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Survey of London: Honour of Citizens
Survey of London: Portsoken Ward
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Hauing thus in generalitie handled the original, the wals,
gates, ditches, and fresh waters, the bridges, towers and castles
the schools, of learning, and houses of law, the orders and cu
stomes, sportes and pastimes, watchinges and martiall exer
cises, and lastly the honor and worthines of the Citizens:
I am now to set down, the distribution of this City into parts:
and mor especially to declare the antiquities: note worthie in
euery of the same: and how both the whole and partes, haue
beene from time to time ruled and gouerned.
THe Auncient diuision of this Citie, was into
Wardes, or Aldermanries: and therefore I
will beginne at the East, and so proceede
through the high and most principall streete
of the citie, to the west,
The Cite of
London deui
ded from
east to west.
after this manner. First
through Aldgate streete, to the west corner of
S. Andrewes Church called Undershaft, on the right hand, and
Lymestreete corner, on the left, all which is of Aldgate warde:
from thence through Cornhill streete, to the west corner of Lea
den hall, all which is of Limestreete warde: from thence lea
uing the streete, that leadeth to Bishopsgate on the right hand,
and the way that leadeth into Grasse streete on the left, still
through Cornhill streete, by the Conduite to the west corner a
gainst
The stockes
market the
midst of the
Citie-
the Stockes, all which is in Cornhill warde, then by the
saide Stockes (a market place both of fish and flesh standing in the
middest of the Citie) through the Poultrie, (a streete so called) to
the great conduite inwest Cheape, and so through Cheape, to
the Standarde, which is of Cheape warde, except on the South
side
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The Citie deuided into partes.
83
side from Bow lane, to the saide Standarde, which is of Cord
wainer streete ward. Then by the Standarde to the great crosse
which is in Cripplegate warde, on the North side, and in Bred
streete warde on the south side. And to the little conduite by Paules
gate from whence of olde time, the saide high streete stretched
straight to Ludgate, all in the warde of Faringdon within, then
deuided truely from East to West, but since that by meanes of
the burning of Paules Church which was in the raigne of Willi
am the first surnamed Conqueror. Mawricius then Bi
shop of London, layde the foundation of a new church, so far in
largenes exceeding the olde, that the way towardes Ludgate was
thereby greately streightened, as before I haue at large discoursed:
Now from the North to the South, this citie was of olde time de
uided not by a large high way or streete, as from East
The Citie de
uided from
North to
South.
to West,
but by a fayre Brooke of swéete water, which came from out the
North fieldes through the wall, and midst of the citie into the ri
uer of Thames, which diuision is till this day constantlie
The course oThis text has been supplied. Reason: The original page has been cut or cropped with the loss of some text. Evidence: The text has been supplied based on evidence internal to this text (context, etc.). ()f
Walbrooke.
and
without change maintained. This water was called (as I haue
said) Walbrooke, of running through, & from the wal the course
whereof to prosecute it particularlie, was and is from the said wal
to S. Margarets church, in Lothberry: from thence beneath
the lower part of the Grocers hall, about the east part of their
Kitchen, vnder S. Mildredes church, somewhat west from the
saide Stockes market: from thence through Buckels berry, by
one great house builded of stone and timber, called the old Bardge.
because Barges out of the riuer of Thames were rowed vp so far
into this Brooke: on the backside of the houses in Walbrooke
streete (which streete taketh his name of the saide Brooke:) by the
west ende of S. Iohns church vpon Walbrooke, vnder Horshew
Bridge, by the west side of Tallow Chandlers hall, and of the
Skinners hall, and so behinde the other houses, to Elbow Lane,
and by a parte thereof downe Greenewitch lane, into the Ri
uer of Thames. This is the course of Walbrooke, which
was of olde time bridged ouer in diuers places, for passage of horses
and men, as neede required: but since by meanes of encrochment
on the bankes thereof, the channell being greatly streightned, and
other noyances don thereunto, at length the same by common con
sent was Arched ouer with bricke, and paued with stone, equall
G2
with
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84
The Citie deuided into partes.
with the ground, where through it passed, and is now in most pla
ces builded vpon, that no man may by the eye discerne it, and there
fore the trace thereof is hardly knowne, to the common people.
The Citie thus deuided from East to West, and from North
to South: I am further to shew how the same was of olde time
broken into diuers partes called wardes, whereof Fitzstephen
more then foure hundred yeares ago writeth thus. This Citie
(sayeth hee) euen as Rome, is deuided into wardes, it hath
yearely Shiriffes in steade of Consuls. It hath the dignity of
Senators in Aldermen &c. The number of these wards in Lon
don were both before & in the raign of Henry the third: 24. in al:
whereof 13 lay on the East side of the saide Walbrooke, and
11. on the West side of the same: notwithstanding these 11.
Patent Recorde
grew much more larger and bigger then these on the East, and
therefore in the yeare of Christ, 1393. the 17. of Richarde the
second, Farengdon warde which was then one entier warde, but
mightelie increased of buildinges without the gates: was by Par
liament appointed to be deuided into twaine, and to haue two Al
dermen, to wit Faringdon within and Faringdon without,
which made vp the number of 12. wardes on the west side of
Walbrooke, and so the whole number of 25. on both sides: more
ouer in the yere 1550. the Maior, Commonalty, and Citizens of
London, purchasing the Liberties of the Borough of Southwark,
appointed the same to bee a warde of London, and so became the
number of 13. wardes on the East, 12. on the West, and one
in the South of the riuer of Thames, lying in the said Borough
of Southwarke, within the county of Surrey, which in all arise to
the number of 26. wardes and 26. Aldermen of London.

The names of Wards on the East part of Walbrooke are these.

1 Portsoken warde without the wals.
2 Towerstreete warde.
3 Ealdegate warde.
4 Lymestreete warde.
5 Bishopsgate warde within the wals and without.
6 Bredstreete warde.
7 Cornhill ward.
8 Langbourne warde
9 Billingsgate warde
10 Bridge warde within.
11 Candlewicke streete warde.
12 Walbrooke warde.
13 Downgate warde.
The
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Portsoken warde.
85

The Wards on the west side of Walbrooke are these.

14 Vintry warde.
15 Cordwainer streete warde.
16 Cheape warde.
17 Colemanstreete warde.
18 Bassinges hall warde.
19 Criplesgate warde. within and without.
20 Aldersgate ward within and without.
21 Faringdon ward within.
22 Bredstreete warde.
23 Queene hith warde
24 Castle Baynarde warde.
25 Faringdon ward without.
26 The Bridge warde without, in the Brugh of Southwarke.
Survey of London: Honour of Citizens
Survey of London: Portsoken Ward

Cite this page

MLA citation

Stow, John, and William fitz-Stephen. Survey of London: Division of the City. The Map of Early Modern London, edited by Janelle Jenstad, U of Victoria, 15 Sep. 2020, mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_division.htm.

Chicago citation

Stow, John, and William fitz-Stephen. Survey of London: Division of the City. The Map of Early Modern London. Ed. Janelle Jenstad. Victoria: University of Victoria. Accessed September 15, 2020. https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_division.htm.

APA citation

Stow, J., & fitz-Stephen, W. 2020. Survey of London: Division of the City. In J. Jenstad (Ed), The Map of Early Modern London. Victoria: University of Victoria. Retrieved from https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_division.htm.

RIS file (for RefMan, 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  - fitz-Stephen, William
ED  - Jenstad, Janelle
T1  - Survey of London: Division of the City
T2  - The Map of Early Modern London
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/09/15
CY  - Victoria
PB  - University of Victoria
LA  - English
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_division.htm
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/xml/standalone/stow_1598_division.xml
ER  -

RefWorks

RT Web Page
SR Electronic(1)
A1 Stow, John
A1 fitz-Stephen, William
A6 Jenstad, Janelle
T1 Survey of London: Division of the City
T2 The Map of Early Modern London
WP 2020
FD 2020/09/15
RD 2020/09/15
PP Victoria
PB University of Victoria
LA English
OL English
LK https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_division.htm

TEI citation

<bibl type="mla"><author><name ref="#STOW6"><surname>Stow</surname>, <forename>John</forename></name></author>, and <author><name ref="#FITZ1"><forename>William</forename> <surname>fitz-Stephen</surname></name></author>. <title level="a">Survey of London: Division of the City</title>. <title level="m">The Map of Early Modern London</title>, edited by <editor><name ref="#JENS1"><forename>Janelle</forename> <surname>Jenstad</surname></name></editor>, <publisher>U of Victoria</publisher>, <date when="2020-09-15">15 Sep. 2020</date>, <ref target="https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_division.htm">mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_division.htm</ref>.</bibl>

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