London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- History -- 16th century -- Sources; London (England) -- Surveys
About the year 1190, the 2nd of Richard I., William Longshampe, Bishop
of Elie, Chancellor of England, for cause of dissension betwixt him and
Earl John, the king’s brother that was rebel, inclosed the tower and
castle of London, with an outward wall of stone embattled, and also
caused a deep ditch to be cast about the same, thinking (as I have
said before) to have environed it with the river of Thames. By the
making of this inclosure and ditch in East Smithfield, the church of
the Holy Trinitie in London lost half a mark rent by the year, and the
mill was removed that belonged to the poor brethren of the hospital of
St. Katherine,[67] and to the church of the Holy Trinitie aforesaid,
which was no small loss and discommodity to either part; and the garden
which the king had hired of the brethren for six marks the year, for
the most part was wasted and marred by the ditch. Recompense was often
promised, but never performed, until King Edward coming after, gave to
the brethren five marks and a half for that part which the ditch had
devoured, and the other part thereof without he yielded to them again,
which they hold: and of the said rent of five marks and a half, they
have a deed, by virtue whereof they are well paid to this day.
It is also to be noted, and cannot be denied, but that the said
inclosure and ditch took the like or greater quantity of ground from the
city within the wall; namely, one of that part called the Tower Hill,
besides breaking down of the city wall, from the White Tower to the
first gate of the city, called the Postern; yet have I not read of any
quarrel made by the citizens, or recompense demanded by them for that
matter, because all was done for good of the city’s defence thereof,
and to their good likings. But Matthew Paris writeth, that in the year
1239, King Henry III. fortified the Tower of London to another end;
wherefore the citizens, fearing lest that were done to their detriment,
complained, and the king answered, that he had not done it to their
hurt, but (saith he) I will from henceforth do as my brother doth, in
building and fortifying castles, who beareth the name to be wiser than
I am. It followed in the next year, saith mine author, the said noble
buildings of the stone gate and bulwark, which the king had caused to
be made by the Tower of London, on the west side thereof, were shaken
as it had been with an earthquake, and fell down, which the king again
commanded to be built in better sort than before, which was done; and
yet again, in the year 1247, the said wall and bulwarks that were newly
built, wherein the king had bestowed more than twelve thousand marks,
were irrecoverably thrown down, as afore; for the which chance the
citizens of London were nothing sorry, for they were threatened that
the said wall and bulwarks were built, to the end that if any of them
would contend for the liberties of the city, they might be imprisoned;
and that many might be laid in divers prisons, many lodgings were made
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