Norman and Medieval London
This article covers the history of London from the Norman conquest of England in 1066 to the death of Richard III in 1485. During this period, London became the capital of England, as monarchs held Parliament at the Palace of Westminster, beginning in 1265 and increasing over the 14th century. London appointed its first recorded Lord Mayor in this period, Henry FitzAilwin, in 1189. In the 12th century, the writer William Fitzstephen described it as florilegium urbanum — "flower of cities". Demography The high point of London's population for this period is around 1300, when the population reached 80,000-100,000. This was greatly reduced following outbreaks of plague in the 14th century, and London's population has been estimated at 40,000 in 1377. This is over three times the size of the next largest English city, York, but smaller than other European cities such as Paris, Rome, Venice and Bruges. 90% of Londoners died before the age of 45, although wealthier people were more likely to live to 70 or 80. On average, London men grew to a height of 5'7½" (172cm) and London women to 5'3" (160cm). London was a centre of England's Jewish population. There was a Jewish burial ground