St. Christopher, but re-edified of new; for Richard Shore, one of the
sheriffs 1506, gave money towards the building of the steeple. There lie
buried Richard Sherington, 1392, who gave lands to that church; the Lady
Margaret Norford, 1406; John Clavering, 1421, who gave lands thereunto;
John Godnay, draper, mayor 1427. This Godnay, in the year 1444, wedded
the widow of Robert Large, late mayor, which widow had taken the mantle
and ring, and the vow to live chaste to God during the term of her
life, for the breach whereof, the marriage done, they were troubled
by the church, and put to penance, both he and she. William Hampton,
mayor 1472, was a great benefactor, and glazed some of the church
windows; Sir William Martin, mayor 1492; Roger Achley, mayor 1511,
he dwelt in Cornehill ward, in a house belonging to Cobham college,
rented by the year at twenty-six shillings and eight pence; Robert
Thorne, merchant-tailor, a bachelor, 1532--he gave by his testament in
charity more than four thousand four hundred and forty-five pounds; John
Norryholme; Ralph Batte; Alice Percivall; Jane Drew; William Borresbie;
John Broke; Richard Sutton; William Batte; James Well; Henry Beacher,
alderman, 1570.
West from this church have ye Scalding alley, of old time called
Scalding house, or Scalding wike, because that ground for the most part
was then employed by poulterers that dwelt in the high street from the
Stocks’ market to the great conduit. Their poultry, which they sold at
their stalls, were scalded there. The street doth yet bear the name of
the Poultry, and the poulterers are but lately departed from thence into
other streets, as into Grasse street, and the ends of St. Nicholas flesh
shambles. This Scalding wike is the farthest west part of Brode street
ward, and is by the water called Walbrook parted from Cheap ward. This
Brode street ward hath an alderman, with his deputy, common councillors
ten, constables ten, scavengers eight, wardmote inquest thirteen, and
a beadle. It is taxed to the fifteenth in London at seven-and-twenty
pounds, and accounted in the Exchequer after twenty-five pounds.
FOOTNOTES:
[154] “Pembroke.”--_1st edition_, p. 136.
[155] “Courtney.”--_1st edition_, _ibid._
[156] “In some matters.”--_1st edition_, p. 141.
[157] “This goodly foundation having a free schoole and almes houses
for poore men (builded of hard stone) adjoyning to the west end of the
church, was of olde time confirmed by Henry the Sixt, in the year 1447.
The outward work of this new church was finished in the year 1501, the
said John Tate deceased about the year 1514, and was there buried in a
monument by him prepared, as appeareth by an indenture tripartite made
between the said John Tate, the Deane of Windsor, and William Milbourn,
chamberlaine.”--_1st edition_, p. 145.
CORNEHILL WARD
The next ward to the south is Cornehill ward, so called of a corn
market, time out of mind there holden, and is a part of the principal
high street, beginning at the west end of Leaden hall, stretching down
west on both the sides by the south end of Finks lane on the right hand,
and by the north end of Birchovers lane; on the left part of which
lanes, to wit, to the middle of them, is of this ward, and so down to
the Stockes market; and this is the bounds.
The upper or east part of this ward, and also a part of Lime street
ward, hath been (as I said) a market place, especially for corn, and
since for all kind of victuals, as is partly showed in Lime street
ward; yet it appeareth of record, that in the year 1522, the rippers
of Rie and other places, sold their fresh fish in Leaden hall market
upon Cornehill, but foreign butchers were not admitted there to sell
flesh till the year 1533; and it was enacted, that butchers should
sell[158], their beef not above a halfpenny the pound, and mutton a
halfpenny half-farthing; which act being devised for the great commodity
of the realm (as it was then thought) hath since proved far otherwise;
for before that time a fat ox was sold in London for six-and-twenty
shillings and eight pence at the most, a fat wether for three shillings
and four pence, a fat calf the like price, a fat lamb for twelve pence,
pieces of beef weighing two pounds and a half at the least, yea three
pounds or better, for a penny, on every butcher’s stall in this city,
and of those pieces of beef thirteen or fourteen for twelve pence, fat
mutton for eight pence the quarter, and one hundred weight of beef for
four shillings and eight pence, at the dearest. What the price is now I
need not to set down; many men thought the same act to rise in price,
by mean that graziers knew or supposed what weight every their beasts
contained, and so raising their price thereafter, the butcher could
be no gainer, but by likewise raising his price.[159] The number of
butchers then in the city and suburbs was accounted six score, of which
every one killed six oxen a piece weekly, which is in forty-six weeks
thirty-three thousand one hundred and twenty oxen, or seven hundred and
twenty oxen weekly. The foreign butchers for a long time stood in the
high street of Lime Street ward on the north side, twice every week,
namely, Wednesday and Saturday, and were some gain to the tenants before
whose doors they stood, and into whose houses they set their blocks and
stalls; but that advantage being espied, they were taken into Leaden
hall, there to pay for their standing to the chamber of London. Thus
much for the market upon Cornhill.
The chief ornaments on Cornhill ward are these: first, at the east
end thereof, in the middle of the high street, and at the parting
of four ways, have ye a water standard, placed in the year 1582, in
manner following. A certain German, named Peter Morris, having made an
artificial forcier for that purpose, conveyed Thames water in pipes of
lead over the steeple of St. Magnus church, at the north end of London
Bridge, and from thence into divers men’s houses in Thames street, New
Fish street, and Grasse street, up to the north-west corner of Leaden
hall, the highest ground of all the city, where the waste of the main
pipe rising into this standard, provided at the charges of the city,
with four spouts did at every tide run (according to covenant) four
ways, plentifully serving to the commodity of the inhabitants near
adjoining in their houses, and also cleansed the channels of the street
towards Bishopsgate, Aldgate, the bridge, and the Stockes’ market. But
now no such matter, through whose default I know not.[160]
Then have ye a fair conduit of sweet water, castellated in the middest
of that ward and street. This conduit was first built of stone in
the year 1282, by Henry Walles, mayor of London, to be a prison for
night-walkers, and other suspicious persons, and was called the Tun
upon Cornehill, because the same was built somewhat in fashion of a tun
standing on the one end.
To this prison the night watches of this city committed not only night
walkers, but also other persons, as well spiritual as temporal, whom
they suspected of incontinence, and punished them according to the
customs of this city; but complaint thereof being made, about the year
of Christ 1297, King Edward I. writeth to his citizens thus:--
“Edward, by the grace of God, etc. Whereas Richard Gravesend, bishop of
London, hath showed unto us, that by the Great Charter of England, the
Church hath a privilege, that no clerk should be imprisoned by a lay
man without our command, and breach of peace, which notwithstanding
some citizens of London, upon mere spite, do enter in their watches into
clerks’ chambers, and like felons carry them to the Tun, which Henry le
Walleys, sometime mayor, built for night walkers; wherefore we will that
this our commandment be proclaimed in full hustings, and that no watch
hereafter enter into any clerk’s chamber, under the forfeit of twenty
pounds. Dated at Carlisle the 18th of March, the 25th of our reign.”
More, I read about the year of Christ 1299, the 27th of Edward I.,
certain principal citizens of London, to wit, T. Romane, Richard
Gloucester, Nicholas Faringdon, Adam Helingburie, T. Saly, John
Dunstable, Richard Ashwy, John Wade, and William Stortford, brake up
this prison called the Tun, and took out certain prisoners, for which
they were sharply punished by long imprisonment and great fines. It cost
the citizens (as some have written) more than twenty thousand marks,
which they were amerced in, before William le March, treasurer of the
king’s exchequer, to purchase the king’s favour, and confirmation of
their liberties.
Also, that in the year 1383, the 7th of Richard II., the citizens of
London, taking upon them the rights that belonged to their bishops,
first imprisoned such women as were taken in fornication or adultery in
the said Tun, and after bringing them forth to the sight of the world,
they caused their heads to be shaven, after the manner of thieves, whom
they named appellators, and so to be led about the city, in sight of
all the inhabitants, with trumpets and pipes sounding before them, that
their persons might be the more largely known. Neither did they spare
such kind of men a whit the more, but used them as hardly, saying, they
abhorred not only the negligence of their prelates, but also detested
their avarice, that studying for money, omitted the punishment limited
by law, and permitted those that were found guilty to live favourably
in their sin. Wherefore, they would themselves, they said, purge their
city from such filthiness, lest, through God’s vengeance, either the
pestilence or sword should happen to them, or that the earth should
swallow them.
Last of all to be noted, I read in the charge of the wardmote inquest
in every ward of the city, these words:--“If there be any priest in
service within the ward, which before time hath been set in the Tun in
Cornhill for his dishonesty, and hath forsworn the city, all such shall
be presented.”
Thus much for the Tun in Cornhill have I read. Now for the punishments
of priests in my youth: one note and no more. John Atwod, draper,
dwelling in the parish of St. Michael upon Cornehill, directly against
the church, having a proper woman to his wife, such an one as seemed the
holiest among a thousand, had also a lusty chantry priest, of the said
parish church, repairing to his house; with the which priest the said
Atwod would sometimes after supper play a game at tables for a pint of
ale: it chanced on a time, having haste of work, and his game proving
long, he left his wife to play it out, and went down to his shop, but
returning to fetch a pressing iron, he found such play to his misliking,
that he forced the priest to jump out at a window over the penthouse
into the street, and so to run to his lodging in the churchyard. Atwod
and his wife were soon reconciled, so that he would not suffer her to
be called in question; but the priest being apprehended and committed,
I saw his punishment to be thus:--He was on three market days conveyed
through the high street and markets of the city with a paper on his
head, wherein was written his trespass. The first day he rode in a
carry, the second on a horse, his face to the horse tail, the third led
betwixt twain, and every day rung with basons, and proclamations made
of his fact at every turning of the street, as also before John Atwod’s
stall, and the church door of his service, where he lost his chantry of
twenty nobles the year, and was banished the city for ever.
By the west side of the foresaid prison, then called the Tun, was a
fair well of spring water, curbed round with hard stone; but in the
year 1401, the said prison house, called the Tun, was made a cistern
for sweet water, conveyed by pipes of lead from Tiborne, and was from
thenceforth called the Conduit upon Cornhill. Then was the well planked
over, and a strong prison made of timber called a cage, with a pair
of stocks therein set upon it, and this was for night walkers. On the
top of which cage was placed a pillory, for the punishment of bakers
offending in the assize of bread, for millers stealing of corn at the
mill, for bawds, scolds, and other offenders. As in the year 1468,
the 7th of Edward IV., divers persons being common jurors, such as at
assizes were forsworn for rewards, or favour of parties, were judged to
ride from Newgate to the pillory in Cornhill, with mitres of paper on
their heads, there to stand, and from thence again to Newgate, and this
judgment was given by the mayor of London. In the year 1509, the 1st of
Henry VIII., Darby, Smith, and Simson, ringleaders of false inquests in
London, rode about the city with their faces to the horse tails, and
papers on their heads, and were set on the pillory in Cornhill, and
after brought again to Newgate, where they died for very shame, saith
Robert Fabian. A ringleader of inquests,[161] as I take it, is he that
making a gainful occupation thereof, will appear on Nisi-priuses, or he
be warned, or procure himself to be warned, to come on by a tales. He
will also procure himself to be foreman when he can, and take upon him
to overrule the rest to his opinion; such an one shall be laboured by
plaintiffs and defendants, not without promise of rewards, and therefore
to be suspected of a bad conscience. I would wish a more careful choice
of jurors to be had; for I have known a man carted, rung with basons,
and banished out of Bishopsgate ward, and afterward in Aldgate ward
admitted to be a constable, a grand juryman, and foreman of the wardmote
inquest: what I know of the like, or worse men, proffered to the like
offices, I forbear to write, but wish to be reformed.
The foresaid conduit upon Cornhill, was in the year 1475 enlarged by
Robert Drope, draper, mayor, that then dwelt in that ward; he increased
the cistern of this conduit with an east end of stone, and castellated
in comely manner.
In the year 1546, Sir Martin Bowes, mayor, dwelling in Lombard street,
and having his back gate opening into Cornehill against the said
conduit, minded to have enlarged the cistern thereof with a west end,
like as Robert Drope before had done towards the east; view and measure
of the plot was taken for this work; but the pillory and cage being
removed, they found the ground planked, and the well aforesaid worn out
of memory, which well they revived and restored to use--it is since made
a pump; they set the pillory somewhat west from the well; and so this
work ceased.
On the north side of the street, from the east unto the west, have ye
divers fair houses for merchants and other, amongst the which one large
house is called the Wey house, where merchandises brought from beyond
the seas are to be weighed at the king’s beam. This house hath a master,
and under him four master porters, with porters under them: they have a
strong cart, and four great horses, to draw and carry the wares from the
merchants’ houses to the beam and back again. Sir Thomas Lovell, knight,
built this house, with a fair front of tenements towards the street; all
which he gave to the Grocers of London, himself being free of the city,
and a brother of that company.
Then have ye the said Finke’s lane, the south end of which lane on both
sides is in Cornehill ward.
Then next is the Royal Exchange, erected in the year 1566, after this
order, namely, certain houses upon Cornehill, and the like upon the
back thereof, in the ward of Brode street, with three alleys, the
first called Swan alley, opening into Cornehill, the second New alley,
passing throughout of Cornehill into Brode street ward, over against
St. Bartholomew lane, the third St. Christopher’s alley, opening into
Brode street ward, and into St. Christopher’s parish, containing in all
fourscore households, were first purchased by the citizens of London,
for more than three thousand five hundred and thirty-two pounds, and
were sold for four hundred and seventy-eight pounds, to such persons as
should take them down and carry them thence; also the ground or plot was
made plain at the charges of the city; and then possession thereof was
by certain aldermen, in name of the whole citizens, given to Sir Thomas
Gresham, knight, agent to the queen’s highness, thereupon to build a
burse, or place for merchants to assemble, at his own proper charges.
And he, on the 7th of June, laying the first stone of the foundation,
being brick, accompanied with some aldermen, every of them laid a piece
of gold, which the workmen took up, and forthwith followed upon the same
with such diligence, that by the month of November, in the year 1567,
the same was covered with slate, and shortly after fully finished.
In the year 1570, on the 23rd of January, the queen’s majesty, attended
with her nobility, came from her house at the Strand, called Somerset
house, and entered the city by Temple Bar, through Fleet street, Cheape,
and so by the north side of the burse, through Threeneedle street, to
Sir Thomas Gresham’s in Bishopsgate street, where she dined. After
dinner her majesty returning through Cornehill, entered the burse on the
south side; and after that she had viewed every part thereof above the
ground, especially the pawn, which was richly furnished with all sorts
of the finest wares in the city, she caused the same burse by an herald
and trumpet to be proclaimed the Royal Exchange, and so to be called
from thenceforth, and not otherwise.
Next adjoining this Royal Exchange remaineth one part of a large stone
house, and is now called the Castle of such a sign; at a tavern door
there is a passage through out of Cornehill into Threeneedle street;
the other part of the said stone house was taken down for enlarging
the Royal Exchange: this stone house was said of some to have been a
church, whereof it had no proportion, of others a Jew’s house, as though
none but Jews had dwelt in stone houses; but that opinion is without
warrant, for besides the strong building of stone houses against the
invasion of thieves in the night, when no watches were kept, in the 1st
year of Richard I., to prevent the casualties of fire, which often had
happened in the city, when the houses were built of timber, and covered
with reed or straw, Henry Fitz Alewine being mayor, it was decreed,
that from henceforth no man should build within the city but of stone,
until a certain height, and to cover the same building with slate or
burnt tile; and this was the very cause of such stone buildings, whereof
many have remained till our time, that for winning of ground they have
been taken down, and in place of some one of them being low, as but
two stories above the ground, many houses of four or five stories high
are placed. From this stone house down to the Stocks are divers large
houses, especially for height, for merchants and artificers.
On the south side of this high street is the parish church of St. Peter
upon Cornehill, which seemeth to be of an ancient building, but not
so ancient as fame reporteth, for it hath been lately repaired, if
not all new built, except the steeple, which is ancient. The roof of
this church, and glazing, were finished in the reign of Edward IV., as
appeareth by arms of noblemen and aldermen of London then living. There
remaineth in this church a table whereon it is written, I know not by
what authority, but of a late hand, that King Lucius founded the same
church to be an archbishop’s see metropolitan,[162] and chief church of
his kingdom, and that it so endured the space of four hundred years,
unto the coming of Augustin the monk.
Joceline of Furness writeth, that Thean, the first archbishop of London,
in the reign of Lucius, built the said church by the aid of Ciran, chief
butler to King Lucius; and also that Eluanus, the second archbishop,
built a library to the same adjoining, and converted many of the Druids,
learned men in the Pagan law, to Christianity. True it is, that a
library there was pertaining to this parish church of old time, built
of stone, and of late repaired with brick by the executors of Sir John
Crosby, alderman, as his arms on the south end doth witness.
This library hath been of late time, to wit, within these fifty years,
well furnished of books; John Leyland viewed and commended them; but
now those books be gone, and the place is occupied by a schoolmaster
and his usher, over a number of scholars learning their grammar rules,
etc. Notwithstanding, before that time a grammar school had been kept in
this parish, as appeareth in the year 1425, I read, that John Whitby was
rector, and John Steward schoolmaster there; and in the 25th of Henry
VI., it was enacted by parliament, that four grammar schools in London
should be maintained, namely, in the parishes of Allhallows, in Thames
street, St. Andrew in Oldbourne, St. Peter’s upon Cornehill, and St.
Thomas of Acars.
Monuments of the dead in this church defaced: I read, that Hugh Waltham,
Nicholas Pricot, mercer, alderman, Richard Manhall, 1503; William
Kingston, fishmonger, gave his tenements called the Horse mill in
Grasse street to this church, and was there buried about the year 1298;
John Unisburgh, poulterer, 1410; John Law. Also Peter Mason, tailor,
gave to this church seven pounds sterling yearly for ever, out of his
tenements in Colechurch parish, and deceased about the year 1416. John
Foxton founded a chantry there. A brotherhood of St. Peter was in this
church established by Henry IV., the 4th of his reign. William Brampton
and William Askham, fishmongers and aldermen, were chief procurers
thereof, for the fishmongers of late buried there; Sir William Bowyer,
mayor 1543; Sir Henry Huberthorn, mayor 1546; Sir Christopher Morice,
master-gunner of England to King Henry VIII.; Edward Elrington, esquire,
chief-butler to Edward VI.; Thomas Gardener, grocer; and Justice Smith,
and other.
Then have ye the parish church of St. Michael th’ Archangel; for the
antiquity whereof I find that Alnothus the priest gave it to the abbot
and convent of Covesham, Reynold abbot, and the convent there did
grant the same to Sperling the priest, in all measures as he and his
predecessors before had held it; to the which Sperling also they granted
all their lands which they there had, except certain lands which Orgar
le Prowde had held of them, and paid two shilling yearly; for the which
grant the said Sperling should yearly pay one mark of rent to the said
abbot of Covesham, and find him and his lodging, salt, water, and fire,
when he came to London. This was granted 1133, about the 34th of Henry
I. Thus much for antiquity; of later time I find, that Elizabeth Peake,
widow, gave the patronage or gift of this benefice to the Drapers in
London; she lieth buried in the belfry, 1518: her monument yet remaineth.
This hath been a fair and beautiful church, but of late years, since
the surrender of their lands to Edward VI., greatly blemished by the
building of lower tenements on the north side thereof towards the high
street, in place of a green churchyard, whereby the church is darkened,
and other ways annoyed. The fair new steeple, or bell tower of this
church, was begun to be built in the year 1421, which being finished,
and a fair ring of five bells therein placed, a sixth bell[163] was
added, and given by John Whitwell, Isabel his wife, and William Rus,
alderman, and goldsmith, about the year 1430, which bell, named “Rus,”
nightly at eight of the clock, and otherwise for knells, and in peals,
rung by one man, for the space of one hundred and sixty years, of late
overhauled by four or five at once, hath been thrice broken, and new
cast within the space of ten years, to the charges of that parish more
than one hundred marks.