Shelley House - Ship Alley

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

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'Shelley House - Ship Alley', in A Dictionary of London, (London, 1918) pp. . British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/dictionary-of-london/shelley-house-ship-alley [accessed 7 May 2024]

In this section

Shelley House

See Bacon House, Noble Street.

Shepheard and Dog Alley, Shepherd and Dog Alley

See Red Lyon Yard, Houndsditch.

Shepheard's Court

South out of Cheapside, in Farringdon Ward Within (Strype, 'Sd. 1720 and 1755).

See Fountain Court.

Shepherd and Flock Court

Out of White's Alley, Coleman Street (Lockie,1810-Elmes, 1831).

Not named in the maps.

Shepherd's Alley

West out of Old Bailey, in Farringdon Ward Without, south of Ship Court (O. and M. 1677).

Site now occupied by business houses.

Shepherd's Alley

South out of Upper Thames Street to Bull Wharf. In Vintry Ward (Elmes, 1831).

First mention: 1543 (L. and P. H. VIII. XVIII. Pt. I, p.202).

Other forms of name: " Sheppardes Alley," 1600-1 (Ct. H.W. II. 727). " Sheep-herds Alley" (Rocque, 1746). " Shepheards Alley" (Strype's maps, ed. 1720 and 1755). "Sheepshead Alley " (W. Stow, 1722).

In 1543 it is described as " Mede Lane " alias " Shepherds alley," but it can hardly be identified with "Mede Lane" alias "Maiden Lane," so that possibly the description is due to some confusion of names. The alley and wharf adjoining belonged to St. Bartholomew's Priory at this date (L. and P. H. VIII. XVIII. Pt. I, p.202).

The site is now occupied by the Falkirk Iron Warehouse (q.v.).

Shepherd's Court

North out of Skinner Street. In Bishopsgate Ward Without (Horwood, 1799).

The site is now occupied by the Great Eastern and North London Railway lines.

Shepherd's Garden, Minories

See Sheppy Place.

Shepherd's, Sheppard's Court

South out of King's Head Court, west of Shoe Lane, in Farringdon Ward Without (Horwood, 1799-Elmes, 1831).

Site now covered by warehouses and offices.

Probably named after the owner or builder.

Sheppardes Alley

See Shepherd's Alley.

Sheppy Place

East out of Minories at No.30. In Holy Trinity Minories precinct (P.O. Directory).

Former names: "Shipey's Yard" (O. and M. 1677). "Shippey's Yard" (Hatton, 1708-Strype, 1755). " Shepherds Garden" (Rocque, 1746). " Ship Yard " (Lockie, 1810). " Sheppy Yard " (O.S. 5 ft. 1875 to 1897) (L.C.C. List of Streets, 1902).

It seems probable from the earlier forms that the name was derived from the builder or owner of the property.

Sheppy Yard

See Sheppy Place.

Sherborne Lane

South out of King William Street, at No.2, to 1 Abchurch Yard (P.O. Directory). In Waibrook Ward. Earliest mention: 1557 (Ct. H.W. II. 666).

Former names and forms of name: " Shitteborwelane," 1272-3 (ib. 1.13). "Shiteburn lane," 22 Ed. I. (Ch. I. p.m. 136). " Shiteb(ur)uelane," 1300 (Ct. H.W. I. 147). "Shiteburlane," 1303-4 (ib. 162). "Schiteburuelaue," 1305 (ib. 171). "Shitheburniane," 1311 (ib. 220). " Shitebournelane," 1313 (ib. 240). " Shiteburgh lane," 1321 (Cal. P.R. Ed. II. 1317-21, p. 589). " Schetebournelane," 17 Ed. III. (Anc. Deeds, B. 2103). "Schittebourne lane," 1348-9 (Ct. H.W. I. 528). " Shetebournelane," 41 Ed. III. 2nd, Nos. 40 (Ch. I. p.m.). "Scheteboruelane," 1370 (Ct. H.W. II. 136). "Shitbourn lane," 1394-5 (Cal. L. Bk. H. p.421). " Shirbouruelane" otherwise "Shetbouruelane," 1467 (Ct. H.W. II. 586). "Sithebourne Lane," 1532 (L. and P. H. VIII. V. p. 690). "Shetenborn Lane," 1539 (ib. XIV. Pt. 2, p.591).

The earliest forms of the name are therefore : " Shitteborwelane," " Shite-burn lane," " Shite-buruelane," and the form " shir " does not occur until the 15th century.

Stow's derivation from the stream turning south and breaking into small shares, rills, or streams, and so giving the name Shareborne Lane or Southborne Lane must be left out of account as a possible derivation, inasmuch as it ignores the earliest forms of the name to be found.

The first syllable " shitte," " shite," "schite," presents considerable difficulty, and it is hard to See from what A.S. word it can be derived, as the suggested derivation from A. S. "scir "= a share, "sciran "= to divide, seems to leave the "t" out of account. The word "borwe," "borue" suggests O.E. "burh," "burgh," "borough," rather than "burn" or "bourne," as the original form. "Burgh "= fortress, walled town, later perhaps "a mansion," "fortified house."

Where the word occurs as a place name, as in Shirburn in Oxfordshire, Sherbourn in Warwickshire, and Sherborne in Dorsetshire, the earliest forms are: "Scirburne," "Scireburne," "Shirburn," "Sireburn," "Shyreborn"; and the derivation is regular enough.

The early forms here suggest the personal names " Schet," "Scheot," "Scytta.,"

Prior to the formation of King William Street, 1832, this lane extended into Langbourn Ward, and was considerably longer than it is at the present time. Its northern end communicating with St. Swithin's Lane was cut off for the formation of King William Street.

Sheremonier's Lane

See Sermon Lane.

Sheriffs

Old English "scir-gerefa "=an officer appointed in Saxon times to administer justice within the shire or county.

London has two sheriffs, elected annually by the livery men of the City. Frequent references to their elections occur in the City records, as well as to the maintenance of their authority within the City against the King's officers.

Jurisdiction distinct from that of the Sheriffs of Middlesex.

In 1308 the King directed a writ to the Sheriff of Middlesex as to the right of Master Wm. de Ewelle, Canon of St. Paul's, to a tenement in the parish of St. Giles without Crepelgate. But the Sheriff returned answer that he could not execute the writ, as it was not within his bailiwick, but within the precinct of the liberty of the City of London (Cal. L. Bk. C. p.160-1).

In 1227 the King granted to the citizens of London the Sheriffdom of London and Middlesex on payment of 300 marks yearly at the Exchequer (Cal. Ch. Rolls, H. III. I. I226-57, p.137).

In 1236 the Sheriffs of London and the Sheriff of Middlesex appear as separate witnesses to a deed (Anc. Deeds, B. 2376). They are again mentioned separately in 1283 (Cal. L. Bk. A. p.75).

In 1321-2 the writ to the Sheriff of Middlesex is in the same terms as that addressed to the Sheriffs of London, Is Ed. II. (Cal. L. Bk. E. p.163).

The two offices do not seem to have been directly separated until the Local Government Act, 1888.

In 1291, at the Sheriff's Court, allusion is made to the four benches of the Court, for whom assessors appeared in the Court.

The Sheriffs had jurisdiction over the Compters, or prisons, which in early times were often in the Sheriff's houses.

See Compters.

The precincts and privileged places in the City were exempt from their jurisdiction down to the end of the 17th century.

Ship (The)

Rent out of Corner House in Thames Street, being the sign of the Ship in parish of St. Mary at Hill devised for poor of the parish, 1625.

"The Shipp at Billingesgate," 1510-1l (Records of St. Mary at Hill, p.276).

Custom House now occupies the site (End. Ch. St. Mary Hill parish, 1902, P.S).

Ship (The)

A tenement so called in the parish of St. Mildred in the Poultry belongmg to the Ironmongers' Company, and lately called " le Pewter Dishe," 38 H. VIII. 1547 (L. and P. H. VIII. XXI. Pt. 2, p.415), and 4 and 5 P. and M. 1557 (Lond. I. p.m. I. p. 160).

Not further identified.

Ship (The)

,-A messuage so called in parish of St. Martin within Ludgate in the suburbs of London, 26 Eliz. (Lond. I. p.m. III. 213).

Not further identified.

Ship Alley

An alley so called in parish of St. Giles without Cripplegate, 36 Eliz. {Lond. I. p.m. III. 201).

Not further identified.

Name derived from the sign.

Ship Alley

In Rosemary Lane in Whitechapel, 1657-8 (Cal. Midd. Sess. Roll III 269).

Not further identified.

Ship Alley

In Ivy Lane. Or Three Ton Alley (P.C. 1732).

Not named in the maps.