Foster Lane
Names
- Foster Lane
- St. Uastes Lane
- Venell', Sancti Vedast
- St. Vedast Lane
- Street of St. Vedast
- St. Vedast Street
- Venella Sancti Vedasti
- Seyntfastislane
- Fasterslane
- Fastour Lane
- Vicum regium vocatum sci. Vedasti
- Fastres Lane
- Faster Lane
- Foster Lane
- Fauster Lane
- Vastes Lane
Street/Area/District
- Foster Lane
Maps & Views
- 1553-59 London (Strype, 1720): Foster Lane
- 1553-9 Londinum (Braun & Hogenberg, 1572): Foster Lane
- 1553-9 London ("Agas Map" ca. 1633): Forster Lane
- 1560 London (Jansson, 1657): Foster Lane
- 1593 London (Norden, 1653 - British Library): Faster Lane
- 1593 London (Norden, 1653 - Folger): Faster Lane
- 1666 London after the fire (Bowen, 1772): Foster Lane
- 1677 A Large and Accurate Map of the City of London (Ogilby & Morgan): Foster Lane
- 1720 London (Strype): Foster Lane
- 1736 London (Moll & Bowles): Foster Lane
- 1746 London, Westminster & Southwark (Rocque): Foster Lane
- 1761 London (Dodsley): Foster Lane
Descriptions
from A Dictionary of London, by Henry Harben (1918)
Foster Lane
North out of Cheapside at No. 147 to Gresham Street (P.O. Directory). In Farringdon Ward Within and Aldersgate Wards.
First mention: "Seint uastes lane, qui ducit versus Aldridesgate," 1271 (MS. D. and C. St. Paul's, Press A. Box 12, 1128).
Other forms: "Venell', Sancti Vedast," 3 Ed. I. (Rot. Hund. I. 407). "S. Vedast Lane," 1278 (Ct. H.W. I. 36). "Street of St. Vedast," 1293–4 (ib. 112). "St. Vedast Street," 1303–4 (ib. 161). "Venella Sancti Vedasti," 31 Ed. I. (Lib. Cust. I. 229 and 235). "Seyntfastislane," 12 Ed. III. (MS. D. and C. St. Paul's, Press A. Box 12, 115). "Fasterslane," 1359 (Ct. H.W. II. 52). "Fastour lane," 1393 (Cal. P.R. Ric. II. 1391–6, p. 346). "Vicum regium vocatum sci. Vedasti," 18 Ed. III. (MS. D. and C. St. Paul's, Press A. Box 12, 126). "Fastres lane," 1403 (Ct. H.W. II. 355). "Faster lane," 1407 (ib. 373). "Foster Lane," 1597 (Lond. I. p.m. III. 250). "Fauster Lane" (S. 159 and 316). Perhaps the lane extended further north in early days and included Noble Street.
Inhabited by working goldsmiths and silversmiths (Strype, 1720, I. iii. 120 and 196).
Nearly the whole of the western side of the street was removed for the erection of the General Post Office.
Named after the Church of St. Vedast (q.v.), contracted to "Vast," and later cortupted to "Fast," "Faster," and so "Foster."
In the town of Arras in the north of France the same contraction is in use, the Cathedral being known as "St. Vastes."
In excavating for the foundations of the new Goldsmiths' Hall in 1830, a Roman altar was discovered 15 ft. below the level of the street in a stratum of clay (R. Smith, 72).