Bishopsgate
Encyclopedia
Bishopsgate is a road and ward
in the northeast part of the City of London
, extending north from Gracechurch Street
to Norton Folgate
. It is named after one of the original seven gates
in London Wall
. The site of this gate is marked by a stone bishop
's mitre
, fixed high on the building located at the junction of Wormwood Street
with Bishopsgate, just by the gardens there and facing the Heron Tower
.
The ward (which is large by City standards) is bounded by Worship Street in the north, where the edge of the City meets the London Borough
s of Islington
and Hackney
. It neighbours Portsoken
ward and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
in the east. The western boundary is formed by Old Broad Street, where the ward meets Broad Street ward
. The ward also bounds (direction given) the Aldgate
(SE), Coleman Street
(W), Cornhill (SW) and Lime Street
(S) wards. The ward straddles the (now former) line of the Wall and the old gate and is often (even today) divided into "Within" and "Without" parts, with a Deputy (Alderman) appointed for each part. However, since the 1994 (City) and 2003 (ward) boundary changes, almost all of the ward is Without; only a small area surrounding the Leathersellers' Hall remains as Bishopsgate Within. The ward previously extended much further south, along Bishopsgate and Gracechurch Street
to meet Langbourn
ward, but in the major 2003 boundary changes much of the Within part was transferred to Cornhill and Lime Street. No changes to Bishopsgate's ward boundaries will occur in the 2013 boundary changes.
Over 46,000 people work in the ward, but it has a resident population of only 48.
, the Bishop's Gate was rebuilt by the Hansa merchants
in 1471 in exchange for the Steelyard
privileges. Its final form was erected in 1735 by the City authorities and demolished in 1760. This gate often displayed the heads of criminals on spikes. London Wall (which is no longer extant in this sector) divided the ward and road into an intramural portion called Bishopsgate Within and an extramural portion called Bishopsgate Without. The Bishopsgate thoroughfare forms part of the A10 and the section to north of the site of the original Gate is the start of Roman Ermine Street
, also known as the 'Old North Road'.
The parish church
for the area of Bishopsgate Without is Saint Botolph
's. This is situated just to the north of the original Gate on the west side of the road.
Bishopsgate Within was originally divided into many parishs each with its own parish church: St Andrew Undershaft
, St Ethelburga Bishopsgate, St Martin Outwich
, St Mary Axe
and St Helen's Bishopsgate
, now all amalgamated under the jurisdiction of the latter. St Helen's is a very historic medieval church and former monastic establishment with many ancient funerary monuments and a stained glass window depicting Shakespeare - commemorating a very famous former parishioner who lived in the area in the early to mid 1590s (Wood 2003: 124).
Bishopsgate was originally the location of many coaching inn
s which accommodated passengers setting out on the Old North Road. These, though they survived the Great Fire of London
, have now all been demolished, though the modern White Hart pub, to the north of St Botolph's, is the successor of an inn of the same name. Others included the Dolphin, the Flower Pot, the Green Dragon, the Wrestlers, the Angel and the Black Bull. This latter was a venue for the Queen's Men
theatrical troupe in the 16th century (Wood 2003: 124-8). The name of an inn called the Catherine Wheel (demolished 1911) is commemorated by Catherine Wheel Alley which leads off Bishopsgate to the east (Weinreb and Hibbert 1983: 127). The 17th century facade of Sir Paul Pindar
's House, demolished to make way for Liverpool Street Station
in 1890, on Bishopsgate was also preserved and can now be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum
. In the 18th century this grand residence became a tavern called Sir Paul Pindar's Head (Weinreb and Hibbert 1983: 586).
Also demolished (but then re-erected in Chelsea
) was the old Crosby Hall
, at one time the residence of Richard III of England
and Thomas More
.
Bishopsgate is the site of Liverpool Street station
, the notable public house
Dirty Dick's
, the Bishopsgate Institute
, and many offices.
On 24 April 1993 it was the site of the Bishopsgate bombing, a Provisional Irish Republican Army
truck bombing, which killed journalist Ed Henty, injured over 40 people and caused £1 billion worth of damage, including the destruction of St Ethelburga's church, and serious damage to Liverpool St. Tube Station
. Police had received a coded warning, but were still evacuating the area at the time of the explosion. The insurance payments required were so enormous, that Lloyd's of London
almost went bankrupt under the strain, and there was a crisis in the London insurance market. The area had already suffered damage from the Baltic Exchange
bombing the year before.
The street is home to the main London offices of several major bank
s including the Royal Bank of Scotland
and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
. Within the ward falls the Broadgate Estate.
s built, under construction or approved for Bishopsgate (the street), from north to south:
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.
references Bishopsgate in The Beatles
song, "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
" off the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
. The song announces a travelling circus appearing at Bishopsgate. Lennon sings, "The celebrated Mr. K performs his feat on Saturday at Bishopsgate/The Hendersons will dance and sing as Mr. Kite flies through the ring, Don't be late!" While the inspiration for the song was a playbill advertising Pablo Fanque
's Circus Royal's February 1843 performance in Rochdale
(part of Greater Manchester
), Lennon changed the site to Bishopsgate in order to rhyme the lyric with "Don't be late!".
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...
in the northeast part 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...
, extending north from Gracechurch Street
Gracechurch Street
Gracechurch Street is a street in the City of London which forms part of the A10. It is home to a number of shops, restaurants, offices and Leadenhall Market....
to Norton Folgate
Norton Folgate
Norton Folgate is a short length of street in London, connecting Bishopsgate with Shoreditch High Street on the northern edge of its financial district, the City of London. It constitutes a very small section of the A10, the former Roman Ermine Street...
. It is named after one of the original seven gates
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 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...
. The site of this gate is marked by a stone bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
's mitre
Mitre
The mitre , also spelled miter, is a type of headwear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the Eastern Orthodox...
, fixed high on the building located at the junction of Wormwood Street
Wormwood Street
Wormwood Street is a street in the City of London which connects the London Wall thoroughfare with Bishopsgate. The name refers to a plant called wormwood which used to grow on London Wall and in other areas of waste land in the City...
with Bishopsgate, just by the gardens there and facing the Heron Tower
Heron Tower
Heron Tower, also referred to as 110 Bishopsgate, is a skyscraper owned by Heron International in the City of London. It was completed in 2011...
.
The ward (which is large by City standards) is bounded by Worship Street in the north, where the edge of the City meets the London Borough
London borough
The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
s 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...
and Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
. It neighbours Portsoken
Portsoken
Portsoken is a historical district in the City of London, located outside the former London Wall, on the eastern part of the City, near Aldgate. It is one of the 25 wards of the City....
ward and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
in the east. The western boundary is formed by Old Broad Street, where the ward meets Broad Street ward
Broad Street (ward)
Broad Street is one of the 25 ancient wards in the City of London.In mediaeval times it was divided into ten precincts and contained six churches, of which only two, St Margaret Lothbury and All Hallows-on-the-Wall now survive: St Bartholomew-by-the-Exchange was demolished in 1840, St Benet Fink...
. The ward also bounds (direction given) the Aldgate
Aldgate
Aldgate was the eastern most gateway through London Wall leading from the City of London to Whitechapel and the east end of London. Aldgate gives its name to a ward of the City...
(SE), Coleman Street
Coleman Street
Coleman Street is a street and one of the 25 ancient wards in the City of London.- The Ward :Warren Stormes Hale, Lord Mayor of London in 1864, was the Ward’s most notable civic dignitary...
(W), Cornhill (SW) and Lime Street
Lime Street (ward)
Lime Street is one of the 25 ancient wards in the City of London.It is divided into four precincts; and it is worthy a remark that, though the ward includes parts of several parishes, there is not even a whole street in it. John Noorthhouck...
(S) wards. The ward straddles the (now former) line of the Wall and the old gate and is often (even today) divided into "Within" and "Without" parts, with a Deputy (Alderman) appointed for each part. However, since the 1994 (City) and 2003 (ward) boundary changes, almost all of the ward is Without; only a small area surrounding the Leathersellers' Hall remains as Bishopsgate Within. The ward previously extended much further south, along Bishopsgate and Gracechurch Street
Gracechurch Street
Gracechurch Street is a street in the City of London which forms part of the A10. It is home to a number of shops, restaurants, offices and Leadenhall Market....
to meet Langbourn
Langbourn
Langbourn is one of the 25 ancient wards in the City of London. It reputably is named after a supposed buried stream in the vicinity.It is a small ward; a long thin area, in shape similar to a left pointing arrow...
ward, but in the major 2003 boundary changes much of the Within part was transferred to Cornhill and Lime Street. No changes to Bishopsgate's ward boundaries will occur in the 2013 boundary changes.
Over 46,000 people work in the ward, but it has a resident population of only 48.
History
Originally RomanRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, the Bishop's Gate was rebuilt by the Hansa merchants
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
in 1471 in exchange for the Steelyard
Steelyard
The Steelyard, from the German Stalhof, was in the Middle Ages the main trading base of the Hanseatic League in London.-Location:It lay on the north bank of the Thames by the outflow of the Walbrook, in the Dowgate ward of the City of London. The site is now covered by Cannon Street station and...
privileges. Its final form was erected in 1735 by the City authorities and demolished in 1760. This gate often displayed the heads of criminals on spikes. London Wall (which is no longer extant in this sector) divided the ward and road into an intramural portion called Bishopsgate Within and an extramural portion called Bishopsgate Without. The Bishopsgate thoroughfare forms part of the A10 and the section to north of the site of the original Gate is the start of Roman Ermine Street
Ermine Street
Ermine Street is the name of a major Roman road in England that ran from London to Lincoln and York . The Old English name was 'Earninga Straete' , named after a tribe called the Earningas, who inhabited a district later known as Armingford Hundred, around Arrington, Cambridgeshire and Royston,...
, also known as the 'Old North Road'.
The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
for the area of Bishopsgate Without is Saint Botolph
Saint Botolph
Botwulf of Thorney was an English abbot and saint. He is the patron saint of travellers and the various aspects of farming...
's. This is situated just to the north of the original Gate on the west side of the road.
Bishopsgate Within was originally divided into many parishs each with its own parish church: St Andrew Undershaft
St Andrew Undershaft
St Andrew Undershaft is a Church of England church located at St Mary Axe, in Aldgate ward of the City of London, near the Lloyd's Building. It is a rare example of a City church that has managed to escape both the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the Second World War bombing during the London...
, St Ethelburga Bishopsgate, St Martin Outwich
St Martin Outwich
St Martin Outwich was a medieval parish church in the City of London, on the corner of Threadneedle Street and Bishopsgate.-History:A church of St Martin was built in the fourteenth century at the expense of members of the Oteswich family, from whom the church derives its name...
, St Mary Axe
St Mary Axe
St Mary Axe was a medieval parish in London whose name survives on the street it formerly occupied, St Mary Axe. The church itself was demolished in 1561 and its parish united with that of St Andrew Undershaft, which is on the corner of St Mary Axe and Leadenhall Street...
and St Helen's Bishopsgate
St Helen's Bishopsgate
St Helen's Bishopsgate is a large conservative evangelical Anglican church, in Lime Street ward, in the City of London, close to the Lloyd's building and the 'Gherkin'.-History:...
, now all amalgamated under the jurisdiction of the latter. St Helen's is a very historic medieval church and former monastic establishment with many ancient funerary monuments and a stained glass window depicting Shakespeare - commemorating a very famous former parishioner who lived in the area in the early to mid 1590s (Wood 2003: 124).
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
s which accommodated passengers setting out on the Old North Road. These, though they survived 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...
, have now all been demolished, though the modern White Hart pub, to the north of St Botolph's, is the successor of an inn of the same name. Others included the Dolphin, the Flower Pot, the Green Dragon, the Wrestlers, the Angel and the Black Bull. This latter was a venue for the Queen's Men
Queen's Men
The Queen's Men was an Elizabethan playing company that operated between 1583 and 1595. It was a popular company and its patron was Queen Elizabeth I...
theatrical troupe in the 16th century (Wood 2003: 124-8). The name of an inn called the Catherine Wheel (demolished 1911) is commemorated by Catherine Wheel Alley which leads off Bishopsgate to the east (Weinreb and Hibbert 1983: 127). The 17th century facade of Sir Paul Pindar
Paul Pindar
Sir Paul Pindar was a merchant and, from 1611 to 1620, was Ambassador of King James I of England to the Ottoman Empire.Born in Wellingborough and educated at Wellingborough School Pindar entered trade as the apprentice to an Italian merchant in London...
's House, demolished to make way for Liverpool Street Station
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
in 1890, on Bishopsgate was also preserved and can now be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
. In the 18th century this grand residence became a tavern called Sir Paul Pindar's Head (Weinreb and Hibbert 1983: 586).
Also demolished (but then re-erected in Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
) was the old Crosby Hall
Crosby Hall
Crosby Hall is a historic building in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.Part of the buildings architectural features are from the Great Hall, which is the only surviving part of the mansion of Crosby Hall, Bishopsgate which was built in 1466 by the wool...
, at one time the residence of Richard III of England
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
and Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
.
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
, the notable public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
Dirty Dick's
Dirty Dick's (London pub)
Dirty Dick was Nathaniel Bentley, an 18th century merchant who owned a hardware shop and warehouse in London, and is one of the people who is considered as a possible inspiration for Miss Havisham in Dickens' Great Expectations after he refused to wash following the death of his fiancée on his...
, the Bishopsgate Institute
Bishopsgate Institute
Bishopsgate Institute is a cultural institute, located on Bishopsgate, in proximity of Liverpool Street station and Spitalfields market, London, England.Bishopsgate Institute was established in 1895...
, and many offices.
On 24 April 1993 it was the site of the Bishopsgate bombing, a Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
truck bombing, which killed journalist Ed Henty, injured over 40 people and caused £1 billion worth of damage, including the destruction of St Ethelburga's church, and serious damage to Liverpool St. Tube Station
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. Police had received a coded warning, but were still evacuating the area at the time of the explosion. The insurance payments required were so enormous, that Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
almost went bankrupt under the strain, and there was a crisis in the London insurance market. The area had already suffered damage from the Baltic Exchange
Baltic Exchange
The Baltic Exchange is the world's only independent source of maritime market information for the trading and settlement of physical and derivative contracts...
bombing the year before.
The street is home to the main London offices of several major bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
s including the Royal Bank of Scotland
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Founded in 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development uses the tools of investment to help build market economies and democracies in 30 countries from central Europe to central Asia. Its mission was to support the formerly communist countries in the process of establishing their...
. Within the ward falls the Broadgate Estate.
Skyscrapers
The following are tall buildings and skyscraperSkyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s built, under construction or approved for Bishopsgate (the street), from north to south:
- Broadgate TowerBroadgate TowerThe Broadgate Tower is a skyscraper in London's main financial district, the City of London. It was constructed from 2005 to 2009 and is currently the fourth tallest building in the City of London....
(built) - Heron Plaza (proposed)
- Heron TowerHeron TowerHeron Tower, also referred to as 110 Bishopsgate, is a skyscraper owned by Heron International in the City of London. It was completed in 2011...
at 110 Bishopsgate (built; the City's tallest building) - 99 Bishopsgate99 Bishopsgate99 Bishopsgate is a skyscraper in the City of London. It is tall and has 25 office floors, with a total net letable floor space of circa . There are a further three plant floors at levels LG, 14 and 27....
(built) - Tower 42Tower 42Tower 42 is the second tallest skyscraper in the City of London and the fifth tallest in London overall. The original name was the National Westminster Tower, having been built to house the National Westminster Bank's International Division. Seen from above, the tower closely resembles the NatWest...
(built) - 100 Bishopsgate100 Bishopsgate100 Bishopsgate is a skyscraper under construction in the north eastern part of London's main financial district, the City of London. It will stand in a prominent location on Bishopsgate, just a short walk from Liverpool Street station...
(demolition on current building on site underway) - Bishopsgate TowerBishopsgate TowerThe Pinnacle, also known as The Bishopsgate Tower and The Helter-Skelter, is a , 63-storey skyscraper under construction in the centre of London's main financial district, the City of London. It is one of four major towers under construction in London, others being Shard London Bridge, 122...
(under construction; will be the City's tallest building when topped out in late 2012)
Politics
Bishopsgate is one of 25 wardWards 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
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...
, 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.
Popular Culture Reference
John LennonJohn Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
references Bishopsgate in The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
song, "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" is a song from the 1967 album by The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was composed by John Lennon...
" off the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
. The song announces a travelling circus appearing at Bishopsgate. Lennon sings, "The celebrated Mr. K performs his feat on Saturday at Bishopsgate/The Hendersons will dance and sing as Mr. Kite flies through the ring, Don't be late!" While the inspiration for the song was a playbill advertising Pablo Fanque
Pablo Fanque
Pablo Fanque was the first black circus proprietor in Britain. His circus, in which he himself was a performer, was the most popular circus in Victorian Britain for 30 years, a period that is regarded as the golden age of the circus...
's Circus Royal's February 1843 performance in Rochdale
Rochdale
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
(part of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
), Lennon changed the site to Bishopsgate in order to rhyme the lyric with "Don't be late!".
External links
- Ward map from the Corporation of London
- Bishopsgate ward newsletter
- Map of Early Modern London: Bishopsgate Ward - Historical Map and Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's London (Scholarly)
- Pubs within the City of London
