of proper small houses, with gardens for poor decayed people, there
placed by the prior of the said hospital; every one tenant whereof paid
one penny rent by the year at Christmas, and dined with the prior on
Christmas day: but after the suppression of the hospital, these houses,
for want of reparations, in few years were so decayed, that it was
called Rotten row, and the poor worn out (for there came no new in their
place) houses, for a small portion of money, were sold from Goddard to
Russell, a draper, who new built them, and let them out for rent enough,
taking also large fines of the tenants, near as much as the houses cost
him purchase and building; for he made his bargains so hardly with all
men, that both carpenter, bricklayer, and plasterer, were by that work
undone: and yet, in honour of his name, it is now called Russell’s row.
Now for the parish of St. Leonard at Soers ditch, the archdeacon of
London is always parson thereof, and the cure is served by a vicar. In
this church have been divers honourable persons buried, as appeareth
by monuments yet remaining: Sir John Elrington, with Margaret his
wife, daughter and heir to Thomas Lord Itchingham, widow to William
Blount, son and heir to Walter Blount, the first Lord Mountjoy, which
Margaret died 1481, Sir Humfrey Starkie, recorder of London, baron of
the Exchequer; John Gadde, shereman of London, and Anne his wife, 1480;
Sir Thomas Seymore, mayor of London, deceased 1535; Sir Thomas Ligh,
doctor of law, 1545. Item, under one fair monument lieth buried the Lady
Katherine, daughter to Edward, duke of Buckingham, wife to Ralph Nevell,
Earl of Westmoreland, who died 1553; also Elianor, daughter to Sir
William Paston, wife to Thomas Mannars, earl of Rutland, 1551; Margaret,
daughter to Ralph Nevel, earl of Westmoreland, and wife to Henry
Mannars, earl of Rutland, 1560; Katherine, daughter to Henry Nevel, earl
of Westmoreland, and wife to Sir John Constable of Holderness, 1591;
Anne, daughter to T. Mannars, earl of Rutland; Sir T. Mannars, fourth
son to Thomas, earl of Rutland, 1591; Oliver Mannars, fifth son to
Thomas, earl of Rutland, 1563, all under one monument; Richard and Harry
Young, 1545.
Notwithstanding that of late one vicar there, for covetousness of the
brass, which he converted into coined silver, plucking up many plates
fixed on the graves, and left no memory of such as had been buried under
them, a great injury both to the living and the dead, forbidden by
public proclamation, in the reign of our sovereign lady Queen Elizabeth,
but not forborne by many, that either of a preposterous zeal, or of a
greedy mind, spare not to satisfy themselves by so wicked a means.
One note of Shoreditch, and so an end of that suburb. I read, that in
the year 1440, the 18th of Henry VI. a fuller of Shoreditch appeached
of treason many worthy esquires and gentlemen of Kent, but he being
proved false, was attainted, condemned, and had judgment to be drawn,
hanged, and quartered; which was done; his head set on London bridge,
and his quarters on the gates. This justice was done according to the
xvith of Deuteronomy: “The judges shall make diligent inquisition, and
if the witness be found false, and to have given false witness against
his brother, then shall they do unto him as he had thought to do unto
his brother,” etc. I read of the King’s Manor vocatur Shoreditch-place,
in the parish of Hackney, but how it took that name I know not, and
therefore I will turn back from Shoreditch cross to Bethelem cross, and
so pass through that hospital into the Morefield, which lieth without
the postern called Moregate.
This field of old time was called the More, as appeareth by the charter
of William the Conqueror to the college of St. Martin, declaring a
running water to pass into the city from the same More. Also Fitzstephen
writeth of this More, saying thus: “When the great fen, or moor, which
watereth the walls on the north side, is frozen,” etc. This fen, or moor
field, stretching from the wall of the city betwixt Bishopsgate and the
postern called Cripples gate, to Fensbery and to Holy well, continued
a waste and unprofitable ground a long time, so that the same was all
letten for four marks the year, in the reign of Edward II.; but in
the year 1415, the 3rd of Henry V., Thomas Fawconer, mayor, as I have
showed, caused the wall of the city to be broken toward the said moor,
and built the postern called Moregate, for the ease of the citizens to
walk that way upon causeys towards Iseldon and Hoxton: moreover, he
caused the ditches of the city, and other the ditches from Soers ditch
to Deepe ditch, by Bethelem, into the More ditch, to be new cast and
cleansed; by means whereof the said fen or moor was greatly drained and
dried; but shortly after, to wit, in 1477, Ralph Joceline, mayor, for
repairing of the wall of the city, caused the said moor to be searched
for clay, and brick to be burnt there, etc.; by which means this field
was made the worse for a long time.
In the year 1498, all the gardens, which had continued time out of mind
without Moregate, to wit, about and beyond the lordship of Finsbury,
were destroyed; and of them was made a plain field for archers to shoot
in. And in the year 1512, Roger Archley, mayor, caused divers dikes
to be cast, and made to drain the waters of the said Morefielde, with
bridges arched over them, and the grounds about to be levelled, whereby
the said field was made somewhat more commodious, but yet it stood
full of noisome waters; whereupon, in the year 1527, Sir Thomas Semor,
mayor, caused divers sluices to be made to convey the said waters over
the Town ditch, into the course of Walbrooke, and so into the Thames;
and by these degrees was this fen or moor at length made main and hard
ground, which before being overgrown with flags, sedges, and rushes,
served to no use; since the which time also the further grounds beyond
Finsbury court have been so overheightened with lay-stalls of dung, that
now three windmills are thereon set; the ditches be filled up, and the
bridges overwhelmed.
And now concerning the inclosures of common grounds about this city,
whereof I mind not much to argue, Edward Hall setteth down a note of
his time, to wit, in the 5th, or rather 6th of Henry VIII. “Before this
time,” saith he, “the inhabitants of the towns about London, as Iseldon,
Hoxton, Shoreditch, and others, had so inclosed the common fields with
hedges and ditches, that neither the young men of the city might shoot,
nor the ancient persons walk for their pleasures in those fields, but
that either their bows and arrows were taken away or broken, or the
honest persons arrested or indicted; saying, ‘that no Londoner ought to
go out of the city, but in the highways.’ This saying so grieved the
Londoners, that suddenly this year a great number of the city assembled
themselves in a morning, and a turner, in a fool’s coat, came crying
through the city, ‘Shovels and spades! shovels and spades!’ so many
of the people followed, that it was a wonder to behold; and within
a short space all the hedges about the city were cast down, and the
ditches filled up, and every thing made plain, such was the diligence
of these workmen. The king’s council hearing of this assembly, came
to the Gray Friars and sent for the mayor and council of the city to
know the cause, which declared to them the injury and annoying done to
the citizens and to their liberties, which though they would not seek
disorderly to redress, yet the commonalty and young persons could not
be stayed thus to remedy the same. When the king’s council had heard
their answer, they dissimuled the matter, and commanded the mayor to
see that no other thing were attempted, but that they should forthwith
call home the younger sort; who having speedily achieved their desire,
returned home before the king’s council, and the mayor departed without
more harm: after which time (saith Hall) these fields were never hedged,
but now we see the thing in worse case than ever, by means of inclosure
for gardens, wherein are built many fair summer-houses;[284] and, as
in other places of the suburbs, some of them like Midsummer pageants,
with towers, turrets, and chimney-tops, not so much for use of profit
as for show and pleasure, betraying the vanity of men’s minds, much
unlike to the disposition of the ancient citizens, who delighted in the
building of hospitals and alms-houses for the poor, and therein both
employed their wits, and spent their wealths in preferment of the common
commodity of this our city.”
But to come back again to Moregate, and from thence west through a
narrow lane called the Postern, because it hath at either end a door to
be shut in the night season, betwixt the More ditch inclosed with brick
for tenter-yards, and the gardens of the said More field, to More lane;
a part of the suburb without Cripplegate, without this postern, called
Cripplegate, also lay a part of the said More even to the river of the
Wells, as in another place I have showed; and no houses were there built
till the latter end of the reign of William the Conqueror, and of his
son William Rufus; about which times some few houses being there built
along east and west, thwart before the said gate, one Alfune built for
the inhabitants a parish church, which is of St. Giles, somewhat west
from the said gate, and is now on the bank of the town ditch; and so was
there a street, since called Fore street, as standing before the gate.
This Alfune, in the reign of Henry I., became the first hospitaller of
St. Bartlemewe’s hospital in Smithfield, as in another place I have
noted. And this parish church of St. Giles being at the first a small
thing, stood in place where now standeth the vicarage-house, but hath
been since at divers times much enlarged, according as the parish
hath increased, and was at the length newly built in place where now
it standeth. But the same new church being large, strongly built, and
richly furnished with ornaments, was in the year 1545, by casualty of
fire, sore burnt and consumed, notwithstanding it was again within a
short space of time repaired, as now it showeth.
Some little distance from the east end of this church standeth a fair
conduit, castellated, in Fore street. Then have ye a boss of sweet water
in the wall of the churchyard, lately made a pump, but already decayed.
Then have ye a fair pool of sweet water near to the church of St. Giles,
wherein Anne of Lodbery was drowned, as I have before declared.
In the east end of Fore street is More lane: then next is Grub street;
of late years inhabited, for the most part, by bowyers, fletchers,
bow-string makers, and such like occupations, now little occupied;
archery giving place to a number of bowling-alleys and dicing-houses,
which in all places are increased, and too much frequented.
This street stretcheth north to Guerades Well street, which thwarteth it
to White cross street; the next from Fore street north is White cross
street, likewise extending itself up to the west end of Guerades Well
street, and from the end thereof to Eald street.
From the west end of Fore street lieth Red cross street; from the which
cross on the right hand east lieth Beech lane, and reacheth to the White
cross street. From Red cross north lieth Golding lane, which stretcheth
up to a cross in Ealde street, which Golding lane on both the sides is
replenished with many tenements of poor people.
On the left hand, and west of the Red cross, lieth a street of old
time called Houndes ditch, and of later time named Barbican, of such
cause as I have before noted. And thus have you all the suburb without
Cripplegate, being almost altogether in the parish of St. Giles, which
hath more than eighteen hundred householders, and above four thousand
communicants.
Without Aldersgate on the left hand is the parish church of St.
Buttolph; on the north side of the which church lieth a way called
Little Britane street, towards the priory of St. Bartholomew in
Smithfield; but the highway without Aldersgate runneth straight north
from the said gate unto Houndes ditch, or Barbican street, on the right
hand, and Long lane on the left hand, which runneth into Smithfield.
Then from the farther end of Aldersgate street, straight north to
the bar, is called Goswell street, replenished with small tenements,
cottages, and alleys, gardens, banqueting-houses, and bowling-places.
Beyond these bars, leaving the Charter-house on the left hand, or the
west side, the way stretcheth up towards Iseldon, and on the right hand,
or east side, at a Red cross, turneth into Eald street, so called, for
that it was the old highway from Aldersgate, for the north-east parts
of England, before Bishopsgate was built, which street runneth east
to a smith’s forge, sometime a cross before Shoreditch church, from
whence the passengers and carriages were to turn north to King’s land,
Tottenham, Waltham, Ware, etc.
There was sometime in this suburb without Aldersgate an hospital for the
poor, but an alien of Clunie, a French order, and therefore suppressed
by King Henry V., who gave the house, with lands and goods, to the
parish of St. Buttolph, and a brotherhood of the Trinity was there
founded, which was afterward suppressed by Henry VIII. or Edward VI.
There is at the farthest north corner of this suburb a windmill, which
was sometime by a tempest of wind overthrown, and in place thereof a
chapel was built by Queen Katherine (first wife to Henry VIII.), who
named it the Mount of Calvary, because it was of Christ’s passion, and
was in the end of Henry VIII. pulled down, and a windmill newly set up
as afore.
Without Newgate lieth the west and by north suburb; on the right hand,
or north side whereof, betwixt the said gate and the parish of St.
Sepulchre, turneth a way towards West Smithfield, called, as I have
showed, Giltspurre street, or Knightriders street; then is Smithfield
itself compassed about with buildings, as I have before declared, in
Faringdon ward without.
And without the bar of West Smithfield lieth a large street or way,
called of the house of St. John there St. John’s street, and stretcheth
toward Iseldon, on the right hand whereof stood the late dissolved
monastery called the Charterhouse, founded by Sir Walter Manny, knight,
a stranger born, lord of the town of Manny, in the diocese of Cambrey,
beyond the seas, who for service done to King Edward III. was made
knight of the garter: so his house he founded upon this occasion. A
great pestilence entering this island, began first in Dorsetshire,
then proceeded into Devonshire, Somersetshire, Gloucestershire, and
Oxfordshire, and at length came to London, and overspread all England,
so wasting the people, that scarce the tenth person of all sorts was
left alive, and churchyards were not sufficient to receive the dead,
but men were forced to choose out certain fields for burials; whereupon
Ralph Stratford, bishop of London, in the year 1348, bought a piece of
ground called No Man’s Land, which he inclosed with a wall of brick, and
dedicated for burial of the dead, building thereupon a proper chapel,
which is now enlarged and made a dwelling-house; and this burying plot
is become a fair garden, retaining the old name of Pardon churchyard.
About this, in the year 1349, the said Sir Walter Manny, in respect
of danger that might befall in this time of so great a plague and
infection, purchased thirteen acres and a rod of ground adjoining to the
said No Man’s Land, and lying in a place called Spittle cross, because
it belonged to St, Bartilmewe’s hospital, since that called the New
church haw, and caused it to be consecrated by the said bishop of London
to the use of burials.
In this plot of ground there were in that year more than fifty thousand
persons buried, as I have read in the charters of Edward III.: also,
I have seen and read an inscription fixed on a stone cross, sometime
standing in the same churchyard, and having these words:--“_Anno Domini
1349, regnante magna pestilentia consecratum fuit hoc Cœmiterium, in quo
et infra septa presentis monasterii, sepulta fuerunt mortuorum corpora
plusquam quinquaginta millia, præter alia multa abhinc usque ad presens,
quorum animabus propitietur Deus. Amen._”
In consideration of the number of Christian people here buried, the
said Sir Walter Manny caused first a chapel to be built, where for
the space of twenty-three years offerings were made; and it is to be
noted, that above one hundred thousand bodies of Christian people had
in that churchyard been buried; for the said knight had purchased that
place for the burial of poor people, travellers, and other that were
deceased, to remain for ever; whereupon an order was taken for the
avoiding of contention between the parsons of churches and that house;
to wit, that the bodies should be had unto the church where they were
parishioners, or died, and, after the funeral service done, had to
the place where they should be buried. And in the year 1371 he caused
there to be founded a house of Carthusian monks, which he willed to be
called the Salutation, and that one of the monks should be called prior;
and he gave them the said place of thirteen acres and a rod of land,
with the chapel and houses there built, for their habitation: he also
gave them the three acres of land lying without the walls on the north
part, betwixt the lands of the abbot of Westminster and the lands of
the prior of St. John (which three acres were purchased, inclosed, and
dedicated by Ralph Stratford, bishop of London, as is afore showed),
and remained till our time by the name of Pardon churchyard, and served
for burying of such as desperately ended their lives, or were executed
for felonies, who were fetched thither usually in a close cart, bailed
over and covered with black, having a plain white cross thwarting, and
at the fore end a St. John’s cross without, and within a bell ringing by
shaking of the cart, whereby the same might be heard when it passed; and
this was called the friary cart, which belonged to St. John’s, and had
the privilege of sanctuary.
In this charter-house were the monuments of the said Sir Walter Manny,
and Margaret his wife; Marmaduke Lumley; Laurence Brumley, knight; Sir
Edward Hederset, knight; Sir William Manny, knight; Dame Joan Borough;
John Dore; Want Water, knight; Robert Olney, esquire; Katherine,
daughter to Sir William Babington, knight; Blanch, daughter to Hugh
Waterton; Katherine, wife to John at Poote, daughter and heir to Richard
de Lacie; William Rawlin; Sir John Lenthaine, and Dame Margaret his
wife, daughter to John Fray; John Peake, esquire; William Baron, and
William Baron, esquire; Sir Thomas Thawites, knight; Philip Morgan,
bishop of Ely, 1434.
In the cloister:--Bartholomew Rede, knight, mayor of London, buried
1505; Sir John Popham, etc.
This monastery, at the suppression in the 29th of Henry VIII., was
valued at six hundred and forty-two pounds and four pence halfpenny
yearly.
A little without the bars of West Smithfield is Charterhouse lane, so
called, for that it leadeth to the said plot of the late dissolved
monastery; in place whereof, first the Lord North, but since Thomas
Howard, late Duke of Norfolk, have made large and sumptuous buildings
both for lodging and pleasure. At the gate of this Charter-house is a
fair water conduit, with two cocks, serving the use of the neighbours to
their great commodity.
St. John’s street, from the entering this lane, is also on both the
sides replenished with buildings up to Clerkenwell. On the left hand of
which street lieth a lane called Cow cross, of a cross sometime standing
there; which lane turneth down to another lane called Turnemill street,
which stretcheth up to the west of Clerkenwell, and was called Turnemill
street, for such cause as is afore declared.
One other lane there is called St. Peter’s lane, which turneth from St.
John’s street to Cow cross.
On the left hand also stood the late dissolved priory of St. John of
Jerusalem in England, founded about the year of Christ 1100 by Jorden
Briset, baron, and Muriell his wife, near unto Clarkes well besides West
Smithfield; which Jorden having first founded the priory of nuns at
Clarkes well, bought of them ten acres of land, giving them in exchange
ten acres of land in his lordship of Welling hall, in the county of
Kent. St. John’s church was dedicated by Eraclius, patriarch of the holy
resurrection of Christ at Jerusalem, in the year 1185, and was the chief
seat in England of the religious knights of St. John of Jerusalem; whose
profession was, besides their daily service of God, to defend Christians
against pagans, and to fight for the church, using for their habit a
black upper garment, with a white cross on the fore part thereof; and
for their good service was so highly esteemed, that when the order of
Templars was dissolved, their lands and possessions were by parliament
granted unto these, who after the loss of Jerusalem recovered the isle
of Rhodes from the Turks, and there placed themselves, being called
thereof for many years knights of the Rhodes; but after the loss
thereof, 1523, they removed to the isle of Malta, manfully opposing
themselves against the Turkish invasions.
The rebels of Essex and of Kent, 1381, set fire on this house, causing
it to burn by the space of seven days together, not suffering any to
quench it; since the which time the priors of that house have new built
both the church and houses thereunto appertaining; which church was
finished by Thomas Docwrey, late lord prior there, about the year 1504,
as appeareth by the inscription over the gate-house, yet remaining.
This house, at the suppression in the 32nd of Henry VIII., was valued
to dispend in lands three thousand three hundred and eighty-five pounds
nineteen shillings and eight pence yearly. Sir W. Weston being then
lord prior, died on the same seventh of May, on which the house was
suppressed; so that great yearly pensions being granted to the knights
by the king, and namely to the lord prior during his life one thousand
pounds, he never received a penny.
The king took into his hands all the lands that belonged to that house
and that order, wheresoever in England and Ireland, for the augmentation
of his crown.
This priory church and house of St. John was preserved from spoil or
down pulling, so long as King Henry VIII. reigned, and was employed
as a store-house for the king’s toils and tents, for hunting, and for
the wars, etc.; but in the 3rd of King Edward VI., the church, for the
most part, to wit, the body and side aisles, with the great bell tower
(a most curious piece of workmanship, graven, gilt, and enamelled, to
the great beautifying of the city, and passing all other that I have
seen), was undermined and blown up with gunpowder; the stone thereof
was employed in building of the lord protector’s house at the Strand.
That part of the choir which remaineth, with some side chapels, was by
cardinal Pole, in the reign of Queen Mary, closed up at the west end,
and otherwise repaired; and Sir Thomas Tresham, knight, was then made
lord prior there, with restitution of some lands, but the same was again
suppressed in the first year of Queen Elizabeth.