It is a modern structure with a facing of stone; in the pediment are the arms of the company, and below, a tablet representing a woman spinning, in allusion to the name of the lane. The interior is neatly fitted up, and consists of an upper and lower hall, each having a music gallery and plain stuccoed ceilings. In the upper hall is a -quarter length portrait of W. Williams, Esq., times master, who died , aged ; at the opposite end of the room in a recess is a vase, by Nollekins, of neat and elegant form, to the memory of Mr. Joseph Cave, a great benefactor to this company. In the court room are plans of the different estates belonging to the company, and views of the hall.

or Bakeing-lane, is so called from the king's or some great bake-house having formerly been here as early as the Richard II.

On the south side of this lane, is Gerard's Hall Inn, built upon arched vaults,

and

with arched gates of stone, brought from Caen in Normandy.

Stow says, in his time this was a common hostelry, corruptly then, and now called Gerard's Hall, from a giant said to have dwelt there.

In the high-roofed hall of this house some time stood a large fir-pole, which reached to the roof, and was said to be of the staves that Gerard the giant used in the wars. There stood also a ladder of the same length, which, as they said, served to ascend to the top of the staff. But Stow considers all this to be a fable; nor does he believe that any of the name of Gerard lived there.

I read,

that John Gisors, mayor of London in the year

1245

, was owner thereof; and that sir John Gisors, knight, mayor of London, and constable of the Tower,

1311

, and divers others of that name and family, since that time owned it: for I read that William Gisors was

one

of the sheriffs in

1329

: more, that John Gisors had issue Henry and John, which John had issue Thomas; which Thomas deceasing in the year

1358

, left unto his son Thomas his messuage called Gisor's hall, in the parish of St. Mildred in

Bread-street

. John Gisors made a feoffment thereof

1386

, &c. So that it appeareth, that this Gisor's hall of late time, by corruption hath been called Gerard's hall for Gisor's hall; as Bosoms inn for Blossoms inn, Bevismarks for Buries marks, Marklane for Mart lane, Beliter lane for Belzetters lane,

Gutter lane

for Guthuruns lane, Cry or Cre church for

Christ church

, St. Michel in the Quern for St. Michel at Corn, and such others. Out of this Gisor's hall, at the

first

building thereof, were made divers arched doors, yet to be seen, which seem not sufficient for any great monster, or other than men of common stature, to pass through. The pole in the hall might be used in old time, as then the custom was in every parish, to be set up in the street in the summer as a may-pole, before

the principal hall or house in the parish or street; and to stand in the hall before the shrine, decked with holly and ivy, at the feast of Christmas. The ladder served for the decking of the may-pole and roof of the hall.

[] This company formerly possessed portraits of king William and queen Mary.