West from Queen Victoria Street to Knightrider Street, in Bread Street and Queenhithe Wards (O.S.1880).
Formerly extended east to Great Trinity Lane.
Earliest mention: "Vico piscano" mentioned in list of property in London belonging to St. Paul's (D. and C. St. Paul's, Lib. L. if. 47-50, C. 1130).
Other forms : " In veteri piscaria," 13th cent. (ib. W.D. 12). " Old Fish Street (Pisconeria), H. III. (Anc. Deeds, A. 1677). " Eldefistrate," 1281 (Cal. L. Bk. B. 8). Oldefistrate," 1291-2 (Ct. H.W. I. 104). " Old Fistrete," 1293-4 (ib. 112). " Eldfihstrete," 1299 (ib. 144). " Oldefishstrete," 1296 (H. MSS. Com. 9th Rep. p. 26). " Olde Fishery," called " Olde Fysshestrete," 1543 (L. and P. Hen. VIII. XVIII. (1), 199). Old Piscaria," called " Old Fishe strete," 1554 (Lond. I. p.m. I. 127).
The street extended into the parishes of St. Nicholas Cole abbey, St. Nicholas Olave, St. Augustine next Oldefysshstrete, St. Gregory, St. Mary Magdalen.
Stow speaks of it as part of Knightrider Street (346), and see Maitland, Ed. 1775, II. 823.
It seems probable that West Fish Street, West Fish market, and New Fish Street, New Fish market all formed part of what is known as Old Fish Street, as all the property variously described as in these several streets appears to have lain close together in one or other of the parishes above enumerated. The entries are very confusing and it is difficult to disentangle them.
The market continued to be kept in Eldefishstrete after the erection of "les Stokkes," 17 Ed. II. (Cal. P.R. Ed. II. 1321-4, p.425, and Lib. Cust. I. 276).
In one entry shops in" Eldefistrete "are described as in the parish of St. Vedast, 1286 (Ct. H.W. I. 76).
Street now again called Knightrider Street (q.v.).
A Dictionary of London. Henry A Harben. 1918.