The History and Antiquities of London, Westminster, Southwark, and Other Parts Adjacent

Each ward chose certain of their inhabitants to be of council to the alderman; which council were to be consulted by him, aud their advice to be followed in all affairs of public concern relating to the city of London. And these council-men were sworn into

their office.

The lord treasurer summoned the mayor, aldermen, and citizens of London to attend him in the Tower, to render an account how the peace of the city had been kept; but Gregory de Rokesley, the mayor, for the honor of the city, refusing to attend in that quality, laid aside his ensigns of mayoralty at Barking church, delivered the city seal to Stephen Aswy (others write it Asly), and then repaired to the Tower as a private gentleman. The treasurer so highly resented this behaviour, that he committed Rokesley and divers of the principal citizens to prison, at the feast of St. Peter, in summer; which the king not only approved of, but he also seized upon the city liberties, discharged the mayor, and appointed Stephen Sandwich custos of London, (unto Candlemas following, when John Beyton, or Briton, was appointed custos till St. Margaret's day, in the year 1289, according to Arnold), under pretence that the mayor had taken bribes of the bakers, to connive at their cheating the public, by making their penny loaves six or seven ounces too light; or for some crime of a higher nature. But, be that as it will, this is certain that London had no mayor for twelve years after.

These innovations produced many disorders and robbery; and murder became so frequent in the city, that it was ordered that 'none be found in the street, either with spear or buckler, after the curfew-bell of the parson of St. Martin's-le-Grand rings out, except they be great lords, and other persons of note; also, that no tavern, either for wine or ale, be kept open after that bell rings out, on forfeiture of forty pence; nor any fencing-school be kept in the city, or non-freemen be resident therein.'

Edward being returned from France, was received by the citizens into London with great state and solemnity, and applied himself immediately to redress the grievous complaints made by his subjects against the usuries of the Jews; who, as our historians express it, had eaten his people to the bones: and against his justiciaries, who, like another kind of Jews, had ruined them with delays in their law-suits, and enriched themselves with wicked corruptions. The Jews he punished by a confiscation of all their goods, and banishment out of the realm; and he dismissed from their office all the justiciaries who were found guilty, and fined them according to their particular offences; and also banished sir Thomas Weyland, the chief-justice, being first in open parliament convicted. Sir Ralph Hengham, chief-justice of the higher bench, was fined seven thousand marks: sir John Lovetot, justice of the lower bench, three thousand marks; sir William Brompton, justice, six thousand marks; sir Solomon Roches

ter, chief justice of assize, four thousand marks; sir Richard Boyland four thousand marks; sir Thomas Sodentone, two thousand marks; sir Walter de Hopton two thousand marks; sir William Saham, justice, three thousand marks; Robert Littleburie, clerk, one thousand marks; R. de Leicester, clerk, one thousand marks: Adam de Stratton (besides other riches incredible, amongst which was found a king's crown, supposed to be king John's, many vessels of silver, and variety of jewels) thirty-two thousand marks. Sir Thomas Weyland was entirely stripped of all his goods, chattels, jewels, money, and lands. The number of Jews now banished were fifteen thousand and sixty; and the parliament voted his majesty a fifteenth of all their goods, besides the immense sums raised by the sale of their houses, for concurring with them in this act of expulsion.*

The citizens of London hearing of the great victorie obtained by the king against the Scottes, made great and solemne triumph in their citie, every one according to their crafte; especially the fishmongers, which, with solemne procession, passed through the citie, having, among other pageants and shows, four sturgeons, gilded, carryed on foure horses: then foure salmons of silver on foure horses and after, six and fortie knights armed, riding on horses, made like luces of the sea: and then St. Magnus, with a thousand horsemen: this they did on St. Magnus's day, in honour of the king's great victorie and safe returne."+

This was so pleasing to the king, that he commanded the aldermen and principal citizens to repair to Westminster on Easter Wednesday; where, by the advice of his council, his majesty restored to them the power of electing their chief magistrate the mayor; they having previously paid a fine of 23,000 marks into the king's exchequer. On the Friday after, they chose Henry Walleys into that high office; who, on the Wednesday following, was presented and accepted by the king at Fulham; and the day after he was sworn before the treasurer and barons of the exchequer. But his private affairs calling him into the country, be constituted William de Breton and Galfred de Norton, his representatives, to officiate during his absence; and set out the next day for Lincoln.

This act of the royal favour was immediately followed by a charter of confirmation of all the city's ancient privileges, dated the eighteenth day of April, in the six-and-twentieth year of his reign; in which charter, the following additional privileges are granted: 1. In the absence of the king and the barons of the exchequer from Westminster, the mayor elect is to be presented and admitted by the constable of the Tower of London- 2. To be quit and free from Pannage. 3. Pontage, a duty paid for

Tho. Walsingham, &c.
Stow's Ann. p. 311.

Bohun thinks it should be printed

Pavage, i. e. a certain duty payable to the king for the liberty of sending swine, or cattle, to feed in any of his forests.

assing over bridges with horses, carts, or other carriages; or under them with boats, ships, &c. towards the repairing of the said bridges. And lastly, to be quit and free from murage, which was a daty paid towards building or repairing of the walls of cities and towns throughout the kingdom.

A. D. 1305, sir William Wallace, a Scottish knight, was brought a prisoner to London, and lodged in the house of William Delect, in Fenchurch-street; from whence, on the 23rd of August, he was conducted through the city by John Seagrave and Geoffrey, knights, accompanied by the mayor, aldermen, and sheriffs, and a prodigious concourse of people, both of horse and foot, to Westminster; where, being arrived in the hall, he was, by way of derision, set upon a bench, with a laurel upon his head, tried as one of the king's enemies, condemned for high treason against king Edward, and suffered a cruel and ignominious death in Smithfield, being there hanged, drawn, and quartered. His head was fixed upon a pole on London-bridge, and his quarters sent into Scotland to be placed over the gates of as many of the principal cities.*

In the feast of Pentecost, 1308, king Edward honored his eldest sonne, Edward of Carnarvon, with the degree of knighthood, and with him also moe than a hundred noble yong men at Westmin ster.' The mayor, aldermen, and citizens of London paid to his majesi two thousand pounds towards the same.

Sir John Blount, lord mayor, being ordered to accompany the prince in his expedition against the Scots, there were appointed four guardians or custodes, by the citizens themselves, to execute the supreme magistracy of this city. And this same year, sea-coals being very much used in the suburbs of London by brewers, dyers, and others requiring great fires, the nobility and gentry resorting thither complained thereof to the king, as a public nuisance, whereby, they said, the air was infected with a noisome smell, and a thick cloud, to the great endangering of the health of the inhabitants; wherefore, a proclamation was issued, strictly forbidding the use of that fuel. But little regard being paid thereunto, the king appointed a commission of Oyer and Terminer, to enquire after those who had contumaciously acted in open defiance to his proclamation, strictly commanding all such to be punished by pecuniary mulets, and for the second offence to have their kilns and furnaces destroyed.

The last transaction between the corporation and the crown we meet with in this reign, was an agreement in the exchequer, by sir John Blount, the mayor, and all the aldermen of London, for themselves and the whole community of the city, to pay the king two thousand marks for the vintisme, or twentieth of the goods

• Stow's Ann. Eng.

VOL. I.

+ Ibid.

of the said community: the greatest part whereof they paid in tailies.

CHAPTER VI

History of London from the reign of Edward the Second to the reign of Richard the Second

THE reign of Edward the Secona began with an act which prognosticated no favour from the crown to the citizens; for there being left unpaid of the two thousand marks for the vintisme, the sum of 83l. 11s. a writ of fieri facias was issued by the court of exchequer, and directed to the sheriffs of London, commanding them to distrain the goods and chattels of the mayor, aldermen, and whole community of the city for the same. And this was followed by another writ of the court, returnable in Michaelmas term, directed to the said sheriffs, commanding them to summon Nicholas de Farndon, alderman of Farringdon ward, and several others of the aldermen, collectors of the tallage, lately assessed in London by Roger de Hagham, &c. to appear in the exchequer, and pass their accounts of the said tallage; and, if any of the said aldermen were dead, then to summon the executors of such persons deceased, in order to finish their accounts.

The king being indebted to sundry persons in London, to the amount of about seven hundred pounds, and likewise to several foreign merchants, and others, the sum of one thousand pounds, for necessaries for the royal household and wardrobe, the mayor and citizens undertook to pay the same; in consideration whereof the king assigned to them the farm and other issues of the city, arising by aids, tallages, &c. to the amount thereof.*

A resolution was soon after taken by the king and his council, to tax his several demesnes; under which appeilation the city of London was included, of which John Gysours, the mayor, aldermen, and sheriffs of the city were made acquainted, and at the same time interrogated by the privy council, sitting at the White Friars, in Fleet-street, if they would fine for their tallage, or, like others, by a poll-tax, and a general assessment on their estates, both real and personal, raise the sum required. They desired time to consult the commonalty upon that subject, and then returned for answer, that the king might tax his demesnes at pleasure; but, as such, the city of London could not be taxed, for, by their an

Mad Hist. Excheq. A. D. 1311

cient rights and liberties, confirmed by divers charters, especially that of Magna Charta, they were free, and consequently not liable to any such tallage; and that, in lieu of all services, they paid the king a certain annual sum for the fee-farm of their city; therefore, humbly desired that the intended tallage might be deferred till the meeting of the approaching parliament, when they should have an opportunity of conferring upon that affair with divers of the nobility, who were proprietors of sundry lands and tenements in the city. To which it was replied that if they would lend the king two thousand marks, the assessment should be deferred according to their request. But the citizens not readily agreeing to this proposal, commissioners were sent to Guildhall to assess the said talla. e. However, their commission being read, and the Friday following being appointed for the citizens to begin the said assessment, the mayor, &c. were so intimidated, that they proposed a loan of one thousand pounds, on condition that the king would, by his letters patent, take care that no tallage singly by poll, or in common upon their goods, chattels, rents, or tenements, might be assessed before the next parliament: to which his majesty assented, desiring it to be paid to Ingel warde de Warlee, keeper of the ward

robe

Before we close the history of the present year, it may be matter of entertainment to our readers to add the following account; in which is shown the ancient and costly manner of housekeeping of the English nobility, being the debit side of the account of H. Leicester, cofferer to Thomas, earl of Lancaster, containing the amount of all the disbursements of that noble family, relating to domestic expenses in the present year :—

The Account of H. Leicester, Cofferer, to Thomas, earl of Lancaster.

To the amount of the charge of the pantry, buttery, and kitchen