Search london history from Roman times to modern day
Early London Prehistoric, Roman, Saxon and Norman
BY SIR WALTER BESANT
| BOOK I | ||
| PREHISTORIC LONDON | ||
| CHAP. | PAGE | |
| 1. | The Geology | 3 |
| 2. | The Site | 17 |
| 3. | The Earliest Inhabitants | 33 |
| BOOK II | ||
| ROMAN LONDON | ||
| 1. | The Coming of the Romans | 53 |
| 2. | The Roman Rule | 57 |
| 3. | The Aspect of the City | 79 |
| 4. | Remains of Roman London | 95 |
| 5. | The Building of the Wall | 112 |
| 6. | London Bridge | 128 |
| 7. | London Stone | 133 |
| 8. | The Desolation of the City | 135 |
| BOOK III | ||
| SAXON LONDON | ||
| 1. | The Coming of the Saxons | 153 |
| 2. | Early History | 161 |
| 3. | The Danes in London | 169 |
| 4. | The Second Saxon Occupation | 176 |
| 5. | The Second Danish Occupation | 190 |
| 6. | Town and People | 196 |
| 7. | Thorney Island | 231 |
| 8. | Saxon Remains | 243 vi |
| BOOK IV | ||
| NORMAN LONDON | ||
| 1. | William the Conqueror | 249 |
| 2. | Domesday Book | 262 |
| 3. | William Rufus | 272 |
| 4. | Henry I. | 275 |
| 5. | he Charter of Henry I. | 279 |
| 6. | Stephen | 289 |
| 7. | FitzStephen the Chronicler | 301 |
| 8. | The Streets and the People | 321 |
| 9. | Social Life | 337 |
| 10. | A Norman Family | 345 |
| APPENDICES | ||
| 1. | he River Embankment | 351 |
| 2. | he Riverside Discoveries | 353 |
| 3. | Strype on Roman Remains | 356 |
| 4. | he Clapton Sarcophagus | 361 |
| 5. | 363 | |
| INDEX | 365 | |
| PAGE | |
| King Edgar adoring the Saviour | Frontispiece |
| Geological Map of the Site | 7 |
| Statues of King Lud and his two Sons, Androgeus and Theomantius | 19 |
| The Marshes of Early London | 25 |
| Side of Font, East Meon Church, Hampshire | 36 |
| Side of Font, East Meon Church, Hampshire | 37 |
| Offa being invested with Spurs | 39 |
| An Archer | 42 |
| Figures reconstructed from Ancient Clothes and Remains found in a Bog | 43 |
| Figures in Wood at Wooburn in Buckinghamshire, supposed to represent Itinerant Masons | 45 |
| Pavement before the Altar of the Prior’s Chapel at Ely | 49 |
| Statue of a Roman Warrior found in a Bastion of the London Wall | 58 |
| Roman Knife-handle—Figure of Charioteer, Bronze | 60 |
| Carausius | 61 |
| A Sea Fight | 66 |
| Tomb of Valerius Amandinus (A Roman General) | 67 |
| Coffin Lids found in London | 71 |
| Bronze Roman Lamp found in Cannon Street | 75 |
| Method of Swathing the Dead | 77 |
| Dow Gate | 79 |
| Tessellated Pavement | 81 |
| Roman Sandals taken from the Bed of the Thames | 89 |
| The Laconicum, or Sweating Bath | 90 |
| Tessellated Pavement | 91 |
| Roman Roads radiating from London | 93 |
| Roman Altar to Diana found in St. Martin’s-le-Grand | 95 |
| Roman Bath, Strand Lane | 97 |
| Roman Antiquities found in London, 1786 | 101 |
| Roman London | 102 |
| Statuettes of Roman Deities | 103 |
| Roman Sepulchral Stone found at Ludgate by Sir Christopher Wren | 107 |
| Roman Statue discovered at Bevis Marks | 108 |
| Roman Antiquities found in London in 1786 | 109 |
| Roman Remains found in a Bastion of London Wall | 113 |
| Roman Arch, London Wall | 122 |
| A Ship | 126 viii |
| An Anglo-Saxon Warrior | Facing 136 |
| Ancient Copper Bowl found in Lothbury | 138 |
| The Ark | 142 |
| King and Courtiers | 146 |
| A Group of Anglo-Saxon Spearmen | 154 |
| Gregory the Great, St. Benedict, and St. Cuthbert | 156 |
| Lady in a Chariot | 157 |
| Family Life | 159 |
| Aelfwine | 161 |
| The Coronation of a King | 162 |
| Aldhelm presenting “De Virginitate” to Hildelida, Abbess of Barking, and her Nuns | Facing 162 |
| King Ethelbald | 164 |
| King in Bed | 166 |
| The Perils of the Deep | 167 |
| Slaves waiting on a Household | 171 |
| Guthlac carried away by Devils | 172 |
| Saxon Minstrels | 174 |
| Playing Draughts | 175 |
| The Alfred Jewel (Reverse) The Alfred Jewel (Obverse) | 177 |
| Page from Gospel Book given by Otho I. to Athelstan, Grandson of Alfred the Great; on it the Anglo-Saxon Kings took the Coronation Oath | 178 |
| From King Alfred’s “Orosius” | 179 |
| King Cnut and his Queen, Emma, presenting a Cross upon the Altar of Newminster (Winchester) | 181 |
| The King receiving a Deputation | 183 |
| Anglo-Saxon Warriors approaching a Fort | 185 |
| A Fight | 186 |
| Diagram of Canal | 188 |
| King Edward the Confessor’s Palace at Borstal (Brill) | 193 |
| A Solar | 196 |
| Building a House | 197 |
| October. Hawking | 198 |
| A Banquet | 199 |
| Saxon Ladies | 201 |
| Saxon Horn | 202 |
| Merchantmen with Horses and Camels | 203 |
| A Banquet | 205 |
| Glastonbury Abbey | 206 |
| Anglo-Saxon Nuns | 207 |
| Conferring the Tonsure | 208 |
| A Burial | 209 |
| Saxon Church at Greenstead | 211 |
| St. Dunstan | 213 |
| The Last Day | Facing 214 |
| Anglo-Saxon Modes of Punishment | 216 |
| The Flogging of a Slave | 216 |
| Three Men in Bed | 218 ix |
| Mother and Child | 219 |
| Drawing Water | 220 |
| St. Luke, from St. Chad’s Gospel Book, date about 700 A.D. | 221 |
| Anglo-Saxon Husbandman and his Wife | 223 |
| Feeding the Hungry | 225 |
| Going to the Chase | 226 |
| The Hawk Strikes | 226 |
| Feasting | 227 |
| Anglo-Saxon House | 229 |
| The Situation of Westminster | 231 |
| St. Dunstan at the Feet of Christ | 233 |
| Monks | 235 |
| The Famous “Book of Kells” MS. of the Gospels in Latin, written in Ireland (A.D. 650-690) | 237 |
| Rood over the South Door of Stepney Church | 239 |
| Edward the Confessor’s Chapel | 241 |
| Ancient Enamelled Ouche in Gold discovered near Dowgate Hill; probably Ninth Century | 243 |
| An Ancient Comb found in the Ruins of Ickleton Nunnery | 244 |
| Duke William comes to Pevensey | 249 |
| King Harold shown in a Mêlée of Fighting-Men | 251 |
| Charter of the City of London given by William the Conqueror | 252 |
| A Norman Knight | 253 |
| Norman Horsemen | 255 |
| Harold trying to pull the Arrow from his Eye | 255 |
| Norman Archers | 255 |
| William the Conqueror and his Knights (from the Bayeux Tapestry) | 257 |
| Bishops | 258 |
| The Seal of Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, Half-brother of William I. | 259 |
| Part of a Page of Domesday Book | 263 |
| William I. and II., Henry I. and Stephen | Facing 264 |
| Norman Soldiers | 267 |
| Norman London | 269 |
| Norman Capitals from Westminster Hall | 273 |
| Seal of St. Anselm | 275 |
| Norman Arch, in the Cloisters, Westminster Abbey | Facing 276 |
| Coronation of Henry I. | 279 |
| An Ancient Seal of Robert, Fifth Baron FitzWalter | 281 |
| The Temple Church | 283 |
| A Fight | 291 |
| Costume of English Kings of the Eleventh Century. Anglo-Norman Ladies of High Degree | Facing 292 |
| St. John’s Chapel, Tower of London, Norman Architecture | 295 |
| March. Field Work. September. Boar-Hunting | 303 |
| Matron and Maid | 305 |
| A Horseman | 308 |
| Tilting | 313 |
| Tilting in Boats | 314 |
| Dancing | 315 x |
| The Chase | 317 |
| The White Tower | 319 |
| Representation of Orion | 322 |
| Craftsman at work on a House | 323 |
| London Wall | 325 |
| A Norman Hall | 327 |
| Three Bishops | 329 |
| Building a House | Facing 338 |
| A Family Group | 339 |
| Lady saving a Stag from the Hunters | 341 |
| Saxon Doorway, Temple Church | 343 |
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