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Chapel of St. Thomas on Old London Bridge
This drawing by Peter Jackson depicts the Chapel of St. Thomas on London Bridge as it would have appeared in the late 14th century. The chapel was constructed on the London Bridge in the late 12th century on the largest central pier. During this period, the idea of public works as acts of piety became popular. It was believed that building chapels on bridges would ensure their protection. Dredging of the Thames beneath has revealed countless discarded pilgrimage badges depicting St. Thomas Becket, leading many scholars to believe that the chapel may have been the starting point for various pilgrimages. The Chapel of St. Thomas was built in commemoration of Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered in 1170 under the direction of Henry II. As penance for Becket’s murder, Henry II was forced to sponsor for the construction of a new stone bridge for the city of London.
Construction began in 1176 with the foundations of the first pier. The project was overseen by Peter of Colechurch, a parish priest who supervised the project for twenty-nine years. Ultimately, the process took thirty-three years and was completed in 1209. Peter of Colechurch died in 1205, four years before the bridge was completed, but the chapel was able to receive his remains. The chapel was maintained by the bridge wardens who were in charge of dispersing money for its upkeep, while several chaplains also attended to the running of the chapel. Daily mass was offered, as were seasonal observances, including the feast day of St. Thomas the Martyr on the 29th of December. From 1384-96 the chapel was rebuilt in the perpendicular style, a late medieval form of the gothic style that emphasized rich decoration. The new building was a five-sided, east-facing apsidal end over an undercroft/lower chapel. In this drawing, the large stained glass windows and decorative tracery can be observed as elements of the perpendicular style.
Shopping on Old London Bridge
This drawing of London Bridge by Peter Jackson depicts a busy street scene on London Bridge. The river crossing occupied by London Bridge had been utilized by London’s inhabitants since Roman times. The use of stone in bridge construction first occurred during the reconstruction of the bridge in 1176 and was overseen by Peter, chaplain of the nearby Colechurch parish. Houses and shops were built on the bridge early on, but, living on the bridge was not without its dangers. In 1212 a major fire swept across the bridge destroying many of the homes and part of the Chapel of St. Thomas and there were also several instances of the arches of the bridge collapsing. Rents from properties on the bridge and elsewhere in the city, as well as tolls on ships and carts passing under and over the bridge, paid for the near constant upkeep of the bridge structure. The income was recorded in the accounts of the Bridge House estate, whose accounts also show payments to a group of workers known as ‘tidemen,’ who were responsible for the upkeep of the bridge, as well as for materials such as the frequent shipments of stone they received to make repairs.
Bridges in medieval cities served as important commercial and residential thoroughfares; the first floors of the buildings served as shops, while the upper levels were homes. The buildings situated on the bridge were some of the most expensive real estate in the city. London’s inhabitants recognized that the funneling of pedestrians through the bridge created the perfect location for commerce. Those crossing the bridge, whether on foot or by horse, had to pay a toll, while those moving goods paid an additional fee. A survey of rents from 1358 reveals that there were sixty-two shops located on the east side and sixty-nine shops located on the west side of the bridge. The structure of these buildings was so compact, the bridge was described as appearing like a continuation of the street rather than a bridge. The commercial congestion of the bridge is clear in Jackson’s work, the crowds of shoppers and condensed buildings appear like any other street in London, but the sliver of blue water beyond the bridge’s railing at the back of the drawing reminds the viewer that they are looking at London Bridge.