Let me refer Mr. P. Cunningham to "Stow's _Survey_, p. 27. 92. Thoms'
Edition," for a full answer to his query. The passages are too long to
cite, but Mr. C. will find sufficient proof of the part of a royal
residence having once stood in this obscure lane, now almost demolished
in the sweeping city improvements, which threaten in time to leave us
hardly a fragment of the London of the old chronicler.
The Tower was also called the Queen's Wardrobe, and it was there,
Froissart tells us, that Joan of Kent, the mother of Richard II., took
refuge during Wat Tyler's rebellion, when forced to fly from the Tower
of London. The old historian writes that after the defeat of the rebels
"pour le premier chemin que le Roy fit, il vint deuers sa Dame de mère,
la Princesse, qui estoit en un chastel _de la Riolle_ (que l'on dit la
Garderobbe la Reyne) et là s'estoit tenue deux jours et deux nuits,
moult ébahie; et avoit bien raison. Quand elle vit le Roy son fils, elle
fut toute rejouye, et luy dit, 'Ha ha beau fils, comment j'ay eu
aujourd'huy grand peine et angoisse pour vous.' Dont respondit le Roy,
et dit, 'Certes, Madame, je le say bien. Or vous rejouissez et louez
Dieu, car il est heure de le louer. J'ay aujourd'huy recouvré mon
heritage et le royaume d'Angleterre, que j'avoye perdu.' Ainsi se tint
le Roy ce jour delez sa mère." (Froissart, ii 123. Par. 1573.)
In Stow's time this interesting locality had been degraded into stable
for the king's horses, and let out in divers tenements.