The Express.
London, England, 1856-11-10 00:00:00

the mayoralty.
These were, however, troubled times, for in 1265
Henry 111. eeised and imprisoned the mayor sad
prateipal citizens for fortifyieg the City in favour of
the banes, and for four years the King appointed
cuaiodes, when the City recovered its liberties, and
again elected their mayors until 1295, when Bir
Gregory Rakesley, the then mayor, refusing to
appear at the Tower before the King's Pastime, con-
ceiving himself not bound to go out W the City, the
mayoralty and liberties were again seized Into the
King's bands, and after the City had been some
mouths without a mayor two naiades were ap-
pointed, and held office until 1298, when Henry
alleis was elected and served as mayor, and from
thetce the office of mayor has continued in GenelMet
@amnion, only the election appears to hale ha
sometimes guided by the King's nonsinsthele AS
exception however occurred in 1391—(16 )r& IL)—•
when the mayor of London, incurring the Zing%
displeasure, was sent a primmer to Windsor Ceetle
and n metes appointed. The mayoralty was also "he
the King's hands" in the reign of Edward U., wham
he appointed Sir Nicholas Parindon mayor "se
long as it pleased him."
The official eplendour of the offiee, however, dates
from the reign of Edward lIL, who by charter
granted that the liberties and franchisee of the City
should not thenceforth be seised into the king's hen&
for my other cause but treason and rebellion Awe'
by the whole City. In 1354 this sovereign reale.
them the right of having gold and silver
" tanned or garnished," carried before their
alerts; and it was probably at this period that theta
chief magistrate was entitled "Lord Mayor," a cone
keine. which receives corroboration from the decals.
stance of that officer being rated as au earl seder the
levies of the capitation tax in 1379; at the
same time, the aldermen were rated as barons.
In this reign insult to the office was punished with
great severity; for in 1339 Andrew Aubrey, lord
mayor, being assaulted in a tumult, the ringleaders
were seized, tried and convicted, and beheaded is
Cheapside. In the same reign (1356), Lord Mayor
Henry Picard feasted in ose day tour kings : Edward
111. of England, John of France, the King of Cyprus,
sad David of Scotland; besides Edward the Black
Prince, who had brought King John implies from
Poictiers, entering London in great triumph by the
narrow and dirty inlet of Kent-street, Southwark.
Sir William Walworth, the next distinguished
same on our list, was mayor in 1375 (48-49 Edw.
III.) and 1381 (4 and 6 Rio. IL) Walworth is
the pride of the Fishmonger' Cozapa. Wal-
worth, in his second mayoralty, slew *at Tyler,
but his fame has somewhat waned in the historic
distance ; it appearing that Wet had destroyed seve-
ral of the stew-honses on the Baukside, and had thus
seriously injured the property of the Lord Mayor,
which is thought to have had Erne weight with Sir
William when he gave the rebel the deadly blow.
His dagger is p ed at Fishmongers' Hall ; it has
last its guard, and the warkessnehlp is of Walworth's
time; thedagger in the hand of a carved wood statue of
Walworth, on the grand staircase, is modern. Among
the curiosities is a plan of the Show at Walworth'a
installation, probably the oldest representation of a
Lord Mayor's Show extant. Hem also is Walworth'e
funeral pall, of cloth of gold, sumptuously embroi-
dered.
Sir John Philpot, mayor in 1381, was a brave
soldier, whom Fuller describes as " the scourge of
the Scots, the fright of the French, the delight of the
Gatemen', and the darling of the merchants."
Sir Richard Whittington, the most renowned rams
In civic annals, was " thine Lord Mayor"-1398,
1407. 1420. He was the son of Sir William Whittiog-
ton, Knight, and his early destitution rests but upon
the nursery tale. His prosperity is referred to the
coat.carrying cat of Newcastle; but a 'cam print,
by Elstrueke, cf Whittington in his mayoralty robes,
has a cat beside the figure, showing the version of the
nursery tale to have been then popular: in the early
impressions of this plate a skull appears in place of
the cat, which has rendered the original print a rarity
of great price among collectors. Whittiagton's wealth
rebuilt Nen-gate, and Sr. Michael's Church. Pater-
noster Royal ; built part of St. Bartholomew's Hospital,
and the library of Christ's Hospital, and added to the
Guildhall. Ho also bequeathed his house at "College.
hill" for a coflege and almshouse, which have been
taken down, and the institution removed to a hand-
some collegiate building near Highgate archway, not
far from the stone marking the spot whereon tradition
states Whittier= to have rested when a poor boy
and listened to the bells of Bow; the original atone
(removed is 1821) issaid to have been set upby desire
of Whittington, to assist horsemen to mount at the
font of the hill. Whittington was buried in St.
Michael's church, beneath a cootie marble tomb; but
his remains were twice disturbed befare the cherish
was destroyed by fire, and now there is no oleo
memorial of Whittier/ton to be traced. Whittington
was et the Mercers Company ; his will, preserved
at hlereere.hall, bears a curious illumination of
Whittington on his death bed, his three executors, •
priest, he.
Sir Geary Bonen, lord mayor in 1453, brought
the highest genealogical honour the City can boast
of. Sir Geottry was grandfather to Thomas, Earl of
Wiltshire, and grandfather to Qaeen Elisabeth.
1433. Sir John Norman "rowed to Westminster,
with silver oars, at his own cost and charges." In
the show, which had originated in the presentation,
this mayor had hitherto ridden on horseback,
1455. Sir Stephen Foster, of the nehmen '
Company; he rebuilt Ludgate Prisoo. Tee traditional
tale of his captivating the widow as he begged et the
prison gate famished Rowley with the plot of
Woman IVerer Vest a er, the Widow of Congeal.
1482. Sir Richard/4*a, King Richard the Third's
merchant, to whom he sold mach of his plates
1487. Sir Walter Horse, knighted in Bosworth
Field by Henry VIL
14g9 and 1496. Sir Henry Colet, father of Dean
Crier, who founded St. Paul's School.
1490. Sir John Matthew, the fed bachelor Lord
Mayor.
1502. Sir John Spsa. who gave, in the Guildhall,
the first mayor's feast, hitherto kept in the Merchant
Tailors' and Groom' Halls.
1520. Sir John Brugge. (Brydges), of • family as
old as the Conquest ; his ancestor, Sir John Brydges,
fought at Agincourt.
1646. Sir Martin Bowes, the wealthy goldsmith
who lent Henry VIII. sleep sum; he was batter at
the coronation of Queen Etizsbeth, and left to the
Goldsmiths' Company his gold fee yap, out of which
the Queen drank.
1548. Sir John Gresham, brother of Sir Richard
Gresham, mayor is 1538. Sir John was father of
the celebrated Sir Thomas Gresham, founder of the
Royal Exchange, thus dissipating the grasehopper
legend.