Europe, British Isles, England, City of London, Bishopsgate [Map]
Bishopsgate is in City of London.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 06 Nov 1551. The vj day of November the Qwyne (age 35) rod thrught [London] to Bysshope-gatt [Map], and the duke of Northumberland (age 47) [and a hundred] of grett horsys and cotes of welvet in-brodery, [with] hats of velvet and whyt fethers and chynes of gold; [and the] yerle of Penbroke (age 50) with a C. gret horsses, cotes gardy [d with] velvet, and chynes, hats and whyt fethers, and every [man] havyng a new gayffelyns [javelins] in ther hands, and a bage; and then cam the lord Tresorer with a C. gret horsse and ther cotes of marbull, with bage the facon of gold and gayffelins; and with gret nombur of lords and knyghts, and gentyllmen and lades; and ther the Qwyne reseyvyd of the chamburlain of London at the gatt a C. marke owt of the chambur.
Wriothesley's Chronicle 1551. 06 Nov 1551. The 6 of November the sayd Scottishe Quene departed toward Scotland, and rode from Pawles through all the high streates London and out at Bishops-gate [Map], accompanyed with diuers noble Scotland, men and women, to bringe her through the Citye to Shordich Church; the Duke of Northumberlande (age 47) havinge standinge of horsemen in Cheapsyde with jauelinges, iC [Note. One hundred] persons, wherof xl [Note. 40] gentlemen were apparayled in black velvet and white feathers, and chaines of gold about their neckes; next them stoode vixx [Note. 120 ie 6x20] horsmen of the Earle of Pembrookes (age 50), with blacke jauelinges and hattes with feathers; next them stoode ic. [Note. 100] of the Lord Treasurers gentlemen and yeomen with jauelinges allso, which 3 rankes of horsemen compassed from the Crosse in Cheape to Birchin Lane ende. And when the sayd nobles had brought hir to Shordich Church, there they tooke their leaue, and departed home againe. The Sheriffes of London had the conduction of her to Waltham townes ende, where the shires of Middlesex and Essex parteth; and harbingers [were] sent afore into euery shyre to the borders to Scotland, that every sheriffe in euery shyre, accompanyed with the gentlemen of the country, [should] receaue her, and make provision in euery shyre for hir meates, both for hirselfe, familie, and horses, till she come to the borders of Scotland, at the charges of the Kinges Maiestie the shyres that she should passe thorough till she be in Scotland, euery shire for theyr owne precinct; this first night she lodged in Waltham towne.
The Earle of Arundell and the Lord Pagett (age 45) sent to the Tower [Map].
Henry Machyn's Diary. 04 Jan 1552. The iiij day of Januarii was mad a grett skaffold [in Ch]epe hard by the crosse [Map], agaynst the kynges lord of myss[rule] cumyng from Grenwyche; and landyd at Towre warff [Map], [and with] hym yonge knyghts and gentyllmen a gret nombur on [horseb] ake sum in gownes and cotes and chynes [Note. chains] abowt ther nekes, every man havyng a balderyke of yelow and grene abowt ther nekes, and on the Towre hyll ther they [went in] order, furst a standard of yelow and grene sylke with Sant Gorge, and then gonnes and skuybes [Note. squibs], and trompets and bagespypes, and drousselars and flutes, and then a gret compeny all in yelow and gren, and docturs declaryng my lord grett, and then the mores danse dansyng with a tabret, and afor xx of ys consell on horsbake in gownes of chanabulle lynyd with blue taffata and capes of the sam, lyke sage (men); then cam my lord with a gowne of gold furyd with fur of the goodlyest collers [Note. colours] as ever youe saw, and then ys ... and after cam alff a hundred in red and wyht, tallmen [of] the gard, with hods of the sam coler, and cam in to the cete; and after cam a carte, the whyche cared the pelere [pillory], the a ., [the] jubett, [Note. gibbet] the stokes, and at the crose in Chepe a gret brod s[kaffold] for to go up; then cam up the trumpeter, the harold, [and the] doctur of the law, and ther was a proclamasyon mad of my lord('s) progeny, [Note. ie genealogy] and of ys gret howshold that he [kept,] and of ys dyngnyte; and there was a hoghed of wyne [at] the skaffold, and ther my lord dranke, and ys consell, and [had] the hed smyttyn owt that every body mytht drynke, and [money?] cast abowt them, and after my lord('s) grase rod unto my lord mer [Note. mayor] and alle ys men to dener, for ther was dener as youe have sene [Note. ie as great a dinner as you have ever seen]; and after he toke his hers [Note. horse], and rod to my lord Tresorer at Frer Austens, and so to Bysshopgate [Map], and so to Towre warff, and toke barge to Grenwyche.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 28 Nov 1558. [The xxviijth day of November the Queen (age 25) removed to the Tower from the lord North's] plasse, (which) was the Charter Howsse. [All] the stretes unto the towre of London was newe gravelled. Her grace rod thrugh Barbecan and Crepulgat [Map], by [London-wall] unto Bysshope-gate [Map], and up to Leden-halle [Map] and thrugh Gracyus strett [Map] and Fanchyrchestrett [Map]; and a-for rod gentyllmen and [many] knyghtes and lordes, and after cam all the trumpetes blohyng, and then cam all the haroldes in a-ray; and my lord of Penbroke (age 57) [bare the] the quen('s) sword; then cam here Grace (age 25) on horsbake, [apparelled] in purpull welvett with a skarpe [scarf] abowt her neke, and [the serg]anttes of armes abowt here grace; and next after rod [sir] Robart Dudley (age 26) the master of her horse; and so the gard with halbards. [And] ther was shyche shutyng of gunes as never was hard a-for; so to the towre, with all the nobulles. And so here Grace lay in the towre [Map] unto the v day of Dessember, that was sant Necolas evyn. And ther was in serten plasses chylderyn with speches and odur places, syngyng and playing with regalles.
On 01 Sep 1566 Edward Alleyn was born in Bishopsgate [Map].
On 07 Feb 1637 Jacob Garrard 1st Baronet (age 50) was elected Alderman of Bishopsgate [Map].
In 1660 Alderman Edward Backwell (age 42) was elected Alderman of Bishopsgate [Map].
Pepy's Diary. 14 Sep 1663. Up betimes, and my wife's mind and mine holding for her going, so she to get her ready, and I abroad to do the like for myself, and so home, and after setting every thing at my office and at home in order, by coach to Bishop's Gate [Map], it being a very promising fair day. There at the Dolphin we met my uncle Thomas and his son-in-law, which seems a very sober man, and Mr. Moore. So Mr. Moore and my wife set out before, and my uncle and I staid for his son Thomas, who, by a sudden resolution, is preparing to go with us, which makes me fear something of mischief which they design to do us. He staying a great while, the old man and I before, and about eight miles off, his son comes after us, and about six miles further we overtake Mr. Moore and my wife, which makes me mightily consider what a great deal of ground is lost in a little time, when it is to be got up again by another, that is to go his own ground and the other's too; and so after a little bayte (I paying all the reckonings the whole journey) at Ware, Hertfordshire [Map], to Buntingford, Hertfordshire [Map], where my wife, by drinking some cold beer, being hot herself, presently after 'lighting, begins to be sick, and became so pale, and I alone with her in a great chamber there, that I thought she would have died, and so in great horror, and having a great tryall of my true love and passion for her, called the mayds and mistresse of the house, and so with some strong water, and after a little vomit, she came to be pretty well again; and so to bed, and I having put her to bed with great content, I called in my company, and supped in the chamber by her, and being very merry in talk, supped and then parted, and I to bed and lay very well. This day my cozen Thomas dropped his hanger, and it was lost.
Pepy's Diary. 06 Sep 1666. Up about five o'clock, and where met Mr. Gawden at the gate of the office (I intending to go out, as I used, every now and then to-day, to see how the fire is) to call our men to Bishop's-gate [Map], where no fire had yet been near, and there is now one broke out which did give great grounds to people, and to me too, to think that there is some kind of plot1 in this (on which many by this time have been taken, and, it hath been dangerous for any stranger to walk in the streets), but I went with the men, and we did put it out in a little time; so that that was well again. It was pretty to see how hard the women did work in the cannells, sweeping of water; but then they would scold for drink, and be as drunk as devils. I saw good butts of sugar broke open in the street, and people go and take handsfull out, and put into beer, and drink it. And now all being pretty well, I took boat, and over to Southwarke [Map], and took boat on the other side the bridge, and so to Westminster, thinking to shift myself, being all in dirt from top to bottom; but could not there find any place to buy a shirt or pair of gloves, Westminster Hall [Map] being full of people's goods, those in Westminster having removed all their goods, and the Exchequer money put into vessels to carry to Nonsuch [Map]; but to the Swan [Map], and there was trimmed; and then to White Hall, but saw nobody; and so home. A sad sight to see how the River looks: no houses nor church near it, to the Temple [Map], where it stopped.
Note 1. The terrible disaster which overtook London was borne by the inhabitants of the city with great fortitude, but foreigners and Roman Catholics had a bad dime. As no cause for the outbreak of the fire could be traced, a general cry was raised that it owed its origin to a plot. In a letter from Thomas Waade to Williamson (dated "Whitby, Sept. 14th") we read, "The destruction of London by fire is reported to be a hellish contrivance of the French, Hollanders, and fanatic party" (Calendar of State Papers, 1666-67, p. 124).
Evelyn's Diary. 07 Sep 1666. I went this morning on foot from Whitehall [Map] as far as London Bridge [Map], through the late Fleet Street [Map], Ludgate hill by St. Paul's [Map], Cheapside [Map], Exchange, Bishops-gate [Map], Aldersgate Ward, and out to Moorfields [Map], thence through Cornhill [Map], etc., with extraordinary difficulty, clambering over heaps of yet smoking rubbish, and frequently mistaking where I was; the ground under my feet so hot, that it even burnt the soles of my shoes. In the meantime, his Majesty (age 36) got to the Tower [Map] by water, to demolish the houses about the graff, which, being built entirely about it, had they taken fire and attacked the White Tower [Map], where the magazine of powder lay, would undoubtedly not only have beaten down and destroyed all the bridge, but sunk and torn the vessels in the river, and rendered the demolition beyond all expression for several miles about the country.
Europe, British Isles, England, City of London, Bishopsgate Gate [Map]
Bishopsgate [Map] was one of the eastern gates in London's former defensive wall. The gate was first built in the Roman era, probably at the time the wall was first built.
Wriothesley's Chronicle 14 Feb 1554. 14 Feb 1544. The 14 of February divers of the rebells were putt to death, that is to saye, Bothe, one of the Queenes footemen, one Vicars, a Yeoman of the Garde, great John Norton, and one Kinge, were hanged at Charinge Crosse [Map]. And three of the rebells, one called Pollarde, were hanged at the parke pale by Hide Parke; three allso in Fleet street, one at Ludgate, one at Bishopsgate [Map], one at Newgate [Map], one at Aldgate [Map], three at the Crosse [Map] in Cheape, three at Soper Lane ende in Chepe, and three in Smithfield [Map], which persons hanged still all that daye and night tyll the next morninge, and then cutt downe.a And the bodies of them that were hanged at the gates were quartered at Newgate [Map], and the heades and bodies hanged over the gates where they suffred.
Note a. The Grey Friares Chronicle (p. 88) adds "the whych ware of London that fled from the Dnke of Norfoke."
Henry Machyn's Diary. 14 Feb 1544. The xiiij day of Feybruary wher hangyd at evere gatt and plasse: in Chepe-syd vj; Algatt [Map] j, quartered; at Leydynhall [Map] iij; at Bysshope-gatt [Map] on, and quartered; Morgatt one; Crepullgatt [Map] one; Aldersgatt on, quartered; Nuwgat [Map] on, quartered; Ludgatt on; Belyngat iij hangyd; Sant Magnus iij hangyd; Towre hyll [Map] ij. hangyd; Holborne iij hangyd; Flettstret [Map] iij hangyd; at Peper alley gat iij; Barunsaystret iij; Sant Gorgus iij; Charyng crosse [Map] iiij, on Boyth the fottman, and Vekars of the gard, and ij moo; at Hydparke corner iij, on Polard a waterbeyrar; theys iij hanges in chynes; and but vij quartered, and ther bodys and heds set a-pon the gattes of London.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 08 Oct 1562. The viij day of October my lord the duke of Northfoke (age 26) and the duches my good lade ys wyff (age 22) cam rydyng thrughe London and thrughe Byshope-gatt [Map] to Leydyn-hall [Map], and so to Chrychyre to ys own plase, with a C [100] horse in ys leverey was ys men gentyll-men a-fore cottes gardyd with velvett, and with iiij haroldes a-for hym, master Clarenshux kyng at armes (age 52), master Somersett and and master Blumantylle ryd a-fore.... to be bered at sant [Note. Possibly St Dunstan's in the West, Fleet Street [Map]] mastores Chamley the wyff of master Ch[amley recorder? of Lo]ndon, with a palle of blake velvett and with .... ther dyd pryche at her berehyng master (blank) ... mornars, and she had a harold of arm .... dosen of skochyons of armes; and after home t[o dinner.]
Note. P. 294. Funeral of mistress Chamley. This paragraph is so imperfect that it is not certain that it relates to the wife of the Recorder. He, however, was buried at St. Dunstan's in the West in the following April (see p. 395), and his epitaph commenced—"Ranulphus Cholmeley chara hic cum conjuge dormit."
Ermine Street 2a London to Braughing leaves the city of London at Bishopsgate Gate [Map] and thereafter travelled north through Shoreditch [Map], Stoke Newington [Map], Stamford Hill [Map], Tottenham [Map], Edmonton [Map], Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire [Map], Broxbourne, Hertfordshire [Map], Puckeridge, Hertfordshire [Map] to Braughing, Hertfordshire [Map].
Europe, British Isles, England, City of London, Bishopsgate, Devonshire House
On 20 Jun 1628 William Cavendish 2nd Earl Devonshire (age 38) died at Devonshire House. He was buried at Derby Cathedral [Map]. His son William Cavendish 3rd Earl Devonshire (age 10) succeeded 3rd Earl Devonshire, 3rd Baron Cavendish Hardwick.
Pepy's Diary. 07 Mar 1667. Thence home late, and find my wife hath dined, and she and Mrs. Hewer going to a play. Here was Creed, and he and I to Devonshire House, to a burial of a kinsman of Sir R. Viner's (age 36); and there I received a ring, and so away presently to Creed, who staid for me at an alehouse hard by, and thence to the Duke's playhouse, where he parted, and I in and find my wife and Mrs. Hewer, and sat by them and saw "The English Princesse, or Richard the Third"; a most sad, melancholy play, and pretty good; but nothing eminent in it, as some tragedys are; only little Mis. Davis did dance a jig after the end of the play, and there telling the next day's play; so that it come in by force only to please the company to see her dance in boy's 'clothes; and, the truth is, there is no comparison between Nell's (age 17) dancing the other day at the King's house in boy's clothes and this, this being infinitely beyond the other. Mere was Mr. Clerke and Pierce, to whom one word only of "How do you", and so away home, Mrs. Hewer with us, and I to the office and so to Sir W. Batten's (age 66), and there talked privately with him and Sir W. Pen (age 45) about business of Carcasse against tomorrow, wherein I think I did give them proof enough of my ability as well as friendship to Sir W. Batten (age 66), and the honour of the office, in my sense of the rogue's business.
On 28 Jul 1806 Charles Augustus Bennet 5th Earl Tankerville (age 30) and Corisande Armandine Sophie Léonie Hélène Gramont Countess Tankerville (age 23) were married at Devonshire House. She the daughter of Antoine 8th Duke Gramont (age 50) and Aglae de Polignac "Guichette" Duchess Gramont. He the son of Charles Bennet 4th Earl Tankerville (age 62) and Emma Colebrooke Countess Tankerville (age 54).
Europe, British Isles, England, City of London, Bishopsgate, Four Swans
Henry Machyn's Diary. 02 Oct 1552. The ij day of October cam to London owte of Skottland ij (blank) sunnes, late of the kyng of [Scots?] and dyd lye at the iiij Swanes with-in Bysshope-gate, and ther they have ther coke and ther cater, and dress ... seylff.
Note. Two sons of the king of Scots. King James the Fifth had several natural sons, who are enumerated in Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, by Wood, i. 52. It does not appear which were the two who visited London in 1552; but James, afterwards the regent Murray, was at Paris in that year. (Ibid. ii. 255.) Another notice of their visit occurs in the form of "a passport for two of the late Scotch king's bastard sons, to transport out of the realm four dozen of bows, twenty dozen of arrows, and four gross of strings, and two geldings. Dated Oct. 1552." Strype, Mem. vol. ii. p. 517.
Europe, British Isles, England, City of London, Bishopsgate, Mouth Tavern
Pepy's Diary. 02 Oct 1664. Lord's Day. My wife not being well to go to church I walked with my boy through the City, putting in at several churches, among others at Bishopsgate, and there saw the picture usually put before the King's book, put up in the church, but very ill painted, though it were a pretty piece to set up in a church. I intended to have seen the Quakers, who, they say, do meet every Lord's day at the Mouth at Bishopsgate; but I could see none stirring, nor was it fit to aske for the place, so I walked over Moorefields [Map], and thence to Clerkenwell church, and there, as I wished, sat next pew to the fair Butler, who indeed is a most perfect beauty still; and one I do very much admire myself for my choice of her for a beauty, she having the best lower part of her face that ever I saw all days of my life.
Europe, British Isles, England, City of London, Bishopsgate, St Ethelburga's Church Bishopgate [Map]
Henry Machyn's Diary. 21 Aug 1553. The xxj day of August was sett on the pelere [pillory] ij men, on a prest and a-nodur a barbur, and boyth ther herers [ears] nayllyd to the pelere [pillory], the parsun of sant Alberowgh with-in Bysshope-gate [Map] for hannus [heinous] wordes and sedyssus wordes aganst the qwen('s) (age 37) magesty hygnes at the sermon at Powlles crosse, that was the Sonday the xiij day of August, and for the up-rore that was ther don. The prest ... twys.
Note. The parson of St. Ethelburga, whose sermon had offended, was John Dey, who was deprived in 1554.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 07 May 1554. [The morrow after was a great mass at the same place, by the same fraternity, when every clerk offered a halfpenny. The mass was sung by divers of the queen's chapel and children. And, after mass done, every clerk went their procession two and two together, each having] a surples and a ryche cope, and a garland; [after them] iiijxx standards, stremars, and baners; and evere on that bare them had a nobe or elles a surples; and ij and ij together; [then came] the waytes playng, and then be-twyn xxx clarkes, a qwre syngyng Salve fasta dyes; so ther wher iiij qweres. [Then cam] a canepe borne by iiij of the masters of the Clarkes [over the] sacrament, with a xij stayff-torchys bornyng; [up sa]nt Laurans lane, and so to the farther end of Chep, then back a-gayn up Cornhylle, and so to Ledynhalle; and so down to Byshopegatt unto sant Albrowsse chyrche [Map]; and ther they dyd put off ther copes and so to dener evere man, and ther evere on that bare a stremar had monay, as they wher of bygnes ther.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 27 May 1555. The xxvij day of May was the Clarkes' prossessyon from Yerdhall [Map] college, and ther was a goodly masse be hard, and evere clarke havyng a cope and garland, with C. stremers borne, and the whettes playng round Chepe, and so to Ledynhall [Map] unto sant Albro chyrche [Map], [and ther] thay putt off ther gayre, and ther was the blessyd sacrament borne with torche-lyght a-bowt, and from thens unto the Barbur-hall to dener.
Europe, British Isles, England, City of London, Bishopsgate, Two-Swan Yard
In Jan 1735 a great storm occurred in London and elsewhere causing significant damage.
From London Prints:
Yesterday Morning the Wind being at W. and W.S.W. it blew hard; and in the Afternoon we had one of the strongest Storms that has been known for many Years, in which several Lighters and Boats in the River were sunk, and others dashed to Pieces; but all the Ships in the River rode out with Safety. On Shore, great Damage was done in the Houses, by ripping off the Tiles, blowing down Stacks of Chimneys, &c. and many People were killed and wounded; particularly, Five Houses were blown down in St. Giles's Parish [Map], and another in Hartshorn Lane in the Strand, by which two Persons lost their Lives. A Stack of Chimneys fell upon a Footman near Gray's-Inn, and killed him. A House in the Broad-Way, Westminster, was blown down, and a Man and Boy killed. And Mr. Lancashire, a Carpenter in Two-Swan-Yard near Bishopsgate, was blown from the Top of a Twelve-Foot Ladder, by which he fractured his Skull, and died on the Spot.
It likewise blew up by the Roots several large Trees in St. James's Park, and did incredible Damage to a great many Houses, in all Parts of the Cities of London and Westminster.
From Tunbridge-Wells [Map] we have an Account that the Land-Floods came down upon them so suddenly, that all the Bridges upon the Brook which runs by the Walks, were carried away by the Torrent, and great Damages done besides, so that the like has not been known before in any one's Memory.
They write from [illegible] Abbey in Yorkshire that [several words illegible] happened such a Storm as had not been known in the Memory of Man; tho' it lasted no longer than three quarters of an Hour, yet four Houses were blown down, and several others damaged, and a great Number of large Trees were either broken or blown up by the Roots.
Moulsey in Surrey, Jan. 9. The River Thames is now rising here, and yet it is already so high, we are forced to live above Stairs; and when the Land Waters come down from the Hills in the West-Country, God knows the Consequence: The Thames rose between 5 and 12 this Morning, very near a Foot in Height.
On the 8th Instant there were near 100 Elm Trees (and other Sorts) blown up by the Roots in this Parish during the violent Storm, all fine tall Sticks, and of a load of Timber in a Stick one with another; which will afford the Navy a fine Opportunity of furnishing the Stores in his Majesty's Dockyard this Year.
Extract of a Letter from Dover, dated Jan. 10. Our Accounts from Deal yesterday bring that 40 Sail were missing, that there is scarce a Ship but has met with Damage, and most people think the Gale of Wind little inferior to the November Storm, and lasted longer.
From several LONDON PRINTS Jan. 11. We have received further Accounts of the Misfortunes occasioned by the terrible Storm on Wednesday last: It was observed to be at the highest at 12 o'Clock, about which Time a Stack of Chimnies fell upon a Coachman near Golden-Square, and fractured his Skull: At Barnet [Map], and the Villages adjacent, they perceived three loud Claps of Thunder, accompanied by Lightning; several Barns were blown down in that Neighbourhood; and in several of the Roads near London, the Trees lie in the Highway in such manner, that it is difficult to pass: The Seat was blow from the Mount in Kensington Gardens. At all Parts of the Town are seen Houses untiled, stript of their Lead, and the Chimnies demolish'd.
The Kitchen Chimney of the Lord Bruce was blown down, which broke thro' the Stables of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, and did very considerable Damage, some of the Servants narrowly escaping with their Lives.
36 Trees were broke down, and tore up by the Roots, in St. James's Park, particularly the large Tree entering the Mall, from St. James's Palace, under which stood a Centry-Box, which was blown down at the same Time, with the Soldier in it, who narrowly escaped with his Life.
About 300 Weight of Lead was blown off the House of Arundel, Esq; in Burlington Gardens, Surveyor of his Majesty's Roads.
About 500 Wt. of Lead was ript off the Parish Church of St. Laurence Jewry, by Guild-Hall.
At the Marquis de Montandre's House in Brook-street, a large Stack of Chimnies was blown down, which demolished an Office in the back Part of the House, dashing in Pieces a Table at which 9 Servants were to dine a quarter of an Hour after.
At Riskins, the seat of the Lord Bathurst (age 50) in Buckinghamshire, above 40 large Trees in his Lordship's Grounds were blown down.
At Fulham [Map] 2 or 3 Houses were blown down, and a Barn belonging to Mr. Gray, a Farmer.
A great many Wallnut-trees in the Park of Tryon, Esq; at Mickleham, Surrey [Map], were destroyed. We hear he has made above 300£. per Annum of the Wallnuts which the said Trees produced.
The same Day, as a Servant of Messieurs Frame and Berkley was going along the North Side of St. Paul's, he was thrown down by the Violence of the Winds, at which time his Letter-Case fell from his Side, and the Wind blew his Notes about; all which he found again, except one of £300. one of £139. 16s one of £40. and one of £25. for which Notes a Reward is offered.