1. The hall in which a corporation meets; the hall of a guild or city company; a town-hall. b. A general meeting of the Corporation; e.g., of the Common Council of London.
c. 1302. Pol. Songs (1839), 188. The webbes ant the fullaris … makeden huere consail in huere commune halle.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccli. 322. Fallyng doune of a steyr as they come oute of theyr comyn halle.
1640. Ord. Ho. Com., in Rushw., Hist. Coll., III. (1692), I. 141. A Letter … to the Lard Mayor of London, to desire him to call a Common-Hall.
1727. in Picton, L’pool Munic. Rec. (1886), II. 16. A Common Hall or General Assembly of the Mayor, Baylives and Burgesses.
1772. Ann. Reg., 145/2. Before the common-hall was over, Mr. Sheriff Wilkes declared there should be no poll published.
1812. Examiner, 5 Oct., 636/1. On Tuesday a Common Hall was held for the election of Lord Mayor.
2. In wider sense: see HALL. (By Tindale used to translate Gr. πραιτώριον.)
1526. Tindale, Matt. xxvii. 27. Then the soudeours of the debite toke Iesus vnto the comen hall [1611 common hall; Wyclif mote halle].
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. v. 3. And forth he comes into the commune hall.
1645. G. Daniel, Poems, Wks. 1878, II. 88. But speake my knowledge, though it should displase The common-Hall … Of Ignorance.
1695. Bp. Patrick, Comm. Gen. xxxiv. 24 (T.). All the citizens, who were met together in the common-hall, or place of publick assemblies.
