Aldersgate
Encyclopedia
Aldersgate was a gate
in the London Wall
in the City of London
, which has given its name to a ward
and Aldersgate Street, a road leading north from the site of the gate, towards Clerkenwell
in the London Borough of Islington
.
The ward straddles the (now former) line of London Wall
and the old gate and historically was divided into "Within" and "Without" divisions, with a Deputy (Alderman) appointed for each division. It took in the liberty
of St Martin's le Grand when that was dis-established in the 16th century. However, since the 2003 ward boundary changes, almost all of the ward is Without and the former liberty and street of St Martin's is no longer within the ward's boundaries.
The old gate was taken down in 1617, and re-built in the same year from a design by Gerard Christmas. The gate was damaged in the Great Fire of London
, but was repaired and remained until 1761. Aldersgate Street contained the Bishop of London
's Chapel and his chambers at London House, which was used from the eighteenth century because it was closer to St Paul's Cathedral
than his official residence at Fulham
. Also on this street is the church of St Botolph Aldersgate
, and the site of the meeting room where John Wesley
reaffirmed his faith in 1738, which is marked by a plaque. To the south of St Botolph's is Postman's Park
, named after the former principal sorting office
in King Edward Street; it is the location of The Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice.
The house of Sarah Sawyer, in Rose and Rainbow Court (approximately the site of the present Museum of London), formed one of the earliest Quaker meetings in London (before 1655). In 1675, it became a dedicated meeting house, the Box Meeting, used mainly by Quaker women for poor relief, on her marriage. It was during a Moravian Church meeting in Aldersgate on Wednesday 22 May, 1738, during a reading of Dr. Martin Luther
's Commentary on Romans
that the Revd. John Wesley
, founder of Methodism
, reported his heart "strangely warmed," an event he described as his conversion.
and Centre
, St Bartholomew's Hospital
, and the Museum of London
(which falls within the ward). Northwards it continues into Goswell Road, southwards it becomes St Martin's-le-Grand. Barbican tube station is located on Aldersgate Street, and was formerly known as Aldersgate station.
The ward is bounded by Aldersgate Street, Beech Street, Noble Street, Angel Street, King Edward Street and Montague Street. The ward contains the western part of the Barbican Estate, which in total has about 5000 residents, the largest resident population in the City. The remainder of the Estate is in Cripplegate
ward.
The ward is also the location of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
and the City of London School for Girls
.
Within the ward are located three livery company
halls; Ironmongers Hall
, Plaisterers Hall
and Barber-Surgeons Hall
.
The site of the now-demolished Aldersgate
in the London Wall
, next to the Museum of London
, is the present start of the A1. Aldersgate Street runs north from here to the northern border of the City of London
, where it becomes Goswell Road.
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Adjacent to the modern roundabout
on the site of the Aldersgate is the former headquarters of the General Post Office (closed in 1910 and demolished shortly afterwards), and the adjoining Postman's Park
. The southern part of the roundabout and the northern part of the Post Office site stand on the site of a collegiate church
and sanctuary
founded in 750 by Withu, King of Kent
, hugely expanded in 1056 by Ingebrian, Earl of Essex
and issued with a Royal Charter
in 1068 by William the Conqueror
. The site of the church was cleared in 1818 in preparation for the construction of the Post Office.
The poet Thomas Flatman
was born in a house in Aldersgate Street in 1633. As with most historic buildings on this stretch of road, the building no longer stands.
134 Aldersgate Street for many years had a sign claiming "This was Shakespeare
's House". Although the building was very close to the nearby Fortune Playhouse
, there is no documentary evidence surviving to indicate that Shakespeare resided here; a subsidy roll from 1598 shows a "William Shakespeare" as owner of the property, but there is nothing to indicate that it is the playwright. The building no longer exists, and Barbican tube station now occupies the site. The nearby Shakespeare Tower is named for this (tenuous) connection.
Barbican tube station was originally named "Aldersgate Street" when it opened in 1865. It was renamed "Aldersgate" in 1910, "Aldersgate and Barbican" in 1923, and "Barbican" in 1968.
Most of the buildings on Aldersgate Street were destroyed or badly damaged in World War II
. The entire length of the eastern side of the street is now occupied by the huge 40 acre (162,000m²) Barbican
residential and arts complex.
In May 1738 clergyman John Wesley
attended a meeting of the Moravians in Aldersgate Street. While attending the meeting, he underwent a profound religious experience, describing it in his journal thus:
This moment was for Wesley an awakening to the assurance found in salvation by grace alone and has been referred to by scholars as a defining moment in the Methodist movement.
In 1739 Wesley broke with the Moravians and founded the Methodist Society of England
. In the following years, the Methodist church spread rapidly, becoming one of the most influential Christian denominations in the world, particularly in the United States and the British Empire
. A memorial at the believed site of the Moravian chapel (its exact address is not known, but it is believed to have been at 28 Aldersgate Street) marks the site of the meeting, and Wesley's Chapel
in nearby City Road
remains a major focal point of the international Methodist movement.
Aldersgate is one of 25 ward
s in the City of London, each electing an Alderman
, to the Court of Aldermen
and Commoners (the City equivalent of a Councillor
) to the Court of Common Council of the City of London Corporation. Only electors who are Freemen of the City of London are eligible to stand.
The nearest London Underground stations are Barbican — on the Circle, Hammersmith & City
and Metropolitan Line
s; and St Paul's — on the Central Line
.
City gate
A city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. Other terms include port.-Uses:City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods and animals...
in the London Wall
London Wall
London Wall was the defensive wall first built by the Romans around Londinium, their strategically important port town on the River Thames in what is now the United Kingdom, and subsequently maintained until the 18th century. It is now the name of a road in the City of London running along part of...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, which has given its name to a ward
Wards of the City of London
The City of London , in the United Kingdom, is constituted of 25 wards. The City is the historic core of the much wider metropolis of London, with an ancient and sui generis form of local government, which avoided the many reforms enacted to local government elsewhere in the country in the 19th and...
and Aldersgate Street, a road leading north from the site of the gate, towards Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. From 1900 to 1965 it was part of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury. The well after which it was named was rediscovered in 1924. The watchmaking and watch repairing trades were once of great importance...
in the London Borough of Islington
London Borough of Islington
The London Borough of Islington is a London borough in Inner London. It was formed in 1965 by merging the former metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury. The borough contains two Westminster parliamentary constituencies, Islington North and Islington South & Finsbury...
.
History
London Wall
London Wall was the defensive wall first built by the Romans around Londinium, their strategically important port town on the River Thames in what is now the United Kingdom, and subsequently maintained until the 18th century. It is now the name of a road in the City of London running along part of...
and the old gate and historically was divided into "Within" and "Without" divisions, with a Deputy (Alderman) appointed for each division. It took in the liberty
Liberty (division)
Originating in the Middle Ages, a liberty was traditionally defined as an area in which regalian rights were revoked and where land was held by a mesne lord...
of St Martin's le Grand when that was dis-established in the 16th century. However, since the 2003 ward boundary changes, almost all of the ward is Without and the former liberty and street of St Martin's is no longer within the ward's boundaries.
The old gate was taken down in 1617, and re-built in the same year from a design by Gerard Christmas. The gate was damaged in the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
, but was repaired and remained until 1761. Aldersgate Street contained the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
's Chapel and his chambers at London House, which was used from the eighteenth century because it was closer to St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
than his official residence at Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
. Also on this street is the church of St Botolph Aldersgate
St Botolph Aldersgate
St Botolph's-without-Aldersgate is a Church of England church on Aldersgate Street in the City of London, dedicated to St Botolph. The church is renowned for its beautiful interior and historic organ....
, and the site of the meeting room where John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
reaffirmed his faith in 1738, which is marked by a plaque. To the south of St Botolph's is Postman's Park
Postman's Park
Postman's Park is a park in central London, a short distance north of St Paul's Cathedral. Bordered by Little Britain, Aldersgate Street, King Edward Street, and the site of the former head office of the General Post Office , it is one of the largest parks in the City of London, the walled city...
, named after the former principal sorting office
Sorting office
Sorting office or Processing and Distribution Center is any location where postal operators bring mail after collection for sorting into batches for delivery to the addressee, which may be a direct delivery or sent onwards to another regional or local sorting office, or to another postal...
in King Edward Street; it is the location of The Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice.
The house of Sarah Sawyer, in Rose and Rainbow Court (approximately the site of the present Museum of London), formed one of the earliest Quaker meetings in London (before 1655). In 1675, it became a dedicated meeting house, the Box Meeting, used mainly by Quaker women for poor relief, on her marriage. It was during a Moravian Church meeting in Aldersgate on Wednesday 22 May, 1738, during a reading of Dr. Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
's Commentary on Romans
Epistle to the Romans
The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
that the Revd. John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
, founder of Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, reported his heart "strangely warmed," an event he described as his conversion.
Aldersgate Street
Aldersgate Street is near the Barbican EstateBarbican Estate
The Barbican Estate is a residential estate built during the 1960s and the 1970s in the City of London, in an area once devastated by World War II bombings and today densely populated by financial institutions...
and Centre
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
, St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as Barts, is a hospital in Smithfield in the City of London, England.-Early history:It was founded in 1123 by Raherus or Rahere , a favourite courtier of King Henry I...
, and the Museum of London
Museum of London
The Museum of London documents the history of London from the Prehistoric to the present day. The museum is located close to the Barbican Centre, as part of the striking Barbican complex of buildings created in the 1960s and 70s as an innovative approach to re-development within a bomb damaged...
(which falls within the ward). Northwards it continues into Goswell Road, southwards it becomes St Martin's-le-Grand. Barbican tube station is located on Aldersgate Street, and was formerly known as Aldersgate station.
The ward is bounded by Aldersgate Street, Beech Street, Noble Street, Angel Street, King Edward Street and Montague Street. The ward contains the western part of the Barbican Estate, which in total has about 5000 residents, the largest resident population in the City. The remainder of the Estate is in Cripplegate
Cripplegate
Cripplegate was a city gate in the London Wall and a name for the region of the City of London outside the gate. The area was almost entirely destroyed by bombing in World War II and today is the site of the Barbican Estate and Barbican Centre...
ward.
The ward is also the location of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
and the City of London School for Girls
City of London School for Girls
City of London School for Girls is a girls' independent school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. It is sister school of the City of London School and the City of London Freemen's School .-History:The school was founded by William Ward in 1894...
.
Within the ward are located three livery company
Livery Company
The Livery Companies are 108 trade associations in the City of London, almost all of which are known as the "Worshipful Company of" the relevant trade, craft or profession. The medieval Companies originally developed as guilds and were responsible for the regulation of their trades, controlling,...
halls; Ironmongers Hall
Worshipful Company of Ironmongers
The Worshipful Company of Ironmongers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Ironmongers, who were originally known as the Ferroners, were incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1463...
, Plaisterers Hall
Worshipful Company of Plaisterers
The Worshipful Company of Plaisterers is one of the Livery Companies in the City of London. The Plaisterers' Company was incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1501 and whilst the spelling used in the Charter was "Plaisterer", some later Charters used the alternative spelling of "plasterer",...
and Barber-Surgeons Hall
Worshipful Company of Barbers
The Worshipful Company of Barbers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The organisation's records date as early as 1308, recording Richard le Barber as the first to hold the office of Master....
.
The site of the now-demolished Aldersgate
Aldersgate
Aldersgate was a gate in the London Wall in the City of London, which has given its name to a ward and Aldersgate Street, a road leading north from the site of the gate, towards Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington.-History:...
in the London Wall
London Wall
London Wall was the defensive wall first built by the Romans around Londinium, their strategically important port town on the River Thames in what is now the United Kingdom, and subsequently maintained until the 18th century. It is now the name of a road in the City of London running along part of...
, next to the Museum of London
Museum of London
The Museum of London documents the history of London from the Prehistoric to the present day. The museum is located close to the Barbican Centre, as part of the striking Barbican complex of buildings created in the 1960s and 70s as an innovative approach to re-development within a bomb damaged...
, is the present start of the A1. Aldersgate Street runs north from here to the northern border of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, where it becomes Goswell Road.
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
on the site of the Aldersgate is the former headquarters of the General Post Office (closed in 1910 and demolished shortly afterwards), and the adjoining Postman's Park
Postman's Park
Postman's Park is a park in central London, a short distance north of St Paul's Cathedral. Bordered by Little Britain, Aldersgate Street, King Edward Street, and the site of the former head office of the General Post Office , it is one of the largest parks in the City of London, the walled city...
. The southern part of the roundabout and the northern part of the Post Office site stand on the site of a collegiate church
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
and sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
founded in 750 by Withu, King of Kent
Kingdom of Kent
The Kingdom of Kent was a Jutish colony and later independent kingdom in what is now south east England. It was founded at an unknown date in the 5th century by Jutes, members of a Germanic people from continental Europe, some of whom settled in Britain after the withdrawal of the Romans...
, hugely expanded in 1056 by Ingebrian, Earl of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and issued with a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1068 by William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. The site of the church was cleared in 1818 in preparation for the construction of the Post Office.
The poet Thomas Flatman
Thomas Flatman
Thomas Flatman was an English poet and miniature painter. There were several editions of his Poems and Songs . One of his self-portraits is in the Victoria and Albert Museum. A portrait of Charles II is in the Wallace Collection, London...
was born in a house in Aldersgate Street in 1633. As with most historic buildings on this stretch of road, the building no longer stands.
134 Aldersgate Street for many years had a sign claiming "This was Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's House". Although the building was very close to the nearby Fortune Playhouse
Fortune Playhouse
The Fortune Playhouse was an historic theatre in London. It was located between Whitecross Street and the modern Golden Lane, just outside the City of London...
, there is no documentary evidence surviving to indicate that Shakespeare resided here; a subsidy roll from 1598 shows a "William Shakespeare" as owner of the property, but there is nothing to indicate that it is the playwright. The building no longer exists, and Barbican tube station now occupies the site. The nearby Shakespeare Tower is named for this (tenuous) connection.
Barbican tube station was originally named "Aldersgate Street" when it opened in 1865. It was renamed "Aldersgate" in 1910, "Aldersgate and Barbican" in 1923, and "Barbican" in 1968.
Most of the buildings on Aldersgate Street were destroyed or badly damaged in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The entire length of the eastern side of the street is now occupied by the huge 40 acre (162,000m²) Barbican
Barbican Estate
The Barbican Estate is a residential estate built during the 1960s and the 1970s in the City of London, in an area once devastated by World War II bombings and today densely populated by financial institutions...
residential and arts complex.
John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
attended a meeting of the Moravians in Aldersgate Street. While attending the meeting, he underwent a profound religious experience, describing it in his journal thus:
This moment was for Wesley an awakening to the assurance found in salvation by grace alone and has been referred to by scholars as a defining moment in the Methodist movement.
In 1739 Wesley broke with the Moravians and founded the Methodist Society of England
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
. In the following years, the Methodist church spread rapidly, becoming one of the most influential Christian denominations in the world, particularly in the United States and the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. A memorial at the believed site of the Moravian chapel (its exact address is not known, but it is believed to have been at 28 Aldersgate Street) marks the site of the meeting, and Wesley's Chapel
Wesley's Chapel
Wesley's Chapel is a chapel in London which was built by the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. The site also is now both a place of worship and a visitor attraction, incorporating the Museum of Methodism and John Wesley's House...
in nearby City Road
City Road
City Road or The City Road is a road that runs through inner north and central London. The northwestern extremity of the road is at the Angel, Islington where it forms a continuation of Pentonville Road. Pentonville Road itself is the modern name for London's first bypass, the New Road from...
remains a major focal point of the international Methodist movement.
Politics
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
s in the City of London, each electing an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
, to the Court of Aldermen
Court of Aldermen
The Court of Aldermen is an elected body forming part of the City of London Corporation. The Court of Aldermen is made up of the twenty five Aldermen of the City of London, presided over by the Lord Mayor...
and Commoners (the City equivalent of a Councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
) to the Court of Common Council of the City of London Corporation. Only electors who are Freemen of the City of London are eligible to stand.
See also
- Fortifications of LondonFortifications of LondonThe fortifications of London are extensive and mostly well maintained, though many of the City of London's fortifications and defences were dismantled in the 17th and 18th century...
- LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- City gateCity gateA city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. Other terms include port.-Uses:City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods and animals...
- City wallDefensive wallA defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
The nearest London Underground stations are Barbican — on the Circle, Hammersmith & City
Hammersmith & City Line
The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
and Metropolitan Line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
s; and St Paul's — on the Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
.
External links
- City of London Corporation Map of Aldersgate ward (2003 —)
- 1772 map of Aldersgate ward showing its precinctPrecinctA precinct is a space enclosed by the walls or other boundaries of a particular place or building, or by an arbitrary and imaginary line drawn around it. The term has several different uses...
s - Historic map showing the ward of Aldersgate, its two divisions and the liberty of St Martins
- 18th century map showing the location of the gate (towards the bottom right corner)
- Map of Early Modern London: Aldersgate Ward - Historical Map and Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's London (Scholarly)
