Hart Lane, Great Tower Street - Hatchet Alley, Aldgate High Street

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

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'Hart Lane, Great Tower Street - Hatchet Alley, Aldgate High Street', in A Dictionary of London, (London, 1918) pp. . British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/dictionary-of-london/hart-lane-hatchet-alley [accessed 26 April 2024]

In this section

Hart Lane, Great Tower Street

See Harp Lane.

Hart Row Street

Between Snow Hill and Newgate Street, in Farringdon Ward Without (P.C. 1732-Boyle, 1799).

Former name : "Hart Street" (Hatton, 1708).

Afterwards called Snow Hill, now Holborn Viaduct.

So called because it represents the shape of a human heart! (W. Stow, 1722).

More probably named after an owner or builder, or after the sign of the Hart.

Hart Street

East from Newgate to Snow Hill, without Newgate (Hatton, 1708).

See Hart Row Street.

Hart Street

East out of Mark Lane to Seething Lane and Crutched Friars (P.O. Directory).

Earliest mention : "Hartstreate" (Lond. I. p.m. 9 Eliz. 1551, II. 66).

Former names or forms of name : "Herthstrete," 1351-2 (Ct. H.W. I. 659). "Herestrete," 31 H. VIII. 1539 (L. and P. H. VIII. D.S. XIV. Pt. 2, p. 34). "Hertestrete," 35 H. VIII. 1543 (ib. XVIII. Pt. 1, pp. 535, 543).

"Hertstrete," also called "Smythen-strete," in will of Tromy, 1463, P.C.C., quoted by Povah, p. 3, but no other reference found.

In Stow's time Hart Street seems to have extended to Woodroff Lane (Cooper's Row), along the present Crutched Friars (q.v.).

The name Hart Street is not given at all in Horwood's map 1799, the whole street from Mark Lane to Cooper's Row being called "Crutched Friars."

Derivation of name : Povah says there is a tradition in the parish of St. Olave that "Hart" stands for "Heart" Street and that there are four old pewter alms basons engraved with a heart with the initials O. S. S. with an ornamental border surrounding it (p. 3).

But the earliest form of the name "Herth" suggests the A.S. "Heorth," a hearth, rather than "heart," the earlier form of which would be "herte."

The mansion of Sir Richard Whittington stood in the lane.

Hart Street, Cripplegate

West from Wood Street, at No. 63, to 4 Cripplegate Buildings (P.O. Directory). In Cripplegate Ward Within and Farringdon Ward Within (det.).

First mention : O. and M. 1677.

Called "Heart Street" in Leake, 1666.

The western continuation of London Wall.

Hartes Horn (The)

See Harts Horn Court, Basing Lane.

Hartford Court

See Howford Buildings.

Hart's Court

At the north-west corner of Bridgewater Square at No. 22, in Cripplegate Ward Without (P.O. Directory).

First mention : O.S. 1875.

Harts Horn Court

South out of Basing Lane in Bread Street and Cordwainer Wards (O. and M. 1677-Boyle, 1799).

Other names : "Horn Alley" (Strype, 1720 and 1755). "Horn Court" (Rocque, 1746).

Named after a messuage or brewhouse called the "Hartes Horne" in Basing Lane, in the parish of St. Mildred in Bredstreate, 25 Eliz. (Lond. I. p.m. III. 60).

Site now occupied by Cannon Street.

Harts Horn Inn

On the east side of Pye Corner, West Smithfield, in Farringdon Ward Without (O. and M. 1677-Strype, ed. 1755).

Site now covered by St. Bartholomew's Hospital.

Hartshorn Alley

South out of Leadenhall Street between Nos. 65 and 65a (P.O. Directory). In Aldgate Ward, extending to Fenchurch Street.

First mention : "Harthorne alley" (S. 140). "Hartshorn Court" (Horwood, 1799-Elmes, 1831).

Other names : "Angel Alley," "Angell Alley" (Ryther's map, 1608-Boyle, 1799).

Name derived from the sign.

Hartshorn Alley, Little Moorflelds

See Hartshorn Court.

Hartshorn Court

Out of Fore Street in Cripplegate Ward Without (P.C. 1732).

Not named in the maps.

Hartshorn Court

West out of Little Moorfields, at No. 17, to Moor Lane, in Cripple-gate Ward Without (O. and M. 1677-Elmes, 1831).

Called "Hartshorn Alley" in O. and M. 1677, and Strype.

Removed for the formation of the Metropolitan Railway and Moorgate Street Station.

Hartshorn Court, Leadenhall Street

See Hartshorn Alley.

Hartshorn Quay

Hartshorn Quay and Custom House Quay rented together, 1638-9 (L. and P. Chas. I. 1638-9, p. 493).

Probably adjoined Custom House Key

Hartshorn Wharf

-Wharf out of Lower East Smithfield, between the Army Victualling Office and Glasgow Wharf (34 H. VIII. 1542, in L. and P. H. VIII. Dom. S. Vol. XVII. p. 399-Lockie, 1810).

In Henry VIII's time there was a brewhouse adjoining the wharf, which appears to have been in existence in 3 Hen. VII., as the "hortishorne" is mentioned in a rental of that date set out in Tomlinson's History of the Minories, p. 58.

The position of the brewhouse is shown in the Survey of St. Katherine's, 1686, Sloane MS. 3254, A. I. Br. Mus., next to Brown's Wharf.

Brewhouse removed and wharf rebuilt for the formation of St. Katherine's Docks, 1827.

Hatchet Alley

Out of Little Britain (P.C. 1732-Boyle, 1799).

Not named in the maps.

Hatchet Alley

In East Smithfield (P.C. 1732-Boyle, 1799).

Not named in the maps.

Name derived from the sign.

Hatchet Alley, Aldgate High Street

North out of Aldgate High Street. In Portsoken Ward (O. and M. 1677-Boyle, 1799).

Seems to have been rebuilt towards the end of the 18th century.