London in the Time of the Tudors

Name: London in the Time of the Tudors
Author: Besant, Walter

Besant, Walter

London (England); London (England) -- History

The Lord Mayor’s Show in the sixteenth century, conducted partly on
horseback, and partly by water, was a far finer pageant than any
that our generation has been enabled to witness. The following is a
contemporary account:—

“The day of St. Simon and Jude, he (the Mayor) entrethe into his
estate and offyce; and the next daie following he goeth by water to
Westmynster in most tryumphlyke maner. His barge beinge garnished with
the armes of the citie; and nere the sayd barge goeth a shyppbote of
the Queenes Majestie, beinge trymed upp, and rigged lyke a shippe of
warre, with dyvers peces of ordinance, standards, penons, and targetts
of the proper armes of the sayd Mayor, the armes of the Citie, of his
company; and of the merchaunts adventurers, or of the staple, or of
the company of the newe trades; next before hym goeth the barge of
the lyvery of his owne company, decked with their owne proper armes,
then the bachelers’ barge, and soo all the companies in London, in
order, every one havinge their owne proper barge garnished with the
armes of their company. And so passinge alonge the Thamise, landeth at
Westmynster, where he taketh his othe in Thexcheker, beffore the judge
there (whiche is one of the chiefe judges of England), whiche done, he
returneth by water as afforsayd, and landeth at powles wharfe, where
he and the reste of the Aldermen take their horses, and in great pompe
passe through the greate streete of the citie, called Cheapside. And
fyrste of all cometh ij great estandarts, one havinge the armes of
the citie, and the other the armes of the Mayor’s Company; next them
ij drommes and a flute, then an ensigne of the citie, and then about
IXX or IXXX poore men marchinge ij and two togeather in blewe gownes,
with redd sleeves and capps, every one bearinge a pyke and a target,
whereon is paynted the armes of all them that have byn Mayor of the
same company that this newe mayor is of. Then ij banners, one of the
kynges armes, the other of the Mayor’s owne proper armes. Then a sett
of hautboits playinge, and after them certayne wyfflers, in velvett
cotes, and chaynes of golde, with white staves in their handes, then
the pageant of tryumphe rychly decked, whereuppon by certayne fygures
and wrytinges, some matter touchinge justice, and the office of a
maiestrate is represented. Then xvj trompeters, viij and viij in a
company, havinge banners of the Mayor’s company. Then certayne wyfflers
in velvet cotes and chaynes, with white staves as afordsayde. Then the
bachelers ij and two together, in longe gownen, with crymson hoodes
on their shoulders of sattyn; which bachelers are chosen every yeare
of the same company that the Mayor is of (but not of the lyvery) and
serve as gentlemen on that and other festivall daies, to wayte on the
Mayor, beinge in nomber accordinge to the quantetie of the company,
sometimes sixty or one hundred. After them xij trompeters more, with
banners of the Mayor’s company, then the dromme and flute of the citie,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

London in the Time of the TudorsBesant, Walter

History

London in the Time of the Tudors

Besant, Walter

London (England); London (England) -- History

The Lord Mayor’s Show in the sixteenth century, conducted partly on
horseback, and partly by water, was a far finer pageant than any
that our generation has been enabled to witness. The following is a
contemporary account:—

“The day of St. Simon and Jude, he (the Mayor) entrethe into his
estate and offyce; and the next daie following he goeth by water to
Westmynster in most tryumphlyke maner. His barge beinge garnished with
the armes of the citie; and nere the sayd barge goeth a shyppbote of
the Queenes Majestie, beinge trymed upp, and rigged lyke a shippe of
warre, with dyvers peces of ordinance, standards, penons, and targetts
of the proper armes of the sayd Mayor, the armes of the Citie, of his
company; and of the merchaunts adventurers, or of the staple, or of
the company of the newe trades; next before hym goeth the barge of
the lyvery of his owne company, decked with their owne proper armes,
then the bachelers’ barge, and soo all the companies in London, in
order, every one havinge their owne proper barge garnished with the
armes of their company. And so passinge alonge the Thamise, landeth at
Westmynster, where he taketh his othe in Thexcheker, beffore the judge
there (whiche is one of the chiefe judges of England), whiche done, he
returneth by water as afforsayd, and landeth at powles wharfe, where
he and the reste of the Aldermen take their horses, and in great pompe
passe through the greate streete of the citie, called Cheapside. And
fyrste of all cometh ij great estandarts, one havinge the armes of
the citie, and the other the armes of the Mayor’s Company; next them
ij drommes and a flute, then an ensigne of the citie, and then about
IXX or IXXX poore men marchinge ij and two togeather in blewe gownes,
with redd sleeves and capps, every one bearinge a pyke and a target,
whereon is paynted the armes of all them that have byn Mayor of the
same company that this newe mayor is of. Then ij banners, one of the
kynges armes, the other of the Mayor’s owne proper armes. Then a sett
of hautboits playinge, and after them certayne wyfflers, in velvett
cotes, and chaynes of golde, with white staves in their handes, then
the pageant of tryumphe rychly decked, whereuppon by certayne fygures
and wrytinges, some matter touchinge justice, and the office of a
maiestrate is represented. Then xvj trompeters, viij and viij in a
company, havinge banners of the Mayor’s company. Then certayne wyfflers
in velvet cotes and chaynes, with white staves as afordsayde. Then the
bachelers ij and two together, in longe gownen, with crymson hoodes
on their shoulders of sattyn; which bachelers are chosen every yeare
of the same company that the Mayor is of (but not of the lyvery) and
serve as gentlemen on that and other festivall daies, to wayte on the
Mayor, beinge in nomber accordinge to the quantetie of the company,
sometimes sixty or one hundred. After them xij trompeters more, with
banners of the Mayor’s company, then the dromme and flute of the citie,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

London in the Time of the Tudors

London in the Time of the Tudors

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