Tower Royal

   North out of Cannon Street, at No.75, to Budge Row (P.O. Directory). In Cordwainer Ward.

   It formerly comprised the whole of College Hill, then called " La Reole " (q.v.), and in Strype's maps 1720 and 1755, as well as in Horwood, 1799, and the O.S. 1848-51, it extended from Cloak Lane north to Budge Row.

   "Royall Streete " (Stow, 245-6). " Tower Royal Street " (Strype, ed. 1720, I. iii. 25). Tower Royal" (Rocque, 1746).

   Named after the large messuage or tenement called " La Reole" and afterwards "Tower Royal." said by Stow to have been so called as pertaining to the Kings of England. But Stow is under a misapprehension as to this, for the name "Royall," which he uses, is a corruption of the original form of the word which was "Reole," "Ryole," or " la Reole," from the town of " La Reole " in Gascony.

   In the earliest mention of it in 1276 it is described as a tenement in London, called "La Ryole," in the possession of Thomas Bat (Cal. Charter Rolls, II. p.202).

   In 1331 certain houses in "la Reol" belonging to the King were granted to Queen Phillippa for life for her wardrobe (Cal. P.R. Ed. III. 1330-4, p.37).

   In 43 Ed. III. the King gave it to his newly founded College of St. Stephen, Westminster (Tanner).

   Prior to 1483 it was for a time in possession of Henry, duke of Somerset, called "la Toure" in parish of St. Thomas the Apostle (Cal. P.R. 1476-85, p. 411).

   Strype says that Richard III. gave it to the Duke of Norfolk (ed. 1720, I. iii. p.6).

   In 1529 the Tower or great messuage called "la Riall" alias " le toure in le Rioll in parish of St. Thomas the Apostle in the street called "le Riall "in the Ward of Cordyway Strete, was granted to R. Raddyff (L. and P. H. VIII. Vol. IV. Pt. 3, p.2348)

   It seems to have occupied the northern end of "La Reole" and perhaps extended from Cloak Lane nearly to Budge Row.

   Stow says that in his time it was divided into tenements and let to various people (S. 245-6).