St. Mary Colechurch 105/33

Introduction

This property lay between 32B to the W. and 34 to the E., facing N. on to the street known as Poultry and backing S. on 26. It was one of 8 stone shops, in front of and originally part of 26.

In 1858 part of the site of 33-4 was within that of no. 6 Poultry.

33: thirteenth to fifteenth century

33 was probably the fourth shop from the W. in the row of 8 stone shops in ferronaria (31-35) granted in 1220-2 by Matthew Blund, who held 26 (q.v.), to Clerkenwell Priory. This shop measured 2 3/8 ells 3 in. (7 ft. 4 1/2 in.; 2.25 m.) in width and 5 7/8 ells (17 ft. 7 1/2 in.; 5.37 m.) in length, and the solar over measured the same. Between 1231 and 1245 the prioress and convent of Clerkenwell granted to Peter de Ewree the shop which Philip the ironmonger held of them in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, between the shop which John Hervi held of them (34) to the E. and the shop of Gilbert the ironmonger (32A or B) to the W. Peter and his heirs were to hold for ever, for 13s. 4d. (1 mark) paid yearly. He or his heirs could not sell or mortgage to Jews or another religious house, and if they wished to sell then Clerkenwell was to be favoured by 1 gold besant in the price. Peter was to repair and maintain the shop, and if through waste or enclosure it became impossible for Clerkenwell to distrain for arrears in it, they were to be entitled to distrain in the shops which the said John (? Hervi) held of them, by his goodwill. The priory was not to dispossess Peter or his heirs, nor claim anything more than the 13s. 4d. rent. Peter gave 10s. as a gersum. (fn. 1)

In 1275-6 Henry de Evere, late ironmonger, (nuper ferrar') granted to John de Riplawe, ironmonger, his shop and solar in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch between the shop of Andrew le Bret (? 32B) to the W., the shop of John son of Thomas de Mimes (34) to the E., the highway to the N. and 26 to the S. De Riplawe paid £10 as a gersum and was to render a clove of gillyflower (gariophil') to the grantor and 1 mark (13s. 4d.) to the nuns of Clerkenwell yearly. The form of the grantor's name on his seal is Henry D'HEVER. This suggests an association between a family of ironmongers and Hever, which lies in an area of Kent where ironworking was widespread. On the other hand, the more usual spelling of the personal name (de Eure) indicates that the place from which it was derived is more likely to have been Iver (Bucks). In 1305 John de Rippelawe, citizen and ironmonger, granted 33 to Robert de Farenberwe, citizen and spurrier (sporarius) describing it as all his shop and solar in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch which he had by the grant of Henry de Evere, late citizen. The grantee was to render a clove of gillyflower to the grantors and one mark to the nuns of Clerkenwell yearly. Robert appears to have occupied this property in 1306, when the owners of part of 35 complained that their neighbours John de Cotes (? 34), Robert de Farweberwe, and Walter de Bardeneye and Alice de Reyle (tenant and owner of 32A) had altered their gutters, causing rainwater from their tenements and 26 to flow onto 35. In 1315 Nutonus, son of the late Henry de Eure, quitclaimed in the shop to Robert de Farnbergh, citizen and smith. (fn. 2)

The property appears to have descended in the de Farnbergh family during the 14th century. In 1378 Thomas de Farneburgh, citizen, granted to John Salle, citizen and cutler, and his wife Margaret, all the tenement and houses in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch which he inherited on the death of Alice mother of Salamon de Farneburgh, his father. The abutments were those given above. John de Farneburgh, citizen, brother of Thomas de Farneburgh, quitclaimed in the same. In 1378 John Salle held one of the tenements (the other being 32B) lying to the E. of 32A. In 1391 Salle granted the tenement, described as before, which he and his late wife Margaret had acquired jointly from Thomas de Farneburgh, to Thomas Gardiner and Richard Brunham, chaplains, who granted the same back to him in 1394. Salle thereupon granted it to John Fraunkeleyn, citizen and draper, and his wife Cecilia. In 1402 John Fraunkeleyn and Cecilia granted to Geoffrey Grymelford, citizen, John Depham, clerk, and Richard Person, citizen, their tenement with houses, between the entry to the tenement of Adam Fraunceys (32B) and the solar late of Simon Wynchecombe (32A) over the entry, to the W., 34 to the E., 26 to the S. and the street to the N. Grymelford and Depham either died or quitclaimed to Person, who in 1430, described as citizen and armourer, granted this tenement to Richard Osbarn, John Carpenter the younger, citizens, William Pope, citizen and shearman, Master William Lycchefeld, clerk, Robert Fitz Robert, Thomas Godyng, citizen and brewer, Richard Rogeron of Hunden, Suffolk, wolleman, and William Harry, tailor. Pope died and the last 5 feoffees released their right to Osbarn and Carpenter, who granted all the properties back to Richard Person, citizen and armourer, in 1433. (fn. 3)

By his will of 1446, proved 1448, Richard Person, citizen and armourer, left several properties and rents, including this tenement in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch, with bounds as before, to his wife Joan for life, with remainder to Robert Nyk of Westminster and his wife Alice, the testator's daughter, and their son Richard Nyk, and the heirs and assigns of Alice for ever. In 1451 Richard Hayward, citizen and mercer, and his wife Alice, late wife of Robert Nik and daughter of Richard Person, granted the moiety of the properties left as above, and the reversion of the other moiety held for life by Richard Nik, with reversion to Alice, to William Clouer, Thomas Rikes, Richard Everley, John Dey, William Haxey, and John Upton. In 1452 these grantees regranted the same properties to Richard Hayward and his wife Alice and their heirs and assigns for ever. John Pallyngham may subsequently have held this property. By 1487 it was held by John Apseley, esquire, who in that year granted to Robert Hardyng, citizen and alderman, John Hardyng and Geoffrey Gough of London, goldsmiths, his tenement or messuage with houses, between 32 to the W., 34 to the E., 26 to the S., and the street to the N., to hold to the use of Geoffrey Gough, his heirs and assigns. In 1490 John Hardyng and Gough quitclaimed to Robert Hardyng in the same property. (fn. 4)

In 1500 Robert Hardyng, citizen and alderman, granted the same tenement to Thomas Rychemonde, clerk, William Ilger and John Pyke, goldsmiths, John Worsopp, court hand writer, and Robert Chaunterey, fishmonger, citizens. In 1520 Robert Colyer, citizen and mercer, and his wife Elizabeth granted to Alexander Plymley, citizen and mercer, and his wife Agnes, the moiety of a tenement or messuage with houses, formerly of Robert Hardyng, in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch with bounds as above. Possibly Elizabeth and Agnes were co-heirs to the property. Alexander Plymley held the tenement charged with 13s. 4d. quit-rent to Clerkenwell in 1524 and subsequent years. (fn. 5)

33: the descent of the quit-rent

The quit-rent of 13s. 4d. to Clerkenwell Priory, originating in the grant of 1231x45 to Peter de Ewree is recorded at intervals in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. It was reserved in the late 13th and early 14th century grants of the property (see above), and in 1392 John Salle owed this rent to the priory. In a rental of 1489-90 13s. 4d. was due from the tenement of John Pallyngham, formerly of Richard Person, formerly of J. Nowell, in the parish of St. Mary Colechurch; the name of Robert Heydyng (presumably for Hardyng), goldsmith, is added in a later hand. In 1524-5 13s. 4d. was due from the tenement now of Alexander Plomeley, formerly of Robert Hardyng, goldsmith, before of John Pallynham, before of John Nevell, before of Richard Person. Alexander Plomley was named in 1526-7, 1539-45, 1547 and until the end of the century as the rent-payer, first to Clerkenwell and subsequently to the Crown. It is not known when he personally ceased to pay. The rent was sold with other fee-farm rents to Brian Blomely of Barnard's Inn in 1651, when it was said to be due from a tenement late held by Alexander Plumeley, now by one Fletcher. The Crown recovered it after the Restoration, and in 1664 it was said to be due from one Robinson. (fn. 6)

33 and 34, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries

It is not clear what happened to 34 after the suppression of the chantries, but it seems probable that it was united with 33, and the 2 descended in the same way as the property in Coneyhope Lane, St. Mildred Poultry parish, which like 34 had belonged to the Corpus Christi fraternity. In 1558 33-4 was occupied by Humphrey Forde and valued at £4. 13s. 4d. p.a. In 1571-4 it was occupied by Nicholas Slany, who still held it in 1582 when it was worth £6. 13s. 4d. p.a. By his will, dated and proved in 1582, William Hobson, who had acquired the property in 1548 (see 33), left to his son Bartholomew Hobson the tenement representing 33-4, which was then known as the Maidenhead. In 1589-90 a Mr. Robinson was 'reputed to be' owner of the property adjoining 32, and the Robinson family continued to hold the freehold of 33-4 and the property in Coneyhope Lane. Mr. Vaughen occupied 33-4 in 1602, and John Vaughan, citizen and draper, was tenant in 1609, when Sir Thomas and Lady Muschamp, owners of 26, leased to him a warehouse or kitchen, part of 26E, under rooms remaining part of 26E, for 21 years, if Lady Muschamp should live so long, at £1. 6s. 8d. rent and £10 fine. They reserved access to the room for repairs and rebuilding, and also access to Poultry through Vaughan's house. Vaughan held this kitchen in 1623, and it probably occupied the area 15 ft. 9 in. (4.8 m.) to 16 ft. 5 in. (5 m.) E.-W. by 10 ft. 3 in. (3.12 m.) N.-S. at the E. end and 6 ft. 9 in. (2.06 m.) N.-S. at the W. end shown on the post-Fire foundation survey. The inhabitant of 33-34 in 1638, when it was valued at £12 p.a., was Mr. Fletcher. In 1646 William Robinson, citizen and mercer, owned the Coneyhope Lane property, and probably therefore also 105/33-34. Fletcher occupied this c. 1650, and in 1656, when William Robinson, gentleman, of Stanmore, Middlesex, conveyed his lands by fine to Edward Fenn of Staples Inn, to hold to the use of himself, his heirs and assigns, 33- 34 was described as a messuage or tenement called the Queen's Head in St. Mary Colechurch parish, now or late occupied by Fletcher. Robinson was named as the owner of 34 in a Crown rental of 1664 relating to former chantry properties. (fn. 7) According to the Hearth Tax lists, however, 33-4 was probably occupied in 1662-3, when it had 5 hearths, by John Heginbotham, and in 1666, when it had 6 hearths, by Mr. Perkins. (fn. 8)

William Robinson died in 1667 and the property descended to his 5 daughters, Barbara, wife of Thomas Frere, Katherine, wife of Baptist Piggott, Martha, wife of Henry Eve, D.D., Anne, wife of Thomas Woodroffe, and Mary, wife of Richard Michelborne. In 1668 33-34 was said to be late occupied by John Fletcher, barber, and now by Richard Michelburne. In 1669 a foundation was surveyed for Mr. Michelborow. This consisted of a plot corresponding in size to 2 of the 13th-century stone shops (33 and 34) and an irregularly-shaped plot behind probably corresponding to land leased or granted out of 26 (see above). A strip was cut off the front plot to widen Poultry, measuring 4 ft. 8 in. (1.42 m.) wide at the W. end at 3 ft. 3 in. (990 mm.) at the E. end, containing 56 sq. ft. (5.2 sq. m.). Mr. Michebourne was compensated for this in 1674. (fn. 9)

The property was part of that share of William Robinson's estate which passed to his daughter Mary and her husband Richard Michelborne, citizen and clothworker, and then to their daughter and heir Mary. This Mary married William Orde, citizen and stationer, and in 1697, as Orde's widow, was about to marry John Howe son of John Howe, citizen and draper. Her mother Mary was still alive in 1697, married to Peter Vink. The property, a messuage built at the expense of Richard Michelborne and now occupied by Joshua Sharp or his undertenants, formed part of the younger Mary's marriage settlement in 1697. (fn. 10)