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Survey of London (1633): Cornhill Ward

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Cornehill Ward.
CORNE HILL
VVARD.
THe next Ward to
wards the South,
Cornehill Ward.
is
Cornehill VVard:
so called of a Corn
market, time out of
mind there holden,
and is a part of the
principall high street, beginning at the
West end of Leaden Hall, stretching
downe West on both the sides, by the
South end of Finkes lane on the right
hand, and by the North end of Bircho
vers lane, on the left part; of which
lanes, to wit, to the middle of them, is
of this Ward, and so downe to the
Stockes Market; and this is the bounds.
The upper or East part of this Ward,
and also a part of Limestreet Ward, hath
beene (as I said) a Market-place, especi
ally for corne, and since for all kinde of
victuals, as is partly shewed in Lime-street
Ward.
It appeareth of record, that in the
yeere 1522. the Rippiers of Rie and o
ther places, sold their fresh Fish in Lea
den Hall Market, upon Cornehill; but
forraigne Butchers were not admitted
there to sell flesh, till the yeere 1533.
And it was enacted,
Flesh Market at Leaden hall, and alte
ration of prises in short time.
that Butchers
should sell their Biefe not above a halfe
penny the pound; and Mutton, halfe
penny, halfe farthing: which act being
devised for the great commodity of the
Realme, (as it was then thought) hath
since proved farre otherwise: For before
that time, a fat Oxe was sold at London,
for 26. s. 8. d. at the most: a fat Wea
ther for 3. s. 4. d. a fat Calfe the same
price; a fat Lambe for 12. d. pieces of
Biefe weighed two pounds and a halfe
at the least; yea, three pound or better,
for a penny, on every Butchers stall in
this Citie; and of those pieces of Biefe,
thirteene or foureteen for twelve pence:
fat Mutton for eight pence the quarter,
and one hundred weight of Biefe for 4.
s. 8. d. at the dearest.
What the price is now, I neede not
to set downe: many men thought the
same act to rise in price, by reason that
Grasiers knew or supposed what weight
every their beasts contained, and so rai
sing their price thereafter, the Butcher
could be no gainer, but by likewise rai
sing his price. The number of Butchers
then in the Citie and Suburbs, was ac
counted sixe score, of which every one
killed 6. Oxen a peece weekely: which
is in 46. weekes, 33120. Oxen, or 720.
Oxen weekely.
The forraigne Butchers (for a long
time) stood in the high street of Lime-street
Ward, on the North side, twice
every weeke; viz. Wednesday and Sa
turday, and were some gaine to the Te
nants, before whose doores they stood,
and into whose houses they set their
blockes and stalles: but that advantage
being espied, they were taken into Lea
den Hall, there to pay for their standing
to the Chamber of London.
Thus much for the Market upon
Cornehill.
The chiefe Ornaments in Cornehill
Ward,
Standard of Thames water by Leaden hall
are these: First, at the East end
thereof, in the middle of the high street,
and at the parting of foure wayes, have
ye a water-standard, placed in the yeere
1582. in manner following: A certain
German, named Peter Morris, having
made an artificiall Forcier for that pur
pose, conveyed Thames water in pipes
of lead, over the steeple of Saint Mag
nus Church, at the North end of Lon
don Bridge, and from thence into divers
mens houses in Thames street, new Fish-street,
and Grasse-street, up to the north-west
corner of Leaden Hall, the highest
ground
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Cornehill Ward.

ground of all the Citie,
The high
est ground of the Citie of Lon
don.
where the waste
of the maine pipe rising into this Stan
dard, (provided at the charges of the
Citie) with foure spouts, did at every
tyde run (according to covenant) foure
wayes, plentifully serving to the com
modity of the inhabitants neere adjoy
ning in their houses, and also cleansed
the Chanels of the street toward Bishops-gate,
Aldgate, the Bridge,1 and the Stocks
Market; but now no such matter, whose
default I know not.
Then have ye a faire Conduit, of
sweet water, castellated in the midst of
that Ward and street. This Conduit
was first builded of stone, in the yeere
1282. by Henry Wallis,
The Tun upon Cornehill a prison
house for night-wal
kers.
Maior of London,
to be a prison for night-walkers, and o
ther suspicious persons, and was called
the Tunne upon Cornehill, because
the same was builded somewhat in
fashion of a Tunne, standing on the one
end.
To this prison,
Temporal men pu
nish spiri
tuall per
sons for inconti
nency.
the night Watches of
this Citie committed not onely night-walkers,
The Bi
shop com
plaineth.
but also other persons, as well
spirituall as temporall, whom they sus
pected of incontinencie, and punished
them according to the customes of this
Citie: but complaint thereof being
made,
The King forbids the Laity for puni
shing the Clergy men.
about the yeere of Christ, 1297.
King Edward the first writeth to his Ci
tizens thus:
Edward by the grace of God, &c. where
as Richard Gravesend, Bishop of Lon
don, hath shewed unto us, that by the great
Charter of England, the Church hath a
priviledge, that no Clerke should be impri
soned by a Lay-man, without our comman
dement, and breach of peace; which not
withstanding, some Citizens of London,
upon meere spight, doe enter in their Watches
into Clerks chambers, and then (like Felons)
carry them to the Tunne, which Henry le
Wallis, sometime Maior, built for night-walkers.
Wherefore wee will that this our
commandement be proclaimed in a full Hoy
stings, and that no Watch hereafter enter in
to any Clerks chamber, under the forfeit of
30. pound. Dated at Carlile, the 18. of
March, the 25. of our Reigne.
More,
Citizens of London breake up the Tun upō Cornhil
I read that about the yeere of
Christ, 1299. the 27. of Edward the
first, certaine principall Citizens of
London; to wit, T. Romane, Richard Glou
cester, Nicholas Faringdon, Adam Heling
bury, T. Saly, Iohn Dunstable, Richard
Ashwy, Iohn Wade, and William Stortford,
brake up this prison called the Tunne,
and tooke out certaine prisoners, for
the which they were sharply punished,
by long imprisonment, and great fines.
It cost the Citizens (as some have writ
ten) more than 20000.
Tho Wal
singham.
Markes, which
they were amerced in, before William
de March, Treasurer of the Kings Ex
chequer, to purchase the Kings favour,
and the confirmation of their liber
ties.
Also,
Citizens of London punished fornicatiō and adul
tery in Priests and other, without partiality.
that in the yeere 1383. the se
venth of Richard the second, the Citi
zens of London taking upon them the
rights that belonged to their Bishops,
first imprisoned such women aswere ta
ken in fornication or adultery, in the
said Tunne; and after, bringing them
forth to the sight of the World, they
caused their heads to be shaven, after
the manner of Theeves, whom they na
med Appellators, and so to be led about
the Citie, in sight of all the inhabitants,
with Trumpets and Pipes sounding be
fore them, that their persons might be
the more largely knowne: Neither did
they spare such kind of men a whit the
more, but used them as hardly, saying;
They abhorred not only the negligence
of their Prelates, but also detested their
avarice, that studied for money, omit
ted the punishment limited by Law,
and permitted those that were found
guilty, to live favourably by their fines.
Wherefore they would themselves,
they said, purge their Citie from such
filthinesse, lest through Gods venge
ance, either the Pestilence or Sword
should happen to them, or that the
Earth should swallow them. Last of all
to be noted, I reade in the charge of the
Wardmote inquest in every Ward in
this Citie,
Priests pu
nished in the Tnn upō Cornhil forced to forsweare this City.
these words: If there bee any
Priest in service within the Ward, which be
fore-time hath beene set in the Tunne in
Cornehill for his dishonesty, and hath
forsworne the Citie, all such shall bee pre
sented.
Thus much for the Tunne in Cornhill
have I read.
Now, for the punishment of Priests,
in my youth, one note and no more.
Iohn Atwod, Draper, dwelling in the
T2
Parish
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Cornehill Ward.

Parish of Saint Michael upon Cornehill,
directly against the Church, having a
proper woman to his wife, such an one
as seemed the holiest amongst a thou
sand, had also a lusty Chauntry Priest
of the said Parish Church, repairing to
his house, with the which Priest, the
said Atwod would sometime after sup
per play a game at Tables for a pint of
Ale. It chanced on a time, having haste
of worke, and his game proving long, he
left his wife to play it out, and went
downe to his shop: but returning to
fetch a pressing-iron, he found such play
(to his misliking) that hee forced the
Priest to leap out at a window, over the
Penthouse into the street, and so to run
to his lodging in the Church-yard. At
wod and his wife were soone reconciled,
so that he would not suffer her to be cal
led in question;
A Priest punished for leche
rie.
but the Priest being
apprehended and committed, I saw his
punishment to be thus: He was on three
Market dayes conveyed thorow the
high street and Markets of the Citie,
with a paper on his head, wherein was
written his trespasse. The first day hee
rode in a Carry; the second, on a horse,
his face to the horse taile; the third, led
betwixt twaine, and every day rung
with Basons, and proclamations made
of his fact at every turning of the streets,
and also before Iohn Atwods Stall, and
the Church doore of his Service, where
hee lost his Chauntry of twenty Nobles
the yeere, and was banished the Citie
for ever.
By the West side of the foresaid pri
son,
A faire Well in Cornhill.
then called the Tun, was a faire
Well of Spring water, curbed round
with hard stone:
The Tun upon Corn
hill made a Conduit of sweet water.
but in the yeere 1401.
the said Prison-house called the Tunne,
was made a Cesterne for sweet water,
conveyed by pipes of Lead from Ty
borne, and was from thenceforth called
the Conduit upon Cornehill.
Cage, stocks and pillory in Cornhill.
Then was
the Well plancked over, and a strong
prison made of Timber, called a Cage,
with a paire of Stocks therein, set upon
it;
Bakers, Millers, Bauds, Scolds, & common Iurors for rewards, punished on the pillory.
and this was for night-walkers. On
the top of which Cage was placed a
Pillorie, for the punishment of Bakers,
offending in the assise of bread; for
Millers stealing of Corne at the Mill;
for Bawds, Scolds, and other offen
ders.
As in the yeere 1468. the 7. of Ed. 4.
divers persons, being common Iurors,
such as at Assises were forsworne for re
wards, or favour of parties, were judged
to ride from Newgate to the Pillorie in
Cornhill, with Miters of paper on their
heads, there to stand, and from thence
againe to Newgate, and this Iudgement
was given by the Maior of London.
In the yeere 1509. the first of Henry
the 8. Darby, Smith, and Simson, Ring
leaders of false inquests in London, rode
about the Citie with their faces to the
horses tailes, and papers on their heads,
and were set on the Pillorie in Cornehill,
and after brought againe to Newgate,
where they dyed for very shame,
Ring-lea
ders of in
quests will proffer their ser
vice, and bend eve
ry way for gaine.
saith
Robert Fabian. A Ring-leader of In
quests, as I take it, is he, that making a
gainefull occupation thereof, will ap
peare upon Nisi prius’s ere hee be war
ned, or procure himselfe to be warned to
come on by a Tallis.
Carefull choice of Iurors is to be had: a man de
rected, & that had sworne foolishly against his brother, is not to bee admitted a cõmon Iuror, nei
ther But
cher not Surgeon is to be admitted.
Hee will also pro
cure himselfe to be Fore-man, when hee
can, and take upon him to over-rule the
rest to his opinion: such an one shall be
laboured by plaintifes and defendants,
not without promise of rewards; and
therefore to be suspected of a bad con
science. I would wish a more carefull
choice of Iurors to bee had: for I have
knowne a man carted, rung with Ba
sons, and banished out of Bishopsgate
Ward, and afterward, in Aldgate Ward
admitted to be Constable, a grand Iu
rie-man, and Foreman of their Ward
mote inquest. What I know of the like,
or worse men, preferred to the like of
fices, I forbeare to write, but wish to be
reformed.
The foresaid Conduit upon Cornehill
was in the yeer 1475. inlarged by Robert
Drope,
Conduit on Cornehill inlarged.
Draper, Maior, that thē dwelt in
that Ward, he increased the Cestern of
this Conduit with an east end of stone,
and castellated it in comely manner.
In the yeere 1546. Sir Martin Bowes,
Maior, dwelling in Lumbard street, and
having his back gate opening into Corn
hill, against the said Conduit, minded
to have inlarged the Cesterne thereof
with a West end, like as Robert Drope
before had done towards the East.
View and measure of the plot was ta
ken for this worke: but the Pillory and
Cage beeing removed, they found
the
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Cornehill Ward.

the ground planked, and the Well a
foresaid worne out of memory, which
Well they renued and restored to use;
it is since made a Pumpe: they set the
Pillorie somewhat west from the Well,
and so this worke ceased.
On the North side of this street, from
the East unto the West, have ye divers
faire houses for Merchants and others;
amongst the which, one large house is
called the Wey house,
The wey-house or Kings beame up
on Cornhill.
where Merchandi
ses brought from beyond the Seas, are
to be weighed at the Kings beame. This
House hath a Master, and under him
foure Master Porters, with Porters un
der them; they have a strong Cart, and
foure great Horses, to draw and carry
the wares from the Merchants houses to
the Beame, and backe againe. Sir Tho.
Lovell, Knight, builded this house,
with a faire front of Tenements toward
the Street, all which hee gave to the
Grocers of London, himselfe being free
of the Citie, and a Brother of that
Company.
Then have ye the said Finkes lane, the
South end of which lane on both the
sides, is in Cornehill Ward.
Then next is the Royall Exchange,
The Burse upon Corn
hill, or the Royall Ex
change.
ere
cted in the yeere 1566. after this order,
viz. Certaine houses upon Cornehill, and
the like upon the backe thereof, in the
Ward of Broadstreet, with three Alleys;
the first called Swan Alley,
Swan Alley.
opening in
to Cornehill;
New Alley.
the second, New Alley,
passing thorow out of Cornehill into
Broadstreet Ward over against S. Bar
tholomew lane;
S. Christo
phers Alley.
the third, S. Christophers
Alley, opening into Broadstreet Ward,
and into Saint Christophers Parish, con
taining in all 80. housholds;
Houshol
ders dis
placed for building of the Burse.
were first
purchased by the Citizens of London,
for more than 3532. pounds, and were
sold for 478. pounds, to such persons as
should take them downe, and carry
them thence; also the ground or plot
was made plaine at the charges of the
Citie,
The Citie charged with buil
dings of the Burse.
and then possession thereof was
by certaine Aldermen (in name of the
whole Citizens) given to Sir Thomas
Gresham, Knight, agent to the Queens
Highnesse, there-upon to build a
Burse, or place for Merchants to assem
ble in, at his owne proper charges: and
hee, on the , laying the
first stone of the foundation, beeing
Bricke, accompanied with some Alder
men, every of them laid a piece of gold,
which the workemen tooke up, and
forthwith followed upon the same such
diligence, that by the moneth of No
vember, in the yeere 1567. the same was
covered with slate, and shortly after
fully finished.
In the yeere 1570. on the 23. of Ia
nuary,
Queene Elizabeth came to the Burse.
the Queenes Majestie, attended
with her Nobility, came from her house
at the Strand, called Sommerset House,
and entred the Citie by Temple-Barre,
through Fleet-street, Cheape, and so by
the North side of the Burse, through
Three-needle street, to Sir Thomas Gres
hams house in Bishopsgate street, where
she dined. After dinner, her Majestie
returning through Cornehill, entred the
Burse on the South side, and after shee
had viewed every part thereof above
the ground; especially the Pawne, which
was richly furnished with all sorts of
the finest wares in the Citie: she caused
the same Burse,
The Burse called the Royall Exchange.
by an Herauld and a
Trumpet, to be proclaimed the Royall
Exchange, and so to bee called from
thence-forth, and not otherwise.
Next adjoyning to this Royall Ex
change, remaineth one part of a large
stone house, and is now called the Castle,
of such a signe at a Taverne doore; there
is a passage thorow out of Cornehill into
Three-needle street: the other part of the
said stone house was taken downe, for
enlarging the Royall Exchange. This
stone house was said of some to have bin
a Church, whereof it had no proporti
on. Of others, a Iewes house, as though
none but Iewes had dwelt in stone
houses: but that opinion is without
warrant.
For beside the strong building of stone
houses, against invasion of theeves in the
night, when no watches were kept: In
the first yeere of Richard the first, (to
prevent the casualties of fire, which of
ten had hapned in the Citie, when the
houses were builded of timber, and co
vered with Reed or straw,
The cause of stone houses builded in London.
Henry Fitz
Alwine being Maior) it was decreed,
that from thenceforth, no man should
build within the Citie, but of stone,
untill a certaine heighth, and to cover
the same building with slate, or burnt
tile. This was the very cause of such
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stone
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Cornehill Ward.

stone buildings, whereof many have re
mained till our time, that for gaining
of ground they have been taken down,
and in place of some one of them, being
low (as but 2. stories above the ground)
many houses of 4. or 5. stories high are
placed.
From this stone house downe to the
Stockes, are divers large houses, especi
ally for height, for Merchants and Ar
tificers.
On the South side of this high street,
is the Parish Church of Saint Peter up
on Cornehill,
Parish Church of S. Peter upon Cornhill.
which seemeth to be of an
ancient building, but not so ancient as
fame reporteth; for it hath beene lately
repaired, if not all new builded, except
the steeple, which is ancient.
The roofe of this Church, and glasing,
was finished in the reigne of Edward the
fourth, as appeareth by Armes of No
blemen, and Aldermen of London then
living. There remaineth in this Church
a Table, wherein it is written, I know not
by what authority, but of no late hand;
that King Lucius founded the same
Church, to bee an Archbishops Sea,
Metropolitane and chiefe Church of
his Kingdome, and that it so endured
the space of foure hundred yeeres, unto
the comming of Augustine the Monke.
Now, because many have urged it
very earnestly to me, to let them be fur
ther acquainted therewith: I have here
inserted the same verbatim, as it is there
recorded in the Table.
A Copie taken out of the Table,
fast chained in S. Peters Church
on Cornehill.
BE it knowne unto all men, that the
yeeres of our Lord God, C. lxxix.
Lucius, the first Christian King of
this Land, then called Brytaine, founded
the first Church in London, that is to say,
the Church of Saint Peter upon Cornhill.
And he founded there an Arch-bishops See,
and made that Church the Metropolitane
and chiefe Church of this Kingdome: and
so endured the space of CCCC. yeeres,
unto the comming of S. Austin, the Apostle
of England, the which was sent into this
Land by S. Gregory, the Doctor of the
Church, in the time of King Ethelbert.
And then was the Archbishops See and Pall
removed from the foresaid Church of Saint
Peter upon Cornehill, unto Dereberni
am, that now is called Canturbury, and
there remaineth to this day. And Millet,
Monke, the which came into the Land with
S. Austen, was made the first Bishop of Lon
don, & his See was made in Pauls Church.
And this Lucius King, was the first foun
der of Saint Peters Church upon Corne
hill. And he reigned in this Land after
Brute, a M. C C. Xlv. yeeres. and the
yeeres of our Lord God, a C. xxiiij. Luci
us was crowned King, and the yeeres of his
reigne were Lxxvij. yeeres. And hee was
(after some Chronicle) buried at London:
And (after some Chronicle) he was buried
at Glowcester, in that place where the Or
der of S. Francis standeth now.
Ioceline of Furneis writeth, that Thean
or Theon, the first Archbishop of London
in the reigne of Lucius, builded the said
Church, by the aide of Ciran, chiefe
Butler to King Lucius;
Library of S. Peters upon Corn
hill, now a Grammar schoole.
and also that El
vanus, the second Archbishop, builded
a Library to the same adjoyning, and
coverted many of the Druides, learned
men in the Pagan law, to Christianity.
William Harrison, discoursing hereon more at large,
Out of the descri
ptiõ of Bri
taine, writ
ten by VVilliam Harrison.
discoursing hereon
more at large, hath these very words:
There is a Controversie (faith hee)
moved among our Historiographers,
whether the Church that Lucius buil
ded at London, stood at Westminster, or
in Cornehill. For, there is some cause,
why the Metropolitane Church should
be thought to stand where Saint Peters
now doth, by the space of foure hundred
and odde yeeres, before it was removed
to Canturbury by Austin the Monke, if a
man would leane to one side, without
any conference of the asseverations of
the other. But herein (as I take it) there
lurketh some scruple: for, beside that S.
Peters Church stood in the East end of
the Citie, and that of Apollo in the west,
the word Cornehill, a denomination gi
ven of late (to speake of) to one street,
may easily be mistaken for Thorney.
For, as the word Thorney proceedeth
from the Saxons, who called the West
end of the Citied by that name, where
Westminster now standeth, because of the
wildernesse and bushinesse of the soile:
so doe I not read of any street in London
called
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Cornehill Ward.

called Cornehill,
No street in London called Corn
hill, before the Nor
mans Conquest.
before the Conquest
of the Normans. Wherefore, I hold
with them, which make Westminster to
be the place, where Lucius builded his
Church, upon the ruines of that *
* There were three Archfla
mines, 1. at London, the 2. at Yorke, the 3. at Caer
lbeon upon the River Vske, buil
ded by Be
linus, and called Gla
morgantia, now Che
ster, all de
stroyed by Lucius, be
cause they were ere
cted to A
pollo, Mars and Miner
va: hee builded 3. other Churches in their stead.
Fla
mine, 264. yeeres (as Malmesbury saith)
before the comming of the Saxons, and
411. before the arrivall of Augustine.
Read also his Appendix in lib. 4. Pontif.
where he noteth the time of the Saxons
in the 444. of Grace, and of Augustine
in 596. of Christ, which is a manifest \
accompt, though some Copies have
499. for the one, but not without mani
fest corruption and error.
And now to returne where we left:
True it is, that a Library there was per
taining to this Parish Church, of old
time builded of stone, and of late re
paired with Bricke, by the Executors
of Sir Iohn Crosby, Alderman, as his
Armes on the South end doe wit
nesse.
This Library hath bin (of late time)
to wit, within these 70. yeeres, well
furnished of Books, Iohn Leyland view
ed and commended them; but now
those Bookes are gone,
Io. Leyland.
and the place is
occupied by a Schoolemaster, and his
Vsher, for a number of Scholars lear
ning their Grammar rules, &c. Not
withstanding, before that time, a
Grammar Schoole had beene kept in
this Parish, as appeareth in the yeere,
1425.
I read,
Grammar Schooles comman
ded by Parlia
ment.
that Iohn Whitby was Rector,
and Iohn Steward Schoolemaster there:
and in the 25. of Henry the sixth it was
enacted by Parliament, that 4. Gram
mar Schooles in London, should bee
maintained, viz. In the Parishes of
Alhallowes in Thames street: Saint An
drew in Oldborne: Saint Peters upon
Cornehill; and Saint Thomas of Acres.
Monuments of the dead in this
Church defaced.
I read that Hugh Waltham,
Nicholas Pricot, Mercer, Alderman,
Richard Manhall; 1503.
VVilliam Kingstone, Fishmonger,
gave his Tenements called the Horse
mill in Grasse-street, to this Church, and
was there buried, about the yeere,
1298.
Iohn Vnisbrugh, Poulter, 1410.
Iohn Law.
Also, Peter Mason Taylor, gave to
this Church seven pound starling yeer
ly for ever, out of his Tenements in
Colechurch Parish, and deceased about
the yeere, 1416.
Iohn Foxton founded a Chauntry there.
A Brotherhood of Saint Peter was in
this Church established by Henry the
fourth, the fourth of his reigne.
VVilliam Brampton, and William Ask
ham, Fishmongers and Aldermen, were
chiefe procurers thereof, for the Fish
mongers of late buried there Sir William
Bowyer, Maior, 1543.
Sir Henry Huberthorne, Maior, 1546.
Sir Christopher Morice, Master Gunner
of England to King Henry the eight.
Edward Elrington, Esquire, chiefe
Butler to Edward the sixth.
Thomas Gardener, Grocer.
Justice Smith, and other beside.
A faire ancient Tombe for Sir VVilli
am Bowyer in the south Ile of the Quire.
In the yeere of Iesus
Christ’s Incarnation,
One thousand, five hundred,
forty and foure,
The 22. day of April,
by just computation;
In this place was buried
with great honour,
VVhich proved a man
Meet to bee a Governour,
For the Common-wealth
of this high and famous Citie:
Lord of the Maioralty,
Which departed not with
finding great calamity:
And pray wee to GOD,
to grant his Soule mercy.
O London, if thou looke
to the Lacedemonies,
There to finde Lycurgus
that noble and kinde King;
Or if thou seeke for Ciceroes
men most of prize,
Or if thou apply thee to have
all the whole desiring
or of Mecaenas demeaning a
Seeke no further to finde,
for here hee is buried,
VVhich had all their properties
for Londons good ordering.
Bee wee then of his honourable
degree well conceiving,
For
T4vClick here to view the page in facsimile.
Cornehill Ward.

For his acts for ever
be registred in Londons meaning.
Here lyeth Sir Henry Huberthorne,
A faire Marble stone un
der the Commu
nion Ta
ble, plated about.

sometime Lord Maior and Merchant-taylor
of this Citie of London, and Dame
Elizabeth his Wife. Hee departed this
life, &c. And the said Dame Elizabeth
left this transitory life in Anno Domi
ni, 1551.
Hereunder lieth buried
William Messe of this Citie,
A faire plated stone, neere to the other.
Whil’st he lived, free
And Julian his wife,
to whom 24. yeeres married was he,
By whom God sent him
five sonnes and daughters three,
And to Gods will
his heart was alwaies bent,
So did his death
shew a life well spent.
Here this is written,
that other may remember,
His godly departure
from this world the 26. of September.
In the same Vault with Sir William
Bowyers body, is Mr. Alderman VVal
thals also laid, but no Monument as yet
made for him, beside his Funerall Ban
ners.
The Charities of the Parish of Saint
Peter upon Cornehill.
Launcelot Tompson of London, Draper,
was buried in this Parish Church, and
gave 20. l. for the yeerely preaching of
five Sermons, untill the money should
be fully run out. Which Sermons were
all preached by Doctor Ashbold, Parson
there. Also he gave 100. l. to the Dra
pers Company, and they to allow 5. l.
yeerely for ever, for Bread and Coales
for the poore of the said parish.
Boniface Tatam of London, Vintner,
buried in the said Parish the third of
February, 1606. gave 40. s. yeerely to
the Parson, for preaching foure Ser
mons every yeere, so long as the Lease
of the Marmaid in Cornehill, (a Taverne
so called) shall endure. He gave also to
the poore of the Parish thirteene penny
loaves every Sunday, during the fore
said Leafe.
Mr. William Walthal, late of London,
Alderman, buried in the said Parish
Church the second of September, 1606.
gave twenty pound to the stocke of the
Parish. Next, he gave forty Markes, for
forty Sermons to be preached in the
said Church. Also hee gave two hun
dred pounds, to bee imployed as fol
loweth: Tenne young men, trading and
dwelling in the Parish, with two suffi
cient sureties, each man, from foure
yeeres to foure yeeres, to enjoy the be
nefit thereof. And every one of them,
for the time being, having the usage of
the said money, is to pay yeerely to the
good of the poore of the said Parish, for
bread and coales, the summe of thir
teene shillings foure pence, which a
mounteth in the whole, to the summe
of six pounds, thirteene shillings, foure
pence. Hee hath also allowed to the
Churchwardens and Overseers for the
poore, five shillings yeerely among
them, to see his good meaning effectu
ally performed.
Robert Warden, of London, Poulter,
buried in the same Church the 18. of
November, 1609. hath given out of one
Messuage or Tenement, lying and being
in Bishopsgate street, in the said Parish,
the summe of three pounds twelve shil
lings, yeerely for ever, viz. 52. shillings
in wheaten bread every Sunday, for the
poore of the Parish, 10. s. a yeere for
two Sermons, to bee preached to the
Company of Poulters, 4. s. for the
Clerks attendance at the said Sermons,
and 2. s. a yeere for the Sexton, allow
ed by the said Company.
Mr. Iohn Malin, Physician, buried in
the said Church the 25. of May, 1613.
gave to the poore of this Parish the sum
of 40. l. to bee weekly bestowed on
them, on Friday mornings for ever.
Then have ye the Parish Church of
S. Michael the Archangell:
The Pa
rish Church of S. Mi
chael on Cornhill.
for the An
tiquity thereof, I finde that Alnothus
the Priest gave it to the Abbot and Co
vent of Covesham; Reynold Abbot, and
the Covent there, did grant the same
to Sparling the Priest, in all measures, as
he and his Predecessors before had held
it: to the which Sparling also, they gran
ted all their Lands which they there
had, except certaine Lands which Or
gar le Prowde held of them, and paid two
shillings yeerely. For the which grant,
the
T5rClick here to view the page in facsimile.
Cornehill Ward.

the said Sparling should yeerely pay one
Marke of rent to the said Abbot of Cove
sham, and finde him his lodging, salt,
water, and fire, when hee came to Lon
don; this was granted 1133. about the
34. of Henry the first. Thus much for
antiquity.
Of later time I finde, that Elizabeth
Peake, Widdow, gave the Patronage
or gift of this Benefice to the Drapers
in London: shee lyeth buried in the Bel
frey, 1518. her Monument yet remai
neth. This hath beene a faire and beau
tifull Church, but of late yeeres, since
the surrender of their lands to Edward
the sixth, greatly blemished by the buil
ding of foure Tenements on the North
side thereof, towards the high street, in
place of a greene Church-yard, where
by the Church is darkened and other
waies annoyed. The faire new Steeple
or Bell-Tower of this Church, was be
gun to bee builded in the yeere, 1421.
which being finished,
This was accounted the best Ring of 6. Bels to be rung by 6. men that was in England for harmonie, sweetnesse of sound and tune.
and a faire ring
of five Bels therein placed; a sixth Bell
was added, and given by Iohn VVhitwel,
Isabel his wife, and VVilliam Rus, or Rous
Alderman and Goldsmith, about the
yeere, 1430. which Bell named Rus,
(nightly at eight of the clocke, and o
therwise for Knels, and in Peales, rung
by one man, by the space of 160. yeeres)
of late over-haled by foure or five at
once, hath been thrice broken, and new
cast, within the space of ten yeeres, to
the charges of that Parish, more than
100. Markes.
And here note of this Steeple, as I
have oft heard my Father report.
Lightning and thun
der, with ugly shaps seen in S. Michaels Steeple.
Vpon
Saint Iames night, certaine men in the
Loft next under the Bells, ringing of a
Peale, a Tempest of Lightning and
Thunder did arise, and an ugly shapen
sight appeared to them, comming in at
the South window, and lighted on the
North, for feare whereof, they all fell
downe, and lay as dead for the time, let
ting the Bels ring and cease of their own
accord. When the Ringers came to
themselves,
The print of clawes to be seen in hard stone.
they found certaine stones
of the North window to bee razed and
scrat, as if they had been so much Butter
printed with a Lyons clawe: the same
stones were fastned there againe, and so
remaine till this day. I have seen them
oft, and have put a feather or small stick
into the holes, where the clawes had en
tred 3. or 4. inches deepe.
At the same time, certain maine tim
ber posts at Queene Hith,
Pulpit-Crosse in Pauls Church-yard over
turned.
were scrat and
cleft from the top to the bottome, and
the Pulpit Crosse in Pauls Church-yard
was likewise scrat, cleft, and overturned.
One of the Ringers lived in my youth,
whom I have oft heard to verifie the
same to be true; but to returne.
William Rus was a speciall Benefactor
to this Church, his Armes yet remaine
in the Windowes.
VVilliam Comerton, Simon Smith, Wal
ter Belengham were buried there, and
founded Chaunteries there.
Iohn Grace, 1439.
Robert Drope, Maior, buried on the
North side the Quire, under a faire
Tombe of Grey Marble, 1485. he gave
to poore Maides marriages of that Pa
rish twenty pound, to the poore of that
Ward ten pound; Shirts and smockes
three hundred, and gownes of broad-cloth,
one hundred, &c.
Iane his wife, matching with Edward
Gray, Vicount Lisle, was buried by her
first husband 1500. She gave 90. pound
in money to the beautifying of that
Church, and her great Messuage with
the appurtenance, which was by her
Executors, W. Caple and other, 1517.
the ninth of Henry the eighth assured to
Iohn Wardroper, Parson, T. Clerke, W.
Dixson, and Iohn Murdon, Wardens of
the said Church, and their successors
for ever, they to keepe yeerely for her
an Obit, or Anniversary; to be spent on
the poore, and otherwise, in all three
pounds, the rest of the profits to be im
ployed in reparation of the Church.
In the 34. yeere of Henry the eighth,
Edward Stephan, Parson, T. Spencer, P.
Guntar, and E. Grouch, Churchwardens,
granted to T. Lodge, a Leafe for three
score yeeres of the said great Messuage,
with the appurtenances, which were
called the Lady Lisles Lands, for the
rent of eight pound, thirteene shillings,
foure pence the yeere. The Parishio
ners since gave it up as Chauntry land,
and wronged themselves; also the said
Robert Drope and Lady Lisle (notwith
standing their liberality to that Church
and Parish) their Tombe is pulled down
no Monument remaineth of them.
Peter
T5vClick here to view the page in facsimile.
Cornehill Ward.
Peter Houghton, late Alderman, is layd
in their Vault, 1569.
Robert Fabian Alderman, that wrote
and published a Chronicle of England,
and of France, was buried there, 1511.
with this Epitaph.
Like as the day his course doth consume,
And the new morrow springeth again as fast,
So man and woman by natures custome,
This life to passe, at last in earth are cast,
Injoy, & sorrow, which heretheirtime do wast
Never in one state, but in course Transitory,
So full of change, is of this world the glory.
His Monument is gone: Richard Gar
nam, 1527. buried there.
Edmond Trindle, and Robert Smith.
William Dickson, and Margret his
wife, buried in the Cloister under a faire
Tombe now defaced.
Thomas Stow my Grandfather, about
the yeere, 1526. and Thomas Stow my
Father, 1559.
Iohn Tolus, Alderman, 1548. he gave
to Iohn Willoby,
Iohn Tolus his gift to the church not per
formed but con
cealed.
Parson of that Church,
to Thomas Lodge, G. Hind, P. Bolde,
Church-wardens, and to their succes
sors (towards the reparation of that
Church, and reliefe of the poore for e
ver) his Tenement, with the appurte
nances in the Parish of Saint Michael,
which hee had lately purchased of Alve
ry Randalph, of Badlesmeere in Kent: but
the Parish never had the gift, nor heard
thereof, by the space of 40. yeeres after:
such was the conscience of G. Barne, and
other the Executors to conceale it to
themselves, and such is the negligence
of the Parishioners, that (being infor
med thereof) make no claime there
unto.
Philip Gunter, that was Alderman
for a time, and gave 400. pound to bee
discharged thereof, was buried in the
Cloyster, about the yeere 1582. and
Anne his wife, &c.
Thomas Haughton father to the said
Peter Haughton.
Francis Beneson, and William Towerson.
Philip Gunter,
A han
some Mo
nument in the wall of the Chan
cell, the south side.
Skinner, sometime Alder
man of this City, departed this life the
15. day of February, 1582. and lyeth
buried in the Cloyster of this Church:
who married Anne, Daughter of Hen
ry Barley, of Albery, in the County of
Hereford, Esquire; and had issue by
her 11. Sonnes, and foure daughters. He
left good maintenance for two Sermons
yeerely for ever in this Church: the one
on the 15. day of March, the other the
25. of December.
Here lyeth buried the body of Peter
Houghton,
A very faire Mo
nument richly guil
ded, in the Chancell wall on the North side.
of London Alderman: he
was free of the Grocers Company, a Mer
chant of the Staple in England, and a
Merchant Adventurer. Hee was one of
the Sheriffes of this City, in An. 1593.
and dyed the last day of December, 1596.
Hee gave to the foure Hospitals (that is
to say) Saint Bartholomewes, Christ
Church, St. Thomas and Bridewell,
600. pound, equally to bee divided be
tweene them. Hee gave also to the Gro
cers Company 400. pound to bee lent to
eight young men of the same Company
(gratis) from two yeeres, to two yeeres,
for ever. Which 1000. pound was paid
by Iohn Vernon, Merchant-Taylor, ac
cordingly. He had to wife Mary Hough
ton, who sithence married with Sir Tho
mas Vavasor, Knight Marshall. Hee
had children by her, two Sonnes, named
Hatton, and Peter, who dyed young;
and two Daughters, Mary and Eliza
beth. Mary was married to Sir Iames
Scudamore, Knight, and Elizabeth to
Sir Henry Bedingfield, Knight.
Here lyeth buried (by a desired promise made
to Alderman Houghton while hee li
ved) the body of Iohn Vernon,
His Pi
cture stan
deth aloft on the o
ther Mo
nument.
Mer
chant-Taylor: who was Master of the
said Company, in An. 1609. And hee
was also a Merchant of the Staple in
England. He dyed the day of
An. Dom.
Nemo ante obitum felix.
Here in the Vault lyeth buried the bodies of
of Iohn Taylor,
In the South Ile of the Quire a hansome Monumẽt in the wal.
Citizen and Draper of
London, and Constance his wife, one
of the Daughters and Coheires of Regi
nald Wooddeson, of Alresford in
Hampshire, Gent. They had issue be
tween them three Sonnes, Iohn, who dyed
young, Robert and Iohn. Hee departed
this life the 4. day of April, 1597. be
ing about the age of 63. yeeres: and she,
being the age of 67. the 29. of October,
1614.
T6rClick here to view the page in facsimile.
Cornehill Ward.

1614. Votum S. Pauli. Phil. 1. Adepti.
In March; 1588.
was buried in this place,
In the same wall lower, a hansome small Mo
nument.
Alexander Every, Merchant
but 40. yeeres of age,
Whose godly gifts, by will,
are warrants of Gods grace
In him. By whom,
thinke on thy selfe, and on the stage
Thou stand’st, and measure it,
and other worldly things:
As streames that swiftly slide
downe from their springs.
An. Dom. 1570. primo Feb.
Here lyeth Francis Benneson,
a Citizen was hee,
A plated stone in the same Ile on the ground.
A Merchant Adventurer also,
and of the Mystery
A man of honest name,
Who here on earth to feare of God,
his vitall dayes did frame.
Two wives hee had, the first of them
in Antwerpe borne she was;
The other hee a Widdow left,
so God brought it to passe.
His Soule (no doubt) doth now remaine
with God among the rest
Of other worthy Christians,
who evermore are blest.
Hereunder lyeth buried the body of the wor
shipfull,
A faire small Mo
nument on a Pillar right a
gainst the Pulpit.
John Harby, Citizen and Skin
ner of London, and free of the Merchant
Adventurers Company, for Muscovia,
Spaine, and the East Iudiaes: who had
two wives, Anne Mording, Widdow,
by whom he had issue foure Sonnes, and
one Daughter, viz. Thomas, Francis,
John, William, and Emme. And
lastly he married with Anne Saltonstal,
Daughter to Sir Richard Saltonstall,
Knight, sometime Lord Maior of this
City: by whom hee had two Sonnes, Ri
chard and Daniel; which John Harby
after 74. yeeres, departed this life the
15. day of April, 1610. Expecting a
joyfull resurrection by Iesus Christ.
Hic dormivit in Christo Joannes Cowper,
Armiger;
A faire Tombe in the Cloy
ster South.
Vxorem habuit Elizabeth
Ironside ante se mortuam. Obiit 3. Iu
nii. An. Dom. 1609.
There is a comely Monument,
In the wall on the North side of the Chancell.
although of
no great cost or charge, there placed for
Master Laurence Caldwell, Citizen
and Haberdasher of London, and Mary
his wife. Great pitty it is, that it is no
better kept and looked unto, for shortly
the inscriptions engraven thereon, will
not any way possibly be read, &c.
This Parish Church hath on the south
side thereof a proper Cloyster,
Pulpit-Crosse in S. Michael Church-yard.
and a
faire Church-yard, with a Pulpit-crosse,
not much unlike to that in Pauls Church
yard. Sir Iohn Rudstone Maior, caused
the same Pulpit-Crosse, in his life time
to be builded, the Church-yard to bee
enlarged, by ground purchased of the
next Parish, and also proper houses to be
raised, for lodging of Quire men, such
as at that time were assistants to Divine
Service, then daily sung by Note, in that
Church.
The said Io. Rudstone deceased, 1531.
and was buried in a Vault under the
Pulpit-Crosse: he appointed Sermons
to bee preached there, not now perfor
med. His Tombe before the Pulpit-Crosse
is taken thence, with the Tombe
of Richard Yaxley, Doctor of physicke
to King Henry the eighth and other.
The Quire of that Church being dis
solved, the lodgings of the Quire men
were (by the grave Fathers of that time)
charitably appointed for receit of anci
ent decayed parishioners; namely, wid
dowes, such as were not able to beare
the charge of greater rents abroad,
which blessed worke of harbouring the
harbourlesse,
Mat. 2. 5.
is promised to be rewar
ded in the Kingdome of Heaven.
Then have ye Birchover lane,
Birchovers lane.
so called
of Birchover, the first builder and owner
thereof, now corruptly called Birchin
lane, the North halfe whereof is of the
said Cornehill Ward, the other part is of
Langborne Ward.
This lane and the high street neere
adjoyning, hath been inhabited (for the
most part) with wealthy Drapers, from
Birchovers lane on that side the street,
downe to the Stockes. In the reigne of
Henry the sixth,
Vpholders sellers of old stuffe in Cornhill.
had yee (for the most
part) dwelling there, Frippers or Vp
holders, that sold apparell and old hous
hold stuffe.
I have read of a Country man, that
then having lost his hood in Westminster
Hall, found the same in Cornhill, hanged
out
T6vClick here to view the page in facsimile.
Cornehill Ward.

out to be sold, which hee challenged,
but was forced to buy, or goe without
it: for their stall (they said) was their
market.
Popes head Taverne on Cornhil.
At that time also, the VVine
drawer of the Popes-head Taverne, (stan
ding without the doore in the high
street) took the same man by the sleeve,
and said, Sir, will you drinke a Pint of
VVine?
Wine one pint for a penny, & bread gi
ven free.
VVhereunto he answered, A
penny spend I may: and so dranke his
Pint: for bread nothing did he pay, for
that was then allowed free.
This Popes-head Taverne, with other
houses adjoyning, strongly builded of
stone, hath of old time beene all in one,
pertaining to some great Estate,
The Kings house in Cornhill.
or ra
ther to the King of this Realme, as may
be supposed, both by largenesse thereof,
and by the Armes; to wit, 3. Leopards
passant gardant, which was the whole
Armes of England, before the reigne of
Edward the third, that quartered them
with the Armes of France, three Flower
de Luces.
These Armes of England,
Armes of England supported by Angels
supported
then betweene two Angels, are faire
and largely graven in stone on the fore
front towards the high street, over the
doore or stall of one great house, lately
(for many yeeres) possessed by Mr. Phi
lip Gunter. The Popes-head Taverne is
on the backe part thereof, towards the
South, as also one other house, called
the stone house in Lombard street. Some
say this was King Iohn’s house; which
might so be: for I finde in a written co
pie of Mathew Paris his Historie, that
in the yeere 1232. Henry the third sent
Hubert de Burgho,
Hubert de Burgho, Earle of Kent, sent into Cornhill.
Earle of Kent, to Corn
hill in London, there to answer all mat
ters objected against him: where hee
wisely acquitted himselfe. The Popes-head
Taverne hath a foot-way through,
from Cornehill into Lombard street. And
downe lower on the high street of Corn
hill, is there one other way thorow by
the Cardinals Hat Taverne,
The Cardi
nals Hat Taverne.
into Lombard
street. And so let this suffice for Corne
hill VVard. In which be Governours,
an Alderman, his Deputy, Common-Counsellours,
foure, or sixe; Consta
bles, foure; Scavengers, foure; VVard
mote inquest, 16. and a Beadle: it is
charged to the Fifteene at 16. pounds.
Langborne
Survey of London (1633): Broad Street Ward
Survey of London (1633): Langborn Ward

Notes

  1. I.e., London Bridge (JZ)↑

References

Cite this page

MLA citation

Stow, John, Anthony Munday, Anthony Munday, and Humphrey Dyson. Survey of London (1633): Cornhill 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_CORN1.htm. Draft.

Chicago citation

Stow, John, Anthony Munday, Anthony Munday, and Humphrey Dyson. Survey of London (1633): Cornhill 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_CORN1.htm. Draft.

APA citation

Stow, J., Munday, A., Munday, A., & Dyson, H. 2021. Survey of London (1633): Cornhill 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_CORN1.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): Cornhill 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_CORN1.htm
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/xml/standalone/stow_1633_CORN1.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): Cornhill 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_CORN1.htm">mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/stow_1633_CORN1.htm</ref>. Draft.</bibl>

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