In Murder, Robbery, And Other Felonies, Which Are
Excluded The Benefit Of The Clergy, The Criminal Is Sentenced To Be
Hanged Till He Is Dead.
And for crimes within the benefit of the
clergy, the offender is burnt in the hand or transported, at the
discretion of the court.
And for petty larceny, i.e., where the
offender is found guilty of theft under the value of twelve pence,
he is sentenced to be whipped. But a report being made to His
Majesty by the Recorder, of the circumstances with which the several
capital offences were attended, and what may be urged either in
aggravation or mitigation of them, the respective criminals are
either pardoned or executed according to His Majesty's pleasure.
But I should have remembered, that the sentence against a woman,
either for high or petty treason, is to be burnt alive. I shall now
give some account of the election of the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, &c.,
who are chosen by a majority of the liverymen.
The Lord Mayor is elected on Michaelmas Day (from among the
aldermen, by the liverymen of the City, who return two aldermen that
have served sheriffs to the Court of Aldermen for their acceptance,
who generally declare the first upon the liverymen's roll to be
Lord-Mayor) sworn at Guildhall on Simon and Jude, and before the
barons of the Exchequer at Westminster the day following.
The Lord Mayor appears abroad in very great state at all times,
being clothed in scarlet robes, or purple richly furred, according
to the season of the year, with a hood of black velvet, and a golden
chain or collar of S.S. about his neck, and a rich jewel pendant
thereon, his officers walking before and on both sides, his train
held up, and the City sword and mace borne before him. He keeps
open house during his mayoralty, and the sword-bearer is allowed
1,000 pounds for his table. The Lord Mayor usually goes to St.
Paul's, attended by the aldermen in their gowns, and his officers,
every Sunday morning; but especially the first Sunday in term-time,
where he meets the twelve judges and invites them to dinner after
divine service is ended.
The sheriffs are chosen into their office on Midsummer day annually
by the liverymen also; to which end the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and
sheriffs meet in the council-chamber at Guildhall, about eight in
the morning, and coming down afterwards into the Court of Hustings,
the recorder declares to the livery men assembled in the hall that
this is the day prescribed for the election of these magistrates for
the year ensuing: then the Court of Aldermen go up to the Lord
Mayor's Court till the sheriffs are chosen; the old sheriffs, the
chamberlain, common serjeant, town clerk, and other City officers
remaining in the Court of Hustings, to attend the election. After
the sheriffs are chosen, the commons proceed to elect a chamberlain,
bridge-masters, auditors of the city and bridge-house accounts, and
the surveyors of beer and ale, according to custom. The old
sheriffs are judges of these elections, and declare by the common
serjeant who are duly chosen. The sheriffs thus elected take the
usual oaths in this court on Michaelmas eve, and the day after
Michaelmas day are presented to the Barons of the Exchequer, where
they take the oath of office, the oaths of allegiance, &c. The
chamberlains and bridge-masters are sworn in the court of aldermen.
Where a Lord Mayor elect refuses to serve, he is liable to be fined;
and if a person chosen sheriff refuses to serve, he is fined 413
pounds 6s. 8d., unless he makes oath he is not worth 10,000 pounds.
When the alderman of any ward dies, another is within a few days
elected in his room, at a wardmote held for that purpose, at which
the Lord Mayor usually presides. Every alderman has his deputy, who
supplies his place in his absence. These deputies are always taken
from among the Common Council. The aldermen above the chair, and
the three eldest aldermen beneath it, are justices of peace in the
City by the charter.
The Lord-Mayor's jurisdiction in some cases extends a great way
beyond the City, upon the river Thames eastward as far as the
conflux of the two rivers Thames and Medway, and up the river Lea as
far as Temple Mills, being about three miles; and westward as far as
Colney Ditch above Staine Bridge: he names a deputy called the
water-bailiff, whose business is to prevent any encroachments,
nuisances, and frauds used by fishermen or others, destructive to
the fishery, or hurtful to the navigation of the said waters; and
yearly keeps courts for the conservation of the river in the
counties it borders upon within the said limits.
The sheriffs also are sheriffs of the county of Middlesex as well as
of London. And here I shall take an opportunity to observe, that
the number of aldermen are twenty-six; the number of Common-Council
men two hundred and thirty-four; the number of companies eighty-
four; and the number of citizens on the livery, who have a voice in
their elections, are computed to be between seven and eight
thousand. The twelve principal companies are:- 1. The Mercers; 2.
Grocers; 3. Drapers; 4. Fishmongers; 5. Goldsmiths; 6. Skinners; 7.
Merchant-Tailors; 8. Haberdashers; 9. Salters; 10. Ironmongers; 11.
Vintners; 12. Clothworkers. The others:- are 13. The Dyers; 14.
Brewers; 15. Leather-Sellers; 16. Pewterers; 17. Barber-Surgeons;
18. Cutlers; 19. Bakers; 20. Wax-Chandlers; 21. Tallow-Chandlers;
22. Armourers; 23. Girdlers; 24. Butchers; 25. Saddlers; 26.
Carpenters; 27. Cord-wainers; 28. Painter-stainers; 29. Curriers;
30. Masons; 31. Plumbers; 32. Innholders; 33. Founders; 34.
Poulterers; 35. Cooks; 36. Coopers; 37. Tilers and Bricklayers; 38.
Bowyers; 39. Fletchers; 40. Blacksmiths; 41. Joiners; 42. Weavers;
43. Woolmen; 44. Scriveners; 45. Fruiterers; 46. Plasterers; 47.
Stationers; 48. Embroiderers; 49.
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