Charterhouse Street - Chequer Alley

Charterhouse Street

North-east from Holborn Circus at No. 10 to 22 Charterhouse Square. The western end is in Farringdon Ward Without, the north-eastern portion in the Boroughs of Holborn and Finsbury, outside the City boundary (P.O. Directory).

Formed 1869-75 on the site of Chick Lane, Newcastle Court, Old Brewhouse Yard, etc. (q.v.).

It has now absorbed at its eastern end the street which was formerly until 1881 called Charterhouse Lane.

The street formerly known as Charterhouse Street ran north and south extending north out of Long Lane to Charterhouse Square (Strype, ed. 1720-O.S. 1848-51), and is now called Hayne Street (q.v.).

Chartesey House

A messuage so called in parish of St. Peter beside Paulys Wharfe, 36 H. VIII. 1544 (L. and P. H. VIII. XIX. (1), p. 500).

"Charsey House," temp. Q. Eliz. (Proc. in Chanc. I. 222).

A great messuage in or near Boss lane sometime belonging to the Abbots of Chartsey, and was their Inn, wherein they were lodged, when they repaired to the City ; now called Sandie House. Stow thinks Lord Sands lodged there (S. 364).

The site is shown in O.S.1875 between Paul's Wharf west and Trig Wharf east, on the south side of Thames Street, opposite Boss Court.

Chartrers

=the Carthusians, occupying the Charterhouse, without Aldersgate, 1375 (Ct. H.W. II. 170).

Chatham Buildings

In New Bridge Street (L.C.C. List, 1912).

First mention : L.C.C. List, 1991.

Not named in the maps.

Chatham Place

Leading from New Bridge Street at its southern end to Blackfriars Bridge. In Farringdon Wards Within and Without (Horwood, 1799-O.S. 1848-51).

Named after W. Pitt, first Earl of Chatham.

Wheatley says it was originally called Chatham Square.

Site now covered by Blackfriars Station.

Chaunceler, Chauncelleres Lane

See Chancery Lane.

Cheap Ward

One of the twenty-six wards of the City, bounded on the north by Bassishaw Ward, south by Cordwainer, west by Cripplegate, and east by Coleman Street, Cornhill and Walbrook Wards.

Earliest mention : "Warda fori," c. 1125-30 (MS. D. and C. St. Paul's Lib. L. ff., 47-50). "Chepe ward," 49 H. III. (Anc. Deeds, A. 1673). "Ward of Westchepe," 39 Ed. III. 1366 (Cal. Close R. Ed. III. 1364-8, 300).

Called Ward of Adam de Basing in Ch. I. p.m. H. III. file 46 (10).

So named, says Stow, of the market there kept, called West Cheping (S. 261).

The ward has always been of considerable importance as a centre of trade and industry.

In 1368 it was, with Cordwainer, the wealthiest ward in the City (Cal. L. Bk. G. p. 251).

It contained in Stow's time 7 parish churches, viz. : St. Laurence Jewry ; St. Pancras, Soper Lane ; St. Benet Sherehog ; St. Mildred Poultry ; St. Martin Pomary ; St. Mary Colechurch ; All Hallows, Honey Lane. Halls of Companies : Grocers' Hall, Mercers Hall. Public Buildings : Guildhall ; Poultry Compter ; Great Conduit ; The Standard ; The Great Cross ; Mercers' Chapel.

Of these churches, St. Laurence Jewry is the only one now standing.

The Guildhall, Mercers' Hall, and Grocers' Hall also remain.

See Wards.

Cheapside

East from St. Paul's Cathedral to Poultry (P.O. Directory). In Cordwainer and Cheap Wards, Cripplegate Ward Within, Farringdon Ward Within, and Bread Street Ward.

First mention : "Chepsyde," temp. H. VIII. (H. MSS. Com. Var. Coll. ii. 49). "Chepesyde," 2 H. VIII. 1510 (Lond. I. p.m. I. 74).

Former name and forms (including earliest mention) : "Westceape," 1067 (Cott. Ch. vi. 3). "Vico fori," c. 1125-30 (MS. D. and C. St. Paul's Liber L. ff. 47-50). "Foro de Westchep," c. 1214-22 (Ch. Harl. 43, A. 56). "Westcheph," H. III. (Anc. Deeds, A. 2156). "Chepe," 1291-4 (Cal. L. Bk. A. p. 190). "Great Street called Westchepe," 1249 (H. MSS. Com. 9th Rep. 25) ; "the chepe (foro) of London," 1257 (Ano. Deeds, A. 9656). "Vicum de Westchep," 10 Ed. I. 1282 (Cal. P.R. Ed. I. 1281-92, p. 24).

In the old days before the Fire it was a handsome street, and was ornamented by the Cross, the Standard, and the Conduit. It must have been of considerable width, as the market was held in the middle of the street, while justings also took place in it from time to time.

In process of time the street has been raised several feet, so that it is 28 ft. higher than when St. Paul's was first built, as appears by marks discovered when the new foundations were laid (Strype, ed. 1720, I. iii. 198).

Some houses at the south-west corner, near St. Paul's Churchyard, were taken down c. 1760 to widen the street.

This was the site of the great market of London, and the several trades were represented by their selds in it. The street was named from the market, A.S. "ceap"=" barter," "purchase."

The name "Westcheap" was used to distinguish it from the market at the eastern end of the City, designated Eastcheap.

A chalk wall has been found crossing Cheapside diagonally from Bread Street to Wood Street, at a depth of 12 ft. (Arch. XXVII. 150).

To the north-east of its junction with St. Paul's Churchyard, a domestic building was found, the section at the depth of 18 ft. presenting a view of the hypocaust, with its pillars of tiles. Above these was a tessellated pavement. Roach Smith speaks of the building as a kiln, and says pottery was found there (pp. 79 and 110). Coins were also found (Arch. XXIX. 272).

Cheapside Gate

Proposal to enlarge Cheapside Gate and Temple Bar, 1664 (L. and P. Chas. II. III. p. 549).

The position of the Gate is not indicated. Perhaps it opened into St. Paul's Churchyard.

Checker (The)

A tenement so called within the precinct of Seynt Martyns Le Graunde 32 H. VIII. 1541. South of St. John's Aley in the parish of St. Leonard, Foster Lane (L. and P. H. VIII. XVI. p. 243).

Checker (The)

A messuage called "the Checker" in parish of St. Peter le Poore, belonging to Holywell priory, 36 H. VIII. 1544 (L. and P. H. VIII. XIX. Pt. 2, p. 186).

Purchased by Edward Keacher of John Fisher 1565 (Lond. I. p.m. II. 38).

Not further identified.

Checker Alley

See Chequer Alley, Chequer Court, Bishopsgate.

Checker Inn

In London Wall Street, west of Coleman Street. In Cripplegate Ward. Within (Strype, ed. 1720, I. iii. 90).

No later reference.

Checker Yard

See Chequer Alley, Old Bailey.

Cheesemongers

Elections to Mistery of Cheesemongers made 1328 (Cal. L. Bk. E. p. 234).

Cheke Lane

See Chick Lane.

Cheker (The)

A messuage so called belonging to the Salters in parish of All Saints in Bredstrete, I. Ed. VI. (Lond. I. p.m. I. 99).

No further reference.

It is difficult to account for the frequent use of this name, which would seem to be derived from the word "Exchequer," unless the chequered board may have been used as a sign by money changers in various parts of the City.

Chekker (The)

See Chequer Alley, Chequer Court, Bishopsgate.

Chequer Alley

See Chequer Yard.

Chequer Alley

On the west side of Old Bailey at the upper end of Black and White Court. In Farringdon Ward Without (P.C. 1732-Boyle, 1799).

Strype calls it "Checker Yard" (ed. 1720, I. III. 281).

The site has been rebuilt.