Chapter 1

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MEMORIALS OF THE COUNTIES OF ENGLAND

General Editor:

REV. P. H. DITCHFIELD, M.A., F.S.A., F.R.S.L., F.R.Hist.S.

MEMORIALS OF OLD LONDON

VOLUME I.

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MEMORIALS OF OLD LONDON

EDITED BY P. H. DITCHFIELD, M.A., F.S.A. FELLOW OF THE ROYAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY

AUTHOR OF _The City Companies of London and their Good Works_ _The Story of our Towns_ _The Cathedral Churches of Great Britain_ _&c. &c._

IN TWO VOLUMES

VOL. I.

WITH MANY ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON BEMROSE & SONS LIMITED, 4 SNOW HILL, E.C. AND DERBY 1908

[_All Rights Reserved_]

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TO THE RIGHT HON. SIR JOHN CHARLES BELL, BART. LORD MAYOR OF LONDON THESE MEMORIALS OF THE ANCIENT CITY OVER WHICH HE RULES ARE DEDICATED, WITH HIS LORDSHIP'S KIND PERMISSION, BY THE EDITOR

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PREFACE

In the year of grace one thousand nine hundred and nine the citizens of London are celebrating their Pageant, a mighty spectacle representing some of the stately scenes of splendour and magnificence which London streets have witnessed from the days of Alfred to the nineteenth century. It is perhaps fortunate that these volumes of the MEMORIALS OF OLD LONDON should appear when the minds of the people of England are concerned with this wonderful panorama of the past history of the chief city of the Empire. The Pageant will be all very beautiful, very grand, instructive and edifying, and profoundly interesting; but, after all, London needs no Pageant to set forth its attractions, historical and spectacular. London is in itself a Pageant. The street names, the buildings, cathedral, churches, prisons, theatres, the river with its bridges, and countless other objects, all summon up the memories of the past, and form a Pageant that is altogether satisfying. Many books have been written on the greatest city of England's Empire--some learned and ponderous tomes, others mere guide books; some devoted to special buildings and foundations, others to the life, manners, and customs of the citizens. This work differs from other books in that each chapter is written by an expert who has made a special study of the subject, and is therefore authoritative, and contains all the information which recent investigations have brought to light. It is not exhaustive. London contains so much that is of profound interest, that many additional volumes would be needed in order to describe all its treasures. The city of Westminster, the suburbs and the West End, have for the most part been excluded from the plan of this work, and possibly may be treated of in a subsequent volume. The domain of the city of London, not of the London County Council, provides the chief subjects of these volumes, though occasionally our writers have strayed beyond the city boundaries.

We have endeavoured to give sketches of London, its appearance, its life and manners, at various stages of its history. We have tried to describe its historic buildings, its fortress, its churches, the Exchange, and other houses noted in its annals. Monastic London is represented by the Charterhouse. Legal London finds expression in the histories of the Temple and the Inns of Court. Royal London is described by the story of its Palaces; and the old city life of the famous merchants and traders, artizans and 'prentices, is shown in our glimpses of Mediæval London, the histories of the Guildhall, the City Companies, the Hanseatic League, Elizabethan London, and in other chapters. Old inns, coffee-houses, clubs, learned societies, and literary shrines present other phases of the life of the old city which are not without their attractions, and help to complete the picture which we have tried to paint.

All the chapters have been specially written for this work, and my most grateful thanks are due to each of the contributors for their valuable papers, as well as to those who have supplied photographs, old prints, or drawings. I desire especially to thank Mr. Philip Norman for his coloured sketches which form the pleasing frontispieces of the two volumes; to Mr. Harold Sands for his skilfully constructed plan of the Tower of London; and to Mr. Tavenor-Perry for his valuable drawings of St. Bartholomew's Church, Smithfield, and the bridges that span the Thames.

P. H. DITCHFIELD. _Barkham Rectory, Berks., August, 1908._

CONTENTS OF VOL. I.

Page London in Early Times--Celtic, Roman, Saxon, and Norman By Rev. W. J. Loftie, B.A., F.S.A. 1

The Tower of London By Harold Sands, F.S.A. 27

St. Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield By J. Tavenor-Perry 66

The London Charterhouse By Rev. A. G. B. Atkinson, M.A. 86

Glimpses of Mediæval London By George Clinch, F.G.S., and the Editor 106

The Temple By Rev. H. G. Woods, D.D. (Master) 133

Holborn and the Inns of Court and Chancery By E. Williams 149

The Guildhall By C. Welch, F.S.A. 178

The City Companies of London By the Editor 191

London and the Hanseatic League By J. Tavenor-Perry 224

The Arms of the City and See of London By J. Tavenor-Perry 233

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN VOL. I.

Old Bell Inn, Holborn, 1897 _Frontispiece_ (_From the painting by Philip Norman, LL.D._)

Page, or Facing Page

Roof Tile (Roman) 3

Red-Glazed Pottery (Roman) 5

Roman Sandals 9

Bronze Pin, with Christian Emblems (Roman) 15

The Gates of the City: Aldersgate and Bridgegate (_From old prints_) 10 Bishopsgate and Cripplegate " 20 Ludgate and Newgate " 24 Moorgate and Aldgate " 26

Gold and Enamel Brooch (Ninth Century) 18 (_From the Catalogue of W. Roach Smith_)

The Tower of London (_From an engraving by Hollar, 1647_) 28

Plan of the Tower of London about 1597 (_Drawn by the Author_) 32

St. John's Chapel, Tower of London 42 (_From a photo. by F. Frith & Co., Ltd._)

The Tower of London (_From a photo. by G. W. Wilson & Co._) 58

St. Bartholomew's, Smithfield: Norman Capital, discovered in 1863 69 Priory Gate and Church Tower in 1863 70 Transitional Capital, discovered in 1863 71 East Bay of South Aisle of Nave 73 Screen of Roger de Walden's Chantry and Rahere's Monument 75 Prior Bolton's Window 77 Eastern Ambulatory and Purgatory before Restoration 79 Interior of Church in 1863 (_Drawn by J. Tavenor-Perry_) 82

The Charterhouse Hospital (_From a print by Toms_) 86

Old Porch, Charterhouse 96 (_From a drawing by J. P. Neale [1813], engraved by Owen_)

Charterhouse Hall (_From a photo. by Stuart_) 100

Old London Bridge: Showing its Wooden Houses with Projecting Stories (_From an old print_) 108

Old Wooden Houses at Cripplegate (recently demolished) 110 (_From a photo. by the Author_)

Alley near the Cloth Fair, Smithfield (_From a photo by the Author_) 112

The Cloth Fair, Smithfield: Looking to the south-west, and showing the south side of the street 114 (_From a photo. by the Author_)

The Cloth Fair, Smithfield: The north-east end of the street 116 (_From a photo. by the Author_)

The Cloth Fair, Smithfield: Looking to the south-west, and showing the north side of the street 118 (_From a photo. by the Author_)

Old Wooden Houses, near the Temple Gate, Fleet Street 120 (_From a photo. by the Author_)

South View of Old St. Paul's when the Spire was standing 122 (_From an old print_)

The Temple Church: Exterior View 134 (_From a photo. by F. Frith & Co., Ltd._)

Doorway of the Temple Church (_From an old print_) 136

The Interior of the Temple Church before it was Restored 144 (_From an old print_)

Lincoln's Inn Gate, Chancery Lane 170 (_From an old print published in 1800_)

Middle Temple Hall (_From a photo. by Mansell & Co._) 172

Lincoln's Inn Hall: The Lord Chancellor's Court 176 (_From a drawing by T. H. Shepherd_)

The Guildhall (_From a drawing by A. R. Quinton_) 178

Gray's Inn Hall and Chapel (_From an old print_) 182

The Guildhall (_From an engraving by R. Acom, 1828_) 184

Inner Temple Hall (_From a photo. by F. Frith & Co., Ltd._) 186

The Old Guildhall (_From an engraving by Hollar_) 188

Staples Inn Hall (_From a drawing by T. H. Shepherd in 1830_) 192

Model of Barge formerly used by the Clothworkers' Company in Civic Procession 192

Furnival's Inn (_From an old print published in 1804_) 196

The Chair of the Master of the Salters' Company 198

Bell (cast 1463) from All Hallows', Staining, belonging to the Grocers' Company 200

The Hall of the Mercers' Company: Entrance Colonnade and Site of Ancient Cloister (_From a drawing by A. R. Quinton_) 218

Merchant Taylors' Company--the Kitchen Crypt 220

Samuel Pepys's Loving Cup 222

Coat of Arms of Hansa Merchant in London 226 (_From a drawing by Mr. J. Tavenor-Perry_)

A Flemish Gray-Beard from the Steel-yard of London 231

Sir William Walworth's Dagger (Fishmongers' Hall) 235

Seal of Ralph de Stratford, Bishop of London 236

The City Seal in MDCLXX 238

The City Arms, as portrayed by Wallis, in the Reign of Charles II. 239

LONDON IN EARLY TIMES

BY W. J. LOFTIE, B.A., F.S.A.

I.--CELTIC LONDON

When we see the words "Celtic London" at the head of a chapter we naturally feel inclined to ask, "Was there such a place? Was there any Celtic London?" Although it is almost impossible to answer such a question by either "yes" or "no," it may be worth while to examine it briefly before passing on to the domains of authentic history.

In the first place, there must have been some gathering of huts or houses, some aggregation of residences, to which a name could be applied, and it must have been important enough to retain its name after the Romans came--nay, to retain it even in spite of an attempt on their part to change it.

But though we must accept the existence of a London in the old obscure period when something very like modern Welsh was the language of the south-eastern part of Britain, and though we know that London was situated on a river which also had a Welsh name, we do not know directly on which side of that river it stood, and have nothing for it but to apply to the problem what a great authority has described as an historical imagination, and try if we can find a sufficient number of geographical or topographical facts to reduce the problematic side of the questions involved; and so to leave certain points, certain pedestals, so to speak, of firm ground on which we may place the foundations of the greatest city the world has seen.

Our first facts are meagre enough. We have three words; no more. They are Lon, don, and Thames. We are like the Oriental lady in the legend of St. Thomas of Canterbury. She knew but two words of English--Gilbert and London. We know three words, and, keeping them in our minds, wander down the Thames till we find the place to which we can fit the other two words. But, first, we must make an attempt to translate them into modern English. The Welsh _Lynn_ is pronounced _lunn_. _Dun_, or _down_, has passed into English. _Thame_, or _thames_, occurs in many parts of England, everywhere denoting the same thing, and, according to most authorities, being practically the same as the English word _tame_. The name of the Tamar will occur to the mind as well as Thame. In the case of the Thames, the name may very well have come over from the Continent with the early traders--the Angles, for instance, or the Danes--and have thus passed into British use. A great authority, Mr. Bradley, is said to have mentioned that Lynn in London may be a personal name. The ordinary interpretation is so simple that it seems hardly worth while--unphilosophical, in fact--to search for another. Lynn, pronounced Lunn, is a lake. Dun is a down or hill. London, as the first syllable may be taken adjectively, will mean the Lake Hill. Where, then, is the hill which stands by a lake?

If we consult a map which includes the lower Thames, and has the levels clearly marked or contoured, and follow the coast line from, say, Kew Bridge, we come to no higher ground for more than six miles, the surface varying from one foot above the ordnance datum of high water to seven. Hills are visible in the background, but none at the water's edge, until we reach that on which St. Paul's stands. Mylne gives it as forty-five feet high, and that on which, close by, the Royal Exchange stands he marks as forty-eight. If we could denude this region of its myriad houses, we should see a plain extending back to the higher ground from the site of the Temple Gardens--that is, to Clerkenwell. Ludgate, rising nearly fifty feet in a steep slope from the river's edge, would appear something great in such a landscape, backed, as it would have been, to the eastward by a still higher down, with the narrow stream of Walbrook rushing to the Thames, between them. No other height would stand so near the water's edge, or would be visible within a couple of miles, on this left bank of the river. So much for our "down." But where is our "lynn"?

If we could see Southwark and the region immediately to the south of it similarly denuded, we should find that, across the Thames from the double down, an archipelago of islets extends from what is now Bermondsey westward to Lambeth. The dry ground would be seen dotted here and there, while every tide, every flood, every increase of water from the upper Thames, would make the whole region into a morass. The main stream of the great river, coming eastward round a bend from Westminster, would deepen its channel under the down, leaving the opposite islets in shallow water, and spreading, according to the first author by whom the place is mentioned, "at every tide would form a lake."

Here, then, Dion Cassius, writing in the second century, describes for us the site of Southwark. He furnishes us with what we want--the "lynn" for our "down," the Lon for the Don. We do not know for certain whether this Celtic London was on the double hill or among the islets opposite--whether, that is, the town was on the lynn or on the dun. There is, however, a certain amount of evidence that it was on the lynn. A British road seems to have been already in existence--the road which led from Dover toward Chester. Where did it cross the Thames? If we could make sure of the answer, our three facts would become four. There was no bridge in this Celtic period to carry the road across the Thames. At the same time, we know that a crossing was made; and, if we judge by the course and direction of the road, it must have been at or very near what is now called Westminster. Here the shoal-water, as sailors say, was on both sides of the river. The islets, many of them covered at every high tide, existed where a landing was called by later settlers the Lambhithe. Other landing-places are denoted by such names as Stanegate, Toothill, Merefleet, Pollen Stock, Thorney, Jakeslea and others, all Saxon, which tell us of the condition of both banks of the Thames at a very remote period. From this we may safely argue--first, that the amount of water coming down being approximately the same, it had a much wider district to cover; and, secondly, that it was much more shallow. These names also show that, in crossing, the road from Dover had in Saxon times certain landmarks to follow, while the use of the word Toot, our word "tout," shows that guides existed, who could be called upon to help travellers across. All these items are more or less obscurely mentioned by Dion Cassius, and show that wheresoever Celtic London stood, whether on the left or the right bank, Aulus Plautius chose the easternmost of the double hills for his bridge head; and when the wall was built, a couple of centuries later, it took in the western hill as well, while the bridge rendered the ford at Westminster useless, and the Watling Street was diverted at the Marble Arch along Oxford Street, instead of running straight down Park Lane to the ford at Westminster.

As for facts in the history of Celtic London, we have none. The late General Pitt Rivers recorded the discovery of piles, of origin possibly before the Roman period, in the street called London Wall, and also in Southwark, some nine feet below the present surface. A few articles of Roman make were found mixed with a few bone implements of a ruder type. This, the only authentic discovery of the kind, does not prove more than that some of the Britons lived among the Romans, and the date is quite uncertain. As to their dwellings before the Romans came, we have remains in various places from which we can but gather that, though some ancient race in these islands built up such rude but vast temples as Stonehenge, the dwellings of the people who lived by the Walbrook, or in Southwark, were mere wigwams. A hollow was dug in the ground, and where stones were plentiful, which cannot have been the case on the site of Lynn Dun, a few were used in the flooring. Over the hollow the house was raised--a bank of earth, perhaps roofed with boughs and trunks, and with some means of making a wood fire. Rings of brass and scraps of pottery are often found in the hollows, but of such discoveries in London the records are silent.

II.--ROMAN LONDON

With the coming of the Romans, we might expect to find ourselves on firmer ground than in our vain endeavours to learn something about the early Britons in London. But if we date the Latin discovery of Britain with the coming of Julius Cæsar to the southern coast of our island in 55 B.C., it is evident that before the expedition, which was eventually commanded by Aulus Plautius in A.D. 43, nearly a century elapsed, and that during all that time there is no mention at all of London. To use Dr. Guest's cautious words: "The notion entertained by some antiquaries that a British town preceded the Roman camp has no foundation to rest upon." In the chapter on Celtic London I have endeavoured to show that the British town, if there was one, stood, as Ptolemy asserts, on the Cantian side of the river. The Romans seldom or hardly ever chose a Celtic site for a new building, but, to quote Guest again, "generally built their _castellum_ two or three miles from the British _oppidum_." On this principle, the new building of Aulus would be either a couple of miles from the Celtic town, or separated from it at least by the width of the Thames. If we suppose, as is more than probable, that Lynn Dun was in Southwark, and that some settlement was also among the shallows and islets crossed by the Dover Road and named by the Anglo-Saxons the Watling Street, the Roman general, by building London Bridge and by making a strong fort on the hill at the northern end of it, laid the foundation of Roman London.