Survey of London (1633): Cheap Ward

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Cheape Ward.
NExt adjoyning is Cheape
Ward
, taking name of
the Market there kept,
called West Cheaping:
which VVard, as a ri
ver that hath 3. heads,
and running along to the uttermost of
his bounds, issueth out on the sides into
little streames: So this Ward, begin
ning on the course of Walbrooke, and is
not the meanest of the Wards (if for no
other cause, yet because it is neerest to
the heart of the City) hath his begin
ning on the East from three places; The
high streete of the Poultry, The lower end
of Buckles bury
, and The neather part of
the Venell or Entry into Scalding Alley
;
and so running along, as farre as unto
the North-east corner of Bow lane on
the South side, & from thence into Bow
lane
on the East side, untill ye come to
the channel over-against the cellar door
under the Church; and then, on the
North side of Cheape, up to the Stan
dard
, stretching it selfe into divers Lanes
and Peeces on the right hand, and on
the left hand, as it commeth along.
First, for the high streete of the Poul
try
(which is the maine body of this
Ward:) On the South side thereof, to
ward the East, this Ward beginneth at
the corner house, now in the tenure of
one Robert Knight, in the way going
downe to Saint Mary Wool-Church, an
ciently knowne by the signe of the Li
on: the out-most part of which house,
and of this Ward there (the house be
ing divided) is at the crosse-channell
over-against (or very neere) the great
West doore of Wool-Church, and so it
goeth along on the South side of the
Poultry to the great Conduit, and so in
to Bow lane, as is aforesaid.
Secondly, for Buckles bury, this Ward
beginneth there toward the lower end:
On the North side, at a Channell neere
to the end of the house, bearing the
signe of the Christopher, toward the
East, now in the tenure of one Iohn
Hodges
: On the South side, it beginneth
at the East end of the great new Frame
of Building, over-against the said Chri
stopher
; which is the Tenement on the
East side, next to the blacke Bull; and
so it goeth into all the Barge. And then
VVestward, it goeth on both sides the
way, viz. on the North side, to the
great Conduit, and so to Bow lane, as is
aforesayd; and on the South side, to
the end of Saint Sythes lane. Then
crossing over the Channell, to S. Bennet
Shorhogs
Church
, it stretcheth all along
through Needlers lane, by St. Pancrates
Church
, on the same side, untill yee
come to a great Gate, which is in the
nooke of a little passage or entry to the
VVest, and is the backe gate of a house,
standing in Bow lane, sometime the
dwelling house of Master Paruis. Then
againe it stretcheth from the Chaine in
the middest of Sopers lane (on both sides
the Lane) upward toward the North,
into Cheape on the South side, and so in
to Bow lane, as is aforesayd.
Thirdly, for the last place of this
VVards beginning: On the North side
of the high streete, neere unto the
Stockes-Market, is an Alley or Lane,
called Scalding Alley, not erroneously
(as some have published) but truely, as
neerest to the most ancient denominati
on thereof; which was, Scalding-house,
alias, Scalding-wike
, and Scalding lane,
as appeareth by good records extant
of two hundred yeeres continuance.
VVithin the Venell or entry of this Lane
or Alley, neere unto the VVell, that
standeth in a corner to the VVest, this
VVard beginneth at the end of the
stone wall, wherein is the doore leading
unto

Cheape Ward.

unto the Parsonage house and Church
of Saint Mildred
(of which, more anon)
and it runneth on that side the Chan
nell along to the East corner of the said
Church, and from thence on the North
side of the streete, into the Compter, and
Cony-hoope lane, and within Cony-hoope
lane
, into all Skinners Alley, and the
Grocers Hall and Garden; and then
backe againe into the Old Iewry Lane,
on the West side as farre as Alderman
Welds
house, and on the East side as
farre as the dead stone Wall of the
great house over-against it, sometime
Alderman Andersons house. Then to re
turne to the west end of Old Iewry a
gaine, this VVard stretcheth along on
the North side by the Mercers Hall un
to Iron-mongers lane, (which all wholly
on both sides is in this VVard) and so
into Catton streete. In Catton streete this
Ward entreth, toward the East, at a
house anciently knowne by the signe of
the Talbot, on the South side, now in
the tenure of Master Packhurst; and o
ver-against it, on the North side, at a
deepe Channell, issuing out of a house,
and so goeth up to the west on both
sides, videlicet, on the South side of the
way, beyond the end of Saint Lawrence
lane
, untill ye come to that middle part
of the Church wall, which is beyond
the Church Porch; and on the North
side, from that corner of the Church
wall, it goeth on the East side of the
Channell to the Church yard; and
from thence, on both sides the way, un
to the outward gate leading unto
Guild-hall yard, and adioyning to the
Taverne of the three Tunnes. Then a
gaine to come into Cheape, there, on
the North side, is Saint Lawrence lane,
all which is wholly of this VVard, and
so is Hony lane above that; and so it rea
cheth westward as farre as a shallow
Channell, close beyond the Standard.
And thus stand the bounds of Cheape
Ward
.
Now, for Antiquities, and things
worthy of memory in Cheape Ward.
First, in the maine body of this
VVard, that is, the Poultry, standeth
the proper little Church, that beareth
the name of Saint Mildred in the Poul
try
, the Virgin; which name was given
surely for distinction, not for superstiti
on: For so was the custome of the
Kingdome (and yet is) in building these
thing for the service of God, that the
Founders called them by the name of
some Apostle, Saint, Martyr, or Con
fessor, as best liked their owne conceit
at the present time, to distinguish them
from others.
VVho this Mildred was; whether
she was that eldest daughter of Merwal
dus
, King of VVest-Mercians, as some
thinke, or that shee was daughter of E
thelbert
, King of Kent, one of the Foun
ders of Pauls Church; I finde no Re
cord to specifie, neither is it much ma
teriall: but it is probable, that shee was
some holy and devout Maide, which
the people of that age held to bee a
Saint afterward in heaven.
In what yeeres this Church was first
erected, or who was the first Founder
of it, we finde not: But it appeareth by
some ancient Evidences of the sayd
Church, that from the beginning it had
not so much spare ground about it, as
to make a Church yard of; untill in the
yeere of our Lord God 1420. and the
eighth of King Henry the fifth, Thomas
Morsted
, Esquire, and Chirurgeon to
the Kings, Henry the fourth, Henry the
fifth
, and Henry the sixth, (and after
ward, in Anno Dom. 1436. was Sheriffe
and Alderman of London) gave unto the
Church a parcell of ground,
The Church yard gi
ven.
lying be
tweene his dwelling house and the sayd
Church (and adjoyning unto the sayd
Church toward the North) to make a
Church yard of, for the buriall of their
dead; containing in length, from the
course of Walbrooke, toward the west,
forty five foote, and in breadth, from
the Church toward the North, thirty
five foote.
Within short time after,
The Par
sonage house and chambers.
some body,
of religious and charitable disposition,
erected upon the sides of the sayd
Church yard, but upon Posts and Pil
lars, with Cloysters underneath, toward
the west, a Parsonage house, or Mansi
on and free dwelling of the Ministers
and Rectors of the sayd Church: and
toward the East foure chambers, then
called the Priests Chambers; now con
verted into a Tenement or dwelling
house, and demised for yeerly rent. But
the Church yard is much abridged, and
of

Cheape Ward.

of late foulely defaced, and the lights of
the said Parsonage hindered by additi
ons of Peeces to the said ancient cham
bers, which ought not to be.
After some yeeres expired,
Church taken downe and new built.
the Par
son and Parishioners, as it seemeth, see
ing the Church to bee very old, purpo
sed to take it downe, and to build it
new againe: Which they began to doe
about the yeere of our Lord God, 1456.
At what time Robet Snell and Iohn King
were Church-wardens, and continued
in the office till the end of the yeere
1467. Toward the which Building, as
it may appeare by their Accompts, Iohn
Saxton
being Rector or Parson of the
said Church, gave thirty two pounds;
and afterward Richard Bowyer being
Parson, gave sixe pound and fifteene
shillings.
Of later dayes, to wit, Anno Domini
1594. and 35. of Queene Elizabeth, of
blessed memory, this Church yard, and
all the Buildings thereon,
Church yard and Buildings supposed to be con
cealed.
which had
been thus long in the free possession of
the Ministers and Parishioners of the
said Church, were, through the infor
mation of an evill minded man, then
Tenent in the chambers, sold for con
cealed land; whereby the said Tene
ment, Church yard, and Cloysters,
were like to bee lost from the possession
of the Church, and the Ministers of the
Church to bee charged with an yeerely
rent of their Parsonage house for ever.
But the Parson and Parishioners, by a
Iudiciall proceeding then in her Maje
sties Court of Exchequer, cleared all
the whole Soyle from that incom
brance: the tryall whereof was held by
Nisi prius in the Guild-hall of London,
and the Record is kept in Master Fan
shawes
Office for the Exchequer.
Richard Shore, Draper, one of the
Sheriffes in the yeere 1505. gave fif
teene pounds to the making of a Porch
to this Church.
In the great East window of this
Church are the Armes of divers Gen
tlemen, as Benefactors: and namely,
the Armes of Lovell and Pury, quarte
red, and the Armes of Richard Keston,
single.
All the rooffing of the Church is
garnished with the Armes of one Tho
mas Ashehill
, who had lent a great
summe of money toward the new buil
ding of the said Church, and was one
of the Church-wardens there, in the
yeere 1474. and lyeth buried there in
the South Chappell: His Armes also
are to be seene in the same Chappell, in
the window to the East.
Besides this Thomas Ashehill are bu
ried in this Church, as by their Monu
ments appeare, Iohn Saxton, of whom
we heard before, with this Epitaph;
Hanc subter speciem
corpus jacet eccè Iohannis,
Saxton qui fuerat
vocitatus ejus in Annis:
Hunc qui plasmavit
de terra, suppeditavit,
Nunc Pater & Flamen
sibi dent cum Prole locamen,
Qui obiit die Mens.
Anno 14 Cujus, &c.
Others buried here, as appeareth by
Monuments.
Iohn Hildie, Poulter, 1416. Iohn
Kendall
, 1468. Iohn Garland, 1476. Ro
bert Bois
, 1485. and Simon Lee, Poul
ters
, 1487. Thomas Lee, of Essex, Gen
tleman
, William Harlingridge, Christo
pher Seliocke
, 1494. Robert Draiton,
Skinner, 1484. Iohn Christopherson Do
ctor of Physicke, 1524
William Turner,
Skinner, 1536. Blase White, Grocer,
1558. Thomas Hobson, Haberdasher,
1559
. William Hobson, Haberdasher,
1581
. Thomas Tusser, 1580. with this
Epitaph
:
clad in earth, doth lie,
That sometime made
the points of Husbandrie:
By him then learne thou maist;
here learne we must,
When all is done, we sleepe,
and turne to dust:
And yet, through Christ,
to Heaven we hope to goe;
Who reades his bookes,
shall finde his faith was so.
And last of all, Thomas Iken, Skin
ner, with this Epitaph:
In Hodnet and London
God

Cheape Ward.

God blessed my life
Till forty and sixe yeeres,
with children and wife:
And God will raise me
up to life againe,
Therefore have I thought
my death no paine.
Thomas Iken, qui obiit 10. die
Martii, 1590
.
And there also lyeth buried Elizabeth
his wife, and divers of their children:
where, on a Pillar in the Chancell, to
ward the South, is this Monument:
In this Chancell lyeth the body of Thomas
Iken
, Citizen and Skinner of London,
who was borne in Hodnet in the County
of Salope, and had to wife Elizabeth
the daughter of Roger Smith of New
port-Pagnell
in the County of Buckin
gham, by whom he had sixe sonnes and
eight daughters: which Thomas depar
ted this life the tenth day of March, An
no Dom. 1590
.
In the yeere 1594. Thomas Lane, Ci
tizen and Scrivener of London, by his
last Will and Testament gave his small
Tenement, over against London Wall,
neere Bishopsgate, unto the Church to
wards the reparations thereof, and re
liefe of the poore of the Parish.
On the North side of the said Church
yard, remaine two Tombes of Marble,
but not knowne of whom, or otherwise
than by tradition, it is said they were of
Thomas Muschampe, and William Bro
thurs
, about 1547, &c.
Some foure houses West from this
Parish Church of Saint Mildred, is a
Prison-house, pertaining to one of the
Sheriffes of London, and is called the
Counter in the Poultry. This hath been
there kept and continued time out of
minde; for I have not read of the ori
ginall thereof. West from this Coun
ter, was a proper Chappell, called of
Corpus Christi, and Saint Mary at Cony
hope lane
end, in the Parish of Saint Mil
dred
, founded by one named Ionnirun
nes
, a Citizen of London, in the raigne
of Edward the third, in which Chappel
was a Guild or Fraternity, that might
dispend in Lands better than twenty
pound by yeere: it was suppressed by
Henry the eighth, and purchased by one
Thomas Hobson, Haberdasher: hee tur
ned this Chappell into a faire Ware
house and shops towards the streete,
with lodgings over them.
Then is Cony hope lane, of old time so
called, of a signe of three Conies hang
ing over a Poulters stall at the Lanes
end. Within this Lane standeth the
Grocers Hall, which Company, being
of old time called Pepperers, were first
incorporated by the name of Grocers,
in the yeere 1345. at which time they
elected for Custos or Gardian of their
Fraternity,
Grocers Hall pur
chased & builded.
Richard Oswin, and
Laurence
Hallwell
, & twenty Brethren were then
taken in, to be of their Society. In the
yeere 1411. the Custos or Gardian, and
the Brethren of this Company, purcha
sed of the Lord Robert Fitzwaters, one
plot of ground with the building there
upon in the said Cony hope lane, for 320.
Markes, and then laid the foundation
of their new common Hall.
About the yeere 1429. the Grocers
had licence to purchase 500. Markes
land: since the which time, neere ad
joyning unto the Grocers Hall, the
said Company had builded seven pro
per houses for seven aged poore Almes
people. Thomas Knowles, Grocer, Maior,
gave his Tenement in Saint Anthonies
Church yard
to the Grocers, towards
the reliefe of the poore Brethren in that
Company. Also Henry Keble, Grocer,
Maior, gave to the seven Almes people,
sixe pence weekly for ever, which pen
sion is now increased by the Masters, to
some of them two shillings a peece
weekly, and to some of them lesse, &c.
Henry Ady , Grocer, 1563. gave a thou
sand Marks to the Grocers to purchase
lands. And sir Henry Pechy, Knight Ban
neret, free of that Company, gave
them five hundred pound to certaine
uses: hee builded Almes-houses at Lu
dingstone
in Kent, and was there buried.
West from this Cony hope lane is the
old Iury, whereof some portion is of
Cheape Ward, as afore is shewed: at the
South end of this Lane, is the Parish
Church of S. Mary Cole-Church, named
of one Cole that builded it: this Church
is builded upon a vault above ground, so
that men are forced to goe to ascend up
therunto by certain steps. I find no Mo
numents

Cheape Ward.

numents of this Church more, than that
Henry the fourth granted licence to
William Marshall and others, to found a
Brotherhood of Saint Katharine there
in, because Thomas Becket and Saint Ed
mond
the Archbishop were baptized
there. More I reade of Bordhangly lane,
to be of that Parish: and thus much for
the North side of the Poultry. The
South side of the said Poultry, begin
ning on the banke of the said brooke,
over-against the Parish Church of Saint
Mildred
, passing up to the great Con
duit
, hath divers faire houses, which
were sometimes inhabited by the Poul
ters, but now by Grocers, Haberda
shers
, and Vpholsters.
Concerning other Antiquities there:
first,
Buckles bury of one Buc
kle.
is Buckles bury, so called of a Man
nour and Tenements pertaining to one
Buckle, who there dwelled, and kept
his Courts. This Mannor is supposed
to be the great stone-building, yet in
part remaining on the South side of the
streete, which of late time hath beene
called the Old Barge, of such a signe
hanged out, neere the gate thereof. This
Mannour, or great House, hath of long
time beene divided and letten out into
many tenements: and it hath beene a
common speech,
Barges towed up Walbrook unto Buc
kles bury
.
that when Walbrooke
did lye open, Barges were rowed out of
the Thames, or towed up so farre: and
therefore the place hath ever since been
called the Old Barge.
Also, on the North side of this street,
directly over-gainst the said Buckles bu
rie
, was one ancient and strong Tower
of stone the which Tower King Edward
the third
, in the eighteenth of his reign,
by the name of the Kings house, called
Cornet stoure in London,
Cornet stoure in Buckles bury the Kings Exchange Exche
quer.
did appoint to
be his Exchange of money, there to bee
kept. In the 29. he granted it to Frydus
Guynysane
, and Landus Bardoile, Mer
chants of Luke, for twenty pound the
yeere. And in the 32. he gave the same
Tower to his Colledge, or free Chappel
of Saint Stephen at Westminster
, by the
name of Cornet stoure at Buckles bury in
London.
This Tower, of late yeeres, was ta
ken downe by one Buckle, a Grocer,
meaning, in place thereof, to have set
up and builded a goodly frame of Tim
ber: but the said Buckle greedily labou
ring to pull downe the old Tower, a
part thereof fell upon him, which so
sore bruised him, that his life was there
by shortened: and another that married
his widow, set up the new prepared
frame of Timber, and finished the
worke.
This whole streete, called Buckles bu
rie
, on both the sides throughout, is
possessed of Grocers and Apothecaries.
Toward the west end thereof, on the
South side, breaketh out one other short
Lane, called in Records Peneritch street,
it reacheth but to Saint Sythes lane, and
Saint Sythes Church is the farthest part
thereof; for by the west end of the said
Church, beginneth Needlers lane, which
reacheth to Sopers lane, as is aforesaid.
This small Parish Church of St. Syth,
hath also an addition of Bennet shorne,
(or Shrog, or Shorehog)
names have I read it, but the ancientest
is Shorne: wherefore it seemeth to take
that name of one Benedict Shorne, some
time a Citizen and Stockefishmonger
of London, a new builder, repairer, or
benefactor thereof, in the yeere of Ed
ward
the second
: so that Shorne is but
corruptly called Shrog, and more cor
ruptly Shorehog.
There lye buried in this Church, Iohn
Froysh
, Mercer, Maior, 1394. Iohn Roch
ford
, Rob. Rochford, Iohn Hold, Alderman,
Hen. Frowike, Mercer, Maior, 1435. Edw.
Warrington
, Iohn Morrice, Iohn Huntley,
Richard Lincolne, Felmonger, 1548. Sir
Ralph Warren
, Mercer, Maior, 1553. Sir
Iohn Lion
, Grocer, Maior, 1554. these
two last have Monuments, the rest are
all defaced. Edward Hall, Gentleman
of Greyes Inne, common Sergeant of
this City, and then Vnder-Sheriffe of
the same, hee wrote the large Chroni
cles from Richard the second, till the
end of Henry the eighth, was buried in
this Church.
Grace and Religion,
A faire Monumēt in the East wall of the Chancell.
with the best of Nature,
All striving to excell,
yet all agreeing
To make one absolute
and perfect creature:
Would any see a sight,
so worth the seeing?
He comes too late:
here


here she lyes buried,
With whom they lately liv’d,
and now are dead.
In the Vault there by,
Lieth buried the body of Anne, the wife of
Iohn Farrar, Gentleman, and Mer
chant Adventurer of this City, daugh
ter of William Shepheard, of Great
Rowlright, in the County of Oxenford,
Esquire. She departed this life the 12. day
of Iuly, An. Dom. 1613
. being then a
bout the age of 21. yeeres. To whose
well-deserving memory, this Monument
is by her said husband erected.
Here was a Bud,
A small gilt en
graven Plate fa
stened under the Monu
ment.
beginning for her May:
Before her Flower,
Death tooke her hence away.
But for what cause?
That friends might joy the more,
Where their hope is,
she flourisheth now before.
She is not lost,
but in those joyes remaine,
Where friends may see,
and joy in her againe.
Here lyeth buried the right Worshipfull,
A faire ancient Marble Tombe in the Chancell.

Sir Ralph Warren, Knight, Alder
man, and twice Lord Maior of this City
of London, Mercer, Merchant of the
Staple at Callis; with his two wives,
Dame Christian, and Dame Ioane:
Which said Sir Ralph departed this life
the 11. day of Iuly, An. Dom. 1553.
Here lyeth Katharine Prettyman,
A faire plated stone in the midst of the Chancell.
a Mayde of seventeene yeeres,
In Suffolke borne, in London bred,
as by her death appeares.
With Natures gifts she was adorn’d,
of honest birth and kin,
Her vertuous minde, with modest grace,
did love of many win.
But when she should with honest match
have liv’d a wedded life,
Stay there (quoth Iove) the world is naught,
for she shall be my wife,
And Death, since thou hast done thy due,
lay nuptiall rites aside,
And follow her unto the grave,
that should have been your Bride:
Whose honest life, and faithfull end,
her patience therewithall,
Doth plainly shew, that she with Christ
now lives, and ever shall.
She departed this life the 11. day
of August, 1594
.
Quod mihi dilectissimus
& memorabile pii,
A plated stone in the North Ile.
Donavit, breviter
abstulit ecce Deus.
Dulcis Ioannes
artorum parvule-cultor
Occidis heu pietas
& lachrymosa dies.
Affer opem quicunque
pores medicabile vultu,
Et aliud dederis
si mihi sancte Deus.
Obijt 3. die Aprilis, 1592.
Then, in Needlers lane have yee the
Parish Church of Saint Pancrate, a pro
per small Church, but divers rich Pa
rishioners therein, and hath had, of old
time, many liberall Benefactors: But
of late, such as (not regarding the order
taken by Queene Elizabeth) the least
Bell in their Church being broken,
Iustices charged to punish such as sell Bels from their Churches, Eliz. 14.
have
rather sold the same for halfe the value,
than put the Parish to charge with new
casting: late experience hath proved
this to bee true, besides the spoyle of
Monuments there.
In this Church are buried Sir Aker,
Iohn Aker, Iohn Barnes, Mercer, Maior,
1370
. Iohn Beston, and his wife, Robert
Rayland
, Iohn Hamber, Iohn Gage,
Iohn Rowley, Iohn Lambe, Iohn Hadley,
Grocer, Maior, 1379. Richard Garde
ner
, Mercer, Maior, 1478. Iohn Stock
ton
, Mercer, Maior, 1470. Iohn Dane,
Mercer, Iohn Parker, Robert Marshall,
Alderman, 1439. Robert Corcheford, Ro
bert Hatfield, and Robert Hatfield, Ni
cholas Wilfilde
, and Thomas his sonne, the
Monuments of all which bee defaced
and gone
.
There doe remaine, of Robert Bur
ley
, 1360. Richard Wilson, 1525. Robert
Packenton
, Mercer, slaine with a Gunne,
shot at him in a morning, as he was go
ing to morrow Masse from his house
in Cheape, to Saint Thomas of Acars,
in the yeere 1536. The murderer
was never discovered, but by his owne
confession, made when hee came to the
Gallowes at Banbury, to be hanged for
Bb
Felony.

Cheape Ward.

Felony. T. Wardbury, Haberdasher,
1545. Iames Huysh, Grocer, 1590. Am
brose Smith
, &c.
Hereunder lyeth buried Iames Huysh,
A faire Monumēt in the North wall of the Quire.
Ci
tizen and Grocer of London, third son
of Iohn Huysh, of Beuford, in the
County of Somerset, Esquire: which
Iames had to his first wife, Margaret
Bourchier
; by whom hee had issue ele
ven children: And to his second wife,
Mary Moffet, by whom he had issue, 18.
children. He dyed the 20. day of August,
Anno Dom. 1590
.
Hac defunctus Huysh
tenui sub mole quiescit,
Nec tamen hac totus
mole quiescit Huysh.
Corpus inest Tumulo,
colit aurea spiritus astra,
Scilicet hunc Coelum
vendicat, illud humus.
Londinensis erat Civis
dum fata sinebant:
Iam cum sydereo
Millre Miles agit.
Bis Thalami sociam
duxit, prior edidit illi
Vndenas proles,
altera bisque novem.
Munificam persaepe
manum porrexit egenis,
Virtutum fautor,
Pieridumque fuit.
Nil opus est plures
illi contexere laudes,
Sufficit in Coelo▪
jam reperisse locum.
Hoc qualecunque Monumen
tum, Rowlandus, dicti Ia
cobi haeres, posuit pie
tatis ergo.
Here lies a Mary
mirror of her sexe
For all that best their
soules or body decks.
Faith, forme, or fame,
the miracle of youth,
For zeale and knowledge
of the sacred truth,
For frequent reading
the whole holy Writ.
For fervent prayer,
and for practice fit,
For meditations,
full of use and art,
For humblenesse,
in habit and in heart,
For pious, prudent,
peacefull, praisefull life,
For all the duties
of a Christian wife;
For patient bearing
seven dead-bearing throwes,
For one alive, which
yet dead with her goes.
From Travers her deare
Spouse, her father Hayes,
Lord Maior, more honoured
in her vertuous praise.
Quam piè obiit puerpera die
octavo Martii, Anno Aeta
tis 29. Anno Saluti
1614
.
Then is a part of Sopers lane, turning
up to Cheape.
By the assent of Stephen Abunden,
were admitted to sell all such Spices,
and other Wares, as Grocers now use
to sell, retaining the old name of Pep
perers
in Sopers lane; till at length, in
the reigne of Henry the sixth, the same
Sopers lane was inhabited by Cord
wainers
and Curriers, after that the
Pepperers or Grocers had seated them
selves in a more open streete, to wit, in
Buckles bury, where they yet remaine.
Thus much for the South Wing of
Cheape Ward.
At the West end of this Poultry, and
also of Buckles bury,
West Cheap a large Market place.
beginneth the large
street of West Cheaping, a Market place
so called, which street stretcheth West,
till yee come to the little Conduit by
Pauls gate, but not all of Cheape Ward. In
the East part of this streete standeth the
Great Conduit, of sweete water, con
veyed by pipes of Lead under ground
from Paddington, for service of this Ci
ty, castellated with stone, and cisterned
in Lead, about the yeere 1285. and a
gain new builded and enlarged by Tho
mas Ilam
, one of the Sheriffes, 1479.
About the middest of this street is the
Standard in Cheape; of what antiquity,
the first foundation I have not read.
But Henry the sixth, by his Patent dated
at Windsore the . of his reigne, which
Patent


Patent was confirmed by Parliament,
1442. granted licence to Thomas Knolles,
Iohn Chichle, & other, executors to Iohn
Wells
, Grocer, sometime Maior of Lon
don
, with his goods to make new the
high-way, which leadeth from the Ci
tie of London towards the Palace of West
minster
, before and nigh the Mannour
of Savoy
, parcell of the Duchy of Lanca
ster
; a way then very ruinous, and the
pavement broken, to the hurt and mis
chiefe of the subjects: Which old pave
ment, then remaining in that way, with
in the length of five hundred foote, and
all the breadth of the same, before and
nigh the site of the Mannour aforesaid,
they to breake up, and with stone, gra
vell, and other stuffe, one other good &
sufficient way there to make, for the
commodity of the subjects. And fur
ther,
The old Standard in Cheape, with a Conduit therein, taken downe, and new
builded.
that the Standard in Cheape, where
divers executions of the Law before
time had beene performed, which
Standard at that present was very rui
nous with age, in which there was a
Conduit should bee taken downe, and
another competent Standard of stone,
together with a Conduit in the same, of
new, strongly to bee builded, for the
commodity & honour of the City, with
the goods of their said Testator, with
out interruption, &c.
Of executions at the Standard in
Cheape
,
Executi
ons at the Standard in Cheape.
we reade, that in the yeer 1293.
three men had their right hands smit
ten off there, for rescuing of a prisoner,
arrested by an Officer of the City. In
the yeere 1326. the Burgesses of Lon
don
caused Walter Stapleton, Bishop of
Exceter, Treasurer to Edward the se
cond
, and other, to be beheaded at the
Standard in Cheap (but this was by Pauls
Gate
.) In the yeere 1351. the 26. of Ed
ward
the third
, two Fishmongers were
beheaded at the Standard in Cheape, but
I reade not of their offence. 1381. Wat
Tyler
beheaded Richard Lions and other
there. In the yeere 1399. Henry the
fourth
caused the Blank Charters, made
by Richard the second, to be burnt there.
In the yeere 1450. Iacke Cade, Captain
of the Kentish Rebels, beheaded the
Lord Say there. In the yeere 1461. Iohn
Davy
had his hand stricken off there,
because hee had stricken a man before
the Iudges at Westminster, &c.
Then next is the great Crosse in West
Cheape
:
Great Crosse in West Cheape first buil
ded.
Which Crosse was there ere
cted in the yeere 1290. by Edward the
first
, upon occasion thus: Queene Elia
nor
his wife died at Hardeby (a Towne
neere unto the City of Lincolne) her
body was brought from thence to West
minster
, and the King in memory of her,
caused in every place where her body
rested by the way, a stately Crosse of
stone to be erected, with the Queenes
Image and Armes upon it; as at Gran
tham
, Woborne, Northhampton, Stony-Stratford,
Dunstable, S. Albones, Wal
tham, West Cheape
, and at Charing, from
whence shee was conveyed to Westmin
ster
, and there buried.
This Crosse in West Cheap,
Crosse in Cheap new builded.
being like
to those other which remaine till this
day, & being by length of time decaied;
Iohn Hatherley, Maior of London, procu
red in the yeer 1441. licence of K. Henry
the sixth
, to re-edifie the same in more
beautifull manner, for the honour of the
City: & had licence also to take up 200.
fodder of Lead for the building there
of, of certain Conduits, & a cōmon Gra
nary. This Crosse was then curiously
wrought, at the charges of divers Citi
zens: Ioh. Fisher, Mercer, gave 600. Marks
towards it, the same was begun to be set
up, 1484. and finished 1486. the second
of Henry the 7
. It was after gilt over, in
the yeere 1522 against the comming in
of Charles the fifth Emperour, in the
yeere 1553. against the Coronation of
Queene Anne, new burnished against
the Coronation of Edward the sixth,
and againe new gilt 1554. against the
comming in of King Philip: since the
which time,
Crosse in Cheape in
dighted, the Ima
ges bro
ken.
the said Crosse having
beene presented by divers Juries (or
Quests of Wardmote) to stand in the
high-way, to the let of carriages (as
they alledged) but could not have it
removed; it followed, that in the yeer
1581. the twenty one of June, in the
night, the lowest Images round about
the said Crosse (being of Christ his re
surrection, of the Virgin Mary King Ed
ward
the Confessor
, and such like) were
broken, and defaced. Proclamation
was made, that whoso would bewray
the doers, should have forty Crownes;
but nothing came to light: the Image of
the blessed Virgin, at that time was
Bb2
robbed


robbed of her Son, & her armes broken,
by which shee staid him on her knees,
her whole body was also haled with
ropes, and left likely to fall: but in the
yeere 1595. was again fastened & repai
red, & in the yeer next following, a new
mis-shapen Son, as born out of time, all
naked, was laid in her armes, the other
Images remaining broke as afore. But
on the East side of the same Crosse, the
steppes being taken thence under the I
mage of Christs resurrection defaced,
was then set up a curious wrought Ta
bernacle of gray Marble,
Image of Diana let upon the Crosse in Cheape.
& in the same
an Alabaster Image of Diana, & water
conveyed from the Thames, prilling
from her naked breast for a time, but
now decayed.
Socrat. li. 1. cap. 13.
In the yeere 1599. the timber of the
Crosse at the top being rotted within
the lead,
Top of the crosse being fea
red to fall, was taken downe.
the arms therof bending, were
feared to have fallen, to the harming of
som people;
Crosse in Cheape comman
ded to be repaired.
& therfore the whole body
of the Crosse was scaffolded about, and
the top thereof taken down, meaning in
place therof to have set up a Pyramis;
but some of her Majesties honourable
Counsellors directed their letters to sir
Nicholas Mosley, then Maior, by her
Highnes expresse commandement con
cerning the Crosse, forthwith to be re
paired, and placed again as it formerly
stood, &c. Notwithstanding, the said
Cross stood headlesse more than a yeer
after: whereupon the said Counsellors
in greater number, meaning not any lon
ger to permit the continuance of such a
contempt,
Cōmand again sent for repai
ring the Crosse in Cheape, it being an ancient Ensigne of Christi
anity.
wrote to Wil. Rider, then Mai
or, requiring him by vertue of her High
nesse
said former direction & comman
dement, without any further delay, to
accomplish the same her Majesties most
princely care therein, respecting especi
ally the antiqity & continuance of that
Monument, ancient Ensigne of Christi
anity, &c. dated the 24. of December,
1600
. After this a crosse of timber was
framed, set up, covered with lead, & gil
ded, the body of the Crosse downward
cleansed of dust, the Scaffold carried
thence. About 12. nights following, the
Image of our Lady was again defaced,
by plucking off her crown, & almost her
head, taking from her her naked childe,
and stabbing her in the breast, &c. Thus
much for the Crosse in West Cheape.
Then at the West end of West Cheape
streete
, was sometime a Crosse of stone,
called the Old Crosse. Ralph Higden in his
Polycronicon sait, that Walter Stapleton,
Bishop of Exceter, Treasurer to Edward
the 2
. was by the Burgesses of London
beheaded at this Crosse, then called the
Standard, without the North doore of
S. Pauls Church, and so is it noted in o
ther writers, that then lived. This old
Crosse
stood and remained at the East
end of the Parish Church, called S. Mi
chael
in the Corne
by Pauls gate, neer to
the North end of the Old-Exchange, till
the yeere 1390. the 13. of Richard the 2.
in place of which old Crosse then taken
down, the said Church of S. Michael was
enlarged, & also a faire water-Conduit
builded about the 9. of Henry the sixth.
In the reigne of Edward the 3. divers
Iustings were made in this streete,
Iustings and Tour
nament in West Cheape.
be
twixt Sopers lane & the great Crosse,
namely, one in the yeer 1331. about the
21. of September
, as I finde noted by
divers writers of that time. In the mid
dle of the City of London (say they) in a
streete called Cheap, the stone pavement
being couered with sand, that the horse
might not slide, when they strongly set
their feet to the ground, the King held a
Tournament 3. daies together with the
Nobility,
Edward the 3. held Tourna
ment or Iusts in West Cheap 3. daies together.
valiant men of the Realme, &
other, some strange Knights. And to the
end the beholders might with the bet
ter ease see the same, there was a wood
den Scaffold erected crosse the streete,
like unto a Tower,
Queene Philip and her ladies fell from a Scaffold in Cheape.
wherein Queen Phi
lip
, & many other Ladies, richly attired
and assembled from all parts of the
Realme, did stand to behold the Justs:
but the higher frame in which the La
dies were placed, brake in sunder, wher
by they were (with some shame) forced
to fall downe, by reason whereof the
Knights and such as were underneath
were grievously hurt: wherefore the
Queen took great care to save the Car
penters from punishment, and through
her praiers (which she made upon her
knees) pacified the King & Councell, &
therby purchased great love of the peo
ple.
A shed or standing made for the King to behold the shews in Cheape.
After which time the King caused a
Shed to bee strongly made of stone for
himselfe, the Queen, & other States to
stand on, & there to behold the Justings,
and other shewes at their pleasure, by
the


the Church of S. Mary Bow, as is shew
ed in Cordwainer streete Ward . Thus
much for the high streete of Cheape.
Now let us returne to the South side
of Cheape Ward:
Southside of Cheape street so fat as Cheape Ward rea
cheth.
from the great Con
duit
west be many faire and large hou
ses, for the most part possessed of Mer
cers
, up to the corner of Cordwainer
street
, corruptly called Bow lane, which
houses in former times were but sheds,
or shops, with sollors over them, as of
late one of them remained at Sopers lane
end, wherein a woman sold seeds, roots,
and herbes: but those sheds or shops,
by incroachments on the high streete,
are now largely builded on both sides
outward, and also upward, some three,
foure, or five stories high.
Now of the North side of Cheape street
and Ward,
North side of Cheape Ward.
beginning at the great Con
duit
, and by S. Mary Cole Church, where
we left. Next thereunto Westward is
the Mercers Chappell, sometime an Hos
pitali, intituled of S. Thomas of Acon, or
Acars, for a Master and Brethren, Mili
tia hospitalis, &c
. saith the Record of Ed
ward
the third
, the 14. yeere, it was foun
ded by Thomas Fitztheobald de Heili, &
Agnes his wife. Sister to Thomas Becket,
in the reigne of Henry the second. They
gave to the Master and Brethren the
lands with the appurtenances, that
sometimes were Gilbert Beckets, father
to the said Thomas, in the which he was
borne, there to make a Church. There
was a Charnell and a Chappell over it
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. This Hospi
tall was valued to dispend 277. pounds,
three shillings foure pence surrendred
the 30. of Henry the eighth, the 21. of
October
, and was since purchased by
the Mercers, by meanes of sir Richard
Gresham
, and was againe set open on the
Eve of S. Michael, 1541. the 33. of Henry
the 8
. It is now called the Mercers Chap
pell
, therein is kept a free Grammar
Schoole,
A free Schoole in the Hospitall of S. Thom. of Acars.
as of old time had bin accusto
med, commanded by Parliament. Here
bee many Monuments remaining, but
more have been defaced: Iames Butler
Earle of Ormond and Dame Ioane his
Countesse, 1428. Iohn Norton Esquire,
Stephen Cavendish, Draper, Maior, 1362.
Thomas Cavendish, William Cavendish,
Thomas Ganon called Pike, one of the
Sheriffes, 1410. Hungate of Yorkshire,
Ambrose Cresacre, Iohn Chester, Draper,
Iohn Trusbut, Mercer, 1437. Thomas Nor
land
, Sheriffe, 1483. Sir Edmond Sha,
Goldsmith, Maior, 1482. Sir Thomas
Hill
, Maior, 1485. Thomas Ilam, Sheriffe,
1479. Lancelot Laken, Esquire, Ralph
Tilne
, Sheriffe, 1488. Garth, Esquire,
Iohn Rich, Thomas Butler, Earle of Or
mond, 1515. Sir W. Butler, Grocer, Maior,
1515. William Browne, Mercer, Maior,
1523
. Iohn Locke, 1519. Sir Thomas Bal
dry
,
Locke his Armes in the win
dowes.
Mercer, Maior, 1523. Sir W. Locke,
Mercer, Sheriffe, 1548. Sir I. Allen,
Mercer, Maior, 1525. deceased 1544.
Sir Thomas Leigh, Mercer, Maior, 1558.
Sir Richard Malory, Mercer, Maior,
1564. Humfrey Baskervile, Mercer,
Sheriffe, 1561. Sir George Bond, Maior,
1587, &c.
Before this Hospitall towards the
street, was builded a faire and beautifull
Chappell arched over with stone, and
thereupon the Mercers Hall, a most cu
rious peece of worke: Sir Iohn Allen,
Mercer, being founder of that Chap
pell, was there buried, but since his
Tombe is removed thence into the bo
dy of the Hospitall Church, & his bo
dy-roome divided into shops, are letten
out for rēt. These Mercers were enabled
to be a Company, & to purchase lands
to the value of 20. li. the yeer, the 17. of
Richard the 2
. they had 3. messuages &
shops in the Parish of St. Martin Otes
wich
, in the Ward of Bishops-gate , for the
sustentation of the poore, & a Chantry,
the 22. of Richard the second. Henry the
fourth
in the 12. of his reign, confirmed
to Stephen Spilman, W. Marchford, & Iohn
Whatile
, Mercers, by the name of one
new Seldam, shed, or building, with
shops, cellers, and edifices whatsoever
appertaining, called Crownsilde, situate
in the Mercery in West Cheape, in the Pa
rish of St. Mary de Arcubus in London,
&c. to be holden in Burgage, as all the
City of London is, & which were worth
by yeere, in all issues according to the
true value of them, 7. li. 13. s. 4. d. as was
found by inquisition before Thomas
Knolles
, Maior, and Eschetor in the said
City. Henry the sixth, in the 3. of his
reigne
, at the request of Iohn Coventry,
Iohn Carpenter, and William Grove, gran
ted to the Mercers to have a Chaplaine,
& a Brotherhood, for reliefe of such of
Bb3
their


their Company, as came to decay by
misfortune on the Sea. In the yeere,
1536. on Saint Peters night, King Hen
rie
the eighth
, and Queene Iane his
wife, stood in this Mercers Hall, then
new builded, and beheld the marching
Watch of the City, most bravely set
out, sir Iohn Allen, Mercer, one of the
Kings Councell, being Maior.
Next beyond the Mercers Chappell, and their Hall, is Ironmonger lane, so cal
led of Ironmongers dwelling there,
whereof I reade in the reigne of Edward
the first
, &c. In this Lane is the small
Parish Church of St. Martin, called Po
mary
, upon what occasion I certainly
know not. It is supposed to be of Ap
ples growing, where now houses are
lately builded: for my selfe have seene
large voide places. Monuments in that
Church none to be accounted of.
Farther west, is St. Laurence lane, so
called of St. Laurence Church, which
standeth directly over-against the north
end thereof. Antiquities in this Lane I
find none other, than that among many
faire houses, there is one large Inne for
receit of Travellers, called Blossoms
Inne
, but corruptly Bosoms Inne, and
hath to signe S. Laurence the Deacon, in
a border of Blossomes or Flowers.
Then neere to the Standard in Cheape, is Hony lane, so called, not of sweetnesse
thereof, being very narrow, and some
what dark, but rather, of often washing
and sweeping, to keep it cleane. In this
Lane is the small Parish Church, called
Alhallowes in Hony lane: There bee no
Monuments in this Church worth the
nothing. I finde, that Iohn Norman, Dra
per, Maior, 1453. was buried there: He
gave to the Drapers his Tenements on
the North side the said Church, they to
allow for the Beame light and Lampe,
13. shillings 4. pence yeerly, from this
Lane to the Standard. And thus much
for Cheape Ward, in the high streete of
Cheape
; for it stretcheth no farther.
Now, for the North Wing of Cheape
Ward
, have yee Catte-streete, corruptly
called Catteten streete, which beginneth
at the North end of Ironmonger lane, and
runneth to the west end of St. Laurence
Church
, as is afore shewed.
On the North side of this streete is
the Guild-hall, wherein the Courts for
the City be kept: namely, 1. The Court
of Common Councell,
The Guild-Hall, and Courts kept.
2. The court of
the Lord Maior & his Brethren the Al
dermen,
Lib. Fleiw.
3. The court of Hustings, 4.
The court of Orphanes, 5. The 2. courts
of the Sheriffes, 6. The court of the
Wardmote, 7. The court of Hallmote,
8. The court of Requests, commonly cal
led the Court of Conscience, 9. The
Chamberlaines court for Prentises, and
making them free. This Guild-hall, saith
Robert Fabian, was begun to be builded
new in the yeere 1411. the twelfth of
Henry the fourth
, by Thomas Knoles,
then Maior, & his Brethren the Alder
men: The same was made of a little cot
tage, a large and great house, as now it
standeth; towards the charges whereof,
the Companies gave large benevolen
ces. Also offences of men were pardo
ned for summes of money towards this
Worke, extraordinary Fees were rai
sed, Fines, Amercements, and other
things imployed, during 7. yeeres, with
a continuation there of 3. yeers more, all
to be imployed to this building.
The first yeere of Henry the sixth, Iohn
Coventry
and Iohn Carpentar, Executors
to Richard Whitington, gave towards
the paving of this great Hall twenty
pound, and the next yeere fifteene
pound more to the said Pavement with
hard stone of Purbecke: They also gla
sed some Windowes thereof, and of the
Maiors Court, on every which Win
dow, the Armes of Richard Whitington
are placed. The foundation of the
Maiors court was laid in the third yeere
of the reigne of Henry the sixth
; and of
the Porch, on the South side of the
Maiors court, in the fourth of the said
King. Then was builded the Maiors
Chamber, and the Councell Chamber,
with other roomes above the staires.
Having here so just occasion, speaking
of that former ancient Councell Cham
ber,
The new Councell Chamber at the Guild-Hall, and the buil
ding ther
of.
which hath continued so ever
since; I cannot but account it expedient
(as in no place better fitting) to remem
ber the faire and goodly new Councell
Chamber; a worthy Act and Honour,
whereby to renowne deservedly the
City for ever. The said new Councell
Chamber, with a faire Roome over the
same, appointed for a Treasury, where
in to preserve the Bookes and Records
belonging


belonging to the Citie; and another
roome also underneath the said Cham
ber, reserved for necessary use and im
ployment, began to be builded the first
weeke after Easter, in the time of the
Maioralty of Sir Thomas Middleton,
Knight and Alderman; in the yeere of
our Lord, 1614. It was fully finished
shortly after Michaelmas, 1615. at the
latter end of the Maioralty of Sir Tho
mas Hayes
, Knight and Alderman. But
the Lord Maior, and the Aldermen his
brethren, kept their first Court in the
said new Councell Chamber,
The first Court kepe in the new Councell Chamber.
on the
seventh day of November, in the yeere
of our Lord, 1615
. Sir Iohn Iolles,
Knight and Alderman, being then Lord
Maior: By whose order and direction,
the said building was performed, from
the first beginning thereof, to the finall
finishing of the same; amounting to
the charge of 1740. pounds: than
which, no money (in my mind) could
be better bestowed, nor more to the Ci
ties credit and renowne.
Last of all, a stately Porch, entring
the great Hall, was erected, the front
thereof towards the South, being beau
tified with Images of stone, such as is
shewed by these verses following, made
about some thirty yeeres since, by Wil
liam Elderton
, at that time an Atturney
in the Sheriffes Courts there:
Though most the Images
be pulled downe,
Verses made on the Ima
ges over the Guild-hall gate.
And none be thought
remaine in Towne,
I am sure there be
in London yet
Seven Images, such,
and in such a place,
As few or none,
I thinke, will hit:
Yet every day
they shew their face,
And thousands see them
every yeere,
But few, I thinke,
can tell me where:
aloft doth stand,
Names of Images.
Law and Learning
on either hand;
Discipline in
the Divels necke,
And hard by her
are three direct;
There Iustice, Fortitude
and Temperance stand,
Where finde ye the like
in all this Land?
Divers Aldermen glazed the great
Hall, and other Courts, as appeareth
by their Armes in each window. Willi
am Hariot
, Draper, Maior, 1481. gave
forty pound to the making of two Loo
vers in the said Guild-hall, and toward
the glazing thereof.
Kitchens by the Guild-hall.
The Kitchens, and
other houses of Office adjoyning to this
Guild-hall, were builded of later time,
to wit, about the yeere 1501. by pro
curement of Sir Iohn Sha, Goldsmith,
Maior, (who was the first that kept his
Feast there) towards the charges of
which worke, the Maior had of the Fel
lowships of the Citie (by their owne
agreement) certaine summes of money;
as, of the Mercers forty pounds; the
Grocers, twenty pounds; the Drapers,
thirty pounds; and so of the other Fel
lowships thorow the Citie, as they
were of power.
Also Widdowes, and other wel-dis
posed persons, gave certaine summes of
money: as, the Lady Hill, ten pounds;
the Ladie Austrie, ten pounds; and so
of many other, till the worke was fini
shed. Since the which time, the Maiors
Feasts have beene yeerely kept there,
which before-time had beene kept in
the Taylors Hall, and in the Grocers
Hall
. Nicholas Alwin, Grocer, Maior,
1499. deceased 1505. gave by his Te
stament, for a hanging of Tapestrie, to
serve for principall dayes in the Guild-hall,
73. l. 6. s. 8. d. How this gift was
performed, I have not heard: for Exe
cutors of our time, having no consci
ence, (I speake of my own knowledge)
prove more Testaments than they per
forme.
Now for the Chappell or Colledge
of our Lady Mary Magdalen
, and of All
Saints
by the Guild-Hall, called London
Colledge
: I read, that the same was
builded about the yeere 1299. and that
Peter Fanelore, Adam Frauncis, and Hen
ry Frowicke
Citizens, gave one Messuage
with the appurtenances, in the Parish
of S. Foster
, to William Brampton, Custos
of


of the Chauntry, by them founded in
the said Chappell, with foure Chap
lains, and on the other house in the Pa
rish of S. Giles without Creplegate
, in the
27. of Edward the third, was given to
them.
Moreover I finde, that Richard the 2.
in the 20. of his reigne, granted to Ste
phen Spilman
, Mercer, licence to give
one messuage, three shops, and one
garden, with the appurtenances, being
in the Parish of S. Andrew Hubberd, to
the Custos and Chaplaines of the said
Chappell, and to their successors, for
their better reliefe and maintenance for
ever.
King Henry the 6. in the eighth of his
reigne
, gave licence to Iohn Barnard, Cu
stos
, and the Chaplains, to build of new
the said Chappell or Colledge of Guild
Hall
:
Chappell or Col
ledge at Guildhall new buil
ded.
and the same Henry the 6. in the
27. of his reigne
, granted to the Paris-Clerks
in London
, a Guild of S. Nicho
las
, for two Chaplaines, by them to bee
kept in the said Chappell of S. Mary
Magdalen
, neere unto the Guild-hall, and
to keepe 7. Almes-people. Henry Bar
ton
, Skinner, Maior, founded a Chap
laine there: Roger Depham, Mercer, and
Sir VVilliam Langford, Knight, had also
Chaplaines there. This Chappell or
Colledge had a Custos, 7. Chaplaines,
3. Clarkes, and 4. Quiresters.
Monuments there have beene sundry,
as appeareth by the Tombes of Marble
yet remaining, seven in number, but all
defaced. The uppermost in the Quire,
on the South side thereof, above the
Revestrie doore, was the Tombe of Iohn
Welles
, Grocer, Maior 1451. The like
nesse of Wels are graven on the Tombe,
on the Revestrie doore, and other pla
ces on that side the Quire. Also in the
glasse window, is the likenesse of
Welles, with hands elevated out of the
same Wels, holding scrowles, wherein
is written, Mercy: the writing in the
East window (being broken) yet re
maineth Welles.
Iohn Welles a princi
pall bene
factor to Guild hall Colledge.
I found his Armes also
in the South glasse window: all which
doe shew, that the East end and South
side of the Quire of this Chappell, and
the Revestire, were by him both builded
and glazed. On the North side of the
Quire, the Tombe of Thomas Knesworth,
Fishmonger, Maior 1505. who decea
sed 1515. was defaced, and within these
44. yeeres againe renewed by the Fish
mongers
. Two other Tombes lower
there are, the one of a Draper, the other
of a Haberdasher, their names not
knowne: Richard Stomin is written in
the window by the Haberdasher. Vnder
flat stones doe lye divers Custos of the
Chappell, Chaplaines and Officers to
the Chamber.
Amongst others, Iohn Clipstone, Priest,
sometime Custos of the Library of the
Guild-hall, 1457. Another of E. Alison,
Priest, one of the Custos of the Library,
1510. &c. Sir Iohn Langley, Goldsmith,
Maior, 1576, lyeth buried in the vault,
under the Tombe of Iohn Welles before
named. This Chappell or Colledge,
valued to dispend 12. l. 8. s. 9. d. by
the yeere, was surrendred amongst o
ther: the Chappell remaineth to the
Maior and Communalty, wherein they
have service weekely, as also at the ele
ction of the Maior, and at the Maiors
Feast, &c.
Adjoyning to this Chappell on the
South side, was sometime a faire and
large Library, furnished with Bookes,
pertaining to the Guild-hall and Col
ledge.
These Bookes (as it is said) were, in
the reigne of Edward the 6. sent for by
Edward Duke of Somerset, Lord Prote
ctor, with promise to be restored short
ly: men laded from thence three Car
ries with them, but they were never re
turned. This Library was builded by
the Executors of R. VVhitington, and by
VV. Bury. The Armes of VVhitington
are placed on the one side in the stone-worke:
and two letters, to wit, W. and
B. for William Bury, on the other side:
it is now losted through, and made a
store-house for Clothes.
South-west from this Guild-hall, is
the faire Parish Church of S. Laurence,
called in the Iurie, because (of old time)
many Iewes inhabited thereabout. This
Church is faire and large, and hath
some Monuments, as shall be shewed.
I my selfe, more than 70. yeeres since,
have seene in this Church the shanke
bone of a man (as it is taken) and also a
tooth of a very great bignesse,
The tooth of some monstrous Fish as I take it.
hanged
up, for shew, in chaines of iron, upon a
pillar


pillar of stone; the tooth (being about
the bignesse of a mans fist) is long since
conveyed from thence: the thigh or
shanke bone,
A shanke bone of 25. inches long, of a man, as is said, but might be of an Ele
phant.
of 25. inches in length by
the Rule, remaineth yet fastned to a
post of timber, and is not so much to be
noted for the length, as for the thicknes,
hardnesse and strength thereof; for
when it was hanged on the stone pillar,
it fretted (with moving) the said pillar,
and was not it selfe fretted, nor (as see
meth) is not yet lightned, by remaining
dry: but where or when this bone was
first found or discovered, I have not
heard; and therefore, rejecting the fa
bles of some late Writers, I overpasse
them. VValter Blundell had a Chauntry
there, the 14. of Edward the second,
There lye buried in this Church, Eliza
beth
, wife to Iohn Fortescue; Katharine
Stoketon
, Iohn Stratton, Philip Albert,
Iohn Fleming, Philip Agmondesham, Wil
liam Skywith
, Iohn Norlong, Iohn Baker,
Thomas Alleyne, William Barton, Mercer,
1410. William Melrith, Mercer, one of
the Sheriffes, 1425. Simon Barlet, Mer
cer, 1428. Walter Chartsey, Draper, one
of the Sheriffes, 1430. Richard Rich, E
squire of London, the Father, and Ri
chard Rich
his sonne, Mercer, one of the
Sheriffes, 1442. deceased, 1469. with
this Epitaph:
Respice quod opus est
Praesentis temporis aevum,
Omne quod est, mihil est,
Praeter amare Deum.
This Richard was Father to Iohn, bu
ried in S. Thomas Acars, which Iohn was
Father to Thomas, Father to Richard
Lord Rich
, &c. Iohn Pickering, honoura
ble for service of his Prince, and for the
English Merchants beyond the Seas,
who deceased, 1448. Iohn Atkenson, Gen
tleman, Dame Mary S. Maure, Iohn
Waltham
, Roger Bonifant, Iohn Chayhee,
Iohn Abbot, Iohn Marshall, Mercer, Mai
or, 1493. William Purchat, Maior 1498.
Thomas Burgoyne, Gentleman, Mercer,
1517. A wife to a Master of Defence,
servant to the Princes of Wales, Dutches
of Cornewall, and Countesse of Chester.
Sir Michel Dormer, Maior, 1541.
Robert Charsey, one of the Sheriffes,
1548.
Sir William Rowe, Ironmonger, Mai
or, 1593.
Lo here the Lady Margaret North,
An anci
ent Tomb in the Chancell.
in Tombe and earth doth lye;
Of husbands foure the faithfull Spouse,
whose fame shall never dye.
One Andrew Fraunces was the first,
the second Robert hight,
Sirnamed Chartsey, Alderman:
Sir David Brooke, a Knight,
Was third. But he that passed all,
and was in number fourth,
And for his vertue made a Lord,
was call’d, Sir Edward North.
These all together doe I wish
a joyfull rising day:
That of the Lord, and of his Christ,
All honour they may say.
Obiit 2. die Iunii, An. Dom. 1575.
Hic jacet Simon Bennington, Civis & Pan
narius London,
An anci
ent Tomb in the South wall▪
Sustentatorum istius Ca
pellae, ac unius Capellani, in eadem divi
na quotidie celebratis. Cujus animae
Propitietur Deus.
Hic incineratur corpus quondam Galfridi
Bullayne
,
A grave
stone on the groūd, well pla
ted.
Civis, Merceri, & Maioris
London, Qui ab hac—Ann. Dom.
1463. Cujus animae pax sit perpetua.
Amen.
The word (Now thus) 32. times di
spersed in Brasse all over the Grave
stone.
Hic jacet Thomas Boleyne, de Comitatu
Norfolciae, Armiger: Qui obiit ultimo
die Mensis Aprilis, An. Dom. 1571.
Cujus, &c.
Here lyeth Sir Richard Gresham,
An anci
ent Tomb East in the wall.
Knight,
sometimes Lord Maior of London and
Audrey his first wife, by whom hee had
issue, Sir Iohn Gresham, and Sir Tho
mas Gresham
, Knights, William and
Margaret: which Sir Richard deceased
the 20. day of February, An. Domini,
1548
. And the third yeere of King Ed
ward
the sixth
his reigne
. And Audrey
deceased the 28. day of December, An.
Dom. 1522
.
Here lyeth the body of Geffrey Felding,
A grave
stone pla
ted before the Tomb.

sometime Maior of this Citie, and Angell
his wife, and Thomas, Richard, and
Iohn,

Cheape Ward.

Iohn, sonnes of the said Geffrey, Ann.
Dom. 1517.
Hic jacet Iohannes Marshall, Civis &
Mercerus Civitatis London.
An anci
ent Mar
ble Tomb in the North side of the Quire.
Qui qui
dem Iohannes obiit 4. die Januarii,
An. Dom. 1498
. Et Ioanna Vxor e
jus: quae quidem Ioanna obiit 18. die
Decembris, 1484
. Quorum, &c.
Hereunder lyeth buried the body of the La
dy Alice Avenon
,
A faire Monumēt in the North wall of the Quire.
being one of the
daughters and heires of Thomas Hu
chen
, Citizen and Mercer of London,
whose last husband was Sir Alexander
Avenon
, Alderman, and late L. Maior
of this Citie of London. Her second hus
band, was Iohn Blundell, of London,
Mercer, by whom she had issue one sonne,
named Philip, deceased, and eight daugh
ters, whereof five lived untill they were
married, and they were coheires to their
Father; namely, Elizabeth, married un
to Edmond Hogan, of London, Mer
cer; Mary, unto Sir Gerard Crockar,
of Oxfordshire, Knight; Theodora,
married first unto John Denton, of Ox
fordshire, Gent. and after unto Justini
an Champneis
, of Kent, Esquire;
Anne, married to Thomas Cordel, of
London, Mercer; and Susanna, unto
Richard Freston, of London, Gent.
The which Alice Blundel, in the time of
her widdowhood, left a foundation within
the Mercers Hall in London, for thirteen
penny Ioaves of good sweet bread, to be gi
ven (in her name) among thirteen poore
folkes of this Parish of Saint Laurence
in the Old Iewrie
, every Sunday at Mor
ning Prayer for ever, in the presence of
the worshipfull of the same Parish. And
her first husband was Hugh Methwold
of London, Mercer, by whom shee had
issue, William, her sonne and heyre, and
a daughter named Anne, deceased. The
which Dame Alice departed this world,
the 21. day of November, Ann. Dom.
1574
. unto whom God send (through Ie
sus Christ
) a joyfull resurrection. Amen.
Aetatis suae, 61
.
Qualis vita, finis ita.
Hereunder resteth,
A small Monumēt on a pillar in the North Ile.
in assured hope of the re
surrection, the bodies of Iohn Fox, Citi
zen and Goldsmith of London, and Jo
hanna
his wife: whose lives as they were
blamelesse and holy, so their end was full
of peace. The said John was the Founder
of the free Schoole of Deane, in the Coun
ty of Cumberl. besides 18. d. weekly to
an Almes-man, belonging to the Gold
smiths Hall
. And other charitable deeds,
to the poore prisoners, and Hospitals in
the Citie of London: The memory of
whose good deeds, God grant others to doe
the like. The said John, being of the age
of 78. fell on sleepe the 8. day of Iune,
1597
. And Iohanna his wife, of the age
of 87. departed this life the 9. of Febru
arie, 1600
.
Fiducia Christianorum, Resurrectio
Mortuorum.
Thus much for Cheape Ward, which
hath an Alderman, his Deputy; Com
mon Counsellours, 11. Constables, 11.
Scavengers, 9. for the Wardmote In
quest, 12. and a Beadle. It is taxed to the
Fifteene, at 72. l. 16. s. and in the Ex
chequer, at 72. l. 11. s.
Coleman

References

Cite this page

MLA citation

Stow, John, Anthony Munday, Anthony Munday, and Humphrey Dyson. Survey of London (1633): Cheap Ward. 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/stow_1633_CHEA1.htm. Draft.

Chicago citation

Stow, John, Anthony Munday, Anthony Munday, and Humphrey Dyson. Survey of London (1633): Cheap Ward. 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/stow_1633_CHEA1.htm. Draft.

APA citation

Stow, J., Munday, A., Munday, A., & Dyson, H. 2021. Survey of London (1633): Cheap Ward. 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/stow_1633_CHEA1.htm. Draft.

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  - Stow, John
A1  - Munday, Anthony
A1  - Munday, Anthony
A1  - Dyson, Humphrey
ED  - Jenstad, Janelle
T1  - Survey of London (1633): Cheap Ward
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/stow_1633_CHEA1.htm
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/xml/standalone/stow_1633_CHEA1.xml
TY  - UNP
ER  - 

TEI citation

<bibl type="mla"><author><name ref="#STOW6"><surname>Stow</surname>, <forename>John</forename></name></author>, <author><name ref="#MUND1"><forename>Anthony</forename> <surname>Munday</surname></name></author>, <author><name ref="#MUND1"><forename>Anthony</forename> <surname>Munday</surname></name></author>, and <author><name ref="#DYSO1"><forename>Humphrey</forename> <surname>Dyson</surname></name></author>. <title level="a">Survey of London (1633): Cheap Ward</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/stow_1633_CHEA1.htm">mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/stow_1633_CHEA1.htm</ref>. Draft.</bibl>

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