“Gradually the duties and powers of the various parish officials have been transferred to the City Council.  The united parish soldiers became the city trained bands.  In 1900 the last remnant of parochial officialdom passed into the power of the Corporation when parish overseers ceased to exist, and, for rating purposes, the City of York became one parish instead of the original forty-five separately rated areas."[1]

The Cathedral, i.e. the Liberty of St. Peter, and the Royal Castle were outside municipal control.  The Archbishops also had their privileges.  They had once owned all the city on the right bank of the Ouse.  In the fifteenth century they still retained many of their privileges and possessions in this quarter, as, for example, the right of holding a fair here in what was formerly their shire.  These archiepiscopal rights have not all lapsed, for in 1807 the Archbishop of the time, successfully asserting his legal rights, saved from demolition the city walls on the west side of the river.

York was a royal borough, that is, the freemen of the city had to pay rent to the king, from whom it was farmed directly.  It was not owned by any knight or lord, that is, apart from the Archbishop’s possessions, which belonged to the western section of the city; the city proper was almost entirely on the opposite side of the river.  The King retained possession of certain properties, such as Galtres Forest, lying in the valley stretching northwards from York.  He had a larder and a fish pond at York; also a court, offices, and a prison (Davy Hall, of which the name alone remains) for the administration of the forest.  These town-properties were, of course, entirely extra-parochial.

York received a long succession of royal charters.  Henry I. granted the city certain customs, laws and liberties, and the right to have a merchant guild.  The possession of these rights was confirmed by King John in the first year of his reign.  In 1396 Richard II., at York, made the city a county in itself.  In consequence the office of bailiff was replaced by that of sheriff.

The King’s official representative in the city was called the sheriff, whose office in York has been continuous down to the present day.  The sheriffs—­there were usually two—­were responsible for the maintenance of order, for the local soldiery, and the collection of the royal taxes and dues.  The sheriff was a busy and important mediaeval official.

The Mayor was the real governor of the city.  He was a powerful official and literally ruler of the city.  In practice he was most often a wealthy and important merchant; and, like the Aldermen, belonged to the group of men who governed the trade guilds as well as the municipality.  Various symbols were attached to his office.  The chief objects among the corporation regalia at the present time are the sword, mace, and cap of maintenance.