Caroline Barron leads the field on medieval London and her work on its politics, governance, economy and fabric has greatly enhanced our understanding of the late medieval city. It is, however, her interest in and enthusiasm for the men and women who lived and worked in, or were visitors to, the capital, and her ability to inspire that interest and enthusiasm in others, which are perhaps her greatest gift to scholars and students alike.This volume brings together a range of those who have been so inspired, whether as colleagues or students or through her publications, papers and conversations at the numerous seminars and conferences she attends; and is offered as a token of appreciation for such a pioneering and generous scholar Isidore of Seville, and their work continues to influence modern scholarship: the ‘city’ was, after all (according to Isidore), so named because of the cives. When urban communities in western Europe started representing themselves through a communal seal – a medium that forces the distillation of identity into a small package of image and text – the motif quite often incorporated representations of citizens (and/or their leaders) in addition to, or in place of, architectural imagery or the depiction of their spiritual protector. When considering modern historiography, studies of urban oligarchs and the power-politics of small, dominant groups within English towns and cities have, certainly since the late nineteenth century, been complemented by the investigation of citizens and burgesses. From the mid twentieth century onwards, scholars broadened their investigations to consider those who lived and worked in towns but who were not officially citizens. More recently, women, children, clergy and the religious and long-term residents and transient visitors from overseas have been incorporated into studies of English urban history.