of nine bells well tuned (whereof four the greatest were since sold
to the parish of Stebunhith, and the five lesser to the parish of St.
Stephen in Coleman street) to the parishioners of St. Katherine Christ
church, in exchange for their small parish church, minding to have
pulled it down, and to have built there towards the street; but the
parishioners having doubts in their heads of after-claps, refused the
offer. Then was the priory church and steeple proffered to whomsoever
would take it down, and carry it from the ground, but no man would
undertake the offer; whereupon Sir Thomas Audley was fain to be at more
charges than could be made of the stones, timber, lead, iron, etc. For
the workmen, with great labour, beginning at the top, loosed stone from
stone, and threw them down, whereby the most part of them were broken,
and few remained whole; and those were sold very cheap, for all the
buildings then made about the city were of brick and timber. At that
time any man in the city might have a cart-load of hard stone for paving
brought to his door for six pence or seven pence, with the carriage. The
said Thomas Lord Audley built and dwelt on this priory during his life,
and died there in the year 1544; since the which time the said priory
came by marriage of the Lord Audley’s daughter and heir unto Thomas,
late Duke of Norfolk, and was then called the Duke’s place.
The parish church of St. Katherine standeth in the cemetery of the
late dissolved priory of the Holy Trinity, and is therefore called St.
Katherine Christ church. This church seemeth to be very old; since the
building whereof the high street hath been so often raised by pavements,
that now men are fain to descend into the said church by divers steps,
seven in number. But the steeple, or bell-tower thereof, hath been
lately built, to wit, about the year 1504; for Sir John Percivall,
merchant-tailor, then deceasing, gave money towards the building
thereof. There be the monuments of Sir Thomas Fleming, knight of Rowles,
in Essex, and Margaret his wife, 1464; Roger Marshall, esquire; Jane
Horne, wife to Roger Marshall; William Multon, alias Burdeaux, herald;
John Goad, esquire, and Joan his wife; Beatrix, daughter to William
Browne; Thomas Multon, esquire, son to Burdeaux, herald; John Chitcroft,
esquire; John Wakefielde, esquire; William Criswicke; Anne and Sewch,
daughters to Ralph Shirley, esquire; Sir John Rainsford, knight of
Essex; Sir Nicholas Throkmorton, chief butler of England, one of the
chamberlains of the exchequer, ambassador, etc., 1570, and other.
At the north-west corner of this ward, in the said high street,
standeth the fair and beautiful parish church of St. Andrew the Apostle;
with an addition, to be known from other churches of that name, of the
knape or undershaft; and so called St. Andrew Undershaft, because that
of old time, every year on May-day in the morning, it was used, that
an high or long shaft or May-pole, was set up there, in the midst of
the street, before the south side of the said church; which shaft when
it was set on end and fixed in the ground, was higher than the church
steeple. Geffrey Chaucer, writing of a vain boaster, hath these words,
meaning of the said shaft:
“Right well aloft, and high ye beare your heade,
The weather cocke, with flying, as ye would kill,
When ye be stuffed, bet of wine, then brede,
Then looke ye, when your wombe doth fill,
As ye would beare the great shaft of Cornehill,
Lord, so merrily crowdeth then your croke,
That all the streete may heare your body cloke.”
This shaft was not raised at any time since evil May-day (so called of
an insurrection made by apprentices and other young persons against
aliens in the year 1517); but the said shaft was laid along over the
doors, and under the pentises of one row of houses and alley gate,
called of the shaft Shaft alley (being of the possessions of Rochester
bridge), in the ward of Lime street. It was there, I say, hung on iron
hooks many years, till the third of King Edward VI., that one Sir
Stephen, curate of St. Katherine Christ’s church, preaching at Paules
cross, said there that this shaft was made an idol, by naming the church
of St. Andrew with the addition of “under that shaft:” he persuaded
therefore that the names of churches might be altered; also that the
names of days in the week might be changed; the fish days to be kept
any days except Friday and Saturday, and the Lent any time, save only
betwixt Shrovetide and Easter. I have oft times seen this man, forsaking
the pulpit of his said parish church, preach out of a high elm-tree[139]
in the midst of the churchyard, and then entering the church, forsaking
the altar, to have sung his high mass in English upon a tomb of the dead
towards the north. I heard his sermon at Paules cross, and I saw the
effect that followed; for in the afternoon of that present Sunday, the
neighbours and tenants to the said bridge, over whose doors the said
shaft had lain, after they had well dined, to make themselves strong,
gathered more help, and with great labour raising the shaft from the
hooks, whereon it had rested two-and-thirty years, they sawed it in
pieces, every man taking for his share so much as had lain over his door
and stall, the length of his house; and they of the alley divided among
them so much as had lain over their alley gate. Thus was this idol (as
he[140] termed it) mangled, and after burned.
Soon after was there a commotion of the commons in Norfolk, Suffolk,
Essex, and other shires; by means whereof, straight orders being taken
for the suppression of rumours, divers persons were apprehended and
executed by martial law; amongst the which the bailiff of Romfort, in
Essex, was one, a man very well beloved: he was early in the morning
of Mary Magdalen’s day, then kept holiday, brought by the sheriffs of
London and the knight-marshal to the well within Aldgate, there to be
executed upon a gibbet set up that morning, where, being on the ladder,
he had words to this effect: “Good people, I am come hither to die, but
know not for what offence, except for words by me spoken yesternight to
Sir Stephen, curate and preacher of this parish, which were these: He
asked me, ‘What news in the country?’ I answered, ‘Heavy news.’ ‘Why?’
quoth he. ‘It is said,’ quoth I, ‘that many men be up in Essex, but,
thanks be to God, all is in good quiet about us:’ and this was all, as
God be my judge,” etc. Upon these words of the prisoner, Sir Stephen,
to avoid reproach of the people, left the city, and was never heard of
since amongst them to my knowledge. I heard the words of the prisoner,
for he was executed upon the pavement of my door where I then kept
house. Thus much by digression: now again to the parish church of St.
Andrew Undershaft, for it still retaineth the name, which hath been new
built by the parishioners there since the year 1520; every man putting
to his helping hand, some with their purses, other with their bodies.
Steven Gennings, merchant-tailor, sometime mayor of London, caused at
his charges to be built[141] the whole north side of the great middle
aisle, both of the body and choir, as appeareth by his arms over every
pillar graven, and also the north isle, which he roofed with timber and
sealed; also the whole south side of the church was glazed, and the pews
in the south chapel made of his costs, as appeareth in every window,
and upon the said pews. He deceased in the year 1524, and was buried in
the Grey friars church. John Kerkbie, merchant-tailor, sometime one of
the sheriffs, John Garlande, merchant-tailor, and Nicholas Levison,
mercer, executor to Garlande, were great benefactors to this work; which
was finished to the glazing in the year 1529, and fully finished 1532.
Buried in this church:[142] Philip Malpas, one of the sheriffs, 1439;
Sir Robert Dennie, knight, and after him Thomas Dennie, his son, in the
year 1421; Thomas Stokes, gentleman, grocer, 1496. In the new church:
John Nichell, merchant-tailor, 1537; William Draper, esquire, 1537;
Isabell and Margaret, his wives; Nicholas Levison, mercer, one of the
sheriffs, 1534; John Gerrarde, woolman, merchant of the staple, 1456;
Henry Man, doctor of divinity, bishop of Man, 1550; Stephen Kyrton,
merchant-tailor, alderman, 1553; David Woodroffe, haberdasher, one of
the sheriffs, 1554; Stephen Woodroffe, his son, gave one hundred pounds
in money, for the which the poor of that parish receive two shillings in
bread weekly for ever; Sir Thomas Offley, merchant-tailor, mayor, 1556;
he bequeathed the one half of all his goods to charitable actions, but
the parish received little benefit thereby; Thomas Starkey, skinner, one
of the sheriffs, 1578; Hugh Offley, leatherseller, one of the sheriffs,
1588; William Hanbury, baker.
Now down St. Mary street, by the west end of the church towards the
north, stand divers fair houses for merchants and other; namely, one
fair great house, built by Sir William Pickering the father, possessed
by Sir William his son, and since by Sir Edward Wootton of Kent. North
from this place is the Fletchers’ hall, and so down to the corner of
that street, over against London wall, and against eastwards to a fair
house lately new built, partly by Master Robert Beale, one of the clerks
of the council.
Then come you to the Papey, a proper house, wherein sometime was kept a
fraternity or brotherhood of St. Charity and St. John Evangelist, called
the Papey, for poor impotent priests (for in some language priests are
called papes), founded in the year 1430 by William Oliver, William
Barnabie, and John Stafford, chaplains or chantry priests in London,
for a master, two wardens, etc., chaplains, chantry priests, conducts,
and other brethren and sisters, that should be admitted into the church
of St. Augustine Papey in the wall. The brethren of this house becoming
lame, or otherwise into great poverty, were here relieved, as to have
chambers, with certain allowance of bread, drink, and coal, and one
old man and his wife to see them served and to keep the house clean.
This brotherhood, among others, was suppressed in the reign of Edward
VI.; since the which time in this house hath been lodged Master Moris
of Essex; Sir Francis Walsingham, principal secretary to her majesty;
Master Barret of Essex, etc.
Then next is one great house, large of rooms, fair courts, and
garden-plots; sometimes pertaining to the Bassets, since that to the
abbots of Bury in Suffolk, and therefore called Buries markes, corruptly
Bevis markes, and since the dissolution of the abbey of Bury, to Thomas
Henage the father, and to Sir Thomas his son. Then next unto it is the
before-spoken priory of the Holy Trinity; to wit, the west and north
part thereof, which stretcheth up to Aldgate, where we first began.
Now in the second way from Aldgate, more toward the south from the
well or pump aforesaid, lieth Fenne church street; on the right hand
whereof, somewhat west from the south end of Belzetter’s lane is the
Ironmongers’ hall; which company was incorporated in the 3rd of Edward
IV. Richard Fleming was their first master; Nicholas Marshall and
Richard Cox were custos, or wardens. And on the left hand, or south
side, even by the gate and wall of the city, runneth down a lane to the
Tower hill; the south part whereof is called Woodroffe lane, and out of
this lane toward the west a street called Hart street. In this street,
at the south-east corner thereof, sometime stood one house of Crouched
(or crossed) friars, founded by Ralph Hosiar and William Sabernes about
the year 1298. Stephen, the tenth prior of the Holy Trinity, in London
granted there tenements for 13_s._ 8_d._ by the year unto the said
Ralph Hosiar and William Sabernes, who afterwards became friars of St.
Crosse; Adam was the first prior of that house. These friars founded
their house in place of certain tenements purchased of Richard Wimbush,
the twelfth prior of the Holy Trinity, in the year 1319, which was
confirmed by Edward III. the 17th of his reign, valued at £52 13_s._
4_d._, surrendered the twelfth of November, the 30th of Henry VIII. In
this house was buried Master John Tirres; Nicholas, the son of William
Kyriell, esquire; Sir Thomas Mellington, baron of Wemesse, and Dame
Elizabeth his wife, daughter and heir of William Botelar, baron of Wome;
Robert Mellington, esquire, and Elizabeth his wife, daughter to Ferreis
of Ousley; Henry Lovell, son to William Lord Lovell; Dame Isabel, wife
to William Edwarde, mayor of London, 1471; William Narborough, and Dame
Elizabeth his wife; William Narborough, and Dame Beatrix his wife;
William Brosked, esquire; William Bowes; Lionel Mollington, esquire,
son of Robert Mollington; Nicholas Couderow, and Elizabeth his wife;
Sir John Stratford, knight; Sir Thomas Asseldy, knight, clerk of the
crown, sub-marshal of England, and justice of the shire of Middlesex;
John Rest, grocer, mayor of London, 1516; Sir John Skevington, knight,
merchant-tailor, sheriff, 1520; Sir John Milborne, draper, mayor in
the year 1520, was buried there, but removed since to St. Edmondes in
Lombard street; Sir Rice Grifith, beheaded on the Tower hill, 1531.
In place of this church is now a carpenters’ yard, a tennis court, and
such like; the friars’ hall was made a glass-house, or house wherein
was made glass of divers sorts to drink in; which house in the year
1575, on the 4th of September, burst out into a terrible fire, where
being practised all means possible to quench, notwithstanding as the
same house in a small time before had consumed a great quantity of wood
by making of glasses, now itself having within it about forty thousand
billets of wood, was all consumed to the stone walls, which nevertheless
greatly hindered the fire from spreading any further.
Adjoining unto this friars’ church, by the east end thereof in Woodroffe
lane towards the Tower hill, are certain proper alms houses, fourteen in
number, built of brick and timber, founded by Sir John Milborne, draper,
sometime mayor, 1521, wherein he placed thirteen aged poor men and their
wives, if they have wives: these have their dwellings rent free, and
2_s._ 4_d._ the piece, the first day of every month, for ever. One also
is to have his house over the gate, and 4_s._ every month: more, he
appointed every Sunday for ever, thirteen penny loaves of white bread,
to be given in the parish church of St. Edmonde in Lombard street, to
thirteen poor people of that parish; and the like thirteen loaves to be
given in the parish church of St. Michael upon Cornhill, and in either
parish every year one load of chare coal, of thirty sacks in the load;
and this gift to be continued for ever: for performance whereof, by the
master and wardens of the drapers in London, he assured unto them and
their successors twenty-three messuages and tenements, and eighteen
garden-plots, in the parish of St. Olave in Hart street; with proviso,
that if they perform not those points[143] above-mentioned, the said
tenements and gardens to remain to the mayor and commonalty of the city
of London.
Next to these alms houses is the Lord Lumley’s house, built in the time
of King Henry VIII. by Sir Thomas Wiat the father, upon one plot of
ground of late pertaining to the foresaid Crossed friars, where part of
their house stood: and this is the farthest part of Aldgate ward towards
the south, and joineth to the Tower hill. The other side of that line,
over against the Lord Lumley’s house, on the wall side of the city, is
now for the most part (or altogether) built even to Aldgate.
Then have you on the south side of Fenchurch street, over against the
well or pump, amongst other fair and large built houses, one that
sometime belonged to the prior of Monte Joves, or Monastery Cornute,
a cell to Monte Joves beyond the seas, in Essex: it was the prior’s
inn, when he repaired to this city. Then a lane that leadeth down by
Northumberland house towards the Crossed friars, as is afore showed.
This Northumberland house, in the parish of St. Katherine Colman,
belonged to Henry Percie, Earl of Northumberland, in the 33rd of Henry
VI., but of late being left by the earls, the gardens thereof were made
into bowling alleys, and other parts into dicing houses, common to all
comers for their money, there to bowle and hazard; but now of late so
many bowling alleys, and other houses for unlawful gaming, hath been
raised in other parts of the city and suburbs, that this their ancient
and only patron of misrule, is left and forsaken of her gamesters, and
therefore turned into a number of great rents, small cottages, for
strangers and others.
At the east end of this lane, in the way from Aldgate toward the Crossed
friars, of old time were certain tenements called the poor Jurie, of
Jews dwelling there.
Next unto this Northumberland house is the parish church of St.
Katherine, called Coleman; which addition of Coleman was taken of a
great haw-yard, or garden, of old time called Coleman haw, in the parish
of the Trinity, now called Christ’s church, and in the parish of St.
Katherine and All Saints called Coleman church.
Then have you Blanch Apleton; whereof I read, in the 13th of Edward I.,
that a lane behind the said Blanch Apleton was granted by the king to
be inclosed and shut up. This Blanch Apleton was a manor belonging to
Sir Thomas Roos of Hamelake, knight, the 7th of Richard II., standing at
the north-east corner of Mart lane, so called of a privilege sometime
enjoined to keep a mart there, long since discontinued, and therefore
forgotten, so as nothing remaineth for memory but the name of Mart
lane, and that corruptly termed Marke lane. I read that, in the third
of Edward IV., all basket-makers, wire-drawers, and other foreigners,
were permitted to have shops in this manor of Blanch Apleton, and not
elsewhere, within this city or suburbs thereof; and this also being
the farthest west part of this ward on that south side, I leave it,
with three parish churches, St Katherine Christ church, St. Andrew
Undershaft, and St. Katherine Colemans; and three halls of companies,
the Bricklayers’ hall, the Fletchers’ hall, and the Ironmongers’ hall.
It hath an alderman, his deputy, common councillors six, constables six,
scavengers nine, wardmote men for inquest eighteen, and a beadle. It is
taxed to the fifteen in London at five pounds.[144]
FOOTNOTES:
[139] “The said elm-tree, his preaching place, is lately taken
down.”--_Stow._
[140] “As he, poore man, tearmed it.”--_1st edition_, p. 108.
[141] “The one halfe, to wit.”--_1st edition_, p. 109.
[142] “The monuments of the dead, buried in this church, are
these.”--_1st edition_, p. 109.
[143] “These poyntes not performed. The Drapers have unlawfully solde
these tenements and garden plots, and the poore be wronged.”--_Stow._
LIME STREET WARD
The next is Lime street ward, and taketh the name of Lime street of
making or selling of lime there (as is supposed); the east side of this
Lime street, from the north corner thereof to the midst, is of Aldgate
ward, as is aforesaid; the west side, for the most part from the said
north corner, southward, is of this Lime street ward; the south end on
both sides is of Langborne ward; the body of this Lime street ward is
of the high street called Cornehill street, which stretcheth from Lime
street on the south side to the west corner of Leaden hall, and on the
north side from the south-west corner of St. Mary street to another
corner over against Leaden hall. Now for St. Mary street; the west side
thereof is of this Lime street ward, and also the street which runneth
by the north end of this St. Mary street, on both sides, from thence
west to an house called the Wrestlers, a sign so called, almost to
Bishopsgate. And these are the bounds of this small ward.
Monuments, or places notable, in this ward be these:--In Lime street
are divers fair houses for merchants and others; there was sometime a
mansion-house of the kings, called the King’s Artirce, whereof I find
record in the 14th of Edward I., but now grown out of knowledge. I read
also of another great house in the west side of Lime street, having a
chapel on the south and a garden on the west, then belonging to the
Lord Nevill, which garden is now called the Green yard of the Leaden
hall. This house, in the 9th of Richard II., pertained to Sir Simon
Burley, and Sir John Burley his brother; and of late the said house
was taken down, and the forefront thereof new built of timber by Hugh
Offley, alderman. At the north-west corner of Lime street was of old
time one great messuage called Benbrige’s inn; Ralph Holland, draper,
about the year 1452 gave it to John Gill, master, and to the wardens and
fraternity of tailors and linen-armourers of St. John Baptist in London,
and to their successors for ever. They did set up in place thereof a
fair large frame of timber, containing in the high street one great
house, and before it to the corner of Lime street three other tenements,
the corner house being the largest, and then down Lime street divers
proper tenements; all which the merchant-tailors, in the reign of Edward
VI., sold to Stephen Kirton, merchant-tailor and alderman: he gave, with
his daughter Grisild, to Nicholas Woodroffe the said great house, with
two tenements before it, in lieu of a hundred pounds, and made it up in
money £366 13_s._ 4_d._ This worshipful man, and the gentlewoman his
widow after him, kept those houses down Lime street in good reparations,
never put out but one tenant, took no fines, nor raised rents of them,
which was ten shillings the piece yearly: but whether that favour did
overlive her funeral, the tenants now can best declare the contrary.
Next unto this, on the high street, was the Lord Sowche’s messuage or
tenement, and other; in place whereof, Richard Wethell, merchant-tailor,
built a fair house, with a high tower, the second in number, and first
of timber, that ever I learnt to have been built to overlook neighbours
in this city.
This Richard, then a young man, became in a short time so tormented with
gouts in his joints, of the hands and legs, that he could neither feed
himself nor go further than he was led; much less was he able to climb
and take the pleasure of the height of his tower. Then is there another
fair house, built by Stephen Kirton, alderman; Alderman Lee doth now
possess it, and again new buildeth it.
Then is there a fair house of old time called the Green gate; by which
name one Michael Pistoy Lumbard held it, with a tenement and nine shops
in the reign of Richard II., who in the 15th of his reign gave it to
Roger Crophull, and Thomas Bromeflet, esquires, by the name of the Green
gate, in the parish of St. Andrew upon Cornhill, in Lime street ward;
since the which time Philip Malpas, sometime alderman, and one of the
sheriffs, dwelt therein, and was there robbed and spoiled of his goods
to a great value by Jack Cade, and other rebels, in the year 1449.
Afterwards, in the reign of Henry VII., it was seized into the
king’s hands, and then granted, first, unto John Alston, after that
unto William de la Rivers, and since by Henry VIII. to John Mutas, a
Picarde or Frenchman, who dwelt there, and harboured in his house many
Frenchmen, that kalendred wolsteds, and did other things contrary to
the franchises of the citizens; wherefore on evil May-day, which was in
the year 1517, the apprentices and other spoiled his house; and if they
could have found Mutas, they would have stricken off his head. Sir Peter
Mutas, son to the said John Mutas, sold this house to David Woodroffe,
alderman, whose son, Sir Nicholas Woodroffe, alderman, sold it over to
John Moore, alderman, that now possesseth it.
Next is a house called the Leaden porch, lately divided into two
tenements; whereof one is a tavern, and then one other house for a
merchant, likewise called the Leaden porch, but now turned to a cook’s
house. Next is a fair house and a large, wherein divers mayoralties have
been kept, whereof twain in my remembrance; to wit, Sir William Bowyar
and Sir Henry Huberthorne.