The Anglo Saxons In London

Index To Other Articles On The History Of London

It could be rationally argued that London’s destiny as a cosmopolitan European city was sealed the day the Romans left Britain even if the English have been in denial since. When the Romans left the city of London fell slowly into disrepair and the city population waned. Anglo Saxon sorties from the European mainland which had started five decades before continued but now there was a military void with no occupying army or national force to repel them.

The new arrivals were three tribes – the Angles (from Central Denmark), the Jutes (from Northern Denmark) and the Saxons from Southern Denmark/ Northern Germany and Holland). The Angles occupied land in northern and north eastern england, and the Jutes areas in south and south western England. The Saxons targeted East Anglia the South East and London.

Unlike the previous invaders they were attracted to rural areas and when the Saxons had eventually dominated the Home counties in the 5th century though they could have easily occupied the former Roman City Of Londinium but they opted to set up new and relatively basic settlements to the west of it. The reason they were attracted to this lifestyle is unclear – though some historians believe that many were farmers who in their own countries lived and worked on delta land, dependent on dikes where below sea level and prone to flooding. The safety of England’s higher green pastures would have been irresistible to these people who are probably better described as the country’s first economic migrants rather than imperialist or evangelist invaders. Curiously it may also explain culturally why so many of their descendants in the shires of England or the Garden of England (Kent) are country bunnies and not into conglomerate concepts like the EU.

The Anglos and the Saxons who both spoke similar ‘Germanic dialectics in which they both described themselves as the “English”. At first the new arrivals divided England into several small Kingdoms (as in Thanet Kent) but gradually these kingdoms merged by consensus or force.

The Saxon influence on London outside the Roman built area resulted in the development of areas around the present day Strand and Charing Cross which were border points ‘ trading posts between Kingdoms. In 597 the Saxon Kingdom adopted Christianity and King Aethelbert of Kent commissioned the first St. Paul’s Cathedral just inside the old city wall on the site of a pagan temple. Other buildings followed including a monastery in Westminster. London eventually became the throne of English administration an honour previously bestowed on Winchester and interested in the neglected Roman City of Londinium was rekindled. Areas of the city once again became markets like Billingsgate who a millennium later would become by Royal decree a market dealing exclusively in fish products.

The development of central and western London and the regeneration of the original Roman city, coupled with the natural port and harbour facilities of the Thames attracted the attentions of the Vikings from Denmark who made several hit and run attacks to the east of London city from the 830s. In 841 and 851 they launched two attacks on the old city of London – both failed.

In 865 the Vikings returned landing on the coast of East Anglia and slowly taking over large sways of Eastern England. To stem the Viking threat the Anglo – Saxon Kingdoms to the west of the Vikings and in London merged together under one King. In 871 the Vikings occupied the old Roman City of Londinium but their advance westward was thwarted. In 878 the Vikings were forced by the English King – Alfred the Great to make their peace. The City once again prospered and by 911 it came under the direct control of English monarchy. It became a city within a city with new markets, autonomous laws, taxes and sheriffs. It rapidly became England’s most important commercial centre and also a major centre for foreign trade.

By the 980s the Viking attacks had returned and though a major attack in 994 was defeated, another in 1013 resulted in the city being encircled by the Danish forces. The English King Aethelred fled to Norway and the following year the city fell to the Danish forces. The short lived Danish occupation of the city ended when King Aethelred accompanied St Olaf of Norway and Norwegian Naval forces sailed up the River Thames and anchored there boats underneath the first London Bridge upon which the Danish occupiers were garrisoned. The Norwegians tied ropes to the pillars supporting the bridge and then rowed with the ropes away from the bridge. The pillars fell into the water as did the Danish garrison above them. Legend has it that as the the bridge started to collapse the Norwegian sailors sang as they rowed ‘London Bridge is falling down – falling down!

King Aethelred died in 1015 and for a while his son Edmund Ironside was able to defend London from further attacks by the Danish King Canute. However outside London Danish forces inflicted several defeats on Ironsides forces and he agreed to share power with the Danish King. Within months Ironside died and King Canute declared himself King of England. After Canute’s death the throne was passed briefly to King Harold Harefoot. Shortly after Harefoot died his son King Hardicanute collapsed and died at at a wedding breakfast. in 1042. The English throne was then passed to Kings Canute’s stepson (a saxon) King Edward The Confessor. King Edward is credited with the development of Westminster Abbey and the first Westminster Palace. His critics said that these decisions undermined the importance bestowed on the City of London in 911.

King Edward died in 1066 leaving no heir to the English throne. The Royal Council sitting in the City of London nominated Edward’s brother in law as the new English King and he was crowned in the new Westminster Abbey. This coronation upset the cousin of the former King Edward – Duke William of Normandy who believed that he should have automatically been the successor to King Edward and that his cousin had also promised him the English Throne. The aggrieved Duke landed at Hastings with an army en route to London claim the English Throne. They were met by soldiers willing to defend King Harold but the army of William prevailed at the Battle of Hastings and he claimed the English throne. Anglo saxon rule of Britain and London was replaced by the rule of William the Conqueror.

Recommended Resource For More Information on Roman & Anglo Saxon London – The Museum of London Details