Map

The overlays that highlight 17th century London features are approximate and derived from Wenceslaus Hollar’s maps:

Open location in Google Maps: 51.513968, -0.109132

Summary

Just off the south side of Fleet Street, later renamed Hare Place and still present today. From A Dictionary of London, 1918:

South out of Fleet Street, at No. 46, to Mitre Court (P.O. Directory). In Farringdon Ward Without.

First mention: O.S. 1875.

Former names: “Ram Alley or Court” (Elmes, 1831). “Ram Court” (1565-6, Inner Temple Records, II. 8-Horwood, 1799). “Ram Alley” (Rocque, 1746, and Strype). “Ramme Alley”, (13 Eliz. (Lond. I. p.m. II. 142). “Ram Alley”, 1629 (H. MSS. Com, 7th Rep. 677).

Ram Alley was a place of sanctuary, and having become in consequence a resort of bad characters, was in the 17th century a constant source of annoyance to the inhabitants of the Temple precints. The privileges of the place were not entirely done away with until 9 George I., Although they had been formally abolished in 1624 (Inner Temple Records, xxv., etc.).

Named after “Hare House” in Ram Alley, an old house left to the parish in 1594 (End. Ch. Rep., St. Dunstan in the West, 1902, p. 2).

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References

Chart showing the number of references in each month of the diary’s entries.

1668

  • Jul