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Survey of London: Dowgate Ward

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Downgate warde.
DOwngate warde
Downgate warde.
beginneth at the southend of Walbrooke warde, ouer against the east corner of S. Iohns Church, vpon Walbrooke, and descen
deth on both the sides to Downgate, on the Thames, and is so called of that downe going or descending thereunto: and of this Downgate the warde taketh name. This warde turneth into Thames street westwarde, some ten houses on a side, to the course of Walbrooke but east in Thames streete, on both sides to Ebgate or old swan, and o
uer against Cbgate the land side hath many lanes turning, as shal be shewed, but first, to begin with the high streete called Dow
gate at the vpper end thereof, is a fayre Conduite of Thames wa
ter, castellated, and made in the yeare 1568, at charges of the Citizens, and is called the Conduit vpon Downgate.
Conduite v
pon Down
gate.
The descent of this streete, from the said Conduite to the watergate, called Downgate, is such that in the yere 1574. on the fourth of Sep
tember in the afternoon there fell a storme of raine, where through the channels suddenly arose, and ran with such a swift course to
wards the common Shores, that a lad of 18. yeres old
A lad of 18. yeares olde drowned in the chennell
minding to haue leapt ouer ye channel near vnto the said Conduite was taken with the stream, & carried from thence towards the Thames with such a violence that no man with staues, or otherwise could stay him, till he came against a cart wheele, that stoode in the saide water gate, before which time he was drowned, & starke dead. On the west side of this streete, is the Tallow Chandlers hall, a very proper house, which Companie was incorporated in the se
cond yeare of Edwarde the fourth. Somewhat lower standeth the Skinners hall, a very fayre house, also which was sometime called Copped hall
Copped hall now Skinners hall.
by Downgate in theparish of S, Iohn vppon Walbrooke. In the 19. yeare of Edwarde the second, Ralph Cobham possessed it with fiue shops, &c.
Then was there a Colledge of Priests called Ihesus Commons,
Ihesus Com
mons.
a house well furnished with brasse, pewter, napery plate, &c. be
sides a fayre Library well stored with bookes, all which of olde
time
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183
Downgate warde.
time was giuen to a number of Priestes, that should kéepe com
mons there, and as one left his place by death, or otherwise, an other should be admitted into his roome, but this order within this thirty yeares being discontinued, the saide house was dissol
ued, and turned to Tenementes.
Down lower haue ye Elbow lane,
Elbow lane.
and at the corner therof was one great stone house, called Olde hall, it is now taken downe, and diuers fayre houses of Timber placed there, this was sometime pertayning to VVilliam de pont le arch,
william de pont arch his house.
and by him giuen to the Priorie of S. Mary Ouery in Southwarke, in the raigne of Henry the first. In this Elbow lane is the Inholders hall,
Inholders hall.
and other fayre houses: this lane runneth west, and sudden
ly turneth south into Thames street, and therefore of that ben
ding is called Elbow lane. On the east side of this Downgate streete, is the great olde house, before spokn of, called the Erber,
The Erber S. Mary Both
haw.
neare to the Church of S. Mary Bothaw, Geffery Scroope held it, by the gift of Edward the third, in the fourteenth of his raigne, it belonged since to Iohn Neuell Lord of Raby, then to Richard Neuell Earle of Warwicke, Neuell, Earle of Salis
bery was lodged there, 1457. then it came to George Duke of Clarence, by the gift of Edwarde the fourth, in the fourteenth of his raigne, it was lately new builded by Sir Thomas Pullison Maior, and was afterwarde inhabited by Sir Frances Drake, that famous Warrier. Next to this great house, is a lane turning to Bush lane, (of olde time called Carter lane, of Carts, and Car men hauing stables there) and now called Chequer lane, or Chequer Alley, of an Inne called the Chequer.
In Thames streete, on the Thames side west from Downe
gate is Greenewitch lane
Greenewitch lane or Fryar lane.
of old time so called, and now Fryer lane of such a signe there set vp. In this lane is the Ioynars hall.
Ioynars hall
and other fayre houses. Then is Granthams lane so called of Iohn Grantham somtime Maior and owner thereof, whose house was very large and strong, builded of ston, as appeareth by gates arched yet remaining, Ralph Dodmer, first a Brewer, then a Mercer Maior 1529. dwelled there, and kept his Maioralty, in that house, it is now a Brewhouse, as it was afore.
Then is Dowgate whereof is spoken in an other place. East
from
N4
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184
Downegate warde.
from this Downgate, is Cosin lane,
Cosin lane.
named of one William Co
sin that dwelled there, in the fourth of Richarde the second, as diuers his Predicessors, Father, Grandfather, &c. had done before him. William Cosin dwelling there, was one of the She
riffes, in the yeare, 1306. the 34. of Edwarde the 1. That house standeth at the south end of the lane, hauing an olde and artificiall conuayance of Thames water into it, and is now a Dyehouse called Lambardes messuageMoEML is still seeking information regarding this entry. If you have information to contribute, please email the MoEML team.

Send information. Adioyning to that house, there was lately erected an engine, to conuey Thames water vnto Down
gate Conduite aforesaide.
A gin to con
uey Thames water to Dow gate Conduit.
Next to this lane on the East, is the Stele house, or Stele yarde
Steleyarde for Marchātes of Almaine.
(as they terme it) a place for Mar
chahtes of Almaine, that vsed to bring hether, as well Wheate, Rie, and other graines, as Cables, Ropes, Mastes, Pitch, Tar, Flax, Hempe, Wainscotes, Wax, Steele, and other profitable marchandires: vnto these Marchantes, in the yeare 1259. Henry the thirde, in the 44. of his raigne, at the request of his brother Richarde Earle of Cornwell, king of Almaine, granted that all and singular the marchantes, hauing a house in the Citie of Lon
don, commonlie called Guilda Aula Theutonicorum,
Gil hala Theutonicorū.
should be maintayned and vpholden through the whole Realm, by all such Freedomes, and free vsages, or Liberties, as by the king and his noble Progenitors time they had and inoyed, &c. Edwarde the first renewed and confirmed that Charter of Liberties, granted by his Father. And in the tenth yeare of the same Edward, Hen
ry Wales being Maior, a great contreuersie did arise betweene the saide Maior, and the marchantes of the Haunce of Almaine, a
bout the reparations of Bishopsgate then likely to fall, for that the saide marchantes enioyed, diuers Priuiledges, in respect of maintayning the saide gate, which they now denied to repaire: for the appeasing of which controuersie the king sent his writ to the Treasurer, and Barons of his Exchequer, commanding that they should make inquisition thereof, before whom the marchants being called, when they were not able to discharge themselues, sith they inioyed the liberties to them granted, for the same, a pre
cept was sent to the Maior, and Sheriffes, to distraine the saide marchantes, to make the reparasions, namely Gerard Marbod Alderman of the Hance, Ralph, de Cussarde a Citizen of Col
len,
Len
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185
Downegate warde.
Ludero de Deneuar, a Burges of Triuar, Iohn of Aras, a Burges of Triuon, Bartram of Hamburdge, Gadestalke of Hundondale, a Burges of Triuon, Iohn de Dele a Burges of Munstar, then remaining in the saide Citie of London: for them selues, and all other marchantes of the Haunce, and so they gran
ted 210. markes sterlinges, to the Maior and Citizens, and vn
dertooke that they and their successors should from time to time repayre the saide gate, and beare the thirde parte of the charges in money, and men to defend it when neede were, and for this agree
ment the saide Maior and Citizens granted to the saide marchants their liberties, which till of late they haue inioyed, as namely a
mongst other, that they might lay vp their grayne which they brought into this realme in Innes, & sell it in their garners, by the space of 40. daies after
Marchants of the Haunce of Almaine licē
sed to lay vp their corne in garners, but to sell it within 40. daies after.
they had laid it vp: except by the Mayor & citizens they were expresly forbidden, because of dearth or other reasonable occasions. Also they might haue their Alderman as they had béene accustomed, foreséene alwaies that hee were of the citie, and presented to the Mayor and Aldermen of the cittie so oft as any should bee chosen, and should take an othe before them to maintaine iustice in their courts, and to behaue themselues in their office according to law, and as it stoode with the customes of the citie. Thus much for their priuiledges: whereby it appeareth that they were great marchants of corne brought out of the east parts hether, in so much that the occupiers of husbandry in this lande were enforced to complaine of them for bringing in such aboun
dance, when the corne of this realme was at an easie price: where
vpon it was ordayned by parliament
Act of Parlia
ment for corn brought from beyond seat.
that no person shoulde bring into any part of this realme, by way of merchandise, any wheate, Rie, or Barlie, growing out of the said realme at any time, when then the quarter of wheat exceeded not the price of vj.s̃.viij.ď.Rie iiij.s̃.the quarter, & Barlie iij.s̃.the quarter, vpon forfeyture the one halfe to the king, the other halfe to the seasor thereof. These merchants of the Haunce had their Guildhall in Thames stréet in place aforesaid, by the saide Cosin lane. Their hall is large builded of stone with three arched gates towardes the stréet, the middle
most whereof is far bigger then the other, & is seldome opened, & the other two be mured vp, the same is now called the old hall.
Of later time to wit, in the 6. of Richard the 2. they hired one
house
N5
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186
Downegate Ward.
house next adioyning to their old hall, which sometime belonged to Richard Lions a famous Lapidary, one of the Sheriffes of Lon
don in the 49. of Edward the 3. & in the 4. of Richard the 2. by the rebels of Kent, drawne out of that house, and beheaded in West Cheape: this also was a great house with a large wharfe on the Thames, and the way thereunto was called Windgoose or Wild
goose lane,
Windgoose lane.
which is now called Windgoose alley, for that the same alley is for the most part builded on by the stilyard marchants.
The Abbot of S. Albons had a messuage heere with a Key gi
uen to him in the 34. of Henry the 6. Then is one other great house which sometime pertained to Iohn Reynwel Stockfishmon
ger Mayor, and it was by him giuen to the Mayor, and commu
naltie to the end that the profits thereof should be disposed in déedes of pietie: which house in the 15. of Edward the fourth, was confir
med vnto the said marchants in manner following vz.
Pattent.
It is orday
ned by our soueraigne Lord and his parliament, that the said mer
chantes of Almaine, being of the company called the Guildhall Teutonicorū, that now be or hereafter shal be, shal haue hold and enioy to them and their successors for euer, the said place called, the stele house, yéelding to the Mayor and communalty an annual rent of 70. pound, 3. shillings, foure pence, &c.
In the yeare 1551. and the fift of Edward the sixt through com
plaint of our English marchantes, the liberties of the stilyarde
Stilyard put downe.
marchants was seised into the kings hands, and so it resteth.
Then is church lane,
Church lane.
at the west end of Alhallows church cal
led Alhallowes the more
Parish church of Alhallowes the more.
in Thames stréet, for a difference from Alhallowes the lesse in the same stréete: it is also called Alhal
lowes ad foenum in the Ropery, because hay sold néere thereunto at hey wharse, and of ropes of olde time made or solde in the high street. This is a faire church with a large cloyster on the South side thereof about their churchyard, but foulely defaced & ruinated. The church also hath had many faire monuments, but now defa
ced: there remayneth in the quire some plates on graue stones on these persons, namely of William Lichfield, Doctor of Diuinity, who deceased the yeare 1447. he was a great student, and compi
led many books both morall and diuine, in prose and in verse, name
ly one intituled the complaint of God vnto sinfull man. He made in his time 3083. sermons, as appeared by his own hand writing,
and
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187
Downegate Ward.
and were founde when hee was dead. One other plate there is of Iohn Brickles Draper, who deceased in the yere 1451. he was a great benefactor to that church, and gaue by his testament cer
taine tenements, to the reliefe of the poore &c. At the East ende of this church goeth downe a lane, called hey wharfe lane,
Hey wharfe lane.
now late
ly a gret brewhouse was builded there by one Pot: Henry Campi
on Esquire, a Béere brower vsed it, & so doth Abraham his sonne now possesseth it. Then was there one other lane sometime cal
led Wolses gate,
Welsey lane.
now out of vse, for the lower part thereof vpon the bank of Thames is builded vpon by the late Earle of Shrews
bury, and the other end is builded on and stopped vp by the Cham
barlaine of London. Iohn Butler Draper one of the Sheriffes in the yeare 1420. dwelled there: he appointed his house to be sold and the price therof to be giuen to the poore, it was of Alhallowes parish the lesse. Then is there the said parish church of Alhallows
Parish church of Alhallowes the lesse.
called the lesse, and by some Alhallowes on the sellers, for it stan
deth on vaults: it is said to be builded by Sir Iohn Poultney some
times Mayor, the stéeple and quire of this Church standeth on an arched gate, being the entry to a great house called Colde Har
brough:
Cold Har
brough.
the quire of late being fallen down, is now again at length in the yere 1594. by the parishioners new builded. Touching this Cold Harbrough, I find that in the 13. of Edward the 2. Sir Iohn Abel knight, demised or let vnto Henry Stow Draper all that his capitall messuage called the Colde Harbrough in the parish of Al
saints ad foenum, and all the purtenances within the gate, with the key which Robert Hartford citizen, sonne to William Hart
ford had, and ought, and the foresaid Robert paid for it the rent of 33.s̃. the yeare. This Robert Hartford being owner thereof, as also of other landes in Surrey, deceasing without issue male, left two daughters his coheires, to wit, Idonia, married to Rir 1 Raph Bigot, and Maude maried to Sir Stephen Cosenton knightes, betwéene whom the said house and lands were parted. After the which Iohn Bigot sonne to the said Sir Raph, and Sir Iohn Co
senton didsel their moities of Cold Harbrough vnto Iohn Poult
ney son of Adam Poultney the 8. of Edward the thirde. This Sir Iohn Poultney dwelling in this house, and being foure times Mayor, the said house tooke the name of Poultneyes Inne. Not
withstanding this Sir Iohn Poultney the 21. of Edward the 3.
by
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188
Downegate Warde.
by his charter gaue and confirmed to Humfrey de Bohume earle of Hereford and Essex, his whole tenement called Colde Har
brough, with all the tenements and key adioyning, & apurtenances sometime pertayning to Robert de Hereford, on the way called Hey wharfe lane &c. for one Rose at Midsomer, to him and to his heires for all seruices, if the same were demanded. This Sir Iohn Poultneydeceased 1349. and left issue by Margaret his wife, William Poultney, who died without issue, and Margaret his mother was maried to Sir Nicholas Louell knight &c. Phillip. S. Cleare gaue two messuages pertaining to this Cold Harbrough, in the Ropery, towards the inlarging of the parish church, and churchyard, of All saynts, called the lesse in the 20. of Richard the 2. In the yeare 1397. the 21. of Richard the 2. Iohn Hol
land Earle of Huntington was lodged there, and Richard the 2. his brother dined with him, but in the next yere following I find ye Edmond Earle of Cambridge had this house & was there lodged in the yeare 1398. notwithstanding the said house stil retained the name of Poultneyes Inne, in the raigne of Henry the 6. the 26. of his raigne, and not otherwise. It belonged fithence to H. Hol
land Duke of Excester, and hee was lodged there in the yeare 1472. In the yeare 1485. Richard the third by his letters Pat
tents granted and gaue to Iohn Writh, alias Garter, principall king of Armes of English men, and to the rest of the kinges Her
ralds and Pursiuantes of armes, all that messuage with the apur
tenances, called Cold Erber in the parish of All saints, the little in London, and to their successors for euer. Dated at Westminster the 2. of March, anno regni primo without fine or fée: how ye said Herralds departed therewith I haue not read, but in the raigne of H the eight. Cuthbert Tunstal Bishop of Durham, was lodged there, since the which time it hath belonged to the earls of Shrews
bury, by composition (as is supposed) from the saide Cuthbert Tunstall. The last deceased Earle tooke it down, & in place thereof builded a great number of smal tenements now letten out for great rents, to people of all sorts. Then is the Dyers Hall
The Diers hall.
made a bro
therhood or Euild in the fourth of Henry the sixt and appointed to consist of a gardian or warden and a communalty the 12. of Ed
ward the 4. Then be there diuers large Brewhowses, and others till ye come to Ebgate lane, where that ward endeth in the East,
On
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189
Vintrie Warde.
On the North side of Thames street be diuers lanes also, the first is at the south ende of Elbow lane, before spoken of, West from Downegate, ouer against Gréenwich lane: then bee diuers faire houses for merchants and others all along that side. The next lane east from Downegate is called Bush lane,
Bush lane.
which turneth vp to Candlewicke stréete, and is of Downegate warde. Next is Suf
folke lane,
Suffolke lane.
likewise turning vp to Candlewicke street, in this lane is one notable Grammer schoole, founded in the yeare 1561. by the maister, wardens and assistants of the Merchantaylors,
Marchantay
lors schoole.
in the parish of Saint Laurence Poultney. Richard Hilles somtime maister of that company, hauing before giuen 500. pound towards the purchase of an house, called the Mannor of the Rose,
The mannar of the Rose.
sometime belonging to the Duke of Buckingham, wherin the said schoole is kept. Then is there one other lane which turneth vp to S. Lau
rence hill, and to the southwest corner of S. Laurence
S. Laurence lane.
churchyard: then one other lane called Poultney lane,
Poultney lane.
that goeth vp (of this warde) to the southeast corner of S. Laurence churchyard, and so downe again, and to the west corner of S. Martin Orgar lane, and ouer against Ebgate lane, and this is all of Downegate ward, the thirtéenth in number lying East, from the water course of Wal
brook, and hath not any one house of the west side of the said brook. It hath an Alderman, his Deputie, Common Counsellors nyne, Constables 8. Scauengers 5. for the Wardemote inquest 14. and Bedle, it is taxed to the fiftéene in London at 36. pound, and in the Exchequer at 34.£.10 s̃.

Notes

  1. I.e. Sir (SM)↑

Cite this page

MLA citation

Stow, John, and William fitz Stephen. Survey of London: Dowgate Ward. The Map of Early Modern London, edited by Janelle Jenstad, U of Victoria, 20 Jun. 2018, mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.htm.

Chicago citation

Stow, John, and William fitz Stephen. Survey of London: Dowgate Ward. The Map of Early Modern London. Ed. Janelle Jenstad. Victoria: University of Victoria. Accessed June 20, 2018. http://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.htm.

APA citation

Stow, J., & fitz Stephen, W. 2018. Survey of London: Dowgate Ward. In J. Jenstad (Ed), The Map of Early Modern London. Victoria: University of Victoria. Retrieved from http://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.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: Dowgate Ward
T2  - The Map of Early Modern London
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/06/20
CY  - Victoria
PB  - University of Victoria
LA  - English
UR  - http://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.htm
UR  - http://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/xml/standalone/stow_1598_DOWN1.xml
ER  -

RefWorks

RT Web Page
SR Electronic(1)
A1 Stow, John
A1 fitz Stephen, William
A6 Jenstad, Janelle
T1 Survey of London: Dowgate Ward
T2 The Map of Early Modern London
WP 2018
FD 2018/06/20
RD 2018/06/20
PP Victoria
PB University of Victoria
LA English
OL English
LK http://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.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><nameLink>fitz</nameLink> Stephen</surname></name></author>. <title level="a">Survey of London: Dowgate Ward</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="2018-06-20">20 Jun. 2018</date>, <ref target="http://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.htm">mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_DOWN1.htm</ref>.</bibl>

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