Meriole (le) - Michael (St.) Bassishaw

Meriole (le)

Tenement so called in Westchepe in parish of All Hallows de Honylane, 1470 (Ct. H.W. II. 545).

Not further identified.

Merlaweskey

See Marowlowes Key.

Merle's Court

In Fore Street by Moorfields, in Cripplegate Ward Without (W. Stow, 1722).

Not named in the maps.

Named after a builder or owner.

Merlin's Rents

East out of Shoe Lane, at No. 50, in Farringdon Ward Without (Lockie, 1810-Elmes, 1831).

Former names : "Molins Rents" (O. and M. 1677-Strype, ed. 1755). "Molins Court" (L. Guide, 1758-Boyle, 1799). "Mellins Kents" (Horwood, 1799).

Site now covered by warehouses and business houses.

Named after the owner or builder.

Mermaid Court

South out of Great Carter Lane, in Castle Baynard Ward, near Addle Hill (Boyle, 1799).

Called : "Meermaid Inn" (O. and M. 1677). "Mermaid Court and Inn" (Hatton, 1708). "Mearmaid Inn" (Strype, 1720 and 1755.) "Mairmaid Inn" (Rocque, 1746). "Mermaid lane" (Maitland, 1775).

The site seems now to be occupied by the Post Office buildings.

Named after the sign.

Mermaid Court

East out of Warwick Lane and south to Paternoster Row, in Castle Baynard Ward (Strype, ed. 1720-Boyle, 1799).

First mention : "Meermaid Court" (O. and M. 1677).

Other forms : "Mearmaid Alley" (Strype, 1720 and 1755). "Mairmaid Court" (Rocque, 1746).

Site now occupied by business houses.

Mermaid Tavern

In Cornhill. Rent out of this tavern given for the poor of the parish of St. Peter Cornhill, 1606 (Strype, ed. 1720, I. ii. 139).

Not further identified.

Mermaid Tavern

In Bread Street, with entrances from Cheapside and Friday Street.

Mentioned 1464.

Site now occupied by business houses.

Merrett's Buildings

West out of Peter Street, in Bishopsgate Ward Without (Horwood, 1799-O.S. 1848-51).

Formerly the western end of Dunning's Alley (O. and M. 1677-Rocque, 1746).

The site is now occupied by Broad Street Station.

Named after the owner or builder.

Merryfield's Rents

South out of Fleet Lane, in Farringdon Ward Without (O. and M. 1677).

Site occupied by business houses.

Named after the owner or builder.

Metropolitan Asylums' Board Offices

On the north side of Victoria Embankment, in Farringdon Ward Without.

See Saxton's Still House.

Metropolitan Bank Buildings

At Nos. 59 and 60 Gracechurch Street (P.O. Directory). In Bridge Ward Within.

On the site of Crown Court (q.v.).

Metropolitan Buildings

On the south side of Queen Victoria Street at No. 55 adjoining the Mansion House Station (P.O. Directory).

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

Metropolitan Free Hospital

On the east side of Devonshire Square (O.S. 1880). In Bishopsgate Ward Without.

The site was formerly occupied by Meeting House Yard (q.v.) and now by the Metropolitan Railway lines.

Metropolitan Market, West Smithfield

See London Central Markets.

Mewse, Devonshire Square

At the south-east corner of Devonshire Square. In Bishopsgate Ward Without (Rocque, 1746).

Michael (St.) ad bladum

See Michael (St.) le Querne.

Michael (St.) Aldgate

One of the old parishes mentioned by Stow as having formed first the parish of the Holy Cross or Holy Rood and afterwards as having been absorbed by the Priory of Holy Trinity, the parish of Holy Trinity (S. 142).

It seems to be still referred to in early records as a parish after its absorption by the Priory.

"St. Michael towards Alegate," 1274 (Anc. Deeds, A. 10791). "St. Michael near the church of Holy Trinity," 1280 (Ct. H. W. I. 51). "Sancti Michaelis extra Sanctae Trinitatis " (Lib. Cust. I. pp. 230 and 234). "S. Michaelis ante Portam Trinitatis," 31 Ed. I (ib.) "St. Michael by Cristeschirche" (Anc. Deeds, A. 2434).

Referred to in a bull of Pope Innocent III. as in the churchyard of the monastery, temp. John (Dugdale VI. (1), 155).

A chapel of St. Michael was erected near St. Katherine's church in the churchyard of the Priory about 1385 (Ct. H.W. II. 250).

It is stated in the Gentleman's Mag. Lib. XVI. pp. 55 and 56 and elsewhere that the remains of this church were to be seen for many years under the house at the south-east corner of Leadenhall Street, 36 ft. from north to south and 16 ft. from east to west, with a Gothic arched roof supported by pillars (See Maitland, 1775, II. 780). The site is marked in this position in O.S. 1875.

But in the Trans. L. and M. Arch. Soc. IV. 225, it is suggested that these remains placed north and south without Christian emblem or device are not the remains of St. Michael's Church, and that that edifice stood further west between Billiter Square and Lime Street Square. In support of this theory, attention is drawn to the mention of St Michael's Church in the description of the bounds of the Soke given by Queen Matilda for the Priory of Holy Trinity. There is also a deed of 1314 in the Trinity Cartulary (Guildhall MS. 122, f. 13) which seems to place the chapel of St. Michael near Billiter Lane, the chapel being near the northern boundary of the land included in the grant and Billiter Lane forming part of the western boundary.

On the other hand, if not the remains of an ecclesiastical edifice, it is difficult to determine for what purpose the building could have been erected. It is unlike the basements of the private houses discovered elsewhere, but might be the remains of some public building.

Michael (St.) atte Corne

See Michael (St.) le Querne.

Michael (St.) Bassishaw

On the west side of Basinghall Street. In Bassishaw Ward (O.S. 1880).

Earliest mention found in records : "St. Michael de Bassishaghe," 1196 (Anc. Deeds, A. 2507).

Newcourt says the church was given by G. Bishop of London to the Priory of St. Bartholomew, and this G. may have been bishop in 1128, 1163 or 1199.

Other forms of name : "St. Michael in Bassieshage," temp. Rich. I. (ib. A. 7822) "St. Michael Bassishage," John (ib. A. 1919). "St. Michael Bassieshaw," Is John (ib. A. 6884). "St. Michael Bassingeshag," 1227 (Cal. Ch. Rolls, H. III. I. 54). "St. Michael Basingeshagh" (ib. 55). "St. Michael Bassyeshagh" (ib. 70). "St. Michael de Bassinggeshawe," 1312 (Ct. H.W. I. 229). "St. Michael de Basseteshawe," 1252 (Cal. Ch. Rolls H. III. I. 403).

Chapel of St. Mary in the Church, 1347 (Ct. H,W. I. 495).

Rebuilt in the 15th century by help of John and Agnes Barton. Remains identified during excavations in 1896.

Repaired and beautified 1630. Burnt in the Fire 1666, and rebuilt 1676-9. Repaired and beautified 1697. The old church was longer than Wren's building and covered the site of the late vestry and yard (Strype, ed. 1720, I. iii. 67).

Again repaired 1777-81.

A Rectory. Patrons : St. Bartholomew's Priory, afterwards in private hands. Since 1435 in Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's.

Taken down and the parish united to St. Lawrence Jewry, 1897.

The parish is conterminous with the ward of Bassishaw.

There is an interesting account of the church and of the discoveries made during its removal, 1896-7, of the remains of the earlier edifices occupying the site. (Trans. L. and M. Arch. Soc. N.S. II. (1), pp. 149 et seq.).