I will now discuss a few more incidents in the history of this reign.
In 1511 Roger Acheley, Mayor, caused the City Granary of Leadenhall to
be stored with grain for prevention in time of scarcity. This Mayor
also caused Moor fields to be levelled, and bridges and causeways to be
erected thereon.
In 1512 the Sheriffs were, by Act of Parliament, empowered to empanel
Juries for the City Courts. Every Juryman was to be a citizen worth
100 marks. If he failed to appear upon the first summons he was to
forfeit one shilling and eightpence; for the second, three shillings
and fourpence—and so on, the penalty being doubled for each occasion.
In 1517 the Court of Conscience was first established. Two Aldermen
and four “discreet” Commoners were appointed every month to sit at
the Guildhall twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday, to hear causes
between citizens and freemen of debts not exceeding forty shillings.
The Act was passed for two years only; but as it proved highly
serviceable it was continued by repeated Acts of Council until the
Court was confirmed by James I.
In 1519 the King by Charter removed the Sessions of Peace from St.
Martin’s le Grand to the Guildhall, to the great contentment of the
citizens.
In 1519 the Tower Ditch, between Aldgate and the Tower Postern, was
scoured and cleansed—the work cost £95:3:4. The Chief Ditcher was paid
7d. a day; the second Ditcher 6d.; the rest 5d.; the “Vagabonds,”
_i.e._ men pressed into the work, got a penny and their food. It
follows from this that the wage of a working man was then 5d. or 6d. a
day. The pay of a chantry priest was in most cases £6 a year, or about
4d. a day. So that the craftsman received, to support himself and his
family, very little more than the priest for the support of himself.
This fact shows that even the despised chantry priest occupied a much
higher social position than the craftsman.
In 1525 Wolsey proposed to levy a tax of one-sixth of all the goods
and chattels of the laity, and a fourth of those of the clergy.
There was so much indignation at this tax that the King gave way,
sending a letter to the Mayor in which he stated that he would never
exact anything of his people by compulsion, but would rely on their
benevolence. It appeared, however, when Wolsey sent for the Mayor and
Aldermen to confer with them upon the subject, that the City was not
disposed to grant any benevolence at all, relying on a statute of
Richard III. abolishing such benevolences. It was in vain that Wolsey
pointed out to them the facts that Richard was a murderer and a tyrant:
the City stood by the Law, and the benevolence was dropped.
In 1526 occurs an early example of the boycott. The City found that
certain foreign merchants had purchased license to import woad contrary
to law. It was therefore resolved that no London citizen should have
any dealings with any foreign merchant who should import woad.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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