St. Mary le Bow 104/15

Introduction

This property lay in Cheapside, between 16 to the W. and 14 to the E., and was bounded to the S. by 13.

In 1858 the property was no. 54 Cheapside.

Thirteenth to sixteenth century

About 1220 the land formerly of Edward Albus lay to the W. of 14. In 1246 Edward son of Roger Blund, and perhaps grandson of Edward Albus, had erected a pentice in Cheapside, apparently between the tenement of St. Bartholomew's Hospital (16) and that of John Helyland (14). The seld sometime of Peter Blound lay to the W. of 14 in 1261x1264. By his will proved in 1278, Edward le Blount left his seld in Westchep to his eldest son John. In 1293 the seld of John le Ail... (? Albus) lay to the N. of 13. In 1294 the seld of John le Blound lay to the E. of the seld and solars of Stephen son of William de Cornhull (16) which Stephen granted to John. By his will proved in 1313, John le Blund, kt. and citizen of London, left 15, described as the seld in Westchepe in the parish of St. Mary le Bow which he had inherited, to his son Edward, charged with a yearly payment of £2 to his daughter Anne, until she married or entered religion, on which occasion Edward was to give her 20 marks (£13. 6s. 8d.). John le Blund left 16 to his sons Bartholomew and Roger. In 1320 Edward le Blunt, son of John le Blount, kt., and his wife Sarah granted the seld with solar(s) over, stalls and appurtenances in the parish of St. Mary le Bow, which Richard Costantyn now held of them, to Robert de Hagham and his wife Idonea, for their lives. The seld lay between 16 to the W., 14 to the E., and part of 13 to the S. De Hagham and Idonia thereupon granted the same back to Edward and Sarah, in return for a rent of £40 for life. Richard Constantyne held the property to the N. of 13 in 1323. (fn. 1)

By 1341 Edward le Blount, kt., had granted 15 to Ralph de Upton, citizen and draper, who by his will, dated 1341 and proved 1342, left the seld so acquired to his wife Margaret for life, with remainder for sale. Ralph de Upton also held 2 shops adjoining the N. part of 13, possibly part of that tenement from which a rent of £1. 6s. 8d. was owed to William de Causton in 1354. In 1342 de Causton's executors sold the reversion after Margaret's death to John de Teuesham, canon of St. Paul's. Later that year Margaret, widow of Ralph de Upton, granted the selds with solars and stall(s) in the parish of St. Mary le Bow, which her husband had left her, to Ivo de Glyntone and Peter de Gildesburgh, clerks, to hold for her life, and also sold them all her goods and chattels in the same, to Sir Bartholomew de Burgherssh, kt., to hold the properties for Margaret's life. In 1343 John de Teuesham granted his reversionary interest in the selds, solars and stall late of Ralph de Upton to de Burgherssh, and quitclaimed in the same, as did Ralph de Upton's executors. (fn. 2)

In 1344 Bartholomew de Burgherssh, kt., senior (d. 1355), granted to Walter de Freston and his wife Margaret, late the wife of Ralph de Upton, all his tenements and rents in London late of Ralph, to hold for their lives, with reversion on the death of the survivor to the grantor and his heirs, and rendering yearly at the Nativity of St. John the Baptist 4 ells of good cloth for a supertunic for summer, with one hood and a pair of hose. De Freston and Margaret had either died or surrendered their interest by 1349, when de Burgherssh leased to John de Abyndon, citizen and draper, his tenements and rents in the parish of St. Mary le Bow in the market of Westchepe, and elsewhere, for 5 years, at 40 marks (£26. 13s. 4d.) rent, the lessee to maintain against wind, ruin through age or fire started elsewhere excepted. John de Abyndon was actually holding a shop to the N. of 13 in 1348. The interest of Sir Robert de Hagham in a rent of £40 granted for his life in 1320 seems to have been in force in 1352, when Queen Philippa granted to her damsel Lucy de Geynesburgh certain rents granted to her by Sir Robert de Hagham, kt., including 10 marks (£6. 13s. 4d.) p.a. for Robert's life from a tenement in the parish of St. Mary le Bow, London, which he and his wife Idonia, now dead, leased to John de Abyngdon for their lives (sic). (fn. 3)

In 1356-8 the tenement of William de Welde, possibly a tenant of Burgherssh, lay to the W. of 15. The seld of Sir Bartholomew de Burgherssh (the younger, d. 1369) lay to the E. of 16 in 1357 and 1362. By 1369 the property was held by Walter Blont or le Blound, who then or later leased it to John Shelford, draper. In 1391 Thomas son of Walter le Blount granted the rent and reversion of the shop in Cheap which John Shelford held for a further 14 years, by lease of Walter, at 11 marks (£7. 6s. 8d.) rent, and numerous other properties, to Hugh Peyntour, parson of the church of Landeveillok (? Landewednack, Cornwall), Robert Bamburgh, late vicar of Braughing (Herts.), and William Grey. The shop lay between the tenements of John Bures (14 and 16) to E. and W. In 1397 Peyntour, Bamburgh, and Grey granted the reversion of 15 and other properties to William Blakelowe, Thomas Baud, John Drapere, and John atte Felde of Stondon (Herts.). In 1409, when Shelford's term had ended and their co-feoffees had died, Baud and Blakelowe granted the shop in Cheap, with houses and solar over, to Joan Blount, widow of Thomas, to hold for life, with remainder to John Wyot, draper, William Marcheford, John Knottinglee, mercers, and Richard Osbarn, citizens, and John Bungey, clerk. (fn. 4)

There are few references to this property in the 15th century. In the early years it was referred to in abutments 'late of Walter le Blound'. In 1433 it was referred to as the seld once of John le Blound, after of Walter de Blound, and now of John Wyot, draper. Wyot died in 1448, leaving his shop with houses and solars over to be sold. John Derby, alderman, was to be favoured in this sale and seems to have acquired the property for he was later said to have paid quit-rent for it (cf. below). (fn. 5)

15 may have been the property in St. Mary le Bow parish which Richard Baret, citizen and haberdasher, left by his will dated 1482 to his wife Scolast for life, with remainder successively in tail to his son Bartholomew, his unborn child if male, and his 6 daughters. If so, the William Baret of Monmouth in Herefordshire who held 15 in 1518 may have been the son or grandson of Richard. In 1518 this William granted to Richard Gervis, citizen and mercer, his tenement with shops, cellars, solars and galleries (galerias) in Cheapside in the parish of St. Mary le Bow, between 16 to the W., 13 to the S., and 14 and the churchyard of St. Mary le Bow to the E., in which Richard Colier, citizen and mercer, now lived. Later that year Colier, Edmund Wotton, William Loke, and John Gunne recovered one messuage with 2 shops, 3 cellars, and a vacant plot, against Richard Gervis, who called William Barrett to warrant. The recovery seems to have been to the use of Richard Collier, who by his will of 1533 left his tenement called the Sun in the parish of St. Mary le Bow to be sold by his executors, the proceeds to go in keeping a free school at Horsham (Sussex). The property was later in the possession of Sir Michael Dormer, kt. and alderman, who had married Collier's widow (cf. 145/10). On his death in 1545 Dormer held the 'Soone' in Cheap in the parish of St. Mary le Bow, and left it to his son John Dormer and his heirs in tail. It was valued at £13. 6s. 5d. p.a. In 1547 John Ode, mercer, lived in the Sun in Cheap, which Thomas Knowelles, mercer, took by lease: a dispute between them was referred to the Mercers' Company. The dispute may relate to this property and perhaps was referred to the company because all the interested parties (including John Dormer) were mercers. In 1559 Edward Tayllor, leatherseller, and Richard Rutter, clothworker, citizens, recovered a messuage in the parish of St. Mary le Bow in Cordwainder Street ward, of which John Wheler, citizen and clothworker, had deforced them. John Dormer, citizen and mercer, was called to warrant by the deforciant. (fn. 6)

The descent of the quit-rents

St. Bartholomew's Priory, which had an interest in 16, also had a rent from 15. A rental of 1306 mentions a 15s. rent due to the kitchener from the seld of Edward le Blunt; 8s. p.a. was repaid to the heir of Edward for a shop in Westchepe according to the same rental. In 1535-6 and 1538 a rent of 7s. 6d. was said to be due from William Barrett for a tenement in the parish of St. Mary le Bow in Westchepe, sometime of John Derby, in arrears since 1517. (fn. 7)

Seventeenth century

Little is known of the tenement after 1559. The occupant in 1638 was probably Mr. Darling, tithe-payer for a tenement worth £40, next to Mr. Riley and Mrs. Glover (14). In 1652 15 belonged to Thomas Hoskins, who leased it, by the name of the Sun in Cheapside in the parish of St. Mary le Bow, to Richard Hilliar, for 25 1/2 years, at a fine of £100 and rent of £60, together with certain presses, chests, and boxes. In 1666 Richard Hillier, 'bodyes seller', occupied this house, with 7 hearths. At the time of the Fire the reversion was held by Anne Hoskins, widow of Thomas, for life, with remainder to their infant son Charles. Hilliar was unwilling to rebuild without substantial encouragement, and after the parties had recourse to the Fire Court it was decreed in February 1668 that the rent should be reduced to £30 and Hilliar's term extended by 40 years, and that he should rebuild at his own cost, which he had alleged would be £700. A foundation was surveyed for him in Cheapside in November 1668, between the Drapers' Company (14) and Bow churchyard to the E., Mr. Throughbridge (16) to the W., and parish land (13) to the S. The site was 50 ft. 6 in. (15.39 m.) long N.-S. and measured 20 ft. 3 in. (6.17 m.) on Cheapside. It was enlarged by the addition of a strip taken out of Cheapside 4 ft. 8 in. to 5 ft. wide (1.42 m. to 1.52 m.) and the width of the property, but it is not clear which of the parties paid for this improvement. (fn. 8) Hiller or Hilliard was also the tenant of 13C (q.v.).