Soper's Lane

   Occupied the site of Queen Street (q.v.) before the Fire (Leake, 1666). It was of course narrower. In Cordwainer and Cheap Wards.

   First mention: " Soperes lane," 41 H. III. (Anc. Deeds, A. 1509). In this deed it is described as a new street. other names and forms of name: "Shoperes lane," 1251 (H. MSS. Corn. 9th Rep. p.3). "Soperlane," 1282 (Cal. L. Bk. A. p. 53). "Soppor lane," 1288 (Cal. L. Bk. A. p.168). " Soperelane," 1288-9 (Ct. H.W. I. 86). " Soperslane," 1372 (ib. II. 145). "Sooper lane," 145940 (ib. II. 541). " Soperis lane," 20 Ed. III. (Cal. L. Bk. F. p. 155). "Sloper lane," 34 H. VIII. (L. and P. H. VIII. Pt. I, p.283).

   In the reign of Edward II. the lane was inhabited by members of the mystery of Pepperers, dealers in grocery, etc., whose ordinances appear in the City Records as "Ordinatio Piperariorum de Soperslane" (Lib. Cust. II. 765), but in earlier times Riley (Mem. p. xviii.) says it was inhabited by the "sopers" or soap makers, and that the name was probably due to this circumstance and was not derived from Alan le Soper as suggested by Stow, who lived in the reign of Edward II., whereas the earliest mention of the lane, as shown above, is many years prior to this time, viz. in 41 H. III. On the other hand the family of Soper may have had property in the neighbourhood long before the reign of Ed. II.