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Survey of London: Division of the City

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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, 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)
The stockes market the midst 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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83
The Citie deuided into partes.
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,
The Citie de
uided from North to South.
this citie was of olde time de
uided not by a large high way or streete, as from East 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 and without change maintained. This water was called (as I haue said) Walbrooke,
The course 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
with
G2
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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.

The Wards on the west side of Walbrooke are these.

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, 20 Jun. 2018, 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 June 20, 2018. http://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_division.htm.

APA citation

Stow, J., & fitz Stephen, W. 2018. Survey of London: Division of the City. In J. Jenstad (Ed), The Map of Early Modern London. Victoria: University of Victoria. Retrieved from http://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  - 2018
DA  - 2018/06/20
CY  - Victoria
PB  - University of Victoria
LA  - English
UR  - http://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_division.htm
UR  - http://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 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_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><nameLink>fitz</nameLink> 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="2018-06-20">20 Jun. 2018</date>, <ref target="http://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_division.htm">mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1598_division.htm</ref>.</bibl>

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