Fisher’s Folly
Fisher’s Folly was a large house on the east side of
Bishopsgate Street, within the boundary of
Bishopsgate Ward and a few houses away from the
Dolphin Inn. Fisher’s Folly
is not marked on the Agas map. By 1620,
the house was occupied by the Earls of Devonshire and was renamed
Devonshire House(Harben 196).
Stow describes this house in lavish terms, calling it a
large and beautifull house with Gardens of pleasure, bowling Alleysand
sumptuously builded(Stow). He also adds that Jasper Fisher spent all his money building the house and owed money to many people. Fisher’s extravagance led to locals mockingly referring to the house as Fisher’s Folly.
References
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Citation
Harben, Henry A. A Dictionary of London. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1918.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Citation
Stow, John. A Survey of London. Reprinted from the Text of 1603. Ed. Charles Lethbridge Kingsford. 2 vols. Oxford: Clarendon, 1908. Remediated by British History Online. [Kingsford edition, courtesy of The Centre for Metropolitan History. Articles written 2011 or later cite from this searchable transcription.]This item is cited in the following documents:
