London During the 15th–16th Centuries

During the 15th and 16th century, London was a bustling town of houses, palaces, churches, workshops, and markets. It was a crowded, dirty, and noisy place. Permanent shops selling different types of goods had replaced stalls along Cheapside. (1) _ _ _ _ _
 
The docks and wharves along the Thames were thriving from trade with neighbouring and continental countries. From the beginning of the 16th century, a third of England’s overseas trade was going through London, rising even further in the following century. In the 12th and 13th centuries sea-borne trade was controlled by foreigners but by the end of the 15th century they had largely been squeezed out by English merchants.
 
In 1485, Henry Tudor seized the throne after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. He formed his own personal guard, the Yeomen of the Guard, a ceremonial body that still exists today.
 
(2) _ _ _ _ _ Refusal from the Pope prompted Henry to break from Rome and take control of the Church in England which happened in 1534. Major reforms, led by those influenced by the Protestant teachings brought over from Germany and Switzerland, followed. The religious changes that became known as the “Reformation” were a gradual process that evolved over several decades throughout the reigns of numerous monarchs.
 
Along with those major changes, innovations in technology had a profound effect on English society. (3) _ _ _ _ _ John Wynkyn (more commonly known as Wynkyn de Worde), set up in the premises at Fleet Street, starting a collaboration between publishers and printers in that area that lasted until the end of the 20th century. Along with printed books, maps became popular, especially as wall decorations, though not many people could afford them.
 
London was regularly afflicted by plagues throughout the 16th century. From 1485 until 1551, Britain suffered from an epidemic known as the “sweating sickness” in which thousands of Londoners died. Between 1558 and 1582, plagues arrived in London every four years on average.
 
(4) _ _ _ _ _ London did not have that much room to grow, so the River Walbrook that ran through the middle of the city was covered over and new suburbs began to appear outside the walls where previously there had been meadows.
 
The 16th century was also a time of innovation in house building and that resulted in the appearence of the English “Tudor” style. Those houses, also known as “frames”, became popular because they were quick and relatively easy to assemble and, if necessary, disassemble and move elsewhere.
 
By the end of the 15th century, London was the leading city in England in the manufacturing of clothing, with much of it made for export. (5) _ _ _ _ _ The Elizabethan period was a time of high fashion for those with the means to pay for fine garments. There were many shops catering to the wealthy, selling silks, gold thread and stockings. Their customers were not only from the city but also from around the country and no self-respecting provincial gentleman or lady would be content without their fashionable London clothes.