Flag of the City of London about the 13th century. His full figure representation was rapidly replaced with his symbolic representation of the sword. Some believe the sword is a dagger that commemorates the dagger of Sir William Walworth, former Lord Mayor of London, which killed Wat Tyler, leader of the Peasants' Revolt, in 1381. A verse at Fishmongers' Hall may explain the relationship: "Brave Walworth, Knight, lord mayor that slew Rebellious Tyler in his alarmes; The king therefore did give him in lieu The dagger to the city armes. However this is believed to be a fable, with the sword on the arms being used
Lord Mayor of London for one-year terms; by custom, they do not now serve more than one consecutive term. Numerous individuals have served multiple terms in office, including:<br> As Mayor: As Lord Mayor: The last individual to serve multiple terms was Sir Robert Fowler (elected in 1883 and in 1885). Almost 700 people have served as Lord Mayor. Dame Mary Donaldson GBE, elected in 1983, and Dame Fiona Woolf DBE, elected in 2013, are the only women to have held the office. Some Lord Mayors in the Middle Ages, such as Sir Edward Dalyngrigge (1392), did not reside in London. Since 1435, the Lord