Tower of London

Who he is

Name

Geoffrey FitzPeter, earl of Essex and justiciar

Title

Keeper (constable) of the Tower of London

Since

1198

Born

About 1162

Family

See Essex (FitzPeter).

Confidence

medium

Wikipedia lists FitzPeter as constable of the Tower from 1198 to 1205, in the same years as his justiciarship; a deputy will have done the daily work. Not re-checked against the Pipe Rolls.

Overlord

King John

What it holds

• The White Tower and the bailey, with Longchamp's new ditch and curtain on the west and north
• The liberty of the Tower beyond the city's jurisdiction
• Protection of the London Jewry, whose people took refuge in the Tower in 1189-90

How it was acquired

Royal castle since the Conquest; the custody is at the king's will.

Allies and rivals

The citizens of London, who resent the Tower's encroachments on the city's ditch and land; the Jewry, which depends on it.

How things stand that morning

Royal, in the justiciar's custody, at peace.

Wealth

None of its own beyond the custody; paid from the Exchequer.

Military

The strongest castle in London; garrison size not known.

Threats

• A quarrel between the crown and the citizens

Places of note

• White Tower: The keep

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: The castle is thick in the sources; the name of the constable for this exact winter rests on Wikipedia's list.

On the map: A small disc for the castle.

Primary sources for England

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

• Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond, Jocelin of Brakelond (about 1198 to 1203). An inside account of Bury St Edmunds under Abbot Samson, written while the events were fresh. Read online
• Chronicle of Melrose, Anonymous (monks of Melrose abbey) (about 1173 to 1270, in many hands; the 1200 entries are near contemporary). The main Scottish annal for the year, kept at a Cistercian house on the Tweed. Read online
• Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
• Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
• Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
• English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
• Flowers of History, Roger of Wendover (about 1220 to 1235 at St Albans). For 1200 Wendover is mostly Howden rewritten, so he is a second witness only where he adds St Albans material: a long account of Hugh of Lincoln's last months, death and funeral, and anecdotes about John's conduct toward the Cistercians and his new queen. Read online
• Images of History, Ralph de Diceto (about 1188 to 1202). A London view of the year from the dean of St Paul's, who knew the justiciar and the bishops personally. Read online

22 more in the sources library for The British Isles.