Corporation of London

The Aldermen were responsible for the administration of Wards, and were elected by their Ward. The position of Alderman was held for life. In the 12th and 13th centuries the Wards in the City of London are still mainly identified by the name of their Alderman although the first full list of Wards under permanent names such as Dowgate or Cornhill is dated 1285. The roots of municipal government in the City of London are thus found in the activities of the Aldermen in their Wards which in the medieval period provided such public services as existed. Working individually, or in co-operation, the power of the Aldermen grew as the corporate unity of the City of London developed and they exercised both administrative and judicial functions in what became the Court of Aldermen.

The Administration of Justice Committee of the Court of Aldermen was formed in 1781 to enquire into the complaint put forward by the Lord Mayor against Thomas Woodbridge, Alderman, concerning the public administration of justice and the supposed maladministration and misuse of his powers by the Alderman in the matter of the arrest of an alleged French spy.