This version of the London Guildhall, the heart of
medieval (and present) city administration, was begun in 1411. It was
built atop part of the site of the previous guildhall. The grandiose size
of the present guildhall – on a par with the huge city halls
built in Europe's wealthy cities of Italy, Flanders and elsewhere –
is disguised by the relatively confined site on which it had to be built,
so that today it is not easily visible because of the surrounding
buildings. The ambition to create a seat of municipal government whose
majesty reflected the importance of the chief city of England stemmed
from both the crystallizing sense of corporate dignity and the individual
pride in citizenship of the individual townsmen whose contributions
funded the initial phase of construction. The building was largely
completed by 1439, the lifetime work of master mason
John Croxton. The
great hall was second in size only to that of the king's hall at
Westminster, and the mayor sat there on a dais to preside over affairs,
as the king did in his hall.
We first hear of what seems to be the city guildhall (terra
Gialle) ca.1127, while a husting
court (the name, of Norse origin, itself implying a building) is known
from the late tenth century. The location of the guildhall may itself
suggest early importance of the site, for it lies at the meeting-point of
three ancient wards, including that of Aldermanbury (now Cripplegate),
whose name may reflect an ancient hub of pre-Conquest London: a
burh governed by an
alderman. Recent excavations suggest
that the builders may have taken advantage of surviving remains of a
Roman amphitheatre formerly on that site.
A reference to a group of 12 leading citizens in 1087 may represent the
aldermen of the London wards (eventually expanding to 26 in number).
It is probable that the aldermen would have met in husting to discuss
civic affairs, and they later had their own court. The guildhall itself
was occasionally used for larger assemblies of citizens to discuss
important issues – such as in 1191, when they had to decide which
side to back in a struggle for power between William de Longchamp,
justiciar of the absent Richard I, and Prince John. However, the ancient
folkmoot, which met three times a year,
was located in what became part of the churchyard of St. Paul's. Today, the
guildhall continues to be used for functions which heark back to fundamentals
of borough political life: meetings of the Common
Council, the swearing-in of newly-elected mayors, and grants of
the freedom.
For further information, see
Florilegium
Urbanum or the Corporation
of London Web site.
