Somewhat of Liueries worne by Cittizens of London, in time of
triumphes, and other wayes.
1236. The twentieth of Henrythe third, The Mayor, Aldermen, Shiriffes and Cittizens of London rode out to
meete the King and his new wife, Queen Elianor, daughter
to Reymond Beringarius of Aragon, Earle of Prouince and
Narbone. The Cittizens were clothed in long garments,
embroydered about with gold, and silke of diuers colours,
their horses finelie trapped, to the number of three hundred sixtie, euerie man bearing a golden or siluer cuppe
in his hande, the kings Trumpets before them sounding,
&c. as yee may reade in my Annales.
1300. The 29. of Edwardthe first, the saide king tooke to
wife Margaret sister to Philip Le Bew king of Fraunce,
they were married at Canterbury. The Queene was conuayed to London, against whome the Cittizens to the
number of sixe hundred rode in one Liuerie of red and
white, with the cognisances of their misteries embroydered
vpon their sleeues, they receiued her foure miles out of
London, and so conueyed her to Westminster.
1415. The 3. of Henrythe fift, the said king arriuing at
Douer, the mayor of London with the Aldermen and
craftes men riding in red with hoods red and white, met
with the king on the Blacke Hith, comming from Eltham
with his prisoners out of France.
1432. The 10. of Henry the sixt, hee being crowned in
France, returning into England, came to Eltham towardes
London, and the Mayor of London Iohn Welles, the
Aldermen, with the comminalty rode against him on
Horsebacke, the Mayor in Crimson veluet, a great veluet
hat furred, a girdle of golde aboute his middle, and a
Bawdrike of gold about his necke trilling down behind him,
his three Henxemen, on three great coursers following
him, in one sute of red, all spangled in siluer, then the
Aldermen in Gownes of scarlet, with sanguine hoodes, and
all the Comminaltie of the citty cloathed in white gownes,
and scarlet hoods, with diuers cognizances embrodered on
their sleeues, &c.
1485. The first of Henrie the seuenth, The Mayor, Aldermen, Shiriffes and Comminality, all cloathed in Violet (as
in a mourning colour) mette the king at Shorditch, and
conuayed him to Powles Church, where hee offered his
Banners.
Thus much for liueries of Cittizens in auncient times, both
in triumphes and otherwise, may suffice, whereby may be
obserued that the couerture of mens heads was then hoodes,
for neyther Cappe or hat is spoken of, except that Iohn Wels
Mayor of London to were a hat in time of triumph, but
differing from the hattes lately taken in vse, and now commonly worne for Noble mens Liueries. I reade that Thomas
Earle of Lancaster in the raigne of E. the second gaue at
Christmas in Liueries, to such as serued him, 159. broade
cloathes, allowing to euery garment furres to furre their
hoodes: more nearer our time, there yet remeyneth the
counterfeites and pictures of Aldermen, and other that liued
in the raignes of Henriethe sixte and Edwardethe fourth,
namely Alderman Darbydwelled in Fenchurch street over
against the parrish church of S. Diones, left his picture, as of
an Alderman in a gowne of skarlet on his backe, a hoode on
his head, &c. as is in that house (and else where) to bee seene:
for a further monument of those late times, men may beholde
the glasse Windows of the Mayors court in the Guild hall
aboue the stayrs, the mayor is there pictured, sitting in
habite, party coloured, and a hoode on his head, his Swordebearer before him with an hatte or Cappe of maintenance:
the Common Clearke, and other officers bare headed, their
hoodes on their shoulders: and therefore I take it, that the
vse of square bonets worne by Noble men, Gentlemen,
Cittizens and others, tooke beginning in this Realm by
Henrythe seuenth, and in his time, and of further antiquitie
I can see no counterfeyte or other proofe of vse. Henrythe
eight (towards his latter raigne) ware a round flat cap of
scarlet or of veluet, with a bruch or Jewell, and a feather,
diuers Gentlemen, Courtiers, and other did the like. The
youthfull Citizens also tooke them to the new fashion of
flatte caps, knit of woollen yearne blacke, but so light that
they were forced to tye them vnder their chins, for else the
wind would be maister ouer them. The vse of these flat
round cappes so far increased (being of lesse price then the
French Bonet) that in short time some yong Aldermen tooke
<to>the wearing of them, Sir Iohn White ware it in his Maioralty,
and was the first that left example to his Followers, but now
the spanish felt, or the like counterfeyte, is most commonly
of all men both spirituall and temporall taken to vse, so that
the French Bonet or square cappe, and also the round or flat
cap, haue for the most parte giuen place to the spanish felte,
but yet in London amongst the grauer sort, (I meane the
Liueries of Companies) remayneth a memory of the hoodes
of olde time worne by their predecessors: These hoodes were
worne, the Roundelets vpon their heads, the skirts to hang
behind in their neckes to keep them warme, the tippet to lye
on their shoulder, or to wind about their neckes, these hoodes
were of olde time made in colours according to their gownes,
which were of two colours, as red and blew or red and purple,
murrey, or as it pleased their Masters and wardens to appoint
to the Companies, but now of late time, they haue vsed their
gowns to be al of one colour, and those of the sadest; but
their hoodes being made the one halfe of the same cloath
their gownes be of, the other halfe remayneth red as of old
time
And so I end, as wanting time to trauell further in this
Worke.
NOW since that I haue given you an outward view of this
City, it shall not be impertinent to let you take an insight also
of the same, such as a Londoner borne discoursed aboue twenty
years agone, for aunswere (as it seemeth) to some obiections,
that then were made against the growing greatnes thereof.
The author gaue it me, & therefore, howsoeuer I conceale his
name (which it selfe pretendeth not), I thinke I may without
his offence impart it to others, that they may take pleasure in
the reading as I doubt not but he did in the writing. Long
may they (that list) enuie, and long may wee and our
posterity enioy the good estate of this Cittie.