23. Becoming Mayor

If you were hungry for power in medieval Hull, the best way to sate your appetite was to serve as mayor.  There was no more prestigious post, especially after the role expanded once Hull becoming a county in 1440.  During your term of office you enjoyed the right to inspect any ship's cargo; were responsible for maintaining law and order; and had the honour of hobnobbing with visiting dignitaries. 

As mayor you were entitled to wear robes of the same design as the mayor of the City of London, accessorised with a cape and furs befitting of your status.  There could be no greater sign of your importance as you progressed down the High Street then this outfit coupled with a man walking in front of you carrying an upright sword.  To stand a chance of wearing this finery, you first had to be a burgess, or full citizen, of Hull.  In return for trading privileges, burgesses swore an oath of loyalty to the town and to support its government.

To stand the best chance of fulfilling your dream of becoming mayor, you should be a merchant as for 51 of the years between 1440 and 1500 that was the mayor’s day job.  The merchant Robert Shaddos served as mayor, which doubtless aided his apprentices when later they aspired to the role as at least three of them followed in his footsteps.  In practical terms, merchants were more likely to be sufficiently literate to cope with the paperwork that came with government.

Before the top job, you first had to prove yourself by serving in poorly paid minor offices.  Taking your turn as town chamberlain in charge of finances was a must, whilst sitting as a Member of Parliament could prove your loyalty to the town as you represented its views in matters like fishing rights in Iceland.  Armed with an impressive record of service, the final hurdle was to become one of the 12 aldermen who formed the council that governed Hull. 

When a vacancy arose, you had to schmooze the existing alderman to get them to nominate you for election, emphasising how you could be trusted as safe pair of hands.  Two people were nominated and the final vote went to all of Hull’s burgesses, so your campaigning had to convince butchers, bakers and brick-makers that you understood their concerns.  Once elected though, you were then an alderman for life.  Each year an alderman would serve as mayor, with no consecutive terms allowed.  So all you had to do was bide your time, avoid the grim reaper, and your turn would come.

Picture: From Letters Patents of 1440 granting Hull the status of country and granting its council privileges.  Text taken from Boyle, J R (ed.) Charters and letters patent granted to Kingston upon Hull.

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22. Enterprising Medieval Merchants

For most people in the 15th century the world in which they lived was small.   The England that they personally knew might stretch little further then 20 miles from their home.  Occasionally they might meet travellers who could regal them with tales of life in London, somewhere that they themselves could never hope to visit.  They heard news from other countries of course, not least France with whom England had been at war for as long as anyone could remember, but it had little impact on their everyday lives.

Like other port towns though, Hull was different.  Stand by the River Hull on a busy day and you would see ships unloading French garlic, cabbages from Holland and wood from Norway.  More exotic produce came via the major trading towns of Bruges and London, where European dealers sold delights like almonds, pomegranates and oranges that could then be transported back to Hull.  You might even spot a ship returning from far off Iceland, where merchants had just begun to organise voyages to exchange corn and beer for fish.

Most inhabitants of Hull were merchants or mariners who would be in contact with traders across western Europe, the Baltic states and even beyond.  Merchants often spent their youth travelling, acquainting themselves with overseas markets before settling into a more managerial role back home.  Unlike in Hull's early days when Flemish and Italian merchants ruled the roost, now those from Yorkshire had the upper hand.  Yorkshire merchants imported nearly all of the wine that came through Hull, at least 80% of the cloth and controlled what remained of the declining wool trade.

Personal connections were everything.  Those from outside Hull wishing to trade in the port had to have an existing inhabitant sponsor them and stand guarantor for their behaviour.  Mercantile communities across Yorkshire were closely linked as families used new members to grow their influence.  Merchants living in York or Beverley who wanted their sons to follow into the family business sent them away to Hull to serve their apprenticeship.  Thereby they not only learned the trade but also established new business links benefiting all involved.

Not all of Hull’s merchants were part of this wealthy elite.  There were also part-time traders like Laurence Swattock.  For much of the time Laurence worked as an apothecary but whilst mixing his herbs and potions he kept an ear to the ground for promising deals that offered the chance to make a bit of profit.  His fellow citizens would still have viewed Laurence as a merchant and as such socially a cut above those engaged in troublesome, dirty trades like butchery.

Photo: Bishop Lane Staith, Hull, looking west towards High Street.

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