Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for CLERKENWELL

CLERKENWELL, a parish and a district in Middlesex. The parish lies in the metropolis, W of Islington, NE of Lincoln's Innfields, 1 mile NNW of St. Pauls; and includes a detached part in Colney-Hatch-lane. Acres, 380. Real property, £347, 544. Pop., in 1841, 56, 756; in 1861, 65, 681. Houses, 7, 088. Most of the area is densely covered with six squares and numerous streets; inhabited by some of the best paid and best informed artisans in London. A well still in existence at a pump in Ray-street, was anciently frequented by the incorporate clerks of the city; took thence the name of Clerken-well, - "clerken" being the ancient plural for "clerks;" and eventually gave its name to the parish. Other wells here also were notable; and gave their names, such as Islington-spa, White-Condit, Bagniggie-wells, New-Tunbridgewells, and Sadler's Wells, to famous houses built over or beside them. The New River water-works here were completed, in 1820, by Sir Hugh Middleton, a member of the Goldsmiths' company, for the supply of the city of London and the northern suburbs, at the rate of 25 million gallons a day; but the area formerly occupied by the reservoir is now filled up, levelled, and edificed. Middleton-square is named after Sir Hugh Middleton; Granville-square is named after Granville Sharp; and Wilmington-square stands on the Spa fields, where Hunt's riots occurred in 1817. Clerkeuwell sessions house, or Clerkenwell green, was built in 1778-82, by Rogers; ranks next in importance to the Old Bailey; and has a fine James I. mantle-piece, removed from the previous law court. Hicks, hall, that previous court, stood in St. John-street; and was built, in 1612, by Sir Baptist Hicks, the founder of the Noels-Clerkenwell prison or county-house of detention; is appropriated to persons committed for trial at the assizes or the sessions, and on summary convictions for minor offences; and has accommodation for 224 males and 100 females. Coldbath-fields prison, or county-house of correction, is used chiefly for male offenders sentenced, on summary conviction, to short periods of imprisonment; and has accommodation for 1, 398 males-Other noticeable buildings are Lady Owen's free grammar-school, founded in 1613, and rebuilt some years ago in the Tudor style; a parish school, for 1, 000 scholars, with £140 a year from endowment; Pentonville school, with £63; the Friends' school; the Finsbury dispensary; the London female penitentiary, founded in 1807, for 100 women; the London female mission house; the work-house; and the Sadlers'-wells theatre, dating from 1683, and famous for the performances of Grimaldi.

A Benedictine nunnery was founded about the year 1100, on the ground now occupied by St. James' church, by Sir Jordan Brisset; and given, at the dissolution, first to the Duke of Norfolk, and afterwards to Sirs Walter Henley and John Williams. A commandery of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John was founded at St. John's-square, about the same time, by the same person; held the paramount place over all the preceptories and other houses of the order in England; and was given, at the dissolution, to Viscount Lisle. Most of this edifice, including a fine bell-tower, was demolished in the time of Edward VI.; but a gateway of it still stood, -became Cave's printing-office, whence he issued the "Gentleman's Magazine, " -has always figured on that periodical's cover, -and was recently restored. Aylesbury House belonged to the commandery, and was given to the Bruces. Northampton House, on the site of Northampton-square, was a seat of the Comptons. Albemarle or Newcastle House, in Newcastle-place, was the death-place of the Duchess of Montague. Cromwell is said to have lived, and Sir T. Challoner resided, in a house in St. John's-close. Burnet had a house in St. John's-square. Lady Huntingdon resided in a house adjoining her chapel. Valangin, who sold the " Balsam of Life, " and afterwards W. Huntingdon, the famous S. S., lived at Hermes Hill. Swedenborg, the founder of the sect of Swedenborgians, died in Great Bath-street. Dibdin had a cottage near Sadler's-wells. Johnson and Goldsmith frequented a house called the Baptist's Head. Dubourg and Handel frequently played at Britton's house in Jerusalem passage. The Red Bull theatre, of the time of Elizabeth, was in Woodbridge-street. Hockley-in-the Hole bear garden was in Ray-street. The incorporate Clerks performed a play before Richard II., in 1391, at the original Clerkenwell. Cobham the martyr was burnt here in 1417. Edward IV. was proclaimed king here in 1461. A new road, to welcome the entry of James I., was formed through hills around the site of Northampton-street.

The parish is ecclesiastically divided into St. James or Clerkenwell-proper, Pentonville, St. John, St. Mark, St. Philip, St. Silas, and St. Paul. St. John is a rectory, four others are vicarages, and St. Silas and St. Paul are p. curacies, in the dio. of London. Value of St. James, £350; of Pentonville, £300; of St. John, £300; * of St. Mark, £535; of St. Philip, £348; of St. Silas, £250; of St. Paul, £200. Patrons of St. James, the Inhabitants; of Pentonville, the Vicar of St. James; of St. John, the Lord Chancellor; of St. Mark and St. Silas, the Bishop; of St. Philip, the Vicar of St. Mark; of St. Paul, alternately the Crown and the Bishop. St. James' church was built in 1788-1792. St. John's church was one of Queen Anne's fifty new churches; occupies the site of the Knights Hospitallers' commandery; and has the old crypts underneath. St. Mark's church was built in 1828, at a cost of upwards of £14, 000. A Baptist chapel was built in 1869, at a cost of £5, 000. The district is identical with the parish; and is divided into the sub-districts of St. James-Clerkenwell, Amwell, Pentonville, and Goswell-street. Acres of St. James-Clerkenwell, 74; of Amwell, 82; of Pentonville, 134; of Goswell-street, 90. Pop. of St. James-Clerken-well, 19, 152; of Amwell, 17, 250; of Pentonville, 13, 079; of Goswell-street, 16, 200. Poor-rates of the district, in 1862, £23, 173. Marriages in 1860, 511; births, 2, 272, - of which 89 were illegitimate; deaths, 1, 391, -of which 626 were at ages under 5 years, and 14 at ages above 85. Marriages in the ten years 1851-60, 5, 595; births, 22, 396; deaths, 14, 172. The places of worship in 1851 were 5 of the Church of England, with 5, 805 sittings; 1 of the English Presbyterian Church, with 500 s.; 3 of Independents, with 2, 374 s.; 1 of Lady Huntingdon's Connexion, with 2, 000 attendants; 3 of Baptists, with 1,840 s.; 1 of Quakers, with 300 s.; 1 of Wesleyan Methodists, with 1, 080 s.; 1 of Southcottians, with 100 s.; 1 of Freethinking Christians, with 216 s.; 1 undefined, with 650 s.; and 1 of Roman Catholics, with 700 s. The schools were 13 public day schools, with 2, 132 scholars; 113 private day schools, with 3, 098 s.; 14 Sunday schools, with 3, 578 s.; and 1 evening school for adults, with 16 s.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a parish and a district"   (ADL Feature Type: "countries, 4th order divisions")
Administrative units: Clerkenwell Vest/CP/AP       Clerkenwell PLPar/RegD       Middlesex AncC
Place: Clerkenwell

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