St. Pancras Soper Lane 145/16

Introduction

This property lay on the N. side of Pancras Lane, the only property in this parish to lie to the E. of the church. It was bounded on the W. by the church or church land and by 105/4, on the N. by 105/10, and on the E. by tenements in St. Benet Sherehog parish. The E. end of the early church of St. Pancras was apsidal, but 16 does not seem to have abutted directly on this. At some time at least part of the external curve of the apse formed an inside wall, and the church seems to have been extended to fill a trapezoid plot at least twice the size of the original church; it was on the outside wall of this plot that 16 abutted. (fn. 1)

In 1858 the property was no. 11 Pancras Lane.

Thirteenth to sixteenth century

It is possible that in the mid to later 13th century 145/16 and 105/10 were a single property, extending from Pancras Lane to Cheapside/Bucklersbury. In 1271-2 the tenement of John de Gisors lay to the E. of 105/4-6, and in 1275 the land and tenement of John de Gisorcio lay to the W. of a tenement in the parish of St. Benet Sherehog, between Pancras Lane and Bucklesbury. Both these references might relate only to 105/10, which the Gisors family continued to hold in the late 13th and 14th centuries, but in the mid 14th century John Gysors owned a quit-rent from 16. (fn. 2) By 1288 John Patrick held the tenement to the E. of 105/4. In 1295 the tenement late of John Patrik lay to the E. and partly to the S. of 105/4. In 1303 Geoffrey Patrik, son of the late William Patrik and nephew of the late John Patrik, quitclaimed to William de Gartone the younger and his wife Maud, John Patrik's widow, in John's former tenement in St. Pancras parish, between the church to the W. and the tenement late of Richard le Fourner (in St. Benet Sherehog parish) to the E. John had left this tenement to Maud for life, probably with remainder to Geoffrey; the grantees paid Geoffrey a sum of money. In 1312 William de Gertone, citizen and mercer, and his wife Maud, granted the tenement with houses in St. Pancras parish they had by the grant of Geoffrey Patrik to Sir Henry de Elmyntone, rector of St. Pancras. Probably he granted it back to them, or to de Gertone alone, soon after: the tenement of William de Gartone lay to the E. and S. of 105/4 in 1316, and in 1332 de Garton granted the tenement sometime of John Patrik, citizen and cutler, in St. Pancras parish, to William Brunnote called Curteys, citizen and mercer, and his wife Amy (Amicia). (fn. 3)

In 1339 Alice, widow of William de Gartone, granted to Gilbert Fraunceys and his wife Amy (Amicia), widow of William Curteys, her third share of the tenements lying on the E. side of tenements late of William de Gartone, in St. Pancras parish, which she had as dower by the assignment of Gilbert and Amy. They agreed to pay her £1. 10s. p.a. for life. Gilbert Fraunceys may have taken his wife's name, as in 1344 the tenement of Gilbert Curteys lay to the E. of 105/4. He probably died before Amy, whose will (as Amicia Curteys) was dated and proved in 1349. In it she left her tenement in St. Pancras parish to be sold by her executors. In 1351 John Gysors (III) left a quit-rent of £1. 10s. from the tenement sometime of Amy Curteys in the parish of St. Pancras to John Toppynge, orphreyer (maker of gold fringe), for ever. The tenement itself came into the hands of John de Houleye, draper, who died in 1351. He had no heir, because he was a bastard, so the tenement escheated to the Crown and was granted in 1352 to Robert de Herle. Later the same year de Herle granted the tenement to William de Welde, citizen and draper, who granted it to William de Holbech, citizen and draper, to hold for one year from Christmas 1352, for a sum of money. (fn. 4)

The grant to de Holbech seems to have become permanent, and in 1357 William de Essex, citizen and mercer, and his wife Isabel, widow of John de Houlee, quitclaimed to de Holbech all right by reason of dower in de Houlee's tenements in St. Pancras parish. In return for this quitclaim de Holbech granted William and Isabel a rent of £1. 16s. 8d. for Isabel's life from the tenements. In 1358 de Holbech paid £1 to the king for pardon for having acquired the messuage from de Welde without licence. William Holbech, draper, by his will dated 1365 and proved 1367, left tenements in London to his wife Maud for life, with remainder to Thomas de Holbeche for life, and then for sale; he also charged the house in St. Pancras parish with a rent of 7 marks (£4. 13s. 4d.) payable for life to Dom. William Wrangle who was to celebrate masses. Maud died in 1392 or 1393, and in 1393, Thomas de Holbeche being dead, her executors sold the tenement in St. Pancras parish, which William Holbeche had bought from William Welde, to Stephen Hamme, Richard Forster, Alan Everard, citizens, and Henry Jolipace, clerk. In 1396 these grantees conveyed the same property to Nicholas Hamme, citizen and mercer, and his wife Joan. Nicholas Hamme's tenement lay to the E. of 105/4-5 in 1398. (fn. 5)

In 1410 Nicholas Hamme and his wife Joan granted 16 to John Wykyngston, rector of St. Pancras church, Alan Everard, mercer, William Marcheford, mercer, Thomas Aleyn, mercer, and John Bally, citizens. Later in 1410 Wykyngston quitclaimed to his co-feoffees, who in 1413 granted it to John Lagage, goldsmith, Richard Osbarn, clerk, Thomas Panter, and John Hardyng, pewterer, citizens. Lagage seems to have been the principal grantee. By his will of 1432, proved 1433, he left a quit-rent of 13s. 4d. from the tenement in which he lived in St. Pancras parish, formerly of Nicholas Hamme, to the rector and churchwardens of St. Pancras, to keep his obit and distribute bread and cheese to the parishioners and money to the poor. The tenement itself he left to his wife Ellen for life, with remainder to his daughter Elizabeth in tail, and then for sale, the proceeds to be used to found a chantry in St. Pancras church for himself, Ellen, Elizabeth, and others. It is not known to whom the tenement was sold, or how it descended in the later 15th and 16th centuries. (fn. 6)

Sixteenth and seventeenth centuries

In 1548 St. Pancras church had a quit-rent of 13s. 4d. from the tenement at the E. end of the church, given by John Lagage for his obit. This quit-rent was thereafter paid to the Crown, until 1651, when it was sold with other quit-rents and fee-farm rents, to Brian Bromery of Barnard's Inn. It was recovered by the Crown after the Restoration and noted in a rental of 1664. (fn. 7) The owner of the tenement itself at the time of the Reformation is not known, but by 1581 it was owned, and is part occupied, by Edward Castlyn, citizen and mercer. It was described as two tenements, one of which was occupied by Castlyn and the other by Benet Harmston or Hamerton, widow, on a lease of 41 years from 1580 at 4d. rent. In 1581 Edward Castlyn, with John Castlyn, citizen and mercer, granted the two messuages, with all houses, buildings, gardens, void ground, lights, cellars, solars, etc., to Thomas Fanshawe, esquire, Queen's Remembrancer, and George Barne, alderman, to hold to the use of John Castlyn. If Edward Castlyn paid John £332 in or before 1583, and also procured his release from an obligation to pay Thomas Allen, pewterer, £5 on 10 August every year from 1584, then the use of the premises should revert to him (Edward). If Edward failed to pay the £332 he would confirm and acknowledge the grant within 4 years. Fanshawe and Barne were to repair the property while they held it. (fn. 8)

By his will, dated 1608 and 1615 and proved in 1621, John Castelyn, citizen and mercer, left the fee simple of his dwelling-house and the tenement belonging to it which he had bought from his brother Edward Castelyn, to his wife Martha for ever. He also left her the 99-year lease of the same tenements, which Thomas Tomson of Sandwich had made over to him. In 1624 Martha Castelyn, widow, sold the reversion after her own death of 2 messuages in St. Pancras parish, late occupied by her late husband John Castelyn and by Bennett Hamerton, widow, to Robert Cruse or Crewes, citizen and grocer, for £30 paid and the promise of £150 to her executors for her will. By her will of 1625, proved 1626, Martha Castelin confirmed this grant. The houses at that date were occupied by herself and (blank) Huson. She also disposed of beds, bedsteads, cabinets, and pictures in the great chamber, in the lodging-chamber in which she usually lay, and in the little chamber over the counting-house. In 1638 the 2 tenements comprising 16 were occupied by Mr. Jurion (valued at £30 p.a.) and Mr. Hughson (valued at £6 p.a.). In 1650 John Juryon held or occupied the tenement, once of John Castlin, in St. Pancras parish at the E. end of the cemetery, from which 13s. 4d. quit-rent was due to the Crown. In 1663 Francis Crewes of Hoxton, Middx. gentleman and brother and executor of Robert Crewes, late citizen and vintner, together with Francis's wife Mary, sold the 2 messuages in Pancras Lane, St. Pancras parish, to Michael Davison, citizen and clothworker, for £873. The tenement formerly occupied by John Castelyn was now occupied by John Jurin, merchant, or his assigns, under a 21-year lease granted by Robert Crewes to Jurin, at £50 rent; the other tenement, formerly held by Bennet Hamerton and then by John Fox, was now held by William Baker on a 21-year lease granted by Robert Crewes to Fox at £12 rent. The appropriate part of the Hearth Tax return for 1662-3 is illegible, and it is not clear who occupied it in 1666, though it seems probable that Charles Mitchell, boxmaker, who occupied a house with 4 hearths, listed after Thomas Bates (see 17B) occupied at least part of 16. (fn. 9)

In March 1668 this foundation was surveyed for James Bridger, citizen and dyer, alderman. A triangle of land, measuring 4 ft. (1.22 m.) at the E. end and containing 61 sq. ft. (5.67 m.) of ground, was cut off to widen Pancras Lane. Bridger was paid £10 compensation for this. Bridger's land formed the abutment for part of 105/4-6 when that was surveyed later in 1668. (fn. 10)