Red Cross Street
Names
- Red Cross Street
- Redecrochestrete
- Redecrouchestrate
- Redcrouchestrete
- Redecruchestrete
- Red Crosstreete
- Redcross Street
Street/Area/District
- Red Cross Street
Maps & Views
- 1553-59 London (Strype, 1720): Red Cross Street
- 1553-9 Londinum (Braun & Hogenberg, 1572): Red Cross Street
- 1553-9 London ("Agas Map" ca. 1633): Redcross street
- 1560 London (Jansson, 1657): Red Cross Street
- 1593 London (Norden, 1653 - British Library): Red Crosstreete
- 1593 London (Norden, 1653 - Folger): Red Crosstreete
- 1658 London (Newcourt & Faithorne): Red Cross Street
- 1666 London after the fire (Hollar & Leake, 1669?): Red Cross Street
- 1677 A Large and Accurate Map of the City of London (Ogilby & Morgan): Red Cross Street
- 1720 London (Strype): Red Cross Street
- 1736 London (Moll & Bowles): Red Cross Street
- 1746 London, Westminster & Southwark (Rocque): Red Cross Street
- 1761 London (Dodsley): Red Cross Street
Descriptions
from A Dictionary of London, by Henry Harben (1918)
Red Cross Street
North from No. 1 Fore Street to Barbican at No. 31 (P.O. Directory). In Cripplegate Ward Without.
First mention: "Redecrochestrete," 1274–5 (Ct. H.W. I. 23).
Other forms: "Redecrouchestrate," 22 Ed. I. (MS. D. and C. St. Paul's, Press A, Box 10, 1013–14). "Redcrouchestrete," 1353 (Riley's Mem. XV.). "Redecruchestrete," 1368 (Ct. H.W. II. 110). "Red Cross Street" (S. 293).
There was a tavern called the "Redcrosse" in Barbican at the end of Redcrosse Streete, 31 Chas. II. (L.C.C. Deeds, Harben Bequest, 1600–1700, No. 18).
This may have occupied the site of an older house of the same sign, named from a cross there.
A School founded here in 1709 by Dame Eleanor Hollis for fifty poor girls was kept the same house with that of the parish boys of St. Giles, Cripplegate (Dodsley, 1761). Denton suggests that the names of the street and of Whitecross Street were derived from the armorial bearings of the Abbey of Ramsay and of the Priory of Holy Trinity spectively, who both possessed houses in these streets. But it seems more probable that the name was derived from the Red Cross standing at the north end of the street, whether a house bearing this sign or an actual wayside Cross, it is not easy to determine.
from A New View of London, by Edward Hatton (1708)
Red cross street, a spacious str. betn Cripplegate S. and College lane N. 320 Yds, and from P. C. near N. 740 Yds. Stow says, it had its Name from a Red Cross formerly here.
from A Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster, by John Strype (1720)
[Red Cross Street.] In Redcross street, on the West side from St. Giles Churchyard, up to the said Cross, be many fair Houses builded outward, with divers Alleys, turning into a large plot of Ground, of old time called the Jews Garden; as being the only place appointed them in England, wherein to bury their Dead. …
In this Red Cross street lived one Pottier, that was a Servant of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, (afterwards King Richard III.) of whom Sir Thomas More relates this Passage; as if it had been for some time before the Design of that Duke, to make way to usurp the Kingdom after his Brother Edward IV. his death: Viz. That the same Night in which that King died, (as he learned by credible Information) one Mistlebrook, early in the Morning, came in great haste to this Pottiers House; and hastily rapping on the Door, was soon let in. Whose Business was, to let him know the News, that King Edward was departed. To which Pottier replied, By my Truth, Man! then will my Master, the Duke of Gloucester, be King.]
On the East side of this Redcross street, be also divers fair Houses, up to the Cross.
…
Redcross street, wide, well built and inhabited; it comes out of Barbican, and runs up to Cripplegate Church. Besides the Courts and Alleys hereafter named, here are several large Brewhouses, which, by the Map, seem to be Courts.
from London and Its Environs Described, by Robert and James Dodsley (1761)
Redcross street, Extends from Cripplegate to Barbican: at the upper end of this street, opposite the west end of Beach lane, stood a red cross, which gave name to this street. Maitland.
from Lockie's Topography of London, by John Lockie (1810)
Red-Cross-Street, Cripplegate,—at the W. end of Fore-st. by the church, extending to Barbican and Golden-lane.
from A Topographical Dictionary of London and Its Environs, by James Elmes (1831)
Redcross-St., Cripplegate, extends from the west end of Fore-street to Barbican. At the upper end of this street, opposite the west end of Beech-street, stood anciently a red cross, the emblem of the Crusaders, which gave its name to the street.
from London Past and Present: Its History, Associations, and Traditions, by Henry Benjamin Wheatley and Peter Cunningham (1891)
Red Cross Street, Cripplegate, from Fore Street to Barbican.
In Red Cross Street, on the west side from St. Giles's Churchyard up to the said Crosse, be many fair houses built outward, with divers alleys turning into a large plot of ground, called the Jews' Garden, as being the only place appointed them in England wherein to bury their dead, till the year 1177, the 24th of Henry II. that it was permitted to them (after long suit to the King and Parliament at Oxford) to have a special place assigned them in every quarter where they dwelt. This plot of ground remained to the said Jews till the time of their final banishment out of England, and is now turned into fair garden-plots and summer-houses for pleasure. [See Jewin Street.] On the east side of the Red Cross Street be also divers fair houses up to the Cross. Stow, p. 113.
And first to shew you that by conjecture he [Richard III.] pretended this thing in his brother's life, you shall understand for a truth that the same night that King Edward dyed, one called Mistelbrooke, long ere the day sprung, came to the house of one Pottier, dwelling in Red Crosse Street without Cripple Gate, of London, and when he was, with hasty wrapping, quickly let in, the said Mistelbrooke shewed unto Pottier that King Edward was that night deceased. "By my truth," quoth Pottier, "then will my master the Duke of Gloucester be King, and that I warrant thee." What cause he had so to think, hard it is to say, whether he, being his servant, knew any such thing pretended, or otherwise had any inkling thereof, but of all likelihood he spake it not of nought.—Sir Thomas More (The Pitiful Life of King Edward the Fifth, 12mo, 1641, p. 27).
Here was Dr. Williams's Theological Library, now in Grafton Street East, Gower Street. [See Dr. Williams's Library.] Lady Holles's School for Girls, rebuilt 1887–1888, is in this street.