As well as serving drinks to revolutionaries, the original Crown Tavern pub on Clerkenwell Green has the dubious reputation of having exhibited a mummified cat. Apparently during the 17th Century the cat “which some mason of John or Richard’s reign had cruelly buried alive in one of the walls of St. James’s Church, used to be solemnly shown there”.

Other mysterious events in and around Clerkenwell include the Cock Lane Haunting. The elaborate tale as thick as a modern day Eastenders plot began in 1762. It centred on a userer named Michael Kent who became romantically involved with his sister Fanny. After Fanny’s death from smallpox, Kent’s landlord Richard Parsons claimed to be haunted by the ghost of Fanny. She appeared to tell Parsons that Kent had poisoned her with arsenic. Samuel Johnson investigated the claims that led to Kent being suspected of murder. Eventually it was determined that Parson’s daughter had faked the haunting. Parsons was motivated by an ongoing financial dispute with Kent and was sent to prison for two years.

Ghost stories like this were probably an inspiration for the writer Charles Dickens who grew up in nearby Camden in the early 19th Century. Dickens father was sent to debtors prison and as a child Dickens experienced harsh poverty in London, which influenced his writing. At the time of writing Oliver Twist in the late 1830s Dickens was living in Holborn, and knew Clerkenwell well. He banked at the Finsbury Savings Bank, which you can see on Sekforde Street. Scenes from Oliver Twist when Fagin and The Artful Dodger introduce Oliver to the trade of picking pockets were set in Clerkenwell Green. Tribute has recently been paid to Dickens in Clerkenwell by the naming of The Betsy Trotwood pub on Farringdon Road after one of his characters from David Copperfield.

We have barely scratched the surface of the rich history Clerkenwell has to offer in these posts, other intriguing and creepy sites include the currently fairly uninspiring Spa Fields, which used to form part of the pleasure garden experience that made Clerkenwell such an attractive resort. But it gained a bad reputation by the 17th century so that the gentry required escorts to pass through. It became a burial ground in the 1780s, which was eventually shut down after fifty years by which time 8000 bodies had filled the tiny space.

As multilingual typesetters here at WorldAccent we were curious about the naming of Sans Walk. Does it have any connection to the history of sans serif fonts, given the connections locally to printing? Sadly our research has not uncovered any evidence of that. But nearby is the site of the Clerkenwell House of Detention, which between the 17th and 19th century was the site of various prisons, was destroyed by fire during the Gordon riots in 1780 and where a terrorist attack killed several people in 1867. Amongst its 18th Century inmates was Jack Sheppard, the notorious burglar and thief. Largely demolished in 1890, the prison’s perimeter wall and warden’s residence were left untouched along with the prison’s underground level. These underground cells were used as air raid shelters during World War Two. The site has more recently been used for filming of Oliver Twist, Sherlock Holmes and Spooks as well as a theatre production of Macbeth. Unsurprisingly, ghost stories abound here too with one telling of a little girl whose “heart-rending sobs reverberate from the inner depths of the jail”.

That concludes this round up of Clerkenwell history for now. We hope you’ve found it as enlightening as we have, and will see Clerkenwell’s streets and buildings in a new light. The EC1 Local History Trail [pdf] takes you on a tour of many of the sites mentioned, and is well worth a wander on a fine day. Also well worth a look is this map of The Clerkenwell Historic Trail [pdf]. Enjoy!

Illustration top from Oliver Twist: James Mahoney (1810-1879) (Scanned by Simsalabim) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons [CC-BY-SA-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

Where would you find Russian revolutionaries in the early 1900s? The biographies of the future leaders of the Soviet Union show that they were men well travelled as it was not easy to organise left-wing parties in Tsarist Russia, and radicals were often forced into exile. I wrote last week about Clerkenwell’s radical history, and in 1902, the leading Bolshevik Vladimir Lenin came here. He set about publishing the revolutionary newspaper Iskra (The Spark) to be shipped back to Russia.

Lenin worked from an office at 37a Clerkenwell Green. The building had originated as a Welsh charity school and was later occupied by socialist publishers The Twentieth Century Press. Artist William Morris initially helped pay the rent. In 1933 the building became The Marx Memorial Library to mark fifty years since the death of Marx. The founders felt that a library would be an appropriate memorial as the world was then witnessing the sight of Nazis burning books in Germany. The library is still maintained today, holding an impressive collection and Lenin’s office has been preserved for visitors to take a tour.

The diaries of Lenin’s wife have been preserved for history and indicate that he hated it here at first, having no appetite for English food:

“We found that the Russian stomach is not easily adaptable to the ‘ox-tails,’ skate fried in fat, cake and other mysteries of English fare.” [quoted in Islington Now]

However Lenin reportedly grew to enjoy having a drink in the pubs around Clerkenwell Green in addition to riding on London’s open top buses. Some claim he took the young Joseph Stalin for a drink in 1903 at Clerkenwell Green’s The Crown and Anchor (now The Crown Tavern). Stalin was in London to attend the Second Congress of the Russian Democratic Labour Party but it has to be noted that these accounts are somewhat sketchy. The pub’s history also includes the filming in 2006 of scenes from ‘Notes on a Scandal’, with Dame Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett; a fact that is probably more easily verified!

Not a movie star or a revolutionary, but a very notable and fascinating figure from Clerkenwell history is “the musical small-coal man”. Thomas Britton lived near Clerkenwell Green in the decades either side of 1700. Britton did his coal round in the morning before joining local literati to discuss books and learning at a booksellers on Paternaster Row.

His home was a former stable at the corner of Aylesbury Street and Jerusalem Passage. The ground floor was used to store coal while he lived in a single room above, reached by an external ladder. From this home he ran a musical club on Thursday evenings for about forty years. In October 1714 a contemporary newspaper, The British Mercury, described him as “universally known to all Lovers of Musick, of what Quality soever”.  Coffee was served while music was performed, attracting great musicians as members including the composer Handel. The influential royalist pamphleteer Roger L’Estrange was among the founder members of his ensemble.

Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver’s Travels, alludes to Britton in his poem “A Description of the Morning”:

“The Smallcoal-Man was heard with Cadence deep,
‘Till drown’d in Shriller Notes of Chimney-Sweep.”

Nineteen century author John Hawkins later pointed out the historic significance of Britton’s “musical club” in molding the concept of the public concert:

“The truth is, it was nothing less than a musical concert; and so much more does it merit our attention, as it was the first meeting of the kind, and the undoubted parent of some of the most celebrated concerts in London.”

Perhaps the next time crowds gather for a gig in Victoria Park, they should reflect on the legacy of Britton the musical coal-man. He died in 1714 leaving behind a large collection of books, fine musical instruments and sheet music.

Enjoyed this? Read our previous posts on Clerkenwell history: ghosts, cows, medical monks and revolution and Clerkenwell Green: radical centre & relaxing spa springs

Coming up next the next instalment of our history of Clerkenwell: pickpockets, a mysterious mummified cat and a feigned haunting…

Clerkenwell as a haven from the urban bustle? It may be hard to believe it now, but Clerkenwell was once considered to be a country retreat from the city. King John stayed for a break in the Clerkenwell Priory in 1212. The area was also renowned for its relaxing spa springs and pleasure gardens during the 13th Century but its tranquility would soon be broken.

The sanctuary was disrupted when the Priory was mostly destroyed by fire during The Peasants’ Revolt in 1381. The rebels had also burnt down the Savoy Palace and stormed the Tower of London. One of the peasants’ leaders, Wat Tyler of Maidstone, met with Richard II at Smithfield in Clerkenwell. He demanded the end of Lordships and that all men should be free.

What precisely was said between Wat Tyler and the King is largely hearsay, mostly as recorded by supporters of the King. But it is historical fact that Tyler was attacked and mortally wounded – perhaps after a scuffle broke out or possibly as part of a plot – by the Mayor of London and the King’s men. One account of the time recounts he was taken to a hospital for the poor (St. Bartholomew’s) but the Mayor went after him. After Tyler’s death, the King promised the rebels reform while the Mayor simultaneously raised a militia to surpress them. The rebels, gathered on St John’s Fields, dispersed although many of the leaders were pursued and executed in grisly fashion.

The Priory and the landmark St John’s Gate were rebuilt, being completed by 1504. But in 1536 Henry VIII began the process of the dissolution of the monasteries. The monarch became the leader of the Church of England and separated the church from the Pope’s authority in Rome. The process involved the closing of monasteries, convents and priories while Henry disposed of their assets. Most of the remaining Knights Hospitaliers of Clerkenwell went to Malta, but three who remained were executed as traitors. Clerkenwell Priory was sold off to The Duke of Northumberland for £1,000. Henry VIII’s daughter, Mary I, briefly reinstated Catholicism and the Priory reverted to its religious purpose. It has had several owners and uses since, including as a Presbyterian Meeting House. St John’s Gate is now the only remaining part of the structure.

The area was also home to a group of “Lollards” in the 15th Century, part of a religious and political movement who challenged the church’s doctrine of the sacrament, opposed capital punishment and rejected religious celibacy. The group were dismissed as heretics and repressed, one member being burnt at the stake in 1410. Their beliefs had some overlaps with later Protestant groups.

Tyler’s radical influence reverberated in Clerkenwell again when anti-Royalist Oliver Cromwell took up residence near Clerkenwell Green in the 17th Century. He owned a house on Clerkenwell Close, just off Clerkenwell Green. Izaak Walton also lived just off the Green, where he wrote the famous book The Compleat Angler which was first published in 1653.

In 1675, a Mr Pinks had recorded numerous bowling-greens in Bowling Green Lane, both open and covered, and laid with turf or gravel. The reputation of the area as a fashionable resort declined however during the Industrial Revolution as Clerkenwell became a centre of the printing industry and breweries. Poverty was on the rise creating fertile ground for The Chartist movement of the 19th Century, which campaigned for democratic inclusion and the citizenship rights. An account of the historic Chartist demonstration of 10 April 1848 describes the march’s progress through Clerkenwell on its way to Kennington Common:

“The churchwardens of Clerkenwell assembled the special constables of the parish at the workhouse, and proceeded subsequently to Clerkenwell-green, in the absence of the G division, for the purpose of preventing any riotous proceeding. About eight o’clock a body of Chartists appeared on the ground, several of them carrying flags and banners, one of which had on it the following inscription – ‘The voice of the people is the voice of God.’ There were two poles surmounted with the cap of liberty, with a tri-coloured flag and an American flag. The procession was formed two-and-two, shortly before nine o’clock, consisting of between 300 and 400 persons. It entered St. John-street, crossed Smithfield, and passed through Farringdon-street to Kennington-common. There were about 4,000 persons present.”
What happened on 10 April 1848? From The Illustrated London News, 15 April 1848

Coming up next in Discovering Clerkenwell: find out which 20th Century historic figures met over a pint in Clerkenwell and how a humble coal man made beautiful music for Handel.

Picture top: Jean Froissart’s Chronicles (Bib. Nat. Fr. 2644, fol. 159v), 15th century manuscript via Wikimedia Commons

Ever wondered what lies behind the name of the area you live or work in, what history is held by the streets you tread daily? In a rush to get around much of the time we remain unaware of the dramas of the past. Our office is based in Clerkenwell, a busy part of central London with plenty of fascinating stories to tell. The area has connections to the Knights Templar, historic revolutionary figures, legendary literary pickpockets, a notable musical coal-man and faked ghost appearances.

In this series of posts about Clerkenwell’s history I will reveal the identity of these coal-men, revolutionaries, pickpockets and more.

Clerkenwell has long been a centre of commerce and trade. You may know Cowcross Street, a thoroughfare that connects Smithfield Market with Farringdon station, which is now full of fashionable bars and eateries. The road’s name derives from being a route for cows to be taken to Smithfield market, where you could buy live animals till the 1850s. The meat market remains though, housed in an imposing building, inspired by Italian architecture and designed by Victorian architect Sir Horace Jones. In fact, this is one of London’s oldest markets having been in operation for over eight hundred years. The market buildings also house the Cock Tavern – an underground pub that opens at 6am and is well known for its devilled kidneys washed down with a pint.

The area also has strong connections to religious orders. The name Clerkenwell derives from The Clerk’s Well where Parish clerks would gather to perform biblical mystery plays. The site of the well was formally within St Mary’s Nunnery of the Benedictine order. It was founded in 1100 and remained till 1539 when Henry VIII disbanded the monasteries and convents. The well fell out of use in the mid 19th century, only being rediscovered when unearthed in 1924. You can see it today at 14–16 Farringdon Lane by peering through the windows of the building that now houses it or joining a Clerkenwell walk with an official guide.

Nearby is St John’s Gate where now stands the Museum of the Order of St John. This was the site of Clerkenwell Priory from the 12th Century and the base of the Knights Hospitaliers of St John of Jerusalem. They were part of a larger religious order founded in Jerusalem known as The Order of Hospitaliers. In 1237 a group of thirty of the Knights Hospitaliers of St John of Jerusalem set out from Clerkenwell Priory for the “Holy Land” to provide medical assistance to the Crusades where they served alongside the legendary Knights Templar. The Venerable Order of St John went on to found the modern day St Johns Ambulance Association established in 1877 to teach and practice First Aid internationally. Their distinctive black and white insignia echoes the design used by the original Knights Hospitaliers.

Coming up in the next blog post: Clerkenwell the rural retreat and radical hotbed…

Picture top: St John’s Gate, Clerkenwell, Islington. Photographer: Fin Fahey [CC-BY-SA-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

image: Clerkenwell Design Week

This annual shindig describes itself as:

“a festival celebrating design’s creative richness, its social impact and its power for change.

The festival programme of seminars, workshops and debates tackles key issues from a design standpoint. Big design names and inspirational thought leaders will spearhead an event crammed with left-field thinking, off-the-wall performances and presentations to challenge all your preconceptions.”

Yesterday I grabbed the chance to look round the newly opened concept store from Toto, the Japanese luxury bathroom brand, and further down St John Street indulged in some light gazing.

One of the great bonuses of working in our central London translation office is being able to nip out to such celebrations. I’ll be trying to attend at least some more events in the next couple of days to cast my translation eye over them. Design is after-all an international force, although one often coloured by local tastes and aesthetics.

A decade or two after the publication of Oliver Twist, Clerkenwell became a centre of London’s Italian population, acquiring the nickname “Little Italy” somewhere along the line. This community has now largely dispersed, although I’m glad to say that a good number of Italian restaurants and the odd deli survive.

Another remnant is St Peter’s Italian Church which stands at the centre of what was Little Italy, just a few streets away from our office.

Hundreds of people still flock every year for an annual parade which has been held since the late nineteenth century to honour Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It is supposed to be the first outdoor Roman Catholic event that had been allowed in London since the Reformation.

What is without doubt is that this procession is spectacular, bringing a small slice of Italian street-life to London every July. Banners and statues are carried down the street, mingling with floats decorated to illustrate biblical and other scenes.

(Pictures © Alan Denney. For more images of the parade and a fascinating chronicle of ordinary Londoners over the last few decades, see Alan’s Flickr).

Perhaps predictably, the streets are not only filled with religous icons but also with aromas from the outdoor kitchens and food stalls that also spring up. You can get a metaphorical taste of the day from the pictures at the Italian Church website.

It’s easy to forget the influence of other cultures and nationalities on our city, and how many hidden gems such as this parade they contribute. I feel we’re lucky to live in a city that celebrates different cultures. London has been described as “the multicultural centre of Europe”, with over 7 million inhabitants speaking 300 distinct languages. We are renowned for our multiculturalism, and that is something we should be proud of.