Aldersgate Ward

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) and also in the British History Online transcription of the Kingsford edition (BHO). 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).

THe next is Alderſgate Ward, taking name of that north gate of the citie, this ward alſo conſiſteth of diuers ſtreets and lanes, lying aſwell within the gate and wall, as without, and firſt to ſpeak of that part within the gate thus it is. The eaſt part thereof ioyneth vnto the weſt part of Criplegate warde in Engain lane or Maiden lane. It beginneth on the north ſide of that lane, at Stayning Lane end, and runneth vppe from the Haberdaſhers Hall, to S. Mary Staining Church: and by the church eaſt winding almoſt to Woodſtreete: and weſt through Oatelane, & then by the ſouth ſide of Bacon houſe in Noble ſtreete, backe againe by Lilipot lane, which is alſo of that ward, to Maiden lane, and ſo on that north ſide weſt to S. Iohn Sacharies church, and to Faſter lane. Now on the ſouth ſide of Ingaine or Mayden lane is the weſt ſide of Guthuruns lane, to Kery lane, and Kery Lane itſelf (which is of this ward) and backe again into Engainlane, by the north ſide of the Goldſmithes hall, to Faſter lane: and this is the Eaſt wing of this ward. Then is Foſter lane almoſt wholy of this Warde, beginneth in the ſouth toward Cheape, on the Eaſt ſide by by the north side of S. Fosters church and runneth down North west by the weſt ende of Engaine lane, by Lilipot lane, and Oate lane, to Noble ſtreete, and through that by Shelly houſe (of old time ſo called, as belonging to the Shelleyes) Sir Thomas Shelley, knight, was owner thereof in the 1. of H. the 4. It is now called Bacon houſe, becauſe the ſame was new builded by ſir Nicholas Bacon Lord keeper of the great Seale. Down on that ſide by Sergeant Fleetwoods houſe, Recorder of London, who alſo new builded it, to S. Olaues Church in Siluer ſtreete which is by the North weſt end of this Noble ſtreete.

Then again in Foſter lane this ward beginneth on the Weſt ſide thereof, ouer againſt the South weſt corner of S. Foſters church, and runneth downe by S. Leonards church by Pope lane end, and by S. Anns lane end, which lane is alſo of this ward, north to the ſtone wall by the wall of the Citty, ouer againſt Bacon houſe: which ſtone wall, and ſo down north to Criplegate on that ſide, is of Faringdon ward.

Then haue yee the maine ſtreete of this warde, which is called S. Martins lane, including Saint Martin on the Eaſt ſide thereof, and ſo downe on both the ſides to Alderſgate. And theſe be the boundes of this ward within the wall and gate.

Without the gate, the maine ſtreet called Alderſgate ſtreete runneth vp North on the eaſt ſide, to the weſt ende of Howndes ditch or Barbican ſtreete: A part of which ſtreete is alſo of this warde. And on the weſt ſide to Long lane, a part whereof is likewiſe of this ward. Beyond the which Alderſgate ſtreet, is Goſewell ſtreete vp to the Barres.I.e., Aldersgate Bars.

And on this weſt ſide of Alderſgate ſtreete, by S. Buttolphes church is Briton ſtreet, which runneth weſt to a pumpe, and then north to the gate, which entreth the churchyeard ſometime pertaining to the Priory of S. Bartholomew, on the eaſt ſide: and on the weſt ſide towards S. Bartholomewes ſpittle, to a paire of poſtes there fixed. And theſe be the boundes of this Alderſgate ward without.