St. Mary Colechurch 105/8

Introduction

This tenement lay on the E. side of Bordhaw Lane, bounded to the S. by 7 and separated from Cheapside to the N. by a row of 5 shops (9A-E), which may originally have been part of the same. 8 had a door to Cheapside between two of the shops and was sometimes said to be 'in Westcheap'. In the 14th century all the shops except 9A came back into the same ownership as 8.

In 1858 the site of 8 and 9 was represented by nos. 77-8 Cheapside.

Thirteenth to fifteenth century

Before the mid 13th century both 8 and 9 were held by Thomas son of John Adrian, and probably before that by Gerard Bat, sheriff 1232-3. In 1258 Serlo de la Bordhawe granted a quit-rent of 13s. 4d. (1 mark) to the dean and chapter of St. Paul's, from his tenement in la Bordhawe in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, which he held of Thomas son of John Adrian, spicer (spicenar'). The tenement lay between the land sometime of Alexander Wranch to the S. and the land sometime of Richard son of Michael to the N. In or before 1271, the tenement sometime of Serlo de la Bordhawe was said to be to the S. of 9 (the 5 shops sometime of Thomas Adrian son of John Adrian and of Joan his wife, daughter of the late Gerard Bat). Adam de Clyve, son of Robert le Sumeter, granted 9 and 6 and 12s. rent from 8, and rents from 7 and 4, to Hugh de Rokyngeham, citizen and goldsmith. The rents and tenements had formerly been held by Adam de Benetleya, goldsmith, and his wife Maud. Alan de Benetleya, goldsmith, quitclaimed in the tenements and rents to Hugh de Rokyngeham. These transactions must have taken place before 1271: in that year Hugh held the tenements and rents in question and granted to John de Frowyk son of Geoffrey de Frowyk the right to distrain in them for arrears of a rent elsewhere. (fn. 1)

Hugh de Rokyngeham acquired 8 as well as the rent therefrom, and by his will of 1275 left it, described as his tavern scilicet selar' in the parish of Colechurch, to his wife Christina for life, with remainder to his nearest heirs. Richard de Rokyngeham appears to have been the eldest of Hugh's 4 sons, and most of 9A-E also came to him. In 1316 Richard de Rokyngham, goldsmith (orfeure), granted to Richard Denys, citizen and goldbeater (orbatour), the shop underneath his tenement in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, apparently as security for a loan or bond of £4. 13s. 4d. (7 marks), subsequently increased to £5. 6s. 8d. (8 marks). If de Rokyngham failed to repay this sum, Denys was to keep the shop, paying the sum of £2 to de Rokyngham en auoytement de la dite gerisoun. This shop was probably some part of 9. In 1323 Richard de Rokyngham, citizen and goldsmith, granted 8 to Richard Denys, citizen and goldsmith, describing it as his tavern with cellars, solar(s), etc., in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, between Bordhaw lane to the W., Cheapside to the N., 10 to the E. and 7 to the S. He also granted him the reversion of a shop (? 9C) which his brother Henry de Rokyngham then held, on the W. side of the entry to the tavern. By 1339 Richard Denys appears to have held 8 and 9C-E. He granted £1 quit-rent to Henry de Rokyngham, citizen, for life, charged on his tenements with houses, cellars, solars, etc., in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, between 9A, 9B, and Bordhaw Lane to the W., Cheapside to the N., 10 to the E., and 7 to the S. By his will of 1339, proved in 1340, Richard Denys left his tenements at the Conduit, opposite the church of St. Thomas of Acre, to his wife Rose for life, with remainder to his son Richard. The tenements were charged with rents of £4 (6 marks) each to the testator's sons Thomas and John, in tail, with remainder to his nearest heirs. In 1344 Andrew de Rokyngham, son of Richard, quitclaimed to Rose, widow of Richard Denys, and to Richard, son of Rose and Richard Denys, in all the properties which Richard de Rokyngham had granted Richard Denys, between Bordhaw Lane to the W., Cheapside to the N., 10 to the E. and 7 to the S. 9A and 9B were still held separately, though this quitclaim appears to ignore them. (fn. 2)

It is not clear how the tenement descended in the next few years. John Mapelesdone was given as the N. neighbour of 7 and the S. neighbour of 9A in 1368; he appears to have held the property earlier, before entering on a series of transactions whose purpose is not clear. In 1362 John Mapelesdone, goldsmith, and his wife Alice brought a plea of intrusion concerning their tenements in the parishes of St. Mary Colechurch and St. Vedast against Robert Kayton, Richard Lamb, Robert Downham, Ralph Brunham, John Grove, John Walsyngham, Nicholas Walle, and Nicholas Twyford. Robert de Kayton brought a similar plea against John de Mapelesdene and Alice and William de Hatfeld, goldsmith. The pleas were not prosecuted so it is not clear what their purpose was, but by 1364 Robert de Cayton had obtained the properties. In that year he granted all his tenements and rents in the parishes of St. Mary Colechurch, St. Vedast, and Stepney, which he had acquired from Richard Lamb, citizen and mercer, to Sir John de Clifton, rector of All Hallows Bread Street, and Sir William Howe, chaplain. John de Mapelesdene and his wife Alice then quitclaimed in the same property. John de Mapelesdone appears to have held the property in 1368, however, and Alice de Mapeleden held it in 1370. By 1375 the tenements in St. Mary Colechurch parish, St. Vedast, and elsewhere were held by William Stamynden, citizen and goldsmith, and his wife Alice, in the latters's right. She was later identified as the widow of John Mapelesden. They granted them to Sir John Lynton, rector of St. Vedast, John Adam, and Thomas Polle, goldsmiths, on condition that if Alice recovered from her present infirmity, they were to re-enfeoff her with some of the tenements to hold to herself and her heirs, and William and Alice with the others, including the tenement in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, to hold to them, their heirs and assigns. Other dispositions were to be made if she died. Alice recovered and six weeks after the previous grant she and William were re-enfeoffed with the tenements in the parishes of St. Vedast and St. Mary Colechurch. (fn. 3)

In 1378 Peter Grubbe, citizen and fishmonger, and his wife Juliana, daughter and heir of Alice, late the wife of William Stamendene, citizen and goldsmith, quitclaimed to him in the lands, tenements, houses, shops, solar(s), cellar(s), etc. which he had in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch opposite the Conduit and in the parish of St. Vedast. In 1379 William Stamenden leased the shop with houses over (? all or only part of 8, 9C-E) at the Conduit to John Garnet, citizen and tailor, and his wife Alice, who already lived there, to hold for 40 years at £4 rent. William was to maintain and repair the tenement against wind and rain, and to have the privy cleansed, but John and Alice were liable for any damage caused by them and theirs, for which they made a bond of £2. 8 was described as the tenement of William Stamynden in 1380. (fn. 4)

By his will of 1396 William Stamelden required John Lynton, rector of St. Vedast, and John Broker, apparently his feoffees, to enfeoff Henry Bamme, John Carbonell, and Thomas Hayz (who were also his executors) with his tenements in the parishes of St. Vedast, St. Mary Colechurch, and Poplar. They were to find a chaplain to celebrate in St. Vedast's church for his soul, and to pay 10 marks (£6. 13s. 4d.) p.a. to William's wife Thomasina for life; after her death the London property was to remain to the wardens of the Goldsmiths' Company (custodes artis aurifabrie) to find a chaplain as above and to keep his obit. Lynton apparently granted the properties to Henry Jolipas, clerk, to whom John Brokere quitclaimed in July 1397. In September Henry Jolypas granted a rent of 10 marks (£6. 13s. 4d.) from his tenements in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, between the street to the N., 10 to the E., and 7 and 9A to the W. and S., to Robert Fordham, citizen and goldsmith, and his wife Thomasina, presumably William Stamelden's widow, for her life. In November 1397 John Brokere and his wife Agatha quitclaimed to Henry Jolipas again, in 3 shops (9C-E) with a solar over the shop sometime of Thomas de Thame (9B), and a house (8) in Burdellane, between 10 to the E., 9A to the W, 7 to the S., and 9A and Cheapside to the N. (fn. 5)

In January 1398 Henry Jolypas granted the house and shops, described as above, to John Carbonell, citizen and goldsmith, and quitclaimed in the same property. Andrew Pycot, citizen and goldsmith, kinsman of William Stamelden, quitclaimed to Carbonell in tenements in the parishes of St. Vedast and St. Mary Colechurch in 1398, and John Fightere of Acton, Middx., and his wife Alice, kinswoman of William Stamelden, quitclaimed in 1402. John Carbonell held the tenement(s) to the N. of 7 and to the S. and E. of 9A in 1403. Carbonell had also acquired 9B (q.v.). In his will of 1405, proved 1406, he left his 3 shops with solars over, and the solar over 9B, and the house in Burdellane, with bounds as before, to the wardens of the Goldsmiths' Company, with other properties, to find a chaplain in St. Vedast for the souls of John Maplesden, William Stamelden, their wife Alice, and himself. Part at least of 9 was held by Thomas Clerk, citizen and tailor. Carbonell left 9B to his son John in tail, with ultimate remainder to the Goldsmiths' Company: it came into their possession in 1426. (fn. 6)

Quit rent from 8 and possibly 9

In 1316 John de Collecestre, tiler (tegulator), of London granted 8s. quit-rent to Roger de Southcote, citizen, and his wife Isabel, from the tenement of Richard de Rokyngham in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch. This tenement lay between Bordhaw Lane to the W., the street to the N., 10 to the E., and the tenement of Geoffrey de Bramdon (known to hold 3, but not otherwise recorded as a landowner in ths area) to the S. The rent had been granted to John de Collecestre by John de Bordhawe. It is not certain whether the rent was due from 8 alone, which had a door (see 9D) to Cheapside and was therefore sometimes said to abut N. on the street, or from 9 as well, parts of which belonged to Richard de Rokyngham. In 1325 Roger de Suthcote distrained in Richard Deny's tenement in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch for 2 3/4 years' arrears of 8s. rent, of which he and his wife Isabel had been seised by the hands of Richard de Rokyngham. Richard denied that Roger and Isabel had been seised, but Roger said that after a plea of disseisin before the justices in eyre in 1321 he had recovered the rent and the arrears then due. Richard said that that case had concerned different properties. This case was not concluded, but it seems probable that Roger recovered the rent. In 1355 Thomas de Morlee brought a plea of intrusion probably for disseisin of rent, concerning his free tenement in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, against John Tyntegel, Thomas son of William de Cornewaille, Robert de Thame, his son William, and William's wife Juliana (owners of 9B), and John Boton and his wife Margaret (holders of 7 and 9A). This does suggest that 9 was also charged with the rent. In 1368 the executors of Thomas de Morle sold several rents, including 8s. from the tenement sometime of Richard de Rokyngham in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, now held by Alice de Mapelden, to John Tornegold, citizen and alderman. The bounds of the tenement were given as in 1316. The later history of this rent is not known. (fn. 7)

Fifteenth and sixteenth centuries: 8 and 9

The property held by the Goldsmiths' Company after 1426 consisted of 8 and 9B-E. 9A was a separate property until 1451 at least, but it is not clear what happened to it (and 7) after that. There is no separate reference to it later and it seems probable that it was incorporated into 8 and 9B-E, but the documentation is so sparse that no firm conclusion can be drawn. Several properties within Bordhaw Lane had fallen into ruin and become empty plots by the mid-16th century (cf. 3-6), but this does not seem to have happened to the Goldsmiths' property. (fn. 8)

In 1497 the Goldsmiths' Company had 4 tenements at the Great Conduit worth £8 p.a. in all. Two of these, listed as 'Stapylden's lands', were held by John Wodall, cook, at £2. 6s. 8d., and William Thorpe, at £2, and the other two, listed as 'proper lands', were described as a tenement and a cellar, held by John Halle, sergeant, at £3 rent, and a tenement that John Savage occupied, at 13s. 4d. rent. The net income was reduced by a charge of £4. 13s. 4d. for a priest and obit, and by the fact that one of the properties, possibly the last-mentioned one, was vacant. Repairs to 'Stapylden's lands' at the Conduit and Gutter Lane came to 16s. 8 1/2d. in 1497-8. In 1511 the rector and churchwardens of St. Vedast entered the tenements at the Great Conduit, probably to recover their rent. William Aldrich held a tenement at the Great Conduit in 1517, when Thomas Notte, grocer, was granted the next 'avoydans' of the same; Notte offered to pay £4, presumably as a fine, and do as anyone else would. In 1535 Richard Grafton, grocer, tenant of the two tenements at the Conduit which William Wroo, grocer, now dead, had held on lease, surrendered that lease in return for a new one, for which he paid £4 as a fine or income for the house he lived in and 2s. 8d. for sealing. The occupant of the second house was probably John Myrffyn: see 8-9B below. (fn. 9)

In 1548 the Goldsmiths' Company's estate included lands and tenements given by William Stamelden for a priest in St. Vedast, worth £7. 6s. 8d. p.a (equal to the rents of £2. 6s. 8d. and £2 at the Conduit, and £3 in Gutter Lane, listed in 1497), of which the whole income was spent on the priest's salary (£6. 13s. 4d.) and the obit (13s. 4d.). It is not clear under what heading the other properties were recorded in the Chantry Certificate, if indeed they were. A charge of £3. 0s. 4d. for four unspecified obits, with no lands, was noted in the certificate: this seems to correspond with the rent of that amount, recorded in 1550, said to be formerly belonging to the Goldsmiths, and said to be charged on messuages in the parishes of St. Mary Colechurch, St. Peter Wood Street, St. Vedast, and St. Botolph Billingsgate, for the obits of Simon le Macerer, Christopher Ellyotte, and Robert Johnson, which Edward VI then granted to Augustine Hynde, Richard Turke, and William Blackwell. It is not clear what connection this had with 105/8-9, though the Goldsmiths are not known to have had any interest elsewhere in the parish. The £7. 6s. 8d. chantry rent from Stamelden's property was granted to Hynde, Turke, and Blackwell at the same time. In 1549, however, the Goldsmiths had concluded that it would be necessary to sell some of their lands in order to raise money to redeem the chantry charges from the rest of the estate. The decision on which lands to sell, and the sales themselves, are not recorded in the Goldsmiths' records, but it seems clear that 105/8-9 was among the lands sold. The purchaser is not known. (fn. 10)

In 1582 messuages and tenements in the parishes of St. Mary Colechurch, St. Vedast, and St. Magnus, given by William Stamelden and John Carbonell for a priest and obit in St. Vedast, were included in a large number of allegedly 'concealed' lands in London which the Queen granted to Theophilus Adams and James Woodshawe. In 1586 Adams and Woodshawe sold them all to Robert Offley, Andrew Palmer, William Megges, Humphrey Huntley, (Sir) Richard Saltonstall, citizen and skinner, and Richard Hale, citizen and grocer. By 1600 Offley, Palmer, Megges, and Huntley were dead, and Saltonstall and Hale sold the lands to John Garrard, Thomas Lowe, Edward Holmden, Thomas Smithe, Thomas Camble, Humphrey Welde, citizens and aldermen, and Robert Offley, haberdasher, William Megges, draper, Richard Wiche, skinner, and Edward Cage, grocer, citizens. It is unlikely that any effective claim was made to 8-9 by reason of these grants. (fn. 11)

Later sixteenth and seventeenth centuries: 8-9

Tithe and rate assessments, and the post-Fire rebuilding surveys, suggest that the Goldsmiths' former property was afterwards occupied, and probably owned, as two separate properties, both fronting Cheapside, the more westerly (8- 9A) lying next to Bordhaw Lane and the more easterly (8- 9B) next to 10A (q.v.).

8-9A

Philip Wendon held a property worth £6 p.a. in 1558; from its position in the tithe assessment list it appears to have been to the W. of the tenement to the W. of 10A. In 1571 this property was held by Philip Mason. In 1574 Philip Mason, his wife, and 2 servants were communicants. It is possible that this was the great messuage in Cheapside in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch rented as two tenements with shops, solars, cellars, etc., which William Cosuall of the Middle Temple, gentleman, son and heir of Thomas Cosuall, late citizen and grocer, sold to Hugh Morgan, citizen and grocer, in 1578. In 1585 Morgan and his wife Lucy granted the same property, now occupied by David Lynne, girdler, and William Pitchforde, grocer, to Bartholomew Barnes, citizen and mercer. Mr. Pitchford was a tithe-payer in this part of the parish in 1602, and by his will of 1609 William Pitchforde left his term of years in his late dwellinghouse near the Great Conduit in Cheapside to his wife Elizabeth. It does not seem possible to identify the tenement with certainty in later tithe and rate assessments, but it may have been that occupied by Mr. Wilson, valued at £24 p.a., in 1638. Joseph Richardson occupied a house with 6 hearths, probably identical with 8-9A, in 1662-3 and 1666. Two foundations, one on the W. side of 'Boardhall Lane' (see 2) and one on the E. side (8-9A) were surveyed for him in 1669. (fn. 12)

8-9B

The more easterly part of 8-9 was held in 1552 by John Myrfyn, cook, who may have bought it from the Goldsmiths. He lived in the parish, probably in this house, as early as 1541. By his will dated and proved in 1552 he left the tenement in which he lived in the parish of Colechurch to his wife Ellyn for life, with remainder to his brother George and his issue, with remainder to his kinswoman Katharine Clerk and her heirs for ever. In 1570 John Myrffyn of Epworth in the Isle of Axholme, Lincolnshire, probably the elder son and heir of George Myrfyn, leased the house with one cellar, [illegible], loft, and shops in Cheapside near the Great Conduit, which his uncle John Myrffyn, cook, had left him, to his brother Robert Myrffyn, citizen and cook, to hold for 21 years from the death of Ellyn, widow of John Myrffyn the uncle, at £3 rent. Robert Murfyn held this property, then valued at £4 p.a. in 1571, and in 1575 the W. abutment of 10A was given as a tenement now a cookhouse (domus coquinar') held by Robert Murffyn. It is not certain who held the property after this. In 1612 it may have been Abraham Webb, and in 1618 Daniel Darnelly. Mr. Webb was tithepayer for the property apparently next to 10A, in 1638, when it was valued at £24 p.a. The occupant in 1662-3 and 1666 may have been Francis Hall, who had a house with 8 hearths apparently close to 10A and 8-9A, and whose house was burnt down in the Great Fire. Katherine Matenly had a house next to Hall's, with 2 hearths, in 1662-3 and 1666; possibly this was a part of his house. She was described as Widow Mattingly, pauper, in 1666, and is probably identical with the widow of John Mattingly who had earlier occupied 3B. After the Fire the foundation was surveyed twice, firstly in November 1668 for Francis Copinger, and secondly in May 1669 for Mr. Waggstaffe, Waggstaffe was given as the abutment for 8-9A and 10A in 1669. (fn. 13)