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An alderman of fifteenth-century London had to be worth £1000, and the lower civic ranks were not immune from financial evaluation. A wealthy marriage could propel a man up the civic hierarchy, and it was the best source of capital with which to trade. The richest catch was a widow, with or without children, for London custom protected the estates of both, and there was a plentiful supply of widows. Examples are culled from the 181 aldermen from 1400-1499, and show the coincidence of election with marriage. Some of the wealthiest widows were mayoresses more than once. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]