Fetter Lane Totally Explained

Everything about Fetter Lane totally explained

Fetter Lane is a street in the ward of Farringdon Without in London England. It runs from Fleet Street in the south to Holborn in the north. The earliest mention of the street is "faitereslane" in 1312. The name occurs with several spellings until it settles down about 1612. There is no agreement about the origin of the name "Fetter Lane". Theories include: "Feuterer-lane" (feuterer = a keeper of dogs) and Fewtor/ Faitour (a worthless fellow). At the southern end, on Fleet Street, is Clifford's Inn established 1345. Near the northern end, facing onto Holborn, is Barnard's Inn. They are both Inns of Chancery. The official address of the old Public Records Office (1856 - 1997) was Chancery Lane, but the back of this building dominates the south part of Fetter Lane. It is now the library of King's College London.
   On Fleet street is St Dunstan-in-the-West, and next to it, at 133 - 137 Fetter Lane, is St Dunstan's House. In Victorian Times the publishing house Sampson Low was located at St Dunstan's House. Two plaster-reliefs (1886) by Walter Crane were salvaged from the building when it was destroyed in 1905. They now stand next door in King's College Library. The site then became the main London warehouse of the Cambridge University Press. It is now the "Technology and construction court", for litigation related to science and engineering.
   In the 1590s there was a gibbet at the junction of Fleet Street and Fetter Lane. Christopher Bales was hung there. It is sometimes aledged that Dryden lived at number 16, but there's no evidence for this. In 1604 John Dowland published "Lachrimae". The preface states "to be solde at the authors House in Fetter-lane neare Fleet-streete". In 1651 Thomas Hobbes lived in Fetter Lane. In the opening paragraphs of "Gulliver's Travels" the central character states that lived briefly at Fetter Lane. From 1660 to 1680 Thomas Goodwin preached at the Fetter Lane Independent church.
   At 33, the Moravian Chapel (Fetter Lane Society) was founded in 1738. The "Trust Society for the Furtherence of the Gospel" was founded by the Moravian Church in 1741. They undertook missionary work and were based at Fetter Lane. The composer Christian Ignatius Latrobe did missionary work for them in South Africa. The organisation still exists, but is now based in Muswell Hill. For 67 years, Birkbeck, University of London, was located at Breams Buildings on Fetter Lane. Both Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb, attended William Bird's Academy in Fetter Lane.
   The Socialist Party of Great Britain was founded in Bartlett's Passage, off Fetter Lane in 1904. From 1920 to 1961 the Daily Mirror was located in Geraldine House. They then moved to the north end of Fetter Lane, at Holburn Circus, where then remained until 1990. They then moved to the Isle of Dogs. The original site, between "Rolls Buildings" (a street) and "Bream's Buildings" (another street to the north) was called "Rolls House" from 1961 to 2007, when it was demolished. The new site, sometimes called "110 Fetter Lane" rather than "Rolls House", is to become the site of an eleven story building. It will contain 29 courtrooms and other judicial accommodiation, due for completion in 2009. A statue of John Wilkes was erected at the junction of Fetter Lane and New Fetter Lane in 1988.

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