One of the twenty-six Wards of London, west of and adjoining to Aldgate and Portsoken Wards. It is of large extent and consists of two parts, the Ward Within and the Ward Without, the one part wholly included within the City walls, while the other part lay outside, forming, before the development of the modern suburban areas of the 19th century, the north-eastern suburbs, included within the City Liberties. These outer areas existed from early times, as in the neighbourhood of other large towns and cities, and have been compared to the "pomerium" or "territorium" of the cities of the Roman Empire. They were eventually incorporated into the City wards to which they were most nearly adjacent.
The ward has one alderman and two deputies, one for the Ward Within, one for the Ward Without.
First mention: "Ward of Bissopesgate," c.1285 (Cal. L. Bk. A. p. 209). "Bisshopesgate Without" is mentioned 40 Ed. III. (Anc. Deeds, B. 2301-2).
Named after the gate of Bishopsgate.
Places of interest in the ward : Parish Churches, 3-St. Helen's Bishopsgate, St. Ethelburga, St. Botolph without Bishopsgate : Halls of Companies-Leathersellers' Hall.
The ward also contained amongst other places of interest : Old Artillery Ground, Gresham College, Bethlehem Hospital, St. Mary Spital, Crosby Hall, Sir Paul Pindar's house.
These no longer exist on their former sites, but have either been demolished or rebuilt elsewhere to allow for the formation and erection of the large railway centres which have recently sprung up in the neighbourhood.
In early times before the ward received its present appellation, it was designated by the names of its aldermen, as "Warda Edwardi Parole" (MS. D. and C. St. Paul's, c. 1130 Liber L. ff. 47-50). "Ward of Philip le Taylur" (Hund. Rolls, 3 Ed. I. p. 423). "Ward of Henry le Bole," 23 Ed. I. 1295 (Cal. L. Bk. B. p. 235).
See article on Wards.