| Level | Series |
| Reference Number (click to see whole series/group) | E56 |
| Extent | 1026 items |
| Title | TITLE DEEDS: LONDON SERIES 2 |
| Date | 1516 - 1872 |
| Admin History | This series of Bank of England Title Deeds was compiled by I H Jeayes, (sometime Assistant Keeper of the MSS British Museum), Stoke-by-Nayland, Suffolk, 29 May 1926. A precised version of his introduction to the Title Deeds series is as follows:
'The Title Deeds of the Bank of England, formerly preserved at the Record Office, Roehampton, are just over a thousand in number and concern the successive acquisitions by the Bank of property in the City of London at such times as the exigencies of the business required extension of, or approaches to, the Bank Buildings.
The arrangement is an approximately chronological one of the twenty six distinct purchases by the Bank from the year 1763 to 1808. The actual Deeds of Conveyance are placed at the head of each of these sets, and these are followed by antecedent Deeds, in order of date, affecting the descent of the particular property, in many cases from Tudor times.
Before, however, the first of these 26 sets are placed fifteen documents relating to the occupation by the Bank of Grocers' Hall for the transaction of its business from 1694 (with one later transaction of the Grocers' Company with the Bank, an exchange of land in 1802).
The Bank, in its inception in 1694, used the Mercers' Chapel but, this proving inadequate, at the end of that year (No 1) the Bank took on lease the Grocers' Hall for a term of 11 years. This term would expire in 1705 when the Government of the country had the power, if so desired, to extinguish the Bank Charter. This was not done, and a further lease was obtained for a term of 14 1/2 years (No 8). This would expire in 1719-20, and there is no record, in this collection, of a further extension. But if, as I venture to suggest, there was a lease obtained for a similar term of 14 years it would run out in about 1734, in which year the Bank took possession of its own building, which had been in course of erection since 1732. There are no Deeds here between 1705 and 1734, and no record of purchase for 30 years after that.
Although, however, there are no Deeds of Purchase, there are allusions in some of the various sets to the Bank's occupation of property prior to our first record in 1763. For instance, in the set of documents relating to the Holman property in Threadneedle Street conveyed to the Bank in 1772 (Nos 376, 377) there is a Deed of Sale, for £8,000 by William Holman to William Thompson (whose son Robert in that year conveyed it to the Bank) of property in Threadneedle Street 'including the houses, edifices, etc, formerly or lately erected by Sir John Houblon, and heretofore, in his tenure of occupation' (Nos 395, 396). This is dated 25 June 1724.
Again, in the section relating to the Bank's acquisition from Bartholomew's Hospital of property in Nag's Head Court and Bartholomew Lane (Nos 203-210), the Hospital leased to the Bank for a term of 99 years, three messuages in Nag's Head Court, which were to be pulled down and in their place erected, at a cost of £500, an edifice of brick or stone 'for an office or offices to the use and accomodation (sic) of the Governor and Company', and a plan of the premises is added (No 208 dated 13 October 1743). The two following documents, dated 21 May 1747, record a lease of the offices which the Bank had by that time erected, with a further piece of ground to the west of the new offices on the understanding 'that they erect thereon an edifice to contain a dwelling-house or dwelling-houses, office or offices for the use of the Governor and Company, their officers and servants', to which also is added a plan of the ground.
There is a reference in Deeds 211-214 to an Act of Parliament of George III (1762-3) 'to enable the Bank to purchase certain houses, etc, for making avenues leading thereto', and this date 1763 is appropriately the date of the purchase (the earliest in this collection) by the Bank, of several messuages in Threadneedle Street, viz, The Crown Tavern, the Bank Coffee House, the Sun Fire Office, etc. (Nos 16-82).
Following the twenty six sets of purchases are twenty nine single Deeds arranged chronologically, which seem to have little, if any, relation to the Bank acquisitions and are therefore catalogued separately. Some of them relate to property in the City, but others to estates in the country, mortgaged, probably, at various times to the Bank (Nos 970-998).
Nos 999-1002 relate to various loans to the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1859-1872. The rest (Nos 1003-1012) are of a miscellaneous character relating to Bank Notes, lost or forged building contracts of masons, bricklayers, etc, for new buildings for the Bank in 1764-1767. The two last (Nos 1011-1012) are very long Annuity Rolls, or Accounts for transacting the affairs of Annuities by two Chief Cashiers. Daniel Race (for 4 years ending 5 July 1759), and Abraham Newland (for 2 years ending 5 July 1779).
Among names worthy of mention are those of Sir John Houblon and Dame Mary Houblon, Michael Godfrey, Sir William Scawen, John Lordell, Governors or Deputy Governors of the Bank, and a Benjamin Shakespeare (Nos 184,190) who in 1706-1729 occupied 'a brick tenement behind St Christopher's Church'. |
Packet I - Deeds Nos: 1-15 relate to leases of Grocers' Hall to the Bank in 1694 and 1705 from the Grocers' Company and to an exchange of land between the Company and the Bank in 1802.
Packets II-IV - Deeds Nos: 16-82 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from the Reverend Jukes Egerton and others for £5460 of five messuages in Threadneedle Street viz. the Crown Tavern, the Crown or Bank Coffee House, a mercers' shop etc. 11, 12 March 1763.
Packet V - Deeds Nos: 83-121 relate to the acquisition of the Bank, from Richard Wright and others of the property in Threadneedle Street known as The Ship Tavern, The Garter Coffee House, the Pye etc. 17 September 1764.
Packet VI - Deed Nos: 122-153 relate to the acquisition by the bank from James Spurling of a messuage in Bartholomew Lane called The Anchor, al Vernon's Coffee House, al the Haunch of Venison. 10 October 1764.
Packets VII-VIII - Deeds Nos: 154-202 relate to three messuages in St Christopher's Alley acquired by the Bank from Bartholomew Burton Esq. 17 June 1766.
Packet IX - Deeds Nos: 203-210 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from the Governors of St Bartholomew's Hospital of houses built by the Bank in Nag's Head Court and Bartholomew Lane. 31 July 1776.
Packetx X & XI - Deeds Nos: 211-270 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from Christ's Hospital, of seven messuages in the parish of St Christopher near the Stocks, viz, in Threadneedle Street near Three Nuns Alley, and in St Christopher's churchyard. 6 October 1766.
Packet XII, XIII - Deeds Nos: 271-308 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from William Young, of the Fountain Tavern and ground etc in St Bartholomew's parish. 2 July 1772.
Packet XIV-XV - Deeds Nos: 309-353 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from Samuel Guillum of six messuages in or near Green's Court al. Bishop's Court in Lothbury, and two messuages in or near Princes' Court, for £3,896. 16 December 1766.
Packet XVI - Deeds Nos: 354-375 relate to the acquisition by the Bank for £7,600 from John Conyers, of Copped Hall, County Essex, of nine messuages in Princes Street, Lothbury. 19 February 1767.
Packet XVII - Deeds Nos: 376-400 relate to the acquisition by the Bank for £15,000 from Robert Thompson, of Elsham, Esq, of property in Threadneedle Street and the neighbourhood, formerly belonging to the Holman family, and to Sir John Houblon etc. 17 December 1772.
Packets XVIII-XX - Deeds Nos: 401-473 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from Eleanor Byde, Thomas Hope Byde, and Hope Wilkes for £7,000, of several messuages on the east side of Princes Street and in Catherine Court in Lothbury. 24 August 1791.
Packet XXI - Deeds Nos 474-509 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from William Fuller, for £1,200, of a messuage called ' The Falcon' in Lothbury. 30 October 1793.
Packet XXII - Deeds Nos 510-539 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from Richard Gervas, John Brookland and James Priest, for £1,400 of a messuage (No 26) in Lothbury. 15 March 1794.
Packet XXIII - Deeds Nos: 540-554 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from the Parishioners of St Bartholomew the Less, for £2,940, of a messuage in Bartholomew Lane. 19 July 1794.
Packet XXIV - Deeds Nos: 555-564 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from Robert Longwith's trustees, for £950, of five messuages in Falcon Court, Lothbury. 25 July 1794.
Packets XXV-XXVI - Deeds Nos: 565-640 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from Jesus College, Cambridge, for £1,623:8 - of six messuages Nos 33-38 in Lothbury. 1 August 1794.
Packet XXVII - Deeds Nos 641-661 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from members of the family of the late Edward Woods, vintner, of land and messuages at the corner of Threadneedle Street and Bartholomew Lane. 26 November 1795.
Packet XXVIII - Deeds Nos 662-676 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from Joseph Hales and Charles Beech, of two messuages at the north west corner of Bartholomew Lane for £1,3000. 28 July 1796.
Packet XXX - Deeds Nos 705-744 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from Samuel Hoare and others of Nos 23, 24 and 25 Princes Street al.Conyers Street on 8 May 1801. 8 May 1801
Packets XXXI-XXXIII - Deeds Nos 745-823 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from the Drapers' Company for £11,250 of 14 houses in Drapers' Court, Lothbury, 14 May 1801.
Packet XXXIV- Deeds Nos 824-846 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from George Searle Bayliffe, for £760, of two messuages, Nos 3 and 4 Drapers' Court, Lothbury, 11 June 1801.
Packet XXXV - Deeds Nos 847-876 relate to the acquisition by the Bank from Charles Searle Lloyd of a messuage No 14 Lothbury and from P W Crowther's executors of two messuages in Drapers' Court, 1801, 1805.
Packet XXXVI - Deeds Nos 877-903 relate to property in Lothbury and Princes Street (Nos 17-23) acquired by the Bank from Thomas Hope Byde and Hope Wilkes. 26 May 1801.
Packet XXXVII - Deeds Nos 904-929 relating to the acquisition by the Bank from Joseph Kaye, of Swithin's Lane, Esq, of a messuage or tenement in Lothbury, standing partly in the parish of St Margaret, Lothbury, and partly in the parish of St Olave, jewry, 1 & 2 September 1808.
Packet XXXVIII - Deeds Nos 930-935 relate to Articles of Agreement for the purchase of an Estate in Old Jewry, by the Bank of England from the Company of Armorers and Brasiers for £10,000.
8 December 1808.
Packet XXXIX - Deeds Nos 936-969 of one messuage on the south side of Lothbury near an alley leading to Green's Court. (Not, apparently, conveyed to the Bank).
Packets XL -XLI - Deeds Nos 970-1002 are single Deeds of, or concerning, various transactions of the Bank, which have no apparent connection with, or relation to, the Deeds above described. They are (with the exception of a few miscellaneous documents at the end) in chronological order. |
| Description | These deeds form a distinct group transferred from Property Services Division in 1988. Because of errors in the 1926 list, amendments have been made to it. A small number of deeds are now missing and this has been noted. See also London deeds listed in E40, E57 and E58 Summary of Groups of Deeds:
E56/1-15 Grocers' Hall 1694-1803; E56/16-82 Threadneedle Street (Crown Tavern,etc) acquired in 1763; E56/83-121 Threadneedle Street (Ship Tavern, etc) acquired in 1764; E56/122-153 Bartholomew Lane (Anchor Tavern,etc) acquired in 1764; E56/154-202 St Christopher's Alley acquired in 1766; E56/203-210 Nag's Head Court and Bartholomew Lane, acquired in 1766; E56/211-270 Threadneedle Street, Three Nuns Alley etc acquired in 1766; E56/271-308 Bartholomew Lane (Fountain Tavern etc) acquired in 1772; E56/309-353 Lothbury, Bishop's Court etc acquired in 1766; E56/354-375 Princes' Street Lothbury, etc acquired in 1769; E56/376-400 Threadneedle Street, acquired in 1772; E56/401-473 Princes' Street, Catherine Court etc acquired in 1791; E56/474-509 Lothbury (Falcon Tavern etc) acquired in 1793; E56/510-539 Lothbury (no. 26) acquired in 1794; E56/540-554 Bartholomew Lane acquired in 1794; E56/555-564 Falcon Court, Lothbury acquired in 1795; E56/565-640 Lothbury (property of Jesus College Cambridge) acquired in 1795; E56/641-661 Threadneedle Street and Bartholomew Lane acquired in 1795; E56/662-676 Bartholomew Lane acquired in 1795; E56/677-704 Lothbury acquired in 1801; E56/705-744 Princes' Street (nos. 23-25) acquired in 1801; E56/745-823 Drapers' Court Lothbury acquired in 1801; E56/824-846 Drapers' Court (nos. 3,4) acquired in 1801; E56/847-876 Drapers' Court and Lothbury (no. 14) acquired in 1801; E56/877-903 Princes' Street (nos. 17-23) acquired in 1801; E56/904-929 Lothbury acquired in 1808; E56/930-935 Old Jewry acquired in 1808; E56/936-970 Lothbury (1669-1772); E56/971-1003 Single Deeds (1516-1872); E56/1004-1026 Miscellaneous papers, mostly of a legal nature (1716-1779) |