London and the Kingdom - Volume 3 / A History Derived Mainly from the Archives at Guildhall in the Custody of the Corporation of the City of London.

by Reginald R. Sharpe

Letter from Sir John Langham to the Court of Aldermen, declining to resume the Aldermanry from which he had been deposed by Parliament, on the score of ill-health. Dated Crosby House, 18 Sept., 1660.

Remembrancia ix, 8.

My Lord & Gentlemen,

By a copy of a vote of Common Councill held y^e 4^th of September present (w^ch was left at my house) I find my selfe declared to bee an Ald̃ran of London, & invited to y^e execucõn of that place. The knowledge of my vnfitness for y^t imploym^t by reason of my great age of 77 yeares, & those infirmities y^t accompany it, did soon put me upon y^e resolucõn of getting my discharge from it. But y^e death of my eldest sonn's wife & child, did overwhelme me as well as him w^th that greife, w^ch permitted not my goeing abroad untill the last Thursday, when I hoped to have found at Guildhall a full court of Ald̃ren. But those expectacõns failing me, I forbore y^e declaring my Intencõns & desires then. And being this day upon my retreat into the Country for the necessary refreshm^t of my selfe & sonn I thought it my duty to acquaint yo^r Lord^p: & this Court w^th my Condicon & most earnest Request. I have now beene laid aside about 12 yeares; The Rump Parliam^t haveing first imprisoned me in y^e Tower (y^e 24^th of 7^ber 1647), cheifly (as was conceived) to prevent my being chosen Lord Mayor the Michãs following, where I remain'd vntill the 6th of the next June, when I was enlarged w^th out so much as Peticõning. But afterwards to satisfye y^e Ambicõn of some that had a mind to bee in our seats, S^r John Gayre, Ald̃ran Adams, my selfe & Bro^r Bunce, by a resolve of that Remain of a House of Commons that presumed to sitt as a Parliam^t, were disenabled & discharged from being Ald̃ren, & others chosen in our steds. Notw^thstanding w^ch displeasure of those who usurped the Government & my being out of their sight, in y^e Country, y^e Citty retained those kind remembrances of me & my sufferings as to choose me 2^ce one of their Burgesses, in those Convencõns, w^ch wee called then Parliam^ts w^ch as they are argum^ts that I enjoyed their favour, so they are Reasons that I take not ill w^t this Court, or y^e Common Councill complyed in ag^t my Right, out of a feare of those who had made themselves Masters of the Three Kingdomes as well as this Citty: And that sense of my duty w^ch made me accept of serving this Citty (where God hath blest me) when called to it, & continue in that service whilst permitted, would now alsoe command my returne to the executing of my place, as an Ald̃ran, upon that Invitacõn I have rēcd, did not my finding and dayly discovering my disabilityes perswade me that you in Justice ought not to require, what I out of Conscience ought not to accept, ffor, both my age hath a legall excuse from the troubles of Magistracy, & yo^r affaires need that presentness of parts, w^ch a life so much worne out as mine is, cannot afford. I doubt not but I might have obteyned my discharge elswhere, but because yo^r Lord^p & this Court, are those to whome y^e memb^rs of it especially are to betake themselves I thought it unbecoming me so farr to despair of yo^r Justice & ffavour, as to look for it in any other place. Wherefore, I make it my importunate request to your Lord^p & this Hon^ble Court, that I may be discharged, for ever, from being an Ald̃ran, & part of that tyme that yet remaines of my life shall be spent in pray^rs for the happiness & flourishing of this Renowned Citty And when I shall have yo^r dismission into y^t privacy, wherein I may vndisturbedly prepare for the other & better world I am hasting into, I shall not cease to be a fervent Lover of that place, wherein I have received so manyfold mercyes from y^e Divine goodness, nor to bee my Lord and Gentlemen, yo^r affeccõnate ffreind and humble servant.

Crosby House the 18^th Septem^br 1660.

No. 82.

Letter from the Earl of Manchester to the Court of Aldermen, desiring that the Butchers of the City might continue to supply offal to the King's "Game of Beares" as formerly. Dated Whitehall, 29 Sept., 1664.

Original Letter.

My very good Lord and the rest of my very good ffreinds the Court of Aldermen.