Finsbury Pavement - Fisher's Folly

Finsbury Pavement

North out of London Wall at 119 to Finsbury Square (P.O. Directory).

The southern portion is in Coleman Street Ward, the northern portion in the borough of Finsbury, outside the City boundary.

First mention : O.S. 1848-51.

Former names : "Finsbury" (Rocque, 1746). "Finsbury Place South" (Greenwood, 1827-9).

In Strype, ed. 1720 and 1755 it is called "the Road" and is described as "the new row of good Houses not yet named" (ed. 1720, I. iii. 64).

Finsbury Place South

See Finsbury Pavement.

Fire Ball Alley

See Partridge Court.

Fire Ball court

East out of Houndsditch. In Portsoken Ward (25 Eliz. 1583) (Lond. Inq. p.m. III. p. 64) to O.S. 25 in. 1880).

The name of this Court is derived, as appears from the Inquisition above mentioned, from a messuage which stood here formerly called the Signe of the Ball and now (1583) the Signe of the "Fyrie Ball" in Hounesditch without Aldgate, held of the Queen as of her Priory of Christchurch, dissolved.

The "Fiery Ball" is mentioned also in the Will of Henry Elsing dated 1577 (End. Ch. Rep. 1829).

Moved for the continuation of Stoney Lane to Houndsditch.

National School erected at No. 7 in 1847, and used for this purpose until 1880. Sold to the School Board for London, 1885.

Fire Ball Court

Near First (Aldermanbury) Postern, London Wall (Strype, ed. 1755-Boyle, 1799).

Not named in the maps.

Fire of London

In 1666, from September 2nd to 6th.

Commenced at the house of a baker in Pudding Lane, near London Bridge, and spread through the narrow streets and lanes of the City with extraordinary rapidity. Its progress west was only stopped within the Temple precincts by the blowing up of some of the buildings near the church, the empty space thus provided serving to arrest its further progress.

Northwards it extended to Barber Surgeons' Hall in Monkwell Street (H. MSS. Com. 11th Rep. VII. 85).

It was stopped at the Temple, Fetter Lane, Pye Corner, Cow Lane, Little Britain, Aldersgate, Cripplegate, middle of Coleman Street and Broad Street, Bishopsgate and the middle of Fenchurch Street, 1666 (ib. 12th Rep. 42). After the fire, so complete was the ruin, that the Thames could be seen from Cheapside, 1666 (ib. 12th Rep. VII. 41-42).

The extent of the area destroyed within the City was 373 acres in addition to an extent of nearly 64 acres outside the walls, and 75 acres, 3 roods only remained within the walls. It consumed 89 parish churches, including St. Paul's Cathedral, besides chapels, and 13,200 houses. Eleven parishes only remained standing within the walls. The cause of the outbreak is unknown. It purged the City of the plague, but it destroyed many of its finest buildings, which might otherwise have survived as noble specimens of architectural beauty and as links with the past.

Many plans were projected for the rebuilding of the City, notably those of Sir Christopher Wren and Sir John Evelyn, and though the rebuilding was eventually entrusted in great measure to Sir Christopher Wren, yet he was not permitted to carry out his plans to rebuild the City on the new lines he had laid down, the streets and houses being for the most part reconstructed on their former sites.

The Monument (q.v.) was erected to commemorate the lamentable event.

First Postern

See Aldermanbury Postern.

Fish Market

See Old Fish Market and Leadenhall.

Fish Street

See Fish Street Hill and Old Fish Street.

Fish Street (New)

See New Fish Street.

Fish Street (West)

See West Fish Street.

Fish Street Hill

South from the junction of Gracechurch Street and Eastcheap to Lower Thames Street at 128 (P.O. Directory). In Bridge Ward Within.

Earliest mention : "Fysshstretehyll," 10 Eliz. (1568). (Lond. I. p.m. II. 106).

Former names : "Newe fishestrete hill," 26 Eliz. (Anc. Deeds, A. 12959). "New fishstreete," 35 Eliz. (1593) (Lond. I. p.m. II. 174). "Bridgestrete," alias "New fishstrete," 1572 (End. Ch. St. Michael, Crooked Lane, Rep. 1903, p. 12).

Stow says "Bridgestreete," commonly called (of the Fishmarket) "New Fishstreete" (S. 213). The market here in Bridge Street was one of the authorised places in the City for the sale of fish by retail (Cal. L. Bk. C. 149 ; ib. G. 123 ; ib. I. 61, and Riley's Mem. p. 268).

Called "New Fish Street" and "New Fish Street Hill" to distinguish it from Old Fish Street at the western end of the City.

The word "hill" would be added to indicate the ascent from London Bridge and the river.

The Monument is on the east side of the street and the Monument Station at the north end.

Its importance as a thoroughfare has been very considerably lessened since the removal of London Bridge to its present site further west.

Fish Street Hill

See Bridge Street ; Mountfiquet (Tower of) ; and Old Fish Street Hill.

Fish Wharf

Near Queenhithe, in the parish of St. Mary Somerset.

First mention : Shops in a lane at one end of Lambardes hill towards "le Fishwarf," 1306 (Ct. H.W. I. 181).

This suggests that the wharf was at the southern end of Lambeth Hill on the Thames.

Other forms : "Fisshewarfe," 1311 (Cal. L. Bk. D. p. 231). "Fisshwharf," 1347 (Ct. H.W. I. 496). "le Fiswarve " (Anc. Deeds, A. 2362).

See Freshfish Wharf.

Fish Wharf

A wharf on the Thames in the parish of St. Magnus, near Drinkwater Wharf, in Bridge Ward Within (S. 217).

Near the eastern end of St. Magnus Church (Ct. H.W. I. 17).

Earliest mention : "Viswarf," 1273-4 (Ct. H.W. I. 17). "Kaya que vocatur Le Fisshewarff," 14 Ed. II. (Plac. de Qno Warranto, p. 467).

Other forms : "Wysswarf," 1329 (Ct. H.W. I. 353). "Fichwharf," 1374 (Ct. H.W. II. 165). "Le Fisshwharf at le Hole," 1400 (Ct. H.W. II. 346).

The tenement was devised by Andrew Hunte to the rector and churchwardens of St. Magnus, being situate "super" the new churchyard of the church of St. Magnus, 1446 (ib. II. 508).

The site must be adjacent, on the west, to the present London Bridge Wharf, and between that wharf and Fresh Wharf east.

In early times it was of considerable importance, as the Fishmongers had their shops on the wharf, and it probably took its name from this circumstance.

In 14 Ed. II. a serious dispute arose as to their right to sell fish by retail in these shops, and their petition to the King and the subsequent proceedings are set out in Lib. Cust. I. 385-406.

Fish Yard

East out of Pudding Lane near No. 20 or 21, in Billingsgate Ward (Strype, ed. 1720-Boyle, 1799).

Site seems to have been rebuilt about the end of the 18th century, as no court is shown here in Horwood, 1799.

Fisherman's Hall

Mentioned in deed of 1741 relating to Brickle's charity and identified with the Emperor's Head (q.v.) (Hubbard's All Hallows the Great, p. 40).

Company incorporated 1687.

Fisher's Alley

West out of Dorset Street to Water Lane in Farringdon Ward Without, in the precinct of Whitefriars (O. and M. 1677-Elmes, 1831).

Site now covered by part of Tudor Street (q.v.).

Named after the owner or builder.

Fisher's Alley

On the north side of Holborn, west of Brook House, in Farringdon Ward Without (O. and M. 1677).

Site afterwards occupied by Wharton's Court (q.v.).

Fisher's Folly

In Bishopsgate Street, in Bishopsgate Ward Without.

A house built by Jasper Fisher, one of the six clerks in Chancery. It afterwards belonged to the Earl of Oxford and in Stow's time to Sir Roger Manars (S. 167).

Mockingly called Fisher's folly, he being a man of no great possessions and indebted to many (ib.).

Capital messuage, buildings, yards, etc., at Bishopsgate, formerly the six gardens late purchased of Martin Bowes, etc., belonging to Jasper Fisher, 22 Eliz. 1580 (Lond. I. p.m. III. p. 19).

He also had possession of an alley called "Toddes alley" with houses, etc., at Bishopsgate, 22 Eliz. 1580 (ib.) which formerly belonged to the priory or new hospital of St. Mary without Bishopsgate, 32 H. VIII. 1540 (L. and P. H. VIII. XV. p. 411).

In the 17th century the house was occupied by the Earls of Devonshire as their town house and called Devonshire House (q.v.).