ABSTRACT
HAMO DE GHIGWELL reached the mayoralty in October 1319. Within a month, he went into action against Wengrave. On 20 November he summoned the recorder, Robert de Kelsey, John de la Chambre and William de Leyre to Guildhall and accused them of inflating the assessments made for the Twelfth authorized at York in order to curry favour with the king. Public opinion was mobilized, a petition sent to Edward, and in January 1320 all four were deposed from their aldermanries. There was clearly a political motive, for while the council retained the Westminster pleader Geoffrey de Hartpol to replace Wengrave, it was Roger le Palmer, Chigwell's ally, and two mercer colleagues of Hakford who succeeded the others. 1
