h of the twenty-four wards, which decentralized the
government of the city. Each ward chose certain of its inhabitants
to be councilors to the aldermen. This council was to be consulted
by him and its advice to be followed. In 1291, the aldermen for
the first time included a fishmonger. The Fishmongers were the
only guild at this time, besides the Weavers, which had acquired
independent jurisdiction by the transfer of control of their
weekly hallmote from a public official to themselves. Craftsmen
began to take other public offices too. By the reign of Edward II,
all the citizens were obliged to be enrolled among the trade
guilds. A great quarrel between the weaver's guild and the
magistracy began the control of the city by the craft guilds or
city companies. Admission to freedom of the city [citizenship] was
controlled by the citizens, who decided that no man of English
birth, and especially no English merchant, who followed any
specific mistery [French word for a calling or trade] or craft,
was to be admitted to the freedom of the city except on the
security of six reputable men of that mistery or craft. No longer
could one simply purchase citizenship. Apprentices had to finish
their terms before such admission, and often could not afford the
citizenship fee imposed on them. Only freemen could sell wares in
the city, a custom of at least two hundred years.

As economic activity in London became more complex and on a larger
scale in the 1200s, some craftsmen were brought under the control
of other crafts or merchants. The bakers fell under the control of
the wholesale grain dealers; the weavers became pieceworkers for
rich cloth merchants; the blademakers and shearers were employed
by cutlers; coppersmiths were controlled by girdlers; fullers were
controlled by entrepreneurial dyers; and the painters, joiners,
and lorimers were controlled by the saddlers. Guilds moved their
meeting places from churches, which were now too small, to guild
halls. The controlling officers of the large guilds met at the
Guildhall, which became the seat of mayoral authority. London
streets in existence by this time include Cordwainer, Silver,
Cannon (Candlewick), and Roper. Lanes included Ironmonger, Soper,
Spurrier, Lad (ladles), Distaff, Needles, Mede, Limeburner, and
Hosier. Fighting among groups was common in London. There was a
street fight on a large scale in 1327 between the saddlers and a
coalition of joiners, painters, and lorime