Middle Ages

   The election of Henry I was very popular in London and he was later to grant the city folk an exceptional charter of liberties. This was fully implemented under King John who was obliged to appease his citizens by introducing these new civil rights. London's relative freedom was unique within the country.
   Later on Londoners demonstrated their superiority. After the death of the King Henry I, Stephen claimed about his wish to take the English throne for himself. Londoners at that time fought for their right to elect a governor. Then people of London decided to support Stephen and spoke in his favour. When, later, Stephen was held prisoner following the Battle of Lincoln, the citizens of London demanded the return of their monarch and its forces were eventually instrumental in banishing his rival, Matilda, from the kingdom.
   The corporation of the City of London was established even earlier than the London's parliament. It was based on the French model, with the ''maire'' at its head.
   The strength of the Mayoralty in London was confirmed under Richard the Lionheart and even more during his absence on crusade, under the future King John's regency. The mayor's authority, supported by his aldermen and councilmen was given such a firm basis that it still continues in much the same form. London was made the first municipal corporation in England, later emulated by 28 medieval towns in their own charters.
   Some aldermen, particularly those with major land holdings, were especially powerful and held great influence in the choice of the mayor. It is clear that from Edward I's reign, the aldermen formed the prime decision-making group and from this group the mayor has always been chosen.
   The Lord Mayor's Show, a popular annual spectacle is a kind of interpretation of the Riding to Westminster in order to obtain the Royal approval for the next Mayor - people's choice. Thus Londoners got the right to choose their leader. But the Kings did not want to yield their rights to appoint the mayors. So the regimes of Henry III and Edward I marked a difficult period for Britain. They had their ideas about the way mayors should work and it was not always for the welfare of Londoners. This attempt to hold the city in their own hands forced people to opposite monarchs.
   The crowded city clustered along the riverbank, with a small settlement across the river in Southwark.
   Being so cramped, the city was regularly devastated by fire. To limit the dangers that this posed, Fitz Ailwyn, the first mayor, introduced the first Building Act. Stone was to be used for partitioning walls and thatched roofs were prohibited. However, it was some time before these principles were widely put into practice.
1189 the Knights Templar had moved from Holborn and constructed their Round Church near the Thames. However, in 1312, their order was suppressed and their successors, the Hospitallers, leased many of their buildings to London lawyers. These were the beginnings of the Inns of Court and Chancery: hostels for barristers and students which took on the role of a University in the city. They taught history, music and dancing, as well as the law, to medieval and later students and still retain today the exclusive right to provide barristers for the English Courts. The London legal system would have sent criminals to prisons such as Newgate established by the 12th century, adjoining one of the eight medieval gateways into the City. Executions took place at Smithfield and, from 1388, at Tyburn.
   To the west from city walls there were many towns, hospitable for religious groups. The most outstanding work , done at that time was the substitution of the wooden bridge for the stone one. These works continued for 30 years. Now the bridge was fully made of stone. It is noteworthy that there were houses on this bridge, standing along its length.