Bassishaw Ward, originally named Basing Hall after the family of Basing, was one of the smallest districts in medieval London. A mix of large residential buildings, compact rental tenements, and a labyrinth of small lanes and courtyards, it was located at the heart of city government as well as the cloth trade.

City merchants and tradesmen flocked to the area not only for buying and selling their wares, but also to seek legal advice and arbitration. Bassishaw's only parish church, St. Michael Bassishaw, benefited greatly from these circumstances due to the affluent merchants who...