History of the Company. 121 



Warden, Assistant, or Clerk at the royal will, 

 or by an Order in Privy Council, and further 

 imposed upon the Companies subjection and 

 obedience to the Mayor and Aldermen. In 

 September, 1687, James exercised this power in 

 an arbitrary and unequivocal manner 

 by suspending, or rather discharging 

 from ofhce, a large number of the Wardens and 

 Assistants of the Companies. On the 12th 

 October, the Saddlers' Company were assembled 

 to receive the following communication from the 

 Lord Mayor and Order in Council : — 



' Peake Major. 



" Martis the iiij° Octob'" 1687 Ano R. Jacob! 

 Secundi Anglia, tertio. 



" Whereas his Ma^^*^ by order of Councell (now sent 

 down to this Court) hath ben pleased to Remoue 

 seuerall Masters and Wardens and Assistants of seuerall 

 Companyes of this Citty, and comanded this Court to 

 Signifye his Ma^^^^ pleasure therein to the said Com- 

 panyes. It is Ordered that a coppy of the said Order 

 of Councell (for soe much as concerns each Company) 

 be made by Mr. Towne Clerke and delivered to the 

 Clerks of the said respective Companyes to be by them 

 entered in their Companyes Bookes. 



" At the Court at Windsor the xxv"' of 

 Septemb"^ 1687/' 



" By the King's most Excellent Ma*'*^ and the Lords 

 of His Ma}''' Most Honb^° Privy Councell. 



''Whereas By the Late Charters granted to the 

 seuerall Companies of London, It is provided that his 

 Ma^^% his heyres and Successors, may by Order in 

 Councell from tyme to tyme displace or remoue the 



