St. Nicholas Shambles

St. Nicholas Shambles

On the north side of Newgate Street, between Butcher Hall Lane, now King Edward Street, and Roman Bath Street, called Bull Head Court in the 17th and 18th centuries (Strype, Ed. 1720, I. iii. 195). In Farringdon Ward Within.

First mention: "St. Nicholas de Westmacekaria," 1196 (Anc. Deeds, A. 2507).

Other forms: "St. Nicholas apud Macellum," 12th century (H. MSS. Com. 9th Rep. 22). "Retromacellum in par. sci. Nicholai," 44 H. III. (Add. Ch. 10661). "St. Nicholas Aldred," 1240–59 (MS. D. and C. St. Paul's, W.D. 9, f. 48b). "St. Nicholas Shambles," 1260 (Ct. H.W. I. 7). "St. Nicholas the Shambles," 1280 (Cal. L. Bk. A. p. 151). "St. Nicholas de Stallo," 13th century (MS. D. and C. St. Paul's, W.D. 12). "St. Nicholas de macellis," 14 Ed. I. (Anc. Deeds, B. 2215). "St. Nicholas without Newgate," 1294–5 (Ct. H.W. I. 119). "St. Nicholas masecreu," 28 Ed. I. (Cal. L. Bk. C. p. 55). "St. Nicholas Aldrethegate ad Macellas," 31 Ed. I. (Lib. Cust. I. 230–5). "St. Nicholas de Bucher', towards Newgate," 1304 (Ct. H.W. I. 164). "St. Nicholas atte flesshameles," 1305 (ib. 171). "St. Nicholas atte Flehsshameles," 1305 (ib. 174). "St. Nicholas at the Shambles," 1348–9 (ib. 527). "St. Nicholas within Neugate," 1349 (ib. 622). St. Nicholas en la Bocherie," 1352 (Cal. P.R. Ed. III. 1350–4, p. 195). "St. Nicholas atte Shameles," 4 Ed. III. (Ch. I. p.m. 91 (2)).

Church granted to the Mayor and citizens after the dissolution of the monasteries, temp. H. VIII., the parish being incorporated into the newly formed parish of Christ Church, Newgate Street, 38 H. VIII. 1547 (L. and P. H. VIII. XXI. (2), p. 416).

Church taken down and houses built on the site "in a Court with a wel" (S. 318).

This is called "Bull Head Court" (q.v.) in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The church was so named from its proximity to the butchers' quarter, known as "The Shambles"—"macellas," etc.

The name "Aldred" suggests a founder or rebuilder in the 13th century.

St. Nicholas Shambles, the church of, stood formerly at the corner of Butcher-hall-lane, Newgate-streeet, and took its addition from standing in the Shambles, which before the fire of London extended along Newgate-street. The church, and all its ornaments, were given by Henry VIII. to the Mayor and Commonalty of London, towards the maintenance of the new parish church then erecting in the Gray-friars.—[see Gray-friars.

Nicholas (St.) Shambles, a church in or near Newgate Street, in the ward of Farringdon Within, pulled down at the Reformation, when the church of the Grey Friars' Monastery was called Christ Church, and made to answer the purposes of the church of St. Nicholas Shambles. It derives its name of Shambles from the Shambles or Butchery in which it was situated. [See Butcher Hall Lane.]

In the 11th Richard II., 1588, William Wettone, Alderman of the Ward of Dowgate, on Saturday the eve of Pentecost, went to the Shambles of St. Nicholas, and seeing some pieces of meat lying for sale on the stall of Richaid Bole, butcher, asked the price, and being told "four shillings" said it was too dear. "I do surely believe that the meat is too dear for thee," said the butcher, "who I suppose never bought so much meat as that for thy own use;" and then noticing that the Alderman had on an Alderman's hood, he added some coarse words derogatory to the whole Aldermanie. For these words he was summoned before the Mayor and committed to Newgate till the Mayor and Alderman should have taken counsel as to the punishment meet for such misconduct. Eventually he was sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment in Newgate and "on his leaving prison, with his head uncovered, and bare legs and feet, he should carry in his hand a wax torch, weighing one pound, and lighted, from Newgate through the shambles aforesaid, and so straight through Cheap, as far as St. Lawrence Lane, and through that lane to the Chapel of the Guild Hall, and there make an offering of the same." The imprisonment was remitted at the request of the Archbishop of Armagh, and "the entreaty of the reputable men of the said trade of butchers."¹

Butchers at the shambles no doubt used ample license of language in those as in later days, but it was no light matter then to speak disrespectfully to or of an alderman. Richard Bole and his reputable brethren of the trade of butchers we may hope laid the lesson to heart.

The Act of 4 Henry VII., c 3 (1488), after reciting a petition of the parishioners of St. Faith's and St. Gregory's complaining that great concourse of people at St. Paul's were annoyed, etc., "by the slaughter of beasts, and scalding of swine in the butchery of St. Nicholas Shambles, which corruption and foul ordure compasseth two parts of the Palace, where the Kyng was wont to abide when he came to the Cathedral, to the 'jeopardous abydynge of his most royal persoun,' and to his great annoyance, enacted certain penalties against any butcher or his servant slaying beasts there."

First I was sent to the Marshalsey by Doctor Story, and was carried to his house besides S. Nicholas Shambles.—Fox, Martyrology, ed. 1597, p. 1805.

Marshall. What made you abroad?
Wood. The Bishop of Chichester sent for me to talke with me at home, at his house beside S. Nicholas Shambles.—Ibid. p. 1808.

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¹ Riley, Memorials, p. 502.