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Spitalfields

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Spitalfields was a large area of open fields east of Bishopsgate Street and a good distance north of Aldgate and Houndsditch. Spitalfields, also recorded as Spittlefields and Lollesworth, is unmistakable on the Agas map. The large expanse of fields is clearly marked The Spitel Fyeld. The field is shown full of livestock and people walking and shooting. As the city relentlessly expanded its building programs to accommodate the growing population, Spitalfields became yet another maze of streets and houses, mainly inhabited by silk weavers (Harben).
Stow describes at length the various archaeological finds unearthed at Spitalfields within his lifetime. Among notable finds were coins and glasses; pots, plates, and cups made from red clay; and Roman burial urns full of human ashes from the reigns of Claudius, Vespasian, Nero, Antonius Pius, and Trajan. Stow proudly tells his reader that I my selfe haue reserued a mongst diuerse of those antiquities there, one Vrna, with the Ashes and bones, and one pot of white earth very small, not exceeding the quantitie of a quarter of a wine pint, made in shape of a Hare, squatted vpon her legs, and betweene her eares is the mouth of the pot (Stow).
The site is now occupied by Spitalfields Market. The Museum of London Archaeology (MoLA) has conducted extensive excavations in this area of London.
For further information on Spitalfields, see Thomas.

References

Cite this page

MLA citation

Adams, Neil, and Janelle Jenstad. Spitalfields. The Map of Early Modern London, Edition 6.6, edited by Janelle Jenstad, U of Victoria, 30 Jun. 2021, mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/SPIT1.htm.

Chicago citation

Adams, Neil, and Janelle Jenstad. Spitalfields. The Map of Early Modern London, Edition 6.6. Ed. Janelle Jenstad. Victoria: University of Victoria. Accessed June 30, 2021. mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/SPIT1.htm.

APA citation

Adams, N., & Jenstad, J. 2021. Spitalfields. In J. Jenstad (Ed), The Map of Early Modern London (Edition 6.6). Victoria: University of Victoria. Retrieved from https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/editions/6.6/SPIT1.htm.

RIS file (for RefMan, RefWorks, EndNote etc.)

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

TY  - ELEC
A1  - Adams, Neil
A1  - Jenstad, Janelle
ED  - Jenstad, Janelle
T1  - Spitalfields
T2  - The Map of Early Modern London
ET  - 6.6
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/06/30
CY  - Victoria
PB  - University of Victoria
LA  - English
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/SPIT1.htm
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/xml/standalone/SPIT1.xml
ER  -

TEI citation

<bibl type="mla"><author><name ref="#ADAM4"><surname>Adams</surname>, <forename>Neil</forename></name></author>, and <author><name ref="#JENS1"><forename>Janelle</forename> <surname>Jenstad</surname></name></author>. <title level="a">Spitalfields</title>. <title level="m">The Map of Early Modern London</title>, Edition <edition>6.6</edition>, edited by <editor><name ref="#JENS1"><forename>Janelle</forename> <surname>Jenstad</surname></name></editor>, <publisher>U of Victoria</publisher>, <date when="2021-06-30">30 Jun. 2021</date>, <ref target="https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/SPIT1.htm">mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/SPIT1.htm</ref>.</bibl>

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