CHAPTER XVIII
Of the city in Henry the fifth's time
Henry V. commonly called Henry of Monmouth, from the place of his birth, began his reign the 20th day of March, 1412, in whose first year the city was in great disorder, occasioned by the disputes between the Commons and the Mayor, and the 24 of his council, in relation to the election of mayors, sheriffs, and other officers of the corporation, and other powers, granted by the late charter, concerning the execution of which, they could by no means agree, so that they were continually harassing one another, till February, in the second year of this King, during which time, great part of the city had the misfortune to be burned down, by a sudden fire, which consumed all the convent of the preaching friars, and all that belonged to them, with two friars of the house, and much of that part of the city, as appears from a petition made to the court, by the collectors of Wymer leet or ward, begging to be excused a certain sum of the King's taxes, which now could not be levied by reason of the houses being burned, which was agreed to, and this misfortune added to the great expenses they had been at in these contentions, which had much exhausted the city treasury, inclined all parties to treat of peace, which by the mediation of Sir Rob, Berney, Knt. John Lancaster, William Paston, and others, was happily completed, and the final agreement or new composition sealed, by the mayor, sheriffs, and commonalty, on Febr. the 14th, an abstract of which here follows:
"In the name of the Trinyte, Fader, Sone, and Holigost, thre Persones, and oon God in Mageste, principal and speciall avowe of Norwiche cite and of all the commonaute, in the honour of whom, oure moder chirche is founded and halwed, on the day of Seynt Valentyn Martir, whan creatures thorough love of kynde, as it is seid, chosen her make, the secound yeer of Kyng Henry the v. after the Conquest, in the tyme of John Biskelee mayr, Henry Rafman and Thomas Cok shirreves, be assent of the good commonalte of the cite of Norwich, the whiche cite be dissensions, traverses, variaunces, and discordes upon diverse articles of long tyme hangyng, the cite hath ben divided, dissoyled, and in poynt to ha be destroyed. Nowe at holi preyere and mediacion of Seynt Valentyn in whos day the cite chaasee be love to her make pees, unite, accorde, poore, and riche, to be oon in hert, love, and charite, nevermore fro this tyme forth to be dissevered, by the help and grace of the holi trynite, her speciall avowe, but standynge full unyd, and accorded in the articles undir writen, upon the tenure that folwith here aftir that is for to seyn in this forme,"
"The mayor shall be hereafter always chosen in the Gild-hall, on St. Philip and James's day."
The old mayor and twenty-four, are to be present, and all the common council, and each of the twenty-four absent is to forfeit 2s. and each of the common council 1s.
The recorder or deputy is to be assigned by the mayor or his lieutenant, to make a speech, and show the cause of their assembling, and then he, with the mayor, and twenty-four, to withdraw into the chamber, and then the speaker of the commons shall say,
"Sirres and frendes, for the love of Jesu Christ in procedyng of this election present, behave yow, and rewle yow, goodli, and honestli, and levith not for love, haate, ne drede, that ye chesen and nemelen two sufficiaunt persones for the office of meyr, suche as ben honourable, and profitable for the cite, of whiche iche of hem, hath ben meyr, or shirive of the citie, and of whiche, neythir hath ben meyr thre yers aforn."
And he that hath most voices of the people in the hall, shall be one, and he that hath most voices next, shall be second.
And the speaker and six of the common council shall write down their names, and return them to the mayor, &c. in the chamber, after which notification made, the six common council shall deliver the bill to the common clerk, who shall keep it by oversight of the recorder and common speaker, to which three persons, the mayor alone, shall come in proper person, to a part of the same chamber, and to them shall secretly name, one of the two persons, which of them he will have for the office of mayor, and then every one of the twentyfour, shall do the like, and which of the two have the most voices shall be admitted for mayor the next year, "accomptyng the meyres voyce for two voyces if travers falle."