Bayley Lane

Bayley Lane including Browett's (and Footit) former solicitor's office.

Nice view when Cathedral stained glass was seen outside.

I have been doing some research as to whether it is Bayley Lane or Bailey Lane. Using the newspaper archive I can find no references to Bayley Lane prior to 1800 only Bailey Lane. Between 1800 and 1850 a few examples of Bayley appear but it remains largely Bailey until post 1850, when Bayley gradually starts to become more prominent. All the censuses from 1841 to 1881 show it as Bailey. The 1891 census is unusual as the header page says Bayley but the actual detailed pages say Bailey. The 1901 and 1911 censuses are entirely Bayley. I have a theory that the change may be something to do with the Katherine Bayley School: The school was founded through a legacy of £600 from Katherine Bayley in 1733 and the original school building stood next to the Cathedral on the opposite side of Bailey Lane to where Drapers Hall now stands. The school moved to 88 Little Park Street some time around 1840 and continued there until its closure in 1889. I wonder whether the rise of Bayley from the 1850s onwards reflects the memory that the school used to be situated in Bailey Lane and whether there was any formal recognition of a change of name from the 1890s onwards. I would love to hear from anyone who has done any research into this which might save me pursuing this line of enquiry any further?

Nice bit of research there. On the 1749 Bradford map it's Baylie Lane. On the two 1610 maps it's Baylye Lane or Bayly Lane. In the Leet books it varies - Bayly - Bayli - Baili - Bailly - Baill - Baylilane - Baly-lone - and probably several more. They all mean the same but nobody seems to have settled on a fixed form until quite late. The road is in the castle bailey.

Thanks Helen, I'd never delved into the Leet books before - Seems the only rule was along as you started Ba and then added any or all of i, y, l, or e, in any order, you were OK! Looks like I'm going to have even more fun!!! Some of the old spellings of Broadgate as well - Brodyate and Brode-Yate!! As far as Bayley Lane is concerned though it seems that Bailey became the accepted form in the early 19th century but was gradually overtaken by Bayley as the 19th century progressed before becoming fixed as Bayley around the turn of the 19th/20th century. Going through the maps and other records I have found: Pre 1340 map - Bailley Lane Leet books 1300 to 1500 - various spellings 1610 map - Baylye-lane 1749 map - Baylie Lane 1750 map - Bayley Lane 1807 map - Baily Lane 1841 census - Bailey Lane 1851 map - Bailey Lane 1851 census - Bailey Lane 1861 census - Bailey Lane 1871 census - Bailey Lane 1881 census - Bailey Lane 1891 census - Bayley Lane and Bailey Lane 1898 insurance plan - Bailey Lane 1901 census - Bayley Lane 1911 map - Bailey Lane 1911 census - Bayley Lane

This has become even more interesting: I have found a public notice in the CET dated 7 September 1970 regarding an application for a Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act licence, which states St Mary's Hall, Bayley Lane, however a similar notice from the CET dated 23 September 1971 gives the address as St Mary's Hall, Bailey Lane, so it seems that there was no official consistency even in the early 1970s!!

Malvern. I wouldn't put too much faith in the accuracy of newspapers giving accurate spelling. After working with them I am of the opinion that some reporters can be very slipshod and mistakes can be missed by the proofreaders.

I have given up on spellings in anything historic. I have come to the conclusion that as not many people could read and write in those days who could correct it. Some family names are spelt so differently in the records which would have been down to different clergymen spelling a name differently depending on how we said it. They could not spell their names out for them.

The old bill was in Bailey Lane, so you had Bill Bailey, and won't you come home honey. Wasn't the 'Bailey' part of the defence of the church building.

Yes, one of the earliest references to our "Old Cathedral" was to "St. Michael's in the Bailey" (not sure of the original spelling though), and was within the castle's defensive ditch. Centuries later when the church was vastly expanded, the original ditch - long since filled in - had become forgotten about, and the huge tower was erected right on the edge of the softer infilled ground where the ditch once ran. This is the reason for the slight lean of the tower & spire, which has required expensive underpinning in more recent times. This leaning was noticed by the builders of the tower before it was half finished, and was rectified at the time by the inclusion of a thin wedge-shaped course of stone, which can just about be made out in my photo on this forum page above the highlighted area, just below the louvred windows. The "thick end of the wedge" is on the right, as the ditch ran along the right-hand edge of the tower if looking from inside the cathedral.