"Mr Waterworth's house", Islington, London

 

On 20 January 1619/20, John Howkett "out of Mr Waterworte's house" was buried in the body of the church at St James, Clerkenwell (1). Exactly two years later, the same register records the burial of "Mr Francis Howcott, out of Mr Waterworte's house, in ye church" (2).

 

John Waterworth of Islington was a citizen of London and a member of the Innholders' Company. His will confirms that he owned "The Axe", Aldermanbury, which was immediately to the west of St Michael Battishaw church, a short distance north of the Guildhall. His house at Islington was the "White Lion" inn (3).

 

Although The White Lion was situated at Islington High Street, it was within the parish of St James' Clerkenwell. The property has been redeveloped and it seems that nothing remains of the buildings that stood there in 1620. However, the name is preserved in "White Lion Street", a road running off the west side of the High Street and which appears to mark the northern boundary of the inn described as "Mr Waterworth's house".

 

When John Waterwortt (sic) made his will in 1625, he was described as "of Islington in the parish of St James Clerkenwell", so he was almost certainly still living at the White Lion then. White Lion Street runs along the left hand side of the building used by "Pret a Manger" in the above picture. The building immediately to the left of White Lion Street is now used by HSBC bank but was previously used as a public house. A local historian writing in the 19th century concluded that the White Lion formerly had a wider frontage to the High Street extending further to the south (i.e. to the left in the picture) (4).

 

Notes

 

(1) Administration of the estate of "John Hawcott of Seasby" (i.e. Shearsby) was granted at Leicester in 1620. Shearsby is about one mile from Knaptoft, the home of John Bourne who was described as his "faithful and loving friend" in John Waterworth's will.

(2) Francis, the son of Robert & Katherine Howcott, was christened at Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire in 1601. John Oliver, a witness in the case Howcott v Sacheverell (1627), testified that Robert Howcott and his late son Francis Howcott had been lending out sums of money in London (The National Archives: C22/711/26).

(3) On 30 January 1613/14, sureties were taken for Henry Brookes and Roger Breton, who were accused of digging near the lead pipes leading to the old conduit heads to London, with intent to carry the same lead pipes away. These men had been arrested in the night by "Mr Waterwork's servants, dwelling at the White Lion in Islington". ("Middlesex - Calendar to the Sessions Records", New Series, Volume 1, edited by William Le Hardy (London, 1935)).

(4) "History of Clerkenwell" by William J Pinks, 2nd edition (London, 1881), pp 552-553.