Thread by @createstreets

Alexander Hamilton talked of an “enthusiasm in liberty” that turned men into heroes.

Yesterday, ordinary Londoners, ran “into the fire” to save others.

As our quiet tribute to the heroes of London Bridge, here’s Claude de Jongh’s little known painting of London Bridge in 1650.

This is the “Old London Bridge” which was erected in 1209 and not demolished until 1831 but its location, its importance as a place of crossing the tidal Thames is the very maw of London’s history - only a few yards from the Roman bridge which sited the city.

Roman roads converged on London Bridge from north, south and west.

Here’s one of them In an astonishing photo underneath the new booking hall of the recently rebuilt London Bridge station.

You can read more here: archaeology.co.uk/articles/speci…

The Roman bridge fell into disrepair some time probably in the 5th century after the end of Roman rule, London was largely abandoned & the Thames ceased to be a crossing but became a barrier between different Anglo Saxon kingdoms.

Dark ages indeed without trade and transport.

A series of wooden bridges follow - the first probably built under either Alfred the Great or
Æthelred the Unready. One certainty existed by 1016.

But they kept “falling down” (hence the song) or being damaged by invaders.

King Olaf’s troops probably destroyed one ....

.... another (rebuilt by William the Conqueror) was destroyed by the so-called “London tornado” of 17 October 1091. (Season of storms - the great storm of 1987 was 16 October). William II- who also constructed Westminster Hall - ordered a rebuilding but this burnt down in 1136

Everyone school child knows (or should know!) the story of Henry II and Thomas Becket.

They may not know that the medieval stone London Bridge was commanded by Henry II in penitence for the Archbishop’s murder.

The chapel in the middle was dedicated to Thomas the Martyr

Here is the Chapel of St Thomas on the Bridge. It was surveyed by Nicholas Hawsksmoor & had an upper level (accessed from the street) & a lower level (which could be accessed from the river)

Old London Bridge had 19 arches, 1 drawbridge (so ships could pass), 2 gatehouses (each end), 1 public latrine (overhanging the river of course), 138 shops - rising to 200 by the 16th century & (from 1577) one near palace - Nonsuch House.

Some buildings were 7 storeys high.

It was a place of fire, punishment & rapids....

Punishment: from 1305 traitors’ heads were dipped in tar, boiled to preserve them & impaled on pikes. The first was William Wallace. Others included Thomas More &Thomas Cromwell. A visitor in 1598 counted 30.

You can see them here

A place of fire: the closely packed wooden houses kept burning down. Good job the bridge was stone.

Houses burnt down in 1381, 1450, 1633 & in the great fire in 1666.

And a place of rapids: the narrow arches restricted flow of water & the level could be 6ft different. Some were drowned trying to "shoot the bridge" & it was said that bridge was "for wise men to pass over, and for fools to pass under."

This also allowed the Thames to freeze...

.... which it did 24 times between 1400 & 1835 when the medieval bridge was finally replaced.

There were frost fares in 695, 1608, 1683-4, 1716, 1739–40, 1789, and 1814.