The survey of London containing the original, increase, modern estate and government of that city, methodically set down : with a memorial of those famouser acts of charity, which for publick and pious vses have been bestowed by many worshipfull citizens and benefactors : as also all the ancient and modern monuments erected in the churches, not only of those two famous cities, London and Westminster, but (now newly added) four miles compass / begun first by the pains and industry of John Stow, in the year 1598 ; afterwards inlarged by the care and diligence of A.M. in the year 1618 ; and now compleatly finished by the study & labour of A.M., H.D. and others, this present year 1633 ; whereunto, besides many additions (as appears by the contents) are annexed divers alphabetical tables, especially two, the first, an index of things, the second, a concordance of names.

BELINSGATE VVARD.

BElinsgate Ward be∣ginneth at the West end of Tow∣er-street Ward in Thames street,* 1.1 a∣bout Smarts Key, & runneth downe along that street, on the South side, to Saint Magnus Church at the Bridge foot, and on the North side of the said Thames street, from over against Smarts Key, till over against the North-west corner of Saint Magnus Church aforesaid.

On this North side of Thames street is S. Mary Hill lane, up to Saint Marga∣rets Church, and then part of S. Mar∣garet Pattens street, at the end of Saint Mary Hill Lane. Next out of Thames street is Lucas lane, and then Buttolph lane, and at the North end thereof Phil∣pot lane: Then is there Rother lane, of old time so called, and thwart the same lane is Little Eastcheape: And these bee the bounds of Belinsgate Ward.

Touching the principall Ornaments within this Ward: On the South side of Thames street, beginning at the East end thereof,* 1.2 there is first the said Smarts Key, so called, of one Smart, sometime owner thereof.

The next is Belinsgate,* 1.3 whereof the whole Ward taketh name, the which (leaving out of the fable thereof, fai∣ning it to be builded by King Belinus, a Britaine, long before the incarnation of Christ) is at this present a large Water∣gate, Port or Harborough for Ships and Boats, commonly arriving there with Fish, both fresh and salt, Shell-fishes, Salt, Oranges, Onions, and other Fruits and Roots; Wheat, Rie, and Graine of divers sorts for service of the Citie, and the parts of this Realme adjoyning.

This Gate is now more frequented than of old time, when the Queenes Hith was used, as being appointed by the Kings of this Realme, to be the speciall or onely Port for taking up of all such kind of Merchandises, brought to this Citie by strangers and Forrainers; be∣cause the Draw-bridge of timber at London Bridge, was then to bee raised, and drawne up for passage of Ships with tops thither.

Touching the ancient customes of Belinsgate;* 1.4 in the Reigne of Edward the third, every great Ship landing there, paid for standage, two pence; every lit∣tle Ship with Orelockes, a penny; the lesser Boat, called a Battle, a halfe-pen∣ny. Of two quarters of Corne measured, the King was to have one farthing; of a Combe of Corne, a penny; of every weight going out of the Citie, a halfe-penny; of two quarters of Sea-coales measured, a farthing; and of every Tun of Ale going out of England beyond the Seas, by the Merchants stranger, 4. pence; of every thousand Herring, a farthing, except the Franchises, &c.

Next to this is Sommers Key,* 1.5 which likewise tooke that name of one Sommer dwelling there,* 1.6 as did Lion Key of one Lion, owner thereof, and since of the signe of the Lion.

Then is there a faire Wharfe or Key,* 1.7 called Buttolphs-gate, by that name so called in the time of William the Con∣querour, and of Edward the Confessor, as I have shewed already in the descri∣ption of the Gates.

Next is the Parish Church of Saint Buttolph,* 1.8 a proper Church, and hath had many faire Monuments therein, now defaced and gone: notwithstanding, I finde by testimonies abroad, that these were buried there, to wit:

Roger Cogger, 1348.

Andrew Pikeman, and Ioane his wife, 1391.

Nicholas Iames, Ironmonger, one of the Sheriffes, 1423.

William Rainwell, Fishmonger, and Iohn Rainwell his sonne, Fishmonger, Maior, 1426. and deceasing, 1445. bu∣ried there, with this Epitaph:

Citizens of London,* 1.9 call you to remembrance The famous Iohn Rainwell, sometime your Maior, Of the Staple of Callis, so was his chance. Here lyeth now his corps, his soule bright and faire, Is taken to heavens blisse, thereof is no despaire. His acts beare witnesse, by matters of accord, How charitable he was, and of what record: No man hath beene so beneficiall as he, Vnto the Citie in giving liberally, &c.

He gave a stone house to be a Reve∣stry to that Church for ever:* 1.10 More, hee gave Lands and Tenements to the use of the Communalty, that the Maior and Chamberlaine should satisfie, unto the discharge of all persons, inhabiting within the Wards of Belinsgate, Downe∣gate, and Ealdgate, as oft as it shall hap∣pen any Fifteene, by Parliament of the King to be granted. Also to the Exche∣quer, in discharge of the Sheriffes, ten pounds yeerely, which the Sheriffes u∣sed to pay for the Farme of Southwarke, so that all men of the Realme, comming or passing with carriage, should be free quitted and discharged of all Toll and other payments, aforetime claimed by the Sheriffes.

Further, that the Maior and Cham∣berlaine shall pay yeerely to the She∣riffes eight pounds, so that the Sheriffes take no manner Toll or money of any person of this Realme, for their Goods, Merchandises, Victuals and Carriages, for their passages at the great Gate of the Bridge of the Citie, nor at the Gate called the Draw-Bridge, &c.

The over-plus of money comming of the said Lands and Tenements, divided into even portions, the one part to bee employed to instore the Grainaries of the Citie with Wheat, for the reliefe of the poore Communalty; and the other moity to cleere and cleanse the shelves, and other stoppages of the River of Thames, &c.

Stephen Forster, Fishmonger, Maior in the yeere 1454. and Dame Agnes his wife, lye buried there.

William Bacon, Haberdasher, one of the Sheriffes, 1480. was there buried; besides many other persons of good worship, whose Monuments are all de∣stroyed by badde and greedy men of spoile.

This Parish of S. Buttolph is no great thing;* 1.11 notwithstanding divers Stran∣gers are there harboured, as may ap∣peare by a presentment, not many yeers since made, of Strangers inhabitants in the Ward of Belinsgate, in these words:

In Belinsgate Ward were one and fiftie housholds of Strangers; whereof thirty of these House-holders inhabited in the Parish of Saint Buttolph, in the chiefe and prin∣cipal houses, where they give 20 pounds a yere for an house lately letten for foure Markes. The neerer they dwell to the water side, the more they give for houses, and within thirty yeeres before, there was not in the whole Ward above three Netherlanders, at which time, there was within the said Pa∣rish levied for the helpe of the poore, seven and twenty pounds by the yeere; but since they came so plentifully thither, there cannot be gathered aboue eleven pounds: for the Stranger will not contribute to such charges as other Citizens doe.

Thus much for that South side of this Ward.

On the North side is Bosse Alley,* 1.12 so called of a Bosse of Spring water conti∣nually running, which standeth by Be∣linsgate, against this Alley, and was sometimes made by the Executors of Richard Whittington.

Then is S. Mary Hill lane,* 1.13 which run∣neth up North from Belinsgate, to the end of S. Margaret Pattens, commonly called Rood lane, and the greatest halfe of that lane is also of Belinsgate Ward.

In this S. Mary Hill lane, is the faire Parish Church of S. Mary, called, on the Hill, because of the ascent from Be∣linsgate.

This Church hath beene lately buil∣ded, as may appeare by this that follow∣eth.

Richard Hackney, one of the Sheriffes in the yeere 1322. and Alice his wife, were there buried; as Robert Fabian writeth, saying thus:

In the yeere 1497. in the moneth of A∣pril,* 1.14 as labourers digged for the foundation of a wall, within the Church of Saint Mary Hill, neere unto Belinsgate, they found a Coffin of rotten timber, and therein the Corps of a woman, whole of skinne, and of bones undissevered, and the ioynts of her armes plyable, without breaking of the skin, upon whose Sepulcher this was engraven:

Here lye the bodies of Richard Hackney, Fishmonger; and Alice his wife: The which Richard was Sheriffe in the 15. of Edward the second.

Her body was kept above ground 3. or foure dayes, without noyance; but then it waxed unsavourie, and was a∣gaine buried.

Iohn Mordant, Stock-fishmonger, was buried there, 1387.

Nicholas Exton, Fishmonger, Maior, 1387.

William Cambridge, Maior, 1420.

Richard Goslin, Sheriffe, 1422.

William Philip, Sergeant at Armes, 1473.

Robert Revell, one of the Sheriffes, 1490. gave liberally toward the new building of this Church and steeple, and was there buried.

William Remington, Maior, 1500.

Sir Thomas Blanke, Maior, 1582.

William Holstocke, Esquire, Controller of the Kings Ships.

Sir Cuthbert Buckle, Maior, 1594.

Here lyeth a Knight in London borne,* 1.15 Sir Thomas Blanke by name, Of honest birth, of Merchants trade, A man of worthy fame. Religious was his life to God, To men his dealing iust: The poore and Hospitals can tell That wealth was not his trust. With gentle heart, and spirit milde, And nature full of pitie, Both Sheriffe, Lord Maior and Alderman; He ruled in this Citie. The Good Knight was his common name, So cal'd of many men: He lived long, and dyed of yeeres, Twice seven, and six times ten.

Obiit 28. Octob. An. Dom. 1588.

An Epitaph upon the death of Dame Margaret Blancke, who depar∣ted this life the second of Febru∣ary, An. Dom. 1596.

DEath was deceiv'd,* 1.16 which thought these two to part: For though this Knight first left this mortall life, Yet till she dyed, he still liv'd in her heart. What happier husband, or more kinder wife? Whom foure and forty changes of the Spring, In sacred wedlocke, mutuall love had linkt: The deare remembrance of so deare a thing, Was not by death in her chaste breast extinct. Building this Tombe not long before she dy'd, Her latest duty to his Funerall Rite, Crown'd with her vertues, like an honest Bride, Here lyes at rest by her beloved Knight. Though worthy Blancke her name it still endures, Yet, Traves, boast, her birth was onely yours.

Beati qui moriuntur in Domino.

Here lye intombed the bodies of Sir Robert Hampson,* 1.17 Knight, and Alderman of London; who deceased the 2. day of May, 1607. in the 50. yeere of his age: And of Dame Katharine his wife, at whose charge this Monument is erected. They had issue, nine children, whereof foure are living. The said Dame Katharine deceased, &c.

This Lane on both sides is furnished with many faire houses for Merchants, and hath at the North end thereof one other Lane,* 1.18 called S. Margaret Pattens, because of old time Pattens were usual∣ly there made and sold: but of latter time this is called Roode lane, of a Rood there placed, in the Churchyard of S. Margaret,* 1.19 whilest the old Church was taken downe, and againe new builded; during which time, the oblations made to this Rood, were imployed towards building of the Church. But in the yeer 1538. about the 23. of May in the mor∣ning, the said Roode was found to have beene in the night preceding (by peo∣ple unknowne) broken all to pieces, to∣gether with the Tabernacle, wherein it had beene placed.

Also on the 27. of the same moneth, in the same Parish, amongst the Basket-makers, * 1.20 a great and sudden fire happned in the night season, which within the space of three houres, consumed more than a dozen houses, and nine persons were brent to death there. And thus ceased that worke of this Church, being at that time nigh finished to the steeple.

The Monuments that I finde in this Parish Church, are these following:

Here lyeth buried Mr. Reginald West, * 1.21 Batchelor in divinity, and late Parson of this Parish, who deceased the second day of October, Anno Domini, 1563. for whose sincere, pure and godly Doctrine, as also his vertuous end, the Lord be praised for evermore.

Here-under lyeth buried Thomas Gelson, * 1.22 Citizen and Grocer of London, who de∣ceased the 16. day of September, Anno Dom. 1563. And in the same Church also lyeth buried Jane his wife: for whose vertuous lives and godly departing, God be praised for ever.

Here lyeth buried the body of Richard Glo∣ver, * 1.23 Citizen and Pewterer of London, who was twice Master of his Companie, and one of the Common Councell of this Citie: Having two wives, Elizabeth, and Mary; and had issue by his first wife, three sonnes; and by his second, hee had eight sonnes and foure daughters. He de∣ceased the 16. day of August, An. Dom. 1615. being aged 59. yeeres.

The Lane, on both sides beyond the same Church, to the mid-way towards Fen-church street, is of Belinsgate Ward.

Then againe, out of Thames street, by the West end of S. Mary Hill Church, runneth up one other Lane, of old time called Rope Lane,* 1.24 since called Lucas lane, of one Lucas, owner of some part there∣of, and now corruptly called Love lane; it runneth up by the East end of Saint Andrew Hubbert,* 1.25 or S. Andrew in East∣cheape. This Church, and all the whole Lane called Lucas Lane, is of this Belins∣gate Ward.

Then have ye one other Lane out of Thames street, called Buttolph lane, be∣cause it riseth over against the Parish Church of S. Buttolph, and runneth up North by the East end of Saint Georges Church, to the West end of S. Andrews Church, and to the South end of Phil∣pot lane.

This Parish Church of S. George in Buttolph lane,* 1.26 is small, but the Monu∣ments (for two hundred yeeres past) are well preserved from spoile.

Whereof one is of Adam Bamme, Mai∣or, 1397.

Richard Bamme, Esquire his sonne, of Gillingham in Kent, 1452.

Iohn Walton, Gentleman, 1401.

Marpor, a Gentleman, 1400.

Iohn Saint-Iohn, Merchant of Levant, and Agnes his wife, 1400.

Hugh Spencer, Esquire, 1424.

William Combes, Stocke-fishmonger, one of the Sheriffes, 1452. who gave forty pounds towards the Workes of that Church.

Iohn Stocker, Draper, one of the She∣riffes, 1477.

Richard Dryland, Esquire, and Katha∣rine his wife, daughter to Morrice Brune, Knight of Southukenton in Essex, Stew∣ard of the houshold to Humphrey Duke of Glocester, 1487.

Nicholas Partrich, one of the Sheriffs 1519. in the Churchyard.

William Forman, Maior, 1538.

Iames Mountford, Esquire, Surgeon to King Henry the eighth, buried, 1544.

Thomas Gayle, Haberdasher, 1340.

Nicholas Wilford, Merchant-Taylor, and Elizabeth his wife, about the yeere 1551.

Edward Heyward, 1573. &c.

Roger Delakere, founded a Chauntrie there.

Then have ye one other Lane,* 1.27 called Rother lane, or Red Rose lane, of such a signe there; now commonly called Pud∣ding lane, because the Butchers of East-Cheape have their Scalding-house for Hogs there, and their Puddings, with other filth of Beasts, are voided downe that way to their dung-boats on the Thames.

This Lane stretcheth from Thames street to little East-cheape, chiefely inha∣bited by Basket-makers, Turners, and Butchers, and is all of Belinsgate Ward.

The Garland in Little East-cheape, sometime a Brewhouse, with a Gar∣den on the backe-side, adjoyning to the Garden of Sir Iohn Philpot, was the chiefe House in this East-cheape: It is now divided into sundry small Tene∣ments, &c.

This Ward hath an Alderman and his Deputie; Common Counsellors, 7. Constables, eleven; Scavengers, sixe; for the Ward-more Inquest, foureteen, and a Beadle, it is taxed to the Fifteene in London, at two and thirty pounds; and in the Exchequer, at one and thir∣ty pounds, tenne shillings.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Belinsgate Ward.
• * 1.2

  Smarts Key
• * 1.3

  Belinsgate.
• * 1.4

  Customes of Belins∣gate.
• * 1.5

  Sommer Key,
• * 1.6

  Lion Key.
• * 1.7

  Buttolph VVharfe.
• * 1.8

  Parish Church of S. Buttolph.
• * 1.9

  Iohn Rain∣well His Epitaph.
• * 1.10

  Belinsgate Ward, Downegate Word, and Ealdgate VVard dischar∣ged of all Fifteens.
• * 1.11

  The nu••∣ber of stranger lately to created in this 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.12

  Bosse Alley and the Bosse of Belinsgate.
• * 1.13

  S. Mary Hill lane.
• * 1.14

  Alice Hack∣ney found uncorrup∣ted, more than 150. yeers after she was buried.
• * 1.15

  A faire Tombe in the east end of the Chancell.
• * 1.16

  On the other side of the Tombe, southward▪
• * 1.17

  A very faire Monumēt in the South wall of the Quire.
• * 1.18

  S. Margaret Pattens lane.
• * 1.19

  Parish Church of S. Margaret Pattens.
• * 1.20

  Fire in Reod lane.
• * 1.21

  In the midst of the Chan∣cell, under the Com∣munion Table a faire pla∣ted stone.
• * 1.22

  The like stone, and neere to the other.
• * 1.23

  A very faire stone well pla∣ted by the other twaine.
• * 1.24

  Rope lane Lucas.
• * 1.25

  Parish Church 〈◊〉〈◊〉 S. Andrew Hubbert.
• * 1.26

  Parish Church S. George Buttolph lane.
• * 1.27

  Rother lane, or Red-Rose lane.