Bevis Marks

Bevis Marks, classified as part of the A1211, is a short street (about 150 m long) in the ward of Aldgate in the City of London. Traffic runs northwest in a one-way direction into Camomile Street, and parallel to Houndsditch which runs southeast one-way.

Bevis Marks
Looking east down Bevis Marks towards St. Botolph's Aldgate
LocationAldgate, City of London, England, United Kingdom
Postal codeEC3A
Other
Known forBevis Marks Synagogue and for being mentioned several times in Charles Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop

History

The street name has been recorded as Bewesmarkes (1407), Bevys Marke (1450), Bevesmarkes (1513), Bevers-market (1630), and Beavis Markes (1677), prior to Bevis Marks (since 1720).[1] The antiquarian John Stow believed the name to derive from the Abbots of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, in whose ownership this part of the city was until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This etymology was confirmed as correct by E. Ekwall in his "Street-names of the City of London" (1954). At that time, their possessions were passed to Sir Thomas Heneage, a gentleman of the Privy chamber in attendance on King Henry VIII.[2] He is commemorated in the name of nearby Heneage Lane.

Bevis Marks is mentioned several times in Charles Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop as the street where solicitor Sampson Brass has his offices.

Notable sites

Bevis Marks is home to the Grade I listed Bevis Marks Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the United Kingdom in continual use.

References
  1. 'Bevis Marks', A Dictionary of London (1918) Date accessed: 11 February 2011
  2. History of Parliament at Tudorplace accessed 20 October 2006


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