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Mark started his fascinating presentation by setting the background to his talk. He said that the name ‘Thames’ in an early language meant “Dark River” and that London meant something like “Field by a Lake”, the river being more widespread before the banks were built. In the past all major rivers had a river god and early settlements would have believed in a god of the River Thames. He then showed two photos of ‘Old Father Thames’ depicted in statues as the Spirit of the River. Many ancient treasurers have been found in the Thames and along its shore it is thought that these may have been given as offerings.
The Romans, when building a road system in England, built a wooden bridge across the Thames close to the site of today’s London Bridge. The nursery rhyme ‘London Bridge is falling down’ is thought to have its origins in the destruction of the bridge in the 11th century. The Vikings, finding a bridge barring their way up the Thames, roped their long ships to the bridge supports and pulled down the bridge.
Mark showed an image of a medieval London bridge with an area where those who had undergone a death sentence had their heads placed on spikes as a warning to others. The man in charge of the heads was called the ‘Head Master’. This bridge had shops and houses on each side making the road across the bridge extremely narrow and traffic was ordered to stay on the left to aid traffic flow. Many consider that the concept of driving on the left started on this bridge and eventually it fanned out across the country.
During the plague era the Dutch were said to be the only nation who would still trade with England. They thought that if they drunk enough alcohol they wouldn’t catch the plague. Mark said that is where we get the saying ‘Dutch Courage’. The Dutch are said to have earned the freedom of the river since the plague era, although Mark said there is little evidence to say if the Dutch are exempt from paying harbour fees.
At the beginning of the 19th century London bridge was worse for wear and sagging was pulled down and widened. It was acquired by an American from Arizona where it stands today. A story suggests that he thought he was buying Tower Bridge.
There was a greater need for more crossing across the Thames Tower Bridge was for many years the first bridge up the Thames with its ability to raise the central road allowed shipping into the port of London.
Waterloo Bridge has sadly many nicknames such as: Lover’s Leap and the Bridge of Sighs as it had become a popular place for suicides. There was a theory that men floated face down and women face up but Mark said there is no evidence to prove if this is true or not. There were so many deaths on Waterloo bridge that the River Police had a station next to the bridge, in the hopes they could talk down those with suicidal tendances. Deadman’s Stairs was so called as that was where the bodies most often ended up due to currents in the river. A recent tradition is the Blessing of the river Thames from London Bridge. It takes place about June and is to remember people who work on the river and those who lost their lives, including suicides.
There was also a Deadman’s Hole under Tower Bridge where there was a morgue for bodies washed up by the river. He also talked about Traitors Gate the waterway into the Tower of London when it was a prison. Those held in the Tower were taken by boat to court at Whitehall. On the return journey the official escorting the prisoner would hold his axe facing forward for not guilty and with the axe facing behind him towards the prisoner if they had been found guilty.
The next slide Mark showed was a woman being harassed by Thames Watermen, as before the bridges you could hail one like a cab to ferry you across the river. But you were liable to get several arrive all trying to outbid one another and watermen of the past were known for their foul language and low life. They had a badge of office which is still worn ceremonially by today’s watermen.
Old London bridge had white rapids beneath it and you could pay Watermen to shoot the rapids. You got your money back if you got through but you could easily drown. Mark continued telling us about Watermen’s traditions that are still enacted today.
Mark had many stories about London pubs and the river many are still in business today. A couple of pubs were known for plying men with drink then drowning them in the river so their bodies could be sold to surgeons for dissection whilst others awoke on a ship having been caught by the Press Gangs.
Smuggling was also associated with the Thames where they had a good market to sell the smuggled goods.
Some pubs such as The London Apprentice Isleworth, close to Hounslow Heath, where Dick Turpin, the infamous highway man frequented. It was also said to have underground passages to the local church where contraband could be held. Hoop & Grapes Aldgate was also said to have tunnels but Mark said more than likely the tunnels were actually storm drains as they would have to be over a mile long.
The Mayflower, Rotherhithe is where the Pilgrim Fathers actually left from to sail to America. They have timbers displayed in the pub that are supposedly from the Mayflower.
Mark showed a picture of the painting by Canaletto of the Lord Mayors River Procession which up until the 19th century was held on the Thames. But the great stink before, London got its sewers improved, caused the pageant to be held on land. At first they used boats on wheels which is why today we call vehicles in a carnival procession ‘floats’.
Other major river pageants mentioned were Nelson and Churchill’s Funeral processions.
Frost fares took place on the Thames between the 14th and 19th century as England went through a mini ice age the Thames would be iced over and strong enough to walk on. Ice flows being brought up on the incoming tide get stuck under London bridge the build-up blocked the water allowing the river to ice over. It is said that one year the Watermen not getting any trade, now that people could walk across the iced river, dug a trench in the middle of the ice. It was long enough and wide enough to force people to take a boat to cross the canal in the middle of the river.
About the speaker: Mark is a freelance artist, designer-silversmith and retired university lecturer. He also has a passion for lighthouses and is a keen folklorist with an interest in unusual local customs and rituals. In 2013 he published a book on the folklore and popular customs of the church. Mark regularly gives illustrated talks to Probus, WIs, U3As, Luncheon Clubs, art and historical societies, etc., on silver and jewellery, art and design history, folklore, lighthouses and the history of smuggling.
Report by Tricia Baxter