VII.—MARK LANE (WEST SIDE). PROPERTY OF THE DRAPERS' COMPANY
A small portion only of the parish lies upon the west side of Mark
Lane, and the major portion of it to-day is in the ownership of the Drapers'
Company, who possess a considerable number of deeds relating to it, through
which, with the assistance of the Guildhall records, it is possible to trace its
descent from the 14th century. The first deed is dated 1368 and is a sequel
to a document enrolled in the Hustings which apparently relates to the
conveyance of this property from and to trustees. Ralph de Aston, chaplain,
and Laurence Wembourne grant it to Sir Aubrey (Albrecht) de Vere, Clement
Spice, and Robert de Nailyngherst, (fn. 1) clerk, who in the document belonging
to the Company relinquish their rights, whereupon Clement Spice, in 1369,
described as of Nigra Nottelee, Essex, hands it over to Sir Hugh de
Trykyngham, clerk, John Bromfield de Wrytele, Sewall Bromfield and Sir
Philip, persone of Apseden, clerk. (fn. 2) It is described as formerly belonging to
Simon Turgys and late to John de Ikelyngham, felmonger, and it can be
traced, either in part or whole, to properties held by Simon Turgys and
particularised in a number of Hustings Rolls. (fn. 3) In 1380 this property,
described as acquired from William de Staundon, citizen and grocer, and
formerly of Hugh Trykyngham, clerk, John Sewale and William Rokesburgh,
is quitclaimed by John de Bedford, son of Alice Northtoft of Havering atte
Bower, to Roger Hunt and John de Wodeford, chaplains. Its southern
boundary was then a tenement of the Charterhouse. (fn. 4) In 1391 Roger Hunt,
chaplain, granted the property to Avice, widow of William de Tonge, vintner,
whose brass will be found described among the monuments in the church. (fn. 5)
The next reference is in 1454, when Thomas Steell, mercer, and Isabella his
wife grant to Robert Billyngey, capper, Alan Johnson, grocer, Robert
Langford and William Corbet, ironmongers, and Robert Stone, mercer. (fn. 6) This
last entry is consistent with the next deed in the possession of the Drapers'
Company, which records a grant in 1537 by Thomasine Parker, widow, one
of the daughters and heirs of Gracia Thomasina, and one of the heirs of
Robert Billyngey, to her son William Parker, to whom in the same year
Thomas Partriche of St. Albans releases all claim in a "grett place " in Mark
Lane. In 1540 William Parker and his wife Joyce grant "a great messuage
and three tenements adjoining" to William Brothers, draper, the northern
boundary being a house of the late Sir John Dauncy, Kt. (fn. 7) In the same year,
after a variety of transactions, William Parker vests the property in the
Drapers' Company. Two years later William Brothers bequeathed two little
messuages to pay for a chaplain at Whittington's College to pray for the soul
of Sir Thomas Bayly, Kt.
Drapers' Company.
Tonge.
Then follows another lapse of 100 years until in 1642 a series of
leases granted by the Company begins. As far as can be judged there was a
capital messuage in the occupation of James Man and three other houses in
the occupation of Sara and Adam Edwards, Thos. Mullineux and William
Deacon. The changes in occupation of these various houses can be traced
fairly clearly. The capital messuage is leased to Thomas Rastell in 1695,
to Eliz. Man and William Potter in 1718, and to Thomas Chitty in 1749 for
sixty-two years, while in 1693–94 there is an underlease of one of the other
houses by Nathaniel Long to Samuel Winder, described as a new messuage
and warehouse in Mark Lane. Winder's monument still remains in the parish
church, and although it is not quite certain which of the houses he inhabited,
his name appears again in 1726, when his tenancy is described as "a tenement,
yard and counting house and two other tenements in Mark Lane," which
seems to have been the same property as that leased to Bolney in 1750, of
which a figured plan is given.
Note.—For the descent of further properties in Mark Lane, see The History of
St. Bartholomew's Hospital, by (Sir) Norman Moore, i, 299; ii, 98.