1603 Description of Ward Boundaries
The following diplomatic transcription of the opening paragraph(s) of the 1603 chapter on this ward will eventually be subsumed into the MoEML edition of the 1603
Survey.
The 1603 Survey is widely available in reprints of C.L. Kingsford’s two-volume 1908 edition ([Kingsford](BIBL1.xml#STOW1)) and also in the British History Online transcription of the Kingsford edition ([BHO](BIBL1.xml#STOW15)). MoEML is completing its editions of all four texts in the following order: 1598, 1633, 1618, and 1603. Each ward chapter opens with a narrative circumnavigation of the ward—a verbal
beating of the bounds that MoEML first transcribed in 2004 and later used to facilitate the drawing of approximate ward boundaries on our edition of the Agas map. Source:
[John Stow, A Survey of London (London, 1603; STC #23343)](BIBL1.xml#STOW8).
This [Portſoken](PORT1.xml), which ſoundeth the
franchiſe at the gate, was ſometime a Guild, and had beginning in the dayes
of king Edgar, more then 600. yeares
ſince, there were thirteene Knights, or Soldiers welbeloued to the king and
realme, for ſeruice by them done, which requeſted to haue a certaine portion
of land on the Eaſt part of the Citie, left deſolate and forſaken by the
Inhabitants, by reaſon of too much ſeruitude. They beſought the king to haue
this land, with the libertie of a Guilde for euer: the king granted to their
requeſt with conditions following: that is, that each of them ſhould
victoriouſly accompliſh three combates, one aboue the ground, one vnder
ground, and the third in the water, and after this at a certaine day in [Eaſt Smithfield](EAST1.xml), they ſhould run with
Speares againſt all commers, all which was gloriouſly performed: and the
ſame day the king named it [knighten Guild](PORT1.xml), & ſo bounded it, from
[Ealdgate](ALDG1.xml) to the place where the
barsI.e., [Aldgate Bars](ALDG3.xml) now are toward the eaſt, on both the ſides of the ſtreete, and extended
it towards [Biſhopſgate](BISH2.xml) in the North,
vnto the houſe then of VVilliam
Presbiter, after of Giffrey
Tanner, and then of the heyres of Coluer, after that of Iohn Eaſeby, but ſince of the Lord
Bourchier, &c. And againe towardes the South unto the [riuer of
Thames](THAM2.xml), and ſo farre into the water, as a horſeman entering the ſame, may
ride at a low water, and throw his ſpeare: ſo that all [Eaſt Smithfield](EAST1.xml), with the right part of
the ſtreete that goeth to [Dodding Pond](DODD1.xml) into the [Thames](THAM2.xml), and alſo the [Hoſpitall of Saint Katherins](STKA3.xml), with
the Mils, that were founded in king
Stephens dayes, and the outward ſtone wall, and the [new ditch of the
Tower](TOWE6.xml) are of the ſaid Fee and
Libertie: for the ſaide wall and ditch of the [Tower](TOWE5.xml), were made in the time of king Richard, when he was in the holy land, by VVilliam Longſhampe Biſhop of Ely, as
before I have noted vnto you. Theſe knightes had as then none other Charter
by all the dayes of Edgar, Ethelred, and Cnutus, vntill the time of Edward the Confeſſor, whom the heires of thoſe
knights humblie beſought to confirme their liberties, whereunto he
graciouſly graunting, gaue them a deede thereof, as appeareth in the booke
of the late [houſe of the holy Trinitie](HOLY1.xml). The ſaid Charter is faire written in
the Saxon letter and tongue. After this king
William the ſonne of VVilliam the
Conqueror, made a confirmation of the ſame liberties, vnto the
heyres of thoſe knights in theſe wordes. William king of England to Maurice Biſhop, and Godffrey de
Magum, and Richard de Parre, and to his faithfull people of [London](LOND5.xml),
greeting: know yee mee to haue granted to the men of Knighten Guilde, the
Guilde that belonged to them, and the land that belonged thereunto, with all
Cuſtomes, as they had the ſame in the time of king Edward, and my father. Witneſſe Hugh de Buche:
at Rething. After him, king Henry the
firſt confirmed the ſame by his Charter, to the like effect, the
recitall whereof, I pretermit for breuitie. After which time, the [Church of
the holy Trinitie within Ealdgate](HOLY1.xml) of
[London](LOND1.xml), being founded by Queene
Matilde, wife to the ſaide Henrie, the multitude of brethren prayſing God day and night
therein, in ſhort time ſo increaſed, that all the Citie was delighted in the
beholding of them: inſomuch that in the yeare 1115. certaine Burgeſſes of [London](LOND5.xml), of the progenie
of thoſe Noble Engliſh knights to wit Radulphus Fitzalgod, Wilmarde le
Deuereſhe, Orgare le Prude, Edward Hupcornehill, Blackſtanus, and Alwine his
kinſman, and Robert his brother, the ſonnes of Leafſtanus the Goldſmith,
Wiſo his ſonne, Hugh Fitzvulgar, Algare Secuſme, coming togither into the
Chapter houſe of the ſaid [Church of the holy Trinitie](HOLY1.xml), gaue to the ſame
Church and Canons ſeruing God therein, all the lands and ſoke called in
Engliſh [Knighten Guilde](PORT1.xml), which lieth to the wall of the Citie, without the
ſame gate, and ſtretcheth to the [riuer of Thames](THAM2.xml), they gaue it, I ſay,
taking vpon them the Brotherhoode and participation of the benefites of that
houſe, by the handes of Prior Norman. And the better to confirme this their
graunt, they offered upon the Altar there, the Charter of Edward, togither
with the other Charters, which they had thereof: and afterward they did put
the foreſayd Prior in ſeiſine thereof, by the [Church of Saint Buttolphes](STBO2.xml) which is builded
thereon, and is the head of that land: Theſe things were thus done, before
Bernard Prior of Dunſtable, Iohn Prior of Derland, Geffrey Clinton
Chamberlaine, and many other Clarkes and Laymen, French and Engliſh, Orgar
le Prude (one of their Companie) was ſent to king Henrie, beſeeching him to confirme their gift, which the
king gladly granted by his deede. Henrie
king of England to R.B. of London, to the Shiriffes, and Prouoſt,
and to all his Barons, and faithfull people, French and Engliſh, of [London](LOND5.xml),
and [Middleſex](MIDD30.xml), greeting. Know ye mee to haue graunted, and confirmed to the
Church and Canons of the [holy Trinitie](HOLY1.xml) of [London](LOND5.xml), the Soke of the Engliſh
knighten Guilde, and the land which pertaineth thereunto, and the [Church of S. Buttolph](STBO2.xml), as the men of
the ſame Guilde haue giuen and granted vnto them: and I will and ſtraightly
commaund, that they may hold the ſame well and honourably and freely, with
ſacke and ſoke, toll, and Thea, infangthefe, and all cuſtoms belonging to
it, as the men of the ſame Guild in beſt ſort had the ſame in the time of
K. Edward, and as king VVilliam my father, and brotherI.e., William
II.
did grant it to them by their writs. Witneſſe A. the Queene,I.e., Adeliza of Louvain. Geffrey Clinton the Chauncellor, and William of Clinton at Woodſtocke. All theſe
preſcribed writings (ſaieth my booke) which ſometime belonged to the [Priorie of the holy Trinitie](HOLY1.xml), are
regiſtred in the end of the booke of Remembrances, in the [Guildhall](GUIL1.xml) of [London](LOND5.xml), marked with the letter C. folio
134. The king ſent alſo his Shiriffes to wit, Aubery de Vere, and Roger nephew to Hubert, which
vpon his behalfe ſhould inueſt this church with the poſſeſſions hereof,
which the ſaid Shiriffes accompliſhed comming vpon the ground, Andrew
Bucheuite, and the forenamed witneſſes, and other ſtanding by,
notwithſtanding, Othowerus Acoliuillus Otto, and Geffrey Earle of Eſſex,
Conſtables of the [Tower](TOWE5.xml) by
ſucceſſion, withheld by force a portion of the ſaid land, as I haue before
deliuered. The Prior and Chanons of the
[holy Trinitie](HOLY1.xml), being thus ſeiſed of the ſaid land and Soke of
knighten Guilde, a part of the Suburbe without the [wall](WALL2.xml), (but within the
liberties of the Citie) the ſame Prior was for him, and his ſuceſſors,
admitted as one of the Aldermen of [London](LOND5.xml), to gouerne the ſame land and
Soke: according to the cuſtomes of the Citie, he did ſit in Court and rode
with the Maior, and his Brethren the Aldermen, as one of them in Scarlet, or
other leuery, as they vſed, vntill the yeare 1531. at the which time, the ſaid Priory by the laſt
Prior there, was ſurrendred to king Henry
the eight, in the 23. of his raigne, who gaue this Prorie to ſir
Thomas Audley, knight, Lord Chauncellor of [England](ENGL2.xml), and he pulled downe the
Church. Sithens the which diſſolution of that houſe, the ſayde [Ward of Portſoken](PORT1.xml), hath béene
gouerned by a temporall man, one of the Aldermen of [London](LOND5.xml), elected by the
Citizens, as by the Aldermen of other wardes. Thus much for the out boundes of
[Cnitten Guilde](PORT1.xml), or [Portſoken Warde](PORT1.xml),
and for the antiquitie and gouernment thereof.