Conduit upon Cornhill - Cook's Court, Bishopsgate

Conduit upon Cornhill

In Cornhill opposite the north end of Change Alley and the eastern side of the Royal Exchange.

Shown in Leake's map, 1666.

Stow tells us that after the year 1401 a cistern was made in the Tun upon Cornhill for water brought from Tyburn, and that from this time it was known as the Conduit upon Cornhill (S. 189, 192).

It is referred to in John Carpenter's letter describing the triumphant entry of Henry VI. into London in 1432 as "Conductum aque sphaericum in dicto vico" (i.e. in "vico Sancti Petri de Cornhille") (Mun. Gild. Lib. Albus, III. 461).

Enlarged by Robert Drope in 1475 with an east end of stone and castellated (S. 192).

"Tonne in the Conduitt" mentioned in Churchwardens' Accounts, St. Michael Cornhill (Overall, 190).

Sixty houses near the Conduit were pulled down in 1565 for the erection of the Royal Exchange (Three 15th Cent. Chron. p. 135).

It was burnt in the Fire and not rebuilt, as it was then regarded as an impediment to traffic (Wilkinson, I. 9).

See Tun upon Cornhill and Standard.

Conduit without Cripplegate

In Fore Street, not far from the east end of St. Giles' Church (S. 18, 303, 432).

Made in 1478 by the executor of William Eastfield (S. 110).

Water brought from Highbery by John Middleton, one of the executors (18 and 303).

Castellated by the inhabitants at their own expense, 1483 (ib.).

Conduit Yard

South of Aldgate, adjoining the Wall of London. In Portsoken Ward (O. and M. 1677).

Adjacent to the Conduit without Aldgate, it seems to have been removed about the middle of the 18th century.

Conduit, St. Margaret, Fish Street Hill

Beneath the wall of the Church of St. Margaret in Briggestret, 1379 (Riley's Mem. 436).

No later mention.

Conduits

In the 13th century the population of London had so much increased that the supply of water from wells had become inadequate and liable to contamination, and it had become necessary to seek for fresh sources of supply outside the City area.

The western suburbs and surrounding villages were rich in streams and wells, and it was arranged about 1237 to bring a supply of water in pipes of wood from Tyburn to the City. In the 15th century a further supply was obtained from Paddington.

For the purpose of conserving this supply and making it available for public use, conduits and cisterns were established at suitable points in the City to which the citizens could have access, and bequests were frequently made by the citizens in later times towards the repair and maintenance of these conduits.

Besides the conduits and waterworks, the City was also until a recent period supplied with water from springs, and Strype mentions, as being especially excellent, pumps at St. Martin's Outwick ; near St. Antholin's Church ; in St. Paul's Churchyard and at Christ's Hospital.

Many of the conduits described by Stow had been removed before 1720, as being a hindrance to traffic, viz.: The Great Conduit at the east end of Cheapside ; The Tun upon Cornhill ; The Standard in Cheapside ; The Little Conduit at the west end of Cheapside ; The Conduit in Fleet Street ; The Conduit in Gracechurch Street ; The small Conduit at the Stocks Market ; The Conduit at Dowgate.

Conduyte (le)

See Grey Friars.

Coneyhope

Seems to have been a messuage in the Poultry. According to Stow it was a poulterer's shop, and had for its sign three coneys in a hoop (S. 265).

St. Mildred near "Conhop" is mentioned in the will of Philip le Taillour in 1292 (Ct. H.W. I. 107).

"Coninghop," 1312 (ib. 236).

See Mary (St.) de Coneyhope (Chapel of), Coneyhope Lane, and St. Mildred Poultry.

Coneyhope (Chapel of)

See Mary (St.) de Coneyhope.

Coneyhope Lane

North out of the Poultry in the Parish of St. Mildred, Poultry (S. 265).

Earliest mention : "Conohop Lane," 1292 (Ct. H.W. I. 106).

Other names and forms of name : "Conynghoplane," 1328 (ib. 332). "Conynghope lane," 1390 (ib. II. 281). "Conyhopplane," 1582 (Lond. I. p.m. III. 51). "Grocer's Alley," anciently called "Coneyhope Alley" (Maitland, 1775).

The chapel of St. Mary de Coneyhope was in the lane and also the Grocers' Hall.

The site is now occupied by Grocers' Hall Court (q.v.).

The name seems to have been derived from a messuage called "Conhop" or "Coninghop," which, according to Stow, had for its sign three coneys in a hoop (S. 265).

In Middle English "coning" was the usual form of the word "coney."

Congate

Soke of Holy Trinity Priory said to extend from Aldgate to the Gate of the Bailiffs of the Tower called Congate (Strype, ed. 1720, I. i. 67).

Could this be the Tower Postern?

Conichepynge

Somewhere in the neighbourhood of Paternoster Lane, probably to the north thereof.

See Diceres lane.

Consolidated Bank

See Comptoir National d'Escompte de Paris.

Converts (House of)

Erected in Chancery Lane (New Street as it was then called) by Henry III. for converted Jews (S. 282). Wheatley says in 1233.

"Houses in the close of the site of the place of the Converts," 50 H. III. (Cal. P.R. H. III. 1258-66, p. 634).

Site afterwards covered by the Rolls Office, and now by the Record Office (q.v.).

Converts' Lane, Converslone

See Chancery Lane.

Cony Court

In Gray's Inn, 1676 (L. and P. Chas. II. XVIII. 296).

Cook Court

See Cock Court, Philip Lane.

Cookes Row

Fitzstephen, writing in the reign of Henry II. c. 1174, says that there was in London on the banks of the river, where the wines are for sale in ships and wine cellars, a public kitchen for the sale of cooked viands of all kinds.

Stow describes this as Cookes row in the Vintry, which would be a natural place for the cooks to establish themselves in, as being close to the ships and taverns where their customers could obtain wine, which in those days would only be sold in the taverns, etc. by those trading in wines, and not by the cooks, who exercised a separate trade ; these distinctions were scrupulously observed in early days, when almost every trade had its special quarter in the City (S. 240).

Cook's Buildings

In Stoney Lane, Gravel Lane, Houndsditch (Lockie, 1810-Elmes 1831).

See Coak's Buildings.

Cook's Court

South out of Camomile Street in Bishopsgate Ward (Within) (Strype 1720-Boyle, 1799).

The site seems now to be occupied by Bishopsgate Avenue.

Cook's Court, Bishopsgate

See Cook's Square.