Norman and Medieval London (1066 – late 15th century)[edit]

Main article: Norman and Medieval London

A depiction of the imprisonment of Charles, Duke of Orléans, in the Tower of London from a 15th-century

manuscript.

The new Norman regime established new fortresses within the city to dominate the native
population. By far the most important of these was the Tower of London at the eastern end of the
city, where the initial timber fortification was rapidly replaced by the construction of the first stone
castle in England. The smaller forts of Baynard's Castle and Montfichet's Castle were also
established along the waterfront. King William also granted a charter in 1067 confirming the city's
existing rights, privileges and laws. London was a centre of England's nascent Jewish population,
the first of whom arrived in about 1070. [11] Its growing self-government was consolidated by the
election rights granted by King John in 1199 and 1215.
In 1097, William Rufus, the son of William the Conqueror began the construction of 'Westminster
Hall', which became the focus of the Palace of Westminster.
In 1176, construction began of the most famous incarnation of London Bridge (completed in 1209)
which was built on the site of several earlier timber bridges. This bridge would last for 600 years, and
remained the only bridge across the River Thames until 1739.
Violence against Jews took place in 1190, after it was rumoured that the new King had ordered their
massacre after they had presented themselves at his coronation. [12]
In 1216, during the First Barons' War London was occupied by Prince Louis of France, who had
been called in by the baronial rebels against King John and was acclaimed as King of England in St
Paul's Cathedral. However, following John's death in 1217 Louis's supporters reverted to
their Plantagenet allegiance, rallying round John's son Henry III, and Louis was forced to withdraw
from England.
In 1224, after an accusation of ritual murder, the Jewish community was subjected to a steep
punitive levy. Then in 1232, Henry III confiscated the principal synagogue of the London Jewish
community because he claimed their chanting was audible in a neighboring church. [13] In 1264, during
the Second Barons' War, Simon de Montfort's rebels occupied London and killed 500 Jews while
attempting to seize records of debts.[14]
London's Jewish community was forced to leave England by the expulsion by Edward I in 1290.
They left for France, Holland and further afield; their property was seized, and many suffered
robbery and murder as they departed. [12]
Over the following centuries, London would shake off the heavy French cultural and linguistic
influence which had been there since the times of the Norman conquest. The city would figure
heavily in the development of Early Modern English.

London c. 1300

During the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, London was invaded by rebels led by Wat Tyler. A group of
peasants stormed the Tower of London and executed the Lord Chancellor, Archbishop Simon
Sudbury, and the Lord Treasurer. The peasants looted the city and set fire to numerous buildings.
Tyler was stabbed to death by the Lord Mayor William Walworth in a confrontation at Smithfield and
the revolt collapsed.
Trade increased steadily during the Middle Ages, and London grew rapidly as a result. In 1100,
London's population was somewhat more than 15,000. By 1300, it had grown to roughly 80,000.
London lost at least half of its population during the Black Death in the mid-14th century, but its
economic and political importance stimulated a rapid recovery despite further epidemics. Trade in
London was organised into various guilds, which effectively controlled the city, and elected the Lord
Mayor of the City of London.
Medieval London was made up of narrow and twisting streets, and most of the buildings were made
from combustible materials such as timber and straw, which made fire a constant threat, while
sanitation in cities was of low-quality.