Birchin Lane

Birchin Lane

South out of Cornhill at 35 to No. 62 Lombard Street (P.O. Directory). In Cornhill and Langbourn Wards.

Earliest mention: 1473 (Ct. H. Wills, II. 571).

Former names and forms: "Bercheruere lane," c. 1190–1212 (Add. Ch. 1046). "Berchvereslane," 1260 (Ct. H.W. I. 7). "Bercheruerelane," 1320 (ib. 286). "Berchereslane," 1332 (Ct. H.W. I. 381). "Bercheverlane," 1349 (ib. II. 80). "Berchernerislane," 1361 (Cal. P.R. Ed. III. 1361–4, p. 138). "Bercherlane," 1372–3 (Ct. H.W. II. 153). "Birchenlane," 1386 (Ct. H.W. II. 260). "Bircheyn lane," 17 Rich. II. 1393 (Cal. P.R. Rich. II. 1391–6, p. 345). "Byrcherslane," 1401 (Ct. H.W. II. 351). "Bircherlane," 1486 (ib. 486). "Byrchyn lane," 1602–3 (ib. 728). "Burchen Lane," 1618 (ib. 743). "Burcheouer lane, so called of Birchouer, the first builder and owner thereof, now corruptly called Birchin lane" (S. 199), and see Bergereslane.

From the forms set out above, it appears that "Bercheruere" and "Berchever" were the earliest forms of the name, so that if Stow's surmise is correct the name of the builder or owner would appear to have been Bercheruere or Berchevere. It is interesting to note that the early form of Andover was Andevere.

Very little reliance can be placed upon the form "Berchernerislane," as in all probability the letter "n" was written "u" in the MS., and the "n" is an error in transcription.

Roman walls found under Nos. I, 12, 13 and 15, 20 and 22 and at the south-western corner of the lane. Pavements of tesserae and chalkstones (at a depth of 14 ft.) found under Nos. 2, 11 and 22 (Arch. VIII. 119 and 128).

Birchin Lane. Strype identifies the lane as both "Birching" and "Birchin" Lane (Strype 1720).

Birchin Lane hath not above 170 Feet on both sides of the Way in this Ward; the rest toward Lombard Street being in Langborn Ward. It is a Place of a considerable Trade, especially for Men's Apparel; the greatest part of the Shopkeepers being Salesmen: In this Lane are these Alleys, viz. Castle Alley, but ordinary: It falls into St. Michaels Alley. White Lyon Alley also but ordinary, at the upper End is a Passage into George Yard, and in this Alley is Cock Court, which is but small, and on the other side is a Passage unto Castle Alley.

[Birchin Lane.] A little farther West on the same Side of the Way [Lombard Street] is Birchin Lane, which runs into Cornhil: a great Through-fare to and from the Exchange. It is well inhabited, especially by Salesmen for Mens Apparel. In this Lane are several Courts and Alleys, viz. Exchange Alley, Castle Alley, and White Lyon Court.

Birchin Lane, from Cornhill, opposite the east end of the Royal Exchange, to Lombard Street.

Then have ye Birchover Lane, so called of Birchover, the first builder and owner thereof, now corruptly called Birchin Lane.... This lane and the high street near adjoining hath been inhabited for the most part with wealthy drapers.—Stow, p. 75.

As is frequently the case, Stow appears to be wrong in his etymology. The earliest known mention of the place is in a Record of 1301, where it is called Bereheneres Lane on Cornhill. In 19 Edward III. (1345), one "Byndo of Florence, a Lombard, was taken at the suit of John de Croydone, servant of John atte Bell, vintner, with the mainour of six silver cups, and half of a broken cup, stolen in Bercherners Lane in the ward of Langebourne in London.... The jury say, upon their oath, that the said Byndo is guilty of the felony aforesaid. Therefore he is to be hanged"¹ The original name was, no doubt, Birchener's and not Birchover's Lane. In a document of the 15th century² it is written Berchers Lane. Ascham³ speaks of "a common proverb of Birching Lane." To send a person to Birching Lane has an obvious meaning; and to "return by Weeping Cross" was a joke of kindred origin.

Birchin Lane is a place of considerable trade, especially for men's apparel, the greatest part of the shopkeepers being salesmen.—R.B., in Strype, B. ii. p. 150.

It was a great mart for ready-made clothes as early as the end of the 16th century.

My good friend, M. Davies [Sir John Davys] said of his epigrams, that they were made like doublets in Birchin Lane, for every one whom they will serve.—Sir John Harrington, Metamorphosis of Ajax, 1596.

No sooner in London will we be,
But the bakers for you, the brewers for me.
Birchin Lane will suit us,
The costermongers fruit us.

Heywood, Edw. IV., Pt. i. 4to. 1600.⁴

And passing through Birchin Lane amidst a camp-royal of hose and doublets, I took excellent occasion to slip into a captain's suit, a valiant buff doublet stuffed with points and a pair of velvet slops scored thick with lace.—Middleton, Black Book, 4to, 1604.

Mr. Flowerdale. Thou sayest thou hast twenty pound; go into Birchin Lane; put thyself into clothes; thou shalt ride with me to Croydon Fair.—The London Prodigall, by William Shakespeare (!) 4to, 1605.

And you, master Amoretto ... it's fine, when that puppet-player Fortune must put such a Birchin Lane post in so good a suit—such an ass in so good fortune.—The Return from Parnassus, 4to, 1606.

Did man, think you, come wrangling into the world about no better matters, than all his lifetime to make privy searches in Birchin Lane for whalebone doublets?—Dekker, Gull's Hornbook, 4to, 1609.

His discourse makes not his behaviour, but he buys it at Court, as countrymen buy their clothes in Birchen Lane.—Overbury, 1614.

At the Marine Coffee-House in Birchin Lane, is water-gruel to be sold every morning, from 6 till 11 of the clock. 'Tis not yet thoroughly known; but there comes such company as drinks usually 4 or 5 gallons in a morning.—Advertisement, July 26, 1695.

But Nicholas Ferrar I may compare to one of those Birchin Lane tailors that go but into their shops, they will without delay find you a fitting suit of apparel.—Life of Nicholas Ferrar, ed. Mayor, p. 93.

Major John Graunt, citizen of London (b. 1620, d. 1674), who wrote Natural and Political Observations on the Bills of Mortality, lived in this lane. His Epistle Dedicatory is dated "At the Swan and Key in Birchen Lane, January 25, 1661–1662." [See Tom's Coffee-House.]

The two years which followed [1800–1802] were passed [by Zachary Macaulay and his infant son, the future historian] in a house in Birchin Lane, where the Sierra Leone Company had its office. Mr. Z. Macaulay was secretary to this Company.—Trevelyan's Life of Lord Macaulay.

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¹ Riley, Memorials, p. 221.
² Harl MSS., 6016.
³ Scholemaster.
⁴ He repeats the joke, such as it is, in the Royal King and the Loyal Subject (Act. iii. Sc. 3), "Though we have the law of our sides, yet we may walk through Birchin Lane and be non-suited." And again (ibid., Act i. Sc. 1), "With all my heart, good Corporal; but it had not been amiss if we had gone to Birchin Lane first, to have suited us."