St. Mary Colechurch 105/6

Introduction

This tenement lay on the E. side of Bordhaw Lane, between 5 to the S., 7 to the N., and 10 to the E. Its site in 1858 was represented by part of no. 5 Bird in Hand Court.

In the mid to late 13th century Adam de Benetleya, goldsmith, and his wife Maud had quit-rents and interests in several properties on the E. side of Bordhaw Lane, some or all of which had formerly belonged to Thomas Adrian son of John Adrian and of his wife Joan, daughter of Gerard Bat. These quit-rents and interests then passed to Adam de Clyve, son of Robert le Sumeter, who granted them before 1271 to Hugh de Rokyngeham, goldsmith. One of these rents or interests was in a house in Bordhaw Lane, between the lane on the W., the house of Roger le Avener (7) on the N., the tenement of John de Gisors (10) on the E., and the tenement of St. Mary Spital (5) on the S. Alan de Benetleya then quitclaimed in all these rents. In 1271 Hugh de Rokingham, who owed John de Frowyk, son of Geoffrey de Frowyk, £5. 6s. 8d. (8 marks) quit-rent yearly for 3 shops in orfauer London', granted John power to distrain in his tenements in Colechurch, especially in 9 and in his house and solar in Bordhaw (Wordhawe) Lane, between 7 to the N. and 5 to the S. Possibly 6 was the shop in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, held by Stephen le Ferron of Hugh de Rokyngham, which the latter left in his will proved in 1275 to his daughter Agnes in tail, with remainder to his own nearest heirs. In 1283 Dionis le Orbatur and his wife Agnes, daughter of Hugh de Rokingeham, granted to William Cosyn, armourer, the house which Hugh left to Agnes for her dowry, apud Bordhawe in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch. The house lay between the tenements of John Patrik on the N., E. and S. (he held 105/7, 145/16, and 105/4 and possibly 5) and extended towards Cheapside (possibly meaning it abutted on the lane extending towards Cheapside) to the W. (fn. 1)

The immediate succession to the property is not known, but by 1297 it was held by Thomas de Chigwell, according to an abutment given for 7. In 1317 it was described as the tenement formerly of Thomas de Chigwell, and in 1330, 1334, and 1339 as the tenement of Thomas de Kestevene, sometime of Thomas de Chikkewell. In 1354 William, son and heir of Thomas de Kestevene, late citizen and armourer, granted his tenement with houses in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, which he inherited from his father and which the latter had by the grant of William de Causton, to William de Hathfeld, citizen and chandler. The property lay between Bordhaw Lane to the W., 7 to the N., 10 to the E., and 5 to the S. William de Hathfeld does not seem to have held this tenement at the time he made his will in July 1368, and in a deed of May 1368, relating to 7, 6 was described as lately of William Hathfeld and lately of Thomas de Kestevene. It may therefore have been the tenement in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, worth £2. 6s. 8d. p.a., which Richard Tyngewyk, ironmonger, citizen, held at the time of his death in 1367. William Tyngewyk his brother took possession after Richard's death, but because the latter was a bastard without heirs the tenement escheated to the Crown. (fn. 2)

In 1371 Edward III granted the tenement to his servant Jordan de Barton, for life. Jordan had died by 1385, when Richard II granted the same tenement, now said to lie in Bordhaw Lane and to be worth only £2 p.a., to his servant William de la Beek, for life. In 1398 it was held by William, Bordeaux Herald (a new heraldry created in 1389), who may be identical with William de la Beek. In February 1399 Richard II granted the house in Bordhaw Lane which Bordeaux Herald, now dead, had held for life by his grant, to Richard Elys and John Glanton, grooms of the chamber, to hold for their lives in survivorship. The grant was to the value of 2 marks (£1. 6s. 8d.) yearly, and any surplus was to be accounted for at the Exchequer. Either this last grant was surrendered or cancelled, or Elys and Glanton were both dead by November 1399, when Henry IV granted the house in Bordhaw Lane, late held by Bordeaux Herald, to his servant John Midelham and his heirs. John Midelam granted the property to Walter Caketon, citizen and setter, who by his will of 1431, proved 1434, left all his lands and tenements in Barthawelane to his executors for sale. John Aylewyn, citizen and stationer, and Thomas Halle, fuller of Southwark, executors of Walter Caketon, sold the tenement in 1434 to John Preston, clerk, John Brian of London, and William Sigle, citizen and pulter. Thomas Halle and his wife Alice, niece and heir of Walter Caketon, quitclaimed in the same. The property then seems to have been granted back to John Aylewyn, citizen and tyxtewriter alias stacyoner, who by his will dated and proved in 1436 left his rents etc. in Barthawelane in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch to his wife Joan for life, with remainder to their unborn child in tail, and then to Katherine Halle, daughter of Thomas Halle, fuller of Southwark, in tail, and then to other members of her family. In 1451 John Burveyn held the tenement to the S. of 7; the tenement to the W. of part of 10 was described as late of Alexander Marlowe and late of John Aylewyn in 1452, 1456, and 1460. (fn. 3)

By 1472 6 was again held by the Crown. Edward IV granted the house or tenement within Bordhaw Lane in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, which John Myddelham lately held by the grant of Henry IV, to Thomas Twysday and Robert Turke, pages of the king's chamber, for life. It was probably 6, described as a vacant tenement in Bordhaw Lane, (formerly) held by Henry VI in right of the Crown, which Henry VIII granted to Thomas Raymond, grocer of London, in fee in 1514, to hold from 1485 (sic). It is also probable that 6 (and possiby 7, the later history of which is not otherwise known) was or were the two tofts in Brodhawelane or Borthalane in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, which Robert Downe, Nicholas Rutland, Richard Jakman, John Wenden, and John Fyssher recovered by writ of right in the Husting against John Rodys and his wife Margaret in 1532; John Raymond, gentleman, was called to warrant. This recovery was evidently to the use of Robert Downe, citizen and ironmonger. On his death in 1556 Downe held 3 and 4-5, and one tenement or toft or parcel of waste land, sometime built in 2 several parts lying together and being only one whole curtilage in Bordhaw Lane, which he had acquired in 1532 from John Roodes of Stansted, Herts., gentleman, by indenture. Downe left all these properties to his wife Margery for life, and then to his daughter Anne and her husband Richard Chamberleyn. (fn. 4)

For the later history of this property, see under 4.