leet.(1872)

(M935) (M936)

After the death of James II at St. Germains (5 Sept., 1701) Louis broke
his vow (made at Ryswick) not to do anything to disturb or subvert the
government of England, and forthwith proclaimed the late king's son to be
heir to his father's throne. The whole English nation was stirred against
the French king for having dared to acknowledge as their sovereign the boy
who had been held to be supposititious and whose title to the crown had
been rejected by parliament. The citizens of London were among the first
to express their loyalty to William and their readiness to do their utmost
to preserve his person and government against all invasion. The king was
on the continent at the time, but an address to this effect, unanimously
agreed to by the Common Council (26 Sept.), was forwarded to him by the
lords justices, who held the reins of government during his absence, and
who in due course were instructed to inform the City of the great
satisfaction its address had afforded his majesty. The example thus set
was quickly followed by others, and similar addresses began to flow in
from all parts of the kingdom,(1873) whilst the City's address was by the
king's orders translated into foreign languages for transmission to the
several courts of Europe.(1874)

(M937)

A few hours before the City's address reached the hands of the lords
justices the citizens had assembled (29 Sept.) in Common Hall to choose a
mayor for the ensuing year. Sir Charles Duncombe, who had amassed a large
fortune as a goldsmith and banker, and who, although returned by the
livery at the head of the poll the previous year, had been set aside by
the Court of Aldermen in his contest for the mayoralty probably on account
of his Tory principles,(1875) was again put up as a candidate, although in
point of seniority he was one of the youngest aldermen. This time he
failed to get a majority of votes at the Common Hall, but his popularity
was still sufficiently strong to return him second on the poll, and his
name was submitted in conjunction with that of William Gore to the Court
of Aldermen for them to select one. It was quite within their province to
select if they chose the second name submitted to them--they had frequently
done so before--but in the face of Louis's recent act of insolence they
preferred to call to the mayoralty chair a man whose Tory principles were
not too pronounced rather than one who had accepted an alderman's
c