No. 29.

Account of the invasion of the City by the Kentish rebels on Sunday the 12th May 1471.

Journal 8, fo. 7.

Translation.

Be it remembered that the Mayor and Aldermen with the assent of the Common Council fortified the banks of the river Thames from Castle Baynard as far as the Tower of London with men at arms, bombards, and other implements of war to prevent an attack by the seamen who had brought a large fleet of ships near the Tower, and the said bank was held by the Aldermen and the rest of the citizens in great numbers. Be it remembered also that on Sunday viz: the 12^th day of May in the eleventh year of Edward IV, [1471] Kentish seamen and others, rebels of the lord the king made an attack upon London bridge and on the new gate there and set fire to divers houses called berehouses near the hospital of Saint Katherine; and afterwards on the 14^th day of May being Tuesday the eleventh year aforesaid about eleven o'clock in the morning of the said Tuesday the said Kentish seamen and other rebels made an attack with great force and set fire to 13 tenements upon London bridge. The said Kentish seamen and others to the number of 5000 persons also made an attack from the Thames upon the gates of Aldgate and Bishopsgate and set fire to divers tenements. The citizens, however, sallied out of the gates and made a stout resistance and put them to flight, and nearly 300 men fell in battle and in flight besides those who were drowned in endeavouring to get on board their ships at Blakewall &c. And afterwards viz.: on the eve of the Ascension the aforesaid eleventh year our said lord King came with a great multitude of armed men to the city of London and there to the honour of the same city created knights John Stokton the Mayor, Richard Lee, Matthew Philip, Ralph Verney, John Yong, William Tailor, aldermen, Thomas Urswyk the Recorder, George Irlond, William Hampton, Bartholomew James, Thomas Stalbrok and William Stokker, aldermen. And the same lord the King conferred upon them knights' badges.