John Norman (draper)

For other uses, see John Norman (disambiguation).

John Norman, dressed in his aldermanic robes.[1]

John Norman (died 1468) was a 15th-century draper, sheriff, alderman and for a term the Lord Mayor of London. He is known as being the first lord mayor to take a boat to Westminster to pledge his allegiance. Up until that point lord mayors of London had ridden or walked to Westminster in the yearly pageant on Lord Mayor's Day. Such river pageants existed until 1856, and today the lord mayor rides within a state coach during the pageant which is known today as Lord Mayor's Show. John Norman left his name to a song, supposedly created by the watermen who rowed him to Westminster, titled "Row the Boat, Norman".

  1. ^ "Record: 32138". www.collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2009.