Notes on the aldermen, 1220-1400

The Aldermen of the City of London Temp. Henry III - 1912. Originally published by Corporation of the City of London, London, 1908.

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'Notes on the aldermen, 1220-1400', in The Aldermen of the City of London Temp. Henry III - 1912, (London, 1908) pp. 405-408. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/london-aldermen/hen3-1912/pp405-408 [accessed 18 April 2024]

In this section

Notes on the Aldermen,

1230–1400.

1230. Andrew Bukerel They, with other Aldermen of the same patronymic, were members of the family (of Italian origin) which has given its name to Bucklersbury.
Stephen Bukerel.
1237. Simon fitz-Mary was the founder of Bethlehem Hospital.
1248. John Adrian. It is very difficult to determine whether there were two Aldermen of this name or only one. We meet with the name for the first time as an Alderman, in the list which is printed on page 368 from Ancient Deed, A 10849, under date 34 Henry III. (1249–50). It recurs frequently in succeeding years amongst the Aldermen from this year till 1284. John Adrian is named as an Alderman (without specification of a particular Ward) under dates 1250–1, 1252, 1253, 1257, 1258–9, 1265–6, 1268–9, 1270, 1277, 1283, 1284.
"John fitz-Adrian," [son of Adrian ("Filius Adrian")] appears as "Alderman of the Ward" in connexion with property in the parish of St. Michael, Bassishaw (which was apparently then, as afterwards, co-terminous with Bassishaw Ward), in Ancient Deed, A 2084, under date 1256–7 (41 Henry III.), and again in St. Paul's MS., 1191, in connexion with the parish of St. Mary, Abchurch (including portions of Candlewick and Walbrook) in the Mayoralty of J. de Gisors and his own Shrievalty (1258–9). In Ancient Deed, A 1785, under date 54 Henry III. (1269–70), "John Adrian" (without the "fitz") is named as "Alderman of the Ward" in connexion with property in the parishes of St. Dunstan, Tower and St. Mary Bothaw, the latter of which includes parts of Dowgate and Walbrook.
In Ancient Deed, C 850 (1269) "John fitz-Adrian" and "John, his son," are named together among witnesses, neither of them being described as Alderman, that appellation being in this deed only applied to the "Alderman of the Ward" (Cordwainer), Henry le Waleys. "John Addrian, draper, senior," is named as a creditor of Henry de Fingrie in Letter Book A, fo. 7, under date February 25, 1277.
From the references quoted on p. 216, it will be seen that John Adrian was acting as Alderman of Walbrook in April, 1277 and October, 1284 (the name occurring repeatedly during the intervening period amongst the Aldermen present at meetings of the Court), and his successor in that Ward is found acting in February, 1285, whilst the (undated) Will of a John Adrian was enrolled April 23, 1285. These dates afford strong presumptive evidence that the Will was that of the Alderman of Walbrook.
John Adrian was Sheriff in 1258–9 and again in 1266–8, and also Mayor in 1270–1. John (fitz-John) Adrian was Sheriff in 1277–8, and whenever he is mentioned in that connexion in Letter Book A, the description "fitz-John" is carefully included. It is hardly probable that the Mayor of 1270–1 who had previously served the Shrievalty for two terms was identical with the Sheriff of 1277–8, and I think it may be taken as certain that the latter was the former's son.
At p. 216 I have assumed that the Alderman of Walbrook whose term ceased early in 1285 was the father; at p. 234 I have corrected this on the assumption that it was the son. My reason for doing so was that in the Will of John Adrian, enrolled in April, 1285 (but undated), his son John is spoken of as being still under age and provision is made for his Wardship; it is therefore obvious that unless the Will was several years old (in which case this provision would have become superfluous), the son named in the Will could not have been the Sheriff of 1277–8, and in that case the testator and the Sheriff of 1277–8 were probably identical with the Alderman of Walbrook, who must have succeeded his father in the Aldermanry at an earlier date.
I am now, however, disposed to adhere to my original view, viz.: that only one John Adrian was an Alderman, and that his son was the Sheriff of 1277–8, but not an Alderman. The fact that in Letter Book A the Alderman of Walbrook is never, and the Sheriff of 1277–8 is invariably, described as "fitz-John" seems to render their identity most improbable. The most tenable conclusion appears to be that John Adrian, the Mayor of 1270–1, was Alderman of Walbrook throughout the period c 1258–85, having previously been for some years Alderman of Bassishaw. If the Will enrolled in April, 1285 was his, we must assume that it was made during his son's nonage, and that he omitted to make a fresh one when the provisions had been rendered inoperative by the latter's attainment to his majority.
[At p. 236 I have put Adrian as Alderman of Tower in 1253–4, on the assumed authority of Liber Trinitatis I. 146. I find, however, that although Adrian as "Alderman" attested a deed dealing with property in that Ward, he did not sign as "Alderman of that Ward," and the inference that he was so, though frequently found to be correct in such cases, is not warranted without further evidence. Mr. Loftie in London (Historic Towns) p. 87, has assigned him to Candlewick, but this is apparently due to a misunderstanding of the entry in St. Paul's MS. 1191, referred to above, where he is associated as Alderman with the Parish of St. Mary Abchurch, which comprised a portion of Walbrook Ward as well as of Candlewick]
c1248. Thomas fitz-Thomas. The leader of the popular party in the City. When Mayor in October, 1265, he was seized and imprisoned in Windsor Castle; he presumably died (naturally or otherwise) in prison, as nothing of later date is known of him from any extant record. A very doubtful entry (undated) in Liber Trinitatis iii., 471 b, appears to connect him with Queenhithe Ward as Alderman at some period of his civic career. He was certainly Alderman of Cheap in 1264–5 (Ancient Deed, A 1673).
c 1264. Michael Tovi. The name is sometimes written "Toni" or "Tooni." He was, as I have indicated in the footnote at p. 374, probably son of the ex-Mayor. ("Michael Tovi, Goldsmith," and "Michael Tovi the younger," are named as witnesses to a deed included in the St. Paul's MSS.). The later Alderman was doubtless identical with "Michael Thovi the younger," who was hanged (14 Edw. I., 1275–6) "by reason of the murders and robberies which the Aldermen imputed to him" (French Chronicle of London, Ed. Riley, p. 237).
c 1272. Nicholas de Winchester. He was son of Geoffrey of Winchester, formerly Alderman of Bridge.
1286. John de Banquelle. He was pressed to death in the crowd at the Coronation of Edward II.
1292. Walter de Finchingfeld. He was son-in-law of Henry Frowyk (Alderman, 1272–86).
1293. Nicholas de Farndone. He was son of Ralph le Fevre, and married Isabella, daughter of his predecessor, William de Farndone.
1312. Anketyn de Gisors. He was a brother of John de Gisors (Mayor, 1311–13, 1314–15), as also was Henry de Gisors (Alderman, 1330–43).
1320. Edmund Lambyn. He was a brother of his predecessor, John Lambyn.
1320. William de Caustone. Possibly the Alderman of Broad Street may have been the uncle of the late Alderman of Bassishaw, but I think they were identical.
1321. John de Bureford. He was son-in-law of Thomas Romeyn (Mayor, 1309–10).
1322. John Hauteyn. He was son of Walter Hauteyn (Alderman, 1290–3).
1327. John de Pulteney. He gave his name to St. Lawrence Pountney (formerly St. Lawrence, Candlewick Street). The statesman, W. Pulteney, Earl of Bath, was descended, as also is the present Earl of Crewe, from a son of the Alderman's sister.
1333. Richard de Rothyng. He built the Church of St. James, Garlickhithe.
1335. John Hamond. He married the widow of Adam de Salisbury (Alderman, 1325–30).
1339. John de Refham. He was son of Sir Richard de Refham (Mayor, 1310–11).
1339. Thomas Leggy. The patronymic of this civic magnate (who married a daughter of Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, and was ancestor of the Earl of Dartmouth) generally appears in the City records in this uneuphonious form and always with a final i or y, which doubtless represents its pronunciation at that time.
The legend that he was the first "Lord Mayor" of London is simple rubbish, and has no contemporary (or other plausible) authority. The charter of Edward III. conferring on the Mayors the right of having gold or silvertopped maces borne before them, which is erroneously supposed to have involved the assumption of the modern designation, was not, as has been alleged, granted in Leggy's Mayoralty, but in that of his predecessor, Adam Fraunceys, being dated June 10, 1354.
1347. John Lovekyn. Sir William Walworth was apprenticed to him and inherited his large house in Thames Street, which was in the fifteenth century bequeathed to the Fishmongers' Company and was used by them as their Hall. Lovekyn rebuilt the Church of St. Michael, Crooked Lane.
1348. Henry Picard. He is said to have feasted Edward the III., the captive Kings of France and Scotland and the King of Cyprus during his Mayoralty.
1350. John Costantyn. He was son of Richard Costantyn i. (Alderman, 1319–22) and brother of Richard Costantyn ii. (Alderman, 1336–43).
1358. Stephen Cavendisshe. He has been assumed to have been an ancestor of the Dukes of Devonshire. There may have been a connexion between the families, but the direct descent is more than doubtful.
1369. John Warde. He married a sister of John Not (Mayor, 1363–4).
1370. John Aubrey. He was son of Andrew Aubrey (Mayor, 1339–41 and 1351–2). His widow, who was of the same family as Adam Fraunceys (Mayor, 1352–4), married John do Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, and was ancestress of the great Earl of Warwick (the King-Maker) and of Cardinal Pole.
1372. John Philipot. He was son-in-law of Richard de Croydon (Alderman, 1367–75). His name survives in Philpot Lane.
1376. Thomas Cornwaleys. He was ancestor of the Marquis Cornwallis.
1377. William Wodehous. He is said to have been an ancestor of the Earls of Kimberley.
1377. Adam Karlill. These four Aldermen were charged with conniving with Wat Tyler, a charge which, so far as the three last are concerned, seems fully warranted by their conduct. Dr. Sharpe notices the fact that they were all of the victualling class (see Letter Book H, p. xxvii.), which I regard as only a coincidence. If Dr. Sharpe's suggestion that the popular resentment aroused by their proceedings found expression in the subsequent reaction in favour of Northampton and the non-victualling party is correct, it is only an illustration of the proverbial unreason of a democratic electorate, inasmuch as the more prominent leaders of the victualling party (Walworth himself, Philipot and Brembre) were conspicuous on the side of order, and received knighthood from the King in recognition of their active loyalty.
Walter Sibyle.
John Horn.
William Tonge.
1379. John Sely. On Whitsun Sunday (May 16th) 1382, he appeared in the procession to St. Paul's in a cloak without a lining, whereas he should have worn one lined with green "taffata" or "tartaryn"; as a penalty for this breach of civic propriety he was ordered to entertain the Mayor and Aldermen to dinner at his house on the following Thursday "at his proper charges."
1381. John Chircheman. He was the builder of the Custom House.
1382. John Walcote. In the year 1388 a person who (like Othello, but in a different sense) was distinctly "rude in speech" was imprisoned in Newgate and compelled to do penance on his release, for insulting this Alderman. The minutes relating to the matter as recorded in Letter Book H, fo. 224, are given as translated by Riley, in Mr. Deputy Baddeley's Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward, pp. 229–230, where there is also an account of similar proceedings against an irreverent butcher who had made opprobrious remarks to Alderman William Wotton a little later in the same year.
1382 and 1383 John More.
Richard Norbury.
These Aldermen were strong supporters of Northampton and the non-victualling party, and suffered with their leader, being imprisoned in Nottingham and Corfe Castle respectively at the same time that Northampton was committed to Tintagel. They were originally sentenced to death, which was commuted to ten years' imprisonment (September, 1384), from which they were released in June, 1386.
1383. John Furneux. He is one of the sixteen Aldermen of the Grocers' Company named in their records for 1383. A person of the same name, very probably identical with him, is described as a draper in Letter Book H (ff. 52, 205 b), under dates December 16, 1376, November 9, 1386, and again as a "taillour" under date November 24. 1378 (fo. 97).
1390. William Brampton. Was removed from his office of Bailiff of Southwark in 1382 for delaying the delivery at the market of fish imported by foreigners (Letter Book H, fo. 153). Brampton was himself a fishmonger, and it was decided that his successor should not be interested in the trade.
1393. Thomas Knolles. He is said to have been an ancestor of the Earls of Banbury (and consequently of the present Lord Knollys). He was fatherin-law of John Chichele (Chamberlain, 1434–49). The Editor of the Dictionary of National Biography writes of him as "Sir Thomas" and "Lord Mayor," both designations being inaccurate.
c1399. William Askham. He was an apprentice of Sir William Walworth.