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Mail David
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The Tower of London in Medieval
Times
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- The Tower was built on the edge
of the City of London for King William
I soon after he conquered England in 1066. The soldiers there kept
the Londoners under control.
- It was made bigger over the
years and completed by Edward I.
The walls are 4.5 metres thick and 27 metres tall. The keep in the
middle was whitewashed & called the 'White Tower'.
- It has been used as a:
- Royal palace
- Prison
- Place of execution
- It has been the home of the:
- Royal Armouries (for
making/storing weapons)
- Royal Mint (for making
money)
- Royal Observatory (for astronomers)
- Royal Menagerie (for zoo
animals)
- National Archives (for
storing paper records)
- Crown Jewels (to keep them
safe)
- The Tower has seen much
fighting:
- It was captured during the
1st Barons' War.
- Henry
III was besieged there during the 2nd Barons' War. His wife
tried to escape by boat.
- It was captured by Queen
Isabella before she deposed her husband, Edward
II.
- It was ransacked &
several important people executed during the Peasants'
Revolt. The queen
mother escaped.
- Medieval prisoners included:
- Edward II was kept a
prisoner there as a boy.
- During the 100 Years' War,
the Black
Prince kept many foreign prisoners there, including David II
of Scotland & John II of France. Henry
V took the French King's nephew there after the Battle of
Agincourt.
- In 1406, Prince James of
Scotland was imprisoned there. He became King James I during his
stay.
- King Henry
VI was imprisoned & murdered there during the War of the
Roses. Edward IV's
brother, the Duke of Clarence, was also murdered there by drowning
in a barrel of wine!
- Richard
III kept his nephews, Edward
V & the Duke of York, there. They became known as the
'Princes in the Tower' but they disappeared! People say Richard
had them murdered.
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