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Candlewick Street

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Candlewick, Candlewright, or, later, Cannon Street,ran east-west from Walbrook Street in the west to the beginning of Eastcheap at its eastern terminus (Harben, Cannon Street). Candlewick Street became Eastcheap somewhere around St. Clements Lane, and led into a great meat market (Stow 1:217). Together with streets such as Budge Row, Watling Street, and Tower Street, which all joined into each other, Candlewick Street formed the main east-west road through London between Ludgate and Posterngate.
The name of the street is believed to originate from candle makers who practiced their trade there. This supposition is confirmed by Stow, who writes that it tooke that name (as may bee supposed) either of Chandlers, or makers of Candles, both of waxe and tallow: for Candlewright is a maker of Candles, or of Weeke, which is the cotton or yarne used to worke them (Stow 1:218). A note in the margin of Stow’s Survey explains that a wike is a working place (Stow 1:218).
Stow also mentions that the street was home to many drapers, who relocated to Candlewick Street from Lombard Street and Cornhill (Stow 1:81). He also states that the street was once home to weavers: There dwelled also of old time divers Weavers of woollen clothes, brought in by Edward the third. Gap in transcription. Reason: Editorial omission for reasons of length or relevance. Use only in quotations in born-digital documents. (KL)[…] These Weavers of Candlewright street being in short time worne out, their place is now possessed by rich Drapers, sellers of woollen cloth, &c (Stow 1:218). Isabella Whitney confirms the trade of fabrics in Candlewick Street in The Will and Testament of Isabella Whitney: Watling Street, and Canwick Street,/ I full of woolen leave (77–78).
Other items of interest in Candlewick Street were London Stone, located on the south side of the street, St. Swithins church, on the north side at the corner of Candlewick Street and St. Swithins Lane, and a grammar school. This school was called the Manor of the Rose, or alternatively, Duke of Buckingham’s, and was founded by the Merchant Taylors’ Company in 1561 (Stow 1:74).

References

Cite this page

MLA citation

Campbell, James. Candlewick Street. The Map of Early Modern London, Edition 7.0, edited by Janelle Jenstad, U of Victoria, 05 May 2022, mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/7.0/CAND1.htm.

Chicago citation

Campbell, James. Candlewick Street. The Map of Early Modern London, Edition 7.0. Ed. Janelle Jenstad. Victoria: University of Victoria. Accessed May 05, 2022. mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/7.0/CAND1.htm.

APA citation

Campbell, J. 2022. Candlewick Street. In J. Jenstad (Ed), The Map of Early Modern London (Edition 7.0). Victoria: University of Victoria. Retrieved from https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/editions/7.0/CAND1.htm.

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  - Campbell, James
ED  - Jenstad, Janelle
T1  - Candlewick Street
T2  - The Map of Early Modern London
ET  - 7.0
PY  - 2022
DA  - 2022/05/05
CY  - Victoria
PB  - University of Victoria
LA  - English
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/7.0/CAND1.htm
UR  - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/7.0/xml/standalone/CAND1.xml
ER  -

TEI citation

<bibl type="mla"><author><name ref="#CAMP1"><surname>Campbell</surname>, <forename>James</forename></name></author>. <title level="a">Candlewick Street</title>. <title level="m">The Map of Early Modern London</title>, Edition <edition>7.0</edition>, edited by <editor><name ref="#JENS1"><forename>Janelle</forename> <surname>Jenstad</surname></name></editor>, <publisher>U of Victoria</publisher>, <date when="2022-05-05">05 May 2022</date>, <ref target="https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/7.0/CAND1.htm">mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/7.0/CAND1.htm</ref>.</bibl>

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