who had issue Robert Fitzwalter, unto whom, in the year 1320, the
citizens of London acknowledged the right which they ought to him and
his heirs for the Castle Baynard; he deceased 1325; unto whom succeeded
Robert Fitzrobert, Fitzwalter, etc. More of the Lord Fitzwalter may
ye read in my Annals in 51st of Edward III. But how this honour of
Baynard’s castle, with the appurtenances, fell from the possession of
the Fitzwalters, I have not read; only I find, that in the year 1428,
the 7th of Henry VI., a great fire was at Baynard’s castle, and that
same Humfrey, Duke of Gloucester, built it of new. By his death and
attainder, in the year 1446, it came to the hands of Henry VI., and
from him to Richard, Duke of York, of whom we read, that in the year
1457 he lodged there, as in his own house. In the year 1460, the 28th
of February, the Earls of March and of Warwick, with a great power of
men, but few of name, entered the city of London, where they were of the
citizens joyously received; and upon the 3rd of March, being Sunday,
the said earl caused to be mustered his people in St. John’s field;
whereunto that host was showed and proclaimed certain articles and
points wherein King Henry, as they said, had offended; and thereupon,
it was demanded of the said people, whether the said Henry was worthy
to reign as king any longer or not: whereunto the people cried Nay.
Then it was asked of them, whether they would have the Earl of March
for their king; and they cried, Yea, Yea. Whereupon, certain captains
were appointed to bear report thereof unto the said Earl of March, then
being lodged at his castle of Baynard. Whereof when the earl was by them
advertised, he thanked God, and them for their election; notwithstanding
he showed some countenance of insufficiency in him to occupy so great a
charge, till by exhortation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop
of Excester, and certain noblemen, he granted to their petition; and
on the next morrow at Paul’s he went on procession, offered, and had
_Te Deum_ sung. Then was he with great royalty conveyed to Westminster,
and there, in the great hall, set in the king’s seat, with St. Edward’s
sceptre in his hand.
Edward IV. being dead, leaving his eldest son Edward, and his second son
Richard, both infants, Richard, Duke of Glocester,[83] being elected by
the nobles and commons in the Guildhall of London, took on him the title
of the realm and kingdom, as imposed upon him in this Baynard’s castle,
as ye may read penned by Sir Thomas More, and set down in my Annals.
Henry VII., about the year 1501, the 16th of his reign, repaired, or
rather new built this house, not embattled, or so strongly fortified
castle like, but far more beautiful and commodious for the entertainment
of any prince or great estate. In the 17th of his reign, he, with his
queen were lodged there, and came from thence to Powles church, where
they made their offering, dined in the bishop’s palace, and so returned.
The 18th of his reign he was lodged there, and the ambassadors from the
king of the Romans, where thither brought to his presence, and from
thence the king came to Powles, and was there sworn to the king of the
Romans, as the said king had sworn to him.
The 20th of the said king, he with his knights of the order, all in
their habits of the Garter, rode from the Tower of London, through the
city, unto the cathedral church of St. Paul’s, and there heard evensong,
and from thence they rode to Baynard’s castle, where the king lodged;
and on the next morrow, in the same habit they rode from thence again
to the said church of St. Paul’s, went on procession, heard the divine
service, offered, and returned. The same year the king of Castile was
lodged there.
In the year 1553, the 19th of July, the council, partly moved with the
right of the Lady Mary’s cause, partly considering that the most of
the realm were wholly bent on her side, changing their mind from Lady
Jane, lately proclaimed queen, assembled themselves at this Baynard’s
castle, where they communed with the Earl of Pembroke, and the Earl of
Shrewsbury, and Sir John Mason, clerk of the council, sent for the lord
mayor, and then riding into Cheap to the cross, where Garter King at
Arms, trumpet being sounded, proclaimed the Lady Mary, daughter of King
Henry VIII., and Queen Katherine, queen of England, etc.
This castle now belongeth to the Earl of Pembroke.[84]
Next adjoining to this castle was sometime a tower, the name whereof I
have not read; but that the same was built by Edward II. is manifest by
this that followeth. King Edward III., in the second year of his reign,
gave unto William de Ros, of Hamolake, in Yorkshire, a tower upon the
water of Thames, by the castle of Baynard in the city of London, which
tower his father had built; he gave the said tower and appurtenances to
the said William Hamolake, and his heirs, for a rose yearly, to be paid
for all service due, etc. This tower, as seemeth to me, was since called
Legat’s inn, the 7th of Edward IV.
TOWER OF MOUNTFIQUIT
The next tower or castle, banking also on the river of Thames, was, as
is afore showed, called Mountfiquit’s castle, of a nobleman, Baron of
Mountfiquit, the first builder thereof, who came in with William the
Conqueror, and was since named Le Sir Mountfiquit. This castle he built
in a place not far distant from Baynard’s, towards the west. The same
William Mountfiquit lived in the reign of Henry I., and was witness to
a charter then granted to the city for the sheriffs of London. Richard
Mountfiquit lived in King John’s time; and in the year 1213, was by the
same king banished the realm into France, when peradventure King John
caused his castle of Mountfiquit, amongst other castles of the barons,
to be overthrown; the which after his return, might be by him again
re-edified; for the total destruction thereof was about the year 1276,
when Robert Kilwarby, archbishop of Canterbury, began the foundation of
the Fryers Preachers church there, commonly called the Blacke Fryers, as
appeareth by a charter the 4th of Edward I., wherein is declared that
Gregorie de Rocksley, mayor of London, and the barons of the same city,
granted and gave unto the said Archbishop Robert, two lanes or ways next
the street of Baynard’s castle, and the tower of Mountfiquit, to be
applied for the enlargement of the said church and place.
One other tower there was also situate on the river of Thames near unto
the said Blacke Fryers church, on the west part thereof built at the
citizens’ charges, but by license and commandment of Edward I. and of
Edward II., as appeareth by their grants; which tower was then finished,
and so stood for the space of three hundred years, and was at the last
taken down by the commandment of John Shaw, mayor of London, in the year
1502.
Another tower, or castle, also was there in the west part of the city
pertaining to the king. For I read, that in the year 1087, the 20th
of William I., the city of London, with the church of St. Paul, being
burned, Mauritius, then bishop of London, afterward began the foundation
of a new church, whereunto King William, saith mine author, gave the
choice stones of this castle standing near to the bank of the river of
Thames, at the west end of the city. After this Mauritius, Richard his
successor purchased the streets about Paul’s church,[85] compassing the
same with a wall of stone and gates. King Henry I. gave to this Richard
so much of the moat or wall of the castle, on the Thames side to the
south, as should be needful to make the said wall of the churchyard, and
so much more as should suffice to make a way without the wall on the
north side, etc.
This tower or castle thus destroyed, stood, as it may seem, where now
standeth the house called Bridewell. For notwithstanding the destruction
of the said castle or tower, the house remained large, so that the kings
of this realm long after were lodged there, and kept their courts; for
until the 9th year of Henry III. the courts of law and justice were
kept in the king’s house, wheresoever he was lodged, and not elsewhere.
And that the kings have been lodged, and kept their law courts in this
place, I could show you many authors of record, but for plain proof
this one may suffice. “_Hæc est finalis concordia, facta in Curia
Domini regis apud Sanct. Bridgid. London. a die Sancti Michaelis in
15 dies, Anno regni regis Johannis 7. coram G. Fil. Petri. Eustachio
de Fauconberg, Johanne de Gestlinge, Osbart filio Hervey, Walter De
Crisping Justiciar. et aliis baronibus Domini regis._”[86] More, as
Matthew Paris hath, about the year 1210, King John, in the 12th of his
reign, summoned a parliament at St. Bride’s in London, where he exacted
of the clergy and religious persons the sum of one hundred thousand
pounds; and besides all this, the white monks were compelled to cancel
their privileges, and to pay forty thousand pounds to the king, etc.
This house of St. Bride’s of latter time being left, and not used by the
kings, fell to ruin, insomuch that the very platform thereof remained
for great part waste, and, as it were, but a laystall of filth and
rubbish; only a fair well remained there. A great part of this house,
namely, on the west, as hath been said, was given to the Bishop of
Salisbury; the other part towards the east remaining waste until King
Henry VIII. built a stately and beautiful house thereupon, giving it to
name Bridewell, of the parish and well there. This house he purposely
built for the entertainment of the Emperor Charles V., who in the year
1522 came into this city, as I have showed in my Summary, Annals, and
large Chronicles.
On the north-west side of the city, near unto Redcross street, there
was a tower, commonly called Barbican, or Burhkenning; for that the
same being placed on a high ground, and also built of some good height,
was in old time as a watch-tower for the city, from whence a man might
behold and view the whole city towards the south, and also into Kent,
Sussex, and Surrey, and likewise every other way, east, north, or west.
Some other Burhkennings, or watch-towers, there were of old time in and
about the city, all which were repaired, yea, and others new built, by
Gilbart de Clare, Earl of Glocester, in the reign of King Henry III.,
when the barons were in arms, and held the city against the king; but
the barons being reconciled to his favour in the year 1267, he caused
all their burhkennings, watch-towers, and bulwarks, made and repaired
by the said earl, to be plucked down, and the ditches to be filled
up, so that nought of them might be seen to remain; and then was this
burhkenning, amongst the rest, overthrown and destroyed; and although
the ditch near thereunto, called Hound’s ditch, was stopped up, yet the
street of long time after was called Hound’s ditch; and of late time
more commonly called Barbican. The plot or seat of this burhkenning, or
watch-tower, King Edward III., in the year 1336, and the 10th of his
reign, gave unto Robert Ufford, Earl of Suffolk, by the name of his
manor of Base court, in the parish of St. Giles without Cripplegate, of
London, commonly called the Barbican.
Tower Royal was of old time the king’s house. King Stephen was there
lodged; but sithence called the Queen’s Wardrobe. The princess, mother
to King Richard II. in the 4th of his reign was lodged there; being
forced to fly from the Tower of London when the rebels possessed it. But
on the 15th of June (saith Froissart), Wat Tyler being slain, the king
went to this lady princess his mother, then lodged in the Tower Royal,
called the Queen’s Wardrobe, where she had tarried two days and two
nights; which tower (saith the record of Edward III., the 36th year[87])
was in the parish of St. Michel de Paternoster, etc. In the year 1386,
King Richard, with Queen Anne his wife, kept their Christmas at Eltham,
whither came to him Lion, king of Ermony,[88] under pretence to reform
peace betwixt the kings of England and France; but what his coming
profited he only understood; for besides innumerable gifts that he
received of the king and his nobles, the king lying then in this Tower
Royal, at the Queen’s Wardrobe in London, granted to him a charter of a
thousand pounds by year during his life. He was, as he affirmed, chased
out of his kingdom by the Tartarians. More concerning this tower shall
you read when you come to Vintry Ward, in which it standeth.
Sernes tower in Bucklesberie, was sometime the king’s house. Edward
III., in the 18th of his reign, appointed his exchange of moneys therein
to be kept; and in the 32d, he gave the same tower to his free chapel of
St. Stephen at Westminster.
FOOTNOTES:
[64] W. Malmesbury, Matthew Paris, John London.
[65] Ex charta.
[66] Roger Wendover, John Bever.
[67] “St. Katherine’s mill stood where now is the Iron Gate of the
Tower.”--_Stow._
[68] Lynxes, porcupines.
[69] Patent, the 15th of King John.
[70] Matthew Paris.
[71] W. Malmsbury.
[72] Roger Hoveden.
[73] Guthuron’s lane, now Gutter lane, leading out of Cheapside, was a
small lane, formerly tenanted by goldsmiths; the person who gave his
name to the lane, was evidently of Saxon or Danish origin.
[74] That is, seventeen pence halfpenny farthing to be alloy.
[75] By the terms _force_ and _deble_, it is presumed the maximum and
minimum weights are intended.
[76] Thomas Walsingham.
[77] Philip Comines.
[78] Patent, 1st of Henry VII.
[79] W. Dunthorne.
[80] Fitzstephen, Gerv. Tilbury.
[81] “Virginitie defended with the losse of worldly goods, and life of
the bodie, for life of the soule.”--_Stow._
[82] Liber Dunmow.
[83] Stow in his first edition says, “there practised for the crown ...;”
and the admirable scene in _Richard the Third_ (act III., sc. 7), in
which Gloucester is by Buckingham, the mayor, and citizens of London,
“enforced to a world of cares,” is laid by Shakspeare with great
historic truth in “the court of Baynard’s castle.”
[84] It was destroyed in the Great Fire, before which time it had become
the residences of the Earls of Shrewsbury.
[85] Vita Arkenwald.
[86] Liber Burton, super Trent.
[87] Liber Sanct. Mariæ Eborum.
[88] Armenia. Ermony, from the Old French “Ermenie.” See Roquefort’s
_Glossaire_, s. v.
Chaucer, too, in his _Monke’s Tale_, line 14,343, etc., says:--
“Ne dorste never be so corageous
Ne non _Ermin_, ne non Egiptien,
Ne Surrien, ne non Arabien.”
OF SCHOOLS AND OTHER HOUSES OF LEARNING
“In the reign of King Stephen and of Henry II.,” saith Fitzstephen,
“there were in London three principal churches, which had famous
schools, either by privilege and ancient dignity, or by favour of some
particular persons, as of doctors which were accounted notable and
renowned for knowledge in philosophy. And there were other inferior
schools also. Upon festival days the masters made solemn meetings in the
churches, where their scholars disputed logically and demonstratively;
some bringing enthimems, other perfect syllogisms; some disputed for
shew, other to trace out the truth; cunning sophisters were thought
brave scholars when they flowed with words; others used fallacies;
rhetoricians spake aptly to persuade, observing the precepts of art,
and omitting nothing that might serve their purpose: the boys of
diverse schools did cap or pot verses, and contended of the principles
of grammar; there were some which on the other side with epigrams and
rymes, nipping and quipping their fellowes, and the faults of others,
though suppressing their names, moved thereby much laughter among their
auditors.” Hitherto Fitzstephen, for schools and scholars, and for their
exercises in the city in his days; sithence the which time, as to me it
seemeth, by the increase of colleges and students in the universities
of Oxford and Cambridge, the frequenting of schools, and exercises of
scholars in the city, as had been accustomed, hath much decreased.
The three principal churches which had these famous schools by
privileges, must needs be the cathedral church of St. Paul for one;
seeing that by a general council, holden in the year of Christ 1176,
at Rome, in the patriarchy of Laterane, it was decreed, that every
cathedral church should have his schoolmaster to teach poor scholars,
and others as had been accustomed, and that no man should take any
reward for license to teach. The second, as most ancient, may seem
to have been the monastery of St. Peter’s at Westminster, whereof
Ingulphus, Abbot of Crowland, in the reign of William the Conqueror,
writeth thus:--“I, Ingulphus, an humble servant of God, born of
English parents, in the most beautiful city of London, for to attain
to learning, was first put to Westminster, and after to study of
Oxford,” etc. And writing in praise of Queen Edgitha, wife to Edward
the Confessor: “I have seen her,” saith he, “often when being a boy, I
came to see my father dwelling in the king’s court, and often coming
from school, when I met her, she would oppose me, touching my learning
and lesson; and falling from grammar to logic, wherein she had some
knowledge, she would subtilly conclude an argument with me, and by her
handmaiden give me three or four pieces of money, and send me unto the
palace where I should receive some victuals, and then be dismissed.”
The third school seemeth to have been in the monastery of St. Saviour,
at Bermondsey in Southwark; for other priories, as of St. John by
Smithfield, St. Bartholomew in Smithfield, St. Mary Overie in Southwark,
and that of the Holy Trinity by Aldgate, were all of later foundation,
and the friaries, colleges, and hospitals, in this city, were raised
since them in the reigns of Henry III., Edward I., II., and III., etc.
All which houses had their schools, though not so famous as these first
named.
But touching schools more lately advanced in this city, I read, that
King Henry V., having suppressed the priories aliens, whereof some were
about London; namely, one hospital, called Our Lady of Rouncivall,
by Charing Cross; one other hospital in Oldborne; one other without
Cripplegate; and the fourth without Aldersgate; besides other that are
now worn out of memory, and whereof there is no monument remaining more
than Rouncivall, converted to a brotherhood, which continued till the
reign of Henry VIII. or Edward VI. This, I say, and other their schools
being broken up and ceased, King Henry VI., in the 24th of his reign,
by patent, appointed, that there should be in London grammar schools,
besides St. Paul’s, at St. Martin’s le Grand, St. Mary le Bow in Cheap,
St. Dunstan’s in the west, and St. Anthony’s. And in the next year, to
wit, 1447, the said king ordained by parliament that four other grammar
schools should be erected, to wit, in the parishes of St. Andrew in
Oldborne, Allhallowes the Great in Thames street, St. Peter’s upon
Cornhill, and in the hospital of St. Thomas of Acons in West Cheap;
since the which time as divers schools, by suppressing of religious
houses, whereof they were members, in the reign of Henry VIII., have
been decayed, so again have some others been newly erected, and founded
for them; as namely Paul’s school, in place of an old ruined house, was
built in most ample manner, and largely endowed, in the year 1512, by
John Collet, Doctor of Divinity, Dean of Paul’s, for one hundred and
fifty-three poor men’s children, for which there was ordained a master,
surmaster, or usher, and a chaplain. Again, in the year 1553, after
the erection of Christ’s hospital, in the late dissolved house of the
Gray Friars, a great number of poor children being taken in, a school
was also ordained there at the citizen’s charges. Also, in the year
1561, the Merchant Taylors of London founded one notable free grammar
school, in the parish of St. Laurence Poultney by Candleweeke street,
Richard Hils, late master of that company, having given five hundred
pounds towards the purchase of a house, called the Mannor of the Rose,
sometime the Duke of Buckingham’s, wherein the school is kept. As for
the meeting of the schoolmasters on festival days, at festival churches,
and the disputing of their scholars logically, etc., whereof I have
before spoken, the same was long since discontinued; but the arguing of
the schoolboys about the principles of grammar hath been continued even
till our time; for I myself, in my youth, have yearly seen, on the eve
of St. Bartholomew the Apostle, the scholars of divers grammar schools
repair unto the churchyard of St. Bartholomew, the priory in Smithfield,
where upon a bank boarded about under a tree, some one scholar hath
stepped up, and there hath opposed and answered, till he were by some
better scholar overcome and put down; and then the overcomer taking
the place, did like as the first; and in the end the best opposers
and answerers had rewards, which I observed not but it made both good
schoolmasters, and also good scholars, diligently against such times to
prepare themselves for the obtaining of this garland. I remember there
repaired to these exercises, amongst others, the masters and scholars of
the free schools of St. Paul’s in London, of St. Peter’s at Westminster,
of St. Thomas Acon’s hospital, and of St. Anthonie’s hospital; whereof
the last-named commonly presented the best scholars, and had the prize
in those days.
This priory of St. Bartholomew being surrendered to Henry VIII., those
disputations of scholars in that place surceased; and was again, only
for a year or twain, in the reign of Edward VI., revived in the cloister
of Christ’s hospital, where the best scholars, then still of St.
Anthonie’s school,[89] were rewarded with bows and arrows of silver,
given to them by Sir Martin Bowes, goldsmith. Nevertheless, however the
encouragement failed, the scholars of Paul’s, meeting with them of St.
Anthonie’s, would call them Anthonie pigs, and they again would call the
other pigeons of Paul’s, because many pigeons were bred in St. Paul’s
church, and St. Anthonie was always figured with a pig following him;
and mindful of the former usage, did for a long season disorderly in
the open street provoke one another with, _Salve tu quoque, placet tibi
mecum disputare? Placet._ And so proceeding from this to questions in
grammar, they usually fell from words to blows with their satchels full
of books, many times in great heaps, that they troubled the streets and
passengers; so that finally they were restrained with the decay of St.
Anthonie’s school. Out of this school have sprung divers famous persons,
whereof although time hath buried the names of many, yet in mine own
remembrance may be numbered these following:--Sir Thomas More, knight,
lord chancellor of England, Dr. Nicholas Heath, sometime Bishop of
Rochester, after of Worcester, and lastly Archbishop of York and Lord
Chancellor of England; Doctor John Whitgift, Bishop of Worcester, and
after Archbishop of Canterbury, etc.
Of later time, in the year of Christ 1582, there was founded a public
lecture in chirurgerie, to be read in the College of Physicians in
Knight riders street, to begin in the year 1584, on the sixth of May,
and so to be continued for ever, twice every week, on Wednesday and
Friday, by the honourable Baron, John Lord Lombley, and the learned
Richard Caldwell, doctor in physic, the reader whereof to be Richard
Forster, doctor of physic, during his life.
Furthermore, about the same time there was also begun a mathematical
lecture, to be read in a fair old chapel, built by Simon Eayre, within
the Leaden hall; whereof a learned citizen born, named Thomas Hood, was
the first reader. But this chapel, and other parts of that hall, being
employed for stowage of goods taken out of a great Spanish caracke, the
said lecture ceased any more to be read, and was then in the year 1588
read in the house of master Thomas Smith in Grasse street, etc.