London and the Kingdom - Volume I | Page 2

matters. If, on the other
hand, an event which may be rightly deemed of national importance be
here omitted, it is because the citizens were little affected thereby, and
the City's records are almost, if not altogether, silent on the subject.
The work does not affect to be a critical history so much as a chronique
pour servir, to which the historical student may have recourse in order
to learn what was the attitude taken up by the citizens of London at
important crises in the nation's history. He will there see how, in the
contest between Stephen and the Empress Matilda, the City of London
held as it were the balance; how it helped to overthrow the tyranny of
Longchamp, and to wrest from the reluctant John the Great Charter of
our liberties; how it was with men and money supplied by the City that
Edward III and Henry V were enabled to conquer France, and how in
after years the London trained bands raised the siege of Gloucester and
turned the tide of the Civil War in favour of Parliament. He will not fail
to note the significant fact that before Monk put into execution his plan
for restoring Charles II to the Crown, the taciturn general--little given
to opening his mind to anyone--deemed it advisable to take up his
abode in the City in order to first test the feelings of the inhabitants as
to whether the Restoration would be acceptable to them or not. He will
see that the citizens of London have at times been bold of speech even
in the presence of their sovereign when the cause of justice and the
liberty of the subject were at stake, and that they did not hesitate to
suffer for their opinions; that, "at many of the most critical periods of

our history, the influence of London and its Lord Mayors has turned the
scale in favour of those liberties of which we are so justly proud"; and
that had the entreaties of the City been listened to by the King and his
ministers, the American Colonies would never have been lost to
England.
There are two Appendices to the work; one comprising copies from the
City's Records of letters, early proclamations and documents of special
interest to which reference is made in the text; the other consisting of a
more complete list of the City's representatives in Parliament from the
earliest times than has yet been printed, supplemented as it has been by
returns to writs recorded in the City's archives and (apparently) no
where else. The returns for the City in the Blue Books published in
1878 and 1879 are very imperfect.
R. R. S.
THE GUILDHALL, LONDON, April, 1894.

CONTENTS
PREFACE.
CHAPTER I.
THE PORT OF LONDON. THE CITY NOT IN DEMESNE. THE
ROMAN OCCUPATION. THE SAXONS IN ENGLAND. THE
BISHOP OF LONDON. THE DANES IN LONDON. ALFRED
"RESTORES" LONDON. THE FRITH-GILD OF THE CITY. THE
FIRST PAYMENT OF DANEGELT. LONDON SUBMITS TO
SWEYN. CNUT EXPELLED BY ETHELRED. THE LAWS OF
ETHELRED. THE "LITHSMEN" OF LONDON. LONDON THE
CAPITAL. EARL GODWINE AND THE CITIZENS.
CHAPTER II.

THE NORMAN CONQUEROR. LONDON SUBMITS TO WILLIAM.
WILLIAM'S CHARTER TO THE CITY. THE "DOOMSDAY"
BOOK. THE ELECTION OF HENRY I. HENRY'S CHARTER TO
THE CITY. THE SHERIFF-WICK OF MIDDLESEX. LONDON'S
ELECTION OF STEPHEN. THE EMPRESS MATILDA. LONDON
AND THE SYNOD AT WINCHESTER. THE EMPRESS MATILDA
IN LONDON. LONDON HOLDS THE BALANCE.
CHAPTER III.
FITZ-STEPHEN'S DESCRIPTION OF LONDON CHARTER OF
HENRY II TO THE CITY. THE REVOLT OF THE BARONS
RICHARD I AND HIS CHANCELLOR. THE CITY AND ITS
"COMMUNE." SUBSTITUTION OF MAYOR FOR PORT-REEVE.
CHRONICLE OF ARNALD FITZ-THEDMAR. THE CITY'S CLAIM
AT CORONATION BANQUETS. INSURRECTION UNDER
LONGBEARD. THE GOLDEN BULL. FITZ-WALTER THE CITY'S
CASTELLAIN. LONDON AND THE GREAT CHARTER. DEATH
OF KING JOHN.
CHAPTER IV.
THE TREATY OF LAMBETH. TUMULT RAISED BY
CONSTANTINE. THE KINGDOM OVER-RUN BY FOREIGNERS.
TAKEN INTO THE KING'S HAND. LONDON SUPPORTS THE
BARONS. THE CITY AT THE MERCY OF THE KING.
ORGANIZATION OF CRAFT GUILDS. THE MISE OF AMIENS.
SIMON DE MONTFORT'S PARLIAMENT. THE BATTLE OF
EVESHAM AND ITS RESULTS. THE FATE OF FITZ-THOMAS,
MAYOR. THE MAYORALTY RESTORED. WALTER HERVY
RE-ELECTED MAYOR.
CHAPTER V.
FITZ-THEDMAR'S PREJUDICE AGAINST HERVY. CHARGES
AGAINST WALTER HERVY. THE RESULTS OF HERVY'S
POLICY. INTERRUPTION OF TRADE WITH FLANDERS.

FLEMINGS EXPELLED FROM ENGLAND. ARRIVAL OF
EDWARD I IN ENGLAND. THE MURDER OF LAURENCE
DUKET. THE ITER AT THE TOWER. THE EXPULSION OF THE
JEWS. DEATH OF QUEEN ELEANOR. THE KING IN
DIFFICULTIES. RISING OF THE SCOTS UNDER WALLACE.
DEATH OF EDWARD I.
CHAPTER VI.
THE ORDAINERS AND THEIR WORK. RICHER DE REFHAM,
MAYOR. THE FALL OF GAVESTON. THE CITIZENS RESIST A
TALLIAGE. DISSENSION IN THE CITY. PROCEEDINGS AT THE
ITER OF 1321. CLAIMS PUT FORWARD BY THE CITY.
CONTINUATION OF THE ITER. HAMO