The weavers were allowed to buy and to sell in London
freely and quietly. They had all the rights of other freemen of
the city.
Thus from the middle of the 1100s, the weavers enjoyed the
monopoly of their craft, rights of supervision which ensured a
high standard of workmanship, power to punish infractions of their
privileges, and full control of their members. In this they stand
as the prototype of English medieval guilds. These rights
represented the standard which all bodies of craftsmen desired to
attain. The right of independent jurisdiction was exceptional.
In Henry II's charter to London, London did not retain its right
to appoint its own sheriff and justice given by Henry I. London's
chief magistrate was the mayor, who was appointed by the King,
until 1191. Then the mayor was elected yearly by the aldermen of
the city wards and approved by the king. He was typically a rich
prince chosen by the barons and chief merchants of London. The
commoners had no voice in his selection, but they could still
approve or disapprove of the actions of the city government at
ward and folk motes. At certain periods, a king asserted royal
power over the selection of mayor and governance of the city.
There were three ways to become a citizen of London: being the son
of a citizen, apprenticeship in a craft for seven years, and
purchase of citizenship. London and Westminster growth led to
their replacing Winchester as the capital.
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