1374 John de Bernes and Nicholas Brembre. 1375 Brembre and William de
Walworth. 1376 John Warde and Robert Girdelere. 1377 Warde and Richard
Northbury. 1378-1384 Brembre and John Philipot. 1384-1386 Brembre and
John Organ.

These were in every case prominent citizens and merchants of London, and
after 1377, they were members of a clique especially friendly to the
King, and inimical to John of Gaunt. To gain the right conception of
their relations, one must learn something about London politics. I shall
follow Trevelyan's account [Footnote: Age of Wyclif, pp. 278 ff.] of the
factional struggles in the city, which from the documents which he has
published and from such evidence as that afforded by the Rolls of
Parliament, is unquestionably the correct one. The aldermen of London
were the representatives of the companies (the associations of merchants
of different sorts), each company choosing a given number according to
its influence and wealth. Further in 1376 a method of electing the mayor
and the sheriffs, was introduced, which consisted in a vote by
companies. Now the most powerful of these companies was the Grocers'
which at this time had sixteen aldermen--many more than its nearest
competitor. Allied with this company were the other companies of
merchants dealing in provisions, especially the Fishmongers. The chief
opponents of this group were the companies of clothing merchants, the
mercers, drapers, cordwainers, etc. The Grocers' Company and its allies
stood for the established order of things because they were faring well
under it. The Mercers and Drapers were rebellious and ready to take any
opportunity to eject their rivals from power.

At this time (1376) John of Gaunt's clique in the court, especially Lord
Latimer and Richard Lyons, had aroused the enmity of the Londoners