Prisoners of the Tower Virtual Talk and Slide Show

Friday 23rd September 2022

Start: 4.00pm | Finish: 5.00pm

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he Master is delighted to be able to offer a virtual event called 'Prisoners of the Tower', and we are fortunate to again have Guild member Garry Wykes as our Guide.

For nearly 900 years, traitors, kings, queens, saints and sinners have been held in The Tower of London against their will.

From an early stage of its history, one of the functions of the Tower of London has been to act as a prison, though it was not designed as one. The earliest known prisoner was Ranulf Flambard in 1100 who, as Bishop of Durham, was found guilty of extortion. He had been responsible for various improvements to the design of the tower after the first architect Gundulf moved back to Rochester. He escaped from the White Tower by climbing down a rope, which had been smuggled into his cell in a wine casket.

The last solo prisoner held in the Tower was the much disdained Nazi Rudolph Hess, who was incarcerated from 17th to 21st May 1941. Hess arrived in Scotland on the 10th May 1941 after a 5-hour solo flight in a German fighter plane. He claimed to be on a peace mission but Hitler quickly distanced himself from his former Deputy.

Garry Wykes a Retired Jewel House Warden, will tell the fascinating tale of some of the notable people held at the Tower who include Sir Walter Raleigh, The Princes in the Tower, William Penn, Guy Fawkes, Thomas More who for reasons of conscience or religion were incarcerated and only the lucky ones left with their heads intact!

Join us on this fascinating Zoom exploration, which is free of charge, and you will be sent a Zoom link when we receive your booking.

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