MRP: Greenwich

Greenwich

Editorial history

01/01/12, CSG: Created page

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Suggested links

See Blackwell
See Deptford
See Gravesend
See Limehouse
See Redrith
See Woolwich

See The River of Thames

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Images

Greenwich section of John Roque's map of London, 1695; copy by Samuel Travers, 1810

See Greenwich section of John Roque's map of London (1695), copy by Samuel Travers (1810)

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Map of London, Greenwich, west of Royal Hospital, Greenwood, 1827

See Greenwood's Map of London, 1827, Greenwich

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Map of London, western Greenwich viewable, Davies, 1843, & Google Map

See B.R. Davies, London, 1843, part of western Greenwich up to the Royal Hospital viewable in bottom RH corner

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Map extract, East Greenwich, East of Royal Hospital, Bacon, c. 1870

See Map extract, East Greenwich, Bacon, c. 1870

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Townscape

Insert Townscape

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Image credits & copyright information

(1) Greenwich section of John Roque's map of London (1695), copy by Samuel Travers (1810), published online at 'Ideal Homes: a history of south-east London suburbs'

- Nicholas Cooke's mansion house, later named Crowley house, visible on Roque's map, to west of Trinity Hospital, with open fields to east and north along river. Magazine located a few hundred metres north-east of Cooke's house
- West Comb was separated by fields, somewhat back from the river and to east of the East Greenwich settlement

(2) Greenwood, 'Map of London', Greenwich section, 1827

(3) B.R. Davies, London, 1843, part of western Greenwich up to the Royal Hospital viewable in bottom RH corner

- Map made available in David Rumsey Historical Map Collection, layered on Google Map

(4) Map extract, East Greenwich, Bacon, c. 1870

- Shows Trinity hospital, to the east of Greenwich hospital. Nicholas Cooke's mansion house, later named Crowley house, was located west, but adjacent, to Trinity hospital

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Greenwich town profile

The Kent hearth tax data, when superimposed on relatively early Kent road maps, give a sense of the demographic and economic contrast between these North West Kent and East Kent. High densities of hearths per 1000 acres occured in East Greenwich, in Rochester and in Maidstone. Densities were far lower in East Kent.

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Notes

The Roan Estate deeds, Greenwich, London Metropolitan Archives

The John Roan school archival deposits at the London Metropolitan Archives provide a good source of East Greenwich field and street names. The Roan Estate deeds (LMA/4442/01/01) are the most relevant documents. The earliest relevant document is dated 1473.

The John Roan school was founded in Greenwich in 1677, and resulted from the provisions of the will of John Roan (b. ca. 1600, d. 1644) of Greenwich

See London Metropolitan Archives: John Roan School

The administrative history for LMA/4442/01/01 provides a full listing of property in Greenwich owned by the Roan Estate

Properties of possible relevance to the [Oxenden Greenwich hearth tax/inventory analysis] are:

Churchfields
Church Street
Crooms Hill
East Lane (later Eastney Street)
London Street (later London Road)
Stable Street

No references to:

Billingsgate
Church Wall (but see Church Street)
Coombes Hill (?Crooms Hill)
Crane (South)
Dock and Taverne Rowe
Highstreet (East)

"The properties, including the Black Bull, the Mitre Tavern and Coffee House and other Public Houses, are concentrated close to Saint Alfege in Church Street and Roan Street in central Greenwich, although deeds also relate to marsh land in Greenwich and houses in Deptford, Lee and Lewisham. Several deeds contain plans and there are four 17th and 18th century surveys and plans showing the interior layout of houses and their gardens including rooms, privies, workshops and the positions of fruit and rose trees."

Specific documents of potential issue are:

SURVEYS AND PLANS LMA/4442/01/01/04 [n.d.]:

- Survey of John Roan's estate including Churchfield, East Greenwich: taken by order of the trustees, by Thomas Sparckes and Thomas White LMA/4442/01/01/04/001 1679

- Mr Drye's ground, Churchfield, Greenwich, including the location of ditches, hedges, fruit and rose trees LMA/4442/01/01/04/002 167[-]

- Thomas Phillips' house and ground (formerly the 'Black Bull'), Church Street, Greenwich, by Thomas White, organist: shows the interior layout LMA/4442/01/01/04/003 1679

London Metropolitan Archives: ESTATE LMA/4442/01 1473 - 1955: PROPERTY DEEDS AND RELATED PAPERS FROM ROAN SCHOOLS FOUNDATION LMA/4442/01/01 1473 - 1955: 'EXPIRED LEASES' ORIGINALLY NUMBERED 'ROAN B' IN 1780 LMA/4442/01/01/02 (n.d.): Lease of a tenement in Churchfields, East Greenwich, late in the occupation of Abraham Dry, gardener LMA/4442/01/01/02/009 1747 - 1764:

- Contents:Includes a coloured plan showing the garden ground and 'Captain Stratton's House'
Parties: Roan trustees and James Straton. Endorsements: assignment of lease from Margaret Straton, widow, to Samuel Rush, merchant. Rush to Mary Brown, widow. Brown to Elizabeth Hammond and Louisa Spratt of Camberwell. Spratt to John Moor, plumber and Joshua Woodco

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Hasted, 1797-1801, Greenwich

- Hasted, Edward, The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent, vol. 1 (London, 1797)
- Includes General sections, especially Soil and products, Rivers, The weald, hundred of Blackheath, Deptford, Greenwich, Woolwich, Eltham, Lee, Lewisham, Hundred of Bromley & Beckenham, Bromley, Beckenham

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East Greenwich hearth tax returns, 1664

The Kent hearth tax returns for 1664 have been published online.
- East Greenwich (pp. 19 - 25)

• Church wall, p. 19
• Comes Hill, p. 19
• London Street, p. 20
• Highstreet West, p. 20
• Highstreet East, pp. 20-21
• Billingsgate, p. 21

- Mr George Baker, 12 hearths

• Fisher Lane, p. 22
• Stable Street, p. 22

- Mr. Francis Gunn, 4 hearths

• Dock and Taverne Row, p. 22

- Lists Benjamin Glanvill, 12 hearths
- Lists Hamond Chadwick, 14 hearths

• Crane South, pp. 22-23

- Lists Cap[tain] George Cock, 15 hearths

• East Lane East, p. 23
• East Lane West, pp. 23-24

- Lists Nicholas Cooke, 13 hearths

• The Kings Barne, p. 24
• In Empty Houses, p. 24
• In East Greenwich, non chargeable, pp. 24-25

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Mentions of Greenwich in Wiki primary sources

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Law suits

C10/160/47 f. 1

See C10/160/47 f. 1

Edward Gavile, a woodmonger of St Clements Dane, Middlesex, brought a suit in Chancery against the executors of the deceased London merchant, Sir William Ryder. In his Bill of Complaint dated 1671 Gavile alleges that Ryder had in 1668 contracted with Gavile to supply him with a quantity of faggots from woods Ryder owned in Kent (C10/160/47 f. 1). These, Gavile contended, would be suitable to make into ostrey faggots, for which he had customer demand. However, Gavile alleges that Ryder failed to perform the contract in a timely manner with suitable quality faggots. As a result most did not arrive for winter 1668, a particularly severe winter in which there was high demand for fuel, but one in which the rivers were closed due to frost and ice. Ryder eventually shipped the faggots to the desired wharves of "Woolwich Dartford or Deptford," but on Gavile's inspection the faggots proved rotten and unmerchantable. Gavile alleges that he subsequently made a "collateral agreement" with Sir William Ryder, in which Ryder offered to make an abatement to the original contract terms, which Gavile claims was originally priced at eight shillings per faggot. However, following Ryder's death, his executors examined his papers and books, which appeared to show that the contract had not been fully satisfied by Gavile. Moreover the books showed a sale price of ten shillings, not eight shillings. Samuel Heron (named as "Herne" in the bill of complaint), who was Ryder's servant, together with a Francis Gunne, a Greenwich baker, are alleged to have been involved as book keepers or agents in Ryder's dealings with Gavile.

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Wills

See Nicholas Cooke will (Written in 1673)
- " I Nicholas Cook the Elder of East Greenwich in the County of Kent Esquire being of perfect memory and undestanding In due Consideraton of human frailty being Eighty Three yeares of Age"

See George Cock will (Written in 1678)
- "I George Cock of Greenwich in the County of Kent Merchant"

See Mansel Smith will (Written in 1681/82)
- "I Mansell Smith Merchant in Surrat of the Parish of Greenwich in the County of Kent Gent. being sick and weak in body of a fflux that I have long languished"
-"Imprimis I give [(in margin) "and bequeath"] unto the Poore of that Parish where I was borne namely Greenwich in Kent near London five pounds Sterling to be paid presently after my Brother in England shall receive any effects of mine that is of any value"

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Suggested image sources

"View of Greenwich ..." and "View of Deptford, in Kent", in Walpoole's New and Complete British Traveller (London, ca. 1784)
- Anonymous engraver; pair of copper engraved prints on one page, close trimmed decorative margins with some loss. Size 22 x 33 cms including title, plus margins. Ref G6892

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Suggested primary sources

TNA

PROB 11/202 Fines 202-260 Will of John Smyth, Gentleman of East Greenwich, Kent 04 November 1647
PROB 11/325 Carr 117-176 Will of Hamond Chadwick, Vintner of East Greenwich, Kent 26 November 1667
PROB 11/337 Duke 102-158 Will of George Baker of Greenwich, Kent 12 October 1671
PROB 11/337 Duke 102-158 Sentence of George Baker of Greenwich, Kent 02 December 1671
PROB 11/344 Bunce 1-53 Will of Nicholas Cooke of East Greenwich, Kent 22 January 1674. See Nicholas Cooke will
PROB 11/346 Bunce 104-150 Will of Francis Gunn, Baker of East Greenwich, Kent 29 December 1674
PROB 11/359 King 1-65 Will of George Cock, Merchant of Greenwich, Kent 03 April 1679. See George Cock will
PROB 11/374 Drax 102–156 Will of Mansell Smith, Merchant, Gentleman of Greenwich, Kent 20 September 1683

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