VI—SWAIN'S LANE
Historical Notes.
This thoroughfare is mentioned as far back as the year 1492 as "Swayneslane," though the
less euphonious form usually employed until last century was "Swines Lane." It was one of four
parallel routes up the hill to the village, viz. West Hill, Bromwich Walk, Swain's Lane and Dartmouth
Hill. Bromwich Walk never developed beyond a footpath and has disappeared. The use of Swain's
Lane was mainly to provide access to the adjacent farm lands on either side and there were no
dwellings in it except at a few yards from the upper end. In the year 1887 the London Cemetery
Company acquired a group of cottages numbered 1 to 8, Swain's Lane, standing on a rectangular
plot of ground on the western side, facing Waterlow Park opposite the moat. Here once stood the
only house of note in the lane, belonging to Dr. Elisha Coysh. The owner in Queen Elizabeth's
time was John Gilpin (see p. 42). (ref. 57) In 1609 William Gwercie (who had married Gilpin's
widow), and Everard Gilpin, his son, conveyed to John Wetherley of Highgate, yeoman, and
Margaret, his wife, a newly built cottage, a garden and half an acre in "Swayns Lane," late in the
tenure of John Purton and Richard Blake. John Wetherley, by his will dated 21st November,
1631, and proved on 12th December, 1631, left to his wife "four cottages standing in Swines Lane,"
his son, William, was to have them after her death. (ref. 58)
Then a gap occurs in the record until we find Dr. Elisha Coish in 1657 in possession of a
cottage and garden and a close adjoining containing half an acre in "Swines Lane" and a messuage
adjoining the cottage, being formerly part thereof. In 1659 Dr. Coish had licence to lay pipes from
"Swines Well in Swines Lane" to his house and to his other tenements there, for conveying water,
about three yards from the well to the wall of the messuage. Lloyd in his History of Highgate,
published in 1888, says: "The buildings were very ancient, of wood and plaster. The house was
pulled down in 1760; the garden wall still remains." Lloyd quotes certain notes concerning Dr.
Coysh: "This High Dutch physician—newly come over from Holland, where he resided all the
time of the Great Plague in Amsterdam, and cured multitudes of people that actually had the plague
upon them … was indeed a most charitable man to the diseased poor. . . . There is a case told
of his goodness to thirteen poor people who were flying for their lives from London and Clerkenwell,
and who intended to have gone north, away by Highgate, but were stopped at Holloway, as there
the people would not let them pass, or not even suffer them to be in a barn for the night; so they
crossed the fields towards Hampstead, when Dr. Coysh having heard of their distress, he had them
brought to his barns, and there attended to and fed them for two days; he then saw them got safe
to Finchley Common, where they intended to wait until they were in hopes the cold weather would
check the infection." While receiving the narrative with reserve we may believe that it reflected the
popular impression of the man. There seems no ground, however, for thinking that he was a
Dutchman. One Roger Coise, citizen and grocer of London, living in Aldermanbury, mentions in
his will, proved 24th March, 1579, his son-in-law, Richard Blake, and his brother, William Cois. (ref. 59)
As we have seen, a Richard Blake was a tenant of these premises before 1609. Thomasine Coyce
alias Coys, widow of the said Roger Coise, made her will on 9th January, 1593–4, five days before
it was proved. She left £70 to her daughter "Susan Blage" (probably Susan Blake, wife or widow
of the before-mentioned Richard Blake). This Mrs. Coyce was of Hackney and wished to be
buried in Hackney Church. (ref. 60) Dr. Coish married Sara, daughter of John James, apothecary, of
Hackney.
Dr. Elisha Coish (ref. 61) was born on 30th January, 1632, and baptised at St. Mary Aldermary.
He was the son of Richard Coish, skinner. He was granted the degree of M.D. by Oxford University
in 1657, and was admitted a Fellow of the College of Physicians in 1673, and died on 11th January,
1686, and was buried in St. Mary Aldermary. In his will, made 18th August, 1683, and proved
22nd January, 1686, he mentions that he had by deed in 1673 settled his estate on his wife, Sara, for
life. (ref. 61) He married Sarah James on 5th October, 1656, at St. Mary Aldermary, and left four sons,
James, Elisha, Richard and John, as well as a daughter Bridget. Of these John, the youngest, was
to have his two copyhold messuages at Highgate, held of the Manor of Cantlowes. He also possessed
leaseholds from the Corporation of London, on tenterground near the Dog House bequeathed to
him by Hester Harrison, widow. She lived at Highgate in a house leased from Sir John Wollaston,
on the site of Channing House School, and in her will (ref. 62) refers to him as her "friend Elisha Coysh,
of St. Albones, Woodstreete, London, Doctor in Phisick."
John and James Coish died before their mother, and their brothers, Elisha and Richard,
took the Highgate property after her death in March, 1703. Elisha Coish was dead in 1725,
leaving a widow, Hannah, when his brother became sole owner. In 1740 Richard Coish was dead,
leaving two sons, Elisha and Thomas, their Aunt Hannah being still alive. In 1761 Thomas Coish
died, leaving the property to his wife, Rebecca, with remainder to his son Richard. She died
in 1765. On 7th July, 1770, Richard Coish, then of Muswell Hill, with Loretta his wife, conveyed
the property to John Rolls of Bermondsey, cowkeeper, who had married Richard's sister, Sarah. In
1801 it passed to one Finney Sirdefield. It is interesting to note that the John Rolls mentioned was
the great-grandfather of John Allan Rolls of the Hendre and Llangattock, first Baron Llangattock.
In 1811 Finney Sirdefield had licence to lease two houses in Swain's Lane to Thomas
Vincent, for 21 years. In 1834 Alfred Sirdefield succeeded under the will of Finney Sirdefield, the
two houses having then become six. In 1858 Anna Sirdefield succeeded. She died on 4th November,
1882, and her executors sold the houses to the London Cemetery Company. Among the cottages
standing in 1831 was one occupied as a police station.
GENEALOGY OF COISH AND ROLLS FAMILIES