Pope's Head Alley - Portpool (Bar of)

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

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'Pope's Head Alley - Portpool (Bar of)', in A Dictionary of London, (London, 1918) pp. . British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/dictionary-of-london/popes-head-alley-portpool [accessed 18 March 2024]

In this section

Pope's Head Alley

In Broad Street (Strype, ed. 1755-Boyle, 1799). Not named in the maps.

Pope's Head Alley, Cornhill

North out of Lombard Street, at No.72, to Cornhill at No. 18 (P.O. Directory). In Cornhill and Langbourne Wards.

First mention: 1624 (L. and P. Ed. VI., etc., Dom. S. Vol. XI. p.163).

Former name: "Popes Hedes Entre," 19 H. VII. 1503 (Lond. I. p.m. I. p.20).

Named after the "Popes Heade Tavern," which occupied the site, 9 H. VII. (Anc.. Deeds, A. 644), and as early as 4 Ed. IV. Stow describes it as a stone house having the Royal Arms on it and with two other houses adjoining, one in Cornhill and the other in. Lombard Street, supposed to have belonged to King John (S. ed. 1603, p.200).

Left by Sir William Craven, 1615, to the Merchant Taylors' Company, who still receive The rents of nine houses in the alley.

Pope's Head Court

In Bell Yard (Strype, ed. 1755-Boyle, 1799). Not named in the maps.

Pope's Lane

See Pope Lane End.

Pope's Yard, Minories

See New Square.

Popinjay

The Hostel of the Abbot and Convent of Cicestre was called" Popyngaye in Fletestrete, 1430 (Ct. H.W. II. 454).

See Poppin's Court.

Popinjay, Popynjay Aley

A tenement so called without Crepylgate, 9 H. VII. (Anc. Deeds, A. 644 and A. 12276).

No further mention.

Popping's Alley

See Poppin's Court.

Poppin's Court

North out of Fleet Street, at No.111, to St. Bride's Street (P.O. Directory). In Farringdon Ward Without.

First mention: O.S.1875.

Former names: "Poppings Court" (Horwood, 1799-Elmes, 1831). "Poppings Alley" (Rocque, 1746-Strype, ed. 1755). "Poppinge Alley" (O. and M. 1677). "Popinjoy Alley," "Poppinger Alley" (Strype). " Popingey Alley" (Strype, ed. 1720 I. iii. 277) "Papinger Ally" (Leake, 1666). "Popyngey Alley," 1568 (Lond. I. p.m. II. 105).

The site was formerly occupied by the hostel of the Abbot and Convent of Cicestre called "Popyngaye" (q.v.), of which the present name is a corruption, as shown in the forms set out above.

Northern end cut off 1870 in forming the new street from Holborn Circus to Ludgate Circus.

Popys Alley

Lands and tenements in the alley called "Puppes aley," in parish of St. Martin Orgar, 26 H. VI. (Hist. MSS. Com. 9th Rep. 16).

The Black Raven on the south side of Thames Street at corner of "Popys alley," and bounded on the west by the common alleye, 33 H. VIII. (ib.).

See Black Raven Alley.

Porridge Pot Alley

See Westmoreland Buildings.

Port of London Authority's Warehouses

At the northern boundary of Portsoken Ward and extending into Bishopsgate Ward Without (P.O. Directory).

Former names : " East India Warehouses" (Greenwood, 1827). " Cutler Street Warehouses" (O.S. 1848-51). "London and St. Katherine's Dock Co.'s Warehouses" (O.S. 25, in 1880).

In Horwood's map, 1799 the site seems to be partly vacant and the warehouses in course of erection.

They occupy the site of many small Courts and alleys demolished for their erection: Bartholomew Court; Crown Alley, Petticoat Lane; George Court, Gravel Lane; Hand Alley; King's Head Court; New Court, Harrow Alley; Olive's Court (?); Pease Porridge Alley; Pump Yard; Vine Court; Woolpack Alley.

It will be seen that the various names given to the warehouses from time to time lave been derived for the most part from the owners of the property, and the present designation came into use when the Port of London Authority was created and took over the various Dock Companies' undertakings in 1909.

New buildings being erected for the Authority between Seething Lane and Tower Hill, 1915.

Portehawe (le)

See Bordhawelane.

Porters

Four brotherhoods, viz. Companies' porters, Fellowship porters, Ticket porters, Tackle porters (Dodsley, 1761).

Porter's Court

East out of Basinghall Street, in Bassishaw Ward (Rocque, 1746-Boyle, 1799).

Other names : " Porter's Alley " (O. and M. 1677-P.C. 1732). " Potters Court or Alley" (Strype, 1720 and 1755-Maitland, 1775).

Guildhall Chambers on or near the site.

Probably named after the owner or builder.

Porter's Quay

South out of Lower Thames Street, by No.32, east of Bear Key and west of Custom House Key (S. ed. 1603, p. 137-Lockie, 1810).

"Potters Key" (Strype, ed. 1720, I. ii. 53).

This quay was so named as having one of the rulers of the Fellowship Porters in attendance here to exercise the office of metage of salt, grain, fruit, etc., on behalf of the Corporation.

Site now occupied by the Custom House.

Porter's Yard

In Whitecross Street, Cripplegate (Strype, ed. 1755-Boyle, 1799).

Not named in the maps.

Porteslane

Two messuages in parish of St. Dunstan in le East between the tenement of John Gy east, the way called" Porteslane " west, the way called " Tourstrete " north, and the cemetery of the church south, 9 H. IV. 1408 (Cal. P.R. H. IV. 1405-8, p.460).

Earliest mention : " Pourteslane," 1368-9 (Ct. H.W. II. 124).

This lane must lie between Idol Street and St. Dunstan's Hill and may perhaps be identical with" Preist Alley" (q.v.) shown on the maps.

Portpool

A manor near Holborn and St. Pancras forming one of the prebends of St Paul's Cathedral, and frequently referred to in early records.

First mention: " Purtepol," 4 John (Ft. of Fines, Case 146, File 2, 23).

In an I. p.m. 1 Ed. II. the extent of the manor taken on the death of Reginald de Grey is set out, consisting of lands and messuages in the suburb of London.

It is described as in the parish of St. Andrew Holborn in 22 H. VII. (Cal. L. and M. F. of Fines, II. 14).

From the descent of the manor it appears to include what was later known as Gray's Inn, although the original manor of Portpool may have been somewhat more extensive. It therefore lies outside the scope of this work, and its history cannot be given here in any detail.

The prebend still exists in St. Paul's Cathedral, but the corpus was surrendered years ago for a money payment.

The rights of the manor survived within the "precinct of Portpool," which existed until all these privileged areas were swept away in the 18th century.

Portpool (Bar of)

See Holborn Bars.