OTHER INSTITUTIONS
408. London, Bank of England
Established 1694; archive includes title deeds relating to the Bank site
(32, 48, 88), 16C to 19C, numbered consecutively and arranged in packets
or bundles according to the property to which they relate. There is a TS
list and index to the deeds.
The following deeds relate also to properties outside the site area. No.
380: grant, 1659 (Grub Street, Huggin Lane). Nos. 407–416: deeds and
will, 1607–56 (104, 123). Nos. 907–914: deeds, 1572–1639 (142; no. 913
also ref. to 51). Nos. 932–3: copy charter, 1453, and will, 1551 (142). No.
971: lease, 1651 (94). The deeds listed as '74 Single Deeds' may in fact be
items from the main series, removed and listed twice.
409. London, Bridewell Royal Hospital
Fd. 1553 as house of correction and occupation; prison closed 1855;
hospital reorganised as school, c. 1860, now King Edward's School,
Witley, Surrey. Bridewell Hospital was under the authority of the City,
and administered jointly with Bethlem Hospital (102, above) from the
later 16C until 1948. The records at Witley include material relating to
Bethlem Hospital. See NRA report, 1962, by A. E. B. Owen.
The estate lay in Bridewell precinct (extraparochial, formerly part of
46).
a. Witley, Box N: leases, 17C–19C (precinct). Ibid., Box 51, bundle 1:
deeds, incl. lease 1654 (151).
b. Witley, Muniment Bk. 1554–1732: incl. material relating to other royal
hospitals; (ff. 56v–170) leases, incl. Bridewell properties, 16C to 18C; (ff.
222v–224) Fire Ct. decree (Bridewell).
c. Witley, Box 67: rent rolls, 1605–6, 1621–2, 1665–6, and later (Bethlem
and Bridewell). Ibid., Treasurer's Account Bk. 1, 1643–8: incl. total rent
receipt (Bridewell).
d. CLRO, Repertories, mid to late 16C, incl. decisions relating to
Bridewell properties. Witley, Court Minute Bks. 1559–62, 1574–9, 1597–
1610, 1617–59, 1666 to date (microfilms at Bethlem Hospital, Archive
Department; also GL microfilms 510–515, 1559–1659 only): minutes incl.
leasing business (Bethlem and Bridewell; contemp. indexes to personal
names only).
e. At Witley: plans of Bridewell precinct and estate, ?late 17C to 20C. See
also late 18C Bk. of Surveys of precinct.
410. London, Company for the Propagation of the Gospel in New
England ('New England Company')
The company, fd. by ordinance 1649 and royal charter 1662, acquired
property in London and elsewhere to finance its work. Most of the
records are in GL. See W. Kellaway 'The Archives of the New England
Company', Archives 2 (1953–6), 175–82; idem, The New England Company, 1649–1776 (1961).
The London estate lay in: 67, 132, 156.
a. MS 7971: deeds, leases, etc., 1548–1791, incl. views 1597, 1598, 1619,
case depositions 1586–7 (132, 156). MS 7972: will 1598 (156). MS 7974:
deeds, leases, etc., 1572–1779 (67). MS 7975: leases, 1640–46 (95, 98,
119). MS 8001: inspeximus 1579 of charter 1352 (Blackfriars).
b. MS 7932: list, comp. c. 1780, of evidences and writings, 1662–1780.
c. MS 7945, treasurers' 'sundry' a/cs, loose, 1649–1728: some
memoranda of property purchases. MS 7944/1, treasurers' a/cs, loose,
1659–72: ref. to house in St. Paul's churchyard, 1658–9. MS 7911/1,
treasurers' general and estate a/c bk., 1660–79: rent receipts, estate
above. G. P. Winship, The New England Company of 1649 and John
Eliot (The Prince Society, Boston, Mass., 1920) edits the Company's
Minute Book (see d, below), and a Treasurer's Ledger, 1650–60, then in
the State Library of New Jersey, Trenton, N.J.: summary rent totals,
expenses, incl. legal costs for house purchase.
d. Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Am 1802: Court Min.
Bk., 1656–85 (ed. G. P. Winship, The New England Company, as above;
photocopy in GL, MS 8011); mins., incl. refs. to properties and leasing.
GL, MS 7952, loose court and cttee. mins., 1655–1816: incl. refs. to
proposed purchases in 67, Cheapside, Gutter lane.
411. London, Dutch Church, Austin Friars
The congregation was recognised in 1550 and was granted the church and
site of the former Austin Friars (in 148) by charter in 1611. The records
are in GL.
a. MS 7418: deeds, c. 1611–1874 (148); incl. plan of church, probably
early 17C. MS 18974: photograph of charter, 1550, with ref. to church.
MS. 18948: 20C papers, incl. copy charter 1611 and abs. title from 1611
(148).
b. MS 7408: memorandum bk. (Dutch) 1594–1714, incl. some notes on
property, rents.
c. MSS 7390/1, 7389/1: a/c bks., 1606–57, 1658–1705 (Dutch), incl.
collection lists, repairs to church, few refs. to leases. MSS 7396/1–6: bills,
receipts, rough a/cs, collection lists (Dutch and English), 1565–1670.
d. MSS 7428/1–27: 'Archivum' (letters, deeds, memoranda, 1462–1900);
calendared and indexed in J. H. Hessels, Ecclesiae Londino-Batavae
Archivum . . . Epistulae et Tractatus, vol. 3 pt. 1 (1897); see index refs.
and esp. no. 2466, viewers' report, 17C.
412. London, East India Company
The company, fd. 1600, acquired its city freeholds in the 18C along with
many earlier deeds. From c. 1600 onwards it occupied several city
properties as tenant. The records are at the India Office Library and
Records, London.
a. Deeds, leases, and other records of title, mid 16C onwards. These exist
in two series (A/1, 'Charters and Deeds'; L/L, 'Legal Advisor's
Records') in the process of being investigated, sorted, and collated. In
1984 the best guide was the early 19C 'Register of Charters and Deeds'
(Z/L/L), which calendars the deeds chronologically by property; not all
those listed remain in this archive. Groups of entries concerning city
properties before 1670 begin on pp. 12, 19, 26, 50, 56, 69, 71, 81, 84, 93,
130, 187, 234, 309, 368, 416, 478, 503, 513, 524, 550, 563, 568, 584, 600,
608, 770. The properties lay in 4, 19, 43, 77, 78, 141, 149; there is also a
ref. to 51.
b. Court Minutes. Those for 1599–1634 are calendared in Calendar of
State Papers, Colonial ii-iv, vi, viii; and those for 1635–67 in A calendar of
the Court Minutes etc. of the East India Company, ed. E. B. Sainsbury (6
vols, 1907–25). They include records of the company's tenure of its
successive headquarters in Philpot Lane, 64 (Crosby House), and 19
(East India House).
c. Early 19C plans and elevations of the company's headquarters and
warehouses, incl. some plans of leasehold boundaries (H/763).
413. London, Inns of Court and Chancery
The records of the Inns of Court and Chancery (in the parishes of 20 and
54, in extraparochial precincts close by, and outside the city) were not
searched; they relate directly only to those areas, but may include casual
references to other parts of the city. The records are in the libraries of the
inns, and in PRO; for sources in print see J. M. Sims, London and
Middlesex Published Records, a handlist (LRS 1970), 28–9.
a. Inner Temple. See J. Conway Davies, Catalogue of Manuscripts in the
Inner Temple Library (1972). Many of the administrative records are
covered by A Calendar of the Inner Temple Records i–iii, 1505–1714, ed.
F. A. Inderwick (1896–1901); for a list of records see vol. 1, pp. vii-viii.
The calendared items incl.: 'Acts of Parliament' (minute books) from
1505 onwards, containing assignments of chambers, licences to build,
orders for building and repairs, letting of shops, and views, all within the
precinct; 'Book of Evidences, 1568–1732', containing deeds (precinct
and 54); Account Bks. 1606 onwards, containing receipts of rent. Deeds
and leases are not calendared and may incl. items concerning the precinct
before 1666.
b. Middle Temple. The records are listed on pp. ix-x of A Calendar of the
Middle Temple Records, ed. C. H. Hopwood (1903): incl. extracts from
the series of a/cs, which begin in 1637 (details of payments for building
and rents). Minutes of Parliament of the Middle Temple 4 vols., ed. C. T.
Martin (1904–5): incl. decisions on building, admissions to chambers,
notes of leases; rental of chambers and shops s.a. 1567 (within the
precinct and in the street at Temple Bar). Uncalendared items incl. 17C
deeds and leases, rental bks. (date not given).
c. Other inns. D. S. Bland, Early records of Furnival's Inn, edited from a
Middle Temple Manuscript (pamphlet, Department of Extramural
Studies, King's College, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1957) also incl. notes on
the early records of other inns. For Serjeants' Inn, see also 263.
414. London, Royal College of Physicians
The college, fd. 1518, has pre-Fire records of the properties it occupied in
38, 92, and 47, successively, and of other properties in the city. The
records, a card catalogue of the later items, and the catalogue noted
below are at the college (11, St. Andrew's Place, London NW1).
a. Deeds and leases. See 'A Descriptive Catalogue of the Legal and other
documents in the Archives of the Royal College of Physicians of London'
(TS, 1924), where 17C and later deeds and leases are listed under the
following headings: 'Amen Corner', from 1649 (92: site of college, 1614–
66); 'King's Head Tavern', from 1614 (112: an 18C endowment); 'Oxenbridge', 1637 (39: stray deed); 'Warwick Lane', from 1610 (47: site of
college post-Fire).
b. Annals (minutes of college busines; TS transcript and translation) vols.
1–4, 1518–1677: incl. copy 16C lease (38, s.a. 1558), proposal to buy
property in Charterhouse (s.a. 1598), 17C business concerning the two
college houses pre-Fire (38, 92) and the post-Fire premises (47). For the
dimensions of the house in 38, see W. Munk, The Roll of the Royal
College of Physicians (2nd. ed., 1878) iii, 321 n. 2 (citing the MS now
identified as SR 2189).
415. London, Sion College
The college, fd. 1623 as a college and almshouse for the clergy by the
Revd. Thomas White, lay in 15; see W. H. Milman, 'Some account of
Sion College . . .', Trans LMAS 6 (1890), 53–122. The records are GL.
See also 310.
a. MS 10518: deeds, etc., 1611–1734 (18, Blackfriars). MS 10519: deeds,
leases, 1650–1739 (15). MS 10529: papers, 1631–74, incl. abs. title from
1540, view 1633 (15). MS 9252, copy will of founder, 1623.
b. MS 10504/1: loose draft a/cs, 1665–80, noting rent receipts (probably
15), taxes paid. MS 10526: sundry a/cs, 1664–98, incl. workmens' bills,
1670.
c. MS 10530: papers, 1663–93, incl. list of deeds and leases from 1631; late
17C sketch plans and elevations (18); extracts from minutes, 1664;
fragment of a/c, 1666.
416. London, Wards and Liberties
In most cases ward records do not begin until after 1666. Presentations
and assessment lists can contain topographical detail. For the series of
ward presentments in CLRO, beginning in 1668, see card index there;
otherwise the records are in GL.
a. Aldersgate. MS 2050/1: wardmote bk., begun c. 1584; lists of officers c.
1467–1801, some presentments and inquest orders, memoranda of ward
goods. MSS 1499–1502; wardmote presentments 1510, 1528, 16C, 1614.
MSS 1503/1–10: assessments, various precincts, 1580–1661.
b. Aldgate. MSS 1162/1, 1A, 2–5: precinct bks., listing officers nominated
and elected, 1594–1851.
c. Bridge. MSS 3461/1, 2: wardmote bks. 1627–62, 1663–88: lists of
officers, a/cs, presentments, lists of ward inhabitants 1634 and frequently
thereafter.
d. Candlewick. MS 473: wardmote bk. 1676–1802; (f. 3r-v) view of ward
bounds, agreement with neighbouring wards over some houses.
e. Cheap. MS 60: wardmote bk. 1701–1829; (f. 1) view of ward bounds,
with reference to occupants of some houses before the Fire.
f. Cornhill. MSS 4069/1, 2: wardmote bks. 1571–1651, 1652–1733; lists of
officers, a/cs, presentments, several assessments. MS 2942 B: list of
contributors to 'voluntary gift', ?1661.
g. Farringdon within. MS 9257: subsidy a/c 1628.
h. Farringdon without. MS 3018/1: bk. of presentments and inquest
mins., precinct of St. Dunstan West, 1558–1823. MS 3180/1: minute bks.
of precinct meetings, incl. lists of officers, inhabitants, Smithfield precinct, 1646–1724.
j. Lime Street. MS 1169/1: wardmote bk. 1654–1779: lists of officers, a/cs;
no presentments till after c. 1700.
k. Portsoken. CLRO: presentments, 1464–82, 1507. MS 2649/1: wardmote bk. 1684–1798, listing precincts. MS 2636: bk. of John Webster's
charity, with copy deed 1639 (43), list of recipients 1644–1890. MS 10335:
rental of poor's lands, 1666–7 (43). See 301.
l. Queenhithe. MS 4829: wardmote bk. 1667–1746; lists of officers, orders
for conduct of inquest.
m. Walbrook. MS 455: bk. of Lawrence Campe's charity, with copy deed
1602, will 1616, a/cs of rent receipt and distribution, 1618–1887, some
memoranda on leasing and rebuilding (74).
n. Liberty of St. Martin le Grand. MS 50: 'Court bk.' 1615–1814; lists of
officers, orders for conduct of inquest, inventory of goods.
417. Bristol, Revd. Thomas White's almshouse ('Temple Hospital')
The almshouse, fd. 1615 by the Revd. Thomas White, was endowed with
property in 105 and Bristol; the rent from the former made up most of its
income for some years. The records are in Bristol RO.
a. MSS 12966/71–82: deeds, copy deeds, leases, bonds, 1544–1644. MS
12966/83, petition to Fire Ct. 1671. MS 12966/150: incl. copy lease 1671.
b. MSS 12966/112–114, a/c bks. 1615–1723: rent receipts.
418. Rochester Bridge Trust, Rochester, Kent
The Trust, fd. 1387 to undertake the upkeep and repair of Rochester
Bridge, was endowed with income and estates including a property in 19.
The records, with the exception of a number of deeds and plans deposited
in GL, are kept by the Clerk at the Bridge Chamber, 5 Esplanade,
Rochester, Kent.
There is a TS catalogue/calendar to the whole archive. See E. S. Scroggs,
'The records of Rochester Bridge and of the New College of Cobham',
Archives 2 (1953–6), 183–91.
a. GL, MS 8514: deeds and leases, 1546–1906. GL, MS 8522: original
petitions for leases, 1633–72.
b. Ad. 1: 15C memorandum bk. of chaplain, listing endowments. Ad.
109, 'The Black Book': compilation c. 1595 of evidences, list of founders,
etc., from 1399. Ad. 101, 'Inquisitions, Statutes, Elections, Accounts,
etc.': vol. comp. 1587 with lists of lands and benefactors, summary a/cs
1576–1732. Ad. 2, 3: copies of letters patent 1398–1702 relating to
endowments.
c. E 1, 'Lease Book': (f. 10) detailed survey and rental, c. 1575–77, with
note of repairs needed; (ff. 15v, 17) rentals 1624, 1661; (f. 46 et seqq.)
copy leases c. 1577–1658 (listed on flyleaf). E 2: lease bk. 1662–1723,
indexed by tenants' names.
d. RS 1 (roll): valor of estates 1506–7. RS 2 (paper): rental c. 1550. Ad.
97: brief memorandum of estates, 1575. RS 3: bk. of surveys of estates,
1575–77, as in E 1, f. 10; photograph of London section in GL, MS 8513.
RS 4 (roll): rental 1597. RS 95: survey 1661.
e. Ac. 1–90: incomplete series of a/c rolls and bklets., 1391–1561, incl.
some rent a/cs from c. 1423–4, with repairs, also Bridge paymasters and
repair a/cs; see typescript catalogue. Ac. 91–102: wardens' a/c bks. I–XII,
1576–1675 (series continues), incl. detailed annual rentals.
f. GL, MS 8517: plan 1687. MAPS 1: bk. of estate maps incl. 2 London
plans, c. 1713, 1717. GL, MS 8516: draft plan, apparently for MAPS 1, c.
1713.
419. Sherborne Almshouse, Sherborne, Dorset
The almshouse succeeded the hospital of St. John dissolved in 1547.
Under a will of 1629 part of the income from leasehold houses in London
was assigned for the maintenance of the poor in Sherborne. The Merchant Taylors' Company (see 48) acted as trustee. The charity expired c.
1771 when the leases ran out. MSS relating to the management of the
almshouse are in Dorset RO (D204).
The London estate (rarely specified) probably lay in: 34, 63, 99.
a. D204/CH 719: lease, 1671 (63). D204/SC 709–33A: copies of deeds,
letters, Fire Ct. papers, 1649 onwards. D204/474A–C: Fire Ct. papers.
D204/615: list of writings at Merchant Taylors' Hall. D204/SC 607:
extract from will.
b. D204/SC 805B: bk. of abstracts of leases, 1669 onwards (34, 63, 99).
D204/D 24: register, 1582–1866, incl. extract from will.
c. D204/SC 614, 616: rents and arrears, late 17C.