There are three possible etymologies for the name Fenchurch, as outlined in John Stow's, A Survey of London. Langbourn ward is so named because of a long bourn (which is a small stream), which in Roman times, broke out into and flowed down what is now Fenchurch through Lombard Street to the West end of St. Mary Woolnoth’s church and eventually to the Thames. Fenchurch was therefore built upon marshy or "fenny" ground, and thus it took the name of the bourn that passed through it. In the Guildhall of London this marshy ward was once called by the name of Langbourn and Fenny. There was a conduit on Fenchurch, which indicates that a fresh water supply flowed through it. Stow also recounts an alternative opinion about the origin of the street name. Some were under the impression that "Fen" was derived from the staple sold there: "Faenum," or hay. The addition of "church" to the name possibly arose from the fact that a small parish church called St. Gabriel Fen church, or corruptly Fan church, was also located on the street (Stow 1:200). Fenchurch was one of the original Roman roads. It appears to have been the location of a Roman marketplace, which was built on a graveled area on the north-east side of the junction of Gracechurch and Fenchurch, and by intersecting with what is now called Gracechurch Street it provided access to London Bridge. Linking Aldgate Street and Lombard Street, it was also one of the main east-west arteries from the inception of London [(Jenstad -- citation?)]. There were three Livery Company Halls located in the Fenchurch Street area: those of the Ironmongers, Clothworkers and Pewterers. In 1925, the Ironmongers hall built a new hall at 35 Aldersgate Street, but for centuries they were established in Fenchurch Street, where three successive halls were built on the same site (www.ironhall.co.uk/page2.htm). The Clothworkers Hall is located in Dunster court, Mincing Lane. Mincing Lane runs north-south, connecting Fenchurch and Great Tower Street. The first Pewterers hall was established in 1496 on Lime Street, which runs north-south connecting Fenchurch and Leadenhall Street. The hall was destroyed by the Great Fire in 1666. The second hall was located on the same site, but was demolished in 1932. The hall has since moved to a new location but the company still owns the site on Lime Street and lets it out to another business operation (www.pewterers.org.uk). Fenchurch was an important part of the processional route and a major station for the pre-coronation entrants to the City. For the procession of James I, there were seven arches erected at specific spots that served as stops along the way for the Royal party. At these archways, various pageants were carried out (Kinney 329). The first archway along the route was Londinium arch on Fenchurch Street (335). The dramatist Ben Jonson organized the dramatic festivities for this particular stop (329). The architect behind the work was Stephen Harrison who constructed the arch based on the theme of "Monarchia Brittanica." A representation of the entire city of London was carved on top of the arch and the structure was decorated with allegorical characters played by real people (Manley 256). Another important ceremonial occasion was the Midsummer Watch. In the months of June and July, Londoners would progress through the streets on the Midsummer Eves preceding the feasts of Saint John the Baptist and Saints Peter and Paul the Apostles (Stow 1:101). This marching watch passed through the principal streets, beginning from the conduit by Paul’s Gate to West Cheap, by the stocks through Cornhill, by Leadenhall to Aldgate, then back down Fenchurch Street, by Grass Street into Cornhill, and through it into West Cheap again (1:102). The annual mayoral pageant in October, an entirely secular event, replaced the Midsummer Watch, although it followed a different route [(Jenstad -- citation??)]. -- Dana Wiley, 2002