London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- History -- 16th century -- Sources; London (England) -- Surveys
Another tower there is on the said bridge over the gate at the south end
towards Southwarke, whereof in another place shall be spoken.
In the year 1450, Jack Cade, and other rebels of Kent, by this bridge
entered the city: he struck his sword on London Stone, and said himself
then to be lord of the city, but were by the citizens overcome on the
same bridge, and put to flight, as in my _Annals_.
In the year 1471, Thomas, the bastard Fawconbridge, besieged this
bridge, burnt the gate, and all the houses to the draw-bridge, that time
thirteen in number.
In the year 1481, a house called the common siege on London bridge fell
down into the Thames; through the fall whereof five men were drowned.
In the year 1553, the 3rd of February, Sir Thomas Wyat, and the Kentish
men, marched from Depeford towards London; after knowledge whereof,
forthwith the draw-bridge was cut down, and the bridge gates shut.
Wyat and his people entered Southwarke, where they lay till the 6th of
February, but could get no entry of the city by the bridge, the same
was then so well defended by the citizens, the Lord William Howard
assisting, wherefore he removed towards Kingstone, etc., as in my
_Annals_.
To conclude of this bridge over the said river of Thames, I affirm, as
in other my descriptions, that it is a work very rare, having with the
draw-bridge twenty arches made of squared stone, of height sixty feet,
and in breadth thirty feet, distant one from another twenty feet,
compact and joined together with vaults and cellars; upon both sides
be houses built, so that it seemeth rather a continual street than a
bridge; for the fortifying whereof against the incessant assaults of the
river, it hath overseers and officers, viz., wardens, as aforesaid, and
others.
Fleete bridge in the west without Ludgate, a bridge of stone, fair coped
on either side with iron pikes; on the which, towards the south, be
also certain lanthorns of stone, for lights to be placed in the winter
evenings, for commodity of travellers. Under the bridge runneth a water,
sometimes called, as I have said, the river of the Wels, since Turnemill
brooke, now Fleete dike, because it runneth by the Fleete, and sometimes
about the Fleete, so under Fleete bridge into the river of Thames. This
bridge hath been far greater in times past, but lessened, as the water
course hath been narrowed. It seemeth this last bridge to be made or
repaired at the charges of John Wels, mayor, in the year 1431, for on
the coping is engraven Wels embraced by angels, like as on the standard
in Cheape, which he also built. Thus much of the bridge: for of the
water course, and decay thereof, I have spoken in another place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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