II.—On some London Houses of the Early Tudor Period

C. L. Kingsford

doi:10.1017/S026134090000864X

II.—On some London Houses of the Early Tudor Period

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 November 2011

C. L. Kingsford

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I have no intention to enter upon any general discussion of the character of London houses in the Tudor period. My only purpose is to lay before the Society such information as I have been able to collect with regard to four particular houses, which will serve to illustrate the furnishing, the arrangement of the rooms, the external surroundings, and in one instance the actual plan. Of the first of these houses I have no exact history of earlier date, but I am able to supply a precise Inventory of its contents room by room in 1509. The second and third–the Coldharbour and the Erber–were in their origin fourteenth-century houses of which the early history is well known, though of neither, so far as I am aware, do we possess such precise information with regard to the buildings as that which I have obtained for their condition in the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. The fourth is a much less important building erected (or rebuilt) about 1555, but is of interest from the fact that we are able to restore its plan with some degree of certainty.

Type: Research Article
Information: Archaeologia , Volume 71 , 1921 , pp. 17 - 54

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S026134090000864X [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1921

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References

^{page 17 note 1} i, 224.

^{page 17 note 2} See p. 39 below.

^{page 18 note 1} See p. 39 below.

^{page 18 note 2} Cartulary of St. John Clerkenwell, Cotton MS., Nero E. vi, f. 26.

^{page 18 note 3} Calendar of Letter Books of London, A, pp. 178, 220Google Scholar; B, p. 18.

^{page 18 note 4} Will ap. P. C. C. Rous, f. 8.

^{page 19 note 1} Dudley mentions ‘his kind lady my Lady Litton’ in his Will (Letters and Papers, i, 1212Google Scholar). She was perhaps Elizabeth, widow of Sir Robert Lytton (Keeper of the Wardrobe), who died in 1505.

^{page 19 note 2} Kingsford, , English Historical Literature, p. 386.Google Scholar

^{page 20 note 1} Letters and Papers, Henry VIII, i, p. 1548.Google Scholar

^{page 20 note 2} Survey, i, 89.Google Scholar

^{page 21 note 1} Letters and Papers, Henry VIII, i, 1212.Google Scholar PubMed

^{page 21 note 2} Ibid., i, 5427.

^{page 21 note 3} Ibid., iii, 3586 (28).

^{page 21 note 4} Ibid., iv, 4442.

^{page 21 note 5} London Topographical Record, x, 94-100Google Scholar; Archaeologia, lvii, 259-62.Google Scholar

^{page 22 note 1} Nicolas, , Privy Purse Expenses of Elisabeth of York, &c, pp. 124, 126, 141, 144, 145.Google Scholar

^{page 22 note 2} The grant appears under date 22nd March, 1487 (C. P.R. Henry VII, i, 155); but Lady Margaret was clearly in possession in September 1485.

^{page 22 note 3} See p. 45.

^{page 22 note 4} See p. 45.

^{page 23 note 1} See pp. 44, 46.

^{page 23 note 2} See p. 45.

^{page 23 note 3} See pp. 45, 46.

^{page 23 note 4} See p. 44.

^{page 23 note 5} See p. 46. For ‘Thewry dore’ at Baynard's Castle see Nicolas, , Privy Purse Expenses of Elizabeth of York, p. 80Google Scholar.

^{page 23 note 6} See p. 46.

^{page 23 note 7} See p. 47.

^{page 23 note 8} See p. 45.

^{page 23 note 9} See p. 47.

^{page 23 note 10} See p. 44.

^{page 23 note 11} Or contract. See p. 44.

^{page 23 note 12} See p. 49.

^{page 23 note 13} See p. 47.

^{page 23 note 14} See p. 45.

^{page 23 note 15} See p. 49.

^{page 23 note 16} See p. 47.

^{page 24 note 1} See p. 47.

^{page 24 note 2} See pp. 46, 48, 49.

^{page 24 note 3} Campbell, , Materials for the History of Henry VII, i, 118, 532.Google Scholar

^{page 24 note 4} See pp. 45, 47.

^{page 24 note 5} See p. 44.

^{page 24 note 6} See pp. 45, 47, 49.

^{page 24 note 7} See pp. 47, 48.

^{page 24 note 8} ‘squyer and gentilmã ussher of the chambir w^t the famous Kyng Edward iiij & Edyth his wife, And of late gentilwoman w^t the Excellent princesse Margaret Countesse of Richmonde mod' to the most victoryouse Kyng Henry the vij^th: the said Edyth departed this lyff the yer of our lord 15–.’ Arms, top dexter and bottom sinister Fowler and its quarterings, over all a crescent for difference. Top sinister and bottom dexter Dynham quartering Archer, over all a crescent for difference.

^{page 24 note 9} Letters and Papers, i, 270.

^{page 25 note 1} See pp. 49, 50.

^{page 25 note 2} See p. 47.

^{page 25 note 3} See pp. 44, 47.

^{page 25 note 4} See pp. 44, 45.

^{page 25 note 5} See p. 48.

^{page 25 note 6} See pp. 46, 49.

^{page 25 note 7} See pp. 46, 47.

^{page 25 note 8} See p. 50.

^{page 25 note 9} See p. 46.

^{page 25 note 10} See Parker, , Domestic Architecture, iii, 49.Google Scholar In accounts relating to Cutlers' Hall in 1467-8 there is reference to lead for the ‘gapier’ window.– Welch, , Hist. Cutlers' Company, i, 319Google Scholar.

^{page 25 note 11} See p. 46.

^{page 25 note 12} pp. 48, 49.

^{page 26 note 1} See pp. 47, 48, 49, 50.

^{page 26 note 2} See pp. 44, 46, 47, 48.

^{page 26 note 3} See pp. 46, 49.

^{page 26 note 4} See p. 46.

^{page 26 note 5} See p. 45.

^{page 26 note 6} See p. 45.

^{page 26 note 7} See p. 46.

^{page 26 note 8} See p. 49.

^{page 26 note 9} See pp. 43, 46.

^{page 26 note 10} See p. 45.

^{page 26 note 11} See p. 44.

^{page 26 note 12} See p. 47.

^{page 26 note 13} See p. 46.

^{page 26 note 14} See p. 48.

^{page 26 note 15} See pp. 45. 7.

^{page 26 note 16} See p. 45.

^{page 27 note 1} See p. 48.

^{page 27 note 2} See p. 48.

^{page 27 note 3} See p. 46.

^{page 27 note 4} See pp. 44, 46.

^{page 27 note 5} See p. 46.

^{page 27 note 6} Survey, i, 237; it was before 1590, in which year he died.

^{page 27 note 7} Or it is possible that the name had reference to the steeple of All Hallows, under which was the gate of the Coldharbour

^{page 28 note 1} See London Topographical Record, x, 114-16.

^{page 29 note 1} Cat. Pat. Rolls, II, Richard, v, 144.Google Scholar

^{page 29 note 2} The greater part of the site is now covered by Cannon Street Station.

^{page 29 note 3} Lappenberg, , Geschichte des Stahlhofes, ii, pp. 35–6.Google Scholar

^{page 29 note 4} See pp. 50-2.

^{page 29 note 5} Survey, i, 231.

^{page 30 note 1} Harley MS. 433, f. 203.

^{page 30 note 2} William Okeley of London, ‘gentilman, otherwise called William Okeley, citizen and barbersurgeon’, by his Will, proved 25th October 1530, directed that he should be buried at St. Mary Bothawe ‘before the south dore by the holy water stoppe’. P.C.C. 22 Jankyn.

^{page 31 note 1} Johnson, , History of the Drapers' Company, ii, 152, 232.Google Scholar

^{page 32 note 1} See London Topographical Record, xii, 28-9.

^{page 32 note 2} Letters and Papers, Henry VIII, v, 919; xv, 733 (42).

^{page 32 note 3} P. C. C. 17 Spert.

^{page 32 note 4} P. C. C. 22 Alen.

^{page 32 note 5} Survey, i, 304.Google Scholar

^{page 32 note 6} B. M. Add. MS. 39227, f. 115b.

^{page 33 note 1} Ames, , Typographical Antiquities, ii, 1081, 1085.Google Scholar

^{page 33 note 2} Consequently it included less than the void plot granted to Doreward in 1440.

^{page 33 note 3} It will be understood that the plans here given are a conjectural reconstruction based on the Report of the Commission, and as such cannot be precisely accurate in all details.

^{page 36 note 1} Victoria County History, Hertfordshire, ii, 395.Google Scholar

^{page 36 note 2} P. C. C. 67 Rudd.

^{page 33 note 3} I am indebted to the Rev. H. G. Rosedale, D.D., F.S.A., Past-Master of the Coachmakers' Company, for an opportunity to inspect this and other deeds. The recital describes the house as: ‘All that great messuage or Tenement with a garden … sometymes in the tenure or occupation of Sir Raphe Rowlett, knight, and sithence … of Sir Nicholas Bacon, knight, late Lord Keeper … and after of Christopher Barker, esquier, and Robert Barker, gent., … and of Nicholas Goffe the elder and Nicholas Goffe the younger, and late in the occupation of Dame Sara Savage and George Egilshawe, Doctour in Physick … which messuage &c. were heretofore known by the name of Shelleys Tenement and now or late called by the name of Bacon House, and doe abutt uppon the parish church of St. Mary Stanynge and the churchyard of the same church on the east part, and uppon Little Silver Street on the west part, Oate Lane on the south part, and a messuage late parcel of the possessions of the Abbot and Convent of Westminster on the north part.’

^{page 38 note 1} For purpose of comparison we may take the Front Court at Crosby Hall, which was approximately 60 ft. by 40 ft.

^{page 40 note 1} A hide of budge, or lambskin.

^{page 40 note 2} Or ‘placates’: reinforcing pieces to breastplate.

^{page 40 note 3} ‘Restes’ and ‘Charnelles’ were parts of head-pieces, but their exact meaning is doubtful.

^{page 40 note 4} Splints, jambs for the lower leg.

^{page 40 note 5} Coats of small metal plates riveted between textiles.

^{page 40 note 6} A standing collar of mail.

^{page 40 note 7} Mail fastened under the armpit, for protection.

^{page 40 note 8} The skirt or breach of mail.

^{page 40 note 9} Machines for winding up the crossbows.

^{page 40 note 10} Sleided silk is raw untwisted, or flat, silk.

^{page 42 note 1} Both seals remain, but so fractured and defaced as to prevent description.

^{page 43 note 1} Or ‘tal-wood’, wood cut up for fuel; a rendering of the Old French ‘bois de tail’.

^{page 43 note 2} Perhaps the stairs at the Water-gate.

^{page 44 note 1} A contract to work by quantity.

^{page 44 note 2} Laurence calls it ‘the Stewards logyng’.

^{page 44 note 3} Laurence, ‘faring of viij sallis’.

^{page 44 note 4} Laurence, ‘in the high wyndow’.

^{page 44 note 5} The total of the joiner's bill, which was paid on 7th April 1486, was 70s. 6d.

^{page 45 note 1} Called ‘an old spire’ on f. 1.

^{page 45 note 2} In Davy's own Account ‘many shelves in the larder house’.

^{page 46 note 1} In Edmondes' own Account on f. 21 ‘gapyas’; see p. 25 above.

^{page 46 note 2} Edmondes, ‘seydes’.

^{page 47 note 1} Ornamented.

^{page 48 note 1} sc. lathes.

^{page 48 note 2} A large wooden tub.

^{page 48 note 3} Byrkhide and Abell were probably servants.

^{page 48 note 4} Westwood's own account reads ‘a payr of stone henges’.

^{page 48 note 5} Westwood, ‘a swype’. The swepe of a door was probably a bar hinged at one end to the door-post, and having a padlock at the other end.

^{page 48 note 6} Or ‘sodlet’, a saddle-bar for a window.

^{page 49 note 1} A kind of hinge.

^{page 49 note 2} Westwood, ‘styrope’; perhaps for the bell.

^{page 49 note 3} Westwood, ‘ovyns mowthe’.

^{page 49 note 4} Westwood, ‘the dore w^t owte the gate’.

^{page 49 note 5} Westwood, ‘dore by’.

^{page 49 note 6} Westwood, ‘sowdelett barres’.

^{page 49 note 7} Westwood, ‘a furnes to set on the same cawdryne’.

^{page 49 note 8} Westwood, ‘for the steyer dore in the entre’.

^{page 49 note 9} Westwood, ‘the manys chambre dore ouer the new gate’; he at first wrote ‘gret’ instead of ‘new’.

^{page 49 note 10} Westwood, ‘ij cokys’.

^{page 49 note 11} Westwood, ‘the dry larder within the Kechyn’.

^{page 49 note 12} Westwood, ‘a new bokett tre’.

^{page 49 note 13} Westwood, ‘byndyng of the same new bokett all ouer with iij new hopys, a bayle and ij eres’.

^{page 49 note 14} ‘lok’ has been inserted.

^{page 49 note 15} This is marked ‘Adhuc Robertus Westwode lokyer’

^{page 49 note 16} Westwood, ‘bolt’.

^{page 50 note 1} Westwood, ‘the Caters’.

^{page 50 note 2} Westwood, ‘to skynners’.

^{page 50 note 3} Westwood, ‘Caters’.

^{page 50 note 4} Westwood, ‘Kater’.

^{page 50 note 5} The entry at the foot of this page is, ‘Summa pagine xxxiij s., vnde Roberto Westwode xxj s. vj d.’

^{page 50 note 6} i. e. the number of pages in tlie original book.

^{page 51 note 1} A toise, about 4½ square yards.

^{page 51 note 2} A summer was the principal beam of a floor.

^{page 53 note 1} The MS. is defective.

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II.—On some London Houses of the Early Tudor Period

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