On the 6th December John Filiol 'was liberated at the instance of his friends, on the surety of William Naufretone and others.' When the charge was made against Filiol, Richard Fiffyde was one of those questioned on the subject, and he 'said that he and all the other fishmongers of London were bound to put their hands beneath the very feet of Nicholas Extone, for his good deeds and words in behalf of the trade aforesaid.'[230]
John of Northampton was Mayor for two years, and had held the office of sheriff in 1377 (M.P. for the city, 1378). He was head of John of Gaunt's supporters and a prominent follower of Wyclif in London. He was leader of the party which sought to gain the favour of the populace, and he encouraged the citizens to set at naught the jurisdiction of their bishop.
He would probably have been returned again in October 1383 as the champion of cheap food if the King had not carried the election of Brembre by force.
Brembre was the chief supporter of Richard II. in the city, and he was the King's financial agent in 1381. He was first elected Mayor in 1377, and at the Parliament of Gloucester in 1378 Thomas of Woodstock, the King's uncle, demanded his impeachment as Mayor.
From 1379 to 1386 Brembre was one of the two collectors of customs for the Port of London, with Chaucer for his controller. He was M.P. for London in 1383.
When he succeeded Northampton, in 1383, he set himself to undo the evil caused by the action of his predecessor. Northampton was arrested in 1384, when returning from a riotous demonstration at Whitefriars. He was tried at Reading, before the Council over which the King presided. After a brief imprisonment, the condemned man was brought up for a fresh trial, before Chief-Justice Tresilian, in the Tower of London, and was imprisoned in Tintagel Castle, Cornwall.
Brembre was also opposed to Nicholas Twyford, who would probably have been elected Mayor but for the high-handed proceedings of Brembre. Twyford's party was confident of victory, and shouted at the election 'Twyford, Twyford!'; but when the voting commenced the soldiers placed by Brembre behind the arras in the Guildhall rushed out and drove Twyford's followers from the building. Brembre's party were allowed to remain, and they carried the election for their candidate.