Early history Southwark

museum of london, inscription on stela mentions first time londoners

southwark on marshy area south of river thames. recent excavation has revealed prehistoric activity including evidence of ploughing, burial mounds , ritual activity. area series of islands in river thames. formed best place bridge thames , area became important part of londinium owing importance position endpoint of roman london bridge. 2 roman roads, stane street , watling street, met @ southwark in borough high street. archaeological work @ tabard street in 2004 discovered plaque earliest reference londoners roman period on it. londinium abandoned @ end of roman occupation in fifth century , both city , bridge collapsed in decay. archaeologically, evidence of settlement replaced largely featureless soil called dark earth (although contested) represents urban area abandoned.

southwark appears recover during time of king alfred , successors. sometime 886 ad, burh of southwark created , roman city area reoccupied. fortified defend bridge , hence re-emerging city of london north. defensive role highlighted use of bridge in 1016 defence against king sweyn , son king cnut ethelred unready , again, in 1066, against king william conqueror. failed force bridge during norman conquest of england, southwark devastated.

southwark appears in domesday book of 1086 held several surrey manors. assets were: bishop odo of bayeux held monastery (the site of cathedral), tide-way - still exists st mary overie dock; king owned church (probably st olave s) , tidal stream (st olave s dock); dues of waterway or mooring place shared between king , earl godwin; king had toll of strand; , men of southwark had right haw , toll . southwark s value king £16. of southwark owned church—the greatest reminder of monastic london southwark cathedral, priory of st mary overie.

during middle ages, southwark developed , 1 of 4 surrey towns returned members of parliament first commons assembly in 1295. important market occupied high street time in 13th century, controlled city s officers—it later removed in order improve traffic bridge, under separate trust act of parliament of 1756 borough market on present site. area renowned inns, tabard, chaucer s pilgrims set off on journey in canterbury tales.

just west of bridge clink liberty manor, never controlled city, technically held under bishopric of winchester s nominal authority. area therefore became entertainment district london, , red-light area. in 1587, southwark given first playhouse theatre, rose. rose set philip henslowe, , became popular place of entertainment classes of londoners. both christopher marlowe , william shakespeare, 2 of finest writers of elizabethan age, worked @ rose.

in 1599 globe theatre, in shakespeare shareholder, erected on bankside in liberty of clink. burned down in 1613, , rebuilt in 1614, closed puritans in 1642 , subsequently pulled down not long thereafter. modern replica called shakespeare s globe, has been built near original site. southwark favourite area entertainment such bull , bear-baiting. impresario in later elizabethan period these entertainments shakespeare s colleague edward alleyn, left many local charitable endowments, notably dulwich college.

on 26 may 1676, ten years after great fire of london, great fire broke out, continued 17 hours before houses blown create fire breaks. king charles ii , brother, james, duke of york, involved in effort.

there famous fair in southwark took place near church of st george martyr. william hogarth depicted fair in engraving of southwark fair (1733).

southwark location of several prisons, including of crown or prerogative courts , marshalsea , king s bench prisons, of local manors courts e.g. borough compter, clink, , surrey county gaol housed @ white lion inn (also called informally borough gaol ) , @ horsemonger lane gaol.

one other local family of note, harvards. john harvard went local parish free school of st saviour s , on cambridge university. migrated massachusetts colony , left library , residue of new college there, named after him first benefactor. harvard university maintains link, having paid memorial chapel within southwark cathedral (his family s parish church), , uk-based alumni hold services. john harvard s mother s house in stratford upon avon.