They supplied
members for the Court of Aldermen, which relied on the companies
to maintain the City's emergency grain stores, to assess and
collect taxes, to provide loans to the Crown, to control prices
and markets, to provide armed men when trouble was expected, and
to raise armies for the Crown at times of rebellion, war, or
visits from foreign monarchs. From about 1540 to 1700, there were
23% involved in cloth or clothing industries such as weavers,
tailors, hosiers, haberdashers, and cappers. 9% were
leatherworkers such as skinners; tanners; those in the heavy
leather crafts such as shoemakers, saddlers, and cobblers; and
those in the light leather crafts such as glovers and pursers.
Another 9% worked in metals, such as the armorers, smiths,
cutlers, locksmiths, and coppersmiths. 8% worked in the building
trades. The victualling trades, such as bakers, brewers, butchers,
costermongers [sold fruit and vegetables from a cart or street
stand], millers, fishmongers, oystermen, and tapsters [bartender],
grew from 9% before 1600 to 16% by 1700. Of London's workforce,
60% were involved in production; 13% were merchants before 1600;
7% were merchants by 1700; 7% were transport workers such as
watermen, sailors, porters, coachmen, and shipwrights; and 5-9%
were professionals and officials (this number declining). Life in
London was lived in the open air in the streets. The merchant
transacted business agreements and the attorney saw his clients in
the street or at certain pillars at St.
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