Portsoken

Coordinates: 51°30′52″N 0°04′31″W / 51.5144°N 0.0752°W / 51.5144; -0.0752

Portsoken is a historical district in the City of London, located outside the former London Wall, on the eastern part of the City, near Aldgate. It is one of the City's 25 ancient wards.

Aldgate and Tower wards lie to the west, and its eastern boundary is defined by Middlesex and Mansell Streets in Whitechapel. To the north, the boundary meets Bishopsgate and Spitalfields; to the south, the former liberties of the Royal Mint.

The Sir John Cass's Foundation Primary School is now located in this (largely residential) ward, added in the 2003 boundary review, and is the only part of the ward within the former wall.

History

John Stow's survey of London records that the ‘soke’ (later ‘liberty’) was granted in Saxon times east of Aldgate to a Guild of Knights in exchange, essentially, for regular jousting. Norman kings confirmed these rights but later the land was voluntarily transferred to the Priory of the Holy Trinity by the descendants of the Guild.