Mincing Lane

Mincing Lane

North out of Great Tower Street to Fenchurch Street at No. 42 (P.O. Directory). In Tower and Langbourne Wards.

Earliest mention: "Menechinelane," 1273–4 (Ct. H.W. I. 17).

Other forms of name: "Mengenelane," 1290–1 (ib. 95). "Mangonelane," 1291 (ib. 96). "Monechenelane," 1291 (ib. 101). "Menchenelane," 1294–5 (ib. 119). "Manionelane," 1295 (ib. 121) and 1311 (Cal. L. Bk. D. p. 77). "Menchonelane," 1304 (Ct. H.W. I. 162). "Manchonlane," 1306–7 (ib. 184). "Menionelane," 1312 (ib. 230). "Mangonelane," 1320 (ib. 288). "Mengonelane," 1321 (ib. 292). "Mengeoneslane," 1324 (ib. 309). "Mengeonlane," 1330 (ib. 361). "Myniounlane," 1349 (ib. 577). "Munchenlane," 1348–9 (ib. 528). "Monechunelane," 1349 (ib. 553). "Manchonelane," 36 Ed. III. (Ch. I. p.m. pt. 2, 71). "Minchonlane," 1393 (Ct. H.W. II. 299). "Mynchenlane," 1398–9 (ib. 337). "Mynchyn lane," 28 H. VIII. (Lond. I. p.m. Lond. and Midd. Arch. Soc. VII. (p. 55). "Mynsing Lane," 1601 (H. MSS. Com. Salisbury, XI. 315).

The A.S. word "mynechenu" = female of "munuc" = monk.

Halliwell in his Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words gives "Minch" = a nun, and it is suggested that this street derives its name through this word from the A.S. "mynechenu," the "mynchens" or nuns of St. Helens who held property there.

At the north-eastern end of this lane remains of a Roman bath, hypocaust, etc., have been found, and Roman pavements on the western side of the street.

Mincing-Lane, Fenchurch-street, is the third turning on the right hand going from Gracechurch-street.

Mincing-Lane, Fenchurch-Street,—at 43, the third street on the R. from Gracechurch-st. it extends to 82, Great Tower-st.

Mincing Lane, Fenchurch Street to Tower Street, City. Here is the great market for tea, sugar, spices and colonial produce generally. The street is wholly occupied by merchants and brokers congregated in offices and chambers, some of the new blocks of buildings being of great size and height, and of considerable architectural pretension.

Mincheon Lane, so called of tenements there some time pertaining to the Minchuns or Nuns of St. Helen's in Bishopsgate Street. ... In this lane of old time dwelt divers strangers, born of Genoa and those parts; these were commonly called Galley-men, as men that came up in the galleys, brought up wines and other merchandizes which they landed in Thames Street at a place called Galley Key; they had a certain coin of silver amongst themselves, which were halfpence of Genoa, and were called Galley-halfpence; these halfpence were forbidden in the 13th of Henry IV. and again by parliament in the 4th of Henry V. ... Notwithstanding in my youth I have seen them pass current, but with some difficulty, for that the English halfpence were then, though not so broad, somewhat thicker and stronger.—Stow, p. 50.

`

Sir John Robinson, Lieutenant of the Tower, and Lord Mayor of London, about whom there is much that is interesting in Mrs. Hutchinson's Memoirs, lived in this lane. Alderman Beckford, the father of the author of Vathek, had his counting-house in "Dunster's Court," Mincing Lane. The Commercial Sale Rooms are on the east side, Nos. 30 to 34. Clothworker's Hall is on the same side, next No. 40. [See extract from Pepys under Mark Lane.]

At the corner of Mincing Lane and Fenchurch Street, in one of the prettiest scenes in any of his later works, Dickens makes Bella Wilfer in the canary-coloured chariot sit waiting while her father asks for leave to dine with her at Greenwich.¹

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¹ Our Mutual Friend, p. 202.