Oteswich (from whence the street windeth towards the south), you had of
old time a fair well, with two buckets, so fastened that the drawing up
of the one let down the other; but now of late that well is turned into
a pump.
From this to the corner over against the Leaden hall, and so down Grasse
street, are many fair houses for merchants and artificers, and many fair
inns for travellers, even to the corner where that ward endeth, over
against Grasse street. And thus much for this Bishopsgate ward shall
suffice; which hath an alderman, two deputies, one without the gate,
another within, common councillors six, constables seven, scavengers
seven, for wardmote inquest thirteen, and a beadle: it is taxed to the
fifteen at £13.[153]
FOOTNOTES:
[151] “To Master Cornewallos.”--_1st edition_, p. 128.
[152] “Of our blessed lady.”--_1st edition_, p. 129.
[153] “At twenty-two pounds in London, and in the Exchequer twenty-one
pounds ten shillings.”--_1st edition_, p. 136.
BROAD STREET WARD
The next is Brode street ward, which beginneth within Bishopsgate,
from the water conduit westward on both sides of the street, by
Allhallows church, to an iron grate on the channel which runneth into
the water-course of Walbrooke, before you come to the postern called
Mooregate; and this is the farthest west part of that ward.
Then have you Brode street, whereof the ward taketh name, which
stretcheth out of the former street from the east corner of Allhallows
churchyard, somewhat south to the parish church of St. Peter the Poor
on both sides, and then by the south gate of the Augustine friars west,
down Throkmorton street by the Drapers’ hall into Lothburie, to another
grate of iron over the channel there, whereby the water runneth into
the course of Walbrook, under the east end of St. Margaret’s church,
certain posts of timber are there set up; and this is also the farthest
west part of this ward, in the said street. Out of the which street
runneth up Bartholomew lane south to the north side of the Exchange;
then more east, out of the former street from over against the Friars
Augustine’s church south gate, runneth up another part of Brode street
south to a pump over against St. Bennet’s church. Then have you one
other street called Three needle street, beginning at the west, with
two buckets, by St. Martin’s Oteswich church wall. This street runneth
down on both sides to Finkes lane, and half way up that lane to a gate
of a merchant’s house on the west side, but not so far on the east; then
the foresaid street, from this Finkes lane, runneth down by the Royal
Exchange to the Stocks, and to a place formerly called Scalding house,
or Scalding wick, but now Scalding alley; by the west side whereof,
under the parish church of St. Mildred, runneth the course of Walbrooke;
and these be the bounds of this ward.
Special monuments therein are these:--First, the parish church of
Allhallows in the wall, so called of standing close to the wall of the
city, in which have been buried Thomas Durrem, esquire, and Margaret his
wife; Robert Beele, esquire, 1601. On the other side of that street,
amongst many proper houses possessed for the most part by curriers, is
the Carpenters’ hall, which company was incorporated in the 17th year of
King Edward IV.
Then east from the Currier’s row is a long and high wall of stone,
inclosing the north side of a large garden adjoining to as large an
house, built in the reign of King Henry VIII. and of Edward VI. by Sir
William Powlet, lord treasurer of England. Through this garden, which
of old time consisted of divers parts, now united, was sometimes a
fair footway, leading by the west end of the Augustine friars church
straight north, and opened somewhat west from Allhallows church against
London wall towards Moregate; which footway had gates at either end,
locked up every night; but now the same way being taken into those
gardens, the gates are closed up with stone, whereby the people are
forced to go about by St. Peter’s church, and the east end of the said
Friars church, and all the said great place and garden of Sir William
Powlet to London wall, and so to Moregate.
This great house, adjoining to the garden aforesaid, stretcheth to the
north corner of Brode street, and then turneth up Brode street all that
side to and beyond the east end of the said Friars church. It was built
by the said lord treasurer in place of Augustine friars house, cloister,
and gardens, etc. The Friars church he pulled not down, but the west
end thereof, inclosed from the steeple and choir, was in the year 1550
granted to the Dutch nation in London, to be their preaching place: the
other part, namely, the steeple, choir, and side aisles to the choir
adjoining, he reserved to household uses, as for stowage of corn, coal,
and other things; his son and heir, Marquis of Winchester, sold the
monuments of noblemen there buried in great number, the paving-stone
and whatsoever (which cost many thousands), for one hundred pounds,
and in place thereof made fair stabling for horses. He caused the lead
to be taken from the roofs, and laid tile in place whereof; which
exchange proved not so profitable as he looked for, but rather to his
disadvantage.
On the east side of this Brode street, amongst other buildings, on the
back part of Gresham house, which is in Bishopsgate street, he placed
eight proper alms houses, built of brick and timber by Sir Thomas
Gresham, knight, for eight alms men, which he now there placed rent
free, and receive each of them by his gift £6 13_s._ 4_d._ yearly for
ever.
Next unto Pawlet house is the parish church of St. Peter the Poor, so
called for a difference from other of that name, sometime peradventure a
poor parish, but at this present there be many fair houses, possessed by
rich merchants and other. Buried in this church: Richard Fitzwilliams,
merchant-tailor, 1520; Sir William Roch, mayor, 1540; Martin Calthrope,
mayor, 1588.
Then next have you the Augustine Friars church and churchyard; the
entering thereunto by a south gate to the west porch, a large church,
having a most fine spired steeple, small, high, and straight, I have not
seen the like: founded by Humfrey Bohun, Earl of Hereford and Essex,
in the year 1253. Reginald Cobham gave his messuage in London to the
enlarging thereof, in the year 1344. Humfrey Bohun, Earl of Hereford
and Essex, re-edified this church in the year 1354, whose body was
there buried in the choir. The small spired steeple of this church was
overthrown by a tempest of wind in the year 1362, but was raised of
new, as now it standeth, to the beautifying of the city. This house was
valued at £57, and was surrendered the 12th of November, the 30th of
Henry VIII.
There lie buried in this Friars church, amongst others, Edward, first
son to Joan, mother to King Richard II.; Guy de Mericke, Earl of St.
Paule; Lucie, Countess of Kent, and one of the heirs of Barnabie Lord
of Millaine, with an epitaph; Dame Ide, wife to Sir Thomas West; Dame
Margaret West; Stephen Lindericle, esquire; Sir Humfrey Bohun, Earl of
Hereford and Essex, Lord of Brekenake;[154] Richard, the great Earl of
Arundell, Surrey, and Warren, beheaded, 1397; Sir Edward Arundell, and
Dame Elizabeth his wife; Sir Francis Atcourt,[155] Earl of Pembrooke,
which married Alice, sister to the Earl of Oxford; Dame Lucie Knowles,
of Kent; Sir Peter Garinsers, of France; the Lord John Vere, Earl of
Oxford, beheaded on the Tower hill 1463; Aubrey de Vere, son and heir
to the Earl of Oxford; Sir Thomas Tudnam, knight; William Bourser; Lord
Fitz Warren; Sir Thomas de la Lande, knight; Dame Joan Norris, the Lady
of Bedforde; Anne, daughter to John Viscount Welles; Walter Nevell,
esquire; Sir John Manners, knight; the wife of Sir David Cradocke,
knight; the mother to the Lord Spencer’s wife; Sir Bartlemew Rodlegate;
John, son to Sir John Wingfield; Sir Walter Mewes; Robert Newenton,
esquire; Philip Spencer, son to Sir Hugh Spencer; Dame Isabell, daughter
to Sir Hugh; the Lord Barons slain at Barnet field, buried there 1471.
In the body of the church: Dame Julian, wife to Sir Richard Lacie;
Sir Thomas Courtney, son to the Earl of Devonshire, and by him, his
sister, wedded to Cheverstone; the daughter of the Lord Beaumont; two
sons of Sir Thomas Morley, to wit, William and Ralph; Sir William
Talmage, knight; Nicholas Blondell, esquire; Sir Richard Chamberlaine;
John Halton, gentleman; Sir John Gifford, knight; Thomas Manningham,
esquire; Sir William Kenude, knight; Sir William, son to Sir Thomas
Terill; John Surell, gentleman. In the east wing: Margaret Barentin,
gentlewoman; John Spicer, esquire, and Letis his wife; John le Percers,
esquire; Roger Chibary, esquire; Peter Morens, esquire; Thomas, son to
Sir William Beckland; James Cuthing, esquire; John Chorner, esquire;
William Kenley, esquire; Margery, wife to Thomas Band, and daughter
to John Hutch; the Lord William, Marquis of Barkeley and Earl of
Nottingham, and Dame Joan his wife. In the west wing: Sir John Tirrill,
and Dame Katherine his wife; Sir Walter of Powle, knight; Sir John
Blanckwell, and his wife Dame Jane Sayne, daughter to Sir John Lee; Sir
John Dawbeney, son and heir to Sir Giles Dawbeney; William, son to Sir
Roger Scroope; Dame Joan Dawbeney, wife to Sir William Dawbeney; Thomas
Charles, esquire; Sir John Dawbeney, knight, and his son Robert; Sir
James Bell, knight; Sir Oliver Manny, knight; Henry Deskie, esquire; Sir
Diones Mordaske; Sir Bernard Rolingcort; Sir Peter Kayor; Sir William
Tirell; Sir William, his brother knights; William Collingborne, esquire,
beheaded 1484; Sir Roger Clifford, knight; Sir Thomas Coke, mayor in
the year 1462; William Edward, mayor, 1471; Sir James Tirell, Sir
John Windany, knights, beheaded 1502; Sir John Dawtrie, knight, 1519;
Dame Margaret Rede, 1510; Edward, Duke of Buckingham, beheaded 1521;
Gwiskard, Earl of Huntington.
On the south side, and at the west end of this church, many fair houses
are built; namely, in Throgmorton street, one very large and spacious,
built in the place of old and small tenements by Thomas Cromwell, master
of the king’s jewel-house, after that master of the rolls, then Lord
Cromwell, knight, lord privy seal, vicar-general, Earl of Essex, high
chamberlain of England, etc. This house being finished, and having
some reasonable plot of ground left for a garden, he caused the pales
of the gardens adjoining to the north part thereof on a sudden to be
taken down; twenty-two feet to be measured forth right into the north
of every man’s ground; a line there to be drawn, a trench to be cast,
a foundation laid, and a high brick wall to be built. My father had a
garden there, and a house standing close to his south pale; this house
they loosed from the ground, and bare upon rollers into my father’s
garden twenty-two feet, ere my father heard thereof; no warning was
given him, nor other answer, when he spake to the surveyors of that
work, but that their master Sir Thomas commanded them so to do; no man
durst go to argue the matter, but each man lost his land, and my father
paid his whole rent, which was 6_s._ 6_d._ the year, for that half
which was left. Thus much of mine own knowledge have I thought good to
note, that the sudden rising of some men causeth them[156] to forget
themselves.
The company of the Drapers in London bought this house, and now the
same is their common hall. This company obtained of King Henry VI., in
the 17th of his reign, to be incorporate: John Gidney was chosen to be
their first master, and the four wardens were, J. Wotton, J. Darbie,
Robert Breton, and T. Cooke. The arms granted to the said company by
Sir William Bridges, knight, first garter king at arms, in blason, are
thus: Three sunbeams issuing out of three clouds of flame, crowned with
three crowns imperial of gold, upon a shield azure. From this hall, on
the same side down to the grates and course of Walbrook, have ye divers
fair houses for merchants and other; from the which grates back again
on the other side in Lethbury, so called in record of Edward III., the
38th year, and now corruptly called Lothbury, are candlestick founders
placed, till ye come to Bartholomew lane, so called of St. Bartholomew’s
church, at the south-east corner thereof. In this lane also are divers
fair built houses on both sides, and so likewise have ye in the other
street, which stretcheth from the Friars Augustine’s south gate to the
corner over against St. Bennet’s church. In this street, amongst other
fair buildings, the most ancient was of old time a house pertaining to
the abbot of St. Albans; John Catcher, alderman, now dwelleth there;
then is the free school pertaining to the late dissolved hospital of
St. Anthony, whereof more shall be shown in another place, and so up to
Threeneedle street. On the south part of which street, beginning at the
east, by the well with two buckets, now turned to a pump, is the parish
church of St. Martin called Oteswich, of Martin de Oteswich, Nicholas
de Oteswich, William Oteswich, and John Oteswich, founders thereof.
There be monuments in this church of William Constantine, alderman,
and Emme his wife; Katherine, wife to Benedick Augustine; Sir William
Drifield, knight; John Oteswich, and his wife, under a fair monument
on the south side; John Churchman, one of the sheriffs, in the year
1385; Richard Naylor, tailor, alderman, 1483; James Falleron; John
Melchborne; Thomas Hey, and Hellis his wife; William Clitherow, and
Margaret his wife; Oliver and William, sons to John Woodroffe, esquire;
Hugh Pemberton, tailor, alderman, 1500, and Katherine his wife; Matthew
Pemberton, merchant-tailor, about 1514: he gave £50 to the repairing
of St. Lawrence chapel. The aforesaid John Churchman, for William and
John Oteswich, by license of Henry IV., the 6th of his reign, gave the
advowson or patronage of this church, four messuages, and seventeen
shops, with the appurtenances in the parish of St. Martin’s Oteswich,
etc., to the master and wardens of tailors and linen-armourers, keepers
of the guild and fraternity of St. John Baptist in London, and to their
successors, in perpetual alms, to be employed on the poor brethren and
sisters; whereupon, adjoining unto the west end of this parish church,
the said master and wardens built about a proper quadrant or squared
court, seven alms houses, wherein they placed seven alms men of that
company, and their wives (if they had wives); each of these seven of
old time had 13_d._ the week, but now of later time their stipend by
the said master and wardens hath been augmented to the sum of 26_s._
the quarter, which is £5 4_s._ the year to each of them, besides coals;
more, to each of them 20_s._ the year, by gift of Walter Fish, sometime
master of that company, and tailor to her majesty.
Some small distance from thence is the Merchant-tailors’-hall,
pertaining to the guild and fraternity of St. John Baptist, time out of
mind called of tailors and linen-armourers of London; for I find that
Edward I., in the 28th of his reign, confirmed this guild by the name
of Tailors and Linen-armourers, and also gave to the brethren thereof
authority every year at Midsummer to hold a feast, and to choose unto
them a governor, or master, with wardens; whereupon the same year, 1300,
on the feast day of the nativity of St. John Baptist, they chose Henry
de Ryall to be their pilgrim for the master of this mystery (as one that
travelled for the whole company was then so called) until the 11th of
Richard II.; and the four wardens were then called purveyors of alms
(now called quarterage) of the said fraternity. This merchant-tailors’
hall, sometime pertaining to a worshipful gentleman named Edmond Creping
(Dominus Creping after some record), he in the year of Christ 1331, the
first of Edward III., for a certain sum of money to him paid, made his
grant thereof by the name of his principal messuage in the wards of
Cornehill and Brode street, which Sir Oliver Ingham, knight, did then
hold, to John of Yakley, the king’s pavilion maker. This was called the
new hall, or tailors’ inn, for a difference from their old hall, which
was about the back side of the Red Lion in Basing lane, and in the ward
of Cordwayner street.
The 21st of Edward IV., Thomas Holme, _alias_ Clarenciaulx king
of arms for the south part of England, granted by his patents to
the said fraternity and guild of St. John Baptist, of tailors and
linen-armourers, to bear in a field silver, a pavilion between two
mantels imperial purple garnished with gold, in a chief azure and holy
Lamb, set within a sun, the crest upon the helm, a pavilion purple
garnished with gold, etc. After this King Henry VII. being himself a
brother of this fraternity or guild of St. John Baptist, of tailors or
linen-armourers (as divers other his predecessors kings before him had
been, to wit, Richard III., Edward IV., Henry V., Henry IV., and Richard
II.); and for that divers of that fraternity had, time out of mind, been
great merchants, and had frequented all sorts of merchandises into most
parts of the world, to the honour of the king’s realm, and to the great
profit of his subjects, and of his progenitors; and the men of the said
mystery, during the time aforesaid, had exercised the buying and selling
of all wares and merchandises, especially of woollen cloth, as well in
gross, as by retail, throughout all this realm of England, and chiefly
within the said city; therefore he, of his especial grace, did change,
transfer, and translate the guild aforesaid, and did incorporate them
into the name of the Master and Wardens of the Merchant-tailors of the
fraternity of St. John Baptist, in the city of London.
Some distance west from this the Merchant-tailors’ hall is Finke’s lane,
so called of Robert Finke, and Robert Finke his son, James Finke, and
Rosamond Finke. Robert Finke the elder new built the parish church of
St. Bennet, commonly called Fink, of the founder; his tenements were
both of St. Bennet’s parish and St. Martin’s Oteswich parish. The one
half of this Finke lane is of Brode street ward, to wit, on the west
side up to the great and principal house wherein the said Finke dwelt;
but on the other side, namely the east, not so much towards Cornhill.
Then without this lane in the aforesaid Threeneedle street is the
said parish church of St. Bennet, a proper church, in which are these
monuments of the dead:--Robert Simson, and Elizabeth his wife; Roger
Strange, esquire; Trerisse; William Coolby; John Frey; Thomas Briar,
plumber, 1410, etc.
Some distance west is the Royal Exchange, whereof more shall be spoken
in the ward of Cornhill, and so down to the little conduit, called the
pissing conduit, by the Stockes market, and this is the south side of
Threeneedle street.
On the north side of this street, from over against the east corner
of St. Martin’s Oteswich church, have ye divers fair and large houses
till ye come to the hospital of St. Anthonie, sometime a cell to St.
Anthonie’s of Vienna. For I read that King Henry III. granted to the
brotherhood of St. Anthonie of Vienna, a place amongst the Jews, which
was sometime their synagogue, and had been built by them about the
year 1231; but the Christians obtained of the king that it should be
dedicated to our Blessed Lady; and since a hospital being there built,
was called St. Anthonie’s in London; it was founded in the parish of St.
Bennet Finke, for a master, two priests, one schoolmaster, and twelve
poor men: after which foundation, amongst other things, was given to
this hospital, one messuage and garden, whereon was built the fair large
free school, and one other parcel of ground, containing thirty-seven
feet in length, and eighteen feet in breadth, whereon was built the
alms houses of hard stone and timber, in the reign of Henry VI., which
said Henry VI., in the 20th of his reign, gave unto John Carpenter,
D.D., master of St. Anthonie’s hospital, and to his brethren and their
successors for ever, his manor of Ponington, with the appurtenances,
with certain pensions and portions of Milburne, Burnworth, Charlton,
and Up Wimborne, in the county of Southampton, towards the maintenance
of five scholars in the university of Oxford, to be brought up in the
faculty of arts, after the rate of ten pence the week for every scholar,
so that the said scholars shall be first instructed in the rudiments of
grammar at the college of Eaton, founded by the said king.
In the year 1474, Edward IV. granted to William Say, B.D., master of the
said hospital, to have priests, clerks, scholars, poor men, and brethren
of the same, clerks, or laymen, choristers, proctors, messengers,
servants in household, and other things whatsoever, like as the prior
and convent of St. Anthonie’s of Vienna, etc. He also annexed, united,
and appropriated the said hospital unto the collegiate church of St.
George in Windsor.
The proctors of this house were to collect the benevolence of charitable
persons towards the building and supporting thereof. And amongst other
things observed in my youth, I remember that the officers charged with
oversight of the markets in this city, did divers times take from
the market people, pigs starved, or otherwise unwholesome for man’s
sustenance; these they slit in the ear. One of the proctors for St.
Anthonie’s tied a bell about the neck, and let it feed on the dunghills;
no man would hurt or take them up, but if any gave to them bread, or
other feeding, such would they know, watch for, and daily follow,
whining till they had somewhat given them; whereupon was raised a
proverb, “Such an one will follow such an one, and whine as it were an
Anthonie pig;” but if such a pig grew to be fat, and came to good liking
(as oft times they did), then the proctor would take him up to the use
of the hospital.
In the year 1499, Sir John Tate, sometime ale-brewer, when a mercer,
caused his brewhouse, called the Swan, near adjoining to the said free
chapel, college, or hospital of St. Anthonie, to be taken down for the
enlarging of the church, which was then new built, toward the building
whereof the said Tate gave great sums of money, and finished in the
year 1501. Sir John Tate deceased 1514, and was there buried under a
fair monument by him prepared. Dr. Tayler, master of the rolls, and
other.[157]
Walter Champion, draper, one of the sheriffs of London 1529, was buried
there, and gave to the beadman twenty pounds. The lands by year of this
hospital were valued in the 37th year of Henry VIII. to be fifty-five
pounds six shillings and eight pence.
One Johnson (a schoolmaster of the famous free-school there) became a
prebend of Windsor, and then by little and little followed the spoil
of this hospital. He first dissolved the choir, conveyed the plate and
ornaments, then the bells, and lastly put out the alms men from their
houses, appointing them portions of twelve pence the week to each (but
now I hear of no such matter performed), their houses with other be
letten out for rent, and the church is a preaching place for the French
nation.
This school was commended in the reign of Henry VI., and sithence
commended above other, but now decayed, and come to nothing, by taking
that from it what thereunto belonged.
Next is the parish church of St. Bartholomew, at the end of Bartholomew
lane. Thomas Pike, alderman, with the assistance of Nicholas Yoo, one
of the sheriffs of London, about the year 1438, new built this church.
Sir John Fray, knight, was buried there, Margery his daughter and
heir, wife to Sir John Lepington, knight, founded there a chantry the
21st of Edward IV. Alderban, a Gascoyne, was buried there; Sir Will.
Capel, mayor 1509, added unto this church a proper chapel on the south
side thereof, and was buried there; Sir Giles Cappell was also buried
there; James Wilford, tailor, one of the sheriffs 1499, appointed by
his testament a doctor of divinity, every Good Friday for ever, to
preach there a sermon of Christ’s Passion, from six of the clock till
eight before noon, in the said church. John Wilford, merchant-tailor,
alderman, 1544; Sir James Wilford, 1550; Sir George Barne, mayor 1552;
John Dent; Miles Coverdale, Bishop of Excester; Thomas Dancer, and Anne
his wife.