Essential History | The people, places and events that have shaped our history and culture
The people, places and events that have shaped our history and culture
Historical locations, people and buildings in London
In the sixteenth century, London had no international wholesale market matching the best in Europe, in particular the Antwerp Bourse. In 1571, a prominent City trader named Thomas Gresham put that right, when he and others financed the building of an exchange on a site provided by the Mercers livery company. Queen Elizabeth I opened [...]
Hung Drawn and Quartered26–27 Great Tower St, London EC3R 5AQ And now the FrenchWilliam, Duke of Normandy, was aghast at the news that Harold Godwinson had been crowned King Harold II at Westminster Abbey in December 1065. He believed he had been promised succession of the English crown by his pious uncle, King Edward the [...]
Williamson’s Tavern1 Groveland Ct, London EC4M 9EH Barbarians at the gatesWith a power vacuum in London (and throughout Britain) the Saxons and their allies, the Angles, had it easy. Without a military force the Romano- British were defenceless and the invaders practically walked in. The Saxons, a semi-nomadic culture, found the Roman stone walls and [...]
Gordon's Wine Bar47 Villiers St, London WC2N 6NE A palace for Uncle Peter. Strand evolved from the Saxon period as the main ecclesiastical highway between the king (living at the Tower of London) and his church (at Westminster Abbey). It was therefore a desirable place for Bishops and the aristocracy to establish a London residence [...]
On a prosperous windIn 1620, the Mayflower started its journey to the New World. The Mayflower left Rotherhithe under the command of Captain Christopher Jones with around 30 passengers. It sailed to Southampton for supplies and more passengers, also picking up leading puritan, and future governor of Plymouth Colony, William Bradford. On 6 September 1620, [...]