History

London Stone is sometimes called the Stone of Brutus, referring to the legendary Trojan founder of London in around 1, 000 BC.Popular legends include the stone being the remains of an ancient stone circle that is alleged to have stood on Ludgate Hill and even the stone from which King Arthur withdrew the legendary " Sword in the Stone".

The earliest written reference to London Stone is in a book belonging to Æ thelstan, King of England in the early 10th century. In the list of lands and rents of Christ Church, Canterbury, some places are said to be " near unto London stone". It was already a landmark in 1198 when it was referred to on maps as Lonenstane or Londenstane. The first mayor of London was Henry Fitz-Ailwin de Londonestone (meaning 'Henry, son of Ailwin of London Stone'), who served the city some time between 1189 and 1193, and was described as " the draper of London Stone". However, the appellation may also refer to the large stone house he built, at a time when most houses in the City were of wood — the mere mention of its uncommon material being sufficient to distinguish it, and him. Similarly, it may denote only that the stone house was constructed in close proximity to an already ancient London Stone.

Walter George Bell (writing in 1920), noted that " some years ago, " members of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society were present when the Stone's casing was removed. " It then proved to be a piece of oolitic building stone." Bell notes that " there is not the smallest rag of evidence associating it with Londinium, " and that it may well be a section of the foundation of Henry Fitz-Ailwin's stone house which remained after the rest of the house was gone, and which was honored for its association with London's first mayor and with independent self-government for the City. London Stone would in that case date from the late 12th century, which accords with mentions of it in surviving records.

There are no medieval sources to suggest that the stone had any symbolic authority or meaning during the medieval period. In 1450 Jack Cade, leader of a rebellion against Henry VI struck his sword against it and called himself " Lord of the City" although no contemporary accounts comment on the meaning of this. The event was dramatised in William Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 2 (Act 4, Scene 6) -- except that, in the play, the sword became a staff.

There is supposedly a myth that London Stone's safety is linked to that of the city itself. However, this myth can be traced back no further than the 1850s, when the Rev Richard Williams Morgan invented a so-called ancient saying " So long as the Stone of Brutus is safe, so long shall London flourish" and claimed that the stone was part of an altar built byBrutus of Troy.