119-715: The Temple is an area of the City of London surrounding Temple Church . It is one of the main legal districts in London and a notable centre for English law , from the Middle Ages to the present day. It consists of the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple , which are two of the four Inns of Court and act as local authorities in place of the City of London Corporation as to almost all structures and functions. Before
238-513: A Welsh hostage in his custody, hanged, drawn and quartered on his own authority in 1318, despite the fact that Llywelyn had been "promised leniency" by Roger Mortimer and the earl of Hereford . However, this may actually have been done "at the command of the king himself", with Despenser being blamed because Mortimer and Hereford "could not publicly demonstrate their anger at" King Edward. Eleanor and Hugh had nine children who survived infancy: Despenser became royal chamberlain in 1318. As
357-602: A councillor ) to the Court of Common Council of the corporation. Only electors who are Freemen of the City of London are eligible to stand. The number of commoners a ward sends to the Common Council varies from two to ten, depending on the number of electors in each ward. Since the 2003 review it has been agreed that the four more residential wards: Portsoken , Queenhithe , Aldersgate and Cripplegate together elect 20 of
476-471: A Latin verse from the New Testament : Quid gloriaris in malicia qui potens est in iniquitate? ('Why do you glory in malice, you who are mighty in iniquity?')" He was dragged to the ground by the crowd, who "stripped off his clothes and scrawled biblical slogans on his skin" which denounced "arrogance and evil". The tribunal's "judgement was thorough, extensive and uncompromising. Only the sentence
595-657: A Temple Pier on the Victoria Embankment, near the Tube station immediately west of the Westminster-City of London boundary; HQS Wellington is permanently moored there. The Wilfred barge was moored here until its sinking during Storm Henk in January 2024. General: [REDACTED] Media related to Temple, London at Wikimedia Commons City of London The City of London , also known as
714-399: A business district, the City has a small resident population of 8,583 based on 2021 census figures, but over 500,000 are employed there (as of 2019) and some estimates put the number of workers in the City to be over 1 million. About three-quarters of the jobs in the City of London are in the financial, professional, and associated business services sectors. The Roman legions established
833-477: A church dedicated to St Paul in London, as the seat of the new bishop. It is assumed, although unproven, that this first Anglo-Saxon cathedral stood on the same site as the later medieval and the present cathedrals. Alfred the Great , King of Wessex occupied and began the resettlement of the old Roman walled area, in 886, and appointed his son-in-law Earl Æthelred of Mercia over it as part of their reconquest of
952-543: A limited number of rooms reserved for new barristers undertaking the Bar Professional Training Course .) This, coupled with a general move of population out of the City of London , has made the Temple much quieter outside working hours than it appears, for example, in the novels of Charles Dickens , which frequently allude to the Temple. Today, approximately a quarter of the chambers buildings in
1071-528: A new rebellion. Like his father, the younger Despenser was accused of widespread criminality. Amongst other examples, Despenser seized the Welsh lands of his wife's inheritance while ignoring the claims of his two brothers-in-law. He further cheated his sister-in-law Elizabeth de Clare out of Gower and Usk , and forced Alice de Lacy, 4th Countess of Lincoln , to give up her lands to him. Both he and his father were accused of murdering Llywelyn Bren in 1318 while
1190-663: A purely Roman foundation of London are now common and uncontroversial." At its height, the Roman city had a population of approximately 45,000–60,000 inhabitants. Londinium was an ethnically diverse city, with inhabitants from across the Roman Empire, including natives of Britannia, continental Europe , the Middle East, and North Africa. The Romans built the London Wall some time between AD 190 and 225. The boundaries of
1309-624: A reduced rent. In 1346, Langford's lease having by then expired, the Knights Hospitaller leased both Middle and Inner Temples to lawyers from St George's Inn and Thavie's Inn respectively. However lawyers had already occupied the Temple since 1320, when it belonged to the Earl of Lancaster . After Henry VIII dissolved the Knights Hospitaller in the course of the English Reformation , the barristers remained as tenants of
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#17327720550571428-427: A representative fashion. Bodies employing fewer than 10 people may appoint 1 voter; those employing 10 to 50 people 1 voter for every 5 employees; those employing more than 50 people 10 voters and 1 additional voter for each 50 employees beyond the first 50. The Act also changed other aspects of an earlier act relating to elections in the city, from 1957. Inner Temple and Middle Temple (which neighbour each other) in
1547-577: A royal courtier , he manoeuvred into the affections of King Edward, displacing the previous favourite , Roger d'Amory . This came much to the dismay of the baronage as they saw him both taking their rightful places at court at best, and at worst being the new, worse Gaveston . By 1320 his greed was running free. He also supposedly vowed revenge on Roger Mortimer, because Mortimer's grandfather had killed his own . By 1321, he had earned many enemies in every stratum of society, from Queen Isabella in France, to
1666-569: A settlement known as "Londinium" on the current site of the City of London around AD 43. Its bridge over the River Thames turned the city into a road nexus and major port , serving as a major commercial centre in Roman Britain until its abandonment during the 5th century . Archaeologist Leslie Wallace notes that, because extensive archaeological excavation has not revealed any signs of a significant pre-Roman presence, "arguments for
1785-420: A sharp blade, suggesting a ritual killing. Furthermore, it lacked several body parts, including the ones given to Despenser's wife. Radiocarbon analysis dated the body to between 1050 and 1385, and later tests suggested it to be that of a man over 34 years old; Despenser was 39 at the time of his execution. In addition, the abbey is located on lands that belonged to Hugh de Audley , Despenser's brother-in-law, at
1904-614: A sodomite. The annals of Newenham Abbey in Devon recorded, "the king and his husband" fled to Wales . Queen Isabella had a special dislike for Despenser. While Isabella was in France to negotiate between her husband and the French king, she formed an alliance with Roger Mortimer and began planning an invasion of England, which ultimately came to fruition in September 1326. Their forces numbered only about 1,500 mercenaries to begin with, but
2023-660: Is among those which ended malapportionment and one voter voting in multiple parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales. The southern boundary of the Temple liberties was the natural bank of the Thames until the Victoria Embankment was constructed (1865–1870). The boundary is virtually unchanged – despite this notable engineering work, which meant that the Inner and Middle Temple lost their frontage to
2142-474: Is located at Smithfield , and is undergoing a long-awaited regeneration after doubts as to its continuing use during the 1990s. The city is the third largest UK patron of the arts. It oversees the Barbican Centre and subsidises several important performing arts companies. The London Port Health Authority, which is the responsibility of the corporation, is responsible for all port health functions on
2261-596: Is sometimes called the "great refusal", the Corporation said no to the King, which in part accounts for its unique government structure to the present. By the late 16th century, London increasingly became a major centre for banking, international trade and commerce. The Royal Exchange was founded in 1565 by Sir Thomas Gresham as a centre of commerce for London's merchants, and gained Royal patronage in 1571. Although no longer used for its original purpose, its location at
2380-482: Is the case for all other wards in Great Britain . Particular churches, livery company halls and other historic buildings and structures are associated with a ward, such as St Paul's Cathedral with Castle Baynard , and London Bridge with Bridge; boundary changes in 2003 removed some of these historic connections. Each ward elects an alderman to the Court of Aldermen , and commoners (the City equivalent of
2499-587: Is the centre of the Thames. The Temple Church is a royal peculiar . It was built by the Knights Templar and consecrated in 1185. It is jointly owned by the Middle Temple and Inner Temple inns. Temple gives its name to Temple tube station , served by the District (green) and Circle (yellow) lines, which is immediately southwest, between Temple Place and the Victoria Embankment. There is also
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#17327720550572618-403: The 1993 Bishopsgate bombing ( IRA ) and the 7 July 2005 London bombings ( Islamist ). In response to the 1993 bombing, a system of road barriers, checkpoints and surveillance cameras referred to as the " ring of steel " has been maintained to control entry points to the city. The 1970s saw the construction of tall office buildings including the 600-foot (183 m), 47-storey NatWest Tower ,
2737-698: The City of London Police —the Common Council (the main body of the corporation) is the police authority . The corporation also run the Hampstead Heath Constabulary , Epping Forest Keepers and the City of London market constabularies (whose members are no longer attested as constables but retain the historic title). The majority of Greater London is policed by the Metropolitan Police Service , based at New Scotland Yard . The city has one hospital, St Bartholomew's Hospital , also known as 'Barts'. Founded in 1123, it
2856-595: The City of Westminster . The associated area is roughly bounded by the River Thames (the Victoria Embankment ) to the south, Surrey Street to the west, the Strand and Fleet Street to the north and Carmelite Street and Whitefriars Street to the east. The intervening Essex Street, two streets east of Surrey Street, is the traditional western boundary, beyond which are affluent office/hotel and residential blocks, spread over large three street blocks which are closest to
2975-528: The Common Council of the City of London , as provided in the Temples Order 1971 . They geographically fall within the boundaries and liberties of the City of London, but can be thought of as independent enclaves . They are both part of the City ward of Farringdon Without . The Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 included The Temple within City of London parliamentary constituency . This change
3094-653: The Crown . Historically its system of government was not unusual, but it was not reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 and little changed by later reforms, so that it is the only local government in the UK where elections are not run on the basis of one vote for every adult citizen. It is administered by the City of London Corporation , headed by the Lord Mayor of London (not to be confused with
3213-546: The Great Fire. After the fire of 1666, a number of plans were drawn up to remodel the city and its street pattern into a renaissance -style city with planned urban blocks, squares and boulevards. These plans were almost entirely not taken up, and the medieval street pattern re-emerged almost intact. In the 1630s the Crown sought to have the Corporation of the City of London extend its jurisdiction to surrounding areas. In what
3332-558: The London Stock Exchange based in the City. Throughout the 19th century, the City was the world's primary business centre, and it continues to be a major meeting point for businesses. London was ranked second (after New York) in the Global Financial Centres Index , published in 2022. The insurance industry is concentrated in the eastern side of the city, around Lloyd's building . Since about
3451-480: The ceremonial county of Greater London , and is the smallest ceremonial county in England. The City of London is known colloquially as the Square Mile , as it is 1.12 sq mi (716.80 acres; 2.90 km ) in area. Both the terms the City and the Square Mile are often used as metonyms for the UK's trading and financial services industries, which continue a notable history of being largely based in
3570-469: The ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Bishop of London . Within the city, the Corporation owns and runs both Smithfield Market and Leadenhall Market . It owns land beyond its boundaries, including open spaces (parks, forests and commons) in and around Greater London, including most of Epping Forest and Hampstead Heath . The Corporation owns Old Spitalfields Market and Billingsgate Fish Market , in
3689-697: The tidal part of the Thames , including the Port of London and related seaports, and London City Airport . The Corporation oversees the Bridge House Estates , which maintains Blackfriars Bridge , Millennium Bridge , Southwark Bridge , London Bridge and Tower Bridge . The City's flag flies over Tower Bridge, although neither footing is in the city. Hugh Despenser the Younger Hugh Despenser, 1st Baron Despenser ( c. 1287/1289 – 24 November 1326), also referred to as "
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3808-400: The 'square mile' and held 86% of the population, and these were in fact similar to and named after four City of London wards: The city has a unique electoral system. Most of its voters are representatives of businesses and other bodies that occupy premises in the city. Its ancient wards have very unequal numbers of voters. In elections, both the businesses based in the city and the residents of
3927-433: The 100 commoners, whereas the business-dominated remainder elect the remaining 80 commoners. 2003 and 2013 boundary changes have increased the residential emphasis of the mentioned four wards. Census data provides eight nominal rather than 25 real wards, all of varying size and population. Being subject to renaming and definition at any time, these census 'wards' are notable in that four of the eight wards accounted for 67% of
4046-511: The 1980s, a secondary financial district has existed outside the city, at Canary Wharf, 2.5 miles (4 km) to the east. The legal profession has a major presence in the northern and western sides of the City, especially in the Temple and Chancery Lane areas where the Inns of Court are located, two of which ( Inner Temple and Middle Temple ) fall within the City of London boundary. Primarily
4165-520: The 19th century, with London growing in all directions. To the East the Port of London grew rapidly during the century, with the construction of many docks, needed as the Thames at the City could not cope with the volume of trade. The arrival of the railways and the Tube meant that London could expand over a much greater area. By the mid-19th century, with London still rapidly expanding in population and area,
4284-819: The Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy , the London area came in turn under the Kingdoms of Essex , Mercia , and later Wessex , though from the mid 8th century it was frequently under threat from raids by different groups including the Vikings . Bede records that in AD 604 St Augustine consecrated Mellitus as the first bishop to the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Saxons and their king, Sæberht . Sæberht's uncle and overlord, Æthelberht , king of Kent , built
4403-604: The Blitz . Whilst St Paul's Cathedral survived the onslaught, large swathes of the area did not and the particularly heavy raids of late December 1940 led to a firestorm called the Second Great Fire of London . There was a major rebuilding programme in the decades following the war, in some parts (such as at the Barbican) dramatically altering the urban landscape. But the destruction of the older historic fabric allowed
4522-561: The City , is a city , ceremonial county and local government district that contains the ancient centre, and constitutes, along with Canary Wharf , the primary central business district (CBD) of London and one of the leading financial centres of the world. It constituted most of London from its settlement by the Romans in the 1st century AD to the Middle Ages , but the modern area referred to as London has since grown far beyond
4641-474: The City and Middlesex were regarded as one administratively for addressing crime and keeping the peace (not that the county was a dependency of the city). London's sheriffs continued to serve Middlesex until the county was given its own sheriffs again following the Local Government Act 1888 . By 1141 the whole body of the citizenry was considered to constitute a single community. This ' commune '
4760-489: The City during Jack Cade's Rebellion before being ousted by London citizens following a bloody battle on London Bridge. In 1550, the area south of London Bridge in Southwark came under the control of the City with the establishment of the ward of Bridge Without . The city was burnt severely on a number of occasions, the worst being in 1123 and in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Both of these fires were referred to as
4879-532: The City had already become only a small part of the wider metropolis. An attempt was made in 1894 with the Royal Commission on the Amalgamation of the City and County of London to end the distinction between the city and the surrounding County of London, but a change of government at Westminster meant the option was not taken up. The city as a distinct polity survived despite its position within
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4998-457: The City of London boundary. The City is now only a small part of the metropolis of Greater London , though it remains a notable part of central London . The City of London is not one of the London boroughs , a status reserved for the other 32 districts (including Greater London's only other city, the City of Westminster ). It is also a separate ceremonial county, being an enclave surrounded by
5117-705: The City today is the Barbican Estate , constructed between 1965 and 1976. The Museum of London was based there until March 2023 (due to reopen in West Smithfield in 2026), whilst a number of other services provided by the corporation are still maintained on the Barbican Estate. The city has a unique political status, a legacy of its uninterrupted integrity as a corporate city since the Anglo-Saxon period and its singular relationship with
5236-406: The City vote. The City of London Corporation was not reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , because it had a more extensive electoral franchise than any other borough or city; in fact, it widened this further with its own equivalent legislation allowing one to become a freeman without being a liveryman . In 1801, the city had a population of about 130,000, but increasing development of
5355-523: The City, the adjacent Tower of London , built to dominate the City, is part of its old defensive perimeter. The City has responsibility for five bridges across the Thames in its capacity as trustee of the Bridge House Estates : Blackfriars Bridge , Millennium Bridge , Southwark Bridge , London Bridge and Tower Bridge . The City is a major business and financial centre, with both the Bank of England and
5474-405: The City. The name London is now ordinarily used for a far wider area than just the City. London most often denotes the sprawling London metropolis, or the 32 Greater London boroughs, in addition to the City of London itself. The local authority for the City, namely the City of London Corporation , is unique in the UK and has some unusual responsibilities for a local council, such as being
5593-519: The Conqueror marched on London, reaching as far as Southwark , but failed to get across London Bridge or defeat the Londoners. He eventually crossed the River Thames at Wallingford , pillaging the land as he went. Rather than continuing the war, Edgar the Ætheling , Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria surrendered at Berkhamsted . William granted the citizens of London a charter in 1075;
5712-512: The Corporation holds the ancient office of Town Clerk of London . The city is a ceremonial county which has a Commission of Lieutenancy headed by the Lord Mayor instead of a Lord-Lieutenant and has two Sheriffs instead of a High Sheriff (see list of Sheriffs of London ), quasi-judicial offices appointed by the livery companies , an ancient political system based on the representation and protection of trades ( guilds ). Senior members of
5831-417: The Crown, for an annual rent of £10 for each society (of Inner and Middle Temple). Their current tenure dates from a charter granted to them by James I in 1608. Originally a grant of fee farm , the reversion was purchased from Charles II , finally giving the lawyers absolute title. (In 2008 the 400th anniversary of the charter of James I was celebrated by Elizabeth II issuing new letters patent confirming
5950-528: The Inner Temple and Middle Temple include residential accommodation, and current planning policy is to retain this where possible, to retain the special "collegiate" character of the Temple Inns of Court. There is also a 19th-century building called "The Outer Temple ", situated between Essex Court and Strand, just outside the Middle Temple boundary in the City of Westminster, but this is not part of
6069-735: The Keeper of Bristol Castle , Portchester Castle and Dryslwyn Castle plus their respective towns, and the region of Cantref Mawr in Carmarthenshire . He was also Keeper of the castles, manor, and lands of Brecknock , Hay , Cantref Selyf, etc. , in County Brecon , and also Huntington, Herefordshire , in England. He was additionally given Wallingford Castle in Berkshire , despite this having previously been given to Queen Isabella of France for life. In May 1306, Despenser
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#17327720550576188-469: The King's clerk, for a ten-year lease. In 1337 the Knights petitioned Edward III to rectify the grant of consecrated land to a layman. As a result, the Inner Temple was divided between the consecrated land to the east and the unconsecrated land in the west, the eastern part continuing to be called Inner Temple and the western part becoming known as Middle Temple. Langford continued to hold Middle Temple at
6307-652: The London conurbation and numerous local government reforms . Supporting this status, the city was a special parliamentary borough that elected four members to the unreformed House of Commons , who were retained after the Reform Act 1832 ; reduced to two under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 ; and ceased to be a separate constituency under the Representation of the People Act 1948 . Since then
6426-408: The Roman city were similar to those of the City of London today, though the City extends further west than Londinium's Ludgate , and the Thames was undredged and thus wider than it is today, with Londinium's shoreline slightly north of the city's present shoreline. The Romans built a bridge across the river, as early as AD 50, near to today's London Bridge. By the time the London Wall was constructed,
6545-402: The Roman public buildings in Londinium by this time had fallen into decay and disuse, and gradually after the formal withdrawal the city became almost (if not, at times, entirely) uninhabited. The centre of trade and population moved away from the walled Londinium to Lundenwic ("London market"), a settlement to the west, roughly in the modern-day Strand / Aldwych / Covent Garden area. During
6664-417: The Temple is rich with Grade I listed buildings . The core of the district lies in the City of London and consists of two Inns of Court : Inner Temple (eastern part) and Middle Temple (western part). The Temple Church is roughly central to these two inns and is governed by both of them. The Inns each have their own gardens, dining halls, libraries and administrative offices, all located in their part of
6783-503: The Temple. Most of the land is, however, taken up by buildings in which barristers practise from sets of rooms known as chambers. There are some enclaves and exclaves in the boundary between the two Inns. There was a long-running dispute between the two inns concerning which one was the older and which ought to have precedence over the other accordingly. This was resolved in 1620 when a tribunal of four judges declared that all four inns should be equal, "no one having right to precedence before
6902-399: The Thames, albeit replaced widely with gardens. Both now own associated, law-related properties, just beyond the boundary. The Embankment – a major thoroughfare with an Underground line running beneath – is on paper never part of Temple – the cusp is where the gardens meet the road, where the spring tide (rarely flooded) part of the bank stood. The City of London's comparable limit
7021-510: The Thames, and laying a new city street plan. Alfred's taking of London and the rebuilding of the old Roman city was a turning point in history, not only as the permanent establishment of the City of London, but also as part of a unifying moment in early England, with Wessex becoming the dominant English kingdom and the repelling (to some degree) of the Viking occupation and raids. While London, and indeed England, were afterwards subjected to further periods of Viking and Danish raids and occupation,
7140-401: The Viking occupied parts of England. The refortified Anglo-Saxon settlement was known as Lundenburh ("London Fort", a borough ). The historian Asser said that "Alfred, king of the Anglo-Saxons, restored the city of London splendidly ... and made it habitable once more." Alfred's "restoration" entailed reoccupying and refurbishing the nearly deserted Roman walled city, building quays along
7259-455: The Wardmote the ward's Alderman appoints at least one Deputy for the year ahead, and Wardmotes are also held during elections. Each ward also has a Ward Club, which is similar to a residents' association . The wards are ancient and their number has changed three times since time immemorial : Following boundary changes in 1994, and later reform of the business vote in the city, there was a major boundary and electoral representation revision of
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#17327720550577378-434: The Welshman was being held hostage in what was characterised by contemporaries as an extrajudicial killing , "conspiring together to exercise a jurisdiction which they could not lawfully have". During his exile, Despenser spent a period of time as a pirate in the English Channel , "a sea monster, lying in wait for merchants as they crossed the sea". At his makeshift trial, he would be accused "of robbing two great ships to
7497-492: The Younger Despenser ", was the son and heir of Hugh Despenser, Earl of Winchester , (the Elder Despenser) and his wife Isabel Beauchamp , daughter of William Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick . He rose to national prominence as royal chamberlain and a favourite of Edward II of England . Despenser made many enemies amongst the nobility of England. After the overthrow of Edward, he was eventually charged with high treason and ultimately hanged, drawn and quartered . Despenser
7616-399: The Younger rose to become Chamberlain and a close advisor to King Edward II , much as Despenser the Elder had been. Despenser the Younger claimed the Lordship of Glamorgan in 1317 through his wife Eleanor de Clare . He then accumulated more lands in the Welsh Marches and in England. At various points he was a knight of Hanley Castle in Worcestershire, Constable of Odiham Castle , and
7735-401: The accusation at him (although Orleton's accusation came when he was defending himself from having claimed the same of King Edward). According to Froissart, Despenser's penis was severed and burned at his execution as a punishment for his sodomy and heresy . In 1326, as Isabella and Mortimer invaded, Orleton gave a sermon in which he publicly denounced Edward, who had fled with Despenser, as
7854-449: The area, particularly in Lime Street . In 1708, Christopher Wren 's masterpiece, St Paul's Cathedral , was completed on his birthday. The first service had been held on 2 December 1697, more than 10 years earlier. It replaced the original St Paul's, which had been completely destroyed in the Great Fire of London, and is considered to be one of the finest cathedrals in Britain and a fine example of Baroque architecture . The 18th century
7973-465: The barons, to the common people. There was even a plot to kill Despenser by sticking his wax likeness with pins . Finally the barons took action against King Edward and, at the beseeching of Queen Isabella, forced Despenser and his father into exile in August 1321. However, Edward's intent to summon them back to England was no secret. The king rallied support after an attack against Isabella's party at Leeds Castle, an event possibly orchestrated. Early in
8092-461: The boundaries of the City of London respectively. Not until 1324, after the prior, Thomas L'Archer , paid a substantial bribe, was the claim of the Knights Hospitaller to the Inner Temple officially recognised in England; but even then Edward II still bestowed it on his favourite, Hugh le Despencer , in spite of the Knights' rights. On Hugh's death in 1326 the Inner Temple passed first to the mayor of London and then in 1333 to one William de Langford,
8211-597: The city as a central business district led to this falling to below 5,000 after the Second World War. It has risen slightly to around 9,000 since, largely due to the development of the Barbican Estate . In 2009, the business vote was about 24,000, greatly exceeding residential voters. As the City of London Corporation has not been affected by other municipal legislation over the period of time since then, its electoral practice has become increasingly anomalous. Uniquely for city or borough elections, its elections remain independent-dominated. The business or " non-residential vote "
8330-506: The city is a minority (in terms of population and area) of the Cities of London and Westminster . The city's population fell rapidly in the 19th century and through most of the 20th century, as people moved outwards in all directions to London's vast suburbs , and many residential buildings were demolished to make way for office blocks. Like many areas of London and other British cities, the City fell victim to large scale and highly destructive aerial bombing during World War II , especially in
8449-425: The city was one of a few examples of the English retaining some authority. The city was not covered by the Domesday Book . William built three castles around the city, to keep Londoners subdued: Around 1132 the City was given the right to appoint its own sheriffs rather than having sheriffs appointed by the monarch. London's chosen sheriffs also served as the sheriffs for the county of Middlesex . This meant that
8568-587: The city's fortunes were in decline, and it faced problems of plague and fire. The Roman Empire entered a long period of instability and decline , including the Carausian Revolt in Britain. In the 3rd and 4th centuries, the city was under attack from Picts , Scots, and Saxon raiders. The decline continued, both for Londinium and the Empire, and in AD 410 the Romans withdrew entirely from Britain. Many of
8687-489: The city. Each ward has an Alderman , who until the mid-1960s held office for life but since put themselves up for re-election at least every 6 years, and are the only directly elected Aldermen in the United Kingdom . Wards continue to have a Beadle , an ancient position which is now largely ceremonial whose main remaining function is the running of an annual Wardmote of electors, representatives and officials. At
8806-438: The construction of modern and larger-scale developments, whereas in those parts not so badly affected by bomb damage the City retains its older character of smaller buildings. The street pattern, which is still largely medieval, was altered slightly in places, although there is a more recent trend of reversing some of the post-war modernist changes made, such as at Paternoster Square . The City suffered terrorist attacks including
8925-509: The corner of Cornhill and Threadneedle Street continues to be the geographical centre of the city's core of banking and financial services, with the Bank of England moving to its present site in 1734, opposite the Royal Exchange. Immediately to the south of Cornhill, Lombard Street was the location from 1691 of Lloyd's Coffee House , which became the world-leading insurance market. London's insurance sector continues to be based in
9044-570: The elder Despenser was reconvened. Roger [Mortimer], the Earls of Lancaster , Kent and Norfolk , and Thomas Wake and William Trussell " presided. Despenser was tried on 24 November 1326, brought to the market square of Hereford , before Mortimer, Isabella and the Lancastrian lords. He was accompanied by former Lord Chancellor of England Robert Baldock , and by one of his vassals, Simon de Reading, "who had been so presumptuous as to insult
9163-570: The end of Edward II's reign was a time of uncertainty in England. With the main baronial opposition leaderless and weak, having been defeated at the Battle of Boroughbridge , and Edward willing to let them do as they pleased, the Despensers were left unchecked. This maladministration caused hostile feeling for them and, by extension, Edward II. Ultimately, a year after his surrender and imprisonment, Mortimer escaped to France, where he began organizing
9282-542: The establishment of the City of London and the Kingdom of England prevailed. In the 10th century, Athelstan permitted eight mints to be established, compared with six in his capital, Winchester , indicating the wealth of the city. London Bridge, which had fallen into ruin following the Roman evacuation and abandonment of Londinium, was rebuilt by the Saxons, but was periodically destroyed by Viking raids and storms. As
9401-464: The establishment of these Inns of Court, the Temple area was the precinct given to the Knights Templar (who built the church) until they were suppressed in 1312, but the area has retained the name from that time. It became a centre of the legal profession soon afterwards. The Royal Courts of Justice and Temple Bar are just to the north and Temple tube station borders to the southwest in
9520-435: The extensive list of charges against him), while Queen Isabella "wanted him executed in London. The number of aggrieved parties meant that Despenser was certain to be quartered: every lord wanted a piece to show their followers that they had exacted revenge." Trussell declared that he had been "ajudged a traitor and an enemy of the realm", and read out the "exhaustingly long" list of charges against him, including: breaking
9639-705: The first skyscraper in the UK. By the 2010s, office space development had intensified in the City, especially in the central, northern and eastern parts, with skyscrapers including 30 St. Mary Axe ("the Gherkin"'), Leadenhall Building ("the Cheesegrater"), 20 Fenchurch Street ("the Walkie-Talkie"), the Broadgate Tower , the Heron Tower and 22 Bishopsgate . The main residential section of
9758-410: The focus of trade and population was moved back to within the old Roman walls, the older Saxon settlement of Lundenwic was largely abandoned and gained the name of Ealdwic (the "old settlement"). The name survives today as Aldwych (the "old market-place"), a name of a street and an area of the City of Westminster between Westminster and the City of London. Following the Battle of Hastings , William
9877-435: The following year, with Mortimer's barons busy putting down uprisings in their lands, the Despensers were able to return. Edward, with the Despensers backing him once more, was able to crush the rebellion, securing first Mortimer's surrender and then that of the earl of Lancaster , who was subsequently executed. King Edward quickly reinstated Despenser as royal favourite. The period from the Despensers' return from exile until
9996-546: The head, a thigh bone and a few vertebrae were returned to her. What may be the remains of Despenser were identified in February 2008 in the village of Abbey Hulton in Staffordshire, the former site of Hulton Abbey . The skeleton, which was first uncovered during archaeological work in the 1970s, appeared to be that of a victim of a drawing and quartering as it had been beheaded and chopped into several pieces with
10115-494: The king's favourite (and Despenser's brother-in-law, through Gaveston's marriage to Eleanor's sister Margaret ). Eager for power and wealth, Despenser seized Tonbridge Castle in 1315, after his brother-in-law's death under the misapprehension that it belonged to his mother-in-law; he relinquished it on discovering that the rightful owner was, in fact, the Archbishop of Canterbury . He was accused of having Llywelyn Bren ,
10234-506: The livery companies are known as liverymen and form the Common Hall, which chooses the lord mayor, the sheriffs and certain other officers. The city is made up of 25 wards . They are survivors of the medieval government system that allowed a very local area to exist as a self-governing unit within the wider city. They can be described as electoral/political divisions; ceremonial, geographic and administrative entities; sub-divisions of
10353-445: The majority of the nobility rallied to them throughout September and October, preferring to stand with them rather than Edward and the hated Despensers. The Despensers fled west with the King, with a sizeable sum from the treasury; however, the escape was unsuccessful. Separated from the elder Despenser, the King and the younger Despenser were deserted by most of their followers and were captured near Neath in mid-November. King Edward
10472-531: The medieval hall on the site (specifically, the medieval buttery). Upon the dissolution of the Knights Templar in 1312, Pope Clement V granted their possessions to the Knights Hospitaller . King Edward II ( r. 1307–1327 ) ignored the claims of the Knights Hospitaller and divided the Temple into the Inner Temple and the Outer Temple, being the parts of the Temple within and without
10591-493: The mid-rise Arundel House that hosts the International Institute for Strategic Studies and a large multi-use site, in construction, otherwise facing the Strand, Arundel and Surrey Streets. The name is recorded in the 12th century as Novum Templum , meaning 'New Temple'. It is named after the then 'new' church ( Temple Church ) and surrounding holdings then belonging to the Knights Templar . (The 'Old Temple'
10710-581: The modern Inns of Court, has commercial landowners and is not directly related to the historic and long-defunct Outer Temple inn. An area known as Serjeant's Inn was formerly outside the Temple, although at one time also occupied by lawyers (the Serjeants-at-Law ). In 2001 it was acquired by the Inner Temple (it is adjacent and connected to King's Bench Walk in the Inner Temple) with a view to converting it into barristers' chambers. However it
10829-598: The neighbouring London Borough of Tower Hamlets . It owns and helps fund the Old Bailey , the Central Criminal Court for England and Wales , as a gift to the nation, having begun as the City and Middlesex Sessions. The Honourable The Irish Society , a body closely linked with the corporation, also owns many public spaces in Northern Ireland . The city has its own independent police force,
10948-453: The original grant.) The Outer Temple area was granted to the Bishop of Exeter, and eventually purchased by the Earl of Essex , Robert Devereux, who gave his name to Essex Street and Devereux Court, as well as Essex Court in Middle Temple. The area of the Temple was increased when the River Thames was embanked by the Victoria Embankment, releasing land to the south which previously lay within
11067-409: The other." Until the 20th century, many of the chambers in the Temple were also residential accommodation for barristers; however, shortage of space for professional purposes gradually limited the number of residential sets to the very top floors, which are largely occupied by senior barristers and judges, many of whom use them as pieds-à-terre , having their family home outside London. (There are also
11186-611: The police authority. It is also unusual in having responsibilities and ownerships beyond its boundaries, e.g. Hampstead Heath . The corporation is headed by the Lord Mayor of the City of London (an office separate from, and much older than, the Mayor of London ). The Lord Mayor, as of November 2023, is Michael Mainelli . The City is made up of 25 wards , with administration at the historic Guildhall . Other historic sites include St Paul's Cathedral , Royal Exchange , Mansion House , Old Bailey , and Smithfield Market . Although not within
11305-456: The queen and to take the lands of [Mortimer's] follower John Wyard", with de Reading being "tried alongside him". A large crowd of people "had gathered with trumpets and drums, ready to pull Despenser apart with their bare hands if need be." The prisoners were crowned with nettles to symbolise the "crime of accroaching royal power", while their surcoats bore "their coats of arms reversed", to proclaim their "treachery". Despenser's "tunic bore
11424-576: The retention of the business vote argue that it is a cause of institutional inertia. The City of London (Ward Elections) Act 2002 , a private Act of Parliament, reformed the voting system and greatly increased the business franchise, allowing many more businesses to be represented. Under the new system, the number of non-resident voters has doubled from 16,000 to 32,000. Previously disenfranchised firms (and other organisations) are entitled to nominate voters, in addition to those already represented, and all such bodies are now required to choose their voters in
11543-471: The separate Mayor of London , an office created only in the year 2000), which is responsible for a number of functions and has interests in land beyond the city's boundaries. Unlike other English local authorities, the corporation has two council bodies: the (now largely ceremonial) Court of Aldermen and the Court of Common Council . The Court of Aldermen represents the wards, with each ward (irrespective of size) returning one alderman. The chief executive of
11662-529: The station. Temple, formally defined, contains many barristers' chambers and solicitors' offices, as well as some notable legal institutions such as the Employment Appeal Tribunal . Outside the jurisdiction but facing Temple tube station – in more dated use considered the Savoy and alternatively Strand or Saint Clement Danes districts – are several buildings. These include
11781-532: The terms of exile, breaching Magna Carta and the Ordinances of 1311 , killing, imprisoning and tyrannizing the great and good of the realm, causing the king to fight in Scotland at the cost of thousands of men's lives, usurping royal authority and attempting to fund the destruction of Queen Isabella and her son Duke Edward while they were in France. Despenser was condemned to death. For the crime of theft, he
11900-480: The three co-heiresses to the rich Gloucester earldom, and in her right, Hugh inherited Glamorgan and other properties. In just a few years Hugh went from a landless knight to one of the wealthiest magnates in the kingdom. Eleanor was also the niece of the new king, Edward II of England , and this connection brought Despenser closer to the English royal court. He joined the baronial opposition to Piers Gaveston ,
12019-570: The tidal range of the river. The original bank of the river can clearly be seen in a drop in ground level, for example in the Inner Temple Gardens or the stairs at the bottom of Essex Street. The area suffered much damage due to enemy air raids in World War II ; many of the buildings, especially in the Inner Temple and Middle Temple inns, had to be rebuilt. Temple Church itself was badly damaged and had to be rebuilt. Nonetheless,
12138-557: The time. The Tyranny and Fall of Edward II: 1321–1326 by historian Natalie Fryde is a study of Edward's reign during the years that the Despensers' power was at its peak. Fryde pays particular attention to the subject of the Despensers' landholdings. The numerous accusations against the younger Despenser at the time of his execution have never been the subject of close critical scrutiny, although Roy Martin Haines called them "ingenuous" and noted their propagandistic nature. Despenser
12257-453: The value of £60,000 'to the great dishonour of the king and the realm and to the great danger of English merchants in foreign countries'". He also had Sir William Cokerell "arrested and imprisoned" in the Tower of London and extorted £100 from him. The 14th-century court historian Jean Froissart wrote that "he was a sodomite", and Adam Orleton , the Bishop of Winchester , also levelled
12376-597: The wards in 2003, and they were reviewed again in 2010 for change in 2013, though not to such a dramatic extent. The review was conducted by senior officers of the corporation and senior judges of the Old Bailey ; the wards are reviewed by this process to avoid malapportionment . The procedure of review is unique in the United Kingdom as it is not conducted by the Electoral Commission or a local government boundary commission every 8 to 12 years, which
12495-431: The western ward of Farringdon Without are within the boundaries and liberties of the City, but can be thought of as independent enclaves . They are two of the few remaining liberties , an old name for a geographic division with special rights. They are extra-parochial areas , historically not governed by the City of London Corporation (and are today regarded as local authorities for most purposes ) and equally outside
12614-501: Was decapitated "to a chorus of ecstatic cheers", and the head sent to be displayed above the gates of London. The "arms, torso and legs were likewise sent to be displayed above the gates of Newcastle , York , Dover and Bristol . Justice was very visibly and viscerally done." Four years later, in December 1330, his widow was given permission to gather and bury Despenser's remains at the family's Gloucestershire estate, but only
12733-533: Was a period of rapid growth for London, reflecting an increasing national population, the early stirrings of the Industrial Revolution , and London's role at the centre of the evolving British Empire . The urban area expanded beyond the borders of the City of London, most notably during this period towards the West End and Westminster. Expansion continued and became more rapid by the beginning of
12852-501: Was abolished in other UK local council elections by the Representation of the People Act 1969 , but was preserved in the City of London. The principal reason given by successive UK governments for retaining this mechanism for giving businesses representation, is that the city is "primarily a place for doing business". About 330,000 non-residents constitute the day-time population and use most of its services, far outnumbering residents, who number around 7,000 (2011). By contrast, opponents of
12971-482: Was also hanged, on a gibbet "ten feet lower" than Despenser's. Robert Baldock, as an archdeacon , was able to claim benefit of clergy , and was "handed over to his fellow clergymen for trial". However, after being taken to London, "the mob broke into the house in which he was held, beat him almost to death, and threw him into Newgate prison , where he was soon finished off by the inmates." In 14th century historian Jean Froissart 's account of his execution, Despenser
13090-540: Was formerly also held. Many of the medieval offices and traditions continue to the present day, demonstrating the unique nature of the City and its Corporation . In 1381, the Peasants' Revolt affected London. The rebels took the City and the Tower of London, but the rebellion ended after its leader, Wat Tyler, was killed during a confrontation that included Lord Mayor William Walworth . In 1450, rebel forces again occupied
13209-422: Was imprisoned and later forced to abdicate in favour of his son Edward III . The elder Despenser was hanged and then beheaded at Bristol on 27 October 1326, and the younger Despenser was brought to trial. Anticipating that he would receive no mercy, Despenser tried to starve himself before his trial, but he was unsuccessful. "In order to legalise the process against him the tribunal that had sat in judgement on
13328-475: Was in doubt. The Lancastrians wanted Despenser to be sentenced and beheaded at one of his own castles, in the same way that the earl of Lancaster had died at Pontefract in 1322." Historian Ian Mortimer argues that Mortimer, on the other hand, "wanted to ensure that Despenser suffered a death every bit as horrific" as that endured by Llywelyn Bren (although his role in Llywelyn's execution was not mentioned in
13447-453: Was instead converted into a hotel. Inner Temple and Middle Temple are two of the few remaining liberties , an old name for a geographical administrative division. They are independent extra-parochial areas , historically not governed by the City of London Corporation and are equally outside the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Bishop of London . They are today regarded as local authorities for most purposes, but can delegate functions to
13566-541: Was knighted at the Feast of the Swans at Westminster Abbey alongside Prince Edward , and in that summer he married Eleanor de Clare , daughter of powerful noble Gilbert de Clare , and Joan of Acre . Eleanor's grandfather, Edward I , had owed the elder Despenser 2,000 marks , a debt which the marriage settled. When Eleanor's brother, Gilbert , was killed in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn , she unexpectedly became one of
13685-531: Was located in Holborn , roughly where Lincoln's Inn now stands.) In addition to the church, Temple now appears in the names of Inner Temple , Middle Temple , the Temple Bar , and the nearby Temple tube station . After the Knights were suppressed in 1312, their estate, the precinct of The Temple, was first divided into Inner Temple and Outer Temple (denoting what was within the City of London and what
13804-439: Was sentenced to hanging, while his treason was to be punished by drawing and quartering. He was subsequently "roped to four horses - not just the usual two - and dragged through the city to the walls of his own castle" to "a specially made 50-foot gallows, designed to make punishment visible to everyone in the town." There he was hanged, drawn and quartered in the presence of Isabella, Mortimer and their followers. Simon de Reading
13923-441: Was the origin of the City of London Corporation and the citizens gained the right to appoint, with the king's consent, a mayor in 1189—and to directly elect the mayor from 1215. From medieval times, the city has been composed of 25 ancient wards , each headed by an alderman , who chairs Wardmotes , which still take place at least annually. A Folkmoot , for the whole of the City held at the outdoor cross of St Paul's Cathedral ,
14042-491: Was tied firmly to a ladder and his genitals sliced off and burned while he was still conscious. His entrails were slowly pulled out . Finally, his heart was cut out and thrown into a fire, "because it had been false and traitorous". Froissart (or, rather, Jean le Bel 's chronicle, on which he relied) is the only source to mention this; other contemporary accounts state that Despenser was hanged, drawn and quartered, which did not usually involve emasculation. Despenser's corpse
14161-678: Was without); while Inner Temple was later divided into Inner and Middle, Outer Temple generally fell into disuse. The Temple was originally the precinct of the Knights Templar who erected the Temple Church in honour of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem . The Knights had two halls, whose modern successors are the Middle Temple Hall and the Inner Temple Hall. However, only the Inner Temple Hall preserves elements of
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