Stone in London

The Stone in London was one of the names of the Stone of Destiny.

This title referred to the Stone's stay in London between 1296 (when Edward I carried it off from Scotland) to 1996, when the British government returned it to Scotland (and maybe also to its brief visit to London in 500, courtesy of Merlin and King Pelles, when it played a role in making the young Arthur Pendragon King of Great Britain). ("Rock & Roll", "Rock of Ages")

Real World Background

In addition to being a reference to the Stone of Scone residing inside the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey for seven hundred years, the "Stone in London" brings to mind the London Stone, which has yet to be overtly depicted in Gargoyles.

Located on what is now known as Cannon Street, the London Stone is believed to be as old as the city's Roman foundations. The original purpose of the London Stone has been lost to mists of time (it has been speculated to be a a milestone, a monument, or even an altar), but nevertheless, the stone was considered a landmark as old as the 12th Century. The London Stone today is likely a remnant of the original monument, where it was described to be so firmly set in its foundations, that 16th Century historian John Stow wrote, "if carts do run against it through negligence, the wheels be broken, and the stone itself unshaken.” By 1742, it was moved a short distance and became a fixture to St. Swithin's Church, situated on the church's southern wall. [1]

St. Swithin's Church was destroyed in the Great London Fire of 1666, only to be rebuilt in 1678. In World War II, the church suffered significant damage in the Battle of Britain and succumbed to its fate when it was demolished in 1962. Throughout all this, the London Stone survived, and is currently housed across the street from the Cannon Street station. [2]

The London Stone appears in Act 4, scene vi of William Shakespeare's play, Henry VI, Part 2. The scene dramatizes Jack Cade's Rebellion, where the rebel leader in 1450 struck the London Stone with a sword and declared himself Lord Mayor of London. The play, on the other hand, has Cade strike the stone with a spear and promptly sit on the rock as a makeshift throne.

See Also

• Stone in London at Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia