Long Lane
Names
- Long Lane
Street/Area/District
- Long Lane
Maps & Views
- 1553-59 London (Strype, 1720): Long Lane
- 1553-9 Londinum (Braun & Hogenberg, 1572): Long Lane
- 1553-9 London ("Agas Map" ca. 1633): Long Lane
- 1560 London (Jansson, 1657): Long Lane
- 1593 London (Norden, 1653 - British Library): Long Lane
- 1593 London (Norden, 1653 - Folger): Long Lane
- 1658 London (Newcourt & Faithorne): Long Lane
- 1666 London after the fire (Bowen, 1772): Long Lane
- 1666 London after the fire (Hollar & Leake, 1669?): Long Lane
- 1666 Plan for Rebuilding the City (Wren), 1724: Long Lane
- 1666 Plan for Rebuilding the City (Wren), 1809: Long Lane
- 1677 A Large and Accurate Map of the City of London (Ogilby & Morgan): Long Lane
- 1720 London (Strype): Long Lane
- 1736 London (Moll & Bowles): Long Lane
- 1746 London, Westminster & Southwark (Rocque): Long Lane
- 1761 London (Dodsley): Long Lane
- 1799 London (Horwood): Long Lane
Descriptions
from A Dictionary of London, by Henry Harben (1918)
Long Lane
West out of Aldersgate Street to West Smithfield (P.O. Directory). In Aldersgate Ward and Farringdon Ward Without.
First mention: 24 H. VIII. (Anc. Deeds, B. 3622).
It formed one of the boundaries of Great St. Bartholomew's Close in 36 H. VIII. (L. and P. H. VIII. XIX. (1), p. 376).
So called for its length (S. 382, and Strype, ed. 1720, I. iii. 122).
from A New View of London, by Edward Hatton (1708)
Long lane, a pleasant spacious lane, betn West Smithfield near W. and the meeting of Aldersgate str. with Barbican Ely, L. 290 Yds, and from P C. N. 670 Yds.
from A Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster, by John Strype (1720)
Long lane, may properly be so called for its length, coming out of Aldersgate street, against Barbican, and running into Smithfield. The Lane, or rather Street, is good; the Houses pretty good for Timber Buildings, and is very well inhabited by Shopkeepers who deal in Apparel, Linnen, and Upholsters Goods, both new and old; and for this Trade it is of very good Account.
This Lane goeth in this Ward from Smithfield unto the Red Lion Inn, the other Part being in Aldersgate Ward; but something further on the South side, even to the Golden Dragon Court.
from London and Its Environs Described, by Robert and James Dodsley (1761)
Long lane, Aldersgate street.
from Lockie's Topography of London, by John Lockie (1810)
Long-Lane, West-Smithfield,—at 66, on the E. side, extending to op. 77, Aldersgate-st.
from A Topographical Dictionary of London and Its Environs, by James Elmes (1831)
Long-Lane.—is in West Smithfield, on the east side, and extends into Aldersgate-street.
from London Past and Present: Its History, Associations, and Traditions, by Henry Benjamin Wheatley and Peter Cunningham (1891)
Long Lane, West Smithfield to Barbican.
On the north side of the priory of St. Bartholomew is the lane truly called Long, which reacheth from Smithfield to Aldersgate Street. This lane is now lately built on both the sides with tenements for brokers, tipplers, and such like.—Stow, p. 142.
Doll. Why I tell thee Jack Hornet, if the devil and all the brokers in Long Lane had rifled their wardrobe, they would ha' been damned before they had fitted thee thus.—Northward Ho, Act ii. Sc. I.
Long Lane, a place of note for the sale of apparel, linen, and upholsterers' goods, both second hand and new, but chiefly for old, for which it is of note.—R. B., in Strype, B. iii. p. 122.
The times are dangerous, and this is an yron age; or rather no yron age, for swords and bucklers goe to pawne apace in Long Lane.—Nash's Pierce Penilesse, 4to, 1592.
Straccaria, such a place as Long Lane in London, where old rags and clothes are to be sold.—Floria, 1598.
Now for his habit, Wapping and Long Lane will give him his character.—Whimsies; or, a New Cast of Characters, 1631.
I committed Cromes, a Broker in Long Lane, the 16th February, 1634, to the Marshalsey for lending a church robe with the name of Jesus upon it to the players in Salisbury Court, to present a Flamen, a priest of the heathens. Upon his petition of submission, and acknowledgment of his fault, I released him the 17th February, 1634.—Sir Henry Herbert (Master of the Revels); Malone's Shakespeare, by Boswell, ed. 1821, vol. iii. p. 237.
I told your Lordship of a Lottery set up in Smithfield for the advancement of a Water-work undertaken by Mr. Gage; in twelve days it was drawn dry, every prize gotten by some one or other; the people were so mad of it, no Lotteries having been in London for these many years past, that they flocked from all parts of the city; a Broker in Long Lane, had in those twelve days it stood there 360 Clocks [cloaks?] pawn'd to him, all which money was thrown into that Lottery.—Garrard to Lord Strafford, October 3, 1635, vol. i. p. 468.
The lane was in great force during Bartholomew Fair.
Long Lane at this lookes very faire, and puts out her best cloaths with the wrong side outward, so turned for their better turning off.—Bart. Faire (tract), 4to, 1641; Burn, p. 160; Morley, p. 147.
Lady Wishfort. I hope to see him hung with tatters like a Long Lane penthouse or a gibbet thief.—Congreve, Way of the World, 4to, 1700.
I that am always more scared at the sight of a serjeant or bayliff than at the Devil and all his works, was mortally frighted in my passage through Barbican and Long Lane by the impudent ragsellers, in those scandalous climates, who laid hold of my arm to ask me "what I lack'd."—Tom Brown's Amusements of London, 8vo, 1700, p. 37.
Characters in plays are like Long Lane clothes, not hung out for the use of any particular people, but to be bought by only those they happen to fit.—Farquhar, Preface to the Twin Rivals, 1705.
The father of John Howard, the philanthropist, was an upholsterer in this lane. Here he realised that fortune which enabled his son to attend to the management of prison discipline and the misfortunes of his fellow-creatures. Till within the last ten or twelve years a few houses of the time of Elizabeth or James might still be seen in Long Lane.
