St. Pancras Soper Lane 145/24

Introduction

This property was originally one shop, later divided into 2, and lay on the E. side of Soper Lane, between 23 to the S., 25 to the N., and 18 (or Popkirtle Lane) to the E. In the 17th century the whole property was 11 ft. 3 in. (3.43 m.) wide N.-S. and about 17 ft. (5.18 m.) deep E.-W.; this depth probably included the width of Popkirtle Lane, which by then had disappeared. (fn. 1)

In 1858 the site of the property lay within that of nos. 87-8 Queen Street.

Thirteenth to early sixteenth century

24

The earliest known holder of 24 was Thomas Heyron, in 1278-9, referred to in a deed relating to 23. 24 was later held by William le Callere, mercer, who by his will proved in 1289 left his shop to his wife Maud for life, so long as she remained unmarried and chaste. Maud la Keller' held it in 1298. In 1315 William's daughters Maud, wife of Robert Newcome, citizen and sealmaker (sigillarius), and Joan Osekyn, widow of Robert Osekyn, carpenter, divided 24 between them, the former having the N. part (24B, below) and the latter the S. part (24A). Their sister Lucy, wife of Laurence le Botoner, citizen and mercer, had houses in St. Michael Bassishaw as her share. (fn. 2)

24A

By her will proved in 1317, Joan Osekyn left her moiety of the shop in Soper Lane, St. Pancras parish, to her son Roger in tail, with remainder to her son Simon. For 8 years after her death a quit-rent of £4 (6 marks) from the property was to go to maintain a chaplain in the church of St. Bartholomew the Little. Roger was probably under age at this time. By his will dated and proved in 1349, Roger Osekyn, citizen and pepperer, left to his wife Isabel his term in a shop and tenement which Nicholas Corp had held by the grant of Richard de Totyngton, in Soper Lane, which term Nicholas had left to Roger. It is not clear whether this was 24A, perhaps granted by Roger or his guardians to Richard de Totyngton, or some other property. Roger's daughter Joan was heir to his goods and other properties. In 1367 the shop of Juliana (sic) Oskyn in Soper Lane was mentioned as owing 5s. 4d. quit-rent to Cheshunt Priory; again, it is not clear whether this refers to 24A. Joan daughter of Roger Osekyn married Walter Edecrone or Etecrone, citizen and pepperer. She granted her moiety of the shop in Soper Lane (24A) to John de Fyfhyde, citizen, and Robert Leper, clerk, who in 1374 granted it back to Joan Edecrone for life, with remainder to her daughter Joan and the latter's husband, Robert son of Thomas Horeham of Sussex, and their issue, with remainder to the right heirs of Joan the daughter. Joan Osekyn, widow of Walter Etecrone, died in 1395, leaving all her tenements, which included the half-shop in Soper Lane in St. Pancras parish, to her daughter Joan. Walter Aylwyn and his wife Joan held 24A in 1408. In 1426 Stephen Hull, citizen and draper, and his wife Joan, said to be daughter and heir of Robert Osekyn and his wife Joan (probably she was their great-grand-daughter or great-great-grand-daughter), granted the shop in Soper Lane, between 23 to the S., 25 to the N., and 18 to the E., to John Wylcok, citizen and tailor, and his wife Isabel. (fn. 3)

It is not certain what happened to 24A after this date; it seems probable that before c. 1530 it came into the possession of the chantry in the church of St. Michael le Querne to which 24B also belonged. There seems to be only one property here (between 23 and 25) from c. 1530 to the Great Fire. In 1548 the chantry was said to have been founded by Richard Varney or Verney, alderman, and others, in 30 Edward III (1356-7). No such alderman is known, but Ralph Verney, alderman 1457-79 (and mayor 1465-6), may be intended, in which case it could have been he who added 24A to an existing endowment. The history of 24 from c. 1530 is given in section iii, below. (fn. 4)

24B

This, the N. half of 24, went in 1315 to Maud, daughter of William le Callere, and her husband Robert Newcome, citizen and sealmaker (sigillarius). In 1324 Robert Newcomen established a chantry in the church of St. Michael le Querne, for the souls of himself and his late wives Margaret (sic) and Petronilla, granting 24B and other property to the chaplain John, keeper of the altar of St. Mary in the church. 24B probably passed to successive chaplains, whose names are not usually known; in 1393 it was held by Sir William Goldsmyth, chaplain, and in 1408 by Thomas Whiteby, chaplain. It is probably that 24A and 24B were united in or before the early 16th century, as there seems to be only one property there from c. 1530 to the Great Fire. (fn. 5)

Quit-rents from 24 (see 33)

In 1316 Richard of St. Albans, clerk, granted to William de Leyre, citizen, £1. 10s. quit-rent from several properties in Soper Lane, St. Pancras parish, including 3s. 4d. from the shop of Robert Newecome, his wife Maud, and Joan, widow of Master Robert Osekyn, carpenter. By his will of 1322, proved in 1323, William de Leyre left these rents to his son Robert. Robert de Leyre died in 1336, leaving all his quit-rents in London for sale; later the same year his executors sold the quit-rents, including 3s. 4d. from 24, to Sir William de Waynflete, chaplain. In 1337 de Waynflete granted them to Simon de Berkyngg, citizen and goldsmith, and his wife Lucy. By his will proved in 1349, Simon de Berkyng left his rents in St. Pancras parish to Lucy for life, with reversion to his daughter Agnes in tail, with remainder for sale if all his children died without issue. In 1371, all the children being dead, Lucy as executrix sold the rents to John Coraunt, citizen and goldsmith. In 1372 Thomas Salesbury and John Salesbury, sons of Gilbert de Salesbury, claiming to be heirs of the blood of Simon de Berkyng, took possession of the rents, and granted them to Nicholas Twyford, John Brown, William Burdeyne, and Thomas Panton, citizens and goldsmiths (and wardens of the Goldsmiths' Company). An inquisition into the lands of Simon de Berkyng held in 1372 recorded these proceedings but did not say whether the de Salesburys' claim was accurate. Their grant to Twyford, Brown, Burdeyne, and Panton seems to have remained in force. In these records the rent from 24 was described as 3s. 4d. rent issuing from a shop ante le Brodeselde (i.e. opposite 10). (fn. 6)

In 1382 Twyford, Bordeyn, and Panton granted the lands and rents in St. Pancras parish and elsewhere to William Glasen, John Bulstrode, and William Louthe, citizens and goldsmiths. It seems probable that they, and their predecessors and successors were holding on behalf of the Goldsmiths' Company, which was not entitled to hold land corporately until 1393. In 1392 Thomas Panton, John Forster, Thomas Hayz and John Carbonell, citizens and goldsmiths, granted quit-rents, including the 3s. 4d. from 24, to Richard Forster, citizen. In 1393 Forster granted the rents to Adam Bamme, Drew Barentyn, and Henry Bamme, citizens and goldsmiths, who conveyed them to the then wardens of the company, John Carbonell, William atte Forche, Henry Grene, and Hugh Wetheresby, and their successors. The rent from 24 was described as 1s. 8d. rent from the shop of John (recte Joan) Edecrone (24A) and 1s. 8d. from the shop of Sir William Goldsmyth, chaplain (24B), in Soper Lane, St. Pancras parish. In 1404 John Tadyngton and his wife Emma, kinswoman of Thomas and John de Salesbury, quitclaimed to the wardens of the company in all lands and rents. In 1408 the company complained that Walter Aylwyn and his wife Joan (24A) and Thomas Whiteby, chaplain (24B), had disseised them of the 3s. 4d. rent. The defendants denied the existence of the rent, but the jury found for the plaintiffs, awarding them 14 years' arrears and £1 damages. Emma Salesbury alias Tadyngton quitclaimed again to the company in 1412. A rental of c. 1496-7 listed 2 rents each of 1s. 8d. from a shop in Soper Lane, but it is not certain that the rent was being received at this date. It does not seem to have been paid by the churchwardens of St. Michael le Querne in or after 1514, when their payment accounts begin, and is not identifiable in the Chantry Certificate of 1548. (fn. 7)

In 1548 24 was said to be charged with a quit-rent of 10s. 2 3/4d. to the church of St. Pancras, the gift of William or possibly Simon de Causton. William de Causton, mercer, by his will of 1354, had left a quit-rent of £6. 13s. 4d. to maintain a chaplain celebrating in St. Pancras church, charged on properties in this parish (145/2, 10, 14-15), but no reference was made to 10s. 2 3/4d. rent or to 24. Simon de Causton left no will. The churchwardens of St. Michael le Querne paid the quit-rent (sometimes recorded as 10s. 2 1/2d.) to the churchwardens of St. Pancras from 1514 to 1547. (fn. 8)

Sixteenth and seventeenth centuries: 24

Robert Tomlynson paid £1. 6s. 8d. p.a. to the churchwardens of St. Michael le Querne for his house in Soper Lane from 1531 to 1538. The rent was paid, but the tenant not named, from 1538 to 1544; this un-named tenant paid £2 in 1538-9 for the goodwill to dwell still in the same house. One Tomlynson paid half a year's rent in 1544-5, and William Tomlynson paid the whole rent in 1545-6 and 1546-7. Minor repairs, including paving and tiling, and 100 bricks to mend a chimney, were paid for between 1531 and 1536. In 1536-7 2 double hinges ('garnetts') for Tomlinson's shop window in Soper Lane were bought, and the lock on the street door was mended. More extensive repairs were carried out in 1537-8, involving empyting the privy and re-bricking it, and further brickwork, tiling, and plastering, at a cost of at least £1. 5s. Some repairs were also done in 1544-5. The quit-rent to St. Pancras was recorded as being paid in most years from 1514 to 1547. (fn. 9)

According to the Chantry Certificate of 1548 a fraternity in St. Michael le Querne held a tenement given by Richard Verney and others, worth £1. 6s. 8d. p.a., less 10s. 2 3/4d. to the churchwardens of St. Pancras for quit-rent. The church also had lands and tenements given by Robert Newcombe and John Combe for ever, at £10. 16s. 8d. p.a., supporting a stipendiary priest; these may be the other endowments made by Newcome in 1334. In 1548 the king sold the tenement in St. Pancras parish, formerly belonging to St. Michael le Querne parish and held on lease by William Tomlynson for a term of years at £1. 6s. 8d. rent, to William Gunter and William Hobson. The particulars of the grant say that the tenement had been given by Richard Verney, alderman, and others, in 30 Edward III (1356-7), to Sir Richard Philippe, priest and keeper of the altar, and John Bradshawe and Henry Somer, wardens of the fraternity of Our Lady there. This and other properties (cf. 145/39, 105/1, 105/33) were sold at 15 years' purchase. Later in 1548 Gunter and Hobson sold 24 and some of their other properties to the Vintners' Company. (fn. 10)

William Tomlynson paid the rent of £1. 6s. 8d. to the Vintners' Company for his tenement in Soper Lane from 1548 to 1558. Thomas Collens paid from 1558 to 1562, and Thomas Pierson from 1562 to 1570. Richard Smyth paid from 1570 to 1572, and William Cutler from 1572 to 1580. In 1580-82 (the accounts at this date are biennial) William Walker paid £10 fine for a new lease and £4 in rent, at £2 p.a.; he continued paying £2 p.a. rent until 1616. In 1596 William Walker, merchant tailor, was licensed by the City to set up 3 columns in front of his house in St. Pancras parish, 1 ft. (300 mm.) forward from his plate or groundsill, paying 1s. 4d. yearly. Nathaniel Muffat succeeded Walker as the Vintners' tenant, paying £2 p.a. from 1616 to 1620. In 1619 the house in Soper Lane was viewed, and petitions made for the lease. It seems to have been promised to Richard Sleigh, for the benefit of Valentine Bolles, to whom Sleigh owed £100, but a Mr. Millward offered to pay the £50 fine and to deposit £20 for Bolles' relief if he could have the lease himself. This was accepted by the Court, and John Milward paid the rent of £2 from 1621 (it is not clear who paid in 1620-1) until 1641. He was referred to as captain John Milward from 1632. (fn. 11) Milward must have sublet the tenement, as his name does not appear in assessment lists of the 1630s and 1640s, but it is not clear who the tenant was. In the tithe assessment list of 1638, only one name, that of Mr. Fox, with a house valued at £13, occurs between 22 and 25-6. Fox may have been the occupant of 23 and 24 or alternatively of only one of them, the occupant of the other being omitted from the list. (fn. 12) Millward's executors paid the rent in 1641-2, and Henry Boone paid from 1642 until the Great Fire. The occupant in 1662-3 and 1666, however, appears to have been Thomas Watkins, distiller, whose house had 4 hearths. After the Fire he became tenant of part of 22. (fn. 13)

24 was not separately surveyed after the Great Fire but was represented in the survey of 22 and 25-6 in 1669. The Vintners' Company land shown on that survey measured 11 ft. 3 in. (3.43 m.) N.-S. at the E. end and 13 ft. (3.96 m.) E.-W., probably after some 4 ft. (1.22 m.) had been cut off the front to widen the street. In 1670 the Vintners' Company leased the toft late held by Henry Boone to George Copping, for 60 years at £2 rent. Copping already held part of 22 and 25-6. He appears to have rebuilt 24 by 1673. (fn. 14)