Lord Mayor's Show

COMMONWEALTH (British Commonwealth of Nations)

Last week, dressed in his black robes of state, trimmed with gold, and wearing the famous Chain of Esses (bequeathed in 1567 by ex-Lord Mayor Sir John Alen to the then Lord Mayor and his successors to "use and occupie yerely at and uppon principall and festival dayes"), Sir Alfred Bower, member of the Vintners' Company (14th Vintner to be elected Lord Mayor), athlete and bicyclist, rode in state from the Guildhall* to the Law Courts to be sworn in as Lord Mayor of London.

Preceding him rode in one long, gorgeous procession the representatives of the City Guilds, the Army, Navy and Air Force, the fire brigade, countless bands, etc. Then came the City Marshal, "an official chosen for his handsomeness," on a fine, prancing horse. Among the thousands upon thousands of people who lined the streets to witness the show the usual comments at the expense of the Marshall were heard: " 'E don't 'arf fancy hisself, don't 'e," yelled a shrill female voice. "Chuck it, Liz," growled her young man. "Jus' look at 'is 'at," shrieked the damsel. The crowd looked; and although they had all seen it before, they broke into jeering laughter. And so it is year after year; yet these taunts are the outer signs of an inner satisfaction and pride; no Londoner would willingly miss the Lord Mayor's Show, rain or sunshine.

A burst of delirious delight heralded the approach of the Lord Mayor's Coach. This magnificent coach, built in 1896 as a replica of the famous coach used since 1757, is made of wood, ornately carved and gilded and hung from leather straps. Drawn by six horses, driven by two powdered, white-winged coachmen and with powdered footmen hanging on behind, the gorgeous coach bore the Lord Mayor on his way to receive recognition from the Justices acting in the King's name. The Lord Mayor then returned to the Mansion House (his official residence) ; and, in the evening, the usual and historic banquet was given at the Guildhall.

The significance of this yearly pageant bound very closely with the civic history of London whose people have ever safeguarded with religious zeal their ancient liberties.

Before the Norman invasion, the Mayor was known as the Portreeve (porta, Latin for gate; reeve, Saxon for chief magistrate of town; of, shirereeve, contracted to sheriff). So strong was the City at this time that the Great Conqueror placed special value on securing its voluntary sanction to his kingship.

The title of Mayor is popularly dated from 1189 (in 1889 the septcentenary of the mayoralty was held); but, in point of fact, the City did not become a municipality until 1191; and the title of Mayor must be put at the latter date.

It is alleged that Thomas Legge first styled himself "Lord Mayor" as early as 1354; but the title was not in consecutive use until 1540; and nowhere does there appear any record of a Royal Grant of the additional "Lord."

The Lord Mayor's show was incepted in 1215 when King John suggested that the Mayors should present themselves to him or to his Justices for the royal approval. On the annual pilgrimage to Westminster for this purpose, crowds followed the Mayor-elect who generally rode on horseback; gradually the crowd became more ordered, and a procession was formed. For some years, the Mayors-elect used to make the journey by water in a magnificent state barge; but, in the 17th Century, the practice of riding was re-introduced and continued until 1711, when Sir Gilbert Heathcote was distinguished by his horse's throwing him. From 1712 until the present date, the Lord Mayors have always ridden in coaches to the Law Courts to be sworn in.

Before 1215, the portreeves, bailiffs (Norman title for mayor) and mayors held the office for many years; but after that date, due to John's charter of 1214 to the City, the mayors were elected annually and were generally merchant princes. Thus, of all the hundreds of mayors--many of them great men--the one who is best known is "Dick Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of London."

Dick, so the story goes, was a poor lad who found his way to London and was taken into the service of the merchant Fitzwarren. To rid himself of the mice in his garret-bedroom, he bought a cat for a penny. As it was a custom for all the Fitzwarren servants to send something of their own in their master's ships to make a little money, Dick was virtually forced to send his cat away; but the cat caught rats for a foreign king; and the king paid enormous sums for the cat; and all this money Dick received. He married his former master's daughter and became "thrice Lord Mayor of London" as the Bow Bells had years before proclaimed to him.*

As a matter of fact, such a person as Richard Whittington did live; but he was the son of a wealthy family and never lacked a gold piece. It is improbable that he was ever Lord Mayor; but on four occasions he was elected Mayor, i.e., 1397, 1398, 1406, 1419.

*The Guildhall is the grand civic hall of the City of London where the Mayor and Corporation have their Council Chamber and where Kings and Princes are entertained. Freedoms are bestowed and great City functions take place. The sombre building, dating from the early 15th Century, is adorned by two gigantesque figures, 14 ft. high, of Gog and Magog, the mythical giants who were supposed to have found their way into the King's service from "furren parts" and whom Ainsworth made famous with Og in his history of the Tower of London.

*There are several versions of the Dick Whittington story.