APPENDIX B.
SIR EDMUND WRIGHT'S election as LORD MAYOR.
In the year 1640 the attitude of the City of London towards Charles
was a matter of great concern to the King's advisers, and the Privy
Council was apprehensive of the course events might take when the Common
Hall met to elect the lord mayor for the coming year. The senior
alderman due for election was Sir William Acton, a man of royalist sympathies, but it was known that there was a proposal to set Acton aside in
favour of Thomas Soame, who though low on the list, was a determined
supporter of the Parliament. In the event, however, Edmund Wright,
whose name stood next in order to Acton's, was elected, probably because
his views were not definitely pronounced in either direction. Charles, with
good sense and with a desire not to prejudice the loan he was negotiating
from the City, accepted the situation.
In the Clarendon MSS. at the Bodleian Library is a series of letters
written by Francis Windebank, Secretary of State, to Charles, who was
at York, reporting the state of affairs in London and the opinions of the
Privy Council thereon. The King's comments are in his own handwriting
in the margin and the following extracts make the facts quite clear as regards
Wright's election.
Charles defines his attitude when he writes against a dispatch of
Windebank's concerning the City's Petition (fn. 1) :—" The Maior now with the
Citie, ar to bee flatered, not threatned." Later, Windebank reports the
following meeting of the Privy Council (fn. 2) :—
The LLss meeting yesterday at Hampton-Court sate a little in
Counsell for the dispatche of ordinary busines, but there occurred
little of moment. Only the Lo: Tr'er acquainted the Boord Wt a
malicious practise of som in the City to putt bye Alderman Acton
from being chosen Lo: Maior, who is to succeede in that place the
next yeere, though the man be Wtout exception, unlesse it be that he
is a true servant to yor M:. It is most true that the Remembrancer
of London apprehending som such intention acquainted me Wtit
the last weeke, & I com'unicated it to som of my LLss:. But my
Lo: Cottington made no greate matter of it, considering that
whosoever shalbe chosen, He canot holde or exercise the place,
unlesse he be admitted and sworne in the Exchequer, so that if they
shall goe a factious way, the Lo: Tr'er hath a power to interrupt them
there. Neverthelesse the LLss: thought it much better to prevent it
before it shall grow so highe, & therfore have sent for the Recorder
to attende the Boorde this day, to aduise upon som course to diuert
the City from such an Irregularity.
Among the State Papers (fn. 1) are the following notes by Windebank of
the proceedings of the Privy Council on 30 Sept., when it discussed
the Recorder's report of the meeting of the citizens in Common Hall on
Michaelmas Day, for the election of the next lord mayor:—
A great and tumultuous company. A mutiny. The danger of
innovation; and how far it is in the King's power to receive or reject
[the new lord mayor], and this according to their charters. A number
of young mechanics made such a cry nothing could be heard. They
would not hear of [Sir William] Acton; the checks turned out
1,500; Acton 200; [Edmund] Wright more; [Thomas] Soame
only named, nine before him. Soame and Wright the most voices,
but they earnestly desired they might be spared. Nothing in the
charter for Michaelmas Day only. The Lord Mayor (fn. 1) desires to know
the King's mind. The Lord Mayor [was] very hearty, and said he
is Mayor, and will keep it till the King put him out. He must be
new elected. These 300 years none refused but for poverty or infirmity.
That the private companies be disposed between this and Tuesday
next; that none be admitted by the Lord Mayor to come in but such
as ought to give their voices, and that by scrutiny; and none but
such as bring tickets from their companies that they have power to
give voices. Whether the King shall be advised to give way to him
they shall choose. They have no fear nor awe of the Government.
They say they have a Mayor, and that is Soame. None will serve after
Soame. It is not fit the King give way to this innovation; and if
they will not choose Acton, or continue this man, to refuse any other
that they shall choose. The King to declare himself before Tuesday
next, with all speed, that we may have time to co-operate. To give
the Mayor and Recorder a fair testimony to the King. Two yeomen
of the guard committed for refusing to pay duties for watching and
warding.
Windebank's report to the King on the above is in these words (fn. 1) :—
The Recorder of London made report this day to the Boorde of
the tumultuary meeting upon Michaelmas Day in the City at the
Election of the Lo: Maior, Wch was so full of disorder & so contrary
to the ancient custom & practise of that Corporation, that the grauest
Citisens were much scandised at it. The man'er of it being sett downe
in writing by Mr Recorder himselfe in the paper that goeth heerwith,
I do not hold it a subiect worthy of a further Relation. Only I am
com'anded by my LLss: humbly to represent to yor M:, that the
present Lo: Maior & the Recorder have used all possible meanes
for the preventing of this disorder: that this is a meere inouation,
& that these 300: yeeres no one Alderman hath bene reiected or putt
out of his order but in case of poverty, or infirmity of age or sicknes.
That if this be permitted the gouernment of the City is utterly lost,
& if Alderman Some (fn. 1) be chosen, besides his disaffections &
dishabilities, all the Aldermen that are his Seniors, wch are: 7: or 8:,
will disdaine to com into the place after him: that this man, Alder:
Acton, is a man wtout exception, & suffers only for his affections to
yor M: service. Wherfore the most humble opinion of my LLss:
is, that if the City shall either refuse to chose Acton, or to continue
this present Maior for one yeere longer, (to this later the LLss:
seeme to incline in case the other can'ot fairely be obteyned), then
yor M: shall do well to refuse to admitt any other that shalbe
presented in the Exchequer. In the meane time, because Tuesday
next is appointed for another meeting in the City, the Lo: Maior is
desired by the Boorde, to dispose, by treaty, som of the most discreete
of the Companies, to conforme themselves to the ancient course of
Election, & to be carefull that none be admitted to give voices but
such as shall bring ticketts from their Companies that they have
power to vote, & all this to be don by strict scrutiny. This falles out
most unhappily now that the State hath so much cause to use the City,
wch my LLss: doe take into consideration as a businesse of highest
consequence, & wold be most glad to finde som handsom way out
of these difficulties. Yor M: may therfore please betwene this and
Tuesday next to vouchsafe yor direction, & to lett me know how you
like this opinion of my LLss.
and the King's comment, in the margin, is :—" I lyke the opinion of the
Lds: well so that there intentions may be executed without hindering my
Loane of Monie; but so that wee may get that; let in'ouat, & spare not;
it may be a good example for me, to doe the lyke, upon occasion hearafter:
& I see not why ye may not use this occasion so, as to make them lende the
willinger."
The final extract is from Windebank's report of 6 October (fn. 1) :—
It may please yor Maty:
The last night late I receaued myne of the : 30: of Septem:
Apostiled by yor M: the : 3: of October, wt one inclosed to Her M:,
wch I had the Honor to deliver this morning heere at Whitehall to
Her owne handes, and the answer to it goeth heerwith.
I acquainted my Lo: Marshall only, wt yor M:s Apostile
concerning the Election of the Lo: Maior ; & the Remembrancer of London com'ing to me this morning from the present
Maior, to understande Whether yor M: had declared any thing
concerning that businesse, I went wt him to my Lo: Marshall, where
my Lo: of Dorsett likewise came to us, & asseured us, that if
som handsom message were sent to the City in yor M: name,
intimating that you expected they shold hold their ancient course
of Election, & that yor M: wolde take it well in these times of
distraction that they shold proceede orderly & quietly to the choice
of the senior Alderman, they wolde yet chose Acton. Wherupon we
sent Mr. Mewtys to them in yor M: name, instructing him to deliver
a message to them to that purpose. But it seeme my Lo: of Dorsett's
Intelligence fayled : for notwtstanding anything represented by
Mr Mewtys, or the Recorder, or any other, they haue reiected Acton,
& chosen Alderman Wright, who is next in Order to Acton, & so
though the Election be irregular, yet it is not altogether so disorderly
as if they had chosen Some. Whether yor M: will have my Lo: Tr'er
admitt this man thus chosen, when he shall com to take his oath in
the Exchequer, there is time to consider.
to which Charles writes in the margin: "It is well anufe considering the
tymes therefore there must bee no dificultie made in it for his admittance."