65-558: Little Ease was a prison cell located beneath the White Tower in the Tower of London . The lightless cell was designed 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in) on a side, meaning that while an adult human could be placed inside, any occupant was prevented from being able to either stand, sit, or lie down , meaning it was impossible for him to find any physical position of rest (i.e., "little ease" could be found). Evidence suggests that Edmund Campion ,
130-510: A Catholic priest in Elizabethan England, was imprisoned for four days in the cell in July 1581. According to Bell (1921), by tradition, Guy Fawkes was housed there in 1605. Another possible inmate was Miles Prance in 1678. Bell also states that there is some doubt that the cell ever actually housed prisoners. The Little Ease cell was a notorious form of confinement used in medieval times. It
195-521: A bomb in the White Tower damaged some of the displays. The roofs of the White Tower and its turrets were repaired in the 1960s and 1970s. Accumulated dirt was washed from the exterior and the floors inside were replaced. Also in this period, a staircase was added against the south face of the keep, reopening access through the original entrance. In 1974, there was a bomb explosion in the Mortar Room in
260-419: A charity, and between 2008 and 2011 a £2 million conservation programme was undertaken at the White Tower. Repairs were carried out and the keep was cleaned, removing pollution that was causing damage to the structure. The White Tower is a Grade I listed building , and recognised as an internationally important structure. The Royal Armouries still have displays at the White Tower. The White Tower
325-430: A grand hall in the west and a residential chamber in the east – both originally open to the roof and surrounded by a gallery built into the wall – and St John's Chapel in the south-east. The top floor was added in the 15th century, along with the present roof. The absence of domestic amenities such as fireplaces suggest it was intended for use as storage rather than accommodation. In
390-551: A little ease in London's Guildhall was maintained for the confinement of unruly apprentices. This article about a London building or structure is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . White Tower (Tower of London) The White Tower is a former royal residence, the old keep , at the Tower of London in England. It was built by William the Conqueror during
455-599: A modified Insular Minuscule for the English and a modified Caroline Minuscule for the Latin. This was standard practice in the years around 1000, but proficiency in writing Insular Minuscule was in terminal decline by the time of the Textus Roffensis . The double-page opening of f95v and f96r is a good place to examine differences in the two scripts. The left-hand page contains the end of Hit becƿæð. ond becƿæl in English and
520-511: A secular book is a textus , and the name given to the Textus Roffensis by the cathedral is considered indicative of the book's importance during the Middle Ages . The unknown scribe was remarkable for his knowledge of old forms of English, and was able to transcribe accurately from a range of original manuscripts written in Anglo-Saxon dialects, including the local Kentish used for the laws of
585-460: A semi-circular projection in one corner. Allen Brown and P. Curnow suggested that the design may have been based on the now vanished 10th-century keep of Château de Rouen , which belonged to the Dukes of Normandy. At the western corners are square towers, while to the north-east a round tower houses a spiral staircase. At the south-east corner is a larger semi-circular projection which accommodates
650-470: Is a keep (also known as a donjon), which was often the strongest structure in a medieval castle and contained lodgings suitable for the lord—in this case, the king or his representative. According to military historian Allen Brown, "The great tower [White Tower] was also, by virtue of its strength, majesty and lordly accommodation, the donjon par excellence ". One of the largest keeps in the Christian world ,
715-489: Is because the Textus Roffensis records that Gundulf , Bishop of Rochester , oversaw the building work under instruction from William the Conqueror. Dendrochronological evidence suggests construction of the White Tower began in 1075–1079. The archaeology of the standing building suggests there was a pause in construction between 1080 and 1090–1093, although it is unknown why. Gundulf did more than just oversee work and
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#1732872565697780-638: Is called in English, ofraceth ordel (insult ordeal = triple ordeal). There is a clear, digitised version in the Rylands Medieval Collection. The first part is a collection of laws and other, primarily secular documents, whilst the second is the cartulary of the Cathedral priory. The first part is of fundamental importance to the study of Anglo-Saxon law. It begins with the earliest surviving royal law-code, from King Æthelberht of Kent , dating to c 600, followed by those of two Kentish successors,
845-419: Is from c. 925. In clause 2, this has Cild binnan ðritegum nihta sie gefulwad ('a child shall be baptised within thirty days'). The scribe substitutes for the tenth-century term for baptism ( gefulwad ) the twelfth-century term gefullod . Similarly, the scribe substitutes þeow (slave) for Alfred's fioh (wealth). There is some dispute whether this reflects the changing position of slaves after
910-405: Is in English, listing the number of masses to be recited for those institutions in England and Normandy which were in confraternity with Rochester. A textus was a book with a decorated cover suitable to be kept in the church by the high altar . The term does not mean a text concerning Rochester Cathedral . A liber was a less decorated book, suitable only for the cloister . It is rare that
975-508: Is lit through small slits. The sole access to the floor was via the north-east staircase turret. The entrance floor was probably intended for the use of the Constable of the Tower and other important officials. The south entrance was blocked during the 17th century, and not reopened until 1973. Those heading to the upper floor had to pass through a smaller chamber to the east, also connected to
1040-568: The Church of Rochester up to Bishop Ernulf ") and sometimes also known as the Annals of Rochester , is a mediaeval manuscript that consists of two separate works written between 1122 and 1124. It is catalogued as "Rochester Cathedral Library, MS A.3.5" and as of 2023 is currently on display in a new exhibition at Rochester Cathedral in Rochester, Kent . It is thought that the main text of both manuscripts
1105-506: The Law of Æthelberht , attributed to Æthelberht of Kent (c. 560–616), and the 1100 coronation charter of Henry I of England . The Law of Æthelberht is the oldest surviving English law code and the oldest Anglo-Saxon text in existence. The second part of the Textus Roffensis is the oldest of the Rochester Cathedral registers. The entire volume consists of 235 vellum leaves. Over
1170-498: The Tudor period , the science of fortification had changed to deal with powerful cannons. The new designs, with low angled bastions , were not emulated at the Tower of London. All the same, some adaptations to use cannons were made; the changes included adding a timber platform to the top of the White Tower for cannon emplacements. The weight of the guns damaged the roof so that it had to be reinforced. The one documented use of these cannons
1235-459: The apse of the chapel. Excluding its projecting corner towers, the keep measures 36 by 32 metres (118 by 105 ft) at the base, and rises to a height of and is 27 m (90 ft) high at the southern battlements where the ground is lower. The structure was originally three storeys high, comprising a basement floor, an entrance level, and an upper floor. The entrance, as is usual in Norman keeps,
1300-495: The f in forðam (English, line 10) and in facio (Latin, line 10) The Roffensis scribe made remarkably few errors and only some minor edits which lightly modernise the text. This can be seen in the Laws of Ine . The original laws were written in the late seventh century. They were already updated when recorded in Alfred's Domboc two centuries later. The earliest preserved version
1365-426: The 1220s and 1230s he enhanced the castle's defences and domestic buildings. Though the work he started may not have been finished within his lifetime, he extended the castle to the north and east, building a new stone wall to enclose the castle. A brattice (a timber gallery) was added to the top of the White Tower, projecting beyond its walls to better defend the base of the tower. Henry also undertook maintenance of
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#17328725656971430-450: The 17th century lead cisterns were installed on top of the White Tower. The White Tower has contained at least two armouries, historically. The Horse Armoury, located on the tower's north side and 150 ft (46 m) long and 33 ft (10 m) wide, was built in 1825. From its northeast corner, a wooden staircase ornamented with two carvings titled "Gin" and "Beer" ascended to Queen Elizabeth's Armoury. Gin and Beer represent
1495-580: The Conquest or whether it is just correcting the term, since slaves were chattels. Overall, the Roffensis scribe treated his sources with respect. He did not, for example, make erroneous 'corrections' to the Old English law texts, unlike the "incompetent translations of Quadripartitus's author". The two manuscripts were bound together in around 1300. The first part is a collection of documents which includes
1560-613: The King, Byron relinquished control of the Tower. Parliament replaced Byron with a man of their own choosing, Sir John Conyers . By the time the English Civil War broke out in November 1642, the Tower of London was already in Parliament's control. By 1657 the entire building apart from the chapel was being used to store gunpowder. Storing both gunpowder and government records in the White Tower
1625-422: The Tower of London was begun by William the Conqueror in 1066 and was built as a timber fortification enclosed by a palisade . In the next decade work began on the White Tower, the great stone keep that still dominates the castle today. The precise date of the White Tower's foundation is unknown, and it is also uncertain how long the construction took. It is traditionally held that construction began in 1078. This
1690-454: The Tower of London without the cannon being used. In January 1642, Charles I attempted to arrest five Members of Parliament. When this failed he fled the city, and Parliament retaliated by removing Sir John Byron , the Lieutenant of the Tower. The Trained Bands had switched sides, and now supported Parliament; together with the London citizenry, they blockaded the Tower. With permission from
1755-504: The Tower of London, further enhancing the psychological torment experienced by the prisoners. The lack of light and fresh air, along with the confined space, created an environment of sensory deprivation that could intensify the prisoner's mental distress. Although the Little Ease cell was infamous for its use in the Tower of London, similar forms of confinement existed in other medieval prisons across Europe. The conditions and dimensions of
1820-623: The White Tower and it was during his reign that the tradition of whitewashing the building began. In March 1240 the Keeper of the Works at the Tower of London was ordered: "to have the Great Tower whitened both inside and out". Later that year the king wrote to the Keeper, commanding that the White Tower's lead guttering should be extended with the effect that "the wall of the tower ... newly whitened, may be in no danger of perishing or falling outwards through
1885-474: The White Tower has been described as "the most complete eleventh-century palace in Europe". The influences on the White Tower's design are unclear. Magnates in northern France had been building stone keeps since the mid-9th century so the general design was well-established. More specifically the keep of Château d'Ivry-la-Bataille , built around 1000, may have been a particularly prominent influence as it included
1950-516: The White Tower, leaving one person dead and 35 injured. No one claimed responsibility for the blast, but the police investigated suspicions that the IRA was behind it. In 1988, the Tower of London as a whole was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites , in recognition of its global importance and to help conserve and protect the site. The Tower of London is in the care of Historic Royal Palaces ,
2015-409: The White Tower. In the 1490s a new floor was added to the White Tower, creating extra storage. Architecturally virtually no trace remains of the White Tower's forebuilding, although it appears in a manuscript drawing c. 1500 depicting the imprisonment of Charles, Duke of Orléans and was recorded in a plan of 1597. It was demolished in 1674. On 17 June that year, during the course of
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2080-453: The castle, specifically the White Tower, highlighting the need for safety measures. In the following years, a protective wall was built around the White Tower. In the 1670s buildings that had accumulated around the White Tower to provide storage for the Offices of Ordnance and Armoury were pulled down. After this, repairs were carried out on the face of the White Tower. A staircase was also added on
2145-406: The cells might have varied slightly, but the general concept of a small, uncomfortable space remained the same. Over time, the use of the Little Ease cell declined, and it eventually fell out of use altogether. Edmund Bonner , while Bishop of London (1553–1570) maintained a little ease at St Paul's . By day prisoners were displayed in stocks , by night kept in a coal house. In the 17th century
2210-511: The centuries, the Textus Roffensis has been loaned, lost and recovered on several occasions and has been in the custody of a variety of different people and places: was once held at the Medway Archives Office in Strood under reference number DRc/R1 and has since been withdrawn. It is currently held in an airtight case in Rochester Cathedral's Crypt. Sometime between 1708 and 1718 the book
2275-551: The chapel was decorated with such ornamentation as a gold-painted cross, and stained glass windows that depicted the Virgin Mary and Holy Trinity. 51°30′29″N 0°04′34″W / 51.508098°N 0.075977°W / 51.508098; -0.075977 Textus Roffensis The Textus Roffensis ( Latin for "The Tome of Rochester "), fully titled the Textus de Ecclesia Roffensi per Ernulphum episcopum ("The Tome of
2340-618: The demolition, bones belonging to two children were discovered beneath the stairs in the forebuilding. It was assumed that they belonged to the Princes in the Tower . The remains were re-interred in Westminster Abbey . The story of the Princes in the Tower is one of the most infamous stories related to the castle. After the death of Edward IV his 12-year-old son was declared king as Edward V , but never crowned. Richard Duke of Gloucester
2405-460: The early 1080s, and subsequently extended. The White Tower was the castle's strongest point militarily, provided accommodation for the king and his representatives, and housed a chapel. Henry III ordered the tower whitewashed in 1240. Today the Tower of London is a museum and visitor attraction. The White Tower now houses the Royal Armouries collections. The castle which later became known as
2470-508: The entrance floor. The crypt of St John's Chapel occupied the south-east corner and was accessible only from the eastern chamber. There is a recess in the north wall of the crypt; according to Geoffrey Parnell, Keeper of the Tower History at the Royal Armouries, "the windowless form and restricted access, suggest that it was designed as a strong-room for safekeeping of royal treasures and important documents". The north floor contained
2535-421: The gunpowder at the Tower was stored in the White Tower. By the last quarter of the 16th century the castle was a tourist attraction with visitors allowed inside despite its use by the Offices of Ordnance and Armoury. Its role in providing storage directly impacted on the White Tower's structure, and posts were added to support the floors. In 1636 a hole was knocked through the White Tower's north wall to ease
2600-453: The joint kings Hlothere and Eadric , c 679–85, and Wihtred , 695. This is the only manuscript source for these three laws, though Wihtred's are heavily reliant on the laws of the contemporary West-Saxon King, Ine (see item 6 below). The full contents of the first part are: The second part of Textus Roffensis is just over 100 pages long. It consists of the cartulary for Rochester Cathedral, in Latin. However, its final entry (222r–v)
2665-494: The king and his representatives. In Norman architecture the keep was a symbol of a lord's power. The White Tower was probably complete by 1100 at the latest, at which point it was used to imprison Ranulf Flambard , Bishop of Durham . It was probably during Henry II 's reign (1154–1189) that a fore-building was added to the south side of the tower to provide extra defences to the entrance, but it has not survived. Henry III's relations with his barons were uneasy, and in
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2730-591: The kings of Kent. Two or more generations after the Norman Conquest , this was distinctly unusual. Few of his records were contemporary and, to read the Laws of Aethelberht, he was looking back at an obsolete dialect of early Anglo-Saxon English, some 500 years old. He followed standard practice of distinguishing between written English and written Latin. The overall aspect is Protogothic with, for example, narrow letter-forms and forked tops to ascenders. However, he used
2795-457: The movement of provisions. In 1639–1640 the White Tower's external appearance was changed, with much of its facing material replaced. In 1640 Charles I ordered that the Tower of London should be prepared for conflict. Platforms for cannons were built and 21 were installed on top of the White Tower with three additional mortars . Despite the new defences the Parliamentarians captured
2860-471: The north-east, and the chapel taking up the entrance and upper floors of the south-east. As was typical of most keeps, the bottom floor was an undercroft used for storage. One of the rooms contained a well. Although the layout has remained the same since the tower's construction, the interior of the basement dates mostly from the 18th century when the floor was lowered and the pre-existing timber vaults were replaced with brick counterparts. The basement
2925-539: The right-hand page the start of Henry I's Coronation Charter, in Latin. It is not only the general letter-shapes which show some differences. In the English, the only abbreviations are the tironian et for ond and the suspensions on dative endings e.g. beÞinū/ beminū for –um (concerning yours/ - mine). The number of abbreviations, suspensions and ligatures in the Latin give a different look, accentuated by different letter-forms, such as g , h and r in gehyrde (f.95v, line 11) and erga uos habeo (f.96r, line 9);
2990-462: The south face, allowing direct access to the records in the chapel. While the Tower of London had been open to visitors for centuries, it was not until the early 19th century that alterations were made explicitly for visitors. In 1825 a building, the New Horse Armoury, to contain effigies of England's kings was constructed against the south of the White Tower. The Gothic revival design of
3055-412: The south side of the White Tower was created. Built as storage, it may have been part of Edward's building programme at the Tower of London which saw its role as a military store come to the fore. The structure no longer survives, but is recorded on plans from 1597 and 1717. Richard II was imprisoned at the Tower of London and abdicated there in 1399; according to tradition, the event took place in
3120-404: The south wall at gallery level. The White Tower was terraced into the side of a mound, so the northern side of the basement is partially below ground level. The purpose of each room is interpreted based primarily on its design. As a result, there can be some ambiguity in what individual chambers were used for. Each floor was divided into three chambers, the largest in the west, a smaller room in
3185-411: The south-eastern corner of the White Tower, where rats supposedly tore flesh...from the arms and legs of prisoners during sleep. " The semi-circular projection in the south-east corner to accommodate St John's Chapel is almost unparalleled in castle architecture. The only other keep in England with a similar projection is that of Colchester Castle , the largest in England. St John's Chapel
3250-503: The structure – one of the first purpose-built museums in England ;– was widely reviled. By the end of the century, the effigies and Queen Elizabeth's Armoury were distributed in displays in the White Tower. In the mid-19th century, under the encouragement of Prince Albert, Anthony Salvin undertook a programme of restoration at the castle. In 1858 the White Tower's roof was reinforced with iron girders. On 26 January 1885
3315-404: The trickling of the rain". Henry did not explain his order to whitewash the keep but may have been influenced by contemporary fashion in Europe to paint prestigious buildings white. He also added decoration to the chapel in the keep, adding stained glass, statues, and paintings. Activity at the castle in the early 14th century declined relative to previous periods. Though the Tower of London
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#17328725656973380-519: The two most important alcoholic beverages of their time. They are believed to have originally been placed in the great hall at Palace of Placentia in Greenwich . Whalesbourne was a notorious Tudor dungeon in the White Tower, a central keep in the Tower of London . It was described by Robert Hutchinson as " where sunlight never penetrated, perhaps part of the Coldharbour gate that once stood at
3445-464: Was a cramped and extremely uncomfortable prison cell that gained a reputation for its oppressive conditions. The cell was primarily used in the Tower of London, a historic castle located in London, England. The exact origin and construction of the Little Ease cell are uncertain, but it is believed to have been built during the medieval period, possibly in the 14th century. The Little Ease was specifically designed to be an uncomfortable and confining cell. It
3510-461: Was a skilled architect. Rochester's castle and cathedral were rebuilt under his auspices. As the main castle in England's capital, the Tower of London was an important royal building. The keep built by Gundulf bears testament to this as it was one of the largest in Christendom. The White Tower was multi-purpose. It was the castle's strongest point militarily yet provided accommodation fit for
3575-445: Was above ground (in this case on the south face) and accessed via a wooden staircase which could be removed in the event of an attack. The forebuilding added in the 12th century no longer survives. As the building was intended to be a comfortable residence as well as a stronghold, latrines were built into the walls, and four fireplaces provided warmth. The main building material is Kentish rag-stone , though some local mudstone
3640-403: Was also used. Although little of it survives, Caen stone was imported from northern France to provide details in the Tower's facing, much of it replaced by Portland stone in the 17th and 18th centuries under the direction of architect Inigo Jones . As most of the Tower's windows were enlarged in the 18th century, only two original – albeit restored – examples remain, in
3705-419: Was during Wyatt's rebellion in 1554 and they were ineffective. The Office of Ordnance and Office of Armoury were headquartered at the Tower of London until the 17th century. Their presence influenced activity at the castle and led to it becoming the country's most important military store. In the 1560s two armouries were created in the White Tower and by the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603) most of
3770-694: Was immersed for several hours in either the River Thames or the River Medway when the ship transporting it overturned; water damage is apparent on a number of pages. The book was named 'Britain's Hidden Treasure' by the British Library , and was the subject of a conference at the University of Kent in 2010. It has been digitised and published on line by The University of Manchester 's Centre for Heritage Imaging and Collection Care. The full digital facsimile
3835-402: Was incredibly small, usually measuring only about four feet in height and two feet in width. The prisoner was unable to stand up fully or lie down comfortably, as the cell's dimensions did not allow for much movement. The prisoner had to contort their body to fit into the cramped space. The purpose of the Little Ease cell was to induce extreme discomfort and physical suffering in the prisoner. It
3900-458: Was named Lord Protector while the prince was too young to rule. Edward was confined to the Tower of London along with his younger brother, Richard of Shrewsbury . The Duke of Gloucester was then proclaimed King Richard III in July 1483. The princes had last been seen in public in June 1483; the most likely reason for their disappearance is that they were murdered late in the summer of 1483. By
3965-469: Was not ideal, and there were repeated suggestions in 1620, 1718, and 1832 to move the gunpowder to a new location, although the proposals were unsuccessful. By 1661 plans had been proposed to clear an area 6 metres (20 ft) around the White Tower to safeguard the dangerous material inside. Nothing was done until after the Great Fire of London in 1666. During the fire, it was feared the flames might reach
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#17328725656974030-462: Was not part of the White Tower's original design, as the apsidal projection was built after the basement walls. Due to changes in function and design since the tower's construction, except for the chapel little is left of the original interior. The chapel's current bare and unadorned appearance is reminiscent of how it would have been in the Norman period. In the 13th century, during Henry III's reign,
4095-416: Was primarily used for interrogation and the extraction of confessions. The cramped conditions and lack of space made it nearly impossible for the prisoner to rest or sleep. The discomfort, combined with the psychological pressure exerted by interrogators, was intended to break the prisoner's spirit and coerce a confession. Additionally, the Little Ease cell was deliberately located in a dark and isolated part of
4160-406: Was still occasionally used as a residence, by the 1320s the chapel in the White Tower was used to store records. This marked the beginning of the castle's diminishing role as a royal residence. The records were briefly removed from the White Tower in 1360 to accommodate the captive French king, John II . It may have been during the reign of Edward III (1327–1377) that a building abutting
4225-406: Was written by a single scribe , although the English glosses to the two Latin entries (items 23 and 24 in table below) were made by a second hand. The annotations might indicate that the manuscript was consulted in some post-Conquest trials. However, the glosses are very sparse and just clarify a few uncertain terms. For example, the entry on f. 67r merely explains that the triplex iudiciu(m)
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