Europe, British Isles, England, Home Counties, Middlesex, Stepney [Map]
Stepney is in Middlesex.
On 05 Aug 1447 John Holland 2nd Duke Exeter (age 52) died at Stepney [Map]. He was buried at the Church of St Katharine's by the Tower [Map]. His son Henry Holland 3rd Duke Exeter (age 17) succeeded 3rd Duke Exeter, 3rd Earl Huntingdon. Anne York Duchess Exeter (age 7) by marriage Duchess Exeter.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 21 Aug 1552. The xxj day of August was the monumentt of ser Anthony Wynckfeld (deceased) knyght, and controller of the kynges h[owsse], bered at Stepnay [Map] with a grett compeny of mornars, [with] prestes and clarkes syngyng, and a harold ys ys M.... and so cared from Bednoll Gren over Mylle End [Map]; with ys standdard and a grett baner of armes, and [his helmet] and ys targett of the garter, and ys sword, crest a [bull] gold and sabull; and at the communyon dyd pryche [the vicar] of Sordyche, a Skott; and after a grett dener for all that cam; and alle ys gayre was offered, the elmett, and then the targett, and then the sword, and the standard, and then ys baner of armes; and after dener yt was sett up over hym, the wyche a goodly shyth to, and alle was offered to the prest,-the vj king Edward the vjth.
Note. Funeral of sir Anthony Wingfield, knight of the garter. Biographical particulars of this distinguished person will be found in Lodge's Peerage of Ireland, 1789, vol. v. p. 262. The place of his burial is not there recorded; and if his body was left to rest at Stepney, the fact is now forgotten there, as no monument exists, and the register does not commence until 1568.
Note. The vicar of Shoreditch, a Scot. John Macbray, presented to the vicarage on the 15th May preceding (Ellis's Shoreditch, p. 21); deprived in 1554, and afterwards an exile. (Strype, Mem. ii. 341.)
Before 12 Nov 1557 John Maynard (age 48) died. He was buried on 12 Nov 1557 at Stepney [Map].
Henry Machyn's Diary. 12 Nov 1557. [The xij day of November was buried at Stepney [Map] master Maynard (age 48), merchant, and sheriff of London in the sixth] yere of kyng Edward the vjth, the wyche kept a grett howse, and in the time of Cryustymas he had a lord of mysrulle, and after the kynges lord of mysse-rulle cam and dynyd with hym; and at the crosse of Chepe he mad a grett skaffold, and mad a proclamasyon. [He was buried] with ij whytt branchys, and xij torchys, and iiij grett [tapers]; and after to Popeler to dener, and that was grett.
On 28 Aug 1558 George Darcy 1st Baron Darcy Aston (age 61) died at Stepney [Map]. His son John Darcy 2nd Baron Darcy Aston (age 18) succeeded 2nd Baron Darcy of Aston.
On 30 Apr 1587 John Newdigate (age 17) and Anne Fitton (age 12) were married at Stepney [Map].
On 30 Apr 1587 Anne Fitton (age 12) died at Stepney [Map].
On or before 22 Jul 1662 Dorothy Basse was born to William Basse (age 51) and Susannah Gill (age 32) at Stepney [Map]. She was christened on 22 Jul 1662 at St Bride's Church.
Pepy's Diary. 24 Nov 1666. Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning. At noon rose and to my closet, and finished my report to my Lord Treasurer (age 59) of our Tangier wants, and then with Sir J. Minnes (age 67) by coach to Stepney [Map] to the Trinity House, Deptford [Map], where it is kept again now since the burning of their other house in London. And here a great many met at Sir Thomas Allen's (age 33) feast, of his being made an Elder Brother; but he is sick, and so could not be there. Here was much good company, and very merry; but the discourse of Scotland, it seems, is confirmed, and that they are 4000 of them in armes, and do declare for King and Covenant, which is very ill news. I pray God deliver us from the ill consequences we may justly fear from it. Here was a good venison pasty or two and other good victuals; but towards the latter end of the dinner I rose, and without taking leave went away from the table, and got Sir J. Minnes' (age 67) coach and away home, and thence with my report to my Lord Treasurer's (age 59), where I did deliver it to Sir Philip Warwicke (age 56) for my Lord, who was busy, my report for him to consider against to-morrow's council.
Pepy's Diary. 03 Jun 1667. Thence down by water to Deptford, Kent [Map], it being Trinity Monday, when the Master is chosen, and there, finding them all at church, and thinking they dined, as usual, at Stepny [Map], I turned back, having a good book in my hand, the Life of Cardinal Wolsey, wrote by his own servant, and to Ratcliffe; and so walked to Stepny [Map], and spent, my time in the churchyard, looking over the gravestones, expecting when the company would come by. Finding no company stirring, I sent to the house to see; and, it seems, they dine not there, but at Deptford, Kent [Map]: so I back again to Deptford, Kent [Map], and there find them just sat down. And so I down with them; and we had a good dinner of plain meat, and good company at our table: among others, my good Mr. Evelyn (age 46), with whom, after dinner, I stepped aside, and talked upon the present posture of our affairs; which is, that the Dutch are known to be abroad with eighty sail of ships of war, and twenty fire-ships; and the French come into the Channell with twenty sail of men-of-war, and five fireships, while we have not a ship at sea to do them any hurt with; but are calling in all we can, while our Embassadors are treating at Bredah; and the Dutch look upon them as come to beg peace, and use them accordingly; and all this through the negligence of our Prince, who hath power, if he would, to master all these with the money and men that he hath had the command of, and may now have, if he would mind his business. But, for aught we see, the Kingdom is likely to be lost, as well as the reputation of it is, for ever; notwithstanding so much reputation got and preserved by a rebel that went before him.
Europe, British Isles, England, Home Counties, Middlesex, Stepney, Bethnall Green
Henry Machyn's Diary. 15 Aug 1552. The xv day of August ded the nobull knyght ser [Anthony] Wynckfeld (age 65), comtroller of the kynges honorabull howsse, [and of] ys preve consell, and knyght of the honorabull order of the garter; the wyche he ded at Bednoll Grene, at yong sir John G[ates] plasse,-the vj king Edward vjth. And (in) ys sted master Cottun comtroller.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 21 Aug 1552. The xxj day of August was the monumentt of ser Anthony Wynckfeld (deceased) knyght, and controller of the kynges h[owsse], bered at Stepnay [Map] with a grett compeny of mornars, [with] prestes and clarkes syngyng, and a harold ys ys M.... and so cared from Bednoll Gren over Mylle End [Map]; with ys standdard and a grett baner of armes, and [his helmet] and ys targett of the garter, and ys sword, crest a [bull] gold and sabull; and at the communyon dyd pryche [the vicar] of Sordyche, a Skott; and after a grett dener for all that cam; and alle ys gayre was offered, the elmett, and then the targett, and then the sword, and the standard, and then ys baner of armes; and after dener yt was sett up over hym, the wyche a goodly shyth to, and alle was offered to the prest,-the vj king Edward the vjth.
Note. Funeral of sir Anthony Wingfield, knight of the garter. Biographical particulars of this distinguished person will be found in Lodge's Peerage of Ireland, 1789, vol. v. p. 262. The place of his burial is not there recorded; and if his body was left to rest at Stepney, the fact is now forgotten there, as no monument exists, and the register does not commence until 1568.
Note. The vicar of Shoreditch, a Scot. John Macbray, presented to the vicarage on the 15th May preceding (Ellis's Shoreditch, p. 21); deprived in 1554, and afterwards an exile. (Strype, Mem. ii. 341.)
Pepy's Diary. 26 Jun 1663. So by water home, and after a little while getting me ready, Sir W. Batten (age 62), Sir J. Minnes (age 64), my Lady Batten, and I by coach to Bednall Green, to Sir W. Rider's to dinner, where a fine place, good lady mother, and their daughter, Mrs. Middleton, a fine woman. A noble dinner, and a fine merry walk with the ladies alone after dinner in the garden, which is very pleasant; the greatest quantity of strawberrys I ever saw, and good, and a collation of great mirth, Sir J. Minnes (age 64) reading a book of scolding very prettily. This very house1 was built by the Blind Beggar of Bednall Green, so much talked of and sang in ballads; but they say it was only some of the outhouses of it. We drank great store of wine, and a beer glass at last which made me almost sick. At table, discoursing of thunder and lightning, they told many stories of their own knowledge at table of their masts being shivered from top to bottom, and sometimes only within and the outside whole, but among the rest Sir W. Rider did tell a story of his own knowledge, that a Genoese gally in Leghorn Roads was struck by thunder, so as the mast was broke a-pieces, and the shackle upon one of the slaves was melted clear off of his leg without hurting his leg. Sir William went on board the vessel, and would have contributed towards the release of the slave whom Heaven had thus set free, but he could not compass it, and so he was brought to his fetters again.
Note 1. Sir William Rider's house was known as Kirby Castle, and was supposed to have been built in 1570 by John Thorpe for John Kirby. It was associated in rhyme with other follies of the time in bricks and mortar, as recorded by Stow "Kirkebyes Castell, and Fisher's Follie, Spinila's pleasure, and Megse's glorie". The place was known in Strype's time as the "Blind Beggar's House", but he knew nothing of the ballad, "The Beggar's Daughter of Bednall Green", for he remarks, "perhaps Kirby beggared himself by it". Sr. William Rider died at this house in 1669.
Note 2. From www.spitalfieldmusic.org.uk. The story starts with the sad story of the Blind Beggar, a man who didn't have a penny to his name but his pride and joy was his daughter Bessy - "a fair daughter, most pleasant and bright". Many men, including a gentleman of fortune, a London merchant and an innkeeper's son, could not help to fall in love with Bessy due to her great beauty and her sweet countenance. However, most would soon turn their backs on her once they found out about her lowly status and her poor blind father, who spent his days begging for charity accompanied by his faithful dog. There was one man who was different! He was described as a Knight and he was determined to marry young Bessy and wanted to meet her father to ask for her hand in marriage as he believed that you "weigh true love not by the weight of the purse". A wedding soon followed that featured the most skillful musicians, the most scrumptious foods and attended by many of the noblest families - a wedding of "joy and delight". This was when the secret was finally revealed! The Blind Beggar was in fact the son of Simon de Montford who had been an influential baron during reign of King John. Despite being blinded at the Battle of Evesham (other sources say he died at the battle), he was indeed a man of substantial means; he lived the life of a Blind Beggar to ensure that whoever would win the heart and love of young Bessy was not after her money!
Pepy's Diary. 25 Apr 1664. Thence, the young ladies going out to visit, I took my wife by coach out through the city, discoursing how to spend the afternoon; and conquered, with much ado, a desire of going to a play; but took her out at White Chapel, and to Bednal Green; so to Hackney, where I have not been many a year, since a little child I boarded there.
Pepy's Diary. 08 Sep 1666. Thence to Bednall Green by coach, my brother with me, and saw all well there, and fetched away my journall book to enter for five days past, and then back to the office where I find Bagwell's wife, and her husband come home. Agreed to come to their house to-morrow, I sending him away to his ship to-day.
Pepy's Diary. 09 Sep 1666. Sunday. Up and was trimmed, and sent my brother to Woolwich, Kent [Map] to my wife, to dine with her. I to church, where our parson made a melancholy but good sermon; and many and most in the church cried, specially the women. The church mighty full; but few of fashion, and most strangers. I walked to Bednall Green, and there dined well, but a bad venison pasty at Sir W. Rider's. Good people they are, and good discourse; and his daughter, Middleton, a fine woman, discreet.
Pepy's Diary. 08 Jun 1667. Up, and to the office, where all the news this morning is, that the Dutch are come with a fleete of eighty sail to Harwich [Map], and that guns were heard plain by Sir W. Rider's people at Bednallgreene, all yesterday even.
Kirby Castle aka Blind Beggar's House
Pepy's Diary. 26 Jun 1663. So by water home, and after a little while getting me ready, Sir W. Batten (age 62), Sir J. Minnes (age 64), my Lady Batten, and I by coach to Bednall Green, to Sir W. Rider's to dinner, where a fine place, good lady mother, and their daughter, Mrs. Middleton, a fine woman. A noble dinner, and a fine merry walk with the ladies alone after dinner in the garden, which is very pleasant; the greatest quantity of strawberrys I ever saw, and good, and a collation of great mirth, Sir J. Minnes (age 64) reading a book of scolding very prettily. This very house1 was built by the Blind Beggar of Bednall Green, so much talked of and sang in ballads; but they say it was only some of the outhouses of it. We drank great store of wine, and a beer glass at last which made me almost sick. At table, discoursing of thunder and lightning, they told many stories of their own knowledge at table of their masts being shivered from top to bottom, and sometimes only within and the outside whole, but among the rest Sir W. Rider did tell a story of his own knowledge, that a Genoese gally in Leghorn Roads was struck by thunder, so as the mast was broke a-pieces, and the shackle upon one of the slaves was melted clear off of his leg without hurting his leg. Sir William went on board the vessel, and would have contributed towards the release of the slave whom Heaven had thus set free, but he could not compass it, and so he was brought to his fetters again.
Note 1. Sir William Rider's house was known as Kirby Castle, and was supposed to have been built in 1570 by John Thorpe for John Kirby. It was associated in rhyme with other follies of the time in bricks and mortar, as recorded by Stow "Kirkebyes Castell, and Fisher's Follie, Spinila's pleasure, and Megse's glorie". The place was known in Strype's time as the "Blind Beggar's House", but he knew nothing of the ballad, "The Beggar's Daughter of Bednall Green", for he remarks, "perhaps Kirby beggared himself by it". Sr. William Rider died at this house in 1669.
Note 2. From www.spitalfieldmusic.org.uk. The story starts with the sad story of the Blind Beggar, a man who didn't have a penny to his name but his pride and joy was his daughter Bessy - "a fair daughter, most pleasant and bright". Many men, including a gentleman of fortune, a London merchant and an innkeeper's son, could not help to fall in love with Bessy due to her great beauty and her sweet countenance. However, most would soon turn their backs on her once they found out about her lowly status and her poor blind father, who spent his days begging for charity accompanied by his faithful dog. There was one man who was different! He was described as a Knight and he was determined to marry young Bessy and wanted to meet her father to ask for her hand in marriage as he believed that you "weigh true love not by the weight of the purse". A wedding soon followed that featured the most skillful musicians, the most scrumptious foods and attended by many of the noblest families - a wedding of "joy and delight". This was when the secret was finally revealed! The Blind Beggar was in fact the son of Simon de Montford who had been an influential baron during reign of King John. Despite being blinded at the Battle of Evesham (other sources say he died at the battle), he was indeed a man of substantial means; he lived the life of a Blind Beggar to ensure that whoever would win the heart and love of young Bessy was not after her money!
Europe, British Isles, England, Home Counties, Middlesex, Stepney, Spitalfields
Europe, British Isles, England, Home Counties, Middlesex, St Dunstan's Church Stepney
On 12 Dec 1594 Edward Russell 3rd Earl Bedford (age 21) and Lucy Harrington Countess Bedford (age 14) were married at St Dunstan's Church Stepney. She by marriage Countess Bedford. She brought an enormous dowry of £10000 and the estate of Minster Lovell, Oxfordshire [Map].
On 07 Feb 1626 Edward Whalley (age 19) and Judith Duffield of Rochester in Kent were married at St Dunstan's Church Stepney.
Europe, British Isles, England, Home Counties, Middlesex, Stratford le Bow Stepney
Henry Machyn's Diary. 23 Aug 1555. The xxiij day of August was bornyd at [Stratford]-of-bowe, in the conte of Mydyllsex, a woman, [wife] of John Waren, clothworker, a huphulster [over] agaynst sant Johns in Walbroke; the wyche .... John her hosband was bornyd with on Cardmaker in Smythfeld, for herese boyth; and the sam woman had a sune taken at her bornyng and cared to Nuwgatt [Map] [to his] syster, for they will borne [burn] boyth.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 15 May 1556. The xv day of May was cared in a care from Nuwgatt thrug London unto Strettford-a-bow to borne ij men; the on blyne [one blind], the thodur lame; and ij tall men, the (one) was a penter, the thodur a clothworker; the penter ys nam was Huw Loveroke, dwellyng in Seythin lane; the blynd man dwellyng in sant Thomas apostylles.
Evelyn's Diary. 24 Mar 1700. The season warm, gentle, and exceedingly pleasant. Divers persons of quality entered into the Society for Reformation of Manners; and some lectures were set up, particularly in the city of London. The most eminent of the clergy preached at Bow Church, after reading a declaration set forth by the King to suppress the growing wickedness; this began already to take some effect as to common swearing, and oaths in the mouths of people of all ranks.
Europe, British Isles, England, Home Counties, Middlesex, Stepney, Whitechapel
Wriothesley's Chronicle 1510-1519. 30 Apr 1517. This yeare, on Thursday, the last day of Aprill, there was an insurrection of yonge men and aprentises in London.a And the Munday after, beinge the 4 of Maye, there was brought from the Tower of London to the Guyld-hall 54 persons,b and there were indited. And the morrowe after a 11 persons were judged to death; fower of them to be hanged, drawne, and their bowells brent, and then quartered, which was so done; one of them at Blanck Chappeltone,c another at Leaden Hall [Map], and two at the Standerd [Map] in Cheepe. And the other 7 were hanged on other gallowes which were sett up in divers places within the Cittie of London.
Note a. A fuller account of this uprising of the London Apprentices will be found in Hall and Stow.
Note b. 278 prisoners were arraigned before the Commissioners at Guildhall, of whom 13 were capitally executed. — Hall.
Note c. Blanche-Chapelton, i.e. Whitechapel.
Evelyn's Diary. 16 Mar 1683. I dined at Mr. Houblon's (age 53), a rich and gentle French merchant, who was building a house in the Forest, near Sir J. Child's (age 52), in a place where the late Earl of Norwich dwelt some time, and which came from his lady, the widow of Mr. Baker. It will be a pretty villa, about five miles from Whitechapel.
Europe, British Isles, England, Home Counties, Middlesex, Stepney, Whitechapel, St Mary's Church
Before 10 Jun 1666 Vice-Admiral Christopher Myngs (age 40) died of wounds received at the Four Days' Battle. He was buried at St Mary's Church.
Pepy's Diary. 13 Jun 1666. Thence home, and put off Balty (age 26), and so, being invited, to Sir Christopher Mings's (deceased) funeral, but find them gone to church. However I into the church (which is a fair, large church, and a great chappell) and there heard the service, and staid till they buried him, and then out. And there met with Sir W. Coventry (age 38) (who was there out of great generosity, and no person of quality there but he) and went with him into his coach, and being in it with him there happened this extraordinary case, one of the most romantique that ever I heard of in my life, and could not have believed, but that I did see it; which was this:-About a dozen able, lusty, proper men come to the coach-side with tears in their eyes, and one of them that spoke for the rest begun and says to Sir W. Coventry (age 38), "We are here a dozen of us that have long known and loved, and served our dead commander, Sir Christopher Mings (deceased), and have now done the last office of laying him in the ground. We would be glad we had any other to offer after him, and in revenge of him. All we have is our lives; if you will please to get His Royal Highness to give us a fireship among us all, here is a dozen of us, out of all which choose you one to be commander, and the rest of us, whoever he is, will serve him; and, if possible, do that that shall show our memory of our dead commander, and our revenge". Sir W. Coventry (age 38) was herewith much moved (as well as I, who could hardly abstain from weeping), and took their names, and so parted; telling me that he would move His Royal Highness as in a thing very extraordinary, which was done. Thereon see the next day in this book. So we parted. The truth is, Sir Christopher Mings (deceased) was a very stout man, and a man of great parts, and most excellent tongue among ordinary men; and as Sir W. Coventry (age 38) says, could have been the most useful man at such a pinch of time as this. He was come into great renowne here at home, and more abroad in the West Indys. He had brought his family into a way of being great; but dying at this time, his memory and name (his father being always and at this day a shoemaker, and his mother a Hoyman's daughter; of which he was used frequently to boast) will be quite forgot in a few months as if he had never been, nor any of his name be the better by it; he having not had time to will any estate, but is dead poor rather than rich.
