The first Stuart king, James I, came to the throne in 1603. He was already King James VI of Scotland. He united the two countries under one king. A group of men tried to blow up both him and the Houses of Parliament. This Gunpowder plot failed.
Charles II opened Hyde Park to the public and created Richmond Park for hunting.
Civil war broke out in 1642 between supporters of the king and parliamentary forces, led by a Puritan called Oliver Cromwell. The king lost and was beheaded. Britain became a republic known as the Commonwealth. In 1660 the monarchy was returned. Oliver Cromwell forbid theatre and dance, so the monarchy was very welcome.
London suffered two disasters in later Stuart years. In 1665 the Great Plague killed about 70.000 people. The bubonic plague was brought to London by rats on board of trading ships. It spread very quickly because people lived very close quarters and hygiene standards were very low.
In 1666 the Great Fire of London destroyed two thirds of the City: 13.200 houses, 430 streets and 89 churches. The fire could be seen from 40 miles round the capital. It started as a small fire accidentally in Pudding Lane in the City of London, and raged for five days as an enormous fire.
To prevent such a disaster happening again, King Charles II commanded that all new houses in London should be of stone and brick, not wood.
Christopher Wren constructed St. Paul's Cathedral as well as many churches. Buckingham was built for the Duke of Buckingham.
Monuments, sites and remains from the time:
- Wren's achitecture:
*Saint Paul's Cathedral
*The Monument (the Great Fire Memmorial)
*Wren's churches: Christ Church's tower, St. Andrew (Holborn), St. Bride's, St.Mary-at-Hill, St. Mary-le-Bow, etc.
*Kensington Palace
*Marlborough House
*Old Royal Naval College
*Royal Hospital
- The Banking House
- Lincoln's Inn
- Cloth Fair
- The Museum of London
- The British Museum
- The Victoria and Albert Museum
Friday, 16 January 2009
Tudor London
London grew in importance under the Tudor rule. It became the centre of trade and government. By the end of the Tudor era, there were about 200.000 people living in London.
The Tudors brought peace to the country and supported art and trade. They were very hard upon the social and religious dissidents. These were hanged, drowned or burned.
King Henry VIII created palaces as St. James. He is also famous for closing monasteries after the Roman Catholic Church refused to grant him a divorce. During the reign of Elisabeth I, London was wealthy and successfull. Theatre became popular, with Shakespeare and Marlowe. The most famous theatre is The Globe. It was burnt down in 1613, immediately rebuilt, but closed by the Puritans in 1642. In the 1990's a new Globe Theatre was built, as close to the original as possible.
The river Thames was very important in Tudor times as Britain's navy was expanded. Dockyards were built and ships were sent to explore the world.
Sites and remains:
- Middle Temple Hall
- Staple Inn
- Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey
- The Museum of London
- The Victoria and Albert Museum
- The Geffrye Museum
- The Hampton Court astronomical clock
The Tudors brought peace to the country and supported art and trade. They were very hard upon the social and religious dissidents. These were hanged, drowned or burned.
King Henry VIII created palaces as St. James. He is also famous for closing monasteries after the Roman Catholic Church refused to grant him a divorce. During the reign of Elisabeth I, London was wealthy and successfull. Theatre became popular, with Shakespeare and Marlowe. The most famous theatre is The Globe. It was burnt down in 1613, immediately rebuilt, but closed by the Puritans in 1642. In the 1990's a new Globe Theatre was built, as close to the original as possible.
The river Thames was very important in Tudor times as Britain's navy was expanded. Dockyards were built and ships were sent to explore the world.
Sites and remains:
- Middle Temple Hall
- Staple Inn
- Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey
- The Museum of London
- The Victoria and Albert Museum
- The Geffrye Museum
- The Hampton Court astronomical clock
Medieval London
Edward the Confessor built a wooden palace at Westminster. He also built Westminster Abbey.
The historical division between the commercial centre (The City) and the government (Westminster) started in the middle of the 11th century.
Plagues happened often and constantly, so the population was never higher than the 50.000 inhabitants from the Roman times. The Black Death ((1348) killed half the population of London.
The first made-of-stone London Bridge was built in 1209 and lasted 600 years. It was the only bridge over the Thames until 1750, when Westmister Bridge was built.
Little survived the Great Fire of 1666, but you can find sites and remains from this time in:
- The Tower of London
- Westminster Abbey
- The Museum of London
- Tate Britain
- National Gallery
- The Clink Prison Museum's rose window
The historical division between the commercial centre (The City) and the government (Westminster) started in the middle of the 11th century.
Plagues happened often and constantly, so the population was never higher than the 50.000 inhabitants from the Roman times. The Black Death ((1348) killed half the population of London.
The first made-of-stone London Bridge was built in 1209 and lasted 600 years. It was the only bridge over the Thames until 1750, when Westmister Bridge was built.
Little survived the Great Fire of 1666, but you can find sites and remains from this time in:
- The Tower of London
- Westminster Abbey
- The Museum of London
- Tate Britain
- National Gallery
- The Clink Prison Museum's rose window
Saxon and Viking London
Later in the 5th century, Anglo-Saxons settled just west of Londinium. It consisted of many wooden huts with thatched roofs.
In 842 Danish Vickings looted London and a few years later they returned to burn a large part of the town. In 1016 they tried to do it again, but they were fought off by the Saxons.
London Bridge is falling down,
falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
This nursery rhyme probably records an attack against London by the Vicking Olaf of Norway at the beginning of the 11th century. He was unable to sail up the Thames past London Bridge, which was made of wood at the time. Olaf and his men tied ropes to it, but when they rowed away, London Bridge collapsed.
Christianity grew stronger in Anglo-Saxon Britain. In 604 AD a cathedral was founded in London and named after the apostle, Saint Paul. There is still a cathedral on the site.
In 1042 Edward the Confessor became king of both the Vickings and Saxons.
You can find information and remains of the time at:
- The Museum of London
- The British Museum
Can you upload a picture of a thatched-roof cottage nowadays? Can you find a listening or a video with the nursery rhyme?
In 842 Danish Vickings looted London and a few years later they returned to burn a large part of the town. In 1016 they tried to do it again, but they were fought off by the Saxons.
London Bridge is falling down,
falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
This nursery rhyme probably records an attack against London by the Vicking Olaf of Norway at the beginning of the 11th century. He was unable to sail up the Thames past London Bridge, which was made of wood at the time. Olaf and his men tied ropes to it, but when they rowed away, London Bridge collapsed.
Christianity grew stronger in Anglo-Saxon Britain. In 604 AD a cathedral was founded in London and named after the apostle, Saint Paul. There is still a cathedral on the site.
In 1042 Edward the Confessor became king of both the Vickings and Saxons.
You can find information and remains of the time at:
- The Museum of London
- The British Museum
Can you upload a picture of a thatched-roof cottage nowadays? Can you find a listening or a video with the nursery rhyme?
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