Who were the Tudors?

The Tudors is just the name of people living in England between 1485 – 1603.

They were called the Tudors as the Tudor family was ruling the country back then, the first Tudor ruler was Henry VII.

What was London like back then?

It was still a very busy place and the centre for trade like it is now, but there were much less people in the city back then.

The city only had a population of 100,000 – that 100th of today’s population in London!

The Tower of London

The tower was built before The Tudors came to power, but they really liked the Tower and got a lot of use out of it!

Henry VII used it as his home.

The next Tudor king to come along was the famous Henry VIII. He didn’t live in the tower but he certainly used it, he imprisoned two of his six wives there!

St. Barts Hospital

This is another famous place in London that’s has a lot to do with the Tudor times.

Under henry VIII’s rule many monasteries were destroyed or sold, and it became illegal to practice Catholicism and this changed the face of London hugely.  There were many monasteries, nunneries and other religious houses in London. In fact, about a third of Londoners were either monks, nuns or friars. 

Monasteries were important places in the middle ages.  Not just places for quiet contemplation, but also places where the sick would be treated.

Henry did let one monastery stay though, he spared a monastery called St Bartholemew’s after they pleaded with him. Today we call it St Barts Hospital, and it’s the oldest Hospital in Britain that still treats people today!

Holborn

Another place famous in Tudor times is Holborn.

Holborn is a location though and not a building like St. Barts and The Tower of London.

Holborn wasn’t a very nice place back then and Henry described it as ‘very foul and full of pits’ and ‘very perilous’.

 Luckily, on the king’s orders it was repaired in 1541