The antiquities of Canterbury. Or a survey of that ancient citie, with the suburbs, and cathedrall Containing principally matters of antiquity in them all. Collected chiefly from old manuscripts, lieger-bookes, and other like records, for the most part, never as yet printed. With an appendix here annexed: wherein (for better satisfaction to the learned) the manuscripts, and records of chiefest consequence, are faithfully exhibited. All (for the honour of that ancient metropolis, and his good affection to antiquities) sought out and published by the industry, and goodwill of William Somner.

Burgate Ward.

VVHerein I shall observe first the Market-crosse at the Bull-stake: and thereof let me give you the true antiquity from a rythmicall brazen memoriall fastened to one of the columnes, which is this.

Iohn Coppyn of Whitstabell in great devotion, And William Bigg of Canterbury in Christs Passion Did do make this Crosse, in Heaven God them solace, Mcccc and xlvj. in the yeare of Grace.

This Crosse (it seemes) was built to supply the decay of a former standing here. For in the story of Archbishop Stra••∣fords troubles recorded in the Antiquit. Brit. my Author maks mention of a writ of summons against the Archbishop set up at noone day, ad crucem excelsam extra portam Priora∣tus Cantuariensis s.

Now for the name of the place, the Bull-stake: which it tooke from the baiting and chasing of Buls there, by an an∣cient order and custome of the City, used by the City But∣chers, before their killing, not so much (if at all) for plea∣sure, as to make them mans meate, and fit to be eaten; which Buls flesh, without such baiting and chasing, is not held to be.

At this place (the Bullstake) is a mercate holden twice a weeke, viz. every Wednesday and Saturday throughout the yeare, plentifully serving the City and neighbouring parts with houshold provision of victuall of divers kinds, especially of poultry, and that ab antiquo: whence in a composition t betweene Christ-Church and Saint Augustines Monkes, made Anno 41. Ed. 3. that part of the street by it, i. betweene it and the now Lane called Angell-lane, is termed le Po••lettria, the Poultry (in quodam Messuagio cum

cellar' & shop, ad idem pertinen. dictorum Prioris & Conventus in parochia sancti Andreae Cant. in le Polettria scituat' inter Regalem stratam vers. North & alia tenementa ipsorum P. & C. vers. South, & quandam venellam vocat' Clementeslane vers. East, & quandam placeam communem vocat' le Bolstake versus West, as it is in the Composition).

Offa King of Mercia in the yeare 785. gave unto Eald∣berht his Minister, & his Sister Seledrith the Abbesse, vicum qui dicitur Curringtun in urbe quae dicitur Dorovernensi, in aqui∣lonali parte venalis loci. Where to finde this Market place I know not. But here (as in a place which I have purposely reserved, as most proper for it) let me show unto you what severall Markets and Market-places our City had of old. For, as we now see they are, and like as the Philosopher in his Politicks v in like case requires (where he saith, Fora haec separanda sunt pro faciliori commercio, ut alibi oves, alibi alia animalia, alibi carnes, alibi pa••is veneant, si modo civitas aut oppidum locorum commoditatem admit••at; aliter una & ea∣dem platea forum admittere poterit, &c.) So have our mer∣cates beene of old, kept apart, each commodity almost having a distinct place to be vented in. As (for example) first Poultry and other like privision here at the Bull-stake. Upwards, i. without Burgate in Saint Pauls Parish, was of ancient time a Wheat-market (De quodam tenemento apud Wheat-market, and De novis shoppis quae sunt apud Wheat-mar∣ket in parochia sancti Pauli, as in old Rentals of Christ-Church, mentioning their now houses, at and about the corner on your left-hand without Burgate. ) Come we backe againe, and at the Red-well, by the Palace backe∣gate, there was another market, commonly called and to this day remembred by the name of the Rush-market. In Saint Georges street, about the Augustine Fryers Gate, there was a Cloth-market kept (a touch where of I have given before in speaking of those Fryers) whence the Lane now called Iron-barre lane, was then called and described, venella quae ducit à Cloth-markes versus Burgate x. The same Lane (by the way) was sometime called Thorough-hall lane, whe∣ther

or no from a house in or by it of Christ-Church, called in their old Rentals, Aula Sancti Dunstani; I leave to con∣jecture. Below this Cloth-market, was, as it is still, the Flesh-market, or Flesh-shambles for Butchery ware. To the repaire whereof, and for paving the street thereaway, Al∣derman Bennet by his Will y Anno 1462. gave x^l. Thus occa∣sionally induced, let me observe that the City in those dayes lay generally unpaved, and so continued a good space of time afterwards. But in the 17. yeare of Ed. 4. by a particular act of Parliament made for that purpose, order was taken for the paving of the principall streets, as by a copy of the same act, which you may finde in my Appen∣dix Striptura 8^v• will more fully appeare.

Yet lower downe (to returne to our mercate-places) to wit in the High-street, besides S^t Mary Bredmans. Church, was wont in time past to be kept a Fish-market. In medio mercati ubi venduntur pisces Cant. juxta ecclesiam beatae Mariae Bredman, as I finde in the examination of a witnesse men∣tioning where certaine words of defamation were uttered by one that was sued for them, in Anno 1414^z. This Fish-market (it seemes) was of long continuance kept here. For in a deed of Christ-Church dated 1187. mention is made of a house, scituat' in parochia sanctae Mariae, quae voca∣tur ecclesia Piscariorum in Cant. passed over to the Church (in exchange for another) by the Nonnes of Saint Sexburgh in the Ile of Shepey. And before that, Odo the Prior of Christ-Church leased out Managium Lamberti Gargate juxta Fismannecherich, ubi ipse Lambertus manere solebat, scilicet partem illam quae est proxima ecclesiae, &c. as the demise runs. Now I conceive this to be the Church intended by those deeds. And so, as it is now, from the Bred-market by it, called Saint Mary Bredmans Church, it was more anciently called Saint Mary Fishmans Church. I proceed.

Upwards, a little without Newingate, at Oaten-hill, now the Cities place of execution, was that commodity of oats, sometime vented; as at the same place before, salt a was sold; whence it was called Salt-hill. It had a market-crosse

to it: for I reade of Crucem de Oat-hill. The place hath a crosse still, but it is ill marketting at it.

Not farre hence, to wit, by the Nunnery, at the meet∣ing of the foure weuts or wayes there, another market was kept, or the former continued thither, whence the field over against the Nunnery, Southward, now almost all over digged for chalk, is anciently called Market-field b. Here were, as not farre hence yet are, cattell bought and sold, especially (at this day) bullocks, oxen, and the like: whence (as I conceive) the market took it name at first of Rether∣cheape, which being a compound of two Saxon words Hry∣thera and Ceape, may be rendred in Latine, Forum armen∣torum, and in English, the Drove-market, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the Saxon signifying a drove of oxen, or such like big cattell. Whence in a Latine Charter of Cuthred King of Kent, made to Archbishop Wlfred, which I have seen in Christ-Church, Campus armentorum, is englished, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. For the anti∣quitie sake of this market, I cannot but take notice of the mention made of it in the second of King Ethelberts char∣ters to S. Augustines Abbey.

There was yet another market, and that of old was kept in Wincheape. A mercate haply for wines. For so the name imports. Cheap signifying a mercat: whence the name of Cheapside in London, Chepstow in Monmouthshire, and other like Market places: as Chapman, for a trader there. Our words also of Cheapening, Chopping (as chopping and changing) and of Shop, anciently written usually (in Law∣yers Latine) Choppa, as also of Lieu-cope (signifying a sale or bargain made upon the place) have thence all their deri∣vation: springing from the Saxon Radix, which is Ceap, signifying wares, or merchandise, and Cyppan, to buy. This market had it crosse too, and that standing within mans memory, upon the Green before the street built of stone, with a crosse-house about it, and was called Barnacle-Crosse. But there is neither market, nor market-crosse there now. 'Tis true there is hard by, a crosse; but (as that other at Oaten-hill) it spoils their marketting ever after

that once market thereat. And therefore let us hasten from it.

Notes

• Bull-stake:
• s

  Antiq. Brit. in ••la Stratford. pag. 2••4.
• t

  Lib. eccles. Cant.
• The Poultry.
• Mereats in the City and Sub∣••bs.
• v

  Aristot. 7. Po∣liticor. cap. 12.
• Wheat market.
• A deed or Charter of Lands given to Saint Au∣stins, by one Dum••voldus, in the yeare 760. makes menti∣on of a Mar∣ket-place by Quenegate, in these words. Villam 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quae jam ad quenega•• ••∣bis Dorov•• in so••o pos••. Rush-market. Cloth-market.
• x

  R••le v••s eccles Christi Cant. Thorough∣hall lane.
• y

  In Registro Domins Archid. Cant.
• Act of Parlia∣ment for pa∣ving the streets.
• Fish-market.
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ex R••gistro Consistor. Cant.
• Oaten-hill.
• a

  Rentale vet. ••cles. Christi 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• b

  Lib. S. Law∣rentii. & Ren∣tale Eccles. Ca••.
• Rethercheape.
• Wincheape.
• Cambden. Spelman.
• Barnacle-Crosse.