66-642: Bishopsgate Institute is a cultural institute in the Bishopsgate area of the City of London , located in the East End of London near Spitalfields and Shoreditch . The institute was established in 1895. It offers a cultural events programme, courses for adults, historic library and archive collections and community programme. The Grade II* listed building was the first of the three major buildings designed by architect Charles Harrison Townsend (1851–1928). The other two are
132-494: A gate, appears to be the defence of the gate, as gates were the weakest points in any fortification. The earliest origins of the wards reach back further than the 11th century but their emergence and evolution is uncertain and any narrative conjectural. The ward may have developed from the Soke of Bishopsgate , a set of rights, and possibly land, held by the Bishop of London over an area to
198-611: A landholding called Bishopsgate is recorded nearby; this may have been the property later known as Norton Folgate . Bishopsgate had many coaching inns which accommodated passengers setting out on the originally Roman Ermine Street , that issued from the gate. Although they survived the Great Fire of London , they have now all been demolished. These included the Angel, the Black Bull, the Dolphin,
264-554: A scheme agreed by the Charity Commissioners in 1891 enabled these to be drawn together into one endowment. Reverend William Rogers (1819–1896), rector of St Botolph's and a notable educational reformer and supporter of free libraries, was instrumental in setting up the institute and ensuring that the original charitable aims were met. Bishopsgate Library is a free, independent library, open every weekday and late night on Wednesdays. The Special Collections and Archives beneath
330-610: A significant part of Shoreditch from the London Borough of Hackney , while nearly all of Bishopsgate Within was transferred to other wards. Bishopsgate is also the name of the street, being the part of the originally Roman Ermine Street (now the A10 ) within the traditional extent of the Ward. The gate was first built in the Roman era, probably at the time the wall was first built. The road though
396-454: A significant reform of the business vote in the city, all the wards underwent a major boundary and electoral representation revision in 2003. The ward boundaries, and electoral representation at the Court of Common Council, were reviewed again in 2010 for change in 2013, though the change was less extensive this time. The reviews were conducted by senior officers of the corporation and senior judges of
462-522: Is also a 'United Wards Club' which was formed before many of the others as a joint association and is now additional to them. In recent times the ward clerk is a permanent position held by an official at the corporation, and based at the Guildhall , though wards can appoint (usually at the wardmote) an honorary ward clerk in addition. The ward clerk is a separate office to that of the Town Clerk of London , who
528-496: Is commemorated by Catherine Wheel Alley which leads off Bishopsgate to the east. The 17th century façade of Sir Paul Pindar 's House on Bishopsgate, demolished, with many other old buildings, for the expansion of Liverpool Street railway station in 1890, was also preserved and can now be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum . In the 18th century this grand residence became a tavern called Sir Paul Pindar's Head; another notable venue
594-597: Is marked by a stone bishop's mitre , fixed high upon a building located near Bishopsgate's junction with Wormwood Street , by the gardens there and facing the Heron Tower . The ward is notable for its skyscrapers, and is home to the main London offices of several major banks, including National Westminster Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development . Although tens of thousands of people commute to and work in
660-506: Is one of 25 wards in the City of London , each electing an Alderman to the Court of Aldermen , and Commoners (the City equivalent of a councillor) to the Court of Common Council of the City of London Corporation . Only electors who are Freemen of the City of London are eligible to stand. On 15 September 2022 the ward elected Kawsar Zaman as its Alderman. He is only the third non-white Alderman in
726-486: Is the chief executive of the corporation. Particular churches, livery halls and other historic buildings, structures and institutions are associated with specific wards, such as St Paul's Cathedral with Castle Baynard ward , Vintners' Hall with Vintry ward , the insurance markets (especially Lloyd's ) with Lime Street ward, and London Bridge with Bridge ward. Boundary changes in 2003 removed some of these connected places from their wards, but that boundary review and
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#1732852408860792-509: The London boroughs in 1978. Wards continue to have beadles , with most having just one, but the larger wards two or three. This is an ancient elected office that is now largely ceremonial, in that they accompany their alderman on the eight high ceremonial occasions in the city's civic calendar and in attending to call to order the wardmote , an annual meeting in each ward of electors, representatives and officials. These should not be confused with
858-601: The Old Bailey . The wards are not reviewed by the Electoral Commission or a local government boundary commission under the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 and (unlike other local government electoral reviews) the number and the names of the wards do not change. The final decision on changes to ward boundaries and representation was made by the Court of Common Council and an Act of Common Council
924-698: The Wars of the Roses , the Yorkist-turned supporter of the House of Lancaster Bastard Fauconberg attacked London, trying to force his way across London Bridge and also attacking the eastern gates with a further five thousand men and artillery. Bishopsgate was set on fire and the attackers came close to capturing nearby Aldgate and with it the city. The attackers were repulsed from both gates with heavy losses, before being chased back to Bow Bridge and Blackwall . The Bishop's Gate
990-484: The 11th century, before the Norman conquest of England . Their administrative, judicial and militia purposes made them equivalent to hundreds in the shires. The primary purpose of wards that had a gate on the city wall appears to be the defence of that gate, as gates were the weakest points in any fortification. In 1322 it was settled that an assembly consisting of two people elected from each ward would create ordinances for
1056-465: The 2003 boundary changes reinforced this. The majority of City residents are in the Barbican Estate which is split between Aldersgate and Cripplegate wards. There are a minimum of two common councilmen per ward and three specific wards have their number of councilmen capped: Farringdon Without at ten, Cripplegate at nine and Farringdon Within at eight. With boundary changes as well as changes in
1122-489: The Bishopsgate Ward of the City of London . The ward is traditionally divided into Bishopsgate Within , inside the line of the former wall, and Bishopsgate Without beyond it. Bishopsgate Without is described as part of London's East End . The ancient boundaries of the City wards were reviewed in 1994 and 2013, so that the wards no longer correspond very closely to their historic extents. Bishopsgate Without gained
1188-661: The Bishopsgate road and Gracechurch Street. At this time Bishopsgate Without lost a small block of buildings east Blomfield Street to the Broad Street ward. There were no changes to Bishopsgate's ward boundaries in the 2013 boundary changes. The revised ward borders the London Borough of Hackney to the north, it neighbours The Portsoken and the borough of Tower Hamlets in the east. The other neighbours are Aldgate (southeast), Coleman Street (west), Cornhill (south-west), Broad Street and Lime Street (south). Bishopsgate
1254-404: The City of London. The Great Hall, in particular, was erected for the benefit of the public to promote lectures, exhibitions and otherwise the advancement literature, science and the fine arts . The Bishopsgate Institute was built using funds from charitable endowments made to the parish of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate . These had been collected by the parish for over a period of 500 years, but
1320-875: The Flower Pot, the Green Dragon, the Magpie and Punchbowl, the White Hart and the Wrestlers. The Black Bull was a venue for the Queen's Men theatrical troupe in the 16th century. The English politician Anthony Bacon moved nearby with his mother in May 1594 and she complained about the plays and interludes at the Bull which might "corrupt his servants". An inn called the Catherine Wheel (demolished 1911)
1386-518: The alderman of their ward during and after their term of office, though there is a period of purdah whilst in (and for a period after) office, and during this period their appointed deputy will usually take their role within the ward. The City of London is the only remaining local authority in Great Britain to have (non-honorary) aldermen, since their general abolition in England and Wales in 1974 and
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#17328524088601452-592: The ancient boundaries of the ward. The 1994 changes saw Bishopsgate Without (and with it the City of London) gain a large area from the Shoreditch area of the London Borough of Hackney , The changes made in 2003 and 2013 shifted land between wards of the city. The effect of this was to transfer nearly all of Bishopsgate Within (except for a small area surrounding the Leathersellers ' livery hall) to other wards. The ward previously extended much further south, along
1518-565: The area. The initial opening of the station saw 3,000 residents of Bishopsgate Without evicted and their homes demolished. Around 7,000 people in neighbouring Shoreditch also lost their homes to the railway tracks feeding into the station. Notable buildings include: Bishopsgate Within was originally divided into many parishes, each with its own parish church: St Andrew Undershaft , St Ethelburga Bishopsgate , St Martin Outwich , St Mary Axe and St Helen's Bishopsgate , now all amalgamated under
1584-481: The beadles of the livery companies of the city, who are employees of them. The ward's alderman presides over the wardmote and appoints one of the common councillors of the ward as a deputy (in some wards two are appointed) for the year ahead. Wardmotes at which an alderman is to be elected are presided over by the Lord Mayor. There are also ward clubs , which are similar to residents' associations found elsewhere in
1650-486: The business vote) in the ward. Only electors who are freemen are eligible to stand. Instead of a conventional electoral register , each ward has a ward list. All common councilmen are elected every four years in one set of elections held citywide. A by-election in a particular ward can occur between scheduled elections if a vacancy arises, for example, by the resignation or death of a councilman. The elections of aldermen are held individually from one another and arise if
1716-468: The city's hundreds of years of history, the first British-Bangladeshi ever to hold the office, and the youngest ever elected to the Court of Alderman. The street called Bishopsgate (formerly Bishopsgate Street), which takes its name from the Gate, is the main thoroughfare of the Ward. It is a stretch of the originally Roman Ermine Street (now the A10 ) between Gracechurch Street and Norton Folgate , taking
1782-408: The city. The number of Commoners each ward returns to the Court of Common Council is given (for both before and after the 2013 election); being largely based on the size of the electorate, this gives some indication as to the present number of residents (with respect to the four residential wards) and the scale of business activity. (A † symbol is shown where the representation has been capped despite
1848-409: The country" In the 1600s, Bishopsgate Without , together with neighbouring Bethnal Green and Spitalfields was home to many Huguenot refugees, many of them weavers. In the late 1600s wealthy residents began to migrate to the newly developed areas of West End of London and the character of the area began to change, partly due to the more prosperous parts of the community leaving, and partly to
1914-451: The country, but because these have membership open to those without an electoral qualification in the ward they have essentially become social clubs as part of the city's general civic social life along with the guilds, associations and liveries. There are twenty-two of these (Farringdon has always been an association of both wards of that name and Vintry and Dowgate the result of merger of the two clubs of each ward in 1957). Confusingly, there
1980-465: The current review do take into account of these historic/traditional connections. The City of London Police use the wards in their day-to-day neighbourhood policing, as well as in recording crime and other statistics, with each ward having a constable assigned, known as the Ward Constable, with the larger wards having Assistant Ward Constables in addition. The wards appear to have taken shape by
2046-492: The dead within the city, so cemeteries were established outside the city gates. There were large burial grounds outside Bishopsgate, on both side of Ermine Street . The wards of London appear to have taken shape in the 11th century, before the Norman Conquest. Their administrative, judicial and military purpose made them equivalent to hundreds in the countryside. The primary purpose of wards like Bishopsgate, which included
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2112-478: The densification of the area and rapid urbanisation of the neighbouring rural areas. In time, the East and West Ends of London became more strikingly different in character, writing of the period around 1800, Rev. Richardson commented: The inhabitants of the extreme east of London knew nothing of the western localities and vice-versa. There was little communication or sympathy between the two ends of London. …and thus
2178-612: The early 20th century. Its librarian between 1897 and 1941 was Charles Goss , who argued against the trend to create open access libraries and innovated descriptive cataloguing to improve closed access discovery. His papers are held at the institute's archive. He established their special collections in London history , labour history, free-thought and humanism . The library hosts the Great Diary Project , founded by Dr Irving Finkel , which by 2020 had collected more than 9,000 unpublished diaries. Bishopsgate Bishopsgate
2244-701: The east of the River Walbrook . The Bishop may have been granted the land and rights in order to promote growth in the under-developed part of the city east of the Walbrook . Outside the wall the Walbrook formed the boundary between the Soke of Bishopsgate to the east and the Soke of Cripplegate on the other side of the brook. Bishopsgate may have originally included the area that subsequently became known as Lime Street Ward . The Domesday Survey of 1086 did not cover London, but
2310-490: The electorate, the elections in 2013 and 2017 elected a revised number of common councilmen in a number of wards. The present and altered representation is shown in the main ward summary table below; the total number of common councilmen (one hundred) will not change. The cap on Farringdon Without is maintained; the wards of Farringdon Within and Castle Baynard each have eight councilmen by normal allocation. Some wards were, or are, divided into two divisions (these are given in
2376-512: The first home of the Bethlem Royal Hospital (also known as Bedlam) . This psychiatric hospital lay immediately north of St Botolph's church. Around 1597, the merchant Sir Paul Pindar , purchased several existing properties, and built himself a new home on the site (incorporating part of one or more of the old properties). The house had a fairly narrow frontage but extended a long way back. Bishopsgate Street had recently been paved, making
2442-497: The gate, Ermine Street (known at this point as Bishopsgate) was in place long before the wall and the gate. The gate is traditionally held to be named after Earconwald , a 7th-century Bishop of London (Bishop of the East Saxons ). One of the ward's ancient churches, St Ethelburga-the-Virgin within Bishopsgate , is dedicated to Eorconwald's sister, St Ethelburga of Barking , the first Abbess of Barking Abbey . In 1471, during
2508-461: The householders of Westminster were as distinct from householders of Bishopsgate Without , Shoreditch and all those localities which stretch towards the Essex side of the city, as they are from the inhabitants of Holland or Belgium. Bishopsgate Without was a very densely populated neighbourhood, prior to the opening (1874) and later expansion (1891) of Liverpool Street station , which now dominates
2574-610: The last of these. St Helen's is a historic medieval church and former monastic establishment with many ancient funerary monuments and a stained glass window commemorating William Shakespeare , a local parishioner in the early to mid-1590s. The area was well located for Shakespeare, being close to the theatres in Shoreditch where he worked; The Theatre and the Curtain Theatre . Notable buildings include: The 1994 (city), 2003 and 2013 (ward) boundary revisions made fundamental changes to
2640-877: The library hold important historical collections about London , the labour movement , free thought and co-operative movements, as well as the history of protest and campaigning. There are over 250,000 images in the collections – including the London & Middlesex Archaeological Society (LAMAS) Glass Slide Collection, the London Co-operative Society and the London Collection Digital Photographs – as well as ephemera, papers, publications and letters. They have shared some of their images from LAMAS in 1977 on Historypin . This collection contains images of many of London's famous landmarks, including churches, statues, open spaces and buildings, as well as images showing social and cultural scenes from
2706-463: The main ward list of this article) and where this happens a Deputy is appointed by the Alderman for each division, instead of the one for the whole ward. Additionally, all wards were further divided into precincts. The numbers and names of these precincts changed gradually over the centuries; precincts were named in various manners across the city's wards. In some wards they were named after localities or
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2772-410: The many local government reforms elsewhere in the country in the 19th and 20th centuries. Unlike other modern English local authorities, the City of London Corporation has two council bodies: the now largely ceremonial Court of Aldermen , and the Court of Common Council . The wards are a survival of the medieval governmental system that allowed very small areas to exist as self-governing units within
2838-484: The modern era put themselves up for re-election at least every six years. They also now customarily retire at 70, the same retirement age as a justice of the peace . Each ward (irrespective of its size) returns one alderman to the Court of Aldermen. One of the aldermen is elected (by the senior liverymen ) as Lord Mayor of London for a period of one year. The Lord Mayor performs many functions and holds many ancient positions and privileges. The Lord Mayor continues to be
2904-557: The name Bishopsgate only within the historical area of the ward. Although it takes its name from the gate, the road pre-dates the building of the London Wall which was built in the late second or early third centuries. Ermine Street (sometimes called the Old North Road) connected London to Cambridge , Lincoln , York and other towns and cities. In the Roman period it was illegal to bury
2970-633: The nearby Whitechapel Gallery and the Horniman Museum in south London. His work combined elements of the Arts and Crafts movement and Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style) , along with the typically Victorian . Since opening on New Year's Day 1895, the Bishopsgate Institute has been a centre for culture and learning. The original aims of the institute were to provide a public library, public hall and meeting rooms for people living and working in
3036-415: The number of precincts grew over time, the number of councilmen elected therefore also increased. The precincts have now been abolished. The wards are ancient and their number has only changed three times since their creation in time immemorial . Their number was stated as 24 in the year 1206. In 1394 Farringdon was divided into Farringdon Within and Farringdon Without. In 1550 the ward of Bridge Without
3102-578: The numbers of precincts for each division in two further wards: Dowgate (4 West and 4 East), and Langbourn (7 West and 5 East). This made a total of 220 precincts in 1715. Each precinct elected a Common Councilman. In 1831 there were a total of 236 Common Councilmen (including Deputies, some of whom were elected in their wards in addition to the Councilmen elected by precincts). The ward of Bridge Without had no precincts and did not elect any Common Councilmen throughout its history. Precincts no longer exist in
3168-887: The numerous parishes (on which many precincts were based), in other wards they were simply given numbers. In those wards which were divided into divisions, the precincts were allocated to one division or another. As of around 1800, the numbers of precincts in each ward (and for each division in brackets) were: Aldersgate 8 (4 Within and 4 Without), Aldgate 7, Bassishaw 2, Billingsgate 12, Bishopsgate 9 (5 Within and 4 Without), Bread Street 13, Bridge Within 14, Broad Street 10, Candlewick 7, Castle Baynard 10, Cheap 9, Coleman Street 6, Cordwainer 8, Cornhill 4, Cripplegate 13 (9 Within and 4 Without), Dowgate 8, Farringdon Within 17, Farringdon Without 16, Langbourn 12, Lime Street 4, Portsoken 5, Queenhithe 6, Tower 12, Vintry 9, and Walbrook 7. This amounted to 228 precincts, making each precinct on average around 3 acres (1.2 ha) in size. The City of London
3234-640: The regiment, mutinied against parliament - partly due to their radical Leveller sympathies. A surrender was eventually negotiated, but Robert Lockyer a parishioner of Bishopsgate Without as well as a soldier in the regiment, was executed as a ringleader. The Communist Manifesto was first printed, anonymously and in German, by the Workers Educational Association at 46 Liverpool Street in Bishopsgate Without in 1848. On 24 April 1993, it
3300-622: The site convenient for Pindar's business activities in East Anglia . The house had views over the open space in nearby Moorfields and Finsbury Fields , west of the Walbrook. The house was soon prestigious enough to be used as a base by several foreigh ambassadors, including the Venetian ambassador Pietro Contarini in 1617–18. The district was then on the edge of London, something Contarini had mixed feelings about, describing Bishopsgate Without as "…an airy and fashionable area…a little too much in
3366-421: The sitting alderman dies, resigns or (after the six-year term) puts themselves up for re-election. Since the 2003 review (and confirmed by the 2013 review process ) the four residential wards elect twenty of the hundred common councilmen, and the remaining, "business-dominated" wards elect the remaining eighty councilmen. The four residential wards are Portsoken , Queenhithe , Aldersgate and Cripplegate , and
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#17328524088603432-419: The terms "intramural" and "extramural" had the same meaning. Changes were made in 1994 to the City of London's external boundary with several London boroughs , which meant consequential changes to boundaries of several wards, where areas were transferred either to or from the city – the wards affected were: Farringdon Without, Cripplegate, Coleman Street, Bishopsgate, Aldgate, Portsoken, and Tower. Following
3498-407: The ward, it has a resident population of only 222 ( 2011 ). The ward is divided into two parts by the line of the former London Wall and gate which lay just north of Wormwood and Camomile Streets. Bishopsgate Without corresponds to the parish of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate . The church is located immediately north of the site of the original Gate on the west side of the road. The church
3564-677: The western boundary. Blomfield Street was built on part of the historic course of the former River Walbrook , known at this point as Deepditch . Beyond Deepditch was the Moorfields (in Coleman Street Ward ). The Blomfield Street section of the river was the focal point of the Walbrook Skulls ; the result of the deposit of large quantities of decapitated Roman-era human skulls into the water. These are still often uncovered during building work. Bishopsgate Without was, from 1247 to 1633,
3630-523: The whole city; in 1346 the number of representatives from each ward was formally linked to the size of the ward. The Common Council as we know it today, as a representative body of the wards, was realised in 1384 when the city's guilds no longer elected members. The number of members of the Common Council grew to 240 by the mid-nineteenth century, but is today fixed at 100. Each ward was divided into precincts, each of which elected one common councilman. As
3696-452: The wider city. They are both electoral/political sub-divisions and permanent ceremonial, geographic and administrative entities within the city. They had their boundaries changed in 2003, and to a lesser extent in 2013, though the number of wards and their names did not change. Each ward, or aldermanry , has its own alderman , who is the most senior official or representative in the ward. The aldermen traditionally held office for life but in
3762-500: Was very densely populated until the mid-19th century, giving each precinct in the region of 500 residents on average. A record of the wards, their divisions and precincts (including the names of the precincts) in 1715 give the following differences from the above figures: Aldersgate Within 5, Billingsgate 6, Broad Street 8 (4 Upper and 4 Lower), Castle Baynard 7 (4 First and 3 Second), Farringdon Without 15 (Fleet Street Side 8 and Holborn Side 7), and Queenhithe 9. This record also states
3828-456: Was beyond the gates on London Bridge ). Some wards—Aldersgate, Bishopsgate and Cripplegate—cover an area that was both within and without the Wall and, although not split into separate wards, often the part (or division ) within the Wall is denoted (on maps, in documents, etc.) as being "Within" and the part outside the Wall as being "Without". Archaically "Infra" (within) and "Extra" (without) and
3894-493: Was created south of the river , with the ward of Bridge becoming Bridge Within. These two wards were merged in 1978, into the present-day Bridge ward. Thus the number of wards was 24 prior to 1394, 25 from 1394 to 1550, then 26 from 1550 to 1978, and has been 25 since 1978. The words "Without" and "Within" indicate whether the ward fell outside or within the London Wall , though only Farringdon and (formerly) Bridge have been split into separate wards in this way (Bridge Without
3960-477: Was one of four in medieval London dedicated to Saint Botolph or Botwulf , a 7th-century East Anglian saint; three of these were outside city gates, with a fourth near London Bridge and the riverside wharves. The locations result from Botolph being regarded as the patron saint of boundaries, and by extension of trade and travel. The eastern boundary of Bishopsgate Without is formed by Middlesex Street (better known as Petticoat Lane) , with Blomfield Street on
4026-443: Was one of the eastern gates in London's former defensive wall . The gate's name is traditionally attributed to Earconwald , who was Bishop of London in the 7th century. It was first built in Roman times and marked the beginning of Ermine Street , the ancient road running from London to York (Eboracum). The gate was rebuilt twice in the 15th and 18th centuries, but was permanently demolished in 1760. Bishopsgate gave its name to
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#17328524088604092-458: Was passed on 4 November 2010 to give effect to the changes from 8 March 2013. Under the current arrangements, each ward is an electoral district , electing one alderman to the Court of Aldermen , and between two and ten common councilmen (the city's equivalent of a councillor ) to the Court of Common Council . The number of common councilmen elected by a ward depends inter alia on the number of electors (which comprises both of residents and
4158-494: Was rebuilt by the Hansa merchants in 1471 in exchange for steelyard privileges. Its final form was erected in 1735 by the City authorities, but demolished in 1760. This gate often displayed the heads of criminals on spikes. London Wall (which is no longer extant in this sector) divided the ward and road into an intramural portion called Bishopsgate Within and an extramural portion called Bishopsgate Without. The site of this former gate
4224-555: Was rebuilt, functioning not just as a church but also as home to the St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace charity. Listed clockwise from the West Wards of the City of London The City of London (also known simply as "the City") is divided into 25 wards . The city is the historic core of the much wider metropolis of Greater London , with an ancient and sui generis form of local government , which avoided
4290-636: Was the London Tavern (1768–1876). Also demolished (but then re-erected in Chelsea in 1910) was the old Crosby Hall , at one time the residence of Richard III and Thomas More . In 1649, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms , Colonel Whalley's Regiment , a parliamentary unit, was stationed in Bishopsgate Ward, helping to protect London from Royalists. The Bishopsgate mutiny occurred when soldiers of
4356-575: Was the site of an IRA truck bombing which killed journalist Ed Henty, injured over 40 people and caused £1 billion worth of damage, including the destruction of St Ethelburga's church and damage to the NatWest Tower and Liverpool Street station . Police had received a coded warning, but were still evacuating the area at the time of the explosion. The area had already suffered damage from the Baltic Exchange bombing one year before. St Ethelburga's
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