street, as is afore showed, is one large Middle row of houses and small
tenements built, partly opening to the south, partly towards the north;
amongst the which standeth the parish church of St. Clement Danes, so
called because Harold, a Danish king, and other Danes, were buried
there. This Harold, whom king Canutus had by a concubine, reigned three
years, and was buried at Westminster; but afterward Hardicanutus, the
lawful son of Canutus, in revenge of a displeasure done to his mother,
by expelling her out of the realm, and the murder of his brother
Allured, commanded the body of Harold to be digged out of the earth,
and to be thrown into the Thames, where it was by a fisherman taken up
and buried in this churchyard; but out of a fair ledger-book, sometime
belonging to the abbey of Chartsey, in the county of Surrey, is noted,
as in Francis Thin, after this sort. In the reign of king Etheldred,
the monastery of Chartsey was destroyed: ninety monks of that house
were slain by the Danes, whose bodies were buried in a place next to
the old monastery. William Malmseberie saith,--“They burnt the church,
together with the monks and abbot; but the Danes continuing in their
fury (throughout the whole land), desirous at the length to return home
into Denmarke, were by the just judgment of God all slain at London in a
place which is called the church of the Danes.”
This said middle row of houses stretching west to a stone cross, now
headless, by or against the Strand, including the said parish church of
St. Clement, is also wholly of the liberty and duchy of Lancaster.
Thus much for the bounds and antiquities of this liberty, wherein I
have noted parish churches twain, sometime three, houses of name six;
to wit, the Savoy or Lancaster house, now a hospital, Somerset house,
Essex house, Arundel house, Bedford or Russell house, and Sir Robert
Cecil’s house; besides of Chester’s inn or Strand inn, sometime an inn
of Chancery, etc. This liberty is governed by the chancellor of that
duchy at this present, Sir Robert Cecil, knight, principal secretary to
her majesty, and one of her majesty’s most honourable privy councillors;
there is under him a steward that keepeth court and leet for the queen;
giveth the charge and taketh the oaths of every under officer: then is
there four burgesses and four assistants, to take up controversies;
a bailiff, which hath two or three under-bailiffs, that make arrests
within that liberty; four constables; four wardens, that keep the lands
and stock for the poor; four wardens for highways; a jury or inquest of
fourteen or sixteen, to present defaults; four ale-conners, which look
to assize of weights and measures, etc.; four scavengers and a beadle;
and their common prison is Newgate. There is in this liberty fifty men,
which is always to be at an hour’s warning, with all necessary furniture
to serve the queen, as occasion shall require. Their charge at a fifteen
is thirteen shillings and four pence. Thus much for the suburb in the
liberty of the duchy of Lancaster.
FOOTNOTES:
[287] “Fratres de Monte Jovis, or Priory de Cornuto, by Havering at the
Bower.”--_Stow._
[288] H. Knighton.--_Stow._
[289] “Savoy brent: blown up with gunpowder. Rebels, more malitious then
covetous, spoyle all before them.”--_Stow._
[290] “In the high street standeth a pair of stocks.”--_1st edition_, p.
369.
THE CITY OF WESTMINSTER, WITH THE ANTIQUITIES, BOUNDS, AND LIBERTIES
THEREOF
Now touching the city of Westminster, I will begin at Temple bar, on
the right hand or north side, and so pass up west through a back lane
or street, wherein do stand three inns of chancery; the first called
Clement’s inn, because it standeth near to St. Clement’s church, but
nearer to the fair fountain called Clement’s well; the second, New
inn, so called as latelier made, of a common hostery, and the sign
of Our Lady, an inn of chancery for students than the other, to wit,
about the beginning of the reign of Henry VII., and not so late as
some have supposed; to wit, at the pulling down of Strand inn, in the
reign of King Edward VI.; for I read that Sir Thomas More, sometime
lord chancellor, was a student in this new inn, and went from thence to
Lincolne’s inn, etc. The third is Lyon’s inn, an inn of chancery also.
This street stretcheth up unto Drury lane, so called, for that there
is a house belonging to the family of the Druries. This lane turneth
north toward St. Giles in the field: from the south end of this lane in
the high street are divers fair buildings, hosteries, and houses for
gentlemen and men of honour; amongst the which Cicile house is one,
which sometime belonged to the parson of St. Martin’s in the field, and
by composition came to Sir Thomas Palmer, knight, in the reign of Edward
VI., who began to build the same of brick and timber, very large and
spacious, but of later time it hath been far more beautifully increased
by the late Sir William Cicile, baron of Burghley, lord treasurer, and
great councillor of the estate.
From thence is now a continual new building of divers fair houses,
even up to the earl of Bedford’s house,[291] lately built nigh to Ivy
bridge, and so on the north side to a lane that turneth to the parish
church of St. Martin’s in the field, in the liberty of Westminster. Then
had ye one house, wherein sometime were distraught and lunatic people,
of what antiquity founded or by whom I have not read, neither of the
suppression; but it was said that sometime a king of England, not liking
such a kind of people to remain so near his palace, caused them to be
removed farther off, to Bethlem without Bishops gate of London, and to
that hospital: the said house by Charing cross doth yet remain.
Then is the Mewse, so called of the king’s falcons there kept by the
king’s falconer, which of old time was an office of great account,
as appeareth by a record of Richard II., in the first year of his
reign. Sir Simon Burley, knight, was made constable for the castles of
Windsor, Wigmore, and Guilford, and of the manor of Kenington, and also
master of the king’s falcons at the Mewse, near unto Charing cross by
Westminster; but in the year of Christ 1534, the 28th of Henry VIII.,
the king having fair stabling at Lomsbery (a manor in the farthest west
part of Oldborne), the same was fired and burnt, with many great horses
and great store of hay: after which time, the fore-named house, called
the Mewse by Charing cross, was new built, and prepared for stabling of
the king’s horses, in the reign of Edward VI. and Queen Mary, and so
remaineth to that use: and this is the farthest building west on the
north side of that high street.
On the south side of the which street, in the liberties of Westminster
(beginning at Ivie bridge), first is Durham house, built by Thomas
Hatfielde, bishop of Durham, who was made bishop of that see in the year
1545, and sat bishop there thirty-six years.
Amongst matters memorable concerning this house, this is one:--In the
year of Christ 1540, the 32nd of Henry VIII., on May-day, a great and
triumphant justing was holden at Westminster, which had been formerly
proclaimed in France, Flanders, Scotland, and Spain, for all comers that
would undertake the challengers of England; which were, Sir John Dudley,
Sir Thomas Seymour, Sir Thomas Ponings, and Sir George Carew, knights,
and Anthonie Kingston and Richarde Cromwell, esquires; all which came
into the lists that day richly apparelled, and their horses trapped
all in white velvet. There came against them the said day forty-six
defendants or undertakers, viz., the earl of Surrey, foremost, Lord
William Howard, Lord Clinton, and Lord Cromwell, son and heir to Thomas
Cromwell, earl of Essex, and chamberlain of England, with other; and
that day, after the justs performed, the challengers rode unto this
Durham house, where they kept open household, and feasted the king and
queen, with her ladies, and all the court: the second day, Anthonie
Kingston and Richard Cromwell were made knights there: the third day
of May the said challengers did tournay on horseback with swords, and
against them came forty-nine defendants; Sir John Dudley and the earl of
Surrey running first, which at the first course lost their gauntlets;
and that day Sir Richarde Cromwell overthrew master Palmer and his horse
in the field, to the great honour of the challengers: the fifth of May
the challengers fought on foot at the barriers, and against them came
fifty defendants, which fought valiantly; but Sir Richard Cromwell
overthrew that day at the barriers master Culpepper in the field; and
the sixth day the challengers brake up their household.
In this time of their housekeeping they had not only feasted the
king, queen, ladies, and all the court, as is afore shewed; but also
they cheered all the knights and burgesses of the common house in the
parliament, and entertained the mayor of London, with the aldermen,
and their wives, at a dinner, etc. The king gave to every of the said
challengers, and their heirs for ever, in reward of their valiant
activity, one hundred marks and a house to dwell in, of yearly revenue,
out of the lands pertaining to the hospital of St. John of Jerusalem.
Next beyond this Durham house is another great house, sometime
belonging to the bishop of Norwich, and was his London lodging, which
now pertaineth to the archbishop of York by this occasion. In the
year 1529, when Cardinal Wolsey, archbishop of Yorke, was indicted in
the Premunire, whereby King Henry VIII. was entitled to his goods and
possessions: he also seized into his hands the said archbishop’s house,
commonly called Yorke place, and changed the name thereof into White
hall; whereby the archbishops of Yorke being dispossessed, and having no
house of repair about London, Queen Mary gave unto Nicholas Heath, then
archbishop of Yorke, and to his successors, Suffolke house in Southwark,
lately built by Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolke, as I have showed.
This house the said archbishop sold, and bought the aforesaid house
of old time belonging to the bishops of Norwich, which of this last
purchase is now called Yorke house, the lord chancellors or lord keepers
of the great seal of England, have been lately there lodged.
Then was there an hospital of St. Marie Rouncivall by Charing cross
(a cell to the priory and covent of Rouncivall in Navar, in Pampelion
diocese), where a fraternity was founded in the 15th of Edward IV., but
now the same is suppressed and turned into tenements.
Near unto this hospital was a hermitage, with a chapel of St. Katherine,
over against Charing cross; which cross, built of stone, was of old time
a fair piece of work, there made by commandment of Edward I., in the
21st year of his reign, in memory of Eleanor, his deceased queen, as is
before declared.
West from this cross stood sometime an hospital of St. James, consisting
of two hides of land, with the appurtenances, in the parish of St.
Margaret in Westminster, and founded by the citizens of London, before
the time of any man’s memory, for fourteen sisters, maidens, that were
leprous, living chastely and honestly in divine service.
Afterwards divers citizens of London gave five-and-fifty pounds rent
thereunto, and then were adjoined eight brethren to minister divine
service there. After this, also, sundry devout men of London gave to
this hospital four hides of land in the field of Westminster; and in
Hendon, Calcote, and Hampsted, eighty acres of land and wood, etc. King
Edward I. confirmed those gifts, and granted a fair to be kept on the
eve of St. James, the day, the morrow, and four days following, in the
18th of his reign.
This hospital was surrendered to Henry VIII. the 23rd of his reign: the
sisters being compounded with, were allowed pensions for the term of
their lives; and the king built there a goodly manor, annexing thereunto
a park, closed about with a wall of brick, now called St. James’ park,
serving indifferently to the said manor, and to the manor or palace of
White hall.
South from Charing cross, on the right hand, are divers fair houses
lately built before the park, then a large tilt-yard for noblemen, and
other, to exercise themselves in justing, turning, and fighting at
barriers.
On the left hand from Charing cross be also divers fair tenements lately
built, till ye come to a large plot of ground inclosed with brick, and
is called Scotland, where great buildings have been for receipt of the
kings of Scotland, and other estates of that country; for Margaret,
queen of Scots, and sister to King Henry VIII., had her abiding there,
when she came into England after the death of her husband, as the kings
of Scotland had in former times, when they came to the parliament of
England.
Then is the said White hall, sometime belonging to Hubert de Burgh,
earl of Kent, and justice of England, who gave it to the Black Friars
in Oldborne, as I have before noted. King Henry VIII. ordained it to be
called an honour, and built there a sumptuous gallery and a beautiful
gate-house, thwart the high street to St. James’ park, etc.
In this gallery the princes, with their nobility, used to stand or sit,
and at windows, to behold all triumphant justings and other military
exercises.
Beyond this gallery, on the left hand, is the garden or orchard
belonging to the said White hall.
On the right hand be divers fair tennis-courts, bowling-alleys, and a
cock-pit, all built by King Henry VIII.; and then one other arched
gate, with a way over it, thwarting the street from the king’s gardens
to the said park.
From this gate up King’s street to a bridge over Long ditch (so called
for that the same almost insulateth the city of Westminster), near
which bridge is a way leading to Chanon row, so called for that the
same belonged to the dean and chanons of St. Stephen’s chapel, who were
there lodged, as now divers noblemen and gentlemen be; whereof one is
belonging to Sir Edward Hobbey, one other to John Thine, esquire, one
stately built by Ann Stanhope, duchess of Somerset, mother to the earl
of Hartford, who now enjoyeth that house. Next a stately house, now in
building by William earl of Darby; over against the which is a fair
house, built by Henry Clinton, earl of Lincoln.
From this way up to the Woolestaple and to the high tower, or gate
which entereth the palace court, all is replenished with buildings and
inhabitants.
Touching this Woolestaple, I read, that in the reign of Edward I.,
the staple being at Westminster, the parishioners of St. Margaret and
merchants of the staple built of new the said church, the great chancel
excepted, which was lately before new built by the abbot of Westminster.
Moreover, that Edward III., in the 17th of his reign, decreed that no
silver be carried out of the realm on pain of death; and that whosoever
transporteth wool should bring over for every sack four nobles of silver
bullion.
In the 25th of his reign, he appointed the staple of wool to be kept
only at Canterbury, for the honour of St. Thomas; but in the 27th
of the same King Edward, the staple of wool, before kept at Bruges
in Flanders, was ordained by parliament to be kept in divers places
of England, Wales, and Ireland, as at Newcastle, Yorke, Lincoln,
Canterbury, Norwich, Westminster, Chichester, Winchester, Excester,
Bristow, Carmardyn, etc., to the great benefit of the king and loss unto
strangers and merchants: for there grew unto the king by this means
(as it was said) the sum of one thousand one hundred and two pounds
by the year, more than any his predecessors before had received; the
staple at Westminster at that time began on the next morrow after the
feast of St. Peter ad vincula. The next year was granted to the king by
parliament, towards the recovery of his title in France, fifty shillings
of every sack of wool transported over seas, for the space of six years
next ensuing; by means whereof the king might dispend daily during
those years more than a thousand marks sterling: for by the common
opinion there were more than one hundred thousand sacks of wool yearly
transported into foreign lands, so that during six years the said grant
extended to fifteen hundred thousand pounds sterling.
In the 37th of Edward III., it was granted unto him for two years, to
take five-and-twenty shillings and eight pence upon every sack of wool
transported; and the same year the staple of wool (notwithstanding the
king’s oath and other great estates) was ordained to be kept at Callis,
and six-and-twenty merchants, the best and wealthiest of all England, to
be farmers there, both of the town and staple, for three years: every
merchant to have six men of arms and four archers at the king’s cost. He
ordained there also two mayors, one for the town and one for the staple;
and he took for _mala capta_, commonly called Maltorth,[292] twenty
shillings, and of the said merchants’ guardians of the town forty pence,
upon every sack of wool.
In the 44th of Edward III., Quinborough, Kingston-upon-Hull, and Boston,
were made staples of wool; which matter so much offended some, that in
the 50th of his reign, in a parliament at London, it was complained
that the staple of wool was so removed from Callis to divers towns in
England, contrary to the statute, appointing that citizens and merchants
should keep it there, and that the king might have the profits and
customs, with the exchange of gold and silver, that was there made by
all the merchants in Christindome (esteemed to amount to eight thousand
pounds by year), the exchange only; and the citizens and merchants so
ordered the matter, that the king spent nothing upon soldiers, neither
upon defence of the town against the enemies; whereas now he spent eight
thousand pounds by year.
In the 51st of Edward III., when the staple was sealed at Callis, the
mayor of the staple did furnish the captain of the town upon any road
with one hundred bilmen, twelve hundred archers of merchants and their
servants, without any wages.
In the year 1388, the 12th of Richard II., in a parliament at Cambridge,
it was ordained that the staple of wools should be brought from
Middleborough in Holland to Callis.
In the 14th of his reign, there was granted forty shillings upon every
sack of wool, and in the 21st was granted fifty shillings upon every
sack transported by Englishmen, and three pounds by strangers, etc. It
seemeth that the merchants of this staple be the most ancient merchants
of this realm; and that all commodities of the realm are staple
merchandises by law and charter as wools, leather, wool fells, lead,
tin, cloth, etc.
King Henry VI. had six wool-houses within the staple at Westminster:
those he granted to the dean and canons of St. Stephen at Westminster,
and confirmed it the 21st of his reign. Thus much for the staple have I
shortly noted.
And now to pass to the famous monastery of Westminster: at the very
entrance of the close thereof, is a lane that leadeth toward the
west, called Thieving lane, for that thieves were led that way to the
gate-house, while the sanctuary continued in force.
This monastery was founded and built by Sebert,[293] king of the East
Saxons, upon the persuasion of Ethelbert, king of Kent, how having
embraced Christianity, and being baptised by Melitus, bishop of London,
immediately (to show himself a Christian indeed) built a church to the
honour of God and St. Peter, on the west side of the city of London,
in a place which (because it was overgrown with thorns, and environed
with water) the Saxons called Thorney, and now of the monastery and west
situation thereof is called Westminster.
In this place (saith Sulcardus) long before was a temple of Apollo,
which being overthrown, King Lucius built therein a church of
Christianity.
Sebert was buried in this church, with his wife Athelgoda; whose
bodies many years after, to wit, in the reign of Richard II. (saith
Walsingham), were translated from the old church to the new, and there
entered.
Edgar, king of the West Saxons, repaired this monastery about the year
of Christ 958; Edward the Confessor built it of new, whereupon T.
Clifford writeth thus:
“Without the walls of London (saith he), upon the river of Thames,
there was in times passed a little monastery, built to the honour of
God and St. Peter, with a few Benedict monks in it, under an abbot,
serving Christ: very poor they were, and little was given them for their
relief. Here the king intended (for that it was near to the famous
city of London and the river of Thames, that brought in all kinds of
merchandises from all parts of the world) to make his sepulchre: he
commanded, therefore, that of the tenths of all his rents the work
should be begun in such sort as should become the prince of the Apostles.
“At this his commandment the work is nobly begun, even from the
foundation, and happily proceedeth till the same was finished: the
charges bestowed, or to be bestowed, are not regarded. He granted to
this church great privileges, above all the churches in this land, as
partly appeareth by this his charter:--
“Edwarde, king, greets William, bishop, and Leofstane, and
Aelsie Portreves, and all my burgesses of London friendly, and I
tell you, that I have this gift given and granted to Christ and St.
Peter the holy Apostle, at Westminster, full freedome over all the
land that belongeth to that holy place, etc.”
He also caused the parish church of St. Margaret to be newly built
without the abbey church of Westminster, for the ease and commodity of
the monks, because before that time the parish church stood within the
old abbey church in the south aisle, somewhat to their annoyance.
King Henry III., in the year of Christ 1220, and in the 5th of his
reign, began the new work of our Lady’s chapel, whereof he laid the
first stone in the foundation; and in the year 1245, the walls and
steeple of the old church (built by King Edward) were taken down, and
enlarging the same church, caused them to be made more comely; for the
furtherance whereof, in the year 1246, the same king (devising how to
extort money from the citizens of London towards the charges) appointed
a mart to be kept at Westminster, the same to last fifteen days, and
in the mean space all trade of merchandise to cease in the city; which
thing the citizens were fain to redeem with two thousand pounds of
silver.
The work of this church, with the houses of office, was finished to the
end of the choir, in the year 1285, the 14th of Edward I.: all which
labour of sixty-six years was in the year 1299 defaced by a fire kindled
in the lesser hall of the king’s palace at Westminster; the same, with
many other houses adjoining, and with the queen’s chamber, were all
consumed; the flame thereof also (being driven with the wind), fired the
monastery, which was also with the palace consumed.
Then was this monastery again repaired by the abbots of that church;
King Edward I. and his successors putting to their helping hands.
Edward II. appropriated unto this church the patronages of the churches
of Kelveden and Sawbridgeworth in Essex, in the diocese of London.
Simon Langham, abbot (having been a great builder there in the year
1362), gave forty pounds to the building of the body of the church; but
(amongst others) Abbot Islip was in his time a great builder there, as
may appear in the stonework and glass windows of the church; since whose
decease that work hath staid as he left it, unperfected, the church and
steeple being all of one height.
King Henry VII., about the year of Christ 1502, caused the chapel of
our Lady, built by Henry III., with a tavern also, called the White
Rose, near adjoining, to be taken down: in which plot of ground, on
the 24th of January, the first stone of the new chapel was laid by the
hands of Abbot Islip, Sir Reginald Bray, knight of the garter, Doctor
Barnes, master of the Rolls, Doctor Wall, chaplain to the king, Master
Hugh Aldham, chaplain to the countess of Darby and Richmond (the king’s
mother), Sir Edward Stanhope, knight, and divers other: upon the which
stone was engraven the same day and year, etc.
The charges in building this chapel amounted to the sum of fourteen
thousand pounds. The stone for this work (as I have been informed) was
brought from Huddlestone quarry in Yorkshire.