The Tower of London - a Regency History guide

The Tower of London from Ackermann's Microcosm of London (1808-10)

History

The oldest part of the Tower of London dates back to the time of William the Conqueror. William was crowned king of England in London on Christmas Day 1066 following his decisive victory at the Battle of Hastings a few months earlier. Keen to ensure control of his capital city, he commissioned the construction of a fortress—what is now known as the White Tower. It was begun in the 1070s and completed after his death, by about 1100.

Subsequent monarchs added more buildings and extended the Tower’s fortifications, turning it into the imposing military stronghold that it is today.

The Tower of London from Old and New London by W Thornbury (1873)

A London guidebook of 1809 described the Tower:

The Tower of London is situated on the north bank of the Thames, at the extremity of the city. Its extent within the wall is twelve acres and five roods. The exterior circuit of the ditch which entirely surrounds it, is 3,156 feet. The ditch, on the side of Tower-hill, is broad and deep; on the side next to the river it is narrower. A broad and handsome wharf runs along the banks of the river, parallel with the Tower, from which it is divided by the ditch. On the wharf is a platform, mounted with sixty-one pieces of cannon, nine-pounders. These are fired on state holidays; and in time of war, on all victories gained by the army or navy. At each end of the wharf is a wooden gate, which divides it from the streets, and is open only during the day.

From the wharf into the Tower, is an entrance by a draw-bridge. Near this is a cut, connecting the river with the ditch, having a water-gate, called Traitor's Gate, state prisoners being formerly conveyed by this passage from the Tower to Westminster, for trial. Over Traitor's Gate is a building containing the water-works that supply the fortress with water.

The principal entrance to the Tower is on the west, and is wide enough to admit a carriage. It consists of two gates on the outside of the ditch; a stone bridge built over the ditch, and a gate within the ditch.

The white tower is a large square building, situated in the centre of the fortress. On the top are four watch towers, one of which, at present, is used as an observatory. Neither the sides of this building, nor the small towers, are uniform. The walls are not covered with plaister, but white-washed, as will be supposed from its name. 1

The moat of the Tower of London c1800
from Old and New London by W Thornbury (1873)

What was the Tower used for?

Although used occasionally as a royal residence, this was never the Tower’s chief purpose. It was originally designed to advertise the king’s dominance and to protect London against potential uprisings. The security of the buildings within the outer walls led to the Tower of London being used to house the Crown Jewels, the Royal Mint, the Board of Ordnance, Ordnance Survey, the Records Office and, of course, state prisoners.

The Tower as a prison

Those held captive in the Tower of London were no ordinary prisoners. They were enemies of the state, imprisoned on grounds of treason. Despite its somewhat gruesome reputation, only 22 executions have taken place within the Tower walls, including those of two of Henry VIII’s wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, and the unfortunate Lady Jane Grey. Another queen, the young Elizabeth I, was imprisoned in the Tower by her half-sister Mary.

Many of the towers have been used to house prisoners over the years, notably the Beauchamp Tower and the Salt Tower, which both contain 16th and 17th century graffiti giving witness to their history as prison cells.

In 1483, the 12-year-old Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York, were residing in the Tower of London when they disappeared. It was widely believed that they had been murdered by their uncle, Richard III, giving rise to the legend of ‘The Princes in the Tower’. The tower traditionally associated with their disappearance was nicknamed the Bloody Tower.

The Tower of London (2016)

Georgian prisoners

The Tower was still being used as a prison during the Georgian period.

The Tower is used as a state prison, and in general the prisoners are confined in the warders' houses, but by application to the privy-council, they are usually permitted to walk on the inner platform, during part of the day, in company of a warder.

• The Jacobite Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, was imprisoned in the Tower following the Battle of Culloden in 1746. He was the last person to be executed on Tower Hill, on 9 April 1747.

• Lord George Gordon was imprisoned in the Tower for six months for his role in instigating the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots of 1780.

• Radical English reformist politician Sir Francis Burdett was imprisoned in the Tower from April to June 1810, accused of breach of privilege by the House of Commons.

The Curiosities of the Tower

Although the Tower of London was a working prison and the base for various government departments, it was also a Regency-era tourist attraction, open to the public, who could see inside many of the buildings on payment of the required fees.

•  The Lions, and other Wild Beasts – one shilling.

• The Spanish Armory – 'the trophies of the famous victory of Queen Elizabeth over the Spanish Armada'. 

• The Small Armory – 'contains complete stands of arms for no less than 100,000 men'.

• The Volunteer Armory (in the White Tower) – 'contains arms piled in beautiful order for 30,000 men, with pikes, swords, &c. in immense numbers, arranged in stars and other devices'.

• The Sea Armory (also in the White Tower) – 'contains arms for nearly 50,000 sailors and marines'.

• Royal Train of Artillery (part of this is kept on the ground floor, under the small armory) – 'The artillery is ranged on each side, a passage ten feet in breadth being left in the centre'.

• Horse Armory – 'The kings of England, on horseback, are shewn in the following order: George II … George I … William III…'  

For the Spanish Armory, Small Armory, Train of Artillery, and Horse Armory, the price is one shilling only.

The Horse Armour at the Tower of London
from Ackermann's Microcosm of London (1808-10)

• The Jewel-office - one shilling per person in company or one shilling and sixpence for a single person. The Crown Jewels that could be seen included the Imperial Crown 'with which the kings of England are crowned', the Golden Globe, the Golden Sceptre and 'the Crown of State, that his majesty wears in parliament'.

Independently of several of the jewels, which are inestimable, the value of the precious stones and plate contained in this office, is not less than two millions sterling.

The Jewel Tower at the Tower of London
from Old and New London by W Thornbury (1873)

• The Mint – 'Visitors are not permitted to see any part of the Mint.'

• The Chapel – 'contains a few ancient monuments' and 'may be seen by applying to the pew-opener, at any time, for a small fee'.

The Tower of London today

The Tower of London (2016)

The Tower of London is largely the same fortress as it was in Georgian times, with its imposing walls and familiar skyline of towers, but there have been some changes to the structures within and the uses of the Tower.

The Grand Storehouse was destroyed by fire in 1841, along with around 60,000 objects which were on display, and was replaced by the Waterloo Barracks.

In 1845, whilst the Duke of Wellington was Constable of the Tower, the moat, which had become smelly and unhealthy, was drained.

During the 19th century, the institutions of the Tower moved out. The Royal Mint was transferred to a new purpose-built facility on Tower Hill in 1812 and the Ordnance Survey relocated to Southampton after the fire of 1841. The functions of the Office of the Ordnance were transferred to the War Office in the 1850s; the Tower Records Office was closed in 1858 after handing over its records to the Public Records Office.

The Crown Jewels

One function of the Tower of London remains—the Crown Jewels are still stored within its walls. Since 1967, the Crown Jewels have been on display in the Jewel House in the Waterloo Barracks.

Entrance to the Jewel House
at the Tower of London (2016)

The White Tower

The White Tower, Tower of London (2016)

The White Tower houses the Royal Armouries' collections, including the Line of Kings which was reconstructed and put back on display in 2013.

Part of the Royal Armouries' collection on display in the White Tower (2016)

The Line of Kings exhibition in the White Tower (2016)

Coins and Kings

There is an exhibition about the history of the Royal Mint at the Tower.

Mint Street, Tower of London (2016)

The Royal Menagerie

Raven at the Tower of London (2016)

The only creatures kept at the Tower of London today are the famous ravens. The Royal Menagerie closed in 1830 and William IV donated the royal beasts to the newly formed London Zoo. The keeper, Alfred Cops, continued to display his own large collection of animals until 1835 when he was forced to close the menagerie after several unfortunate accidents. The Lion Tower was demolished soon afterwards. There is an exhibition about the Royal Menagerie in the Brick Tower.

I've written a separate blog post about the Royal Menagerie at the Tower of London here.

Elephant model at the Tower of London (2016)

The Yeoman Warders

The Warders give informative tours of the Tower to visitors, dressed in their distinctive uniform.

Yeoman Warder giving a tour of the Tower
with the scaffold site in the foreground (2016)

Walk the walls

A wall walk at the Tower of London with Tower Bridge in the background (2016)

Traitors' Gate

Traitors' Gate at the Tower of London (2016)

The Tower of London is in the care of Historic Royal Palaces.

Rachel Knowles writes clean/Christian Regency era romance and historical non-fiction. She has been sharing her research on this blog since 2011. Rachel lives in the beautiful Georgian seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset, on the south coast of England, with her husband, Andrew.

Find out more about Rachel's books and sign up for her newsletter here.

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Notes

1. All quotes from John Feltham’s The Picture of London for 1809 (1809).

Sources used include:

Ackermann, Rudolph and Combe, William, The Microcosm of London or London in miniature Volume 3 (Rudolph Ackermann 1808-1810, reprinted 1904)

Feltham, John, The Picture of London for 1809 (1809)

Humphrys, Julian, The private life of palaces (Historic Royal Palaces, 2006)

Thornbury, Walter, Old and New London: A narrative of its history, its people, and its places (Cassell, Petter & Galpin, 1873, London)

Spartacus Educational website - Sir Francis Burdett in Tower

Tower of London website

All photographs © RegencyHistory.net 

A Regency History guide to the Royal Menagerie at the Tower of London

Model lions at the Tower of London (2016)

The history of the Royal Menagerie

It is believed that lions were first kept at the Tower during the reign of King John in about 1210, though it is his son, Henry III, who is generally credited with establishing the menagerie, which included a polar bear and an elephant.

Model elephant at the Tower of London (2016)

Exotic animals were often given to the royal family as presents. Unfortunately, the keepers at the Tower did not know how to look after these unusual animals and as a result, many died prematurely. Their cages were cramped and they were often fed the wrong food. Some could not cope with the change in environment, like the big monkey from Sumatra seen by Cesar de Saussure in 1725. He recorded in his diary that the monkey 'seemed to suffer from the cold' and died about six weeks after his visit. 1

Model monkeys at the Tower of London (2016)

Where were the animals kept?

From the 14th century, the royal beasts were kept in a separate tower. According to the Microcosm of London:

The principal entrance is by three gates to the west. The first of them opens to a court, on the right side of which is the lions' tower, where the wild beasts are kept.2

Map of Tower of London showing where the Lion Tower
used to be, in bottom left-hand corner (2016)

How much did it cost to see the Royal Menagerie?

The Lions, and other Wild Beasts, &c. These are kept in a yard on the right hand, at the west entrance. A figure of a lion is over the door, and there is a bell at the side to call the keeper. The visitor pays one shilling here, for which the keeper shews him all the wild beasts, &c. explaining their several histories. 3

Model polar bear at the Tower of London (2016)

What animals were on display in the Tower?

The early editions of Feltham’s Picture of London included a list of animals on display in the Tower. The latest list that I have come across is in the 1809 guide; by 1813, no detailed descriptions of the animals on display were given.

According to the Picture of London (1809), the principal animals then on display in the Tower were:

1. Miss Fanny, a fine lioness, but discovers so much ferocity, beyond that of any other lion in the Tower, that the difference of disposition in the same species is in this instance very striking.

2. Young Hector and Miss Jenny, a lion and lioness, from the Gulph of Persia, three years old, of the same litter, presented to his Majesty by the present Marquis Cornwallis on the 6th of March, 1800. These are extremely fine animals.

3. A young Lion and Lioness, sent to her Majesty by the Emperor of Morocco.

4. Two African Lionesses, a present from the Dey of Algiers to the King, and brought to the Tower in of Algiers to the King, and brought to the Tower in October 1800.

5. A fine young Lion, a present from the Emperor of Morocco to the Duke of Kent, and extremely tame and docile.

6. Traveller, a panther from Algiers.

7. Miss Peggy, a black leopardess. This animal is a great curiosity: although her skin is black, it is varied with spots of a deeper black, and her form is the most delicate that can be imagined.

8. Miss Nancy, a bright spotted leopardess. Both these animals were sent from Anjengo, by Governor Hutchinson, in 1799.

9. Duchess, a remarkably handsome leopardess brought from the Malabar coast, presented to his Majesty by Lord Carlisle. The brightness of the colours of this animal is beautiful in the extreme.

10. Miss Maria and Master Bobby, a Leopard and Leopardess from Prince of Wales's Island, in the East Indies.

11. George, a Leopard presented to the Prince of Wales, by Mr Devaynes.

12. Harry, a royal tyger, from Bengal and one of the finest ever seen, given by Mr (now Sir Evan) Nepean in 1791. This noble animal is very tame, and is fond of a little dog which often plays with it in the den.

13 A curious Ring-tailed Tyger, from Bengal, presented to her Majesty by Admiral Rainier.

14. A Wolf, from Mexico, presented by Admiral Masserano to Lord St Vincent, and by him to his majesty.

15. A Spotted, or Laughing Hyena, from the Cape; presented by David South, Esq.

16. A Racoon, bred in the Tower.

17. A very large African Deer, from the Cape of Good Hope, presented by General Dundas, and the only one ever brought to England.

18. A large Greenland Bear.

19. Ant Bear, from Canada. This is a curious animal, and is extremely gentle.

20. A White Fox, from Owhyhee.

21. A Jackall.

22. A large Eagle of the Sun. 3

The 1809 list made no mention of the 'Three Royal Hunting Tygers' recorded in the 1806 guide which were 'said to have belonged to a pack of the same kind, of Tippoo Saib’s, with which he hunted beasts of prey. They are a small kind of tyger, and are extremely curious'. 4 Neither was there any mention of the 'Tiger Cat, from the river Gambia' or the 'Coati-mondi, brought from Honduras' also listed in the 1806 guide. 4 It seems likely that these animals had died during the intervening years.

Model lion at the Tower of London (2016)

Care of the animals

The care taken by the keepers to prevent injury to the visitors, is very great; and the wholesome cleanly condition of the dens, deserves praise. The dens are very commodious. They are about twelve feet in their whole height, being divided into an upper and lower apartment; in the former they live in the day, and are shewn, and in the latter sleep at night. Iron gratings inclose the front of the dens, most of which have been recently rebuilt, with every precaution to prevent accidents.

These animals are in general very healthy. It is remarkable that those which have been whelped in the Tower are more fierce than such as are taken wild: strangers should be cautious not to approach too near the dens, and avoid every attempt to play with them. 3

Visitors at the Royal Menagerie, Tower of London - labelled c1820, but the
 costumes suggest probably nearer 1830 from Old and New London (1873)

A dreadful accident

By 1802, there were no longer any monkeys in the Royal Menagerie at the Tower. The Monkey Room had been a big attraction when it was set up in the 1780s. The school of monkeys lived in a furnished room where visitors were fascinated by their humanlike behaviour. But health and safety was virtually non-existent and as visitors were allowed to enter the room and mingle freely with the monkeys, it is hardly surprising that accidents happened. The 1802 Picture of London noted: 

There were formerly a number of monkies kept in the yard; but lately they have been removed from this place by his majesty’s orders, one of the largest of them having torn a boy’s leg in a dangerous manner. 5

Model monkeys at the Tower of London (2016)

Alfred Cops and the Royal Menagerie

By 1821, the Royal Menagerie was in decline. The only animals left were four lions, a panther, a leopard, a grizzly bear and a tiger. However, when a new keeper, Alfred Cops, was appointed in 1822, the menagerie enjoyed a brief revival. Cops bought animals himself to add to the menagerie and at one time, there were more than 250 animals living in the Tower.

An advertisement in the Times in 1824 claimed that the Tower's ‘exhibition of serpents is unparalleled’. 6

More accidents

Despite the care taken by the keepers, animals did sometimes escape from their cages and accidents did happen. In 1826, Cops, almost lost his life when a snake he was feeding suddenly darted at him and coiled himself around his arm and neck. It was only the providential arrival of two other keepers that saved his life.

In 1828, a secretary bird met a grisly death when it put its head into a hyena’s cage. In 1830, an assistant keeper accidentally allowed a lion and a Bengal tiger and tigress into the same cage. A fierce battle arose between the animals and the lion later died as a result of its injuries.

The closure of the Royal Menagerie

In 1830, it was decided to transfer the remaining animals from the Royal Menagerie to the newly formed Zoological Society of London – the new London Zoo in Regent’s Park. Cops continued to display his own animals at the Tower until several unfortunate escapes and accidents forced the menagerie to close in 1835. The animals were sold to the American showman, Benjamin Franklin Brown. Cops continued living at the Tower until his death in 1853.

The Lion Tower was dismantled soon after the departure of the last animals.

There is a display about the Royal Menagerie in the Brick Tower in the Tower of London.

 

There was another menagerie in Regency London at the Exeter 'Change. You can read about it here.

Royal Menagerie exhibition
in the Brick Tower, Tower of London (2016)

Rachel Knowles writes clean/Christian Regency era romance and historical non-fiction. She has been sharing her research on this blog since 2011. Rachel lives in the beautiful Georgian seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset, on the south coast of England, with her husband, Andrew.

Find out more about Rachel's books and sign up for her newsletter here.

If you have enjoyed this blog and want to encourage me and help me to keep making my research freely available, please buy me a virtual cup of coffee by clicking the button below.

 

Notes
(1) From Cesar de Saussure, A Foreign View of England in the reigns of George I and George II (1902).
(2) From Ackermann’s Microcosm of London vol 3 (1808-1810).
(3) From Feltham’s Picture of London (1809).
(4) From Feltham’s Picture of London (1806).
(5) From Feltham’s Picture of London (1802).
(6) From Times Digital Archive, Saturday, Dec 25, 1824; p3; issue 12533.

Sources used include:
Ackermann, Rudolph and Combe, William, The Microcosm of London or London in miniature Volume 3 (Rudolph Ackermann 1808-1810, reprinted 1904)
Feltham, John, The Picture of London for 1802 (1802)
Feltham, John, The Picture of London for 1806 (1806)
Feltham, John, The Picture of London for 1809 (1809)
Saussure, Cesar de, A foreign view of England in the reigns of George I and George II (1902)
Thornbury, Walter, Old and New London: A narrative of its history, its people, and its places Vol 2 (Cassell, Petter & Galpin, 1873, London)

The Tower of London website 

All photographs © RegencyHistory.net