MoEML: Survey of London: Dowgate Ward

182

beginneth at the southend of
Walbrooke warde, ouer against the east corner of
S. Iohns Church, vpon Walbrooke, and descen
deth on both the sides to Downgate, on the
Thames, and is so called of that downe going or
descending thereunto: and of this Downgate the warde taketh
name. This warde turneth into Thames street westwarde, some
ten houses on a side, to the course of Walbrooke but east in
Thames streete, on both sides to Ebgate or old swan, and o
uer against Ebgate the land side hath many lanes turning, as shal
be shewed, but first, to begin with the high streete called Dow
gate at the vpper

Conduite v
pon Down
gate.

end thereof, is a fayre Conduite of Thames wa
ter, castellated, and made in the yeare 1568, at charges of the
Citizens, and is called the Conduit vpon Downgate. The descent
of this streete, from the said Conduite to the watergate, called
Downgate, is such that in the yere 1574. on the fourth of Sep
tember in the afternoon there fell a storme of raine, where through
the channels suddenly

A lad of 18.
yeares olde
drowned in
the chennell.

arose, and ran with such a swift course to
wards the common Shores, that a lad of 18. yeres old minding to
haue leapt ouer ye channel near vnto the said Conduite was taken
with the stream, & carried from thence towards the Thames with
such a violence that no man with staues, or otherwise could stay
him, till he came against a cart wheele, that stoode in the saide
water gate, before which time he was drowned, & starke dead. On
the west side of this streete, is the Tallow Chandlers hall, a
very proper house, which Companie was incorporated in the se
cond yeare of Edwarde the fourth. Somewhat lower standeth
the Skinners hall, a very fayre house, also which was sometime
called Copped hall

Copped hall
now Skinners
hall.

by Downgate in the parish of S, Iohn vppon
Walbrooke. In the 19. yeare of Edwarde the second, Ralph
Cobham possessed

Ihesus Com
mons.

it with fiue shops, &c.

Then was there a Colledge of Priests called Ihesus Commons,
a house well furnished with brasse, pewter, napery plate, &c. be
sides a fayre Library well stored with bookes, all which of olde

time

N4r

183

time was giuen to a number of Priestes, that should kéepe com
mons there, and as one left his place by death, or otherwise, an
other should be admitted into his roome, but this order within
this thirty yeares being discontinued, the saide house was dissol
ued, and turned to Tenementes.

Down lower haue ye Elbow lane,

Elbow lane.

and at the corner therof
was one great stone house, called Olde hall, it is now taken
downe, and diuers fayre houses of Timber placed there, this was
sometime pertayning to VVilliam de pont le arch,

william de
pont arch his
house.1

and by him
giuen to the Priorie of S. Mary Ouery in Southwarke, in the
raigne of Henry the first. In this Elbow lane is the

Inholders hall.

Inholders
hall, and other fayre houses: this lane runneth west, and sudden
ly turneth south into Thames street, and therefore of that ben
ding is called Elbow lane. On the east side of this Downgate
streete, is the great olde house, before spokn of, called the Erber,

The Erber S.
Mary Both
haw.

neare to the Church of S. Mary Bothaw, Geffery Scroope
held it, by the gift of Edward the third, in the fourteenth of his
raigne, it belonged since to Iohn Neuell Lord of Raby, then to
Richard Neuell Earle of Warwicke, Neuell, Earle of Salis
bery was lodged there, 1457. then it came to George Duke of
Clarence, by the gift of Edwarde the fourth, in the fourteenth of
his raigne, it was lately new builded by Sir Thomas Pullison
Maior, and was afterwarde inhabited by Sir Frances Drake,
that famous Warrier. Next to this great house, is a lane turning
to Bush lane, (of olde time called Carter lane, of Carts, and
Car men hauing stables there) and now called Chequer lane, or
Chequer Alley, of an Inne called the Chequer.

In Thames streete, on the

Greenewitch
lane or Fryar
lane.

Thames side west from Downe
gate is Greenewitch lane of old time so called, and now Fryer
lane of such a signe there set vp. In

Ioynars hall

this lane is the Ioynars hall.
and other fayre houses. Then is Granthams lane so called of
Iohn Grantham somtime Maior and owner thereof, whose house
was very large and strong, builded of ston, as appeareth by gates
arched yet remaining, Ralph Dodmer, first a Brewer, then a
Mercer Maior 1529. dwelled there, and kept his Maioralty,
in that house, it is now a Brewhouse, as it was afore.

Then is Dowgate whereof is spoken in an other place. East

from

N4v

184

from this Downgate, is Cosin lane,

Cosin lane.

named of one William Co
sin that dwelled there, in the fourth of Richarde the second, as
diuers his Predicessors, Father, Grandfather, &c. had done before
him. William Cosin dwelling there, was one of the She
riffes, in the yeare, 1306. the 34. of Edwarde the 1. That house
standeth at the south end of the lane, hauing an olde and artificiall
conuayance of Thames water into

A gin to con
uey Thames
water to Dow
gate Conduit.

it, and is now a Dyehouse
called Lombardes messuage. Adioyning to that house, there was
lately erected an engine, to conuey Thames water vnto Down
gate Conduite aforesaide. Next to this lane on the East, is the
Stele house, or Stele yarde

Steleyarde
for Marchātes
of Almaine.

(as they terme it) a place for Mar
chantes of Almaine, that vsed to bring hether, as well Wheate,
Rie, and other graines, as Cables, Ropes, Mastes, Pitch, Tar,
Flax, Hempe, Wainscotes, Wax, Steele, and other profitable
marchandizes: vnto these Marchantes, in the yeare 1259. Henry
the thirde, in the 44. of his raigne, at the request of his brother
Richarde Earle of Cornwell, king of Almaine, granted that all
and singular the marchantes, hauing a house in the Citie of Lon
don, commonlie called Guilda Aula Theutonicorum,

Gil hala
Theutonicorū.

should be
maintayned and vpholden through the whole Realm, by all such
Freedomes, and free vsages, or Liberties, as by the king and his
noble Progenitors time they had and inoyed, &c. Edwarde the
first renewed and confirmed that Charter of Liberties, granted
by his Father. And in the tenth yeare of the same Edward, Hen
ry Wales being Maior, a great controuersie did arise betweene the
saide Maior, and the marchantes of the Haunce of Almaine, a
bout the reparations of Bishopsgate then likely to fall, for that
the saide marchantes enioyed, diuers Priuiledges, in respect of
maintayning the saide gate, which they now denied to repaire:
for the appeasing of which controuersie the king sent his writ to
the Treasurer, and Barons of his Exchequer, commanding that
they should make inquisition thereof, before whom the marchants
being called, when they were not able to discharge themselues,
sith they inioyed the liberties to them granted, for the same, a pre
cept was sent to the Maior, and Sheriffes, to distraine the saide
marchantes, to make the reparations, namely Gerard Marbod
Alderman of the Hance, Ralph, de Cussarde a Citizen of Col

len

N5r

185

len, Ludero de Deneuar, a Burges of Triuar, Iohn of Aras, a
Burges of Triuon, Bartram of Hamburdge, Gadestalke of
Hundondale, a Burges of Triuon, Iohn de Dele a Burges of
Munstar, then remaining in the saide Citie of London: for them
selues, and all other marchantes of the Haunce, and so they gran
ted 210. markes sterlinges, to the Maior and Citizens, and vn
dertooke that they and their successors should from time to time
repayre the saide gate, and beare the thirde parte of the charges in
money, and men to defend it when neede were, and for this agree
ment the saide Maior and Citizens granted to the saide marchants
their liberties, which till of late they haue inioyed, as namely a
mongst other, that they might lay vp their grayne which they
brought into this realme in Innes, & sell it in their garners, by the
space of 40. daies after

Marchants of
the Haunce of
Almaine licē
sed to lay vp
their corne in
garners, but to
sell it within
40. daies after.

they had laid it vp: except by the Mayor &
citizens they were expresly forbidden, because of dearth or other
reasonable occasions. Also they might haue their Alderman as
they had béene accustomed, foreséene alwaies that hee were of the
citie, and presented to the Mayor and Aldermen of the cittie so oft
as any should bee chosen, and should take an othe before them to
maintaine iustice in their courts, and to behaue themselues in their
office according to law, and as it stoode with the customes of the
citie. Thus much for their priuiledges: whereby it appeareth that
they were great marchants of corne brought out of the east parts
hether, in so much that the occupiers of husbandry in this lande
were enforced to complaine of them for bringing in such aboun
dance, when the corne of this realme was at an easie price: where
vpon it was ordayned by parliament

Act of Parlia
ment for corn
brought from
beyond seas.

that no person shoulde bring
into any part of this realme, by way of merchandise, any wheate,
Rie, or Barlie, growing out of the said realme at any time, when
then the quarter of wheat exceeded not the price of vj.s̃.viij.ď. Rie
iiij.s̃. the quarter, & Barlie iij.s̃. the quarter, vpon forfeyture the
one halfe to the king, the other halfe to the seasor thereof. These
merchants of the Haunce had their Guildhall in Thames stréet in
place aforesaid, by the saide Cosin lane. Their hall is large builded
of stone with three arched gates towardes the stréet, the middle
most whereof is far bigger then the other & is seldome opened, & the
other two be mured vp, the same is now called the old hall.

Of later time to wit, in the 6. of Richard the 2. they hired one

house

N5v

186

house next adioyning to their old hall, which sometime belonged to
Richard Lions a famous Lapidary, one of the Sheriffes of Lon
don in the 49. of Edward the 3. & in the 4. of Richard the 2. by the
rebels of Kent, drawne out of that house, and beheaded in West
Cheape: this also was a great house with a large wharfe on the
Thames, and the way thereunto was called Windgoose or Wild
goose lane,

Windgoose
lane.

which is now called Windgoose alley, for that the same
alley is for the most part builded on by the stilyard marchants.

The Abbot of S. Albons had a messuage heere with a Key gi
uen to him in the 34. of Henry the 6. Then is one other great
house which sometime pertained to Iohn Reynwel Stockfishmon
ger Mayor, and it was by him giuen to the Mayor, and commu
naltie to the end that the profits thereof should be disposed in déedes
of pietie: which house in the 15. of Edward the fourth, was confir
med vnto the said marchants in manner following vz.

Pattent.

It is orday
ned by our soueraigne Lord and his parliament, that the said mer
chantes of Almaine, being of the company called the Guildhall
Teutonicorū, that now be or hereafter shal be, shal haue hold and
enioy to them and their successors for euer, the said place called, the
stele house, yéelding to the Mayor and communalty an annual rent
of 70. pound, 3. shillings, foure pence, &c.

In the yeare 1551. and the fift of Edward the sixt through com
plaint of our English marchantes, the liberties of the stilyarde

Stilyard put
downe.

marchants was seised into the kings hands, and so it resteth.

Then is church lane,

Church lane.

at the west end of Alhallows church cal
led Alhallowes the more in Thames stréet,

Parish church
of Alhallowes
the more.

for a difference from
Alhallowes the lesse in the same stréete: it is also called Alhal
lowes ad fœnum in the Ropery, because hay sold néere thereunto
at hey wharse, and of ropes of olde time made or solde in the high
street. This is a faire church with a large cloyster on the South
side thereof about their churchyard, but foulely defaced & ruinated.
The church also hath had many faire monuments, but now defa
ced: there remayneth in the quire some plates on graue stones on
these persons, namely of William Lichfield, Doctor of Diuinity,
who deceased the yeare 1447. he was a great student, and compi
led many books both morall and diuine, in prose and in verse, name
ly one intituled the complaint of God vnto sinfull man. He made
in his time 3083. sermons, as appeared by his own hand writing,

and

N6r

187

and were founde when hee was dead. One other plate there is
of Iohn Brickles Draper, who deceased in the yere 1451. he was
a great benefactor to that church, and gaue by his testament cer
taine tenements, to the reliefe of the poore &c. At the East ende of
this church goeth downe a lane, called hey wharfe lane,

Hey wharfe
lane.

now late
ly a gret brewhouse was builded there by one Pot: Henry Campi
on Esquire, a Béere brower vsed it, & so doth Abraham his sonne
now possesseth it. Then was there one other lane sometime cal
led Wolses gate,

Welsey lane.

now out of vse, for the lower part thereof vpon
the bank of Thames is builded vpon by the late Earle of Shrews
bury, and the other end is builded on and stopped vp by the Cham
barlaine of London. Iohn Butler Draper one of the Sheriffes
in the yeare 1420. dwelled there: he appointed his house to be sold
and the price therof to be giuen to the poore, it was of Alhallowes
parish the lesse. Then is there the said parish church of Alhallows
called the lesse,

Parish church
of Alhallowes
the lesse.

and by some Alhallowes on the sellers, for it stan
deth on vaults: it is said to be builded by Sir Iohn Poultney some
times Mayor, the stéeple and quire of this Church standeth on an
arched gate, being the entry to a great

Cold Har
brough.

house called Colde Har
brough: the quire of late being fallen down, is now again at length
in the yere 1594. by the parishioners new builded. Touching this
Cold Harbrough, I find that in the 13. of Edward the 2. Sir Iohn
Abel knight, demised or let vnto Henry Stow Draper all that his
capitall messuage called the Colde Harbrough in the parish of Al
saints ad fœnum, and all the purtenances within the gate, with
the key which Robert Hartford citizen, sonne to William Hart
ford had, and ought, and the foresaid Robert paid for it the rent of
33.s̃. the yeare. This Robert Hartford being owner thereof, as
also of other landes in Surrey, deceasing without issue male, left
two daughters his coheires, to wit, Idonia, married to Sir Raph
Bigot, and Maude maried to Sir Stephen Cosenton knightes,
betwéene whom the said house and lands were parted. After the
which Iohn Bigot sonne to the said Sir Raph, and Sir Iohn Co
senton didsel their moities of Cold Harbrough vnto Iohn Poult
ney son of Adam Poultney the 8. of Edward the thirde. This
Sir Iohn Poultney dwelling in this house, and being foure times
Mayor, the said house tooke the name of Poultneyes Inne. Not
withstanding this Sir Iohn Poultney the 21. of Edward the 3.

N6v

188

by his charter gaue and confirmed to Humfrey de Bohume earle
of Hereford and Essex, his whole tenement called Colde Har
brough, with all the tenements and key adioyning, & apurtenances
sometime pertayning to Robert de Hereford, on the way called
Hey wharfe lane &c. for one Rose at Midsomer, to him and to his
heires for all seruices, if the same were demanded. This Sir Iohn
Poultney deceased 1349. and left issue by Margaret his wife,
William Poultney, who died without issue, and Margaret his
mother was maried to Sir Nicholas Louell knight &c. Phillip. S.
Cleare gaue two messuages pertaining to this Cold Harbrough,
in the Ropery, towards the inlarging of the parish church, and
churchyard, of All saynts, called the lesse in the 20. of Richard
the 2. In the yeare 1397. the 21. of Richard the 2. Iohn Hol
land Earle of Huntington was lodged there, and Richard the 2.
his brother dined with him, but in the next yere following I find ye
Edmond Earle of Cambridge had this house & was there lodged
in the yeare 1398. notwithstanding the said house stil retained the
name of Poultneyes Inne, in the raigne of Henry the 6. the 26.
of his raigne, and not otherwise. It belonged fithence to H. Hol
land Duke of Excester, and hee was lodged there in the yeare
1472. In the yeare 1485. Richard the third by his letters Pat
tents granted and gaue to Iohn Writh, alias Garter, principall
king of Armes of English men, and to the rest of the kinges Her
ralds and Pursiuantes of armes, all that messuage with the apur
tenances, called Cold Erber in the parish of All saints, the little in
London, and to their successors for euer. Dated at Westminster
the 2. of March, anno regni primo without fine or fée: how ye said
Herralds departed therewith I haue not read, but in the raigne of
H the eight. Cuthbert Tunstal Bishop of Durham, was lodged
there, since the which time it hath belonged to the earls of Shrews
bury, by composition (as is supposed) from the saide Cuthbert
Tunstall. The last deceased Earle tooke it down, & in place thereof
builded a great number of smal tenements now letten out for great
rents, to people of all sorts. Then is the Dyers Hall made a bro
therhood or

The Diers
hall.

Guild in the fourth of Henry the sixt and appointed to
consist of a gardian or warden and a communalty the 12. of Ed
ward the 4. Then be there diuers large Brewhowses, and others
till ye come to Ebgate lane, where that ward endeth in the East,

N7r

189

On the North side of Thames street be diuers lanes also, the first
is at the south ende of Elbow lane, before spoken of, West from
Downegate, ouer against Gréenwich lane: then bee diuers faire
houses for merchants and others all along that side. The

Bush lane.

next lane
east from Downegate is called Bush lane, which turneth vp to
Candlewicke stréete, and is of Downegate warde.

Suffolke lane.

Next is Suf
folke lane, likewise turning vp to Candlewicke street, in this lane
is one notable Grammer schoole, founded in the yeare 1561. by
the maister, wardens and assistants of the Merchantaylors,

Marchantay
lors schoole.

in the
parish of Saint Laurence Poultney. Richard Hilles somtime
maister of that company, hauing before giuen 500. pound towards
the purchase of an house, called the Mannor of the Rose,

The mannar
of the Rose.

sometime
belonging to the Duke of Buckingham, wherin the said schoole is
kept. Then is there one other lane which turneth vp to S. Lau
rence hill, and to the southwest corner of

S. Laurence
lane.

S. Laurence churchyard:
then one other lane called Poultney lane,

Poultney lane.

that goeth vp (of this
warde) to the southeast corner of S. Laurence churchyard, and so
downe again, and to the west corner of S. Martin Orgar lane, and
ouer against Ebgate lane, and this is all of Downegate ward, the
thirtéenth in number lying East, from the water course of Wal
brook, and hath not any one house of the west side of the said brook.
It hath an Alderman, his Deputie, Common Counsellors nyne,
Constables 8. Scauengers 5. for the Wardemote inquest 14. and
a Bedle, it is taxed to the fiftéene in London at 36. pound, and in
the Exchequer at 34.£.10s̃.

Survey of London: Walbrook Ward

Survey of London: Vintry Ward

Notes

I.e., Old Hall. (KL)↑

References

Stow, John, Anthony Munday, Anthony Munday, and Humphrey Dyson. The Survey of London (1633): Dowgate Ward. The Map of Early Modern London, edited by Janelle Jenstad, U of Victoria, 15 Sep. 2020, mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1633_DOWN1.htm. Draft.
Stow, John, and William fitz-Stephen. Survey of London: Dowgate Ward. The Map of Early Modern London, edited by Janelle Jenstad, U of Victoria, 15 Sep. 2020, mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.htm.

Cite this page

MLA citation

Stow, John, and William fitz-Stephen. Survey of London: Dowgate Ward. The Map of Early Modern London, edited by Janelle Jenstad, U of Victoria, 15 Sep. 2020, mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.htm.

Chicago citation

Stow, John, and William fitz-Stephen. Survey of London: Dowgate Ward. The Map of Early Modern London. Ed. Janelle Jenstad. Victoria: University of Victoria. Accessed September 15, 2020. https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.htm.

APA citation

Stow, J., & fitz-Stephen, W. 2020. Survey of London: Dowgate Ward. In J. Jenstad (Ed), The Map of Early Modern London. Victoria: University of Victoria. Retrieved from https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.htm.

RIS file (for RefMan, EndNote etc.)

Provider: University of Victoria
Database: The Map of Early Modern London
Content: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

TY  - ELEC
A1  - Stow, John
A1  - fitz-Stephen, William
ED  - Jenstad, Janelle
T1  - Survey of London: Dowgate Ward
T2  - The Map of Early Modern London
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/09/15
CY  - Victoria
PB  - University of Victoria
LA  - English
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.htm
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/xml/standalone/stow_1598_DOWN1.xml
ER  -

RefWorks

RT Web Page
SR Electronic(1)
A1 Stow, John
A1 fitz-Stephen, William
A6 Jenstad, Janelle
T1 Survey of London: Dowgate Ward
T2 The Map of Early Modern London
WP 2020
FD 2020/09/15
RD 2020/09/15
PP Victoria
PB University of Victoria
LA English
OL English
LK https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.htm

TEI citation

<bibl type="mla"><author><name ref="#STOW6"><surname>Stow</surname>, <forename>John</forename></name></author>, and <author><name ref="#FITZ1"><forename>William</forename> <surname>fitz-Stephen</surname></name></author>. <title level="a">Survey of London: Dowgate Ward</title>. <title level="m">The Map of Early Modern London</title>, edited by <editor><name ref="#JENS1"><forename>Janelle</forename> <surname>Jenstad</surname></name></editor>, <publisher>U of Victoria</publisher>, <date when="2020-09-15">15 Sep. 2020</date>, <ref target="https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.htm">mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.htm</ref>.</bibl>

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