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Index of London wards in 1756 by William Maitland
CHAP. XVIII.
Of CORDWAINERS STREET WARD.
With a Plan, neatly engraved from a New Survey.
Its Name. Bounds. Extent. Modern State. Aldermen and Common Council. Parishes
Churches. Roman Causeway.
Cordwainers street Ward takes its Name from the Occupation of its principal
Inhabitants, who were Cordwainers, or Shoemakers, Curriers and other Workers of
Leather.
It is bounded on the East by Walbrook Ward ; on the North by Cheapside Ward, on
the South by Vintry Ward ; on the West by Bread street Ward.
This Ward begins in the East, on the West Side of Wallbrook, and runs West
towards Budge row (a Street so called from the Budge Furr; and Skinners dwelling
there ;) then up by St. Antholin's Church, through Aetheling, or Noble street,
as Leyland terms it, commonly called Wating street, to Red lyon court, where
once stood a great Lion of Timber, at a Gate entering to a large Court, wherein
were divert handsome and large Shops, well furnished with Broad Cloths, and
other Draperies of all Sorts to be sold : This is the farthest West Part of this
Ward.
On the South Side of this Street, from Budge row, lieth a Lane turning down by
which the West Gate of the Tower Royal stood, and to the South End of the Stone
Wall beyond the said Gate ; which is of this Ward, and is accounted a Part of
the Royal street.
Against this West Gate of the Tower Royal was another Lane, that runs West to
Cordwainers street ; and this is called Turnbase lane on the South Side whereof
was a Piece of Wring wren lane, to the North West Corner of St. Thomas the
Apostles. Then again out of the High street, called Watling, is another Street
which runs Cross the same ; and this is Cordwainers street ; whereof the whole
Ward takes its Name.
This Street begins by Westcheap ; and St. Mary le Bow Church is the Head thereof
on the West Side ; and it runs down South through that Part, which of latter
Time was called Hosier lane, now Bow lane ; and then by the West End of
Aldermary Church, to the new built houses in place of Ormond house, and so to
Garlick hill or hithe to St. James's Church.
The upper Part of this Street towards Cheap was called Hosier lane, from Hosiers
dwelling there, in the Place of Shoemakers : But now those Hosiers being worn
out by Men of other Trades, (as the Hosiers had worn out the Shoe makers) the
same is called Bow lane, from Bow Church.
On the West Side of Cordwainers street, is Basing lane, right over against
Turnbase lane. This Basing lane, West, to the back Gate of the Red lion in
Watling street, is of this Cordwainers street Ward.
Again, on the North Side of the high Street, in Budge row, by the East End of
St. Anthony's Church, is St. Sithe' s lane, so called from St. tithe's Church,
(which stood against the North End of that Lane) and this Place is wholly of
Cordwainers street Ward : And also the South Side of Needlers lane, which
reacheth from the North End of St. Sithe's lane, West to Soper's lane. Somewhat
West from St. Anthony's Church is the South End of Soper's lane, which took that
Name, not from making Soap there, as some have supposed, but from one Alleyne le
Soper, in the 9th of Edward II. For there was no Soap made in this City, till
one John Lambe, dwelling in the Grays street, fet up a Boiling house about 280
Years ago. For this City, in former Times, was served with White Soap in hard
Cakes, called Castile Soap, and other, from beyond Sea, and with Grey Soap,
speckled with White, from Bristol; sold here for a Penny a Pound, and never
above a Penny Farthing, and Black Soap for an Halfpenny the Pound.
In this Sopers lane the Pepperers anciently dwelt, wealthy Tradesmen, who dealt
in Spices and Drugs.
The Modern State of this Ward is thus described.
The principal Streets and Lanes in it, are Bow lane, new Queen street, Budge
row, Little St. Thomas Apostles, Pancras Iane, with a small Part of Watling
street, and Basing lane.
Watling street hath its greatest Part in Bread street Ward, what lies in this
Ward begins on the East Side of Red lion court, and so goeth to Budge row. This
Court is square and large, well built and inhabited ; having a Passage into
Basing lane. Cross keys court, a handsome Place, with a Free stone Pavement. St.
Mary Aldermary Church yard, a large Place, with an open Passage for Coach or
Cart into Bow lane ; being a Place very well inhabited by Merchants, and Persons
of good Repute. In this Church yard, at the End towards Bow lane, is seated St.
Mary Aldermary Church.
Basing lane hath but a small Part in this Ward.
Bow lane begins at Trinity lane, and falls into Cheapside, by St. Mary le Bow
Church. The Part of this Lane, in this Ward, begins about 50 Feet from
Cheapside, on both Sides the Way ; and 60 Feet beyond Basing lane; and then, on
the West Side, only to Trinity lane. This was anciently called Cordwainers
street, being well inhabited and built. In this Lane are these Courts
and Places of Name, viz. Half moon court, by some called Lugg yard, a Place
something open, but ordinary, it is likewise, by some, called Whalebone court,
from one that there used to boil Whalebone. Taylor' s court, a handsome open
Place. Robin hood court, indifferent long, and well built. New court, a handsome
genteel Place, with a Door next the Street, to shut up at Night. Goose alley,
but ordinary ; at the upper End of which is Twelve bell court, which is but
small and narrow. It hath a Passage thro' Compter's alley into Bow Church yard,
both Places of small Account. George alley, or yard, but narrow, hath a Passage
into New Queen street, through Weld court. Rose court but mean and ordinary.
New Queen street, built in the Place where Sopers lane was, and now made an open
Street, (before the great Fire very narrow) with very good houses, well
inhabited ; it fronts King street, which is Opposite to Guildhall, and in a
strait Line runneth down to the Thames, at the Three Cranes ; but the Part of
this Street, in this Ward, goeth no farther than St. Thomas Apostle's. In this
Street is Weld court, a handsome square Place, with well built and inhabited
houses : This Court hath a Passage into George yard, which falls into Bow lane.
Pancras lane comes out of New Queen street, and falls into Bucklersbury ; the
South Side is in this Ward, and the North in Cheap Ward. This Lane is but
ordinarily built and inhabited, except one large House, the Dwelling of a
Merchant, on the South Side ; and on the North, before the Fire of London, stood
two Churches, viz. St. Pancras's Soper lane, and St. Bennet's Sherehog.
Adjoining to St. Pancras's Church is a small Court, but no fixed Name is given
to it.
St. Sithe' s lane comes out of Pancras lane, and falls into Budge row, by St.
Anthony's Church, a Lane well built, and inhabited by Merchants.
Budge row takes its Rise from Watling street, and runs Eastward to Canon street
; from which it is severed by Wallbrook on the North, and Dowgate on the South.
The houses are good, and taken up by good Tradesmen, being so great a
Thoroughfare. In this Street is Dodsons court, a large Place, well built and
inhabited and hath a Passage into Cloak lane : On the South Side, is a Passage
into Tower royal street.
Tower royal street, but short, comes out of Budge row, and falls into St. Thomas
Apostle's. In this Street is a handsome small Court, which bears the Name of
that Street : Straw berry court but small. For what more relates to this Street,
see in Vintry Ward.
St. Thomas Apostle's, the Fore Street, or Great St. Thomas Apostle's ; so
called, to distinguish it from little St. Thomas Apostle's, or the Back side of
St. Thomas Apostle's; and both Streets run Westwards, eroding New Queen street,
and falling into Bow lane. But the Street of Great St. Thomas Apostle's is in
Vintry Ward.
In little St. Thomas are these Courts : Cross keys court, which is but small :
Key court, also small and ordinary : Eagle ourt, pretty open, and indifferent
well built and inhabited, with a Free stone Pavement.
There are placed at the several Stands in this Ward, that watch every Night, a
Constable, a Beadle, and twenty four Watchmen.
The Jurymen returned by the Wardmote Inquest, for this Ward, are to serve in the
several Courts in Guildhall in the Month of December.
This Ward hath an Alderman, and nine Common Council Men ; Constables eight,
Scavengers eight, Wardmote Inquest Men fourteen, and a Beadle.
It stands taxed to the Fifteenth in London at 52 l. 16 s. in the Exchequer at 52
l. 6 s.
The Alderman of this Ward is William Alexander, Esq. The Common Councilmen are,
Mr. William Reynold:, Deputy, Mr. George Hayter, Mr. John Lewis Paulhan, Mr.
William Blunt, Mr. George Hooker, Mr. Jofiab Colebrook, Mr. Richard Lodge, and
Mr. Richard Blunt .
The remarkable Things in this Ward are three Parish Churches : (1) St.
Anthony's, commonly called St. Antholinh, or AntliiCs , (2) St. Mary Aldermary's
; and (3) St. Mary le Bow : Of which more particularly in our Parochial Hiltory.
Here we may properly add Sir Christopher Wrens Observations on the Roman
Causeway discovered by him at the rebuilding of the Church of St. Mary le Bow :
" The parochial Church of St. Mary le Bow, in Cheapside, required to be rebuilt
after the great fire: The Building had been mean and low, with one Corner taken
out for a Tower ; but, upen restoring, that the new Church could be rendered
square. Upon opening the Ground, a Foundation was discerned firm enough for the
new intended Fabrick, which (on further Inspection, after digging down
sufficiently, and removing what Earth or Rubbish lay in the Way) appeared to be
the Walls, with the Windows also, and the Pavement of a Temple or Church, of
Roman Workmanship, intirely buried under the Level of the present Street.
Hereupon, he determined to erect his new Church over the old, and in order to
the necessary Regularity and Square of the new Design, restored the Corner ; but
then another Place was to be found for the Steeple : The Church stood about 40
Feet backwards from the high Street, and by purchasing the Ground of one private
house not yet rebuilt, he was enabled to bring the Steeple forward so as to
range with the Street houses in Cheapside. Here, to his Surprise, he sunk about
18 Feet deep through made Ground, and then imagined he was come to the natural
Soil, and hard Gravel; but upon full Examination, it appeared to be a Roman
Causeway of rough Stone, close and well rammed, with Roman Brick and Rubbish at
the Bottom, for a Foundation, and all firmly cemented. This Causeway was four
Feet thick [the Thickness of the via Appia ; according as Monf. Montfaucon
measured, it was about three Parisian Feet, or three Feet two Inches and a half
English.'] Underneath this Causeway lay the natural Clay, over which that Part
of the City stands, and which descends at least forty Feet lower. He concluded
then to lay the Foundation of the Tower upon the very Roman Causeway, as most
proper to bear what he had designed, a weighty and lofty Structure.
He was of Opinion, for divers Reasons, that this High way ran along the North
Boundary of the Colony. The Breadth then North and South, was from the Causeway,
now Cheapside, to the River Thames ; the Extent East and West, from Tower hill
to Ludgate ; and the principal middle Street, or Pretorian Way, was Watling
street.
The Colony was walled next the Thames, and had a Gate there, called Dowgate, but
anciently Dour gate, which Signified the Watergate. On the North Side, beyond
the Causeway, was a great Fen, or Morass, in those Times; which the Surveyor
discovered more particularly when he had Occasion to build a new East Front to
the parochial Church of St. Laurence new Guildhall ; for the Foundation of
which, after sinking seven Feet, he was obliged to pile twelve Feet deeper ; and
if there was no Causeway over the Bog, there could be no Reason for a Gate that
Way."
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