St. Mary le Bow 104/8

Introduction

This tenement stretched from Goose Lane and 7 on the E. to tenements in Bread Street on the W., and was bounded to the S. by 6 and to the N. by 9, 10, and 12. From the late 14th century onwards 8 and 10 were held together, forming a single large property defined here as 11, into which 9 appears also to have been incorporated, probably in the 15th century. 8 lay on the fee of St. Mary Spital, and a quit-rent was paid to the hospital and subsequently to the Crown, until the 17th century.

In or before 1268, Adam de Hallyngebur', tawyer (allutarius), and his wife Joan, daughter and heir of the late Henry son of William son of ?Emma, granted 15s. quit-rent from the tenement of James de Arcubus, draper, in the parish of St. Mary le Bow, to Reginald de Leycestr' and his wife Albreda. James de Arcubus's tenement lay in the corner of Goose Lane, between 10 and 11 to the N. and 6 and 7 to the S. In or before 1294 Walter de Sancto Salvatore and his wife Albreda, widow of Reginald de Leycestre, citizen, granted 1 mark (13s. 4d.) quit-rent from the tenement with houses and shops, in the parish of St. Mary le Bow, of the fee of the New Hospital, to Imania, widow of Alan de Brauncestre, late goldbeater, for a payment of 10 marks (£6. 13s. 4d.) and a rent of a rose. The tenement, on the corner of Goose Lane, was said to lie between 9 and 10 to the N., 7 to the E., 6 to the S., and the tenement sometime of John Viel (in All Hallows Bread Street parish) to the W. In or before 1301 Albreda, widow of Reginald de Leycestre, granted the tenement itself, described as above, which she and Reginald had by the grant of James of Worcester, to Elias le Chaucer and his wife Agnes, citizens of London, for 20 marks (£13. 6s. 8d.) as a gersum. The property was charged with rents of £1. 3s. 4d. to St. Mary Spital, 11s. 8d. to William de Leyre and his heirs, 13s. 4d. to Ymayne, widow of Alan de Brancestre, and her heirs, and a clove to the grantor. St. Mary Spital may have acquired its interest in this property, in 1, and in 9, as a result of a grant by which Martin son of Martin Bodyn gave to the hospital all the rent from his lands and houses in the parish of St. Mary le Bow. In 1244 Martin Bodyn's former land was said to be opposite 6, which may have been separated from 8-9 by a little lane or entry. (fn. 1)

By his will of 1322, proved 1323, William de Leyre left the rent of 11s. 8d. from the house sometime of Albreda de Goselane in the parish of St. Mary le Bow to his daughter Katharine. In 1323 Elias le Chauscer and his wife Agnes granted their tenement in the parish of St. Mary le Bow in Goose Lane, which they had by grant of Albreda widow of Reginald de Leicester, between 10 and 12 to the N., 6 to the S., Goose Lane and 7 to the E., and the tenement of Elias de Suffolk to the W., to Richard son of Hugh de Gloucestre, saddler. William, son of Elias and Agnes, quitclaimed in the same to Richard. In 1330 the prior of St. Mary Spital distrained in Richard de Gloucestre's tenement in the parish of St. Mary le Bow, presumably for arrears of the £1. 3s. 4d. rent. By 1335 Richard de Gloucestre had granted the tenement to Richard de Berkyng, citizen and draper, and his wife Joan, to whom in that year Henry, son of the late Elias le Chaucer and of Agnes, quitclaimed all right. In 1336 Alan de Brauncestre, son of Alan de Brauncestre, left his 1 mark (13s. 4d.) rent from the tenement sometime of Richard de Gloucestre in Goose Lane in the parish of St. Mary le Bow, for sale by his executors. (fn. 2)

Richard Berkyngg also acquired 10 in this parish, but by his will of 1355 he left both properties to Joan his wife for life, with the reversion of 10 to his daughter Joan, wife of Thomas de Kent, and of 8 to his daughter Alice and her heirs. In 1356 Roger Berneres, citizen, and his wife Alice, daughter of Richard de Berkyngge, granted the reversion of 8 to Sir William de Ikkeston, rector of St. Mary le Bow. In 1357 8 was described as the tenement of Richard de Gloucestre, sometime of Elyas le Callere, lying to the S. of 10. The grant of 8 to the rector of St. Mary le Bow seems to have been ineffective, probably because of the entail created in Richard de Berkyngg's will, and some time before 1368, probably before 1363, de Berkyngg's executors sold 8, the tenement with shops and solars in Goose Lane, to John Hiltoft, citizen and goldsmith. In 1363 William de Swanlond, son of Sir John de Swanlond, kt., quitclaimed to John Hiltoft in 12s. 6d. quit-rent he used to receive from John Hiltoft's tenement in Goose Lane in the parish of St. Mary le Bow. The origin of this quit-rent, which seems to relate to 8, is not known. John Hiltoft had also acquired 10, and by his will of 1368 left both for sale by his executors. 8 and 10 together formed one very large property. It seems probable that 9, a property belonging to St. Mary Spital, disappeared in the late 14th or 15th century, and was incorporated with 8 and 10 in this new larger tenement, the history of which is given below as 11. (fn. 3)