On This Day In History . 14 May 1517 . 'Evil May Day Rioters' pardoned by King Henry VIII . ◼ London was already a diverse city at the dawn of the sixteenth century. There were about 3,000 immigrants in the city in 1500, amounting to 6% of the 50,000 or so residents. Most of them had come from France or the Low Countries, with a smaller number from the Italian & German states. ◼ During the night of 30 April, serious riots occurred in London. Apprentices & journeymen rampaged through the capital & 'maltreated many foreigners', especially French & Flemish artisans. . ◼ The violent rioting spread from Newgate Prison in the west to Blanchappleton near Aldgate in the east. Crowds in their hundreds attacked the homes & shops of immigrants, threatening their lives & destroying their possessions. . ◼ The civic authorities & troops eventually restored order. The rioting became known as 'Evil May Day', & was so alarming to the government that thirteen of the ringleaders were hanged, drawn & quartered on Cheapside. . ◼ Four hundred others including youths, women & clerics were arrested & paraded before the King & Queen (Katharine of Aragon) in Westminster Hall on 14 May. . As was traditional on such occasions, the prisoners wore only shirts & had halters around their necks, 'as if about to be executed', Queen Katharine, 'with tears in her eyes & on her bended knees', partitioned the King to exercise the prerogative of mercy. Cardinal Wolsey followed suit, some of the chief Lords did the same. . Henry then ordered the prioners release. 'It was a very fine spectacle, & well arranged, & the crowd of people Present was innumerable.' . . . #Onthisdayinhistory #Onthisday #thisdayinhistory #Mayday #D14May #LondonRiots #LondonHistory #Royalhistory #Kingsandqueen #Westminster #HenryVIII #Kingofengland #kinghenryviii #Royalfamily #Monarchy #Royalty #Queenkatherine #katharineofaragon #catherineofaragon #Houseoftudor #Tudor #Tudors #TudorHistory #London #royallondon #Englishhistory #historyfacts #Centrallondon . . Follow our other pages @londonhistoryuk @royalshopuk and @queenelizabethiiuk (at Westminster) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxdWlPqlyFk/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1aaf6xran120h
