r Rowland Hayward knight late lorde Maio r of this citie late Alderman of that warde & now Aldran of lymestrete warde. And that th'inhabitants of the same warde have noiated M r John Langley Alderman, M* James Bacon Alderman, M r John Braunche drap one of the Sheriffs of this citie & M 1 Anthony Cage Salter that one of them by this Courte should be elected Alderman of that Warde, w ch noiacon this Courte did allowe and for that the said M r Langley Ov: M r Bacon who were to have there choyse of that Warde by p'rogative did refuse the same This Courte p'ceded to th'elleccon of one of the said two ComyrPs to be Alder- man of the said Ward & by scrutany elected the said Mr. John Branche to be Alder- man of the said Warcle, who willinglie toke the same upon hym iV was sworne for the execiicon thereof accordinglie. — -Repertory 17, fo. 224. No restriction whatever seems to have been placed upon the removal of aldermen from one ward to another until the year 1479, when it became necessary to prevent an abuse of the prerogative, by a custom having grown up of aldermen very fre- quently removing from their wards. A few instances may he mentioned of this abuse : Richard Rawson, who was elected for Farringdon Ward Without on 17 May, 1476, and 194 Tke Aldermen of the City of London. removed to Aldersgate Ward on 8 November of the same year.— Journal 8, fo. 130b, 143b. George Irlond, elected for Aldgate Ward, January, 1461, removed to Cordwainer Ward, March in the same year. — -Journal 6, fo. 287, 14. Henry Colet, elected for Farringdon Without Ward, T5 November, 1476, removed to Bassishaw Ward, 28 August, 1478.— -Journal 8, fo. 144, 175b. The following is a translation of the order made to prevent this : — 19 January, 18 Edward IV [1479]. — Item, the same day it was agreed that thenceforth that any Alderman to be elected to his Aldermanry of any Ward of this City shall remain Alderman of the Ward for two years at least if he shall so long live, and throughout that time he shall not relinquish his Ward cS:c. — {Jot: 8. fo. 192.) This order was not always strictly obeyed, for it evidently became necessary to re-affirm it, with stringent provisions in regard to Farringdon Without and Bridge Without Wards (which, as will be seen from the list given below were the most unpopular wards), as we find that Farringdon Without was a great offender in this respect, many of its aldermen removing under the two years, hence the following ; which is an abstract of an order made in 1550 : — 2 Sept. 4 Edward VI [a.d. 1550]. — It was ordained that the Act 14 Jan. \sic\ 18 Edward IV concerning the time of two years that every Alderman shall remain in a Ward before removing to another, shall be justly observed and kept as a law for ever ; and further, that the Aldermen of the Wards of Farringdon Without and Bridge With- out for the time being and to come should remain Aldermen of those Wards for the space of 3 whole years before they shall be permitted to remove. — English. {Letter Book R, fo. 90b. ) Notwithstanding this order, there are many instances of its non- observance. In 1649, however, we find that in the case of Christopher Pack, Alderman of Cripplegate, who had been for barely two years alderman of that ward when he removed to Cornhill, on the petition of the Common Councilmen of Cripplegate the former proceedings were annulled, as he " hath not bene fully two yeares " alderman of the ward. From this time until 17 14, when a return was made to the "ancient custom " of electing aldermen, there seem to have been but two cases of the order having been infringed (with the exception of three or four instances of such removals by Royal Commission, during the sus- pension of the Charter; 1683-1688), viz., Anthony Bateman, who was elected Alderman of Farringdon Without, 22 September, 1657, and removed to Dowgate, 13 September, 1659, and Sir Thomas Bludworth, who was nominated Alderman of Portsoken Ward, 16 June, 1662, by the King, and removed to Aldersgate Ward, 18 December, 1663. The Aldermen of the City of London. 195 The last removal from one ward to another, if we except the removals under Royal Commissions during the surrender of the City's Charter, and the removals to Bridge Ward Without, was that of Sir Robert Hanson, who removed from Bassishaw Ward to Farringdon Without Ward on the 1st April, 1680 (in the Mayoralty of Sir Robert Clayton), when : — The Right Hon l,le the Lord Mayor now made Report that his Lo r pp sitting this day in the Ward of ffaringdon without for the noiacon of an Aldran of the said Ward in the room of S r Thomas Davies late Knt & Aldran deced The Inhabitants did nominate his Lo r pp. S r Robt Hanson Kn* & Aldran S r Rich' 1 How Knt fishmonger & Richard Hawkins Citizen Grocer, Of which Noiacon this Court did accept and allow. Whereupon his Lo r pp refusing to remove S r Robt. Hanson declared his Consent to remove from the Ward of Bassishaw whereof hee is now Aldran to the said Ward of ffaringdon without Whereupon his Lo'pp is to repaire to the Warde of Bassishaw for the Nominacon of an Aldran of the said Ward in the Roome of the said S r Rob Hanson. — Repertory Sj, fo. 118. On the restoration of the Charter in 1688, some of James II's alder- men who had to vacate their positions, owing to the reinstating of those still surviving who had been ousted by the quo wa?-ranto proceedings, were either immediately or shortly afterwards elected to fill vacancies caused by the deaths, in the interim, of some of the ejected aldermen. Thus Sir William Gostlyn, who vacated Candlewick, was elected for Castle Baynard ; Sir William Ashurst, who vacated Bread Street, was elected for Billingsgate; Sir Humphrey Edwin, who vacated Tower, was elected for Cheap in the course of the same month, returning to Tower in the following year ; Sir John Parsons, who vacated Port- soken, was elected for Bassishaw some months later. Other aldermen who had been dismissed by James II during the suspension of the Charter, were also chosen to fill vacancies at the same time, Sir Samuel Dashwood and Sir Benjamin Thorogood, who had been turned out of the Aldermanries of Cheap and Farringdon Within, being now elected for Aldgate and Lime Street respectively, and in 1696 and 1700 Sir Thomas Rawlinson, who had been dismissed from Farringdon Without, and Sir Charles Duncombe, who had been dismissed from Broad Street, were elected for Castle Baynard and Bridge Within respectively. There are many instances of aldermen removing to and serving for three or more different wards ; and during the period of annual elections, i 377 -i 394j there are twelve eases. In two of these the aldermen sat lor tour constituencies each, viz., Nicholas Twyfbrd (Coleman Street, farringdon, Line Street, Aldersgate) ; Adam liamme (Aldersgate, 196 The Aldermen of the City of London. Cripplegate, Cheap, Lime Street); while Henry Vanner was alderman of five (Queenhithe, Cordwainer, Vintry, Aldersgate, and Cornhill). Since the discontinuance of annual elections, there have been 57 instances of aldermen representing three wards, 10 four, and 1 five. These last are : — Sir Richard Chiverton (Portsoken, Dowgate, Cordwainer, Cripplegate, Bridge Without). Sir Simon Eyre (Walbrook, Broad Street, Cornhill, Langbourn). Sir William Taillour (Farringdon Without, Dowgate,, Queenhithe, Cheap). *Sir Henry Colet (Farringdon Without, Bassishaw, Castle Baynard, Cornhill). Sir Martin Bowes (Aldgate, Castle Baynard, Farringdon Within, Lang- bourn). Sir William Chester (Farringdon Without, Billingsgate, Bassishaw, Lang- bourn). Sir Rowland Hay ward (Farringdon Without, Queenhithe, Cripplegate, Lime Street). Sir George Barne (Bridge Without, Tower, Langbourn, Bassishaw). Sir John Harte (Farringdon Without, Queenhithe, Cornhill, Lime Street). Sir William Cokayne (Farringdon Without, Castle Baynard, Lime Street, Broad Street). Sir John Wollaston (Farringdon Without, Dowgate, Aldersgate, Bridge Without). The aldermen of Cripplegate, who served for three wards in addition to those mentioned above (Adam Bamme, Sir Richard Chiverton, and Sir Rowland Hayward) were Sir Humphrey Hayford (Langbourn, Cripplegate, Lime Street) ; Sir John Whyte (Cripplegate, Broad Street, Cornhill) ; Sir Alexander Avenon (Cripplegate, Farringdon Within, Bread Street); and Sir John Robinson (Dowgate, Cripplegate, Tower). Cripplegate was less affected by removals than the majority of the wards ; the total number of removals to and from it is 26, which number it shares with Cornhill, Portsoken, and Queenhithe. Seven wards (Bridge Within, Cordwainer, Aldgate, Bread Street, Candlewick, Cheap, and Vintry) have a smaller number, the remaining 15 exceeding it. Five wards (Aldgate, Bishopsgate, Farringdon Within, Farringdon Without, * Note. There was an interval between Sir Henry Colet's withdrawal from Bassishaw and his election for Castle Baynard. The Aldermen of the City of London. 197 and Portsoken), have fewer removals to them ; and 2 (Castle Baynard and Vintry) the same number, ; 19 have more. Seventeen wards have fewer removals from them, and 7 (Aldersgate, Bishopsgate, Castle Baynard, Dowgate, Farringdon Within, Farringdon Without, and Portsoken) more ; Bread Street has the same number. The number of removals (391 in all) since the discontinuance of annual elections in 1393 is shown by the following table : — REMOVALS OF ALDERMEN. To From 1393—1900. Aldersgate - - 9 24 Aldgate 7 " iS Bassishaw - - - 28 3 Billingsgate - - 13 - iS Bishopsgate - 7 20 Bread Street - - 16 9 Bridge Within 13 4 Bridge Without - 34 14 Broad Street - 20 18 Candlewick 18 4 Castle Baynard 8 3 1 Cheap - - - - 20 4 Coleman Street - 18 - *3 To From Cordwainer 13 " 5 Cornhill 24 2 Cripplegate 8 ■ 18 Dowgate 21 22 Farringdon Within 7 24 Farringdon Without 3 47 Lansrbourn 22 n Lime Street 22 5 Portsoken - 2 24 Queenhithe 9 17 Tower 17 iS Vintry - 8 17 Walbrook - 24 10 The above figures give the number of direct removals from one ward to another ; cases where an interval occurred between the vacation of the ward by its alderman and his election for another (e.g., Sir Henry Colet, mentioned above, and some of the aldermen superseded by the restoration of the Charter in 1688) are not included. From the foregoing list of removals, it would seem that Bassishaw was the most congenial ward, possibly on account of its small dimensions, and because it contained within its boundaries the greater portion of the Guildhall, where all the City's business was carried on. There were 28 removals to and only 3 from it, the last of which was to Bridge Without. Next to Bassishaw, come Walbrook (24 to and 10 from). Lime Street (22 to and 5 from), Langbourn (22 to and 11 from), and Cheap (20 to and 4 from).* For some reason (possibly from the unwieldy size of the ward) Farringdon Without appears to have been the ward which aldermen * So that in addition t<> Cheap and Lime Street, as mentioned on page 3, Bassishaw and Langbourn must be classed as favourite wards. o 2 198 The Aldermen of the City of London. were most anxious to quit. Of the 1 1 aldermen of whose changes details are given above, no less than 7 began their peregrinations from that starting point, and altogether as many as 47 aldermen left it for other wards, and only 3 migrated to it, of whom two were in compara- tively early times, viz., 1483 and 1503. To Portsoken— the Aldermanry of which was held by the Prior of Holy Trinity, Aldgate, until the dissolution of the Monasteries, after which, Henry Averell, goldsmith, was elected 24 January, 1538, (in place of the last Prior, Nicholas Hancock,) there were only 2 removals, while 24 left it for other wards. In addition to the removals of aldermen from one of the ancient City Wards to another, the removals to and from the Ward of Bridge Without call for special notice. The facts respecting the institution of the Ward itself are shortly as follows : — The City was granted jurisdiction over what was known as the "Town of Southwark" by Letters Patent, 6 March, 1327 [1 Edward III], and in consequence of controversies respecting the " Liberties and Franchises," etc., other Letters Patent were granted, 9 Novem- ber, 1462 [2 Edward IV]. On 23 April, 1550, a Charter was granted by the King (Edward VI) which enacted inter alia that all persons inhabiting the town, borough, parishes and precincts of certain Manors in Southwark, should thenceforth be in the order, government and correction of the Lord Mayor and officers of the City of London, and their deputies for the time being. Although the above-mentioned district was never constituted a City ward, and no precept was ever addressed to it for the election of Common Councilmen to represent it, yet soon after the Charter was granted, viz., 12 May, 1550, the Court of Aldermen "thought it very expedient to chose and apoynt Sir John Aylife, knyght, and Barber Surgeon of London, to occupie and exercyse the rome and office of an Alderman within the Borough of Suthewerke," and on the 28 May following he was nominated, elected and chosen by the Court of Alder- men to be Alderman of Bridge Ward Without, "albeyt that hytherto there hathe not ben eny suche Warde or Alderman w'in this Citie." On 31 July in the same year [a.d. 1550], an Act of Common Council was passed enacting that four persons, being freemen of the The Aldermen of the City of London. 199 City, and resident either within the City or the Borough of Southwark, should from time to time, as occasion might require, be nominated, elected and appointed by the inhabitants of the said Borough, and that the Lord Mayor should present to the next Court of Aldermen, the names of the four persons so selected, and that the Lord Mayor and Aldermen should elect one by way of scrutiny, to be an Alderman of the City and to be called the Alderman of Bridge Ward Without. Notwithstanding the Act of Common Council of 1550, on the very first vacancy occurring in the representation of the Ward, the Court of Aldermen, on 14 November, 1553, after the Alderman, Sir John Aylife, had been translated to the Ward of Dowgate, appointed William Harper, being one out of four persons nominated by the Court of Aldermen, to be Alderman of the Ward of Bridge Without. On 12 November, 1556, William Harper was, in consequence of the death of Sir John Aylife, and " in accordance with his privilege," translated to the Ward of Dowgate {Repertory ij (2), fo. 448b), and Ralph Grenaway, one of four persons nominated by the Court of Aldermen, was elected as Alderman of Bridge Without. By these two elections, carried out entirely by the Court of Alder- men, it will be seen that the Act of Common Council of 1550 was never acted upon, because it was not thought to be " mete or con- venyent " to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, and because the Act had " not at any time ben observyd or put in execution." A further Act was passed in 1558, repealing the Act of 1550, and enacting that in future vacancies, the aldermen should at a full Court, among themselves, nominate and appoint four good, discreet, sufficient and meet citizens, and from them, in their ancient and accustomed manner, choose one by scrutiny to be Alderman of the Ward, and on 21 June following, John Cooper, Fishmonger, was elected in the following manner : — Itm this day John Cowper fyshemonger, Hufrey Baskerfekl and John Mare m'cers and Edward Banks hab'd were noyated by this Courte and put in the eleccon for the choyse and eleccon of an Alderman of the Warde of the brydge w th oute nowe beynge voyde of an Alderman by reason of the deathe of Mr. Raphe Greneway late Alderman of the same Warde accordynge to the teno r forme and effecte of th'acte of COen Counsell here establyshed and made the xvj"' day of this p'sent June for & Concernyng the man 1 and order of th'eleccon of th'alderman of the said Warde at all tymes from thensforewarde of the w ch four Coyers so nSyated and apoyntyd the said Courte furthew"' by Scruteny dyd electe and chose accordynge to the Teno r uf the saH Acte the above namyd M r Cowp Alderman of the said Warde who was furthew 1 ' 1 at this p'sent Courte sworne for the due execucon of the said Rome and ofifyce accordingely. — Repertory 14, fo. 40b. 200 The Aldermen of the City of London. From the date of the election of John Cowper until 17 11, the elections of aldermen of this ward were carried out in the same manner, except that a practice sprung up of electing and translating aldermen of other wards to the Bridge Without Ward, an innovation introduced in 1635, upon the removal of the then alderman of that ward to the Ward of Candlewick. The entry in the Records runs as follows :— At the request of Mr. Aldran Cambell to remove from the Ward of fTaringdon w th out to the said Ward of Bridge w th in [sic) this Court was pleased to put in noiacon the said Mr. Aldran Cambell and Mr. Thomas Soame and by scruteny according to auntient custome the said Mr. Aldran Cambell was chosen Ald'ran of the said VVarde of Bridge W th out. — Repertory 79, fo. 277b. There had been five such elections and removals to this Ward between the years 1635 and 1711, besides two removals by Royal Commission during the suspension of the Charter. On 20 September, 171 1, another Act of Common Council was passed, repealing the Act of 1558, and enacting that, in future vacan- cies in the Ward of Bridge Without, the senior alderman for the time being, who had been Mayor, should, at his free will and pleasure, remove to and accept the ward, and in case of his refusal the next senior, and so on ; but that if none of the aldermen above the chair should accept the said ward, then a Common Council should be summoned to elect any fit and able person, being a Freeman as alder- man of the said ward, who should be at liberty to remove therefrom, and take any other ward to which he might be elected. (There has been no instance of such appointment by the Common Council.) From 1 7 16 until the present time a senior alderman willing to accept the transfer has removed to this ward as successive vacancies have arisen. There have been 27 such removals since that date, previous to which, aldermen had been transferred to Bridge Without on only seven occasions, including those removed under Royal Com- mission, the earliest being, as mentioned above, in 1635, and in the period between the institution of the Aldermanry in 1550 and that date (1635), there were fourteen removals from it to other wards; none such having taken place since. By an Act of Common Council, 12 May, 1725, the time within which the senior alderman should elect to remove to the said ward on a vacancy arising, was ordered to be in ten days, and in case of his refusal, the other senior aldermen were to decide at the following Court. In case of all the aldermen refusing to serve, then a Court of Common Council is to be summoned to elect and choose an alderman for the Ward, as directed by the Act of 171.1. The Aldermen of the City of London. 201 The mode of appointing the alderman of Bridge Ward Without remains the same to the present day, as the Act of 1714 (see page 159) expressly omitted to alter the Act of 171 1, as regards the procedure, in the event of all the aldermen refusing to transfer to the Ward of Bridge Without. During the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth, the aldermanry of Bridge Without was generally accepted by the senior alderman for the time being, or by the second or third in seniority, but during the last half-century, considerable unwillingness has been mani- fested on the part of the aldermen who have long represented other wards, to sever their connection with them by migrating to another. At the first election after 1711 (that of 17 16), the senior alderman, Sir William Ashurst (Billingsgate), declined to remove, and the Ward of Bridge Without was accepted by the second in official seniority, Sir Thomas Abney (Vintry). Sir John Parsons (Bassishaw), was senior by original election to both these, and by continuous service to Abney, but he ranked below them, as having served the Mayoralty later. At the three succeeding vacancies, which occurred in 1722, 1 725, 1733, tri e senior alderman in each case (who represented Aldersgate, Walbrook, and Cheap respectively) removed to Bridge Without. In 1735, Sir Charles Peers (Tower), then senior alderman, preferred to retain his old ward, and the second on the list, Sir Gerard Conyers (Broad Street), removed. In 1737, the transfer was again accepted by the senior, Sir John Eyles (Vintry). In 1745, the senior alderman by length of service, Sir Harcourt Master (Coleman Street), had not passed the chair (for which he had been disqualified by Act of Parliament on account of having been one of the South Sea Directors at the period of the great "bubble" of 1720), and therefore ranked below those of his juniors who had filled the office of Lord Mayor. He was, moreover, now at the point of death, and died on the day after the election. The two senior aldermen in rank, Sir Robert Baylis (Bread Street) and Sir William Billers (Cordwainer) did not accept the transfer, and consequently Bridge Without fell to the fourth in actual (third in nominal) seniority, Sir Edward Bellamy (Billingsgate). The next vacancies occurred in 1749 and 1750, on each of which occasions the senior alderman removed, leaving Candlewick and Dowgate respectively. In 175S, it happened that the two actual seniors, Sir Joseph Hankey (Langbourn) and William Baker (Bassishaw) had neither 202 The Aldermen of the City of London. passed the Chair nor served as Sheriff, and the senior alderman who had been Lord Mayor, Sir Robert Ladbroke, removed from Castle Baynard to Bridge Without. From this time till 185 1, each vacancy as it occurred was filled by the senior alderman, viz.: in 1773, 1785, 1804, 1821, 1829, February, 1835, and December, 1835, the wards successively vacated by the trans- ferred aldermen being Coleman Street, Portsoken, Lime Street, Tower, Bishopsgate, Bread Street, Bassishaw. In 185 1, the senior alderman, who was Lord Mayor so far back as 1828, William Thompson (Cheap) declined to remove, and the next in order, Sir John Key (Langbourn) accepted the transfer to Bridge Without. In 1853, the ward of Bridge Without fell to the sixth alderman on the list, Colonel Samuel Wilson (Castle Baynard), having been declined by William Thompson again, and by Sir Peter Laurie (Aldgate), Charles Farebrother (Lime Street), William Taylor Copeland (Bishopsgate), and Thomas Kelly (Farringdon Within). The next vacancy was not till March, 187 1, Colonel Wilson, who then resigned his gown, having survived all his seniors. On this occasion the four senior aldermen, Sir James Duke (Farringdon Without), Sir John Musgrove (Broad Street), Thomas Challis (Cripplegate), and Thomas Sidney (Billingsgate), preferred to retain their old wards, and the fifth in order, Sir Francis Moon (Portsoken) removed to Bridge Without. He died in October the same year, when the same four, and the two next below them, Sir David Salomons (Cordwainer) and Thomas Quested Finnis (Tower) refused to remove, and the vacancy was filled by the transfer of the seventh in order, Sir Robert Walter Carden (Dowgate), who held the aldermanry of Bridge Without for over sixteen years, and died in January, 1888, having survived all his seniors, except Alderman T. Sidney, who had resigned his gown in 1880. At the election of 1888 no less than seven aldermen declined to remove, these being Sir William Lawrence (Bread Street), Sir Benjamin Phillips (Farringdon Within), Sir Thomas Gabriel (Vintry), Sir James C. Lawrence (Walbrook), Sir Thomas Dakin (Candlewick), Sir Andrew Lusk (Aldgate), and David H. Stone (Bassishaw) ; the ward of Bridge Without accordingly fell to the eighth alderman in seniority, W. J. Richmond Cotton (Lime Street) — now Sir Richmond, who resigned on being appointed Chamberlain of the City in 1892. The Aldermen of the City of London. 20 6 At the election which followed (1892), Sir William Lawrence and Sir J. C. Lawrence, then the two senior aldermen, again preferred to remain in their old wards, and Sir A. Lusk, then third in seniority, who had declined in 1888, accepted removal. He resigned his gown in 1895, and Sir W. Lawrence then consented to take Bridge Without, and on his death in April, 1897, his brother. Sir James, succeeded him, but died less than five weeks afterwards. At the election in June, 1897, five aldermen refused to leave their own wards, viz., Sir J. Whittaker Ellis (Broad Street), Sir Henry Knight (Cripplegate), Sir Reginald Hanson (Billingsgate), Sir Joseph Savory (Langbourn), and Sir David Evans (Castle Baynard) ; the sixth in order, Sir Stuart Knill (Bridge Within), was accordingly transferred (when his son succeeded him as alderman of Bridge Within). On Sir S. Knill's death, 19 November, 1898, the ward was again declined by Sir J. W. Ellis, Sir H. Knight, and Sir R. Hanson, and was accepted by Sir J. Savory, who is the present alderman of Bridge Without. The removals to Bridge Without (thirty-four in all, including those by Royal Commission during the suspension of the Charter) have been fairly evenly distributed amongst the different wards. Three were from Lime Street ; two each from Aldersgate, Aldgate, Billingsgate, Bread Street, Broad Street, Castle Baynard, Dowgate, Langbourn, Portsoken, Vintry, Walbrook ; and one each from Bassishaw, Bishopsgate, Bridge Within, Candlewick, Cheap, Coleman Street, Cripplegate, Farringdon Without, and Tower. There have been no translations from Cord- wainer, Cornhill, Farringdon Within and Queenhithe. Of these last, no alderman of Cornhill or Queenhithe has been of sufficient seniority since the Act of 171 1, to get an opportunity of removing to Bridge Without : two aldermen of Cordwainer (Sir William Billers and Sir David Salomons) and one of Farringdon Within (Thomas Kelly) declined to accept removal when it was in their power to do so. It will be noted that the present alderman of Cripplegate (Sir H. Knight) and his immediate predecessor (Thomas Challis) are amongst those who have preferred to remain in their original wards. 204 The Aldermen of the City of London. CONTESTED ELECTIONS FOR ALDERMEN. Every ward has had at least one contested election for alderman except Aldersgate, which ward is also the only one which has not been vacated by resignation during the period. The following table will furnish the number of contests and the years in which they took place from the year 17 14, when a return was made to the " ancient manner" of the wards directly electing aldermen, instead of nominating four persons to the Court of Aldermen. Aldersgate - - - o Aldgate - - - - 4 - (1746, 1767, 1775, 1835). Bassishaw - - - 3 .- (1739, 1835, 1890). Billingsgate- - - 4 - (i7 2 3> «77 8 > r 799> 1880). Bishopsgate- - - 2 - (1829, 1889). Bread Street - - 4 - (1719,1797,1843,1855). Bridge Within - - 5 - (1727, 1774, 1776, 1821, 1885). Broad Street - - 4 - (1735,1741,1769,1831). Candlewick- - - 1 (1807). Castle Baynard - 4 - (1722, 1796, 1875, 1884). *Cheap - - - - 8 - (1733, 1739, 1809, 1858, June, 1877, Aug , 1877, Oct., 1877, 1896). Coleman Street - 3 - (171S, 1773, 1808). Cordwainer- - - 5 - (1774, 1781, 1S73, 1875, 1885). Cornhill - - - - 1 - (1782). Cripplegate - - - 1 - (1723). Dowgate - - - .t - (1773). Farringdon Within 2 - (1737, 1779). Farringdon Without 3 - (1769, 1798, 1882). Langbourn - - 4 - (1728, 1795, 1823, 1863). Lime Street - - 5 - (1724,1736,1746,1752,1772). *Portsoken - - - 9 - (1785, 1798, Feb., 1831, Dec, 1831, 1833, 1844, 187 1, 1883, 1891). Queenhithe- - - 5 - (1772, 1784, 1821, 1854, 1897). Tower - -'- - 5 - (1737,1750,1775,1883,1891). Vintry - - - - 3 - (i774> l82 ^, 1827). Walbrook - - - 4 - (1725, 1758, 1766, i860). * In Portsoken and in Cheap there were three successive elections to fill one vacancy. In the former of these wards Michael Scales was three times returned at the head of the poll, viz. : in February, 1831, December, 1831, and June, 1833, being on each occasion rejected by the Court of Aldermen. (See page 153. ) In Cheap Ward, Sir John Bennett was returned at the elections of June, August, and October, 1877, and was rejected after each return. The Aldermen of the City of London. 205 The following table shows the way in which the various vacancies have been created for Aldermanries of the various wards since the restoration of the Charter in 1688: — Aldermen Elected. Aldersgate - - 14 *Aldgate - - - 18 Bassishaw - - 15 Billingsgate - 14 Bishopsgate - 13 Bread Street - 13 Bridge Within - 19 Bridge Without *Cheap - - - Coleman Street Cordwainer Cornhill - - - Cripplegate- - I )owgate - - Farringdon W'n. Farringdon W't. Langbourn - - Lime Street *Portsoken - - Queenhithe Tower - - Vintry - - - Walbrook - 30 Broad Street - 14 Candlewick 1 2 Castle Baynard 18 21 16 17 10 l 5 1 1 18 23 20 17 16 Death. I 2 1 I 8 6 9 7 10 2 2 9 7 6 '4 9 14 9 8 ro 12 10 6 10 8 17 8 9 9 Removal to Bridge Without. I I I I I I I 2 I I O o o 2 o o 2 2 2 O I 2 Resig- nation. 5 5 2 *y 3 5 7 3 8 5 2 3 1 4 2 4 6 2 4 4 4 Removal to another Ward, except Bridge Without. O O o o o o o o o o o I o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Refusal to Serve. O I O ] o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 1 3 o o o o Renewal by the Court of Aldermen. O O o o o o I o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Elec- tion Void. O O O O O o 1 o o o I o o o o o o o o o o I o o I o 421 260 27 92 * Two persons who were elected for Cheap and Portsoken respectively, were rejected by the Court of Aldermen, and Sir David Salomons, who was chosen successively for Aldgate and Portsoken, declined to take the oath which required a profession of the Christian religion. The longest tenure of office by an Alderman at this period was that of Sir Watkin Lewes, who was Alderman of Lime Street for over j2 years, anil then of Bridge Without for 16 ; the longest in a single ward, that of Sir William Lawrence, who was Alderman of Bread Street for nearly 40 years before his removal to Bridge Without. THE COMMON COUNCIL. It may not be thought out of place, to follow the account of the Aldermen, by a short history of the Common Council and the changes that have taken place in the representation of the wards during the last six hundred years. It may be premised, that the Common Council was not originally the formally constituted body that it is at the present day. The earlier councils consisted, as we are told, of the "wiser and more discreet " men of the wards, chosen and summoned to Guild- hall, as special emergencies in public matters arose, and it was only towards the close of the thirteenth century, that, upon the necessity of meeting becoming more frequent, the council began to take shape as a legislative and executive body ; annually elected from the wards or by the Craft Guilds, but subject to the jurisdiction of the aldermen. The following few notes and abstracts from the Records are interesting and instructive, and will help to give, at least, a general idea of the development of the Court of Common Council from mediaeval times to the present ; the selection, and, in later times, the election of its members ; its composition ; and the work it undertakes and carries out at the present day. First, we may note the early hour of meeting. In 1354 (28 Edward III) "It was ordained and agreed that hence- forward, when the aldermen and other citizens of the city of London shall be summoned to be at the Guildhall of London for arduous affairs touching the commonalty of the said city, and shall not come there by the first hour struck at St. Paul's they shall be amerced at two shillings to the use of Commonalty of London." {Letter Book G, fo. 19.) At the period the Guilds or " Mysterys " appointed their own members to the Common Council (viz., in 1376), the oath of a Com- mon Councilman was as follows : — Ye shall swear that ye shall come readily when ye shall be summoned for common council of the city, if ye have not lawful and reasonable excuse ; and good and lawful counsel shall ye give ac- cording to your knowledge and ability ; and for no favour shall ye maintain any private profit against the common profit of the city, saving 2o8 The Common Council. to every Mystery its reasonable usages ; and when ye shall be there come, ye shall not depart without reasonable cause or leave of the Mayor, or before the Mayor and his Companions depart. {Letter Book H, fo. 46 b.) The following is a precept of the Lord Mayor for the holding of a Wardmote in the middle of the fifteenth century : — We charge and comaunde you that as sone as ye may goodly after the sight of this p°sent Warant ye do holde your Wardemote And that ye have afore us at our gehall Courte to be holden in the Guyldhalle the moneday next after the feste of Epiphanye next covhyng all the defautes that shall be p°sented afore you by enquest in the seid Wardemote And we wol that the seid enquest have power and auctoritee and stonde in effect by an hole yeer to enquere and p°sent all suche defaultes as shall be founde withyn your Warde as often tymes as shall be thought to you expedient and nedefull And if it happe eny of the seid enquest to die or departe oute of your seide Warde Withyn the yere that thanne in stede and place of hym or of hem so dying or departyng ye do chose an able psone or psonns to enquere and p°sent with that other in maner and fourme aboveseid And that then ye have afore us the names of alle them of your seid Warde that come not to your seid Wardemote if they be duely warned to that ende that we may do purvey and ordeigne due redresse and punysshement of them as the cas shall requyre Setth also and ordeyneth that duryng the solempne feste of Cristemasse next comyng covenable watche be kept and lanternes light be nyghtertale in maiv'e accustumed And that noo man goo be nyghtertale withoute lite or viserd on the perell that longeth therto. Purveyth furthermore by the advise of the worthyest men of all yo r warde {tan? in margin] of the moste sufficient men of good and wysest of discrecion to be for your seid Warde of the comyn counsell of this Citee for the yere next suyng And certeyn other honest psones to be yo r constables and scavageours and a comyn bedell Doth chese eke in the seid Wardemote a Rakyer to make clene the stretys and lanes of your seid Warde And we wol and gunte by this p°sent Warant that the seid constables shull haue full power and auctorite to distreyn for the salary and quarterage of the seid bedell and raker as often as it shall be behynde unpaied Wretyn at london under the seall of our office of mairalte of xij day of decembr the furste yere of the reign of kyng Edward the iiij. — Liber Dunthoru, fo. 124. It is uncertain when the election of Common Councilmen first took place on St. Thomas' Day — but in 15 17 the practice was mentioned as an " old custom;" although it is certain that, in early times, and probably until the end of the sixteenth century, an election, as understood in these times, seldom took place; there was rather what may be called the selection of Common Councilmen. As stated above, in 1376 the Mysterys sent men of their own body to represent them. In 1383, when the privilege was taken away from the Mysterys and again given to the wards, we find the Mayor and Aldermen selecting men to attend the Common Council, for in Letter Book If, fo. 235, we find the following : — " In the presence of the mayor, sheriffs, and twelve aldermen, it was assented by them that as there had been great controversy among The Common Council. 209 the good people of the city, on right of the common council, some wishing it to be made by people from the mysteries, and others by people from the wards, for appeasing and putting an end to which, it was ordained that at such time as the mayor and aldermen in time to come have business, and are engaged to summon other good people of the said city to the common council thereof, the mayor, in the presence of twelve aldermen at the least, shall elect certain persons from each ward, according as the ward is great or small, so many as shall seem to them necessary and meet for the time, and those so elected he shall cause to be summoned to the said council, having no regard of what mystery they may be." The election of Common Councilmen during the fifteenth century seems to have been conducted in a very loose manner, as the necessity of the following order will show : — 16 December, 3 Edward IV [a.d. 1463]. "At a common council it was resolved that the aldermen in their wardmotes observe the form limited in their commissions, and that they do not elect more persons to be of the common council than are assigned to their commissions." — -Journal 7, fo. 54 b. It will be seen by the following extract that the election or selec- tion of Common Councilmen on St. Thomas' Day was spoken of as an old custom in the early part of the sixteenth century : — 28 September, 9 Henry VIII [a.d. 1517]. Itm yt ys agreed that ev'y Alder- man in hi.s Warard yerly uppon Seynt Thomas Day in ther Court of Wardemote shall swere suche psones as shalbe chosen of the Coen Councell accordyng to the olde custome. — Letter Book N, fo. 53b. In 1527, an effort was made to ensure the proceedings of the Common Council being carried on in a proper and businesslike manner, and for this purpose a committee was appointed, consisting of 26 persons, selected from the Mercers', Grocers', Drapers', Goldsmiths', Skinners', Haberdashers', and Merchant-Taylors' Companies — who were ordered to sit every Wednesday, "for the matters concernyng the coen weale of the Citie of London." They reported in due course, and a portion of their Report runs as follows : — "Also for an order more convenient to be had for the manner of your common council within this city ; forasmuch as authority is given, as ye know, unto the mayor and citizens of this city by our com- mon charter, and by authority thereof, to make laws, so that they be 210 The Common Council. consonant to reason, the which so made are of no less strength than acts of the high court of parliament, it were of a good congruens, having this high liberty and large pre-eminence, that albeit afore time not using the same with due and perfect order, as ensample at sight plainly is perceived, the which is the court of parliament, that most wisely, most indifferently, and with high discretion time out of mind is and hath been used to prosecute and to follow the same like order in the courts of the common council of this city, were most laudable and most in- different way, which prudent order is, that no cause or matter shall there pass to be authorised by parliament before the king and the lords above, or before the commons beneath, always it is used the said causes to be read in sundry particular days, as well before the king and the lords as before the commons ; and on every such cause or causes be passed as a firm law to be in strength, then not only the king our sovereign lord and all the noble lords of his realm take such deliberation but also the common house taketh like deliberation in reasoning and debating the same causes, whereby the said causes and matters do not suddenly and unadvisedly pass, nor they determine nor make answer in the same, without deep knowledge and clear understanding, by great deliberation and good counsel had in the same, as it is to be feared often and many times in the common councils of this city doth and is contrary used, to the hurt of the whole common wealth of the same, that for the most part the said commons do give sentence yea or nay at the first opening of matters which they never heard of before ; the which is neither laudable or reasonable so to do : wherefore it is thought very reasonable and requisite that the commons of the said common council may be used in their assemblies, in their weighty causes for the common wealth of the same city, like and according unto the common house of the high court of parliament as they use for the common wealth of this realm in their assemblies ; which is very laudable and commendable so as to be observed. Et hoc pro secundo. " And that four times in the year the common council shall assemble by ordinary custom, although there be no matter purposed for the same ; to say every quarter one day, conveniently, according to an act made by the said common council the first year of king Richard the Second. " Forasmuch as your said suppliants think the abovesaid order good and sufficient, concerning the manner and usage of your common councils, it may please your lordship and masterships that a new order The Common Council . 2 1 1 may be had in choosing of them who shall exercise the same otherwise then before this time hath been used ; for it is thought that the politic governance of this city next unto the mayor and his brethren resteth in such like persons, wherefore of reason they ought to be of the most sage, wise, discreet, and men of best consequence and experience that within this city may be found, and none other to be in that room admitted. Therefore it is thought expedient that from henceforth be recited in every commission that shall be given to the aldermen against Saint Thomas's day before Christmas, that every alderman in his ward, with his deputy do appoint and name two of the most wisest circumspect persons within his ward to be of the common council, and they 4 to name and appoint the residue of the most politic and wisest persons, such a number as in every ward of old time hath been accustomed, and their names to be entered on the backside of every indenture of the inquests of wardmote, and so to be presented like and according as of ancient custom hath been used ; and so if this be well regarded and may take effect, as it is intended and meant, we think verily it shall avoid many enormities that before times hath happened, and to be a special cause of increase of the common wealth of this city and the citizens of the same." — Letter Book O, fo. 47 seq. A few years later, viz., in January, 1537, the wardmote of Walbrook, desiring to have their free election of Common Council, were answered by the Court of Aldermen, that the election appertained to the alderman, and not to the wardmote inquest, and to be confirmed by them. — Repertory g, fo. 233. Some time towards the end of the sixteenth century, the wardmote seems to have regained or obtained the right of directly electing the representatives of the ward, but the elections were still carried out in a most irregular manner; it frequently happened that more persons were returned than the ward had a right to send. The following cases in the Wards of Bread Street and Broad Street, in the seventeenth century, show that this irregularity still continued : — 10 January, 6 Charles I [a.d. i 63 1]. — Special Court of Aldermen. Item : Forasmuch as this court was now informed by Sir Martin Lumley, knt, alderman of the ward of Bread street, that Robert (hay and John Goodwin are chosen and presented by the wardmote inquest of that ward, in their indenture of presentments, to he common councilmen, above the number appointed by precept in that behalf directed from the 2 12 The Common Council. ■*■ lord mayor, which are not approved of and sworn by the said alderman ; it is thought fit, and so ordered by this court, that the said Gray and Goodwin shall for that cause be struck out of the said indenture. And it is also ordered, upon the like information given unto the court by Mr. Alderman Moulson, that Isaac Jones and John Woodall, who are like- wise chosen and presented by the wardmote inquest of the ward of Broad street, whereof he is alderman, to be two of the common council, exceeding their commission in that behalf, the said Isaac Jones and John Woodall, being not allowed of and sworn by the said alderman, shall also be struck out of the said indenture. — Repertory 45, fo. 73b. 9 January, 7 Charles I [a.d. 1632]. — Special Court of Aldermen. Item Forasmuch as the wardmote inquest of Bread street have pre- sented in their indenture twelve common councilmen where there ought to be but ten, and that Thomas Hussey and Robert Gray, certified to be two of the said common councilmen, were elected contrary to the commission directed to Sir Martin Lumley, knight, alderman of that ward, for which cause he justly excepted against them, and refused to give them the oath of a common councilman ; it is thought fit, and so ordered by this court, that the said Hussey and Gray, so unduly chosen, shall be struck out of the said indenture. — Repertory 46, fo. 54. 8 January, 8 Charles I [a.d. 1633]. — Item Forasmuch as the wardmote inquest of Bread street have presented in their indenture the names of twelve common councilmen where there ought to be but ten, and that George Melhuish and Henry Plompton, certified to be two of the common councilmen, were elected contrary to the commission directed to Sir Martin Lumley, knt, alderman of that ward, for which cause he justly excepted against them ; it is thought fit, and so ordered by this court, that the said Melhuish and Plompton, so unduly chosen, shall be struck out of the said indenture. — Repertory 47, fo. 83b. In 1642 the Court of Aldermen appointed a Committee to examine respecting elections of Common Council and other officers ; the antient method used ; what course is most fit for the more orderly and quiet making of these elections ; what number is fit for every ward ; and the ways and means to make every precinct equal in all the wards. — Repertory 56, fo. 72. As showing the power of the Court of Aldermen over the Common Council during the seventeenth century, the following ab- stracts are given : — The Common Council. 2 1 % o In 1618, 12 June [16 James I], and again in 1669, an order was made by the Court of Aldermen That before a Common Council be holden, a Court of Aldermen should be kept for deliberating and con- cluding of all matters to be named or propounded ; and no matter to be offered to the Common Council that had not been first debated and thought necessary and convenient, by a full Court of Aldermen or a special committee. — Repertory 33, fo. 322. 1 October, 15 Charles II [a.d. 1663]. — An order was made for common councils to be appointed (as before the late troubles was accustomed), by order of the court of aldermen ; that the times and occasions of calling the same being understood, all the aldermen may the more certainly attend, and be the better prepared for the matters there to be handled and debated. — Repertory 6p, fo. 208b. At this period the Common Council seem to have met at ten o'clock in the morning. 21 February, 25 Charles II [a.d. 1674], — A committee was appointed to consider of frequent holding Common Councils and the usages for calling, holding, and dissolving those Courts. — Journal 48, fo. 24. By a perusal of the above abstracts respecting the Common Council and the election of its Members, it will be seen that there was great uncertainty on the part of the Aldermen as to the number of representatives a Ward was entitled to send to the Court of Common Council; the numbers seem to have constantly varied, only being definitely settled toward the middle of the eighteenth century. But, although the numbers of the Common Council constantly changed, it is a remarkable fact that the number, the boundaries, and area of the wards have remained practically without change from time immemorial, the only alterations being, the dividing into two, of the Wards of Farringdon and Cripplegate respectively. In 1393, Farringdon was thus divided into two wards (within and without the walls), with an alderman presiding over each. Cripplegate was also divided in the same manner in later times, and from the entry in the Repertory as given on page 129, it would seem to have been in 1569. In the case of Cripplegate, one alderman presides over the two wards, each of which, however, separately elects its Common Councilmen. The wards thus remaining of the same area, and with the same boundaries as originally settled, the only changes to note are the altera- tions that have taken place from time to lime in their relative importance, 214 The Common Council. as shown by the number of representatives sent to the Court of Common Council by each. In 1285, we find the names of the "40 good men of all the wards sworn to consult with the aldermen on the common affairs of the City." In 131 7 (11 Edward II), we have the names of seventy-two of the "good men of the Commonalty of the City assembled before the Mayor and Aldermen at the Guildhall " {Letter Book E, fo. 66b) ; but these names are only of the men from the Wards of Vintry, Bread Street, Cripplegate, Farringdon, Aldersgate, Queenhithe, and Coleman Street — all these were wards west of Walbrook. The names of the remaining men would appear to be given, but no information respecting the wards they represented. In 1322 [16 Edward II], forty-eight men were elected. Two of each to be elected by the men of the same ward, so that they ordain and dispose of the whole Commonalty ; and whatsoever they shall do on behalf of the Commonalty, the Commonalty shall hold firm and stable, that the labour of the Commonalty may in future be lessened.- — Letter Book E, fo. 141b. In 1347 [21 Edward III], Each alderman in his wardmote had to cause eight, six or four of the best men thereof, as the ward was large or small, to attend at the Guildhall when summoned, touching the arduous business of the City. — Letter Book E, fo. 136b. The City originally seems to have been divided into wards east and west of the Wall-brook, and are thus described in the list of 1347. The following were the wards east of Walbrook, with the number of their representatives: — [21 Edward III] — Aldgate, six; Billingsgate, six ; Bishopsgate, six ; Bridge, six ; Broad Street, five ; Candlewick, six ; Cornhill, six ; Dowgate, six ; Langbourn, six ; Lime Street, two ; Portsoken, six ; Tower, six ; Walbrook, six. West of Walbrook. — Aldersgate, four; Bassishaw, six; Bread Street, four ; Castle Baynard, five ; Cheap, six ; Coleman Street, six ; Cord- wainer, six ; Cripplegate, six ; Farringdon, six ; Queenhithe, six ; Vintry, five. These numbers give seventy-three members for the thirteen wards East, and sixty for the eleven wards West of Walbrook (133 in all) — the eastern portion being thus specially favoured, as the area covered by the thirteen wards in the east was far smaller than that of the thirteen on the west — but this probably can be accounted for by the fact that The Common Council. 2 1 5 the eastern portion of the city was the most ancient, and in early times was more fully populated than the west, which filled and developed at a later period. The representation of the wards gradually became proportionate to the growing importance of the western part of the City, until, as at the present time, the thirteen eastern wards have ninety-eight representatives, and the twelve to the west one hundred and eight. Then followed the short time when the misteries or craft guilds appointed the members of the Common Council. This was done in the first instance in 135 1 [25 Edward III], by-the following companies, who appointed in varying numbers as follows : — Mercers and Fishmongers, six each ; Grocers, five; Drapers, Goldsmiths, Woollen YVoolmen, Skin- ners, Salters, Taylors, Cordwainers and Butchers, four each ; Vintners, three ; and Ironmongers two each, or fifty-four in all. — Letter Book F, fo. 206. In 1376 [50 Edward III], an ordinance was made by the mayor and aldermen, with the assent of the whole commons, to the effect: — that the misteries should select men with whom they were content, and none other should come to the elections of mayors and sheriffs ; that they should return the names of the parties chosen to the new mayor ; that the greater misteries should not elect more than six, the lesser four, and the least two, who were to remain in the office of Council for the ensuing year, and if anything were ordained by the mayor and aldermen touching the commons, without the assent of the greater part of them, or at least of the twelve most sufficient misteries, it should be held for nothing (Letter Book H, fo. 46b.). Forty-seven misteries nominated 156 members. In 1383 the right of election reverted to the Wards. by an ordi- nance of the mayor, aldermen and an immense commonalty, the aldermen were charged within fifteen days after the Feast of St. Gregory, in each year, to assemble and choose four of the most sufficient persons in the wards to be of the Common Council for the year ensuing, and to present them to the mayor, who should accept them and see that they took the oath prescribed ; provided that he should not receive in any instance more than eight persons of the same mistery, although more than eight of one mistery should be presented and chosen. It will be noted that, although the (.lection had again fallen to the wards, it was feared that the misteries or craft guilds might obtain undue numbers of representatives. 2 1 6 The Common Council. The number of persons sent by any one mistery was therefore limited. The number elected under the above ordinance was ninety-six, distributed among the wards as follows : — Bridge, Cheap, Cordwainer, Cripplegate Within and Without, Farringdon Within and Without, six each ; Alders- gate, Billingsgate, Bishopsgate, Bread Street, Broad Street, Candlewick, Castle Baynard, Cornhill, Dowgate, Langbourn, Queenhithe, Tower, Vintry and Walbrook, four each ; Aldgate, Bassishaw, Coleman Street, Lime Street, and Portsoken, two each. — Letter Book H, fo. 173. There is a rough list of the Common Council in the City's Records, in 1459, which has been subjected to so many additions, corrections, and alterations, that no definite information as to the number of Com- mon Councilmen, and their respective wards, can be extracted from it. In 1534 [25 Henry VIII], it was agreed that Cornhill should have six persons to be of the Common Council for the year following. About 1549 [Edward VI], the ^otal number of members appears to have amounted to one hundred and eighty-seven, but how or when the increase took place from the ninety-six members in 1383 we have no means of ascertaining. (A note of these alterations was probably made in the almost undecipherable list of 1459, mentioned above.) The numbers were much more unevenly distributed in the wards than in 1383. Bridge Ward may especially be mentioned, which had eleven members added. The number of members for the various wards was as follows : — Bridge, seventeen ; Cheap, eleven ; Billingsgate, Bread Street, Cripplegate — then undivided — and Farringdon Within, each having ten ; Broad Street, Candlewick, Cordwainer, Dowgate, Langbourn, Tower, Vintry, and Walbrook, eight each ; Farringdon Without, seven ; Bishopsgate, Castle Baynard, Cornhill, and Queenhithe, six each ; and Aldersgate, Aldgate, Bassishaw, Coleman Street, Lime Street, and Portsoken, four each. (See Minutes of Common Council, 23 January, 1840.) Stow, in his Survey written in 1598, states that the number of Common Councilmen of the different wards were as follows : — Aldgate, six ; Billingsgate, six ; Bishopsgate (number not given) ; Bridge, sixteen ; Broad Street, ten ; Candlewick, eight ; Cornhill, six ; Dowgate, nine ; Langbourn, eight ; Lime Street, four ; Portsoken, eight ; Tower, eight ; Walbrook, eleven; Aldersgate, five; Bassishaw, four; Bread Street, ten; Castle Baynard, nine; Cheap, eleven; Coleman Street, four; Cordwainer, eight ; Cripplegate Within, eight ; Queenhithe, six ; Vintry, nine ; The Common Council. 217 Cripplegate Without, two ; Farringdon Within, twelve ; and Farring- don Without, sixteen members ; these last being apportioned to three separate parishes, viz., St. Bride's, eight ; St. Andrew's, two ; St. Sepulchre's, six ; he mentions the wards throughout the city as being east and west of Walbrook, and places them in the same order in which they were placed in the list of 1347. In addition to the number of Common Councilmen, the same authority mentions aldermen and deputies, but these latter were not members of the Common Council (see page 116). It will be seen by the above list, that the total number of members, as given by Stow, was two hundred and two, and taking Bishopsgate as having the same number as in 1549, there were two hundred and eight in all. At various times additions were made to the numbers of some of the Wards. Tn 1639, both Aldgate and Aldersgate had an addition of two, making six each. Some time between 1549 and 1639, Farringdon Without had four members added, and in the latter year five more, making sixteen in all, a number which the aldermen stated they had formerly sent. Portsoken had one added in 1641, ("on the information of the alderman that the business of the city and the ward could not be so well performed by reason of there being only four") making five. Aldersgate, in 1643, obtained two more ("in regard of the greatness of the ward "), one to be chosen for within the gate, and the other without, making eight in all. Coleman Street seems to have lost two of the four members mentioned in 1549, but in 1645 had four added, making six in all. In 1652, the number for Cheap was reduced to eleven, but in 1654 one was regained, making twelve in all. In 1656, Tower had four added, making twelve in all. These were added by Act of Common Council, on the remonstrance and petition of the inhabitants, showing that as "the ward consisted of twelve large pre- cincts, its affairs could not be so well acted, the condition of its inhabitants known, nor assessments so equally rated, as would be if there was one Common Councilman for each precinct." In 1736-7 Farringdon Within had two added, making seventeen in all. These seem to have been added on the petition of the inhabitants of Blackfriars Precinct, which stated that "The Precinct contained three hundred and twenty houses and has no Common Council, so that the affairs of the Precinct cannot be so well transacted, the conditions of its inhabitants known, nor the assessments so equally rated as would be if there were two Common Councilmen added." 2i8 The Common Council. The district mentioned was of course part of Farringdon Within Ward, but as in olden times (and as still is the practice in some of the Wards) the Precincts nominated members at the Wardmotes, and ex- pected their nominees to be returned. It would seem that the other portions of the Ward, held an undue share of the representation. Between 1549 and 1675, it is very difficult to fix the total number of the members. But we know from the lists of the Common Council- men preserved in the Town Clerk's Office, that by the latter year, the number had increased to 234. In 1679, we find the numbers to have been 238, and this appears to have fallen to 233 in 1688. Between 1689 and 1737, there were 234, and in 1738, we find 236, and this seems to be the number annually elected for nearly a century from this date. In 1826, by an Act of Common Council, upon the petition of the Freemen inhabitant householders, Cripplegate Ward Without had an addition of four members, making the total number of the Common Council, 240, who were distributed in the Wards, as follows : — Far- ringdon Within, seventeen ; Farringdon Without, sixteen ; Bridge, fifteen ; Bishopsgate, fourteen ; Bread Street, Cheap, and Tower, twelve each ; Billingsgate, Broad Street, Castle Baynard, and Langbourn, ten each ; Vintry, nine ; Aldersgate, Candlewick, Cordwainer, Cripplegate Within, Cripplegate Without, Dowgate, and Walbrook, eight each ; Aldgate, Coleman Street, Cornhill and Queenhithe, six each ; Port- soken, five ; Bassishaw and Lime Street, four each. During the latter part of the eighteenth century, the hour of meeting of the Court of Common Council varied from n to 12 o'clock noon. In 1798 some attempts were made to fix the hour at 5 o'clock in the evening. In 1840 it was thought desirable to reduce the total number of Common Councilmen, and to more equally apportion the members to the different wards ; in this adjustment, the same proportion of members for the wards east and west of Walbrook was continued, as in the list of 1826. The alteration was made by an Act of Common Council, 8 May, 1840 [3 Victoria] entituled : " An Act for altering and amending the Representation of the Citizens of London, and the Liberties thereof in Common Council." The Act commences as follows : — " Whereas, from time whereof the memory of man runneth not to the contrary, there hath existed, and still doth exist, within the City of London a Common Council, consisting of the Mayor and Aldermen of the said City, and certain Citizens being Freemen of the said City, The Common Council. 219 annually elected to be of the same Council, and called the Commons of the said City : — And whereas, under and by virtue of the ancient Charters, Ordinances, Statutes, and Customs of the said City, the power of appointing and regulating the number of Citizens to be from time to time elected of the same Common Council hath, from time whereof the memory of man runneth not to the contrary, belonged, and still of right doth belong, to the Mayor, Aldermen and Commons of the said City." The right to determine the number of Members of the Common Council was granted under the Charter of Edward III [1341], em- powering the citizens " to amend customs which, in course of time, should have been found hard or defective." The Act goes on to state that the number of Common Councilmen annually elected for the several wards is unequal, and " does not bear a fair proportion to the relative number of inhabitants and the amount of rateable property in each respective ward " ; it then enacts the different numbers that each ward should elect, as follows : — Farringdon Without, sixteen ; Bishops- gate and Farringdon Within, fourteen each ; Bread Street, Bridge, Billingsgate, Broad Street, Cheap, Coleman Street, Cripplegate Within, Cripplegate Without, Tower, Langbourn, Castle Baynard, Aldersgate, Aldgate, and Portsoken, eight each; Dowgate, Candlewick, Cordwainer, Cornhill, Queenhithe, Vintry, and Walbrook, six each : and the Wards of Bassishaw and Lime Street four each — two hundred and six members in all. The number of members for the various wards, as given above and settled by the Act of 1840, remains the same at the present day. In 1854 the Court of Common Council discussed proposals (and divisions were taken), for reducing the number of members returned by the wards, and after futile attempts to reduce the number to one hun- dred and twenty, and afterwards to one hundred and sixty, the matter was allowed to drop. In 1857 the Corporation introduced a Hill in Parliament, under the title of " London Corporation Bill," after having been passed by the Court of Common Council — amongst its clauses were provisions for reducing the number of wards to twenty, and the number of Common Councilmen to one hundred and fifty. The Bill was read a first time, 8 February, 1858, but was ultimately withdrawn. Since that time, several attempts have been made by various Governments to " reform " the Corporation, but, as is well known, all have failed. The following is a short account of the Court of Common Council and its duties at the present day : — 220 The Common Council. The Court of Common Council, the full style of which is " The Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London in Common Council assembled," consists of the Lord Mayor, twenty-five other Aldermen, and two hundred and six Commoners, making a total of two hundred and thirty-two. The Lord Mayor, or, in his unavoidable absence, his Locum Tenens, takes the Chair at all Meetings. By custom, a duly constituted Court consists of forty mem- bers or upwards, of whom one must be the Lord Mayor (or his Locum Tenens), and two, at least, must be aldermen. Should attention be called to the fact that fewer than forty members are present, the division bell is rung for three minutes, and. if at the end of that time forty members are not in their places, a count-out takes place, and the Court adjourns. It is the prerogative of the Lord Mayor to call a Court at any time and for any purpose ; he also fixes the hour for commencing the business of the ordinary fortnightly meetings of the Court. Lord Mayors have usually studied the wishes and convenience of the members of the Court as to the time of meeting, as was the case at the last alteration of the accustomed hour, when in 1886, the Lord Mayor (John Staples) ascertained the wishes of the members by taking a show of hands for different hours, and, by a large majority, one o'clock in the afternoon was decided upon. Successive Lord Mayors have followed the custom of calling the Court at that hour. The proceedings of the Court are entered in the Journals, which have been regularly kept by the Town Clerk since the year 1416. Minutes of the proceedings, when printed, are sent to every member, and the correctness of this record is, under the standing orders, the first question at the following Court. The City Seal is especially protected by the following Regulations : — It is only to be affixed in open Court, after formal Resolution. The keys are different and three in number, kept respectively by the Lord Mayor, the Chamberlain (as representing the Court of Aldermen), and the Comptroller, or Vice-Chamberlain (as the Representative of the Court of Common Council) ; and the Seal is only affixed to a document after the same has been examined and signed by one of the Law Officers of the Corporation. The Common Council. 221 The work of the Common Council is chiefly carried on by means of a number of Committees, which are entrusted with certain powers, but which are required to report to the Court on all important matters, receiving its sanction before putting the same into execution. Among other matters, all lettings of property must be submitted to the Court for approval. The composition and formation of these Committees is as follows : — Every Committee (with the exception of two or three, which will be specially mentioned) consists of six Aldermen and 29 Commoners; the first named are nominated by the Court of Aldermen and the Commoners by the members for the 25 Wards (or sides of Wards), each nominating one of their number to the Court of Common Council, which usually confirms such nominations. Subject to annual re-election on St. Thomas' Day, each member serves for four years, and cannot continue longer to be a member of the same Committee unless with the consent of all his colleagues in his Ward, and also with the approbation of the Court. This rule acts most beneficially, ensuring as it does, that, by passing from one committee to another, members obtain a general knowledge of all branches of Corporation work. A chairman is elected at the first meeting of the Committee in each year and acts for the year, and only in most exceptional cases is the term extended, but he remains (as late Chairman) a member of the Committee for another year. The work of the Committees may be conveniently divided under five heads : (1) Estates and Management ; (2) Educational; (3) Open Spaces; (4) Administration; (5) Public Health Department. The Com- mittees in charge of each section under these heads are as follows : — Under the first head — The City Lands, Bridge House Estates, the Irish Society, Coal and Corn and Finance, Law and City Courts, Officers and Clerks, and General Purposes. Under the second head — The Gresham, Library and Art Gallery, City of London Schools, Music, and Orphan School. Under the thiid head — Epping Forest, West Ham Park, and Coal and Corn and Finance. Under the fourth head — Markets, Police, County Purposes, Port of London Sanitary ; and under the fifth head — Improvements and Finance, Streets, Sanitary and Accounts. A Visiting Committee is also appointed for the management of the City of London Lunatic Asylum, at Stone, near Dartford, Kent. 222 The Common Council. The Corporation is the Port Sanitary Authority for the Port of London, under the Public Health Act, 1875 (3 8 an< ^ 39 Vic, cap. 54), and the Public Health (London) Act, 1891 (54 and 55 Vic, cap. 76); and entrusts its work to the Port Sanitary Committee. The Court of Common Council makes the following appoint- ments : — Twelve Governors to each of the Royal Hospitals, namely : — St. Bartholomew's Hospital ; St. Thomas's Hospital ; Bridewell and Bethlem Hospitals ; and Christ's Hospital. Two Aldermen and four Commoners to serve on the Thames Conservancy Board. One Member to serve on the Lee Conservancy Board. A Manager of Aske's Charity, Hoxton. Four Trustees of the Mitchell City of London Charity. One Member (associated with the City Solicitor) to the Municipal Corporations' Association. Four Members of the Governing Body created by the Central Scheme made under the provisions of the City of London Parochial Charities Act, 1883 (46 and 47 Vic, cap. 36). Six Aldermen and twelve Commoners on the Board of Governors of the City and Guilds Institute for the advancement of Technical Education. One Alderman and two Commoners on the Council, and two Members on the Executive Committee, of the same. The Corporation is Patron of the following Livings:— St. Peter-upon-Cornhill. St. Margaret Pattens (alternately with the Crown). St. James, Dukes Place, and St. Catherine Cree (alternately with Magdalen College, Cambridge). St. Bartholomew, Bethnal Green. St. Mark, Victoria Docks. St. Peter, Bethnal Green. St. Mark, Clerkenwell, and St. Cyprian's, Lewisham (two turns in every three). The Common Council. 223 The Court of Common Council (the Corporation being the Market Authority for London) controls the Corporation Markets; and also London Bridge, Southwark Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, and the new Tower Bridge. This Court has the exclusive power of conferring the honorary freedom of the City, and of voting Corporate addresses to Royal and other distinguished personages. The majority of the City offices are in the gift of the Common Council, or its various Committees. In order to be eligible as a representative on the Common Council one must (first) be a Freeman of the City, and householder in the ward he seeks to represent, in other words, a person who being free of the City is rated for a house, paying scot and bearing lot. This is the ancient custumal qualification. Or (secondly) he must be a Freeman of the City and must occupy premises to the value of ^10 per annum in the ward he desires to represent, and must be on the annual Register of Parliamentary voters for the City of London, in respect to such premises ; this is the statutory qualification. The qualifications of the electors are the same as those required in the candidates, except that the elector need not now be a Freeman of the City. The City of London is divided into twenty-five wards of unequal size ; Bassishaw, the smallest, has four representatives, and Farringdon Without, the largest, sixteen. Every Common Councilman ceases to hold office at midnight on the 20 December, and next day — St. Thomas's Day — the annual elections are held at the various Wardmotes which are summoned by precept of the Lord Mayor in accordance with the provisions of the Acts of Common Council 9 Henry VIII [a.d. 1517], and 8 May, 1840. The regulations for holding the wardmotes on St. Thomas' Day and the proceedings thereat, are as follows: — The alderman of the ward, or, in his unavoidable absence, the Lord Mayor, presides on this day. The wardmote, in each of the respective wards, being the same Court, is held in one uniform manner, and with one uniform course of proceeding. A week before the wardmote, a summons is left by the Beadle (who is a ward officer annually elected) with every inhabitant of the ward, requiring his attendance at the wardmote. At the time appointed for the opening of the wardmote, the Beadle makes the following proclamation : — ■ " Oyez, Oyez, Oyez, All manner of persons who have anything to do at this court of wardmote for the ward of . . . holder) here this day 224 The Common Council, before the Worshipful (or Right Worshipful) . . . alderman of the said ward draw near and give your attendance. God save the Queen. " All persons here present are commanded to keep silence whilst the precept is read on pain of imprisonment." The Lord Mayor's precept, which runs as follows, is then read : — "We charge and command you that upon St. Thomas's day the Apostle next coming you do hold your Wardmote, and that you have afore us at the General Court of Wardmote, to be holden at Guildhall the Monday next after the Feast of the Epiphany next coming, your return to this Precept ; except as hereinafter provided in respect of the return to be made of the names of the persons chosen to be of the Common Council of this City. " And that you cause to be chosen men, of the most sufficient and discreet men of your said Ward, to be for your said Ward of the Common Council of this City for the year ensuing, according to the custom in that behalf yearly used. "And also, that you do cause the said persons so elected, to make and subscribe a Declaration before you, and in your presence, in accordance with the provisions, etc., of the Promissory Oaths Act, 1868, the tenor of which Declaration is in your Wardmote Book. " And that you do make a return to the Town Clerk of this City of the names of the* persons elected to be of the Common Council ; such return to be signed and delivered at the time and in the manner prescribed by an Act of Common Council of the 10th day of December, 1857, together with a certificate of the names of all such elected Common Councilmen as shall not have made the said Declaration at your Wardmote. " And that also, in the said Wardmote, you cause to be chosen other person to be Beadle , according to the custom yearly used in that behalf. " Also, that you keep a Roll ol the names, surnames, professions, and trades of all persons occupying within your Ward, wherein the place of their occupation is to be specially noted, by street, lane, or alley. " And also, that you cause the Beadle within your Ward from time to time to certify unto you the name, surname, profession, and trade of every person who shall be newly come to occupy within the Ward, The Common Council. 225 whereby you may make and keep your Roll perfect \ and that you cause the said Beadle to that purpose to make and keep a perfect Roll in like manner. "Also, that no person keep any Public-house within your Ward that is not licensed at the Sessions, according to the statutes ; and that such Publicans do observe all the laws now in force for the regulation and good government of the several Public-houses within this City. " Also, that you have a special care of keeping the peace and good order during your Wardmote, and if any offend herein, you fine or punish him or them according to law. "You are hereby enjoined to cause this Precept to be read at your Wardmote. "And whereas it has been customary to return the Names of the Common Councilmen without inserting the Companies of which they are free, by which some inconveniences have arisen ; you are hereby required for the future to cause to be inserted in your Wardmote Indenture the Company of which each respective Common Councilman is a member : or, if a Freeman only, so state it. " Dated at Guildhall, London, under the Seal of the office of Mayoralty of the said City, the day of in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lady Victoria, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, and in the year of our Lord ." * The precept having been read, the election then proceeds of persons to serve in the Common Council. If a poll be demanded, the City of London Ballot Act, 1887, 50 and 51 Vic, cap. 13, an Act promoted by the Corporation, defines the course of proceeding. In addition to the duty of electing Common Councilmen, a Beadle is elected (in some wards two), the alderman appoints his deputy and the ward clerk, the deputy submits the ward accounts for approval, and the estimate for the coming year's expenses, which done, the assembled citizens discuss ward and city matters, and if thought necessary pass resolutions thereon. The Wardmote is formally closed by the Beadle in the following manner : — * In Portsoken Ward, until 1894, the precept ordered that an Inquest Jury should be appointed for special purposes peculiar to the ward. 226 The Common Council. " Oyez, Oyez, Oyez, All ye good men of the Ward of . . . sum- moned here to this Wardmote, may depart hence and give your attendance when again summoned, and hereof fail not. God save the Queen." By this custom of annual election, which has taken place from time immemorial, and the broadness of the electoral franchise, the Common Council is constituted the most democratic public body in the kingdom, and its strength is undoubtedly due to the fact, that it is thus "'broad based upon the people's will." Under the City of London (Various Powers) Act, 1900 (63 and 64 Vic, cap. 228, sec. 59), a member can vacate his position at any time, by giving formal notice to the Town Clerk. Previously, it was necessary that he should absent himself from all meetings of the Court or its Committees for six months. MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS FROM THE CITY'S RECORDS. In the search for material for the compilation of this book, many curious and interesting entries were discovered in some of the early Repertories and Letter Books. A few of these which are more intimately connected with the subject in hand are here given. They deal with such miscellaneous matters as the introduction of the Ballot Box — with its "yea" and "nay," its white "pese" and black — in the elections of the Mayor and Aldermen and on other occasions of "gravitie"; the setting of the time for the Court of Aldermen to sit and rise according to the season of the year ; the salutary restriction of the number of speeches permitted a member of the Court on any one subject of debate, to three, " unless upon especiall cause with leave of the Court " ; the punishment meted out to various citizens for insults offered to aldermen of their respective wards ; and lastly the stringent regulations as to the various articles of apparel of the Aldermen — their cloaks, gowns, boots, and chains — when sitting in Court, or taking their walks abroad. It will be noted that the aldermen of the " grey cloke " are often mentioned. It would seem that a grey cloak was the distinctive attire of the aldermen who had passed the chair ; these, until the year 1638, being the only aldermen who were justices. 19 September, 17 Henry YIII [1 525]. — Yt ys agreed that in all matPs con- cernyng aswell the Eleccon ofthe Mayre for the tyme beying, Eleccon of eny Aklreman & of all other maps which afore this tyme have been used to be wrytten & tryed by the wey of scrutynye shall nowe from hensforth be tryed & used by the newe Gylte box brought in to this Court by M r Chambleyn W'heruppon ys been wrytten the Words ye nay pvided that the ordre shall contynewe for this yere oonely And aff that as this Court shall be content or discontent uppon the pvewe thereof. — Repertory 7, fo. 56b (42b). 3 December, 24 Henry VIII [1532]. — Also at this Court it is aggreed & decreed that in ev^y matier of gravitie which shall passe or not passe by this Co r te the box shall be brought in to the same And by puttyng in of the white pese or blak the matier to take effecte or not effecte in avoydyng of displeasur. — Repertory S, o. 263. 6 September. 1642. — Item it is thourt fitt & so ordered by this Co' that from henceforth the balloting Box shalbee used in this Court as formerly to declare theyr opinions and resolucons in speciall matte rs to be expounded. — Repertory j6, fo. 15. 228 Miscellaneous Extracts. 8 November, 33 Henry VIII [a.d. 1541 ]. — Itiri yt is fully enacted & agreed by the consent of this hole Courte that my lorde maire & all my maistPs the Aldren of this Cytie for the tyme being at all tymes herafter upon their usuall Court dayes w'in the said Cytie fro Mychelmas unto o r ladie day in lent shall resorte & repaire hither for the same Courts to be kepte by ix of the clok And fro o r ladie day in lent untyll Mychelmas by viii of the clok in the forenone of ev^ye of the same courte dayes here to contynue untyll xj of the clok & then ev°ye oftheim to depte at his pleasure. — Letter Book Q, fo. 41. Repertory 10, fo. 228b. 3 November, 37 Henry VIII [a.d. 1545.]. — Item at this Co r te yt is fully & Resolutelye condescended enacted & agreid by the same hole co r te that my lorde mayer & all my maisters th'aldren of this Cytie for the tyme beinge shall alwayes from hensforward come & Repayre hither for the kepynge of the same Co r te upon the usuall dayes therof at viij of the clok in the mornynge & then begynninge the same Co r te to sytt untyll xj of the clok at the seid Co r te & then ev^ye of theym to depte att his pleasure wythoute blame. — Letter Book Q, fo. 150. 12 May, 1663. — It is ordered and sett downe for a rule to bee hereafter duly observed in this Court That no member of the same shall speake above thrice upon debate of any one business, unlesse upon especiall cause with leave of the Court. — Repertory 69, fo. 1 28b. On 7 November, 1676, it was ordered that the above order be " observed more strictly." 16 July, 1669. — It is thought fitt & ordered by this Court as a rule to bee observed for the future That a Court of Aldren shall bee held the day next before every Comon Counsell & that all bills Reports & matters to be preferred to that Comon Councell shall bee brought to such Court of Aldermen to bee read pused and considered That nothing may bee moved or passed without due preparaeon and Advice. — Repertory J4, fo. 223b. The following orders respecting dinners given by aldermen on St. Thomas' Day, seem to indicate that provisions were very scarce in both the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth — or may it possibly have been that the aldermen passed the order to save themselves the annual expense of " sumptuous dyners ? " 25 August, 26 Henry VIII [a.d. 1534]. — Where afore this tyme Th'ald r men of this Citie have used to make costely and sumptuous dyners at their sev ; all howses to the Wardemote enquest & Comon Counsayll of their sev^all Wardes yerely upon Seint Thomas day th'appostell afore Christmas by reason whereof vitaills at the said feast of Christmas than ymedyatly approchyng at hande were wounte to be veray scante and hard to come by w'yn this Citie. In consideration whereof It ys by the full assent and agreament of this Co r te orderd and agreed And also for a lawe established at all tymes hereaff fermely to be obs°ved & kept, That ev r; y Alderman of this Citie nowe beyng And they that shalbe here after made Alderman of the same Citie shall yerely upon the daye of Seint Thomas aforesaid ymediatly after the charge gyven to the wardemote enquest delyv ; unto unto his or their deputies yf he or they be ther p'sent — And yn their Absens to the foreman of the said wardemote enquest xxs st'linge the same twenty shillyngs to be applyed and bestowed towarde the charge of their household And the same xxs to be paide for and yn full satisfaccon of all rewarde to be gyven to the Wardmote enquest at the delyv^e of their Indentures or at any other tyme upon payne of forfayture offyve Miscellaneous Extracts. 229 pounds sterlinge to be paide to the use of this Citie by ev°y Alderman offending contrary to the teno r of this ordynaunce. And it is further ordered that noo Alderman of this Citie for the tyme beyng shall fromhensforth make any moo dyrf's at their howses to the Wardemote enquests upon Seint Thomas daye aforesaide as afore this tyme hath bene accustomed upon lyke penaltie and forfaitur tobe paide as aforesaid. — Letter Book P, fo. 45 b. Repertory g, fo. 71. 16 December, 15 Elizabeth [a.d. 1572]. Itm it was ordered that no Alderman shall make anye dynner for the inhabytants of his Warde on S' Thomas daye contrarye to the acte of comen Counsell in that behalfe pvyded uppon the payne in the same act lymytted. — Letter Book X, fo. 189. Repertory 17, fo. 419b. In early times the Aldermen had the power of summoning the reputable men of their Ward before them, to consult and advise them on matters touching the good of the city; the summons to attend was sent by the hands of the Ward Beadle, just as it is sent at the present day. In the year 1388 John Walcote, the Alderman of Walbrook, ordered his beadle to go to the house of one Robert Staffertone and — " Request him to meet the said Alderman at the Church of St. Swithun in Candelwykstret, where he and many other reputable men had met together. . . . And the same bedel, going to the house of Robert Staffertone, requested him in the name of his master to attend, who thereupon made answer that he had nothing whatever to say to him, and that he would not come to him ; whereupon the bedel again asked him to come to the said Alderman ; to which he made reply, that he wished the Alderman him- self had come to him, and he might then have kissed his rearward ; and so he altogether refused to appear before the said Alderman. Upon which the bedel returned to his master, and informed him of the answer that had been given by the same Robert Staffertone, whereupon the Alderman thinking that he had used these words unadvisably and without thought, again sent the said bedel to him, but he still continued rebellious — and for the unbecoming words he had uttered the Mayor sent the said Robert Staffertone to prison." — Letter Book H. fo. 224. (Latin.) — Riley's translation. Robert Staffertone was afterwards brought before the Mayor and Aldermen and confessed to his rebelliousness, and to having uttered the words before mentioned. "Wherefore conference having been held upon the matters aforesaid, seeing that the said words were expressly uttered as well in disparagement of our Lord the King, as to the scandal and dishonour of the Mayor, Sheriffs, Aldermen, and all the officers of the said city, and especially of such an officer as an Alderman, who represents the judicial status in the same ; and also, because that every freeman of the said city, when admitted to the said freedom, has been sworn that he will pay due obedience to the Mayor, Sheriffs, Aldermen, and all other officers thereof, for the time being etc. : it was adjudged that he, the said Robert Staffertone, should be imprisoned in Newgate for the next forty days unless he should find increased favour etc." The Alderman of the Ward personally entreated the Mayor and other Aldermen to show favour to Staffertone, which they did by ordering that — " He should be committed to prison until the morrow, namely Palm Sunday: and Oil the same Sunday should be taken from the prison to his house aforesaid, and from Q 2 230 Miscellaneous Extracts. the same house, between the eighth and ninth hour, before dinner, with his head uncovered, and attended by an officer of the City, should carry a lighted wax candle, weighing two pounds, through Walbrok, Bokeleresbury, and so by the Conduit and Chepe, to S. Laurence Lane in the Old Jewry, and along that lane to the Chapel of the Guildhall aforesaid, and there make offering of the said wax candle — which done all further imprisonment was to be remitted to him, and forgiven." In the same year another case occurred, amusing in its way and worthy of being given in extenso — - "William Wottone, Alderman of the Ward of Douegate, on Saturday, the Eve of Pentecost, went to the Shambles of S. Nicholas in London, and seeing divers pieces of meat lying for sale at the shambles there of Richard Bole, butcher, asked the said Richard, at what price he sold the same, to which, he made answer, that 4 shillings was the price, Whereupon the Alderman said, that the meat was too dear ; to which the said Richard made reply : — ' I do verily believe that the meat is too dear for thee ; who I suppose, never bought so much meat as that for thine own use ' And thereupon, the said Richard immediately observing that William aforesaid was wearing a hood of the Alderman's pattern, and so knowing thereby that he was an Alderman, he further said to him : ' Art thou an Alderman ? ' to which the other answered : ' Yea ; why askest thou?' whereupon he said : ' It is a good thing for thee and thy fellows, the Aldermen, to be so wise and wary, who make but light of riding on the pavement, as some among ye have been doing.' For which words so uttered, upon the plaint made by the Alderman aforesaid the said Richard, by precept of the Mayor was committed to the prison of Newgate.' Afterwards, the same Richard was brought into the Chamber of the Guildhall and confessing, put himself upon the favour of the Court, who ordered that he be imprisoned in Newgate for half a year, and that on leaving prison, ' with his head uncovered, and bare legs and feet, he should carry in his hand a wax torch, weighing one pound, and lighted, from Newgate through the Shambles aforesaid, and so straight through Chepe, as far as S. Laurence Lane, and through that lane to the Chapel of the Guildhall ' and there make offering of the same." Letter Book ff, fo. 226. (Latin) — Riley's translation. The following is a sixteenth century extract : — Butler, Mayor, 8 Henry VIII [a.d. 1517]. " fforasmoche as Richard Hampton Sherman of his owne confession ys laufully atteynt afore the Mayer & Aldremen in the Inn 9 Chamb for that he hathe spoken diw'se sedicons schlaunderous & obpbrious words of Maister Milborn Aldremen in Rebuke & Repche of the same Maister Milborn contr a y to his othe & obedience &c. Therefore yt ys adiuged by this Court that the seid Hampton shalbe hadde from this place to the Gaole of Newgate ther to Remayn by the space of xl dayes to be acompted from the day of his ffirst Comyssion to the seid Gaole And Aft r that uppon the next Market day aft r the seid xl dayes The seid Hampton being barehed barelegged & bare feete w l a cedulle uppon his brest havyng thees Words, for Slaundro s & Sedicious Words spoken of an Aldreman, to be hade from Newgate w' a tap of waxe in his hand of a fb of his owne coost. And so thourgh oute all Chepe & to Seynt Anthonyes the well w' ij boketts to lendenhall & so doun Cornehull & thourgh Seynt Laurence lane & to the Chapell of the Guyldhall & there to offer up the seid tap And aff this the seid Imp'sonem' of xl dayes was Remytted forasmoch as the said Hampton humbly uppon his knees submytted hym to this Court and also to Maister Milburn requiryng the seid Court to instaunce the seid Mast r Milburn to pdon & forgeve hym the same offens Then pmyttyng that duryng hys lyfte he wold well behave hym agenst the seyd Maisf Milburn and theruppon yt was farther considered by this Court that the seid Hampton shuld make a Recognic as here aft r folowyth." [Here follows the recognizance.] — (Letter Book N, fo. 25b.) Miscellaneous Extracts. 231 The following case is that of an assault upon the Alderman of Cripplegate by one who had been the Alderman of Cheap Ward : — 8 November, 1576. — " Itm Sr. Thomas Lodge knighte for that he this pse*.. clay did unadvisedlye give unto Mr. John Braunche Alderman of this Cittye a blowe on the face, nere unto the utter Courte of the Guildhall of this Cittye, was by the Courte here this daye commytted to Newgate, for the said offence there to remaine untyll this Courte shall take furder order not onlye for his deliverye but also for his further fyne and punishment, as this Courte shall thinke meete for his said offence." 1607. [21 Jan.] — John Read for indecent speeches and behaviour towards the Alderman of Cripplegate ward, in Court of wardmote, was dismissed by the Court of aldermen, to be of the Common Council, and a new one to be chosen in his stead. — Rep. 28, fo. 149. 19 September 1620. " Item. John Elderrield [and others] for stopping S r Frauncis Jones [an alderman] his Coach in the streete and far assaulting his coachman were by this Courte comitted to the Gaole of Newgate there to remaine till other order be taken for their enlargem' 5 .'" — Repertory 34, fo. 553. Pulling, in his Laivs and Customs (p. 31), says that : "Anciently it was considered that if anyone spoke opprobriously of an alderman, he might be punished for the contempt by imprisonment, and if a freeman, might be disfranchised ; but this was declared not to be legal, although such conduct may still be punished by fine, provided, it is presumed, that the offence related to the alderman in his official capacity." ORDERS RESPECTING OFFICIAL DRESS. 29 November, 35 Henry VIII [a.d. 1543]. — Item yt is this daye for dyv°se Reasonable mete & convenyente Consyderacons & causes movynge the co r te accorded & agreid by the same that aiwell ev°ye of my maisters th'aldfen that nowe be which heretofore hath beyn Mayer & all those that herafter shalbe Mayers of this Cytie as all & e\°ye other Aldfan of the same Cytie w ch nowe are or herafter shalbe knights shall were their Cheynes of golde about their necks outwardly w th owte the colo r s of their gounes And that they or enye of theym shall not at eny tyme from hensefor- ward goo abrode into this Cytie oute of the Compas of the sev°all pishes where they nowe dwell & hereafter shall dwell but that evye of theym shall have ij s\ants at the leste weytinge upon hym upon payne of forfeyture of vj s viij 1 ' for e\°ye offence in this behalf to be paied furthw"' upon the demaunde therof to the hands of the Chambleyn of the seid Cytie for the tyme being withoute pdon or dyspensacbn to the use of the Coialtye of the seid Cytie. And that e' ; y Aldfan that now is or that herafter shalbe Aldfan of the Cytie aforseid shall not depte owte of the p°cyncte of the pishe where he now (1 welly tli or herafter shall dwell into eny other ptes of this Cytie but that he shall were his Typpet of velvett openly aboute his neck & have one s 9 vante at the leste weyting upon hym upon the payn above Remembryd for ev°ye suche suche his offence the same forfeyture to be payed and imployed in man & forme before rehersed. — Letter Book (), fo. 94b. Repertory 11, fo. 14b. 28 November, 3 Elizaljeth [a.d. 1560]. — Item yt was this daye orderyd enactyd ami agreyd that th'actc of this Co r te made the | blank] of November in the tyme of the mayraltye of the right wo'shipfull S r Wyllyam Bowyer knygbt towchinge my maisters th'aldremen of this Cyttye for and concernynge the wearynge of their cheynes of golde 232 Miscellaneous Extracts. and Typytts of velvytt and ha\)nge s°vaunts waytynge upon them when they doo goe abrode in the Cyttye for and after the firste daye of Decemb nowe next comynge be duly obs°ved and putte in execucon accordynge to the true teno r therof And over that yt was also orderyd and decreyd by the saide Co r te here this day that whensoever twoo or three of my said maysters th'aldren that nowe are or that hereafter shalbe Aldren of the sayd Cyttye shalbe appoyntyd and sent together to the co r te or to evy of the quenes highnes moste honorable counsayll for or about th'affayres or busynes of the sayd cyttye, that then in every suche case every of them the said Aldren so to be appoynted and sent shall use and behave themself accordynge to the forme and effecte of the said former acte, And further that none of my said maysters th'aldremen that nowe are or hereafter shalbe Aldremen of the sayd Cyttye being in good healthe of bodye shall sturre or goe abrode in the daye tyme oute of the.precyncte of the parishe where he nowe dwellyth or that he shall hereafter dwell in any nyght gowne w 4 a playne back, and also that all and every of the said Aldremen that nowe are or that hereafter shalbe Aldremen of the sayd Cyttye shall alweys from hensforthe uppon payne of incurrynge into the penaltyes of the sayde former acte mencyonyd for every of the said offences accordynge to the true meanyng of the said former acte uppon Christemas daye, Easter daye and uppon all the residue of the pryncypall feest dayes use and weare their skarlytt gownes when they doe goe to their yishe churches to heare dyvyne s^vyce and noe gowne or gownes of clothe of eny other colo r uppon lyke payne. — Letter Book T, fo. 14. Repertory 14, fo. 417. 29 September, 38 Henry VIII [a.D. 1596J. — Item yt is also agreid that all my Maisters the Aldermens wyfes shall from hensforthe upon Mychaelmas daye go in their Scarlett gownes & not in enye other colour. — Letter Book Q, fo. 186b. 27 February, 1610. — Item whereas an aunciente kinde of habite and ornament doth pticulerly belonge, and hath usually bene appropriated to such Aldermen as have bene Lord Maiors of this Cittie and theire Ladies, to be by them worne on certen festivall daies, as likewise an other different habite to such Aldermen as have not attayned to that height of aucthoritie and govemement and theire wyves Which severall kinds of habite have not of late yeres bene used and worne, in that peculier and distinct forme and manner as hath bene accustomed. This Courte therefore have ordered and thought good, that the right ho : the Lord Maio r calling unto his Lp such Aldermen as he shall thinck fytt shall and may consider and determyne of such orders and customes of habite and ornament as they in theire wisdomes shall thinck meete to be worne and observed by the Aldermen and theire wyves as aforesaid in theire severall kinds and according to their severall places and callings. — Repertory 2g, fo. 180b. 28 October, 1631. — Item this daie diverse thinges were sagely propounded unto this Court by a grave Senator of the same tendinge much to the preservacon of the dignitie and gravitie of the Magistracie within this Cittie, and of this Court in the observacon of theire antient habites, and the good and laudable Orders of this Court made for the better government thereof, Whereupon by and w th a generall good likeinge of this Court It was ordered as followeth, That is to say, 1. — That noe Alderman shall from henceforth come into this Court and sitt in Councell with his Cloake or in his boates without speciall leave of this Court first obtayned nor shall move or speake in any cause with his hatt on or sittinge upon pane of Six shillings eight pence for everie tyme soe offendinge. 2. — That noe Alderman shall from henceforth come upon the Royall Exchange duringe the tyme of Exchange in his Cloake or in his bootes but in his Aldermans gowne, And if hee be a Gray Cloake then alsoe with his chayne thereby to be knowne from others. Miscellaneous Extracts. 233 3.— That all and everie the Aldermens & Sheriffs wifes shall from henceforth upon the Lord Maiors daie at Easter to the Spittle Sermons and at all other solempne and publique meetinges within this Cittie, festivall daies and tymes when theye shalbe invited to the Lord Maiors or Sheriffes shall weare theirehoode and other theire grave and Comlye vestments. — Repertory 45, fo. 569. 20 January, 1642. — Item this day this Court was mooved in the behalf of S 1 William Acton kn' and Barronett for and concerning his place of precedency amongst the Aldren who by antiquity and according to his ranck should have undergone and taken upon him the honour and charge of the place of Maioraltie of this Cittie before S r Edmond Wright kn' and Aldran if he had beene thereunto elected by the Comons of this Cittie for the deciding and clearing of which Question it is resolved and agreed by this Court y l he the said Sir William Acton ought to take his place and rancke within this Cittie and elsewhere when he attends upon any occasion as an Aldran am st other his Brethren next after the youngest Aldran of the Gray cloakes and before any of the Calaber Cloakes according to his rancke and degree and not otherwise. — Repertory 55, fo. 345. 16 June, 1646.— Item It is agreed and soe ordered by this Court that from henceforth noe Alderman shall walke in the streetes w th in this City w th out a man attending upon him, unlesse it be upon some sudden and earnest occasion. — Repertory jS, fo. 140b. 27 February, 1649. — Item It is ordered by this Court that the Aldermen which shall hereafter bee invited to the funerall of an Aldran or the wife of an Aldran, and shall not have morning Gownes given them shall from henceforth weare their violett gownes att such funeralls and to the funerall of any Comoner their blacke Gownes and not to goe & attend the Corpes in their Cloakes as of late hath bin used.— Repertory 59, fo - 35 2 - 10 November, 1657.— It is thought fitt and Ordered by this Court that hereafter when anie of the Aldren of this Cittie shalbe upon anie publique occasion or meetinge with the Companies whereof they are free they shall weire their Violett Gownes for the distinction and dignitie of their place & office exceptinge at such solempnities when they have used to goe habited in Scarlett. — Repertory 66, fo. 3. 12 January, 1658. — Some question beinge moved touchinge the Habitts of the Aldren at ffuneralls, It is now agreed & Ordered that hereafter att ffuneralls w th in this Cittie & Libties where anie Aldren shalbe p'sent, they shall (if they be not mourners) goe habited in their Violett Gownes for more decency and distinction of their place & degree. — Repertory 66, fo. 23 b. 19 November, 1668.— This Court considering of w' importance it is to y e Gov'" to maintaine thoses formes of state & gravity w ch have been antiently observed amongst ye Aldren of this City, did now, for reviving thereof in one pticular of late times discontinued, agree c\: order y< none of my M rs the Aldren shall henceforth goe to theire Parish Churches within y e City & libties but in their Gownes according to an order of y" Court of y'' 28" 1 of November 3" Eliz. 1561 and other former orders in that behalfe. — Repertory 74, lo. 15b. 12 January, 1669. This Court doth conceive it comely & convenient & accordingly order that my Maisters y' Aldren shall goe habited in their violet! Gounds at all times hereafter when they or any of them attend any iVuncrall (where they are not mourners) within this City & libties. — Repertory jj, fo. 55. 234 The Election of Mayor. THE ELECTION OE MAYOR. Until 1376 the Mayor for the time being was elected by the Aldermen and Sheriffs conjointly with the " whole Commonalty," or with a deputation from the various wards. In that year an Ordinance was passed transferring the right of election to members selected by the Rulers of the Guilds, their number varying according to the status of each Guild. This mode of election continued until 1384, when it was placed in the hands of the Common Council and " other men of the wards thereunto summoned." In 1467 the Guilds were again to the fore, the election being ordered to be made by the Common Council, the Master and Wardens of each Mistery coming in their livery, and by " other good men specially summoned " ; and the Livery continued to play an important part in each election until 1 65 1, when an Act of Common Council again placed the right of election in the hands of the Aldermen and Common Council. Notwithstanding this Act, however, we find the Livery, a few years later, again exercising the right of election, and for a long time after- wards much friction continued to exist between the Guilds and the Wards, until the rights of the Livery were established by an Act of Parliament a.d. 1725 (n Geo. I.). The day of election of Mayor has been altered at various times. Formerly the election took place on the Least of St. Simon and St. Jude (28 October). In 1346, it was changed to the Least of the Translation of Edward the Confessor (13 October). Twenty years later, an order was made to revert to the old custom ; but this order was soon ignored, and the election, until the year 1546, took place on the 13 October, when the election was ordered to take place thenceforth on Michaelmas Day. This date has remained unchanged to the present time. There is only one case on record of a Mayor not being an alderman ; — Nicholas Brembre was elected in 1383, and at that time was not alderman of any ward, although in the previous year and again in the year following his election, he is recorded as Alderman of Bread Street Ward. — Letter Book H, fos. 140, 163, 174. An order was made in 1383 [7 Richard II] "That no person shall from henceforth be Mayor in the said city, if he have not first been Sheriff of the said city, to the end that he may be tried in governance and bounty before he attains such estate of the Mayoralty." — Liber A/bus, fo. 241b. The Election of Sheriffs. 235 Although it is commonly supposed that no citizen has occupied the Mayoralty Chair without having previously served as Sheriff, the following list proves that supposition to be erroneous. John le Blund - - - Mayor 1 301-1307. Nicholas de Farndone - ,, 1308, 1313, 1320, 1323. John de Wengrave - - „ 13 16, 131 7, 13 18. Richard de Betoigne - „ 1326. Simon de Swanlond - - ,, 1329. John Pulteney - „ 1330, 1331, 1333, 1336. Adam Fraunceis - - „ 1352, 1353. Sir John Eyles - - - „ 1687 (appointed by James II). ELECTION OF SHERIFFS. Until the commencement of the 14th century, the Sheriffs were elected by the Mayor, Aldermen, and the " Commonalty " of the City. In 1 30 1, an attempt was made to restrict the number of electors to twelve representatives of each Ward, but this, like other subsequent attempts, proved unsuccessful. In 1347, is met with, for the first time, a new method of procedure. In that year, one of the Sheriffs was elected by the Mayor, and the other by the Commonalty, and this prerogative of the Mayor for the time being, to elect one of the Sheriffs continued to be exercised with few, if any, exceptions, down to 1638. From j 642 to 165 1, the Mayor's claim to elect a Sheriff was always contested. For the year 1652, and for some years afterwards, the Mayor neither nominated nor elected a Sheriff; but, in 1662, when he would have elected one Bludworth as Sheriff, the Commonalty claimed their right, although they accepted the Mayor's nominee. The preroga- tive thus claimed by the Mayor, although frequently challenged, was exercised for the most part by subsequent Mayors down to 1674, when exception was taken to William Roberts, whom the Mayor had formally nominated (according to a custom which is said to have arisen in the time of Elizabeth) by drinking to him at a public banquet. In the following year, and for some years later, the Mayor exercised his prerogative of electing one of the Sheriffs without opposition. In 1703, an Act was passed declaring the right of election of Sheriffs to be in the Liverymen of the several Companies of the City in Common Hall assembled; and further, that it should be lawful for the Lord Mayor for the time being, from and after the 14 April until the 14 June in every year, to nominate in the presence of the Aldermen a lit and able person being a freeman, to serve as Sheriff; and in the event 236 The Election of Sheriffs. of refusal, to nominate another. By an Act of 1748 the Lord Mayor might continue to nominate in this manner to the extent of nine persons in the whole. And thus the elections of Sheriffs for London and Middlesex were carried on (with but slight modifications) until 1878, when by an Act of Common Council, all Acts, Orders, and Ordinances regulating or enforcing the nomination or election to the Shrievalty were repealed, and it was declared (inter alia) — that the right of election to the office of Sheriff should vest in the Liverymen of the several Com- panies of the City, in Common Hall assembled. And further, that between the 14th day of March and the 14th day of May in every year, the Lord Mayor should, in the Court of Aldermen, nominate one or more Freeman or Freemen of the City (not exceeding three in the whole) to be publicly put in nomination for the Shrievalty, to the Liverymen in Common Hall assembled, such nomination to remain in force for five years. Every Alderman who has not served the office of Sheriff is, ipso facto, in nomination for the office, in priority to any other person, and it is competent for any two members of the Common Hall to nominate any Freeman of the City of London to the said office. By the Local Government Act, 1888, the right to elect a Sheriff of Middlesex was taken out of the hands of the citizens of London, to whom it had been expressly granted by various Charters. The day of election of Sheriffs has varied from time to time. In the 13th century the election commonly took place on or about Michaelmas Day. During the first half of the next century it occasion- ally took place on St. Matthew's Day [21 September] but more often on Michaelmas Eve ; whilst in the latter half of the century and for many years afterwards the Sheriffs were elected on St. Matthew's Day, and presented in the King's Exchequer on or about Michaelmas Day. In the reign of Henry VIII, the day of election appears to have been changed to the 1 August, the Feast of St. Peter ad Vincula and this continued to be the date of election down to 1585, when an Act was passed (27 May, 27 Eliz.) enacting (inter alia) that the elections of Sheriffs should thenceforth take place on the 24 June, as they are at the present day. The Sheriffs are described in Liber Albus (fol. nb.) as the ''eyes of the Mayor," ever on the watch, and taking their share of the anxieties which the said Mayor, as being but one individual, would be insufficient to encounter. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF THE ALDERMEN OF CRIPPLEGATE WARD. Name. Aleyn, Thomas - - - Avenon, Alexander Avery, Samuel - - - Bamme, Adam - - - Banquell, John de - - Basingstoke, Richard de Bathurst, Sir Benjamin - Bigg, Walter - - - - Blachford, John - - - Botiller, John - - - Braunche, John- - - Bret, Robert le - - - Bromsall, Thomas - - Browne, Sir William Cantelowe, William ( larleton, Thomas - - Cartwright, John - - Catcher, John - - - Challis, Thomas - - ( Ihiverton, Sir Richard - Cooke, Nicholas - - Costantyn, Richard Cottone, Walter - - Livery Company. Mercer - - - Ironmonger Merch't-Taylor Goldsmith - - Date Elected, or ed. Goldsmith Merch't-Taylor Goldsmith - - Mercer - - - Draper - - - Goldsmith - - Draper - - - Mercer - Mercer - - - Broderer - - Fishmonger - Pewterer - - Butcher - - Skinner Innholder - 1 >raper - - - Mercer - - - first mentior — Jan., 31 Mar., 17 June, 12 Mar., 16 Oct., 24 Nov., 9 May, — June, 6 Nov., 24 June, 16 July, 27 May, 12 Mar., 29 Sept., 1 April, 6 Oct., 1 Oct., 6 Oct., 4i7 553 645 384 286 347 683 657 743 423 57i 33i 657 500 446 382 759 588 843 663 657 337 40S Regnal Year. 4 Henry V) 4 and 5 Philip and Mary) 21 Charles I) 7 Richard II) 14 Edward I) 21 Edw. Ill) 35 Charles II) Com'nwealth) 16 George II) 1 Henry VI) 13 Elizabeth) 5 Edward III) Com'nwealth) 15 Henry VII) 24 Henry VI) 5 Richard II) 33 George II) 30 Elizabeth) 7 Victoria) 15 Charles II) Com'nwealth) m Edw. Ill) — Henry IV) 2*8 The Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward. Name. Livery Company. uaie r,iecieu, or first mentioned. Regnal Vear. Cranmer, Samuel - - Brewer - - - 13 Mar., i [632 1 j Charles I) Davyson, Davy - - - Grocer - - - 23 Oct., [657 ^Com'nwealth) 7 July, i 12 Mar., ] [687 | [667 1 k 3 James II) ^19 Charles II) Duncombe, William Mercer - - - Elkyn, William - - - Mercer - - - 28 Oct., 1586 (28 Elizabeth) Esdaile, Sir James - - Cooper - - - 6 Feb., [767 (7 George III) Estfield, William - - Mercer - - - 5 Oct., [423 [2 Henry VI) Evote, William - - - Draper - - - 12 Mar., i 394 < 17 Richard II) Exmewe, Thomas - - Goldsmith - - 5 ])ec -> [508 (24 Henry VII) Forman, William - - Haberdasher - 2 Mar., [5 2 9 ; 2 o Hen. VIII) Forth, John - - - - Brewer - - - 13 Feb., i [668 I ^20 Charles II) Fowle, Thomas - - - Goldsmith - - 4 May, [686 [2 James II) Frowyck, Henry de Pepperer - - [276 1 ^5 Edward I) Fynchingfeld, Walter de Goldsmith - - 1292 1 20 Edward I) Hampson, Robert - - Merch't-Taylor 10 Feb., i 597 1 '39 Elizabeth) Hawes, Christopher Mercer - - - 16 Oct., i [506 I 22 Henry VII) Hayford, Humphry Goldsmith - - 14 Dec, ] 470 l ^49 Henry VI) Hayward, Rowland - - Clothworker - 17 Dec, : t5 66 ^9 Elizabeth) Heather, John - - - Grocer - - - 1 1 June, '657 ^Com'nwealth) Heylin, Rowland - - Ironmonger - 20 April, i [624 < 22 James I) Hodges, Henry - - - Dyer - - - 1 1 Aug., ] [657 I Com'nwealth) Holliday, William - - Mercer - - - 19 Feb., [617 \ ^14 James I) Hudson, John - - - Upholder - - 6 Apr., [624 [22 James I) Hynde, Augustine - - Clothworker - 3 Mar., 1547 < [1 Edward VI) Hyngeston, John de - Goldsmith - - ^334 < 8 Edward III) 14 Mar., ] [487 1 [2 Henry VII) Knight, Henry Edmund Spect'cle Mak'r 31 Aug., [874 ^38 Victoria) Langham, Samuel - - Grocer - - - 12 May, 1 657 < Com'nwealth) Lethieullier, Sir John - Barber Surgeon 15 June, i 1676 1 '28 Charles 11) Lewis, Samuel - Merch't-Taylor 26 Oct., ] 658 ( 'Com'nwealth) Loveye, John - - - Mercer - - - 12 Mar., [3 88 < n Richard II) Lucas, Robert - - - Goldsmith - - 12 Mar., i 377 < 51 Edw. Ill) 31 Aug., i ^375 < A9 Edw. Ill) Methold, William - - Skinner - - 23 Sept., i 647 < 23 Charles I) Milner, Tempest - - Merch't-Taylor 27 Sept., i 653 ( Com'nwealth) Mitford, John de - - 368 ( 39 Edw. Ill) Overman, Thomas -. - Leatherseller - 13 April, i 624 ( 22 James I) Pack, Christopher - - Draper - - - 10 Oct., i 647 ( 23 Charles I) The Aldermen of Cripp legate Ward. 239 Name. Livery Company. unie jiiiecicu, or first mentioned. Pontefract, William de - 343 ( Robinson, John - - Clothworker - 7 Dec, ] [658 ( Sambrooke, Sir Jeremy 1 July, ] [687 ( Seccheford, Henry de - [ 336 ( Shaa, Edmund - - - Goldsmith - - 16 July, i [ 473 ( Shorter, Sir John - - Goldsmith - - 4 July, [676 ( Skinner, Thomas - - Clothworker - 27 July, i 1596 ( Staines, William - - Carpenter - - 10 April, i 793 ( Stampe, Sir Thomas - Draper - - - 9 Oct., ] [688 ( Stede, William - - - Grocer - - - 7 May, i [ 5°4 ( Stewart, William - - Barber Surgeon 31 July, i 711 ( Stokton, John - - - Mercer - - - — Nov., [461 ( Suffolk, Elias de - - Goldsmith - - - - i [ 3 J 4 ( Swynnerton, John - - Merch't-Taylor 22 June, ] [602 ( Tilney, Ralph - - - Grocer - - - 7 Nov., i ^85 ( Towse, John - - - Grocer - - - 10 Nov., i [640 ( Warbulton, Robert- - 12 Mar., \ ^378 ( White, Robert - - - Leatherseller - 20 Aug., ] 657 ( Whyte, John - - - Grocer - - - 3° Aug., i '554 ] ( Williams, Sir John - - Mercer - - - 20 June, [ 7 2 3 ( Wodecok, John - - Mercer - - - 1402 ( Wood, Matthew - - Fishmonger 14 Sept., i [807 ( Wormwell, William Vintner - - 8 Sept., i [ 657 ( Worstede, Simon de - Mercer - - - ^348 ( Wyndout Thomas - - Mercer - - - 9 April, i [ 499 ( Wyndsore, John de 3°7 ( Regnal Vear. (17 Edw. Ill) (Com'nwealth) (3 James II) (10 Edw. Ill) (13 Edw. IV) (28 Charles II) (38 Elizabeth) (t,3 George III) (4 James II) (19 Henry VII) (10 Anne) (1 Edward IV) (7 Edward II) (44 Elizabeth) (1 Henry VII) (16 Charles I) (1 Richard II) (Com'nwealth) (1 and 2 Philip and Mary) (9 George I) (3 Henry IV) (47 George III) (Com'nwealth) (22 Edw. Ill) (14 Hen. VII) (1 Edward II) INDEX. Abbutt, Morris, bo. Abney, Sir Thos. , 201. Acton, Sir William, 185, 233. Alderman, Edwin, deputy, 115. Aldermanbury, conduit in, 30. Aldermen, annual elections of, 1, *9> J 39> x 55 5 election of, for life, 2, 25, 140, 156; remove from one ward to another, 2, 192 ; fines for discharge of, 3,4, 177; committal of, to Newgate, 45, 145, 177; discharges of, 53» 59, 60, 63, 68, 69, 70, 71, 77, 78, 79, 82, 83, 141, 142, 186- 191; dismissal of, 76; origin of office of, 137; qualification of, 141, 142, 143 ; to belong to one of the principal companies, 144 ; not more than six of one company, 144, 151 ; committal of, for refusing to change their companies, 145; two persons to be nominated in elections of ; in- creased to four, 148, 157 ; nominations for, rejected by the Court of, 148-154 ; to be two years in one ward before removing to another, 149, 151, 194 ; manner of election of, 154-159; two aldermen and two commoners to be nominated in elections of, 158 ; two persons only to be nominated, id., directly elected by the Wards, 159; attempts at reform in elections of, 1 59-161 ; swearing in of, 162; created Justices of the Peace, 171 ; exempt from Juries, 173 ; to reside in the City, 173-176, 187; punish- ment for refusing office of, 1 77-181 ; punishment and power of dismissal of, 182 ; " iij clokes of aldremanship," 184 ; power of removal of, from one ward to another, 192-203 ; of Port- soken and Bridge Without, 198 ; table of contested elections in the several wards, 204 ; table of va- cancies, &c. , in the several wards, 205 ; early um- ol ballot box in court of, 22J ; not to speak more than three times in court, 227, 228; hours of meeting of court of, id. ; punishment for slandering, 229; punishment for assaulting, 231 ; official dress of, 163, 169, 1S4, 227, 231-233. and see Holy Trinity, Priors of. Aldermen : — Abbutt, Morris, 60. Abney, Sir Thomas, 201. Acton, Sir William, 185, 233. Aleyn, Thomas, 29. Alleyn, Ralph, 184. Allot, Sir John, 49. Alsop, Robert, 95. Altham, |ames, 184. "Altwold," 1. Ashurst, Sir William, 195, 201. Avenon, Sir Alexander, 47, 196. Averell, Henry, 198. Avery, Samuel, 63. Aylii'e, Sir John, 198. Aylmer, Sir Laurence, 183. Bacon, James, 193. Baker, William, 201. Bamme, Adam, 22, 24, 195, 196. Banquell, John de, 2, 11, 192. Barne, Sir George, 196. Basingstoke, Richard de. 17. 18. Bateman, Anthony, 194. Bathurst, Sir Benjamin, 79, 81. Baylis, Sir Robert, 201. Bellamy, Sir Edward, 201. Benn, William, 95. Bigg, Walter, 71. Billers, Sir William, 201, 203. Billingsley, Sir Henry, 55. Blachforcl, John, 4, 94. Bludworth, Sir Thomas, 194. Botiller, John, 2, 30. Bowes, Sir .Martin, 196. Braunche, Sir John, 51, 193. 231. Breffitt, Edgar, 105, 154. Bret, Robert le, 14. Bromsall, Thomas, 69. Brown, John, 190. Browne, Sir John, 41. 242 Index. Aldermen — continued. Browne, Sir William, the elder, 41. Sir Williarn, 41. Bury, Adam de, 182. Cambell, Robert, 200. Cantelowe, William, 34. Canynges, Thomas, 182. Carden, Sir Rebert Walter, 202. Carleton, Thomas, 21. Carter, John, 117. Cartwrigh.t, John, 4, 95. Catcher, John, 53, 55. Challis, Thomas, 4, 104, 135, 202, 203. Chamberlain, John, 180. Chester, Sir William, 192, 196. Chiverton, Sir Richard, 2, 73;/, 74, 193, 196. Cokayne, Francis, 94. Sir William, 196. Colet, Sir Henry, 40, 187, 194, 196, 197. Conyers, Sir Gerard, 85, 201. Cooke, Nicholas, 4, 70, 175. Cooke, Coke, Sir Thomas, 36, 37- Copeland, Y\ illiam Taylor, 202. Costantyn, Richard, 17, 128. Cotton, Sir W. J. Richmond, 202. Cottone, Walter, 29. Cowper, John, 199, 200. Cranmer, Samuel, 62. Croke, John, 36;/. Curtes, Thomas, 145. Dakin, Sir Thomas, 202. Dashwood, Sir Samuel, 195. Davies, Sir Thomas, 195. Divyson, Davy, 71. Delawood, William, 83. Dere, William, 34. Dodmer, Raufe, 145. Duke, Sir James, 202. Duncombe, Sir Charles, 195. William, 76, 185. Edwin, Sir Humphrey, 195. Elkyn, W'illiam, 53. Ellis, Sir J. Whittaker, 203. Esdaile, Sir James, 4, 96, 99. Estfield, Sir William, 30, 58. Evans, Sir David, 203. Evote, William, 2, 25, 156. Exmewe, Sir Thomas, 42. Eyles, Sir John, 201. Eyre, Sir Simon, 196. Fabyan, Stephen, 141, 178. Farebrother, Charles, 202. Fenn, Richard, 175. Finnis, Thomas Quested, 202. Forman, Sir William, 44, 150. Forth, " Dannett," 77. John, 73;;, 75, 77, 113. Fowle, Sir Thomas, 2, 82. Frowyck, Henry de. 1. 9, 11, 12. Sir Henry, 10. Laurence de, 1. Fynchingfeld, W r alter de, 12, 154- Gabriel, Sir Thomas, 202. Gardyner, Richard, 192. Gedeney, John, 177. Gibbons, Sir Sills John, 117. Goodyere, Henry, 190. Gostlyn, Sir William, 195. Green, Frank, 140. Grenaway, Ralph, 199. Gresham, Sir Richard, 44, 50. Gylbert, Edmund, 184. Halden, William de, 192. Hamcottes, Henry, 179. Hampson, Sir Robert, 57. Hankey, Sir Joseph, 201. Hanson, Sir Reginald, 203. Sir Robert, 195. Hardy. John, 42. Harrison- Gilbert, 175. Harvey, Sir Sebastian, 193. Haverhill, William de, 1. Hawes, Christopher, 42. Hayford, Sir Humphry, 37, 152, 196. Hay ward, Sir Rowland, 49, 51, 193, 196. Heather, John, 69. Herring, Michael, 67. Herron, Nicholas, 185. Heylin, Rowland, 61. Hicks, Sir Baptist, 191. Hill, Sir Thomas, 38. Hodges, Henry, 69. Holliday, William, 59. Hooker, Sir William, 176. Hopkins, Sir Richard, 88. Hudson, John, 3, 59, 60. Hyll, Sir Roland, 150. Hynde, Augustine, 45, 150, 177. Hyngeston, John de, 14, 18, 128. Irlond, George, 194. Ironside, Edward, 95. Isaack, William, 40, 142. " Jakell," 1. Jervys, Richard, 191. Johnson, Thomas, 153, 154. Jones, Sir Frauncis, 231. Kelly, Thomas, 202, 203. Kneysworth, Thomas, 152. Knight, Sir Henry E.. 4. 105, 203. Knill, Sir John, 203. ■ Sir Stuart, 203. Ladbroke, Sir Robert, 201. Lamberd, Nicholas, 149. Lambert, John, 183. Langham, Sir John, 68, 181. Samuel, 3, 68. Index, 243 Aldermen — continued. Langley, John, 192, 193. Laurie, Sir Peter, 202. Lawne, Gedean de, 141. Lawrence, Sir James Clarke, 202, 203. Sir William, 202, 203, 205. Lethieullier, Sir John, 78. Lewes, Sir Watkin, 205. Lewis, Samuel, 3, 71. Leyre, Thomas de, 13. Lobenham, Ralph, 177. Lodge, Sir Thomas, 46, 52;;, 231. Love, William, 68. Loveye, John, 24, 25. Lucas, Robert, 1, 19, 20, 155. Lumley, Sir Martin, 211, 212. Lusk, Sir Andrew, 202. Lyon. Sir John, 45. Lyons, Richard, 182. Malpas, Philip, 158. Marshall, Sir Henry, 95. ■ Nicholas, 187. Martin, Sir Richard, 184. Maryns, John, 1, 19, 20. Master, Sir Harcourt, 201. Mathew, John, 152. Methold, William, 3, 63. Milburn, John, 229. Milner, Tempest, 68. Mitford, John de, 1, 18. Monoux, George, no, 187. Moon, Sir Francis, 202. Moulson, Thomas, 212. Mundy, Sir John, 184. Musgrove, Sir John, 202. Noel, Thomas, 66. Overman, Thomas, 3, 60, 69. Pack, Sir Christopher, 2, 64, 194. Parsons, Sir John, 82, 147, 195, 201. Pecche, John, 182. Pecock, Stephen, 184. Peers, Sir Charles, 201. Pennant, Sir Samuel, 94. Philip, Matthew, 34. Phillips, Sir Benjamin, 202. Piot, Richard, 193. Plomer, or Plumer, Sir John, 37, 183. Pontefract, William de, 17. Ramsey, Thomas, 192. Rawlinson, Sir Thomas. 82, 195- Thomas, 95. Rawson, Richard, 192, 193. Reynardson, Sir Abraham, 67, 68. Roche, William, 44. Rokesle, Gregory de, 10, 11. Robinson, Sir John, 72, 126, 193, 196. Sadler, John, 190. Salamons, Sir David, 202, 203, 205. Salmon, William, 153. Sambrooke, Sir Jeremy, 83. Savory, Sir Joseph, 105, 203. Seccheford, Henry de, 15. Shaa, Sir Edmund, 38, 43, 126. Shorter, Sir John, 79, 83. Sidney, Thomas, 202. Skinner, Sir Thomas, 53, 54, 55. Soame, Sir Stephen, 57, 147, 193- Spencer, James, 190. Stable, Adam, 192. Staines, Sir William, 4, 98, 100. Stampe, Sir Thomas, 84, 85. Staples, John, 220. Stark ey, Thomas, 48. Stede, William, 42. Stewart, Sir William, 2, 85, 87, 114, 147. Stokton, John, 2, 3, 36, 37, 192. Stone, David Henry, 202. Suffolk, Elias de, 13. Swynnerton, Sir John, 58. Taillour, Sir William, 196. Tate, John, no. Tatersall, Robert, 109. Thompson, William, 202. Thorogood, Sir Benjamin, 1915. Tichborne, Robert, 67. Tilney, Ralph, 39. Tolos, John, 145. Towse, John, 63, 151. Turner, William, 68. Twyford, Nicholas, 195. Underbill, Edward, S3. Vanner, Henry, 196. Vyner, Thomas, 66. Walcote, John, 229. Warbulton, Robert, 20, 22, 24. Ward, John, 173. Warner, Samuel, 181. Watts, John, m. White, Robert, 4, 69. Whitmore, Sir George, 73, 185. Whyte, Sir John, 46, 196. Wilfort, James, 1S3. Williams, Sir John, 2, 4, 87, 114, 159. Wilson, Colonel, 202. Wodecok, John, 2, 25, 26. Wollaston, Sir John, 196. Wood, Sir Matthew, 2, 4, 80, 101, 160. WoodrofFe, David, 191. Wooldridge, Thomas, 186. Worley, Henry, 183. Wormwell, William, 70. Worstede, Simon de, 1 |. 18, 12X. Wottone, William. 230. Wright, Sir Edmond, 233. 244 Index. Aldermen — continued. "Wylkynsone, John, 145. Wynclesore, John de, 13 Wyndout, Thomas, 40. Wysshe, or Usshe, John, 180. Aldersgate Ward, 129, 130, 144; removal of alderman to and from, 197 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Coun- cilmenof, 214, 216, 217, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Acton, Sir William, 185, 233. Altham, James, 184. Bamme, Adam, 22, 24, 195, 196. Benn, William, 95. Bludworth, Sir Thomas, 194. Gylbert, Edmund, 184. Hardy, John, 42. Mathew, John, 152. Philip, Matthew, 34. Rawson, Richard, 192, 193, 194. Twyford, Nicholas, 195 Vanner, Henry, 196. "Wollaston, Sir John, 196. Aldgate Ward, removal of alderman to and from, 196, 197 ; contested elections for aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Councilmen of, 214, 216, 217, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Bowes, Sir Martin, 196. Dashwood, Sir Samuel, 195. Irlond, George, 194. Laurie, Sir Peter, 202. Lusk, Sir Andrew, 202. Wilfort, James, 183. Wysshe or Usshe, John, 180. Aleyn, Thomas, 29. Sir Thomas, 193. Alleyn, Ralph, alderman, fined for being absent from election of Lord Mayor, 184. Allot, Sir John, Mayor, death of, 49. Alsop, Robert, 95. Altham, James, alderman, fined for disobedience, 184. "Altwold," probably alderman of Cripplegate, 1. Amcotts, Henry, see Hamcottes. Armourers' Company, alderman to be translated from, 144. Ashurst, Sir William, 185, 195, 201. Atkins, Samuel Elliott, his appoint- ment asDeputyof Cornhill Ward, 117. Atkinson, John, deputy, 115. Aubrey, John, 20. Avenon, Sir Alexander, 47, 196. Averell, Henry, 198. Avery, Samuel, 63. William, Town Clerk, nephew of, 63- Ayer, Thomas, draper, 109. Aylife, Sir John, first alderman of Bridge Ward Without, 198; trans- lated to Dowgate Ward, 199. Aylmer, Sir Laurence, dismissed from his aldermanry, 183. Bacon, James, 193. Baddeley, John James, Deputy of Cripplegate Without, 115, 121, 133. Baker, William, 201. Ballot Box, early use of, in Court of Aldermen, 227. Bamme, Adam, 22, 24, 195, 196. Banks, Edward, haberdasher, 199. Banquell, John de, 2, 11, 192. Barber Surgeons' Company, an alderman translated from, 87, 147. Master of, Lethieullier, Sir John, 78. Barne, Sir George, 196. Bartholomew Fair, 80. Basingstoke, Richard de, 17, 18. Baskerfeld, Humfrey, mercer, 199. Bassishaw Ward, removal of alder- men to and from, 197 ; contested elections for aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Councilmen for, 214, 216, 218, 219, 223. Aldermen of: — Avery, Samuel, 63. Baker, William, 201. Barne, Sir George, 196. Chester, Sir William, 192, 196. Colet, Sir Henry, 40, 187, 194, 196, 197. Costantyn, Richard, 17. Delawood, William, 83. Frowyck, Sir Henry, 10. Gardyner, Richard, 192. Hanson, Sir Robert, 195. Jervys, Richard, 191. Mathewe, John, 152. Monoux, George, no, 187. Pack, Sir Christopher, 66, 194. Parsons, Sir John, 82, 147, 195, 201. Rawson, Richard, 192, 193. Reynardson, Sir Abraham, 67, 68. Stone, David Henry, 202. Underhill, Edward, 83. Warbulton, Robert, 20, 22, 24. Bateman, Anthony, 194. Bathurst, Sir Benjamin, 79, 81. Baylis, Sir Robert, 201. Bellamy, Sir Edward, 88, 201. Benn, William, 95. Bennett, Sir John, refused admission to the Court of Aldermen, 105, 1 54, 204 Bennoch, Francis, 115. Betoine, Richard de, mayor who had not been sheriff, 235. Index. 245 Bigg, Walter, 71. Billers, Sir William, 201, 203. Billingsgate Ward, nomination by, for alderman rejected, 149 ; re- moval of aldermen to and from, 197 ; contested elections for aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Council- men for, 214, 216, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Ashurst, Sir William, 195, 201. Bellamy, Sir Edward, 88, 201. Chamberlain, John, 180. Chester, Sir William, 196. Hamcottes, Henry, 179. Hanson, Sir Reginald, 203. Harvey, Sir Sebastian, 193. Lamberd, Nicholas, 149. Sidney, Thomas, 202. Billingsley, Sir Henry, 55. Bishopsgate Ward, 129, 130 ; removal of aldermen to and from, 196, 197 ; contested elections for aldermen in, 204 ; table of aider- manic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Councilmen for, 214, 216, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Copeland, William Taylor, 202. Fabyan, Stephen, 141, 178. Kneysworth, Thomas, 152. Pennant, Sir Samuel, 94. Pontefract, William de, 17. Skinner, Sir Thomas, 53, 54, 55. Woodroffe, David, 191. Blachford, John, 4, 94. Blackwell Hall, 11. Blount, orBlund, Sir John le, mayor who had not been sheriff, 12, 235. Blowing, Richard, deputy, 115. Bludworth, Sir Thomas, 194. Bonfoy, Nicholas, cloth worker, 193. Thomas, dyer, 193. Bonner, Daniel, 89, 90. James, deputy, 115. Botiller, John, 2, 30. junior, 30. Bowes, Sir Martin, 196. Bowyer, Sir William, 231. Braham, William, deputy, 115. Brass, William, deputy, 115. Braunche, Sir John, 51, 193, 231. Bread Street Ward, nominations by, for aldermen rejected, 1 5 1 ; re- moval of aldermen to and from, 196, 197 ; contested elections for alder- men in, 204 ; table of aldernianic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Com- mon Councilmen for, 21 1, 212, 214, 216, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Ashurst, Sir William, 195, 201. Avenon, Sir Alexander, 47, 196. Baylis, Sir Robert, 201. Hicks, Sir Baptist, 191. Lawrence, Sir William, 202, 203, 205. Lumley, Sir Martin, 211, 212. Martin, Sir Richard, 184. Mundy, Sir John, 184. Tatersall, Robert, 109. Breffitt, Edgar, 105, 154. Brembre, Nicholas, mayor who was not an alderman, 234. Bret, Robert le, 14. Brewers' Company, Masters of: Cranmer, Samuel, 62. Forth, John, 77. Brice, Thomas, Sheriff, 36. Bridge Ward, nominations by, for aldermen rejected, 148, 149 ; removal of aldermen to and from, [96, 197 ; contested elections for aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Council- men for, 214, 216, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Duncombe, Sir Charles, 195. Fabyan, Stephen, 141, 178. Knill, Sir John, 203. Sir Stuart, 203. Mathewe, John, 152. Plomer, Plumer, Sir John, 37, 183. Wooldridge, Thomas, 186. Bridge Ward Without, aldermen of, to be three years alderman, before removing to another, 194 ; removal of aldermen to and from, 197 ; mode of election of, 198-203 ; translation of aldermen to and from, 200-203. Aldermen of: — Abbutt, Morris, 60. Abney, Sir Thomas, 201. Aylife, Sir John, 198. Barne, Sir George, 196. Bellamy, Sir Edward, 201. Cambell, Robert, 200. Carden, Sir Robert Walter, 202. Chiverton, Sir Richard, 2, 73;/, 74. 193. 196- Conyers, Sir I lerard, S5, 201. Cotton, Sir W. J. Richmond. 202. Cowper, John, 199, 200. Eyles, Sir John, 201. Grenaway, Ralph, 199. Harper, William, 199. Key, Sir John, 202. Knill, Sir Stuart, 203. Ladbroke, Sir Robert, 201. Lawrence, Sir James Clarke, 202, 203. Sir William, 202, 203, 205. Lewes, Sir Watkin, 205. Lusk, Sir Andrew, 202. R 2 246 Index. Bridge Ward Without, Alder- men of — continued. Moon, Sir Francis, 202. Savory, Sir Joseph, 105, 203. Starkey, Thomas, 48. Wilson, Colonel, 202. Wollaston, Sir John, 196. Briggs, George, Common Councilman of Cripplegate, 133. Broad Street Ward, nominations for aldermen by, rejected, 152 ; re- moval of aldermen to and from, 197 ; contested elections for aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Council- men for, 214, 216, 218, 219. Aldermen of :— Cokayne, Sir William, 196. Conyers, Sir Gerard, 85, 201. Duncombe, Sir Charles, 195. Ellis, Sir J. Whittaker, 203. Eyre, Sir Simon, 196. Lyons, Richard, 182. Musgrove, Sir John, 202. Rawlinson, Thomas, 95. Salmon, William, 153. Whyte, Sir John, 46, 196. Worley, Henry, 183. Bromsall, Thomas, 69. Brown, John, discharged from civic offices, 190. Brown bakers, 171. Browne, Sir John, 41. Sir William, Alderman of Cord- wainer, 41. Sir William, the elder, Alderman of Cripplegate, 41. Bury, Adam de, 182. Cage, Anthony, salter, 193. Carnbell, Robert, 200. Candlewick Ward, removal of aldermen to and from, 196, 197 ; contested elections for aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Council- men for, 214, 216, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Dakin, Sir Thomas, 202. Gostlyn, Sir William, 195. Herron, Nicholas, 185. Milner, Tempest, 68. Turner, William, 68. Cantebregge, Kantebregge, Cantebrugge, Reginald de, 10. Robert de, Sheriff, 12. Cantelowe, William, 34. Canynges, Thomas, dimissed from his aldermanry, 182. Capell, William, draper, 192. Carden, Sir Robert Walter, 202. Carpenter, John, Common Clerk, 138. Carleton, Thomas, 21. Carpenters' Company, Master of:— Staines, Sir William, 98. Carter, John, 117. Cartwright, John, 4, 95. Cass, Sir John, Sheriff, 85. Castle Baynard Ward, removal of aldermen to and from, 196, 197 ; contested elections for aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Council- men for, 214, 216, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Bigg, Walter, 71. Bowes, Sir Martin, 196. Cokayne, Sir William, 196. Colet, Sir Henry, 40, 187, 194, 196, 197. Croke, John, 36*2. Evans, Sir David, 203. Gibbons, Sir Sills John, 117. Gostlyn, Sir William, 195. Herring, Michael, 67. Ladbroke, Sir Robert, 201. Rawlinson, Sir Thomas, 82, 195. Tilney, Ralph, 39. Wilson, Colonel Samuel, 202. Catcher, John, 53, 55. Challis, Thomas, 4, 104, 135, 202, 203. Chaloner, William de, 128. Chamberlain, John, committal of, for refusing the office of alderman, 180. Chapman, Sir John, Lord Mayor, death of, 84. Cheap, or Chepe, Ward, bequests to poor of, 29 ; the Court of Aldermen refuse to accept Sir John Bennett as alderman of, 154, 204; removal of aldermen to and from, 196, 197 ; contested elections for aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Coun- cilmen for, 214, 216, 217, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Bamme, Adam, 22, 24, 195, 196. Breffitt, Edgar, 105, 154. Browne, Sir John, 41. Dashwood, Sir Samuel, 195. Edwin, Sir Humphrey, 195. Forth, "Dannett," 77. Halden, William de, 192. Harvey, Sir Sebastian, 193. Hill, Sir Thomas, 38. Lodge, Sir Thomas, 46, 52, 231. Shaa, Sir Edmund; 38, 43, 126. Soame, Sir Stephen, 57, 147, 193- Stable, Adam, 192. Taillour, Sir William, 196. Thompson, William, 202. Index. 247 Chester, Sir William, displaced from his aldermanry, 192, 196. Chiverton, Sir Richard, 2, 73/1, 74, 193. 196. City of London School, Lambert Jones Scholarship in the, 125. Clarke, Samuel, 85. Clifte, John, deputy, 112, 115. Clifford, Sir Roger de, 11. Clothworkers' Company, bequests to, 45, 56 ; made one of the principal Companies, 145. Masters of: — Hayward, Sir Rowland, 49. Hynde, Augustine, 45. Robinson, Sir John, j$. Skinner, Sir Thomas, 55. Cokayne, Francis, 94. Sir William, 196. Coleman Street Ward, removal of aldermen to and from, 197 ; contested elections for aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Councilmen for, 214, 216, 217, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Abbutt, Morris, 60. Alsop, Robert, 95. Carleton, Thomas, 21. Evote, William, 2, 25, 156. Isaack, William, 40, 142. Master, Sir Harcourt, 201. Sadler, John, 190. Stable, Adam, 192. Twyford, Nicholas, 195. Warner, Samuel, 181. Wodecok, John, 2, 25, 26. Colet, Sir Henry, 40, 187, 194, 196, 197. Common Council, the, of Cripple- gate. 128 ; total number of, 131. 217, 218, 219; account of, 207-226; chosen by the guilds, 207, 215 ; elected by the wards, id. ; an early oath of a Common Councilman, 207 ; early precept for election of, 208 ; the day of election of, 208, 209, 215, 223 ; Court of Aldermen held before, 213, 228; hour of meeting, 207, 213, 218, 220; number of, more equally divided among the wards, 218, 219 ; the work of, 220-223 ; precept for election of, 224; a Common Councilman dismissed for misbehaviour, 231. Companies, City, aldermen to lie- long to one of the principal, 144 ; not more than six aldermen to be of one company, id. ; translation of aldermen from the minor to the prin- cipal, 144 148; the Clothworkers' included in the principal, 145 : the ( lommon * 'ouncil chosen by the, 215 ; the mayor and sheriffs elected by the Livery, 234. Conyers, Sir Gerard, 85, 201. Cooke, Nicholas, 4, 70, 175. Cooke, or Coke, Sir Thomas. 36. 37- Copeland, William Taylor, 202. Cordwainer Ward, removal of aldermen to and from, 196, 197 ; contested elections for aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Council- men for, 214, 216, 218, 219. Aldermen of : — Billers, Sir William, 202, 204. Browne, Sir William, 41. Chiverton, Sir Richard, 2, 73;/, 75, 193, 196. Irlond, George, 194. Ironside, Edward, 95. Salomons, Sir David, 202, 203. Starkey, Thomas, 48. Vanner, Henry, 196. Cornhill Ward, removal of aldermen to and from, 196, 197 ; contested elections for aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Councilmen for, 214, 216, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Carter, John, 117. Cokayne, Francis, 94. Colet, Sir Henry, 40, 187, 194, 196, 197- Eyre, Sir Simon, 196. Harte, Sir John, 196. Noel, Thomas, 66. Pack, Sir Christopher. 2. 65. 194. Vanner, Henry, 196. Whyte, Sir John, 46, 196. Coronation, see under Mayor. Cortoys, Andrew, 128. Costantyn, Richard, 17, 128. Cotton, Sir W. J. Richmond, 202. Cottone, Walter, 29. Cowper, John, 199, 200. Cranmer", Samuel, 62. " Crepelgate," 13, 128. " Crepelg-ate Extra," 13, 128. Cripplegate, rebuilt, 38 : print of, 126; repaired by the Brewers, 126; etymology of, J 27. Crippleg-ate Ward, first Common Councilmen for, becoming alderman of, 12 ; chronological list of aldermen of, 5 ; aldermen of, elected by the Court of Aldermen, 37, 152 ; divided into two, 129, 213; Common Coun- cil of, 12S, 214, 2io: nominations for aldermen by, rejected, 150; re- moval of aldermen to and from, 2, 107 : contested elections for alder- men in. 204 ; table of aldermanic 248 Index. Cripplegate "Ward — continued. vacancies in, 205 ; alphabetical list of, 237. Aldermen of: — Aleyn, Thomas, 29. " Altwold," 1. Avenon, Sir Alexander, 47, 196. Avery, Samuel, 63. Bamme, Adam, 22, 24, 195, 196. Banquell, John de, 2, u, 192. Basingstoke, Richard de, 17, 18. Bathurst, Sir Benjamin, 79, 81. Bigg, Walter, 71. Blachford, John, 4, 94. Botiller, John, 2, 30. Braunche, Sir John. 51, 193. 231. Bret, Robert le, 14. Bromsall, Thomas, 69. Browne, Sir William, the elder, 4i, Cantelowe, William, 34. Carleton, Thomas, 21. Cartwright, John, 4, 95. Catcher, John, 53, 55. Challis, Thomas, 4, 104, 135, 202, 203. Chiverton, Sir Richard, 2, 73;;, 74- 193. 196. Cooke, Nicholas, 4, 70, 175. Costantyn, Richard, 17, 128. Cottone, Walter, 29. Cranmer, Samuel, 62. Davy son, Davy, 71. Delawood, William, 83. Duncombe, William, 76, 185. Elkyn, William, 53. Esdaile, Sir James, 4, 96, 99. Estfield, Sir William, 30, 58. Evote, William, 2, 25, 156. Exmewe, Sir Thomas, 42. Forman, Sir William, 44, 150. Forth, John, 73//, 75, 77, 113. Fowle, Sir Thomas, 2, 82. Frowyck, Henry de, 1. 9. 11. 12. Laurence de, 1. Fynchingield, Walter de, 12, 154. Hampson, Sir Robert, 57. Haverhill, William de, i. Hawes. Christopher, 42. Hayford, Sir Humphry, ^7, 152, 196. Hay ward, Sir Rowland, 49, 51, 193, 196. Heather, John, 69. Heylin, Rowland, 61. Hodges, Henry, 69. Holliday, William, 59. Hudson, John, 3, 59, 60. Hynde, Augustine, 45, 150, 177. Hyngestone, (ohn de, 14, 18, 128. Isaack, William, 40, 142. Knight, Sir Henry, 4, 105, 203. "Jakell," 1. Langham, Samuel, 3, 68. Lethieullier, Sir John, 78. Lewis, Samuel, 3, 71. Ley re, Thomas de, 13. Loveye, John, 24, 25. Lucas, Robert, 1, 19, 20, 155. Maryns, John, 1, 19, 20. Methold," William, 3, 63. Milner, Tempest, 68. Mitford, John de, 1, 18. Overman, Thomas, 3, 60, 69. Pack, Sir Christopher, 2,64, 194. Pontefract, William de, 17. Robinson, Sir John, 72, 126, 193, 196. Sambrooke, Sir Jeremy, 83. Seccheford, Henry de, 15. Shaa, Sir Edmund, 38, 43, 126. Shorter, Sir John, 79, 83. Skinner, Sir Thomas, 53, 54, 55. Staines, Sir William, 4, 98, 100. Stampe, Sir Thomas, 84, 85. Stede, William, 42. Stewart, Sir William, 2, 85, 87, 114, 147. Stokton, John, 2, 3, 36, 37, 192. Suffolk, Elias de, 13. Swynnerton, Sir John, 58. Tilney, Ralph, 39. Towse, John, 63, 151. Warbulton, Robert, 20, 22, 24. White, Robert, 4, 69. "Whyte, Sir John, 46, 196. Williams, Sir John, 2, 4, 80, 114, 159. Wodecok, John, 2, 25, 26. Wood, Sir Matthew, 4, 80, 101, 160. Wormwell, William, 70. Worstede, Simon de, 14, 18, 128. Wyndesore, John de, 13. Wyndout, Thomas, 40. Cripplegate Ward Within, Deputies of, in, 112, 114, 115; when created, 129 ; Common Coun- cilmen of, id. ; number of Common Councilmen for, 217, 218, 219. Cripplegate Ward Without, Deputies of, III, 112, 114, 115; when created, 129 ; Common Coun- cilmen of, id. ; addition to Common Council of, 129-132; efforts for re- form by inhabitants of, 133; special constables sworn in, 134 ; population of, 135 ; number of Common Coun- cilmen for, 217, 218, 219. Croke, John, 36/;. Crowley, Robert, Vicar of St. Giles', Cripplegate, III. Index. 249 Curtes, Thomas, Alderman, committal of, 145. Daker, Joseph, Deputy, 115. Dakin, Sir Thomas, 202. Darling, Sir Robert, Sheriff, 96. Dashwood, Sir Samuel, 195. Davies, Sir Thomas, 195. Davyson, Davy, 71. Dearie, Richard, skinner, 193. Delawood, William, 83. Deputies, early mention of, 109 ; misconduct of, no, 112; dismissal of, in; not to depart from the City, 112; of Cripplegate Wards, 112, 115; appointment of, 116; to be members of Common Council, 116 ; duties of, 118. Dere, William, 34. Dinners, prohibited on St. Thomas' Day, 228. Dixon, Richard, Deputy. 115. Dodmer, Raufe, 145. Dolley, Thomas, Deputy, 115. Double, Alfred, Common Councilman of Cripplegate, 133. Dowgate Ward, removal of alder- man to and from, 197 ; table of con- tested elections of aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 206; number of Common Councilmen for, 214, 216, 218, 219. Aldermen of :— Aylife, Sir John, 199. Banquell, John de, 2, 11, 192. Bateman, Anthony, 194. Carden, Sir Robert Walter, 202. Chiverton, Sir Richard, 2, 73//, 74, 193, 196. Dere, William, 34. Elkyn, William, 53. Hampson, Sir Robert, 57. Harper, William, 199. Lawne, Gedean de, 141. Robinson, Sir John, 72, 126, 193. 196- Rokesle, Gregory de, 11. Taillour, Sir William, 196. Ward, John, 173. Wollaston, Sir John, 196. Wottone, William, 230. Drapers' Company, Master of: — Pack, Sir Christopher, 64. Duke, Sir James, 202. Duncombe, Sir Charles, 195. Thomas Slingsby, M.P. for Fins- bury, 104. William, 76, 185. Dyer, Laurence, Deputy of Cripple- gate, 115. Edmunds, William, Deputy, 115. Edwin, Sir Humphrey, 83, 195. Egleton, John, 115. "Eldefistrate," 10. Elkyn, William, 53. Ellis, Sir J. Whittaker, 203. Elton, Thomas, Deputy, 115. Ernes, Thomas, Deputy, 115. Esdaile, Sir James, 4, 96, 99. Estfield, Sir William, 30, 58. Evans, Sir David, 203. Evote, William, 2, 25, 156. Exmewe, Sir Thomas, 42. Eyles, Sir John, 201 ; mayor who had not been sheriff, 234. Eyre, Sir Simon, 196. Fabyan, Stephen, 141, 178. Farebrother, Charles, 202. Farmer, Edward, Deputy, 115. Farndone, Nicholas de, mayor who had not been sheriff, 235. Farrar, Frederick, his appointment as Deputy of Castle Baynard Ward, 117. Farringdon Ward, divided into two wards, 214; number of Common Councilmen for, 214, 216. Alderman of: — Twyford, Nicholas, 195. Farringdon Ward Within, re- moval of aldermen to and from, 197 ; table of contested elections of alder- men in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Com- mon Councilmen for, 217, 218, 223. Aldermen of: — Avenon, Sir Alexander, 47, 196. Botiller, John, 30. Bowes, Sir Martin, 196. Brown, John, 190. Browne, Sir John, 41. Curtes, Thomas, 145. Kelly, Thomas. 202, 203. Lambert, John, 1S3. Marshall, Sir Henry, 95. Pecock, Stephen, 184. Phillips, Sir Benjamin, 202. Thorogood, Sir Benjamin, 195. Farringdon Ward Without, nom- ination of inhabitants for aldermen, rejected, 150; to be aldermen three years before removing. 194 ; removal of aldermen to and from, l<)(>. 197 ; contested election-, oi aldermen in, 204; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205; number of Common Council- men for, 217. 218. Aldermen of: — Bateman, Anthony, 194. Cambell, Robert, 200. Chester, Sir William, 196. Cokayne, Sir William. 196. Colet, Sir Henry, 4.0, i s 7, I'M. 100, 107. 250 Index. Farringdon Ward Without, Aldermen of — continued. Davies, Sir Thomas, 195. Duke, Sir James, 202. Gedeney, John, 177. Hanson, Sir Robert, 195. Harte, Sir John, 196. Hay ward, Sir Rowland, 49, 51, 193, 196. Hynde, Augustine, 45, 150, 177. Lobenham, Ralph, 177. Pecock, Stephen, 184. Plomer, Plumer, Sir lohn, 57, 183. Rawlinson, Sir Thomas, 82, 195- Rawson, Richard, 192, 193. Taillour, Sir William, 196. Wollaston, Sir John, 196. Farrington, Richard, Deputy, 115. Fearne, John, Deputy, 115. Feast, Sir Felix, Deputy, 87, 112, 114, 115. Fenn, Richard, 175. Finchingfeud, Walterus de, 128. - and see Fynchingfeld. Finnis, Thomas Quested, 202. Firebrasse, Sir Basil, 82. Fishmongers' Company, alder- men translated to, 107, 146, 147. — Prime Wardens of: — Cartwright, John, 95. Wood, Sir Matthew, 101. Forman, Sir William, 44, 150. Forth, " Dannett," 77. John, 73, 75. 77, 113. Fowle, Sir Thomas, 2, 82. Foxall, Thomas, deputy. 115. Frauncei?, Adam, mayor who had not been sheriff, 235. Frederick, Sir John, Lord Mayor, 78. French, Robert, deputy, 115. Frowyck, Henry de, 1, 9, 11, 12. Ward of, I, 128, 154. Sir Henry, 10. Laurence de, probably alderman of Cripplegate, 1. sheriff, 10. Fynchingfeld, Albric, 12. — Walter de, 12, 154. — the younger, 12. and see Finchingfeud. Gabriel, Sir Thomas, 202. Galeys, Henry le, 12. Gamage, Anthony, 192. Gardyner, Richard, 192. Garway, or Garroway, Sir Henry, discharged from his aldermanry, 185. Gayre, Sir John, mayor, 68. Gaytone, Robert, sheriff, 18. Gedeney, John, 177. Gibbons, Sir Sills John, 1 1 7. Girdlers' Company, Stephen Soame, lord mayor elect, translated from, to the Grocers, 147. Gold, Thomas, 79. Goldbetre, Richard, 128. Goldsmiths' Company, bequests to, 38 ; Sir William Stewart trans- lated to, 147. Prime Wardens of: Barame, Adam, 22. Blachford, John, 94. Exmewe, Sir Thomas, 42. Hayford, Sir Humphry, 37. Shaa, Sir Edmund, 38. Shorter, Sir John, 79. Stewart, Sir William, 86. Goodwin, John, 211, 212. Goodyere, or Goodere, Henry, dis- charged from his aldermanry, 190. Goore, Garrat, 192. Gostlyn, Sir William, 195. Grantham, John de, mayor, 15. Gray, Robert, 211, 212. Green, Frank, lord mayor, 140. Grenaway, Ralph, 199. Gresham, Sir Richard, 44. 50. Sir Thomas, 50. Gresham College, 124. Grocers' Company, Masters of: — Stede, William, 42. Tilney, Ralph, 39. Whyte, Sir John, 46. Warden of: — Langham, Samuel, 68. Guildhall Chapel, bequests to, 10. Guildhall Library, revived by K. L. Jones, 122. Haberdashers' Company, bequest to, 43 ; alderman translated to, 145. Master of: — Hardy, John, 42. Halden, William de, 192. Hale, John Hampton, his appoint- ment as deputy of Castle Baynard Ward, 117. Hamcottes, or Amcotts, Henry, committal of, for refusing the office of alderman, 179. Hamersley, Hugh, sheriff, 193. Hampson, Sir Robert, 57. Hampton, Richard, punishment of, for slandering an alderman, 230. Hancock, Nicholas, prior of Holy Trinity, alderman of Portsoken, 198. Hankey, Sir Joseph, 201. Hanson, Sir Reginald, 203. Sir Robert, 195. Hardy, John, 42. Hare, John, mercer, 199. Harper, William, 199. Harrison, Gilbert, 175. Harvey, Sir James, Lord Mayor, 48. Index. 251 Harvey, James, deputy, 115. Sir Sebastian, Lord Mayor, 193. Harvist, Edward, deputy, in, 112. Haverhill, William de, 1. Hawes, Christopher, 42. Hawkins, Richard, grocer, 195. Hayford, Sir Humphry, 37 , 152, 196. Hay ward, Sir Rowland, 49, 51, 193, 196. Heather, John, 69. Herevy, Walter, removed from the mayoralty, 9. Herring, Michael, 67. — Elizabeth, widow of, 67. Herron, Nicholas, dismissed from his aldermanry, 185. Heylin, Rowland, 61. Hicks, Sir Baptist, 191. Hill, Sir Thomas, 38. Hilliare, John, deputy, in, 112. Hodges, Henry, 69. Hodgson, John, see Hudson. Holborn Viaduct Improvement, I2 3; Holliday, Sir Leonard, mayor, 59. William, 59. Holy Trinity, priors of, alderman 1 if Portsoken Ward, 198. ■ Hancock, Nicholas, prior of, alderman, 198. Hooker, Sir William, 176. Hoole, James, deputy, 115. Hopkins, Sir Richard, 88. Horn, Andrew, chamberlain, 15. Horssho,'' brewery called " le, in parish of St. Alban " de Wodestrete.'" 17- How, Sir Richard, Knight, 195. Hudson, or Hodgson, John, 3, 59, 60. Hucsey, Thomas, 212. Hyll, Sir Roland, 150. Hynde, Augustine, 45, 150, 177. John, 25. Hyngeston, John de, 14, 18, 128. Innholders' Company, Master of: — Cooke, Nicholas, 70. Ireton, I [enry, 75. Irlond, George, 104. Ironmongers' Company, bequests In, 62. - Masters of: Avenon, Sir Alexander, 47. Heylin, Rowland, 61. Ironside, Edward, 95. Isaack, William, 40, 142. 11 Jakell," alderman of ( Iripplegate, 1 . Jaques, J'lhn Obadiah, deputy, 115. Jervys, Richard, discharged from his aldermanry on fine, 191. Johnson, John, 115. Thomas, 153, 154. Jones, Sir Frauncis, 231. Humphrey, deputy, 115. Isaac, 212. John, deputy, 115. Richard Lambert, biography of, 122. Joy, William, 128. Kelly, Thomas, 202, 203. Kerl, William, deputy, 115. Keyser, Polydore de, sheriff, 105. Kneysworth, Thomas, fishmonger, 152. Knight, Sir Henry Edmund, 4, 105, 203. Knill, Sir John, 203. Sir Stuart, 203. Ladbroke, Sir Robert, 202. Lake, James, Common Councilman of Cripplegate, 133. Samuel, deputy, 115. Lamberd, Nicholas, 149. Lambert, John, discharged from his aldermanry for disobedience, 183. Langbourn Ward, removal of ald- ermen to and from, 197 ; table of contested elections of aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Coun- cilmen of, 214, 216, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Barne, Sir George, 196. Bowes, Sir Martin, 196. Bury, Adam de, 182. Chester, Sir William, 192, 196. Eyre, Sir Simon, 196. Hankey, Sir Joseph, 201. Hayford, Sir Humphry. 37, 152, 196. Langley, John, 192, 193. Savory, Sir Joseph, 105, 203. Vyner, Thomas. 66. Langnam, Sir John, 68, 181. Samuel, 3, 68. Langley, John, 192, 193. Laurie, Sir Peter, 202. Lawne, Gedean de, 141. Lawrence, Sir James Clarke, 202, 203. Sir William, 202. 203, 205. Leathersellers' Company, Mas- ter of: — White, Robert, 69. Lespit, Roger, 128. Lethieullier, Sir John, 78, Lewes, Sir Watkin, 205. Lewis, Samuel, 3, 71. Leyre, Thomas de, 13. Lime Street Ward, nominations of, for aldermen rejected by the Court 252 Index. Lime Street Ward— continued. of Aldermen, 149, 150; removal of aldermen to and from, 197 ; con- tested elections of aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Councilmen for, 214, 216, 218, 219. Aldermen of: Bamme, Adam. 22, 24. 195, 196. Browne, Sir William, the elder, Cokayne, Sir William, 196. Cotton, YV. J. Richmond, 202. Farebrother, Charles, 202. Halden, William de, 192. Harte, Sir John, 196. Hayford, Sir Humphry, 37, 152, 196. Hay ward, Sir Rowland, 49, 51, 193, 196. Hopkins, Sir Richard, 88. Lewes, Sir Watkin, 205. Malpas, Philip, 158. Stokton, John, 2, 3, 36, 37, 192. Thorogood, Sir Benjamin, 195. Twyford, Nicholas, 195. Lloyd, Herbert, deputy, 115. Lobenbam, Ralph, 177. Lodge, Sir Thomas, 46, 52 ; assault on Sir John Rraunche, 52/2, 231. London Bridge, rebuilding of, 122. London Wall, water conduit in, 43. Long, Sir Lisleborne, Recorder, 75. Lord Mayor, see Mayor. Love, William, 68. Loveye, John, 24, 25. Lucas, Robert, 1, 19, 20, 155. Lumley, Sir Martin, 211, 212. Lusk, Sir Andrew, 203. Lyon, John, grocer, 150. ■ Sir John, 45. Lyon on the hope," tenement called " le, 21. Lyons, Richard, 182. McCarthy, Francis, Common Coun- cilman of Cripplegate, 133. Mclntyre, James Patrick, Common Councilman of Cripplegate, 133. Malpas, Philip, 158. Marshall, Sir Henry, 95. Nicholas, 187. Martin, Sir Richard, dismissed from his aldermanry, 184 ; fined, 185. Maryns, John, 1, 19, 20. Master, Sir Harcourt, disqualified from being mayor, 201. Mathewe,\[ohn, 152. Maynwarihg, Robert, deputy, 112. Mayor, expenses of, at the coronation of Queen I'hillipa, 17 ; service pre- ceding election of, 26 ; William Est- tield, mayor, attends coronation of Henry VI, 31 ; mode of election of, 234 ; list of, who have not been sheriffs, id. ; one not being alderman, id. ; the mayor's prerogative to elect one of the sheriffs, 235. Mead way, George, deputy, 115. Melhuish, George, 212. " Melkstrate," 10, 14. Mercers' Company, bequests to, 3 2 > 4", 53. 59- Masters of: — Browne, Sir John, 41. Elkyn, William, 53. Holliday, William, 59. William?, Sir John, 87. Wyndout, Thomas, 40. Wardens of: — Aleyn, Thomas, 29. Botiller, John, 30. Browne, Sir William, 41. Browne, Sir William, the elder, 41. Cantelowe, William, 34. Cotton, Walter, 29. Estfield, Sir William, 30. Hawes, Christopher, 42. Stokton, John, 36. Wodecok, John, 26. Merchant Taylors' Company, bequests to, 71. Masters of:— Avery, Samuel, 63. Bisrg, Walter, 71. Milner, Tempest, 68. Swynnerton, Sir John, 58. Warden of: — Hampson, Sir Robert, 57. Messenger, Joseph, Common Coun- cilman of Cripplegate, 133. Methold, William, 3, 63. Michell, John, mayor, ^^. Milburn, John, 230. Milner, Tempest, 68. Mitford, John de, 1, 18. Molineux, Robert, deputy, 115. Monoux, George, his deputy, no: re-elected mayor, 187 ; fined for re- fusing office, 188 ; is excused serving, 189. Moon, Sir Francis, 202. Moore, John, deputy, 115. John, grocer, 152. — ■ Sir John, elected mayor, 79. Moulson, Thomas, 212. Mundy, Sir John, committal of, 184. Musgrove, Sir John, 202. Mynne, Charles, deputy, 112. Newbold, Augustin, deputy, 112, 114. Newberry, William, deputy, 115. Newgate, bequests to prisoners in, 28. Index, 2 53 Newgate Street, conduit in, 10. New Hospital within Cripple- gate, bequest to, 13. Nind, Henry \V. , deputy, 115. Noel, Thomas, 66. Oatley, William, Common Council- man of Cripplegate, 133. Overman, Thomas, 3, 60, 69. Pack, Christopher, deputy, 112. — Sir Christopher, 2, 64, 194. Pakyngton, Humfrey, no. Palmer, Alfred Edward, Common Councilman of Cripplegate, 133. Parker, John, deputy, 115. Parliament, Members of, expenses of, 22, 23, H, 72. Parsons, Sir John, 82, 147, 195, 201. Patten, William, deputy, 89, 1 15. Payn, William, 128. Pearce, Robert, Clerk of Cripplegate Ward Without, 133. Pecche, John, 182. Pecock, Stephen, 184. Peers, Sir Charles, 201. Pennant, Sir Samuel, Lord Mayor, death of, 94. Pewterers' Company, an alderman translated from, 145, 147. Philip, Matthew, 34. Phillips, Sir Benjamin, 202. Pickering-, John, deputy, 115. Pilkinston," Sir Thomas, 84. Piot, Richard, 193. Plomer, or Plumer, Sir John, 37, 183. Plompton, Henry, 212. Pontefract, William de, 17. Portsoken Ward, the Court of Aldermen refuse to admit Michael Scales as alderman of, 153, 204 ; removal of aldermen to and from, 197; table of contested elections (if aldermen in, 204; table of aldennanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Com- mon Council men for, 214, 216, 217, 218, 219. the priors of Holy Trinity, alder- men of, 198. — Aldermen of:— Averell, Henry, 198. Bludworth, Sir Thomas, 194. Chiverton, Sir Richard, 2, 7^1, 74, 193, 196. Goodyere, Henry, 190. Hancock, Nicholas, prior of I l"ly Trinity, 198. Johnson, Thomas, 153, 154. Lang-ham, Sir John, 68, 181. Love, William, 68. Moon, Sit Francis, 202. Parsons, Sir John, 82, 147, 195, 201. Poston, Roger, deputy, 115. Probyn, Henry, deputy, 115. Pullen, John, deputy, 115. Pulteney, John, mayor, who had not been sheriff, 235. Q,ueenhithe "Ward, nominations of, for aldermen rejected by Court of Aldermen, 149 ; removal of alder- men to and from, 196, 197 ; table of contested elections in, 204 ; table of aldennanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Councilmen for, 214, 216, 217, 218, 219. — Aldermen of: — Alleyn, Ralph, 184. Dodmer, Raufe, 145. Harte, Sir John, 196. Hay ward, Sir Rowland, 49, 51, 193, 196. Lamberd, Nicholas, 149. Langley, John, 192, 193. Lyon, Sir John, 45. Mundy, Sir John, 184. Pecock, Stephen, 184. Taillour, Sir William, 196. Vanner, Henry, 196. Wylkynsone, John, 145. Radington, Baldwyn, mayor, 25. Ramsey, Thomas, 192. Rawlinson, Thomas, 95. deputy, 115. Sir Thomas, 82, 195. Rawson, Richard, 192, 193. Read, John, dismissed from the Com- mon Council for misbehaviour, 231. Septimus, deputy, 115. Reynardson, Sir Abraham, 67, 68. Roberts, William, 236. Robinson, John, mercer, 150. Sir John, 72, 126, 193, 196. Roche, William, 44. Rogers, Sir Robert 11., Deputy of Cripplegate Within, 115. 120, 133. Rokesle, Gregory de, 10, 11. Royal Exchange, destruction and rebuilding of, 123, 124 ; frescoes in. 124. Russel, Elias, 12. Sadler, Francis, deputy, 115. John, discharged from his alder- manry, 190. St. Alban " de Wodestrete," chapel of St. Mary in, iS ; bequests to, 21, 28. St. Benedict " Powliswharf," bequests to poor of, $1. St. Giles, Cripplegate, bequests to, 12, 1 ;. 2 54 Index. St. Giles Without London, sick of, bequests to, 10. St. Laurence Jewry, bequests to, 29 ; bequests to poor of, 31. St. Mary de Aldermanbury, be- quests to poor of, 31. St. Mary Magdalen " de Mylk- strete," bequests to, 18, 28. St. Mary Somerset, bequests to poor of, 31. St. Michael " de Bassynge- shawe," bequests to, 28. St. Michael " de Wodstret," bequests to, 17, 20. St. Peter near " Powlis wharf," bequests to poor of, 31. St. Peter " de Wodstrete," be- quests to, 21. St. Thomas' Day, Common Council elected on, 208, 209 ; dinners on, prohibited, 228. Salmon, William, 153. Salomons, Sir David, 202, 203. Sambrooke, Sir Jeremy, 83. Savory, Sir Joseph, 105, 203. Sawbridge, Charles Walter, clerk of Cripplegate Within Ward, 133. Sayer, Mr., deputy of Cripplega'.e Without Ward, no, 112. Scales, Michael, 153, 204. Seccheford, Henry de, 15. Shaa, Sir Edmund, 38, 43, 126. Sharpe, Richard, deputy of Tower ward, III. Shelley, Thomas, 192. Sheriffs, mode of election of, 235 ; the mayor's prerogative of electing one of the, 235. Shorter, Sir John, 79, 83. Sidney, Thomas, 202. Simmonds, Thomas, deputy, 115. Skinner, Edmond, deputy, 115. ■ Sir Thomas, 53, 54, 55 Smith, David, deputy, 115. Henry, deputy, 115. Snowden, deputy, 124. Soame, Sir Stephen, Lord Mayor, 57 ; translated from one company to an- other, 147 ; alderman of Cheap ward, 193- Thomas. 200. Southwark, see Bridge Ward Without. Spakeman, Nicholas, 150. Spencer, James, 190. Spilsbury, Benjamin, deputy, 115. Stable, Adam, 192. Staffertone, Robert, punishment of, for disobedience to an alderman, 229. Staines, Sir William, 4, 98, 100, 115. Stampe, Sir Thomas, 84, 85. Stanes, Thomas de, 128. Staples, John, 220. Stapley, Richard, Common Council- man of Cripplegate, 133. Starky, Peter, deputy of Bassishaw ward, 1 10. Starkey, Thomas, 48. Stede, William, 42. Stewart, Sir William, 2, 85, 87, 114, 147. . Stokton, John, 2, 3, 36, 37, 192. Stone, David Henry, 202. Suffolk, Elias de, 13. Swanlond, Sir Simon de, mayor who had not been sheriff, 16, 235. Swynnerton, Sir John, 58. Taillour, Sir William, 196. Taillur, Philip le, removed from the mayoralty, 9. Tasker, Ralph, deputy, 112. Tate, John, no. Robert, no. Tatersall, Robert, 109. Thompson, William, 202. Thorogood, Sir Benjamin, 195. Tichborne, Robert, 67. Tillie, Alexander, Common Council- man of Cripplegate, 133. Tilney, Ralph, 39. Tolos, John, 145. Tower," Sir John Robinson, Constable of the, 73. ' Tower Ward, removal of aldermen to and from, 197 ; table of contested elections in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Com- mon Councilmen for, 214, 216, 217, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Barne, Sir George, 196. Finnis, Thomas Quested, 202. Peers, Sir Charles, 201. Robinson, Sir John, 72, 126, 193, 196. Tolos, John, 145. Watts, John, in. Towse, John, 63, 151. Tranter, George Thomas Sirrell, Com- mon Councilman of Cripplegate, 133. Turke, Walter, Sheriff and Mayor, 14. Turner, William, 68. Twyford, Nicholas, 195. Underhill, Edward, 83. Usshe, John, see Wysshe. Vallance, Thomas, deputy, 115. Vanner, Henry, 196. Venour, William, 22. Vialou, Henry, Common Councilman of Cripplegate, 133. Vintners' Company, Master of: — Wormwell, William, 70. Index. 255 Vintry Ward, nominations of, for aldermen rejected by Court of Alder- men, 151 ; removal of aldermen to and from, 196, 197 ; table of con- tested elections of aldermen in, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Councilmen for, 214, 216, 217, 218, 219. Aldermen of: — Abney, Sir Thomas, 201. Eyles, Sir John, 201. Fowle, Sir Thomas, 2, 82. Gabriel, Sir Thomas, 202. Vanner, Henry, 196. Vyner, Thomas, 66. Walbrook Ward, removals of alder- men to and from, 197 ; contested elections of aldermen for, 204 ; table of aldermanic vacancies in, 205 ; number of Common Councilmen for, 214, 216, 218, 219. Aldermen of : — Aylmer, Sir Laurence, 183. Eyre, Sir Simon, 196. Lawrence, Sir James Clarke, 202, 203. Pecche, John, 182. Walcote, John, 229. Walcote, John, 229. Wallington, John, deputy, 115. Walpol, Adam, 128. Walworth, William, sheriff, 18. Warbulton, Robert, 20, 22, 24. Ward, John, 173. Wardmotes, proceedings at, 223-226. Warner, Samuel, committal of, for refusing the office of alderman, 1S1. Warren, Sir Ralph, Lord Mayor, 168. Watts, John, in. Wengrave, John de, mayor who had not been sheriff, 235. Westerby, James, Common Council- man for Cripplegate, 133. Whateley. John, mercer, 109. White, Henry, deputy, 115. Robert, 4, 69. Whitebakers, 171. Whytte Bakers, 43. Whitington, Richard, mayor, 23, 25. 26, 27, 53. Whitmore, Sir George, 73, 1S5. Whyte, Sir John, 46, 196. Sir Thomas, Lord Mayor, 46. Wilfort, James, 183. Williams, Sir John. 2,4,80, 114,, 159. Willshire, Leonard, deputy, 115. Wilson, Colonel, 202. Wing, Samuel, deputy, 115. Winton, John de, 128. Wodecok, John, 2, 25, 26. " Wodestrete,'' alderman of, 13. Wollaston, Sir John, 196. Wood, Sir Matthew, 4, 80, 101, 160. Woodall, John, 212. Woodroffe, David, 191. Wooldridge, Thomas, dismissed from his aldermanry, 186. Worley, Henry, 183. Wormwell, William, 70. Worstede, Simon de, 14, 18, 128. Wotton, Nicholas, mayor, 29. Wottone, William, 230. Wright, Sir Edward, 233. Wye, Thomas Henry, Common Coun- cilman of Cripplegate, 133. Wylkynsone, John, 145. Wyndesore, John de, 13. Wyndout, Thomas, 40. Wysshe or TJsshe, John, committal of, for refusing the office of alderman, 180. Wythers, David, deputy, 115. "Yvilane," 10. ERRATA. Page 5, line 3, for Fynchyngfeld read Fynchingfeld. Page 5, line 14, for 1363 read 1368. Page 6, line 19, for Humphrey read Humphry. Page 6, line 22, omit Draper. Page 20, line 9, for 1387 read 1378. Page 24, Robert Warbulton should be added as Presented and sworn for the sixth time 12 March y 1387. Warbulton's Will ivas dated June 11, 1387 (see p. 20), he probably died in that month, and Adam B amine was substituted as alderman, serving for the remainder of the year. Page 25, line 25, for 1393 read 1394. Page no, line 10, for Robert read John. SUPPLEMENT. READER'S NOTES AND CORRECTIONS. THE LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW. 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