XXVII.—SMART'S BUILDINGS AND GOLDSMITH
STREET.
At the time of the survey of 1650 Newton Street (i.e., the old Newton Street, north of the stream which crossed it where Macklin Street now
joins, and separated it from Cross Lane), was fully built, and the remaining
frontage of Purse Field to Holborn, between Newton Street and the site of
the Holborn Public Library, was apparently occupied by nine houses, held
by Thomas Farmer and Henry Alsopp, to whom Francis Cornwallis had
assigned his lease so far as concerned that part of the field.
The yard, formerly Green Dragon Yard, at the side of the
Holborn Public Library, marks the site of the ancient stream which
formed the western boundary of Purse Field. The stream seems to have
remained open in this part of its course until about 1650, as a deed
dated 7th November in that year, (fn. 1) in view of the fact that Thomas
Vaughan and his wife Elinor "are to be att greate cost and charges in
the arching or otherwise covering over the sewer or wydraught under
mencioned, by meanes whereof the inhabitants there adjacent shall not
be annoyed as formerly they were thereby, as for divers other good
considerations them hereunto moving," provides that the said sewer "as
the same is now severed, sett out and fenced, scituate … on the
backside of a messuage of the said Thomas Vaughan commonly called …
by the name or signe of The Greene Dragon" shall be demised to the
Vaughans.
The land immediately to the west of the yard in question originally
formed part of Rose Field, and was probably developed at the same time
as the rest of that estate. In 1650, William Short, the owner of Rose Field,
in conjunction with John De La Chambre, sold to Thomas Grover 4
messuages, 12 cottages, 12 gardens and one rood of land with appurtenances, in St. Giles. (fn. 2) The precise position of this property is not mentioned,
but there does not seem to be much doubt that the premises are identical
with, or a portion of, those which Grover sold to Edmond Medlicott in
1666, (fn. 3) and which consisted of 16 houses in Holborn, including the "messuage commonly known by the name or signe of The Harrow," and also the
"lane or alley called Wild boare Alley alias Harrow Alley, with all the
severall messuages, tenements, edifices and void peice or plot of ground in
the said alley." The property is said to front upon Holborn on the north,
and to have for its eastern boundary a way or passage leading from Holborn
to the house and garden of Mr. Braithwait. The dimensions are given as:
"In depth from north to south at the west end, one hundred fourscore and
ten foote, and throughout the whole range and pile of buildings besides
from north to south fower score and seven foote, and in breadth from east
to west sixty and three foote." The last figure is certainly wrong, for even
if half of the sixteen houses in Holborn were lying behind the rest (as indeed
was probably the case) this would only admit of an average frontage of
8 feet to a house. A probable emendation is "six score and three" which
gives a 15 feet frontage to each house.
The land behind these premises, reached by the path along, and afterwards over, the stream, was leased by William Short in 1632 to Jeremiah
Turpin for the remainder (20 years) of a term of 36 years, (fn. 4) and then consisted of garden ground upon which Turpin had recently built a house.
It seems most probable that this (fn. 5) is the place referred to in the petition, (fn. 6)
dated 17th June, 1630, of the inhabitants of High Holborn, calling attention
to the fact that there was a dangerous and noisome passage between High
Holborn and St. Giles Fields, by reason of a dead mud wall and certain old
"housing," which lately stood close to the same, where divers people had
been murdered and robbed, and praying for leave for building to be erected
thereon. In their report (fn. 7) on this petition, the Earls of Dorset and Carlisle
refer to it as "concerning the building of Jeremy Turpin," and recommend
the granting of leave to build.
It may therefore be concluded that the house was built between
1630 and 1632. A full description (fn. 8) of the property as it was in 1640 is
extant, and is interesting as giving an idea of the private gardens of that
time. Reference is made, among other things, to the arbour formed of eight
pine trees, the "sessamore" tree under the parlour window, 13 cherry
trees against the brick wall on the east of the garden, 14 more round the
grass plot, rows of gooseberry bushes, rose trees and "curran trees," another
arbour "set round about with sweete brier," more cherry trees, pear, quince,
plum and apple trees, a box plot planted with French and English flowers,
six rosemary trees, one "apricock" tree and a mulberry tree.
The ground on which Smart's Buildings and Goldsmith Street were
erected at one time formed part of Bear Croft or Bear Close, so called,
no doubt, because it was used as pasture land in connection with The
Bear inn, on the south side of Broad Street, St. Giles. (fn. 9)
At about 1570 there were, immediately to the south of the White Hart
property at the corner of Drury Lane, eight houses. The three most
northerly abutted on the east upon "a close of grounde called the Bere
Close, late belonging to Robert Wise, gentilman" (fn. 10) ; while the five others,
with the close itself (of 2½ acres) are described as "adojynynge to the
Quenes highe waye … leadinge from Strande … to thest end of the
said towne of Saint Giles on the west parte, and abuttinge upon the close
nowe our said soveraigne ladye the Quenes Majesties, called the Rose
feilde, on thest and south partes, and abuttinge upon the messuage or
tenemente nowe or late in the tenure of one William Braynsgrave, (fn. 11) and
the tenement called The White Harte, late in the tenure … of one
Matthewe Bucke, and nowe in that of one Richarde Cockshoote, and the
Quenes highe waye leadinge from Holborne towardes the est end of the
said towne of Saint Gyles on the north part." (fn. 12)
The boundary line between Bear Close and Rose Field is nowhere
described. It is known, however, (fn. 13) that Rose Field reached as far north as
the line bounding the rear of the buildings in Macklin Street, and there is
reason to believe that this line marks the actual division between the two
fields. As regards the eastern boundary a line starting from High Holborn
between No. 191 and No. 192 (fn. 14) and running along the western side of the
southerly spur of Goldsmith Street, seems to fulfil all the conditions. It is
not known what was the depth of the eight houses and gardens fringing
Bear Close on the west, but allowing 60 feet, the area of Bear Close, defined
as above, amounts to two acres. It is hardly possible, therefore, to limit
its boundaries any further. It seems probable that the quadrangle shown
in Agas's map (Plate 1) at the north-east corner of Drury Lane was Bear
Close, and it will be observed that, according to the map, the houses
south of The White Hart stretched along the whole of the Drury Lane
frontage of the close.
Bear Close formed a part of that portion of the property of the
Hospital of St. Giles which, after the dissolution, came into the hands of
Katherine Legh, afterwards Lady Mountjoy. With the five southernmost of the houses separating Bear Close from Drury Lane, and other
property, it was purchased of the Mountjoys by George Harrison,
from whom by various stages it came into the possession of James
Mascall. (fn. 12) The latter died on 11th May, 1585, (fn. 15) leaving the whole of his
property to his wife, Anne, who subsequently married John Vavasour.
From her the whole of the property above mentioned (fn. 16) seems to have
come into the hands of Olive Godman, younger daughter of James and
Anne. A portion of this, including "all the ground or land lying on the
backside of [certain] messuages towards the east, contayning two acres,
now or late in the occupation of … Thomas Burrage" was settled on
her daughter, Frances, on the marriage of the latter with Francis Gerard in
1634. (fn. 17) There seems little doubt that the land in question was Bear Close.
It was apparently soon after this that the close was laid out for
building, the planning taking the form of a cross, the long and cross beams
being represented respectively by the present Goldsmith Street and Smart's
Buildings. The former street was, up to 1883, known as The Coal Yard, in
consequence it is said, "of the place being used for the storage of fuel." (fn. 18)
The tale has a somewhat suspicious look. The fact, too, that "Mr. Francis
Gerard," the owner of Bear Close, and "Bessitt Cole, Esq.," are found
living in two adjoining houses in Drury Lane close by in 1646 rather suggests
that "Cole Yard" is so called because of the name of its builder. (fn. 19)
The date at which Bear Close seems to have been built upon
favours the above suggestion. The Hearth Tax Roll for 1666 gives 41
names which are apparently to be referred to Coal Yard, while Hollar's
Plan of 1658 shows the area by no means covered. The Subsidy Roll for
1646 gives only five names definitely in respect of "Cole Yard," but there
are 15 more which probably must be assigned thereto.
At some time before 1666 the eight houses fronting Drury Lane
had given way to the present number of twelve. In the case of the
four northernmost, this happened shortly after 1636, when a building
lease of the sites of the houses was granted to Richard Brett. (fn. 20)
Built in the brick wall of an 18th-century
tenement (No. 27, Goldsmith Street) was a stone
tablet, dated 1671. The premises have lately
been demolished, and at present the site is
vacant.
Figure 3:
Stone Tablet (1671), formerly on No. 27, Goldsmith Street
Smart's Buildings is a comparatively
modern name for that part of Coal Yard which
runs north into High Holborn. Hatton's New
View of London (1708) does not mention Smart's
Buildings, but refers to "Cole Yard" as "on the N.E. side of Drury
Lane, near St. Giles's, a passage into High Holbourn in 2 places"; Strype
(1720) states that "the Coal Yard … hath a turning passage into
Holborn"; and Rocque's Map of 1746 definitely names it "Cole Yard."
In a deed of 1756 (fn. 21) it is referred to as "the passage leading into the
Coal Yard called Smart's Buildings." Which of the three Smarts, grandfather, father and son (William, Lewis and John), mentioned in the same
deed, it was who gave his name to the street, there is nothing to show.
No record of the purchase of the property by any person of the name
has, so far, been discovered, but the deed of 1756 certainly suggests that
the ownership of the houses on the eastern side of the passage originated
with William, who is, moreover, described as "carpenter," (fn. 22) and in that
case would date from the beginning of the 18th century.
The Council's collection contains:—
(fn. 23) No. 27, Goldsmith Street. Stone tablet in front wall (drawing).
Smart's Buildings. General view of exterior (photograph).