The Common Council were chosen by the wards until 1351 (25 Edw. III.), when certain Companies appointed the Common Council.[264]
In 1376 (50 Edw. III.) an Ordinance was made by the Mayor and aldermen, with the assent of the whole Commons, to the effect that the companies should select men with whom they were content, and none other should come to the elections of Mayors and sheriffs; that the greater companies should not elect more than six, the lesser four, and the least two.[265] Forty-seven companies nominated 156 members.
In 1383 the right of election reverted to the wards, but was obtained again by the companies in 1467.
The arms of the City of London are simple and of great interest, consisting as they do of the Cross of St. George with the Sword of St. Paul in the dexter quarter, but unfortunately an absurd popular blunder has been prevalent that the sword was really the dagger with which Sir William Walworth killed Wat Tyler.
The history of these arms is fully set forth in Jewitt and Hope's _Corporation Plate_, and there illustrated with figures of the old common seal of London, and the first and second mayoralty seals. The facts as there set forth are shortly stated here.
The old common seal is a fine example of the early part of the thirteenth century. Stow in his _Survey_ dates it in 1224, and Gregory in his _Chronicle_ in 1227-1228. Mr. Hope says that the seal may well be of a date _circa_ 1225, and that it certainly was in use in 1246. The obverse of the seal represents a figure of St. Paul, with a sword in his outstretched right hand, and a banner of England in his left hand. 'The saint is represented as standing in the middle of the city over which he keeps guard; the spire of the cathedral church rises in front of him, and other steeples on each side.... In front of all is the city wall with its ditch, with lofty central gateway and two lesser flanking towers or bastions.' The legend is: SIGILLUM BARONUM LONDONIARUM.
The first mayoralty seal bears the seated figures of St. Thomas of Canterbury and St. Paul with his sword. The legend is _Sigillum Maioratus London._ and the date _circa_ 1280.
The second mayoralty seal, which was produced a century after the first one, is of very special interest. It bears seated figures of St. Thomas and St. Paul, and in base a shield of the city supported by two lions. The legend is _Sigil: Maioratus: Civitatis: London_. The record of the making of this seal in 1381 is found in Letter Book K, f. cxxxijb., and Mr. Hope's remarks on the value of this piece of evidence must be quoted entire: 'This seal is of special interest, not only from its being a dated example, but because it proves beyond doubt the absurdity of the silly notion that the object in the dexter chief of the city arms is the sword or dagger wherewith Sir William Walworth slew Wat Tyler, instead of being, as it undoubtedly is, the sword of St. Paul. Wat Tyler was killed on June 15, 1381, whereas the new seal of the mayoralty had been formally adopted on April 17, two months before. This seal is also one of the earliest authorities for the city arms. Its silver matrix is still preserved at the Mansion House, but in so worn a condition that little else than the deepest parts can be traced. It is only now used for mercantile documents going abroad.'[266]