Survey of London (1633): Dowgate Ward

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DOwnegate Ward be
ginneth at the south
end of VValbrooke
Ward
, over-against
the East corner of
Saint Iohns Church
upon Walbrooke
, and
descendeth on both
the sides to Downegate, on the Thames,
and is so called, of that downe-going or
descending therunto: and of this Down
gate
the Ward taketh name. This Ward
turneth into Thames street VVestward,
some ten houses on a side, to the course
of Walbrooke, but East in Thames street
(on both sides) to Ebgate lane, or Old
Swanne
, the land-side whereof hath ma
ny Lanes turning up, as shall be shewed
when I come to them.
But first to begin with the highstreet
called Dowgate: at the upper end there
of is a faire Conduit of Thames water,
castellated, and made in the yeere 1568.
at charges of the Citizens, and is cal
led the Conduit upon Downegate. The
descent of this street is such, that in the
yeere 1574. on the fourth of September
in the afternoone, there fell a storme of
raine, where-through the channels sud
denly arose, and ranne with such a swift
course towards the common shores, that
a Lad of eighteene yeeres old,
A Lad of 18. yeeres old drow
ned in the Channell.
minding
to have leapt over the channell, neere
unto the said Conduit, was taken with
the streame, and carried from thence
towards the Thames with such a vio
lence, that no man, with staves, or o
therwise, could stay him, till hee came
against a Cart-wheele, that stood in the
said Water-gate, before which time he
was drowned, and starke dead.
On the West side of this street, is the
Tallow-Chandlers Hal, a proper house,
which Company was incorporated in
the second yeere of Edward the fourth.
Somewhat lower standeth the Skin
ners Hall
, a faire house, which was som
time called Copped Hall, by Downegate,
in the Parish of S. Iohn upon Walbrooke.
In the 19, yeere of Edward the second,
Ralph Cobham possessed it, with five
shoppes, &c.
This Company of Skinners in Lon
don
, was incorporate by Edward the 3.
in the first of his reigne
: they had two
Brotherhoods of Corpus Christi, viz.
one at St. Mary Spittle, the other at St.
Mary Bethlem
, without Bishopsgate. Ri
chard
the second
, in the eighteenth of
his reigne
, granted them to make their
two Brotherhoods one, by the name of
the Fraternity of Corpus Christi of Skin
ners
. Divers royall persons were named
to bee Founders, and Brethren of this
Fraternity,
Sixe Kings Brethren with the Skinners Company in London.
to wit; Kings sixe, Dukes
nine, Earles two, Lords one. Kings,
Edward the third, Richard the second,
Henry the fifth, Henry the sixth, and Ed
ward
the fourth
.
This Fraternity had also once every
yeere,
Their pompous Proces
sion.
on Corpus Christi day, after noone
a Procession, which passed through the
principall streets of the City, wherein
was borne more than one hundred Tor
ches of VVaxe (costly garnised) bur
ning light, and above two hundred
Clerkes and Priests in Surpleffes and
Coapes, singing. After the which,
were the Sheriffes servants, the Clerkes
of the Compters, Chaplaines for the
Sheriffes, the Maiors Sergeants, the
Councell of the City, the Maior and
Aldermen in Scarlet, and then the
Skinners in their best Liveries. Thus
much to stop the tongues of unthankfull
men, such as use to aske, VVhy have
yee not noted this, or that, and give no
thanks for what is done?
Then


Then lower downe was a Colledge
of Priests, called Iesus Commons, a house
well furnished with Brasse, Pewter, Na
pery, Plate, &c. besides a faire Library
well stored with Bookes, all which of
old time were given to a number of
Priests, that should keepe Commons
there, and as one left his place (by death
or otherwise) another should be admit
ted into this room; but this order with
in this thirty yeers being discontinued,
the said house was dissolved and turned
to Tenements.
Down lower have ye Elbow-lane, and
at the corner thereof was one great stone
house, called Old-hall: it is now taken
downe, and divers faire houses of Tim
ber placed there. This was sometime
pertaining to William de pont le Arch, and
by him given to the Priory of S. Mary
Overy
in Southwarke, in the reigne of
Henry the first
. In this Elbow-lane is
the Inholders hall, and other faire hou
ses: this lane runneth West, and sud
denly turneth South into Thames street,
and therefore (of that bending) is cal
led Elbow-lane. On the East side of this
Downegate street, is the great old house
before spoken of, called the Erbar, neere
to the Church of Saint Mary Bothaw; Geffrey Scroope held it by the gift of Ed
ward
the third
in the foureteenth of his
reigne
. It belonged since to Iohn Nevell,
Lord of Raby, then to Richard Nevell,
Earle of Warwicke; Nevell, Earle of Sa
lisbury
was lodged there, 1457. Then
it came to George Duke of Clarence, and
his heires males, by the gift of Edward
the fourth
in the foureteene yeere of his
reigne
. It was lately builded by Sir
Thomas Pullison
Maior, and was after
ward inhabited by Sir Francis Drake,
that famous Navigator. Next to this
great house, is a lane turning to Bush
lane
, (of old time called Carter-lane, of
Carts, and Carmen having Stables
there) and now called Chequer-lane, or
Chequer-Alley, of an Inne called the
Chequer.
In Thames street, on the Thames side
West from Downgate, is Greenwitch-lane,
of old time so called, and now Frier lane,
of such a signe there set up. In this lane
is the Joiners Hall, and other faire hou
ses.
Then is Granthams lane, so called of
Iohn Grantham, sometime Maior and
owner therof, whose house was very large
and strong, builded of stone, as appea
reth by gates arched yet remaining.
Ralph Dodmer, first a Brewer, then a
Mercer, Maior, 1529. dwelled there,
and kept his Maioraltie in that house:
it is now a Brewhouse, as it was before.
Then is Downgate, whereof is spoken
in another place. East from this Down
gate
, is Cosin lane, named of one William
Cosin
, that dwelled there, in the fourth
of Richard the second
, as divers his pre
decessors, Father, Grandfather, &c. had
done before him. William Cosin was one
of the Sheriffes in the yeere 1306. That
house standeth at the South end of the
lane, having an old and artificiall con
veyance of Thames water into it, and is
now a Dye-house, called Lambards Mes
suage
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. Adjoyning to that house,
A Ginne to convey Thames wa
ter to Downegate Conduit.
there
was lately erected an engine, to convey
Thames water unto Downegate Conduit
aforesaid.
Next to this lane, on the East, is the
Steleyard (as they terme it) a place for
Merchants of Almaine, that used to
bring hither, as well Wheat, Rie, and
other graine, as Cables, Ropes, Masts,
Pitch, Tarre, Flaxe, Hempe, Linnen
Cloth, Wainscots, Waxe, Steele, and
other profitable Merchandizes. Vnto
these Merchants, in the yeere, 1259.
Henry the third, at the request of his
Brother Richard, Earle of Cornwall, King
of Almaine, granted, that all and singu
lar the Merchants, having a house in
the City of London, commonly called
Guilda Aula Theutonicorum, should bee
maintained and upholden through the
whole Realme, by all such freedomes,
and free usages or liberties, as by the
King and his Noble Progenitors time
they had and enjoyed, &c. Edward the
first
renued and confirmed that Charter
of Liberties, granted by his Father. And
in the tenth yeere of the same Edward,
Henry Wallis being Maior, a great con
troversie did arise between the said Ma
ior, and the Merchants of the Haunce of
Almaine
, about the reparations of Bi
shopsgate
, then likely to fall, for that the
said Merchants enjoyed divers priviled
ges, in respect of maintaining the said
Gate, which they now denyed to re
paire: for the appeasing of which con
troversie,


troversie the King sent his Writ to the
Treasurer, and Barons of his Exchequer
commanding, that they should make
inquisition thereof: Before whom the
Merchants being called, when they were
not able to discharge themselves, sith
they enjoyed the liberties to them gran
ted for the same; a Precept was sent
to the Maior and Sheriffes, to distraine
the said Merchants to make reparations,
namely, Gerard Marbod, Alderman of
the Haunce; Ralph de Cussarde, a Citi
zen of Colen, Ludero de Denevar, a Bur
gesse of Trivar; Iohn of Aras, a Bur
gesse of Trivon; Bartram of Hamburgh;
Godestalke of Hundondale, a Burgesse of
Trivon; Iohn de Dele, a Burgesse of Mun
star
, then remaining in the said City of
London, for themselves, and all other
Merchants of the Haunce: and so they
granted 210. Markes sterling to the
Maior and Citizens, and undertooke,
that they and their successors should
(from time to time) repaire the said
Gate, and beare the third part of the
charges in mony, and men to defend it,
when need were.
And for this agreement, the said Ma
ior and Citizens granted to the said
Merchants their liberties,
Merchants of the Haunce, of Almaine, li
cenced to lay up their corn in Gar
ners, but to sell it within 40. dayes af
ter.
which till of
late they have enjoyed, as namely, a
mongst other, that they might lay up
their Graine, which they brought into
this Realme, in Innes, and sell it in their
Garners, by the space of forty dayes af
ter they had laid it up; except by the
Maior and Citizens they were expresse
ly forbidden, because of dearth, or o
ther reasonable occasions. Also, they
might have their Aldermen, as they
had been accustomed, foreseen alwaies,
that he were of the City, and presented
to the Maior and Aldermen of the Ci
ty, so oft as any should be chosen, and
should take an oath before them, to
maintaine Iustice in their Courts, and
to behave themselves in their Office ac
cording to Law, and as it stood with the
Customes of the City.
Thus much for their Priviledges:
Whereby it appeareth, that they were
great Merchants of Corne, brought out
of the East parts hither, insomuch, that
the occupiers of husbandry in this Land
were enforced to complaine of them,
for bringing in such aboundance, when
the Corne of this Realme was at an ea
sie price.
Act of Parliamẽt forbidding Corne to be brought from be
yond Seas.
Whereupon it was ordained
by Parliament, That no person should
bring into any part of this Realme, by
way of Merchandise, VVheat, Rye, or
Barley, growing out of the said Realme,
when the quarter of Wheat exceeded
not the price of 6. s. 8. d. Rie 4. s. the
Quarter, and Barley 3. shillings the
Quarter, upon forfeiture the one halfe
to the King, the other halfe to the seisor
thereof. These Merchants of the Haunce
had their Guild hall in Thames street, in
place aforesaid, by the said Cosin lane.
Their Hall is large, builded of Stone,
with three arched Gates towards the
street, the middlemost whereof is farre
bigger than the other, and is seldome o
pened, the other two be mured up: the
same is now called the Old Hall.
Of later time, to wit, in the sixth of
Richard the second, they hired one house
next adjoyning to their old Hall, which
sometime belonged to Richard Lions, a
famous Lapidarie, one of the Sheriffes
of Lond. in the 49. of Edward the third,
and in the fourth of Richard the second,
by the Rebels of Kent drawn out of that
house, and beheaded in West Cheape.
This also was a great house, with a large
Wharfe on the Thames: and the way
thereunto was called Windgoose, or Wild
goose lane
, which is now called Windgoose
Alley
, for that the same Alley is (for the
most part) builded on by the Stilyard
Merchants.
The Abbot of S. Albans had a Mes
suage here, with a Key given to him, in
the 34. of Henry the sixth.
Then is one other great house, which
sometime pertained to Iohn Rainwell,
Stock-fishmonger, Maior, and it was
by him given to the Maior and Com
munalty, to the end, that the profits
thereof should bee disposed in deeds of
piety: which house in the 15. of Edward
the fourth
, was confirmed unto the said
Merchants in manner following, viz.
It is ordained by our Soveraigne Lord
and his Parliament,
Patent.
that the said Mer
chants of Almaine
, being of the Company
called the Guildhall Theutonicorum, (or
the Flemish Geld) that now be, or here
after shall be, shall have, hold, and enjoy to
them and their successors for ever, the said
place,


place, called the Steele-house, yeelding to
the Maior and Communalty an annuall
rent of threescore and tenne pounds, three
shillings, foure pence, &c.
In the yeere 1551. the fifth of Ed
ward
the sixth
,
Steelyard put down.
through complaint of
the English Merchants, the liberty of
the Steelyard Merchants was seized into
the Kings hands, and so it resteth.
Then is Church lane, at the West end
of Alhallowes Church, called Alhallowes
the more
in Thames streete
, for a diffe
rence from Alhallowes the lesse, in the
same street. It is also called Alhallowes
ad foenum
in the Roperie
, because Hay
was sold neere thereunto, at Hay Wharfe,
and Ropes of old time made and sold in
the high street. This is a faire Church,
with a large Cloister on the South side
thereof, about their Church-yard, but
foulely defaced and ruinated.
The Church also hath had many faire
Monuments, but now defaced: There
remaine in the Quire some Plates on
Grave-stones, namely of William Lich
field
, Doctor of Divinity, who deceased
the yeere 1447. Hee was a great Stu
dent, and compiled many Bookes, both
Morall and Divine, in Prose and Verse;
namely one, intituled, The complaint of
God unto sinfull man
. Hee made in his
time 3083. Sermons, as appeared by
his owne hand-writing, and were found
when he was dead.
One other Plate there is of Iohn Bric
kles
, Draper, who deceased in the yeere
1451. Hee was a great Benefactor to
that Church, and gave by his Testament
certaine Tenements, to the reliefe of the
poore.
Nicholas Loven, and William Peston,
founded Chauntries there.
Willielmus dudum
Lichfield quem mors fora pressit,
A faire plated stone un
der the Commu
nion Ta
ble.
Ista post ludum
mundi sub rupe quiescit.
In domum rure
cultor, sator ac operosus,
Dum preciat ture,
pastor vigil, & studiosus.
Hanc aedem rexit,
ornavit & amplificavit,
Pignora provexit,
ac sacro dogmate pavit.
Pauperibus carus,
inopes in mente gerebat,
Consilio gnarus
dubitantibus esse solebat.
Christe pugil forcis
ejus dissolve reatus,
Vt vivat mortis
post morsum glorificatus.
Luce bis X. quat’ I.
migrat Octobris sine panno,
Equat’ X. quat’ V.
semel I. ter. I. M. Karus.
Staprecor interne,
Another faire stone lying by it▪
qui transis aspice, cerne,
Non nitidis pannis,
sed olentibus oss’a Johannis
Brickles, ista mei
specus includit requiei,
Taliter indutus
tumulabere tu resolutus.
Dormit in hac cella
mea conjuge ac Isabella,
Appollinaris quam
vixit lux nece stratratus.
Aequater X. ter V.
semel I. bis & M. sociatis.
At the East end of this Church go
eth downe a Lane, called Hay-Wharfe
lane
, now lately a great Brew-house,
builded there by one Pot; Henry Cam
pion
, Esquire, a Beere-brewer, used it,
and Abraham his sonne since possessed
it.
Then was there one other Lane,
sometime called Woolseys gate, now out
of use: for the lower part thereof, upon
the banke of Thames, is builded by
the late Earle of Shrewsbury, and the o
ther end is builded on and stopped up
by the Chamberlaine of London. Iohn
Butler
, Draper, one of the Sheriffes,
in the yeere 1420. dwelled there: Hee
appointed his house to be sold, and the
price thereof to be given to the poore:
it was of Alhallowes Parish the lesse.
Then is there the said Parish Church
of Alhallowes, called the lesse
; and by
some, Alhallowes on the Cellers, for it
standeth on Vaults: it is said to be buil
ded by Sir Iohn Poultney, sometimes
Maior. The Steeple and Quire of this
Church, stand on an arched Gate, be
ing the entrie to a great house, called
Cold Harbrough: the Quire of late being
falne


falne downe, is now againe at length,
in the yeere 1594. by the Parishioners
new builded.
Touching this Cold Harbrough, I find,
that in the 13. of Edward the second,
Sir Iohn Abel, Knight, demised or let
unto Henry Stow, Draper, all that his
capitall Messuage, called the Cold Har
brough
, in the Parish of All Saints ad foe
num
, and all the purtenances within the
Gate, with the Key which Robert Hart
ford
, Citizen, sonne to William Hartford,
had, and ought, and the foresaid Robert
paid for it the rent of 33. shillings the
yeere. This Robert Hartford being own
er thereof, as also of other lands in Sur
rey
; deceasing without issue male, left
two daughters his Coheires, to wit, I
donia
, married to Sir Ralph Bigot, and
Maude, married to Sir Stephen Cosenton,
Knights, betweene whom the said house
and lands were parted. After the which
Iohn Bigot, Sonne to the said Sir Ralph
and Sir Iohn Cosenton, did sell their moi
ties of Cold Harbrough unto Iohn Poult
ney
, sonne of Adam Poultney, the eighth
of Edward the third
. This Sir Iohn Poult
ney
dwelling in this house, and being 4.
times Maior, the said house tooke the
name of Poultney’s Inne. Notwithstan
ding, this Sir Iohn Poultney, the 21. of
Edward the third
, by his Charter gave
and confirmed to Humfrey de Bohune,
Earle of Hereford and Essex, his whole
tenement, called Cold Harbrough, with
all the Tenements and Key adjoyning,
and appurtenances sometime pertaining
to Robert de Herford, on the way called
Hay-wharfe lane, &c. for one Rose at
Midsummer, to him and his heires, for
all services, if the same were demanded.
This Sir Iohn Poultney deceased 1349.
and left issue, by Margaret his wife, Wil
liam Poultney
, who dyed without issue:
and Margaret his Mother was married
to Sir Nicholas Lovel, Knight, &c. Phi
lip S. Cleare
gave two Messuages, per
taining to this Cold Harbrough, in the
Roperie, towards the inlarging of the
Parish Church and Church-yard of All-Saints,
called the lesse
, in the 20. of Ri
chard
the second
.
In the yeere 1397. the 21 of Richard
the second
, Iohn Holland, Earle of Hun
tington
, was lodged there, and Richard
the second
his Brother dined with him:
it was then counted a right faire and
stately house. But in the next yeere
following, I finde, that Edmond, Earle
of Cambridge, was there lodged: not
withstanding, the said house still retai
ned the name of Poultney’s Inne, in the
reigne of Henry the sixth, the 26. of his
reigne
. It belonged since to H. Holland
Duke of Excester, and hee was lodged
there in the yeere 1472. In the yeere
1485. Richard the third, by his Letters
Patents granted and gave to Iohn Writh,
alias Garter
, principall King of Armes
of English men, and to the rest of the
Kings Heralds and Pursevants of Arms,
all that Messuage with the appurtenan
ces, called Cold Harber, in the Parish of
All Saints the little
in London, and their
successors for ever. Dated at Westmin
ster
the second of March, Anno regni suiprimo,
without fine or see. How the said
Heralds departed, therewith, I have
not read, but in the reigne of Henry the
eighth
, the Bishop of Durhams house,
neere Charing Crosse, being taken into
the Kings hand, Cuthbert Tunstal, Bi
shop of Durham, was lodged in this
Cold Harber, since the which time it
hath belonged to the Earles of Shrews
bury
, by composition (as is supposed)
from the said Cuthbert Tunstall. The
last deceased Earle tooke it downe, and
in place thereof builded a great number
of small Tenements now letten out for
great rents, to people of all sorts.
Then is the Diers Hall, which Com
pany was made a Brotherhood or
Guild, in the fourth of Henry the sixth,
and appointed to consist of a Gardian
or Warden, and a Communalty the
12. of Edward the fourth. Then bee
there divers large Brewhouses, and o
thers, till you come to Ebgate lane,
where that Ward endeth in the East.
On the North side of Thames street bee
divers lanes also, the first is at the South
end of Elbow-lane before spoken of, west
from Downegate, over-against Greene
witch lane
: then bee divers faire houses
for Merchants, and others all along that
side. the next lane East from Downe
gate
, is called Bush lane, which turneth
up to Candlewicke street, and is of Down-gate
Ward
. Next is Suffolke lane, like
wise turning up to Candlewicke street:
in this lane is one notable Grammar
Schoole,


Schoole, founded in the yeere 1561. by
the Master, Wardens, and Assistants
of the Merchant-taylors, in the Parish
of S. Laurence Poultney
; Richard Hils,
sometimes Master of that Company,
having before given 500. l. toward the
purchase of an house, called the Mannor
of the Rose
, sometime belonging to the
Duke of Buckingham, wherein the said
Schoole is kept.
Then is there one other Lane, which
turneth up to S. Laurence Hill, and to
the Southwest corner of Saint Laurence
Church-yard
: then other Lane, called
Poultney Lane, that goeth up, of this
Ward to the South-east corner of S.
Laurence Church-yard
, and so downe
againe, and to the West corner of Saint
Martin Orgar lane
, and over against Eb
gate lane
:
13. Wards on the east side of VValbrook, not ha¦ving one house on the west of the said Brooke.
and this is all of Downegate
Ward
, the 13. in number lying East
from the water-course of VValbrooke,
and hath not any one house on the west
side of the said Brooke.
It hath an Alderman, his Deputy;
Common-Counsellors, nine; Consta
bles, eight; Seavengers, five; for the
Wardmote Inquest, foureteene, and a
Beadle: it is taxed to the Fifteene at
eight and twenty pounds.
Z
Wards

Cite this page

MLA citation

Stow, John, Anthony Munday, Anthony Munday, and Humphrey Dyson. Survey of London (1633): Dowgate 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_DOWN1.htm. Draft.

Chicago citation

Stow, John, Anthony Munday, Anthony Munday, and Humphrey Dyson. Survey of London (1633): Dowgate 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_DOWN1.htm. Draft.

APA citation

Stow, J., Munday, A., Munday, A., & Dyson, H. 2021. Survey of London (1633): Dowgate 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_DOWN1.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): Dowgate 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_DOWN1.htm
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/xml/standalone/stow_1633_DOWN1.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): Dowgate 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_DOWN1.htm">mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/stow_1633_DOWN1.htm</ref>. Draft.</bibl>

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