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advantages’ as a result of their office should not be
attempting to increase their wealth at the expense of
the less well-off in society. In some instances, lower-
ranking civil servants had offered to overlook ‘unlawful
doings’ in return for a bribe, and had threatened
brewers, bakers, cooks and others with harm if they
refused to give them something.
The final act of Sevenoke’s term in office was to
introduce a religious service prior to the election of
the new Lord Mayor; a custom which continues to this
day. Sevenoke was succeeded by Richard Whittington
(yes, that Dick Whittington) on 13 October 1419.
William Sevenoke continued to play a leading role in
City politics and trading for another seven years until
he retired in 1426. At this point his thoughts turned
to his own mortality and legacy, with the first of his
six wills being drawn up. It was the last of these wills,
made in July 1432, shortly before he died, that left the
endowment and instructions for the foundation of a
free school for poor children in his home town
of Sevenoaks.
Sally Robbins
Sevenoaks School Archivist
600 years ago the school’s Founder, William Sevenoke,
became the 61st Lord Mayor of London.
The apogee of a 24-year career in the City as a
trader, liveryman, civic office holder, churchwarden
and resident, the mayoralty was both a personal and
professional honour for Sevenoke. During his term in
office Sevenoke exercised a civic, legal and ceremonial
role, and many of his actions during the year reveal
him to be a sincere and conscientious man. Here are
just a few of his achievements in 1418-19.
The Lord Mayor’s show 1378:
Sir John Philpot. Tuck’s Postcard, 1900.
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ALUMNI REVIEW
William Sevenoke,
wine connoisseur?
Under Sevenoke’s leadership the Court of Common
Council passed an enactment regulating the price of
mussels, oysters, salt and whiting; arranged for the
scavage toll funds to be used in the rebuilding work
of Guildhall and ordered the abolition of the Debtors’
Prison at Ludgate. He also issued a proclamation
against the ‘sclaunderouse deceyt’ of the adulteration
and mixing of wines ‘when they are febled in colour
and noght in value’.
Did William Sevenoke
ban Christmas?
William Sevenoke’s most notable deed in his
mayoralty was his attempt to suppress the festive
customs which involved mumming plays, masks
and dramatic interludes ‘during this holy time of
Christmas’. He made it illegal for anybody to be out at
night in theatrical costume ‘or eny other disgisynges
with eny feynid berdis [beards], peyntid visers’. The
people of London were permitted only to be ‘honestly
mery’ inside a dwelling, and each household was
required to hang a lantern outside their home to light
the streets.
Sevenoke further forbade civic office holders to ask
for gifts from citizens at Christmas, noting that those
in power who had food, clothes and other ‘appropriate
1418 or 1432?
For a generation of Old Sennockians, 1418 has added
significance. It was Kim Taylor who, investigating a
marginal note beside Sevenoaks School’s entry in a
17th century history of grammar schools, suggested
that the foundation date may have been 14 years
earlier than hitherto believed, and that the school had
been operating since William Sevenoke’s mayoral year.
Recent research by Sally Robbins has, however, proved
without a doubt that Sevenoaks School was founded
upon the death of Sevenoke in 1432, although due
to other provisions in his final will which stalled the
release of the endowment funds, teaching may not
have actually begun until 1438.
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