Flying Horse Yard, Half Moon Alley - Foster Lane

Flying Horse Yard, Half Moon Alley

West out of Bishopsgate Street, in Bishopsgate Ward Without, south of Half Moon Alley (P.C. 1732-Elmes, 1831).

Longer in Horwood than in the earlier maps, the greater part of the street being called in Rocque "Half Moon Alley," and in Strype, ed. 1720, I. ii. 108, "Half Moon Court."

The site is now occupied by Liverpool Street Station and railway lines.

Flynthalle (le)

A tenement so called in parish of St. Olave in Sylverstret, 1400 (Ct. H.W. II. 346).

Not further identified.

Foland

A lane in Foland stopped by the Friars Preachers, 1272-3 (Rot. Hund I. 404).

"F" probably is an error for "S," so that "Foland"=Soland= Shoe Lane (q.v.).

Folkemares Lane

See Ivy Lane.

Folkmoot

The citizens' court called "le Folkmot" held on "Tota placea terrae" east of St. Paul's Church, where the new burial-ground was and where the great bell-tower of the church was.

Dimensions given 30 ft. by 20 ft. But this would be too small, and it would seem that there must be some confusion about it.

Complaint was made against the Dean and Chapter that they had enclosed this land to the detriment of the citizens 14 Ed. II., and the folkmoot disappeared from history about this time.

Right of the citizens to enter the bell-tower to ring the bell to convene the Folkmot admitted (Lib. Cust. I. 343, and H. MSS. Com. 9th Rep. p. 49). Called "Folkemannemote," 25 H. III. (Lib. Albus, I. 104).

In an extract from the Cotton MSS. relating to Folkmoots and Mootbells it is said that the Folkmoot ought to be held once a year, viz. "in capite Kalendarium Maii." This refers to the whole country, but is it certain that it applied to London? (Lib. Cust. II. 635). In the Lib. Albus, I. 118-19, provision is made for the holding of Folkmoots three times in the year, viz. at Midsummer, Michaelmas and Christmas. Folkmoots compared to Roman "Plebiscita" (ib. 8).

Fook's Court

See Fowke's Buildings.

Forcier, near Broken Wharf

Erected by Bevis Bulmer in 1594 within the gate of an old stone house belonging to the Duke of Norfolk, 11 H. VI., by Broken Wharf, to convey Thames water into men's houses of West Cheape, St. Paul's, Fleet Street, etc. (S. 18, 364).

Forcier, near London Bridge

Erected by Peter Moris, a Dutchman, in 1582, for the supply of water to the eastern part of the City (S. 18).

Water was conveyed over the steeple of St. Magnus Church at the north end of London Bridge to houses in Thames Street, New Fish Street and Grasse Street up to the north-west corner of Leadenhall, the highest ground of the City (ib. 189).

Ford's Rents

Near Goose Alley, on the West side of Seacoal Lane, in Farringdon Ward Without (Strype, ed. 1720, I. iii. 281).

Not named in the maps.

Named after an owner or builder.

Fore Court

At Bridewell, Fleet Ditch (Strype, ed. 1755-Boyle, 1799).

Not named in the maps.

Fore Court

At Doctors' Commons (Strype, ed. 1755-Boyle, 1799).

Not named in the maps.

Fore Old Jewry

By Aldgate (W. Stow, 1722, and Rev. of London, 1728).

See Jewry Street.

Fore Side of St. Thomas Apostle

In Queen Street, Cheapside.

See Great St. Thomas Apostles.

Fore Street

East out of Redcross Street at No. 34 to No. 9 Finsbury Pavement (P.O. Directory). In Coleman Street Ward and Cripplegate Ward Without.

First mention : "le Forstrete," 4 Ed. III. (Anc. Deeds, A. 7930).

Other forms : "le Forestrete," 1348 (Ct. H.W. I. 504). "le Vorestret," 1361 (ib. II. 18). "Foorstreet," 1594 (Lond. I. p.m. III. 220).

In Stow (pp. 293 and 432) and O. and M. 1677 the eastern end is called "The Posterne" because, as Stow says, it hath a door at eyther end to be shut at night, and in Strype, "The Posterne Street." The western end in Strype is called "Moore Street," and in the maps of Coleman Street Ward, the street running north and south, on the west side of Moorfields, is called "Fore Street."

See Little Moorfields.

The name seems to have the sense of the A.S. "fore"="before," in front of, as facing London Wall, and this meaning is borne out by the constant use of the article "le" before the name in early records.

It is suggested in the Gentleman's Magazine Library (London), XV. 205, that there was a Roman forum here, which gave name to the street, but there is no evidence of this.

Fore Street Avenue

North out of Fore Street at No. 72 (P.O. Directory), with a branch West to Moor Lane and east to Moorfields. In Cripplegate Ward Without.

First mention : L.C.C. List, 1901.

The passage east into Moorfields was formerly called "Green Arbour Court" (q.v.), and that west into Moor Lane "Maidenhead Court" (q.v.).

Fori (Warda)

See Cheap Ward.

Fortune Court

Out of Duke's Place, Aldgate, in Aldgate Ward (P.C. 1732-Boyle, 1799).

Not named in the maps.

Foss Side Warehouses

On Tower Hill, east side, extending to Irongate (Lockie, 1816).

So called as being by the Tower Ditch.

Not named in the maps.

Foster (St.)

See Vedast (St.), Foster Lane.

Foster Lane

North out of Cheapside at No. 147 to Gresham Street (P.O. Directory). In Farringdon Ward Within and Aldersgate Wards.

First mention : "Seint uastes lane, qui ducit versus Aldridesgate," 1271 (MS. D. and C. St. Paul's, Press A. Box 12, 1128).

Other forms : "Venell', Sancti Vedast," 3 Ed. I. (Rot. Hund. I. 407). "S. Vedast Lane," 1278 (Ct. H.W. I. 36). "Street of St. Vedast," 1293-4 (ib. 112). "St. Vedast Street," 1303-4 (ib. 161). "Venella Sancti Vedasti," 31 Ed. I. (Lib. Cust. I. 229 and 235). "Seyntfastislane," 12 Ed. III. (MS. D. and C. St. Paul's, Press A. Box 12, 115). "Fasterslane," 1359 (Ct. H.W. II. 52). "Fastour lane," 1393 (Cal. P.R. Ric. II. 1391-6, p. 346). "Vicum regium vocatum sci. Vedasti," 18 Ed. III. (MS. D. and C. St. Paul's, Press A. Box 12, 126). "Fastres lane," 1403 (Ct. H.W. II. 355). "Faster lane," 1407 (ib. 373). "Foster Lane," 1597 (Lond. I. p.m. III. 250). "Fauster Lane" (S. 159 and 316). Perhaps the lane extended further north in early days and included Noble Street.

Inhabited by working goldsmiths and silversmiths (Strype, 1720, I. iii. 120 and 196).

Nearly the whole of the western side of the street was removed for the erection of the General Post Office.

Named after the Church of St. Vedast (q.v.), contracted to "Vast," and later cortupted to "Fast," "Faster," and so "Foster."

In the town of Arras in the north of France the same contraction is in use, the Cathedral being known as "St. Vastes."

In excavating for the foundations of the new Goldsmiths' Hall in 1830, a Roman altar was discovered 15 ft. below the level of the street in a stratum of clay (R. Smith, 72).