We slow down the break neck pace of the Story of London, to take the time to stop and look at how, in practical terms, London WORKED as a city; how all the disparate parts of it, the mayors, the Aldermen, the mass of poor, managed to coexist and function. In a chapter that draws upon the awesome work of historian Barbara Hanawalt, we explore how the city functioned as a living space… while setting up for a crazy few years ahead and dealing with a huge, high profile fire!
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Chapter 156- The Witch of Eye (1437-1441)
The Story this week focuses upon several things- fighting between lawyers and butchers over by the Fleet River; the massive attack upon Calais by the French; the political intrigues between the Duke of Gloucester and Cardinal Beaufort as the 100 Years War dragged itself to its inevitable conclusion… but mostly we focus upon the greatest political scandal of the 1440’s; the downfall of the Duchess of Gloucester. But more than that… we go beyond the public acts of contrition undertaken by this woman, to focus on the story of an overlooked figure; a woman who lived on the outskirts of the city, and whose story illuminates dark aspects of London life- this is the story of the Witch of Eye.
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Chapter 155- The Ice at Gravesend (1431-1437)
The 1430’s was a dark decade for London, as the most brutal weather to ever hit London landed in a series of freezing winters, that drove up prices and froze the river in a way not seen before and never since. This was the backdrop to a decade which saw London’s economy utterly collapse, and the War with France take a dramatic turn for the worse. From lavish processions through the city, to self-destructive politics, to the decline of London’s merchants under the onslaught of foreign traders, this chapter sees the city trying to cope with part of London Bridge itself collapsing into the river…
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Chapter 154- A sudden crusade in Southwark… (1426-1430)
The Story returns with an unusual chapter- how a royal wedding, a Eastern European reform movement, an adulterous noble, and a violent teenage girl, conspire, to not only produce a sudden crusade being called by the most powerful man in south London… but also how that crusade ended up being instrumental in causing a sudden royal coronation. A wild tale of London’s history…
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Chapter 153- In the shadow of Whittington… (1422-1426)
A bumper chapter where the Story of London follows the tale of the city as it deals with the aftermath of the death of Henry V; a tale of the city’s economy starting to be reborn; why it came within an inch of seeing a pitch battle on London bridge between residents north of the river and those from Southwalk; whose side it picked in the growing partisan politics of the new regency; and above all, we look at the legacy of Dick Whittington, the three-and-one-half times mayor of the city, whose legacy transformed the city and remains to this day.
Welcome to The Story of London, a podcast dedicated to telling the history of London as a single narrative tale; from its birth until the present day.Each episode takes us along the tale of the most fascinating and vibrant city on Earth.There is a lot of content in here and each listener can enjoy it in a variety of ways. You can listen to an episode by itself for a slice of life from London’s past; or, if you have a favourite period of time you want to explore, find the era and follow the Chapters in that section. Or maybe you want to join us on the grand journey, starting at the beginning and following along? Whatever option, welcome to the chronological tale of this amazing place. The Story of London covers events as they happened, from the actions of the great and the good, down to those of the poor and marginalised. We try to be as historically accurate as possible, sometimes stumbling upon little gems of history that change the way we see the past, and never take ourselves too seriously.Feel free to join us… new episodes every week.
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