Dorset Garden - Dowgate

A Dictionary of London. Originally published by H Jenkins LTD, London, 1918.

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'Dorset Garden - Dowgate', in A Dictionary of London, (London, 1918) pp. . British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/dictionary-of-london/dorset-garden-dowgate [accessed 19 March 2024]

In this section

Dorset Garden

In Salisbury Court in Fleet Street (P.C. 1732-Boyle, 1799)./Not named in the maps.

Dorset Gardens Theatre

See Duke's Theatre.

Dorset House

See Dorset Court, Dorset Street, Whitefriars.

Dorset Stairs

On the Thames, opposite Dorset Street, Whitefriars (Strype, 1720-Boyle, 1799).

See Dorset Wharf.

Dorset Street

South out of Salisbury Square to Tudor Street (P.O. Directory). In Farringdon Ward Without.

First mention : Strype, ed. 1720.

Erected on the site of Dorset Court (q.v.) or Salisbury Court, hence its name.

Dorset Wharf

Between New River Office and Yard east and St. Bride's Wharf west. In Farringdon Ward Without (Horwood, 1799-Lockie, 1816).

Called "Timber Wharf" and "Dorset Stairs" (q.v.) in Strype and Rocque.

Site covered by the City of London School and Victoria Embankment.

Double Hand Court

See Double Hood Court.

Double Hood Court

North out of Upper Thames Street by Campion Lane in Dowgate Ward (Boyle, 1799).

First mention : O. and M. 1677.

Called "Doublehand Court" (Strype, ed. 1720 and 1755).

Site now occupied by Cannon Street Station.

Doublet's Wharf

South out of Thames Street at No. 89, on the west side of Colebarbour Stairs (Lockie, 1810 and 1816).

Site now occupied by the City of London Brewery.

Dounhyll (le)

Land so called by St. John's Street, 1456 (Cal. P.R. H. VI. 1452-61, p. 297).

Not further identified. Probably outside the City boundary.

Dove Court

East out of Addle Hill. In Castle Baynard Ward (P.C. 1732-Boyle, 1799).

Not named in the maps.

Dove Court

South out of Lombard Street and east to St. Swithin's Lane. In Langbourn and Walbrook Wards (O. and M. 1677-Elmes, 1831).

A tradesman's token, issued to a house there 1649-72 (Burn, 61).

Extended to Bearbinder Lane in Hatton, 1708.

Gresham Place (q.v.) now occupies part of the site.

Dove Court

East out of Old Fish Street Hill, or Labour in Vain Hill, to Five Foot Lane, in Queenhithe Ward (Strype, ed. 1720-Elmes, 1831).

Demolished for the formation of Queen Victoria Street.

Dove Court

South out of Gunpowder Alley, in Farringdon Ward Without (Lockie, 1810-O.S. 1875).

Now rebuilt for business purposes.

Dove Court

West out of Water Lane, Whitefriars, in Farringdon Ward Without (O. and M. 1677-Boyle, 1799).

Site now occupied by George Yard (q.v.), Bouverie Street.

Dove Court

West out of Grocers' Hall Court to Old Jewry at No. 4 (P.O. Directory).

In Cheap Ward.

First mention : Strype, ed. 1720, I. iii. 5O.

Dove Court

West out of Gutter Lane, in Farringdon Ward Within (det.), opposite Goldsmith's Street (Strype, ed. 1720-Boyle, 1799).

The site is occupied by offices and business houses.

Dove Court, Pavement, Moorfields

West out of the Pavement at No. 5 four doors south from Ropemakers Street. In Coleman Street Ward (Lockie, 1810-Elmes, 1831).

Site now covered by offices and business houses.

Dow Lane

In parish of St. Michael Paternoster at Dowgate, 1526 (L. and P. H. VIII. IV. Pt. I, p. 991), 1536 (ib. XI. p. 376) and 1538 (ib. XIII. Pt. 2, p. 408), 1561 (Lond. I. p.m. I. 213).

Qy.=Bow Lane.

Dowgate

A water-gate to the Thames near where the Walbrook entered the river. In Dowgate Ward.

Earliest mention : "Duuegate." In charter of William I. 1067 (apparently forged, though probably of early date), confirming certain property to Westminster Abbey, mention is made of a wharf and land "apud duuegate" (Cott. Ch. VI. 3, B.M.).

The port of "Duuegate" belonged to the men of Rouen in the time of King Edward the Confessor, as set out in a charter 1150-i (Cal. Doc. in France, ed Round, I. p. 32).

In a charter of H. II. 1174-5, it is described as their "werfum" at "Duuegate" (ib. 34).

Other forms : "Duuegate," 1236 (Anc. Deeds, A. 1716). "Douegate," 1271 (Ct. H.W. I. 10). "Douuegate," 22 Ed. I. (Ch. I. p.m. 22 Ed. I. 149).

It appears from the Liber Albus I, 241, that the same customs were observed at "porta de Dowgate" as in "Ripa Reginae" (Queenhithe), and Stow argues from this that Dowgate was at one time a part of Queenhithe (S. p. 42). If, by this statement, he means that it was part of the royal demesne, he may be right, for from the foregoing charters, it appears that these early grants of Dowgate were all made by the king himself.

There are frequent ordinances in the City records for the cleansing of Dowgate.

The site is now occupied by Dowgate Dock (q.v.).

It will be seen from the foregoing references that the usual form of the name in the 12th and 13th centuries was "Duuegate," "Douuegate," or "Douegate," and that the second "u" has been mistaken by Stow for an "n," giving the form "Downgate" or "Doungate," and he explains it as "so called of the sodaine descending or going down of that way from St. John's Church upon Walbrooke unto the river of Thames" (S. 41).

This is obviously an error, but the name "Duuegate" or "Douegate" might be derived from an O.E. name "Duua," which is, however, of very rare occurrence.