White bear of Henry III

The white bear of Henry III was given to the king by Haakon IV of Norway in 1252. Its identity is not certain but was likely a polar bear. Henry housed the bear at his Royal Menagerie in the Tower of London. It was exercised in the tower grounds, and following an order by the king in 1253, allowed to swim in the River Thames. The bear was a popular attraction in the city and later monarchs also kept similar bears.

Although earlier monarchs had kept exotic animals at the Tower of London it was Henry III (reigned 1216-1272) that established the Royal Menagerie on a permanent footing. The first animals kept in the menagerie were three "Leopards" (the term was more fluid in the medieval era and probably referred to lions) gifted to Henry by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in 1235 upon his marriage to Henry's sister Isabella of England. From then until 1834 animals were kept in the menageries continuously until 1834, when concerns over welfare of the animals led to its closure.^[1][2]

A polar bear (top) and Syrian brown bear (bottom)

An animal, described as a "pale" or "white" bear was gifted to Henry by Haakon IV of Norway in 1252.^[2][3] The species of the animal is not known definitively but it was most likely a polar bear.^[3] Polar bears were known as white bears in Britain before the 19th century (and to sailors as sea or water bears).^[4] Alternative explanations such as unusually coloured specimens of the Eurasian brown bear would not have been considered sufficiently regal a gift. The light-coloured Syrian brown bear is a possibility but Haakon around this time also gifted a "white bear" to Frederick II, who reigned in Sicily and would have had ready access to these animals.^[5]

The Norwegian and Baltic populations of polar bears had been exterminated by the 10th century so for a polar bear to have reached Norway it would have arrived on drifting ice or else was procured by Haakon from Greenland, over whose Norse settlements he was exerting increasing control (they were incorporated into the Norwegian crown in 1261).^[4][6] The white bear was an important royal symbol in Norse history, similar in status to leopards and lions of the English crown, so the gift had great diplomatic value. It is not known if the bear had an individual name.^[3]

The white bear was housed in the menagerie of the Tower of London and its handler occasionally led it around the grounds for exercise.^[5] Henry was shocked by the expense of keeping the bear so delegated its upkeep to the sheriffs of London; during this period Henry was on poor terms with the officers of the City of London due to the various demands he made of them.^[7][8] The order was made by the king on 13 September 1252 at Bury St Edmunds and communicated to the sheriffs from Windsor on 29 September.^[9] The sheriffs allowance of four sous a day proved hardly sufficient for the animal. They were also responsible for providing clothing to the Norwegian handler.^[3]

Henry was concerned that the bear was insufficiently provided for and so made a further order to the sheriffs from Windsor on 30 October 1253.^[9] Henry ordered that a muzzle and chain be made for the animal so he could be walked outside of the Tower's grounds and that it be permitted to swim, bathe and fish in the river Thames tethered by a long rope.^[3] The upkeep payments were also increased to six pence per day.^[10] The bear would be taken to the Thames daily where it fished for sturgeon and salmon. The excursions proved popular with the public who flocked to the tower to view the animal. Traffic on nearby roads was halted to facilitate the bear's movements.^[11][3]

The bear was a popular attraction for the city and its popularity in the menagerie was surpassed only by the arrival of an elephant in 1255, a gift of Louis IX of France.^[3] The tower records note payments for the transport of another white bear named Lynn in 1287. This is presumed to have been shipped from a place of the same name, perhaps Lyngen Fjord in Norway and been caught in Svalbard, it was likely a replacement for Henry's original bear.^[5] Another white bear was present at the menagerie by 1549.^[12] James VI and I received two polar bear cubs in 1609 and kept them in his bear garden.^[13] The white bear, or its 1549 replacement, led to a number of public houses adopting the name "The White Bear".^[11][12] The bear may also have inspired the symbol's use on token coins such as those issued by traders in Bride Lane (off Fleet Street) in the 17th century.^[14]