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London and Environs
Tower of
London - The Tower in Medieval Times
 Richard the
Lionheart came to the throne in 1189 (1189-99) and promptly departed on a
Crusade to the Holy Land. His Chancellor, William Longchamp who was also
the Bishop of Ely, was left in charge of his Kingdom. Longchamp started
very quickly on a building campaign that was to lead many such
enlargements of the Tower until around 1350 when the Tower had grown to be
much as we still see it today.
Longchamp needed the fortifications to the Tower to deal with the
challenges to his authority to rule Britain. King Richard’s brother John
soon besieged Longchamp in the Tower, and while Longchamp was forced to
surrender when the food ran out, the Tower withstood the attack with ease.
King John’s reign (1199-1216) saw little work being done to the Tower
although John did make 28 visits to the Tower. King John had ongoing
problems trying to maintain his rule, and only one year after sighing the
Magna Carta with his Barons (1215) problems with them were renewed, and
Prince Louis of France had also launched an invasion of England. King John
died of dysentery during the fight and his 10 year old son Henry took up
the throne.
King Henry III’s regents not only settled the French issue within seven
months, defeating the French at the Battle of Lincoln, but had already
begun more large scale extensions and improvements to the Tower. Work
continued on the Tower through nearly every year of King Henry’s reign
(1216-72). In both 1236 and 1238 King Henry had his own problems with his
Barons and sheltered in the Tower for safety. These years pointed out to
him first hand the issues and weaknesses the Tower might have and in 1238
he began a massive construction project in the Tower, including walls,
moats and 9 new towers at the cost of approximately 2 million pounds (4.5
million US) in modern terms. It was written then that the people of London
were not particularly happy with such a large building project, seeing it
as a new way to assert power over them. It is believed that during King
Henry’s reign was the time the Tower was first used as a prison. The Chief
Justiciar of England, Hubert de Burgh was incarcerated in the Tower in
1232 and the Welsh Prince Gruffudd was held there from 1241 and 1244.
Henry III was the first to use the Tower as his own private zoo and
collected animals which were kept in the Tower Menagerie. King Louis of
France made a present to King Henry of en elephant in 1255. Kind Henry had
a special Tower built to house it.
 In 1272 King Edward
I (1272-1307) came to the throne and continued the work started by his
father. Over a period of some 10 years (1275-1285) he spent an equivalent
of about 16 million (US) dollars in improvements to the Tower; including
extending walls and additional towers. Nearly all of his work is still in
existence in some form today. Edward I was the first to start using the
Tower for functions other than military and residential. He had a new
building created to hold the Royal Mint and began to store records in the
Tower. The Crown Jewels where moved from Westminster Abbey in 1303 and the
Tower began it’s used as the Royal Treasury; a job it still maintains
today.
King Edward, having far fewer problems with his subjects than his
predecessors, little used the Tower during his reign. His son King Edward
II however was not as fortunate.
The reign of Edward II (1307-27) was as turbulent as his grandfather’s. He
did little building in the Tower except to strengthen the walls, something
he would have had a personal interest in; he was a regular resident there.
Edward III (1327-77), whose reign was peaceful and productive, did far
more to the Tower; building a new gatehouse, more towers, rebuilding the
upper parts of the Bloody Tower, and extending the Tower Wharf. Edward III
seemed to actually enjoy living at the Tower and used it as a residence
rather than a last resort refuge. The Wharf was completed during the reign
of his successor Richard II (1377-99).
Richard II’s reign was not as peaceful and at the age of 14 he and his
family sought safety in the Tower while 10,000+ rebels burnt and ravaged
the city during the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. The peasants were fighting
back against the introduction of a royal poll tax and several of the
King’s household was murdered, and the armory and jewel house were both
looted. Again in 1387 the King and his Queen were forced back into the
Tower to seek protection from his barons. By October 1, 1399 King Richard
II found himself condemned a tyrant and was forced to renounce the crown
from his shelter within the White Tower.
The following day Henry IV (1399-1413) was proclaimed King. Both his reign
and that of his successor Henry V (1413-22) saw little building of any
kind done to the Tower and it was needed for no major militarily or
political purposes. Henry VI changed all that (1422-61 and 1470-1) when
the War of the Roses began. The Tower was used during this time of
political instability as a key asset and center of protection to those who
worked to hold the crown of England.
During the 1400’s the Tower was maintained carefully and continued small
improvements were made; 1480 seeing the building of a new outer defense
bulwark.
Edward IV (1461-70 and 1471-83) held lavish courts in the Tower during
1465 and 1470.
King Richard III (1483-85) used the Tower for a massive coronation
celebration in 1483.
It was during these last years before the Tudor Kings that some notorious
murders took place within the Tower. Henry VI was captured by King Edward
IV in 1465 and subsequently held captive in the Tower of London until
1470. His return to Kingship did not last long and on May 21, 1471 he was
murdered in the Tower. Young Edward V and his brother disappeared and were
commonly thought to have been murdered while being held prisoners in the
Tower in 1483. And George, Duke of Clarence was supposed to have been
drowned in butt of Malmsey (Madeira) wine in 1478.
The first Tudor King, Henry VII (1485-1509) used the Tower to entertain
his supporters.
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