Portsoken is a historical district in the City of London, located outside the former London Wall, on the eastern part of the City, near Aldgate. It remains one of the twenty-five wards of the City. Aldgate and Tower wards lie to the west, and its eastern boundary is defined by Middlesex Street, in Whitechapel. To the north, the boundary meets Bishopsgate and Spitalfields; to the south, the liberties of the Mint.
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History
Stow's Survey records that the ‘soke’ (later ‘liberty’) was granted in Saxon times east of Aldgate to a Guild of Knights in exchange, essentially, for regular jousting. Norman kings confirmed these rights but later the land was voluntarily transferred to the Priory of the Holy Trinity by the descendants of the Guild. In 1120 or 1121 (the exact date is unknown), Portsoken was granted as a liberty to the Priory of Holy Trinity, which had been founded in 1107 by Queen Matilda, the wife of King Henry I. The sitting Prior of Holy Trinity became, ex officio, an alderman of the City of London Corporation representing Portsoken ward, and remained so until the Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII in 1531.[2]
In 1332, a tax assessment showed twenty-three taxpayers in Portsoken ward; however, this figure consisted only of freemen of the City of London who possessed moveable property worth more than ten shillings, and so did not include the poor, non-citizens, or members of religious orders.[3] A later subsidy roll from 1582 showed that the ward's taxpayers had been assessed to pay a total of 57 pounds, 11 shillings and 4 pence.[4]
Politics
Portsoken is one of twenty-five wards in the City of London, each electing an alderman to the Court of Aldermen and Commoners (the City equivalent of a councillor) elected 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 for election.
In the elections held in 2003, the members elected for Portsoken ward were Michael Bear, Alfred Dunitz and Brian John Lee.[5]
Peter Levene (Lord Mayor of the City of London 1998-1999) adopted the title Baron Levene of Portsoken upon his elevation to the peerage, in 1989.
References
- ^ If you look carefully you can see the Portsoken Bulletin, detailing the ward officers.
- ^ p45, Inwood, Stephen, A History of London (Macmillan, 1998), ISBN 0-333-67154-6
- ^ p61, Inwood, Stephen, A History of London (Macmillan, 1998), ISBN 0-333-67154-6
- ^ 1582 London Subsidy Rolls, British History Online
- ^ Portsoken Ward elections, 30 January 2003, City of London Corporation website
See also
External links
- Map of Early Modern London: Portsoken Ward - Historical Map and Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's London (Scholarly)
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