The Spitalfields suburb 1539c 1880

Excavations at Spitalfields Market, London E1, 19912007

Chiz Harward, Nick Holder and Nigel Jeffries

M U S E U M O F LO N D O N A R C H A E O LO G Y M O N O G R A P H 6 1

MOLA

The Spitalfields suburb

1539c 1880
Excavations at Spitalfields Market,
London E1, 19912007

Chiz Harward, Nick Holder and Nigel Jeffries

MOLA MONOGRAPH 61

CONTRIBUTORS

Principal authors

Chiz Harward, Nick Holder,

Nigel Jeffries

Stratigraphic authors

Andy Daykin, Chiz Harward,

Nick Holder

Documentary research

Christopher Phillpotts with

Nigel Jeffries

Ceramic building
material

Terence P Smith

Clay tobacco pipe

Jacqui Pearce

Pottery

Nigel Jeffries

Glass

Lyn Blackmore

Accessioned nonceramic finds

(including glass items)

Nicola Powell with Geoff Egan

(including cloth seals), Frances
Pritchard (textiles)

Plant remains

Anne Davis

Animal bone

Kevin Rielly with Alan Pipe

(quail)

Photography

Andy Chopping, Maggie Cox

Graphics

Carlos Lemos, Jeannette McLeish

(plans, sections, elevations);
Hannah Faux, Sandra Rowntree,
Faith Vardy (finds); Chiz Harward,
Nick Holder (historic mapping)

Project manager

Christopher Thomas

Editor

Susan M Wright

CONTENTS

List of figures

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

List of tables

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

List of CD-ROM tables

Summary

The Spitalfields Market excavations

The archaeology of the Spitalfields suburb

xvii

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

xviii

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

xix

Acknowledgements

PART I

xi

xx

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Introduction
1

1.1

The Spitalfields Market project

1.2

Circumstances of excavation

2.1

Research objectives: property histories and

suburban development

PART II

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.2

Organisation of the publication

2.3

The material culture of Spitalfields: methodology

2.4

Other textual and graphical conventions in this volume

. . . . . . . . . . . .
. .

5
6
7

14

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

23

The development of the suburb of Spitalfields

from the late 1530s to c 1660

St Mary Spital and the Spitalfields area, 153640

3.1

Introduction

3.2

The dissolution of St Mary Spital, 153640

. . . . . .

23

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

32

Stephen Vaughans property in the 16th and

4 4.1

early 17th centuries

4.2

Vaughans private mansion

4.3

The principal tenement

4.4

Huddlestones house and Spittle House

4.5

Vaughans other tenements

4.6

Vaughans gardens

5.1

Introduction

5.2

The Candle House

5.3

The brick house in the north-east corner of the

William Wylds property in the 16th and

early 17th centuries

Introduction

cemetery

Spital Yard in the 16th and 17th centuries

33

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36

. . . . . . . .

38

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

42

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

42

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

46

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

56

6.1

Introduction

6.2

Easter sermons at the Spital pulpit cross in the

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

56

Adaptation of the former chapel to domestic

use in the 16th century

6.4

51
51

The brick house near White Lion Yard

6.3

46

. . . . . . . .

5.4

16th century

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

57

Private yards/gardens belonging to the

converted chapel

vi

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

58

6.5

Rebuilding of the former chapel and gallery in

the late 16th century

6.6

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alterations to the pulpit cross and the construction

of a building for Christs Hospital in 1594

. . . . . . .

6.7

Easter sermons at Spital cross after the Civil War

6.8

The former chapel in the 17th century

6.9

The disuse of the preaching precinct and its

buildings after 1680

The artillery ground in the 16th and 17th centuries

60

. . .

64

. . . . . . . . .

66

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

68

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

69

7.1

Introduction

7.2

The artillery ground wall

7.3

Firing ranges

7.4

The master gunners house

7.5

Other early buildings in the artillery ground

7.6

Gardens and open spaces

7.7

The pond

7.8

Early 17th-century buildings in the artillery ground

7.9

The star fort

7.10 Burials

64

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

71

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

75

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

77

. . . . .

83

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

84

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

84

85

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

85

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

90

7.11 Late buildings in the artillery ground: the powder

and proof houses

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.12 Buildings in the south of the artillery ground

The development of the St John estate (formerly

Stephen Vaughans property) in the 17th century

Development to the east in the 16th and 17th

centuries: Spittle and Lollesworth Fields, William

Whelers Candle House and orchard properties

Bishopsgate in the 16th and 17th centuries

. . . . .

91

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

94

8.1

Introduction

8.2

Vaughans private mansion

8.3

Spittle House .

8.4

Houses on the west side of White Lion Yard

8.5

Houses on the east side of White Lion Yard

8.6

The gardens of the St John estate

9.1

The fields to the east in the 16th and 17th centuries

9.2

William Whelers Candle House and orchard

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

94

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

95

11

95

. . . . . .

98

. . . . . . . . . . .

104

105

. . . . . . . . . . . .

106

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

117

10.2 Christopher Campions property

. . . . . . . . . . .

117

10.3 Other tenements on Bishopsgate

. . . . . . . . . . .

119

10.4 Open land east of Bishopsgate Street

The development of the suburb of Spitalfields

. . . . .

properties in the 17th century

10 10.1 Introduction

90

. . . . . . . . .

119

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

122

from the late 1530s to c 1660: conclusions

vii

PART III

The redevelopment of Spitalfields from the 1660s

to the 19th century

The St John estate in the second half of

12 12.1 Introduction

the 17th century

12.2 Spittle House

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

127

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

127

12.3 The brick house and its yards

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

132

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

134

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

139

12.4 24 White Lion Yard

The development of the Wheler estate

13

from the 1660s to the 19th century

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Wheler Street (west side) and White Lion Street:

Charles Wheler of Charings estate (the Old Brick
orchard property)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

139

13.3 Wheler Street (east side) and Vine Street: Charles

Wheler of Birdingburys estate

. . . . . . . . . . . .

143

13.4 Crispin Street, Paternoster Row and Spitalfields

. .

146

18th century

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

149

14 14.1 Introduction

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

155

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

157

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

188

market: the estate of William Whelers daughters

13.5 The Candle House property: the Candle House
and buildings along Spital Yard, mid 17th to mid

The development of the former artillery ground

from the 1680s to the 19th century: Fort, Duke

14.2 Fort Street

and Steward Streets; Gun Street and Union

14.3 Duke Street

(later Brushfield) Street

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

195

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

209

14.4 Steward Street

14.5 Gun Street

. . . . . . . . . . . .

209

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

210

14.6 Union (later Brushfield) Street

Spital Square and the redevelopment of the

15

St John estate in the early 18th century

15.1 Introduction

15.2 Spital Square west arm

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

212

15.3 Spital Square north arm

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

219

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

224

15.4 Spital Square east arm

15.5 Spital Square south arm

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

227

15.6 White Lion Street (Folgate Street), Tabernacle

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

228

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

230

Court and Chapel Place

The development of Bishopsgate

16 16.1 Introduction

16.2 Bishopsgate Street properties

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

230

16.3 Montague Court and George and Catherine

Wheel Alley

The redevelopment of Spitalfields from the

1660s to the 19th century: conclusions
viii

17

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

235

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

237

PART IV
Governance and administration

Spitalfields: aspects of the early modern suburb

18 18.1 Introduction

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18.2 Manors and parishes

18.3 Liberties

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

245

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

248

18.4 Municipal services

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

249

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

250

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

251

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

252

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

255

18.5 Amalgamation

Sanitation and rubbish disposal in Spitalfields

19 19.1 Water supply

19.2 Drainage
19.3 Privies

19.4 Rubbish disposal

Household economies

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

20 20.1 Household contents

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

259

263

. . . . . . . . . .

266

21 21.1 Introduction

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

271

21.2 Tea drinking

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

271

20.2 Meals and mealtimes at Spitalfields

Leisure time in Spitalfields

245

21.3 Drinking establishments and alcohol

. . . . . . . . .

275

21.4 Wine and spirits, water and medicines the

glasswares .
21.5 Smoking

The archaeology of working life in Spitalfields

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

278

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

286

22 22.1 Occupational structure

22.2 The silk industry

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

298

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

299

22.3 Material remains of Spitalfieldss textile

industry .

The archaeology of Huguenot and Jewish

households in Spitalfields

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

23 23.1 Introduction

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

301

303

23.2 Huguenots of Spitalfields: a problem of

archaeological visibility?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

303

23.3 The Van Millingens, the Harts and the Woolfs,

and the 19th-century Jewish East End

Religious life in Spitalfields

24 24.1 Introduction

. . . . . . . .

305

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

308

24.2 The Spital cross and the Easter sermons in Spital

Yard

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

308

24.3 Catholics, Jesuits and Luisa de Carvajals

nunnery

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

24.4 Nonconformists

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

310
312

24.5 The first Anglican chapel and the new parish

church of Christ Church

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

313
ix

The topography of the suburb

25 25.1 The expanding suburb .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

316

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

320

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

322

25.2 Social topography

25.3 Land value

The architecture of the early suburb

26 26.1 Reconstruction: methodology

324

26.2 Mid 16th- to 17th-century houses in Spitalfields

. .

325

26.3 Later 17th- to 18th-century houses in Spitalfields

. .

331

French and German summaries

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

335

Bibliography

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

338

Index

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

351

CD-ROM

CD Tables 1134 Artefact and function summary tables

by property or area and by assemblage
CD Data tables
CD Metadata

. . . . . . . . . . . .

SUMMARY

One of the largest and longest-running archaeological

excavations in London took place at Spitalfields Market between
1991 and 2007. The study area lies on the north-eastern fringe
of the City of London, in the Borough of Tower Hamlets, just
north-east of modern Liverpool Street station. Located outside
the city wall and east of Bishopsgate Street Without, the main
northsouth thoroughfare out of the historic city, the
archaeological sequence recovered extended from the Roman
period to the 19th century. This volume reports on the most
recent part of that story, from the 16th century onwards.
The sheer quantity of archaeological data recovered
necessitated a focused approach to its analysis and publication
(discussed in Part I): inspired by historical archaeologists in the
United States and elsewhere, the authors try to reconnect the
archaeological assemblages with particular properties and their
tenants. This approach, known as household archaeology, has
been most successfully applied to the post-1660 assemblages,
particularly those of the mid 18th to mid 19th century at
Spitalfields.
An account of the dissolution of the medieval priory and
hospital of St Mary Spital opens Part II. In common with many
other religious houses the transformation took several years.
Here, in the run-up to the actual closure of the house in 1539,
the prior leased various parts of the precinct and after a short
period of consolidation and sale the estates were created which
characterised the topographic landscape for the following
centuries. The history of the suburb of Spitalfields thus begins,
in essence, in 1539 when Stephen Vaughan acquired the bulk of
the former inner precinct and set about converting the medieval
buildings into a series of dwellings and tenements; reuse and
renovation characterises this area the spital throughout the
16th and 17th centuries. A medieval religious survival was the
Easter sermon which continued throughout the Reformation
and into the late 17th century. The newly laid out Spital Yard
(occupying the north-west part of the former cemetery) could
accommodate the huge crowds; the medieval chapel and cross
were both renovated, and a viewing stand was built for Christs
Hospital, all in the late 16th century.
Much of the former priorys outer precinct became a military
training ground between 1538 and 1682 and was used by the
Artillery Company and the Gunners of the Tower. Excavations
revealed evidence of the master gunners house and a substantial
star-shaped practice fortification built in the 1630s or 1640s
before the Civil War. Development extended in the later 16th

century to the area between Bishopsgate Street and the artillery

ground, and in the early 17th century into the Spital fields and
gardens to the east of the former priory. The first new streets of
Spitalfields later known as Lamb Street, Wheler Street and
White Lion Street and the first stretch of White Lion Yard
were thus created by the Whelers and St Johns. The tenants for
the new houses were some of the artisans and merchants
prospering in the expanding economic climate of 17th-century
London.
Development of the suburb when the London-wide building
boom reached Spitalfields after the 1660s is the subject of Part III.
The Whelers built an Anglican chapel and the (original)
vegetable, fruit and meat market. In 1682 the property developer
Nicholas Barbon purchased the old artillery ground for housing,
transforming that area by the beginning of the 18th century.
Barbon built a new style of low-cost, standardised, brick row
house, well equipped with hygiene and sanitation facilities; he
thus created the London terraced house.
Elsewhere in Spitalfields new streets and buildings were
being laid out over the fields and orchards, and old sites were
redeveloped as fashionable new terraces. Development on the
east side of Bishopsgate retained a more patchwork feel: new
17th-century brick buildings stood alongside patched up medieval
properties used as commercial premises and warehouses, with
accommodation above. To the rear, an increasingly complex
network of alleys led to a crowded environment of mews,
tenements, stables and yards, all built by the different landowners.
In the area of the St John estate, new buildings replaced the
old and the last visible remains of the priory and the spital
were buried or destroyed in the early 18th century when
development of Spital Square, begun by Paulet St John, was
continued by Isaac Tillard. Tillard continued redeveloping the
area including White Lion Street and Porters Close to the north
of Spital Square. Building in this part of Spitalfields then slowed,
except for construction of Union Street which improved access
to Spitalfields Market.
Themes brought out by the evidence presented in Parts II
and III are examined in a series of essays in Part IV: the complex,
evolving pattern of the suburbs administration, the diverse
religious life of the residents, the topography of the developing
suburb and the architecture of some of the early houses.
Developing the analysis of household archaeologies, essays
consider the evidence for sanitation and rubbish disposal,
household economies, leisure activities and working life,
including the effect of the rise and decline of the silk industry
upon the residents and the suburb, as well as the potential of the
combined evidence to identify Huguenot and pre-1880s Jewish
immigrants to the area.
The books focus on property histories is supplemented by a
CD-ROM with summary quantification and function tables to
support the household archaeologies discussed in Parts II and III,
together with full specialist data from the MOLA database.

xix

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The archaeological excavations at Spitalfields Market in

19912007 were generously funded by a number of developers
and MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) is very grateful
for their support. The lead developer was the Spitalfields
Development Group and we would like to thank, in particular,
Mike Bear, Toby Brown and Steve Wood. The various stages of
the redevelopment of Spitalfields Market and the surrounding
area were funded by individual developers, principally ABN
AMRO, Ballymore Properties, City (formerly Corporation) of
London, Hammerson UK Properties plc, Mercury Asset
Management Ltd, Royal London Asset Management Ltd, St
George plc and The London International Finance Futures and
Options Exchange. Thanks are also due to Second London Wall
Project Management Ltd, in particular Mike Blinco, Max
Highfield, Shane Lincoln and Lee Sims. Several main contractors
and subcontractors provided invaluable support during the
excavations, including Balfour Beatty plc, Costain Group plc,
Keltbray Group, L & B Haulage and Civil Engineering
Contractors Ltd and Sir Robert McAlpine. Thanks are also due
to all the members of the design teams, particularly Foster and
associates Foggo Associates and Arup.
English Heritage supported the excavations and provided
extremely helpful guidance and advice throughout the project;
we thank especially Ellen Barnes, Steven Brindle, David Divers,
Jane Sidell and Nick Truckle.
Christopher Thomas directed the Spitalfields excavations
and over 150 archaeological staff worked on the Spitalfields
sites; MOLAs first debt is to the hard work and dedication of
these archaeologists. The authors of the MOLA monographs
which report the results of these excavations and subsequent
post-excavation analyses would very much like to thank the
supervisors who ran the excavations, in particular Rosalind
Aitken, David Bowsher, Mark Burch, Jessica Cowley, Andy
Daykin, Leslie Dunwoodie, Sarah Gibson, Chiz Harward, Nick
Holder, Isca Howell, David Jamieson, Malcolm McKenzie,
Adrian Miles, Ken Pitt, Niall Roycroft, Chris Sparey-Green,
Lucy Thompson, Peter Thompson and Paul Thrale.
The authors of this publication, which describes the 16thto 19th-century history of the area, would like to thank the
many colleagues and former colleagues from MOLA and

xx

Museum of London who provided helpful advice and made

other contributions to the project, especially Sally Brooks, Jane
Corcoran, Kieron Heard, (the late) Penny MacConnoran,
Gordon Malcolm, Alison Nailer, Peter Rauxloh, John Schofield
and Andrew Westman, together with Ian M Betts (ceramic
building materials), Brian Connell (human remains) and Mark
Samuel (architectural fragments). Christopher Phillpotts died in
2012 before the final publication draft was completed.
Christopher Thomas contributed the introduction to the
Spitalfields Market project and excavations (Part I, Chapter 1).
Parts II and III were assembled by the principal authors with
the exception of Chapter 7, The artillery ground in the 16th
and 17th centuries, by Andy Daykin and comprise a broadly
chronological narrative which integrates individual specialist
contributions by those listed under Contributors. The more
thematic essays in Part IV are attributed to their individual
authors.
The authors are grateful to Glyn Redworth for his
contribution to Chapter 24.3, in particular for allowing us
access to his (then unpublished) research on Luisa de Carvajal.
Steven Walton helpfully shared with us his ideas and research
on the artillery ground (Chapter 7). Jane Spooner and Susan
Holmes on behalf of Historic Royal Palaces kindly allowed
access to the 17th-century house at 5 Tower Green. Peter
Guillery and Gerard Lynch offered advice on the definition of
the mysterious 17th-century building term Flemish wall
(although the authors take the risk of going against their expert
advice in our interpretation of the term in Chapter 26.2).
Cyril Beacher and Jean Martin kindly helped in the
identification of source, chronology and terminology for the
Chinese porcelain found from the site. Trevor Darling provided
similar assistance for the 18th-century English porcelain found
and David Battie for the late 18th- to 19th-century ceramic
figures. David Barker also provided advice on terminologies and
descriptions for the 19th-century ceramics. Amy Barnett
provided the helpful inventory data for Norwich used in
Chapter 20.1. Kelly Reed helped compile and catalogue 19thcentury census and trade directories. Francoise Desroches, Liz
Rougier and Janet Wheeler kindly provided invaluable
information about the family histories of their descendants, the
Rougiers (Chapter 14.2). Similar thanks go to Danielle
Sanderson for the Van Millingens (Chapter 15.2; Chapter 23.3)
and to Gaby Laws and Angela Shire. Corkwise Ltd undertook
the analysis of the contents of the 17th-century wine bottles
from the master gunners house and Spittle House. Finally, we
acknowledge with gratitude the academic advice given by
Vanessa Harding to the Spitalfields Market project throughout
its life.