White Rose Place - Whitefriars Street

White Rose Place

East out of Whitecross Street, in Cripplegate Ward Without (Strype ,ed. 1720-O.S.1880).

Former names : " White Rose Court " in Strype. " Rose and Crown Court" (O. and M. 1677), White Rose Alley in that map being further north, on the site of " Ferns Yard" in Rocque.

Site now occupied by Whitbread's Brewery.

White Street

West out of Moorfields, at No.39, to Moor Lane (P.O. Directory). In Cripplegate Ward Without.

First mention: Rocque, 1746.

Former name: "White's Alley" (O. and M. 1677, and Strype).

White Street, Houndsditch

See Cutler Street.

White Swan (The)

A messuage called the White Swan. In Great Eastcheap in parish of St. Leonard upon Fish street hill, devised for the use of the parish of St. Clement Eastcheap, and a little stable with the appurtenances in St. Leonard's parish called the White horse.

(Indenture of 1620 quoted in End. Charities Rep. St. Clement's parish, 1903, p.2).

In 1491 these premises are described in the Will of Robert Halliday as consisting of two tenements with an alley and certain edifices between the tenements (ib. 1).

Sold under the Act, 1829, for the formation of the approaches to the new London Bridge (ib. 2).

White Swan Court

In Newgate Street (Strype, ed. 1755-Boyle, 1799). Not named in the maps.

Name derived from the sign.

White Swan Inn

In Seething Lane, 1636 (L. and P. Chas. I. I635~6, p.380). No other mention.

White Swan Inn

West out of West Smithfield, in Farringdon Ward Without, north of Hosier Lane (Rocque, 1746).

Former name: "Antelope Inn" (O. and M. 1677).

Site rebuilt for offices and business purposes.

White Swan Stairs

South out of Thames Street on the Thames (Strype, ed. 1755-Boyle, 1799).

Not named in the maps.

White Tawyers' Seld

Seld of Richer de Refham so called in parish of St. Mary de Colchirch, 1328 (Ct. H.W. I. 339).

Not further identified.

White Yard

Out of Lamb Alley, in Bishopsgate Ward Without (Strype, ed. 1720, I ii 108-Boyle, 1799).

The site is now occupied by the Great Eastern Railway lines.

Whitebeer (The)

A messuage brewliouse or hospice so called in Aldrichgate Street in parish of St. Botolph without Aldrichgate, I H. VIII. 1509 (Lond. I. p.m. I. 43).

Not further identified.

Whitechapel

A parish east of Aldgate, constituted in the 17th century. Originally a chapelry in the parish of Stepney.

Built on continuously so early as 1603 (S. 128).

See Mary (St.) Matfellon.

Whitechapel Bars

These bars marked the eastern boundary of the City's liberties outside the walls and were at the junction of Aldgate High Street, Whitechapel High Street, and Petticoat Lane (Middlesex Street).

They are shown in Agas' map, 1561, and were taken down during the 18th century.

Whitechapel Church

See Mary (St.) Matfellon.

Whitechapel Street

See Aldgate High Street.

Whitecross Street

North from Fore Street to Old Street, in Cripplegate Ward Without, except the northern portion, which is outside the City boundary, in the Borough of Finsbury (P.O. Directory).

First mention : " Whitecruchestrete," 10 H. III. (Cal. L. and M. Ft. of Fines, I. p.17).

Other forms: "Wytecchestte," H. III. (H. MSS. Com. 9th Rep. 11). "Wytecroych strate," 1285 (Ct. H.W. I. 74). " Wytecruche strate," 30 Ed. I. (Anc. Deeds, A. 11860). "Whitecrouchestrate," 1309-10 (Ct. H.W. I. 210). " Wt. Crosse Strete," 1511 (Jupp's Carp. Co, p.136). " Whitecrosstrete," 1524 (L. and P. H. VIII. IV. (1), p. 56). "Whyte crosse Strete " alias " Whitecrouche strete," 9 Eliz. (Deeds L.C.C. Harben Bequest, 1500-1600, 6).

Named after the White Cross (q.v.).

Whitefriars

A precinct or liberty comprising the site of the former House of Carmelite or White Friars on the south side of Fleet Street between Bridewell and the Temple.

Site marked by the precinct of Whitefriars, O.S. 1880.

"Fratres beatae Mariae de monte Carmeli," founded by Sir Richard Gray, 1241 (S. 399).Licence granted to them to enlarge their house by the enclosure of "Crockerelane" (q.v.), 1349, and again by a plot of ground 500 ft. long by 20 broad, 24 Ed. III. (Cal. P.R. 1348-50, pp. 298 and 512).

Again enlarged by grant of land 100 ft. in length, extending to the Thames, 19 Rich. II. (ib. 1391-6, p.705).

Lane near the house to be cleansed and gate to be kept locked at night, 49 Ed. III. (Cal. L. Bk. H. p. 7).

Chapel of St. Nicholas within the White Friars, 1540 (L. and P. H. VIII. XV. p. 567).

Forms of name: "S. Mary of the Carmelite Friars," 1349 (Ct. H.W. I. 620). "Manor of the Carmelite friars, Fletestrete," 1341 (Cal. P.R. 1340-3, p. 267). " Friars of St. Mary de Fletestrete," 1375 (Ct. H.W. II. 184). " lez Whyte Frers," 5 Ed. VI. (Cal. L. and M. Ft. of Fines, II. 81).

Buildings described as existing at the dissolution of the monastery, 32 H. VIII. (L. and P. H. VIII. XV. 478, and XVI. 327).

Surrendered 30 H. VIII. (S. 40o).

Mansions and buildings within the site granted to William Buttes or Butte, doctor of medicine, 1540 (H. MSS. Corn. 13th Rep. 407).

It is evident from the foregoing entries that the Friars received substantial additions of land, subsequent to the original grant and that the house was considerably enlarged by this means from time to time.

After the grant of the site by H. VIII. to private individuals, the church and house fell into disrepair and were pulled down, or rebuilt, so that within a comparatively short period of time the monastic buildings had completely disappeared and the site was covered by small courts and alleys as shown in the maps of the precincts of the 18th and 19th centuries.

The present Ashentree Court seems to occupy part of the site of the cloisters of the monastery, and there is a very interesting 17th century survey of the precinct in the British Museum, showing how the site was occupied at that date.

White Friars Wall was found to appertain to the Inner Temple, 1614 (I.T.R. II. 79).

The eastern boundary wall of the monastery seems to have been in Water Lane, and the western boundary wall at the corner of Lombard Street (Gent. Mag. Lib. XVI. 103), and extending south to the west of Temple Lane.

An interesting crypt, which formed part of the Monastery was discovered in 1895 in Britton's Court, Whitefriars Street, used as a cellar to one of the houses in the Court. It had a groined vault, of late 14th century date. A similar crypt adjoined it on the north, destroyed about twenty years previously (M. and H. Notes and Q. No. V. p. 37).

The precinct comprised the area from Whitefriars Street east to Temple Lane west, and north from the Thames almost to Fleet Street, in Farringdon Ward Without.

The inhabitants of the precinct claimed in 1580 to be exempt from the jurisdiction of the City and to enjoy their liberties as the friars had done before them (L. and P. Ed. VI. 1.654). They obtained further privileges from James I. in 1608. These privileges were only finally abolished by Act of Parliament in 1697.

There is an interesting account of the topography of the precinct and of the discoveries made of remains of the monastic house in the Journal of the British Archæological Association, 1910, N.S. 16.

The name Whitefriars commemorates the white habit worn by the Carmelite Friars.

Whitefriars (Street)

South out of Fleet Street to the Thames and east to Water Lane, in Farringdon Ward Without (Leake-Boyle, 1799).

Also called "White Fryars lane" (Leake).

Site now covered by Lombard Street, Essex Street, Tudor Street, Pleydell Court.

See Whitefriars Street.

Whitefriars Dock

On the Thames, between St. Bride's Wharf east and west and Company's Wharf west, at the south end of Water Lane, in Farringdon Ward Without (Leake, 1666-O.S. 1848-51).

Site now covered by the Victoria Embankment.

Whitefriars Street

South out of Fleet Street, at No.67, to Tudor Street (P.O Directory). So named 1844.

Former name: Water Lane" (Leake, 1666-Elmes, 1831). In O. and M. it extended south to the Thames.