London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- History -- 16th century -- Sources; London (England) -- Surveys
The second way from Aldgate, more towards the south, from the pump
aforesaid, is called Fenchurch street, and is of Aldgate ward till
ye come to Culver alley, on the west side of Ironmongers hall, where
sometime was a lane which went out of Fenchurch street to the middest of
Lime street, but this lane was stopped up for suspicion of thieves that
lurked there by night. Again to Aldgate out of the principal street,
even by the gate and wall of the city, runneth a lane south to Crowched
Friers, and then Woodroffe lane to the Tower hill, and out of this lane
west a street called Hart street, which of that ward stretched to Sydon
lane by St. Olave’s church. One other lane more west from Aldgate goeth
by Northumberland house toward the Crossed Friers; then have ye on the
same side the north end of Mart lane and Blanch Apleton, where that ward
endeth.
Thus much for the bounds; now for monuments, or places most ancient and
notable.
I am first to begin with the late dissolved priory of the Holy Trinity,
called Christ’s church, on the right hand within Aldgate. This priory
was founded by Matilda, queen, wife to Henry I., in the same place where
Siredus sometime began to erect a church in honour of the Cross and of
St. Marie Magdalen, of which the Dean and Chapter of Waltham were wont
to receive thirty shillings. The queen was to acquit her church thereof,
and in exchange gave unto them a mill. King Henry confirmed her gift.
This church was given to Norman, first canon regular in all England.
The said queen also gave unto the same church, and those that served
God therein, the plot of Aldgate, and the soke thereunto belonging,
with all customs so free as she had held the same, and twenty-five
pound blankes, which she had of the city of Excester, as appeareth by
her deed, wherein she nameth the house Christ’s church, and reporteth
Aldgate to be of her domains, which she granteth with two parts of
the rent of the city of Excester. Norman took upon him to be prior of
Christ’s church, in the year of Christ 1108, in the parishes of St. Mary
Magdalen, St. Michael, St. Katherine, and the Blessed Trinity, which
now was made but one parish of the Holy Trinity, and was in old time of
the Holy Cross or Holy Rood parish. The priory was built on a piece of
ground in the parish of St. Katherine towards Aldgate, which lieth in
length betwixt the King’s street, by the which men go towards Aldgate,
near to the chapel of St. Michael towards the north, and containeth in
length eighty-three ells, half, quarter, and half-quarter of the king’s
iron eln, and lieth in breadth, etc. The soke and ward of Aldgate was
then bounded as I have before showed. The queen was a means also that
the land and English Knighten Guild was given unto the prior Norman:
the honourable man, Geffrey de Glinton, was a great helper therein, and
obtained that the canons might enclose the way betwixt their church
and the wall of the city, etc. This priory, in process of time, became
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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