Great Swan Alley

Great Swan Alley

East out of Coleman Street, at No. 66, across Moorgate Street, at No. 39, to Little Swan Alley (P.O. Directory). Seems to be all called Great Swan Alley now. In Coleman Street Ward.

First mention: Horwood, 1799.

Former names: "Swan Alley," 19 Hen. VIII. 1528 (L. and P. H. VIII. Vol. IV. (Pt. 2), p. 1789). "Swanne Alley," 1566 (Lond. I. p.m. II. 46). "Swann Alley" (O. and M. 1677).

Name derived from the sign.

Swan Alley (Great), Coleman-Street,—at 66, the fifth on the R. from Lothbury and about fourteen doors on the L. from London-wall.

Swan-Alley, Great, is in Coleman-street, the fifth turning on the right hand from Lothbury.

Swan Alley (now Great Swan Alley) Coleman Street, City, runs from between Nos. 66 and 67 Coleman Street to Little Bell Alley. Swan Alley was severed into two parts and the central portion swept away in the formation of Moorgate Street, which was carried across it. Most of the houses left are on the east side of Moorgate Street. About the middle of the 17th century Swan Alley acquired notoriety from occurrences connected with a Puritan meeting-house in it.

Upon the first day of the second month, commonly called April, 1658, many of the Lord's people being assembled together in Swan Alley, in Coleman Street (a public place where Saints have met many years): as they were waiting upon the Lord in prayer and other holy duties, on a sudden the Marshal of the City, with several other officers, rushed in with great violence upon them. ... Old brother Canne was then in the pulpit and had read a place of Scripture, but spoken nothing to it. Now he perceiving that they came in at both doors, with their halberts, pikes, staves, etc., and fearing that there might be some hurt done to the Lord's poor and naked people, desired the brethren and sisters to be all quiet, and to make no stir; for his part he feared them not, but was assured the Lord would eminently stand by them. While he was thus speaking to the people, exhorting them to patience, one of the officers (breaking through the crowd) came furiously upon him, and with great violence plucked him out of the pulpit, and when he had so done, hurled him over the benches and forms in a very barbarous manner.—A Narrative published by a Friend to the Prisoners, 1658.

This strange scene took place five months before the death of Oliver Cromwell. John Canne was pastor at Amsterdam, and a leading man among the Baptists; but had apparently ceased to officiate in Swan Alley before January 6, 1661, when Venner and his brother fanatics sallied from this building and put all London in terror. Such was their desperate courage, skill and activity, that it took three days to master them, and yet Pepys records:—

January 10, 1661.—Mr. Davis told us the particular examinations of these Fanatiques that are taken: and in short it is this, these Fanatiques, that have routed all the train-bands that they met with, put the King's life-guards to the run, killed about twenty men, broke through the City gates twice; and all this in the day-time, when all the City was in arms;—are not in all above thirty -one. Whereas we did believe them (because they were seen up and down in every place almost in the City, and had been in Highgate two or three days, and in several other places) to be at least 500. ... Their word was "The King Jesus, and their heads upon the gates." Few of them would receive any quarter.—Pepys.

Venner, with Hodgkins, another prominent Fifth-Monarchy man, was hanged, drawn and quartered at the end of Swan Alley in Coleman Street, on January 19, 1661; two others, Pritchard and Oxman, at the end of Wood Street, on the same day, and "many more" two days later. Entick (1766) says that Oliver Cromwell had resided in a large house which stood at the east end of the alley, and was pulled down about 1750; but this was probably only one of the idle traditions which associate so many of the large old houses about London with the great Protector.