London Merchants and Their Residences - Professor Simon Thurley CBE

During the Middle Ages London was home to one of the largest and richest merchant communities in the world. These men and their families invested heavily in fine architecture both for business and pleasure.
Simon Thurley, Visiting Professor of the Built Environment unearths the lost mercantile buildings of medieval London and shows how influential they were.
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-an...
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[@jhb1493]

Such a great speaker - entertaining, extremely knowledgeable and able to put rather an antiquary topic into everyday language anyone can enjoy and learn from!

[@suomenmegamanzero]

Riveting! Intellectually stimulating! Thank you for this lecture!

[@tek5692]

I love all the videos from Simon, looking forward to the next!

[@PifflePrattle]

He is good isn't he? Learned a fair bit of detailed history in this lecture.

[@stream102new8]

this shouldn't besomething i understand or care for but its really fascinating actually

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

Great lecture. No wonder London loved Edward IV, they could get back to trade in his reign.

[@Jignasty5]

These lectures are fantastic! Thanks, from Massachusetts.

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

The garrison at Calais would have been headed by the Captain of Calais, though, not the Mayor, whose functions were civil ones. But he would have entertained royal and other high-status guests at the Staple Inn in Calais, a very important function. Warwick was the Captain of Calais for quite a while under Edward IV, but when he rebelled against the King and expected the support of the Calais garrison and Mayor, he was turned away.

[@christinethomas6763]

A model 'Sovereign Individual' no less.?

[@jonhelmer8591]

I'm going to visit the V&A tomorrow to have a look at Paul Pinder's house.

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

Fascinating. I cant follow the light indicator which makes it harder to follow

[@spensert4933]

No better marketing for this college than delivering the goods. Also guys the liberal arts in college has value.

[@m.burgesszbikowski8049]

Cosimo DeMedici never loaned money to kings, and thus helped his rich family to survive and become a power-house.

[@christinethomas6763]

Maybe a lesson for donors to Prime Ministers, extending the old adage "beware those bearing Ceasar gifts"?

[@111Learning]

That is really great. How would I find a portrait of graduates for Gresham College (London) from year 1699?

[@roniquebreauxjordan1302]

👏👏👏👏

[@zabou1030]

Why these merchants wanted so hard to gain status?

[@jonhelmer8591]

Perhaps because they had made their money through trade rather than being "high born" Merchants were looked down upon by the Aristocracy who they sought approval from; this became even more pronounced when the industrial revolution happened. That's just my opinion.

[@STScott-qo4pw]

@@jonhelmer8591 not too, too far off the mark. After the black death forced through a "commercial revolution" - most of the peasants were dead, you want what's left you gotta pay cash - aristocrats realised their land didn't give them the wealth and power they once had. they had to get hold of money... and mercantile classes were really the only ones who could get it. The aristocracy, the landed gentry, no longer had all the power. no mistake that in england (and somewhat less in france) parliament began to get more from the kings. the king needed taxes for another war? cap in hand to parliament...

[@RichMitch]

First!

[@lenwilkinson672]

Ask black people they are digging up all sorts of history especially black history Queen,trumpeter,Captains,Sailers on the Mary Rose,not sure about ..Ann Boleyn.

[@shadetreader]

Time to abolish capitalism.