Model of the Tower of London. May 2003.
Although I have several photos of this model from three separate trips to the Tower, I’ve never remembered to take a photo of the information on it. If you know what year in the Tower’s history this model is supposed to recreate, please add a comment! I want to say it was supposed to be some time late in Henry VIII’s reign, but I just can’t remember for sure.
While I was searching the page for the Tower at Historic Royal Palaces, I noticed that they have a model of the medieval Tower from the time of the Peasant’s Revolt, which sounds neat. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t there on my last visit (2003).
Wasn’t that the model we decided over on the Q&A page was from 1598?
even though it’s only a model, it still gives me the creeps…I’ve read too many novels where the character ends their day there!
I’ve been trying to find that thread, since I also thought there was some discussion of that.
I looked in a book I picked up there one on of my trips that has paintings of reconstructions of the site through the ages and the model does match the one for 1547. But I’m going to keep looking around.
Ah… it was in the thread about the new execution memorial. Your comment with the link to your photo said you thought it was 1550. PhD Historian thought it was 1597 (because it was based on the engraving from that year). I could swear it was from Henry’s reign, but no matter – it’s still in the Tudor period and that’s what I was aiming for!
But I still wish I had thought to take a photo of the info plaque! 🙂
The model recreates an engraved drawing of the layout of the Tower that was first printed in 1597.
On Sunday, 29 June 1595, a large riot occurred on Tower Hill and very nearly turned into a full rebellion. In dispersing the rioters, the Lord Mayor of London had claimed jurisdiction over the area of Tower Hill, while Sir Michael Blount, Lieutenant of the Tower, had claimed that Tower Hill was part of the Liberty of the Tower of London and therefore under his jurisdiction. Tower guards refused to assist the Lord Mayor in putting down the riot, and even attacked the Mayor and his entourage. In order to prevent future jurisdictional uncertainties and to ensure appropriate response to disturbances, the Privy Council ordered an investigation and determination of the exact boundary between the City of London and the Liberty of the Tower of London in 1596. Sir John Peyton, Constable of the Tower in 1597, commissioned William Hayward and John Gascoyne (or Gascoigne) to conduct a thorough survey of the Tower and its environs and to determine where the boundary between Tower and City lay. The drawing was part of that official survey.
Here’s a link to a copy of the engraving PhD Historian just sent (thanks!):
http://tudorhistory.org/blogpics/Tower1597.jpg
Lara, I’ll be going back there in June. I’ll make a point of taking a photograph of the plaque that comes with it, just so we can settle that issue.
Cool, thanks! Although with my luck they will have removed it to make room for something else. :/
Just an update for anyone who stumbles by – Kathy got a look at the info on the model at the Tower and it did indeed say 1547, which is what I had originally thought. Nice to know my memory hasn’t faded that much!