Political and Legal History - City of London - a George I su...

Hammer

£50

Political and Legal History - City of London - a George I summons, printed and completed in handwritten manuscript, Sir, You are desired to meet the Committee for to (sic) advise with ** the Prohibition & C at Guild-Hall, on this day being the 20th day of Oct[ober] 1719 at 3 of the clock in the afternoon, signed Thomas Briarcliffe, framed

This Summons relates to a meeting of a committee of Aldermen and Common Councilmen of the City of London which was appointed as a result of the events following the annual elections for the Common Council in December 1717. The result of the election in Tower Ward was disputed by Peter Bolton and Edward Bridgen, two unsuccessful candidates, and the ruling of Alderman Sir Charles Peers called into question. Bolton and Bridgen petitioned Common Council but an action was commenced against them under the rule of King's Bench by which they were obliged to show cause why writ of prohibition should not be made to Common Council to prevent it from any further cognizance of that particular complaint. This was taken as an attempt to interfere with the City's privileges and a committee was appointed on 30th June 1718 (Journal 57, fo.11) to examine its rights 'to have the Cognizance, Jurisdiction and Authority of Examining Hearing Determining and Judging of and concerning the Election of every person Yearly Chose to be of the Common Council'. The dispute engaged the attention of the Common Council and the law corts for many months and eventually reached the House of Lors, but a compromise was effected before the case was heard. Disputed elections, however, continued until matters were settled by the Election Act of 1725