Savoy Palace (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Peter of Savoys House; le Sauvey; Saveye; Savoye

In the civil parish of City Of Westminster.
In the historic county of London and Middlesex.
Modern Authority of London Borough of Westminster.
1974 county of Greater London.
Medieval County of Middlesex.

OS Map Grid Reference: TQ305807
Latitude 51.50971° Longitude -0.12004°

Savoy Palace has been described as a certain Palace.

There are no visible remains.

Description

Embattled palace licensed 1293, sacked by rebels in 1381. Survived until 1820. Site now occupied by Savoy Hotel.

The Savoy, so named of Peter Earle of Savoy, who there dwelt, which Queene Aeleonor wife to King Henrie the Third purchased of the fraternity of Mont-joy, and gave it to her sonne Edmund Earle of Lancaster. Whose posterity dwelt in it a long time untill that King Henrie the Seaventh dedicated it as an hospitall for the poore. (Camden)

1246 land of Brian de l'aisle granted to Peter of Savoy to build a palace. 1381 badly damaged due to the unpopularity of the then owner John of Gaunt and the site neglected. It came to the crown as part of the estate of the duchy of lancaster & was then put to various uses, including a prison. little is known of the buildings but there was a great hall, stables, chapel, cloister, river gate, garden & fish ponds. Site later rebuilt as hospital of St John (see 081295). it is possible that elements of the original palace may have survived into the 18th century and that the precinct was walled (it received a licence to crenelate in 1293). (Greater London HER)

The Savoy Palace was licensed in 1293 to be crenellated by Edmund of Lancaster, perhaps inaugurating a fashion in and around the city. Its 'houses, walls and enclosures' are mentioned in 1324. Henry of Lancaster's inquisition post mortem (1362) shows it comprised nine shops and 'the messuage called the "Saveye" '. This 'manor' was burned in the 1381 insurrection. (Coulson 1982)

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1293 June 21 (Click on the date for details of this licence.).

Sources of information, references and further reading

County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 081294/00/00.

Books
- Goodall, John, 2011, The English Castle 1066-1650 (Yale University Press) p. 293, 295, 304
  Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 3 Southern England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 240-3
  Salter, Mike, 2002, Index and Amendments to Mike Salter's English Castles Books (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 10
  Schofield, J., 1994, Medieval London Houses (Yale University Press) p. 138
  Weinreb, Ben and Hibbert, Christopher (eds), 1983 (rev edn 1993), The London Encyclopeadia (Macmillian) p. 773-4
  James, T.B., 1990, The Palaces of Medieval England (London; Seaby) p. 69, 114-5, 128, 153, 174
  Somerville, R., 1960, The Savoy
  Cowell, L.A., n.d. c. 1921, The Story of the Precinct of the Savoy
  Chancellor, E. Beresford, 1912, The annals of the Strand (Chapman & Hall) p. 160
  Loftie, W.J., 1878, Memorials of the Savoy
  Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol. 1 (London) p. 63-70 online copy
  Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 404 online copy
Periodical Articles
- Davis, Philip, 2010-11, 'Crenellated town houses in Medieval England' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol. 24 p. 270-91
  Coulson, C., 1994, 'Freedom to Crenellate by Licence - An Historiographical Revision' Nottingham Medieval Studies Vol. 38 p. 124
  Coulson, Charles, 1993 Aug, 'Specimens of Freedom to Crenellate by Licence' Fortress: The castles and fortifications quarterly Vol. 18 p. 3-15 (reprinted in Liddiard, Robert (ed), 2016, Late Medieval Castles (Boydell Press) p. 221-240)
  Coulson, C., 1982, 'Hierarchism in Conventual Crenellation: an Essay in the Sociology and Metaphysics of Medieval Fortification' Medieval Archaeology Vol. 26 p. 98 n20 online copy
  Cowie, L.W., 1974, 'The Savoy: palace and hospital' History Today Vol. 24:3 p. 173-9
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1895, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward I (1292-1301) Vol. 3 p. 30 online copy
  Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1904, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward II (1324-27) Vol. 5 p. 4 online copy
  Stamp, A.E.(ed), 1935, Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem Vol. 11 p. 232 online copy
  CCR 1381-85, 7
  Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1920, Calendar of Close Rolls Richard II (1381-85) Vol. 2 p. 7 view online copy (requires subscription but searchable) alternative online copy
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- Speed, John, 1611-12, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain online copy
  Camden, Wm, 1607, Britannia hypertext critical edition by Dana F. Sutton (2004)
  Anthony van den Wyngaerde, c. 1543, Panorama of London online copy
  Agas, c. 1558, map of London
  Kingsford, C.L. (ed), 1908, A Survey of London, by John Stow: Reprinted from the text of 1603 Vol. 1 p. 247, 265 Vol. 2 p. 45, 64, 92-4, 97 online copy

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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