A Brief History of

Bristol, England

Here is a comparatively brief history of our namesake, Bristol England.  At this point, most of this information is taken from one source.

"Few cities have so the dictated the fashions over the entire country and exerted permanent influences upon the national life.^"

^{Bristol ©1951 by Tudor Edward}

Some of you may be wondering why a history of Bristol is important.  Bristol, the fair, is one of the few renaissance faires that has an actual namesake in England.  In our case, our Queen even manage to visit to the city all Bristol in the 1574.  Knowing a small piece of Bristol history adds more realism to our portrayals as well as supplying us with accurate material for performance bits.

To start with, Bristol was the second biggest seaport in England and the third largest city overall.  It was a major stop on the New World trade routes.  Those Elizabethans who sailed to America were, in fact, largely Bristolians using Bristol money.  Even very early in its history, Bristol was a money town.  It is first mentioned in the tenth century, when it housed a mint.  It also was geographically exquisite as a seaport.  The nearby hills protected it from storms, and the Avon and Frome Rivers created a natural moat.  Ships could literally sail up to a merchant’s shop to unload.  By the twelfth century, ships from all parts of Europe were bringing wares and wealth into Bristol.

The two walls were erected in the late twelfth century.  At this time, Bristol was the headquarters of activity to make Empress Maud queen.  Monestaries also flourished bringing nearly every type of sect within proximity of the city.  Bristol became home to St. Mary Radcliffe, the second largest church in England.  This was a great period of building that produced many churches, three hospitals, and two almhouses for the population of about 9000.  The Frome River was even diverted to provide a harbor nearer to the town’s center.  The shield portion of the arms above came into in the fourteenth century.¹⁴

By the late fourteenth century, Bristol was one of the leading providers of staples, such as wool.  In 1373, Edward III made the town a county in honor of the ships and men provided to the French wars.  Merchants became major ship owners as well.  William Canynges the Younger (five-time mayor and two-time representative of Parliament) is called the greatest of Bristol’s merchant-princes.  It is said he owned nine ships with a crew of up to 800 men.  The first Englishmen to explore the Atlantic were Bristolians Thomas Jay and Thomas Lloyd in 1480.

Again referring to the arms above, there are documents of 1569 stating the symbolism behind adding some of the further artwork, including the addition of the unicorns, the human arms, the snake, the scales, and the clouds.  Please see the reference¹⁴for complete explanations.