MRP: The Guildhall

The Guildhall

THIS ENTRY IS IS PREPARATION AND IS IN NOTE FORM

The building

The French traveller and writer, Samuel Sorbière, visited London circa 1663. He stayed in Covent Garden, and explored the City of London. Commenting on the London Guildhall, he found it "an inconsiderable building," which stood in a narrow street.

"It serves instead of a Hall for Clothiers, where they bring all the Cloth they have to Sell on certain Days in the Week, tho' Drapers-hall stands near the Old-Exchange, which has a Fine Garden to it."

Has Samuel Sorbière confused the Guildhall with Blackwall Hall?

INSERT IMAGE OF PRE-1666 GUILDHALL

Oxenden contact with the Guildhall

Elizabeth Dallison had dealings at the Guildhall in the early 1660s, which she mentioned in a letter to her brother dated XXXX. It lay just a few hundred yards from her lodgings in Throgmorton Street

James Oxenden, Sir George Oxenden's nephew, noted a year after his aunt's death:

"since y:e unfortunate Death of my deare Auntyo:e adversaries have upon a tryall att guildhall, gott a verdict & Judgm:t of 2200:ll against yo:w upon y:e first bill of exchange my Cozen Ja: Masters had hopes to overthrow y:e Judgm:t; by bringing a writt of errour (sic) in y:e Comon pleas, where it was argued severall times but all would not doe, S:r Orlando Bridgman gave it against us, wherefore my Cozen Masters removed his writt of errour to y:e Kings bench where wee were Constrained to give in Security for double y:e summ viz 4400:ll for my ffather & S:r Sam: barnardiston were bound, by a recognisance upon their estates to stand to y:e Judgm:t y:e Kings bench should give in y:t case, & so y:e business hanges for y:e present, in y:e meanetime wee are abringing (sic) it w:th all speed into Chancery, (hopeing to retrieve it there) before they putt in sute their other two bills of exchange at comon (sic) law where we are sure to be cast, & so liable to pay y:m greater costs upon y:e acco:tt damage – Cleere zt [?], It had bin happei (sic) had y:e Cause been brought into Chancery at first as M:r Papilion (sic) & others advised, & never gon (sic) to Comon Law at all, & y:n we should not have had (as now) y:e disadvantage & prejudice of a verdict of Merch:ts agianst us, (w:ch will sway much) but y:e Lawyers advised y:e Contrary, & y:e know we must be ruled by y:m; "

Sir Henry Oxenden, brother of both Elizabeth Dallison and Sir George Oxenden, also mentioned the Guildhall in a letter to Sir George dated October 7th 1667. Writing of the merchant John Jolliffe, Sir Henry advised caution:

"He is a great ennemy they say where he is opposite, & a true friend where he inclin it, he was a witness against yo:w in ye bills of exchange at Guildhall, & did yo:w ye most mischife: he still adhers to love, he is now one of o:r referees, I was advised by expetiall freinds of yo:s to persuad yo:w to send him a dimond, w:ch he knew would not be refused, he is M:r Aungiers great freind, a great speaker both in house of Comons & yo:e Committee & is powerfull there. Wee were acquainted last Parlim:t"

Roughly a month later, probably in November 1667, Sir Henry Oxenden noted in a further letter to his brother:

S:r Sammuell [Barnardiston] is bound w:th me for yo:w in y:e Comon please about y:e bill sof exchange in recognisance of 4000:ll w:ch was a great courtesy, I have given him Country servty [counter soverignty?] of 2000 [CSG, 12/09/08 – I think this is a “2”], pray acknowledge yo:e obligation to him, for truly yow are very highly ingaged to him for his great forwardness to serve yo:w ags:t Love & Britton & all yo:e adversaries he was a speciall witness for yo:w in Guildhall

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Sources

Primary

Samuel Sorbière, A voyage to England: containing many things relating to the state of learning, religion, and other curiosities of that kingdom (London, 1709)

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