[9][10] Upon Richard III's arrival from York in May 1483, Robert Fabyan in his Chronicle wrote that "the Duke lodged hymself in Crosbye's Place, in Bishoppesgate Street" where the Mayor and citizens waited upon him with the offer of the Crown.

[11] Holinshed's Chronicles described that "little by little all folke withdrew from the Tower, and drew unto Crosbies in Bishops gates Street, where the Protector kept his household.

[4] In 1501, Catherine of Aragon resided at Crosby Hall along with her retinue as she arrived in England to marry Prince Arthur, Henry VII's eldest son.

[15] At the time, Crosby Hall was owned by Sir Bartholomew Reade, Lord Mayor, who made it his Mansion House and is recorded as throwing extravagant feasts for ambassadors sent by Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor.

[16] During the Lombard Street riots of May 1511 sheriff John Rest (later Lord Mayor) had the occupancy of Crosby Hall and several of those taken into custody were confined there prior to removal to Lambeth Palace.

[17] Crosby Hall next belonged to Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of England to King Henry VIII, who took a lease on the building in 1519 before his purchase of it in 1523.

[4][20] In 1523, Thomas More sold the remainder of his lease in Bishopsgate to his close friend and patron, the wealthy Anglo-Italian merchant, Antonio Bonvisi.

[21][22] Bonvisi protected the lease of the mansion in various arrangements following More's execution and throughout the Dissolution of the Monasteries, which affected freeholds under the "Priory of St. Eleyns" including that of Crosby Place.

[24] Shakespeare resided in the parish of St Helen's Bishopsgate and would have been within daily sight of Crosby Hall, which is referenced several times in Richard III.

"[26] Spencer entertained Queen Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, the Duc de Sully, the youngest son of the Prince of Orange, other notable figures, and ambassadors.

[29] During the English Civil War the tenant of Crosby Hall was Sir John Langham, a City merchant, Sheriff and, at that time, a noted supporter of Parliament.

After initial attempts within the Corporation failed to raise sufficient funds, various suggestions for payment, relocation, or lettings along the frontage of Great St Helen's were made by the public and press.

The National Trust and British Archaeological Society also campaigned to save Crosby Hall, urging that it had "extreme interest as the only existing example of a medieval merchant's house in the City, and also having regard to the historic and illustrious personages who had lived in it.

"[42] King Edward VII himself caused a letter to be issued by his Private Secretary Francis Knollys, 1st Vicount Knollys to Sir Laurence Gomme, Clerk of the London County Council: Buckingham Palace, August 6th, 1907 Dear Mr. Gomme, The King has been informed that there appears to be some chance of Crosby Hall, a building of great historic interest, being pulled down.

Henry James wrote that Crosby Hall's "almost incomparable roof has arched all this winter and spring [1914–1915] over a scene ... more pathetic than any that have ever drawn down its ancient far-off blessing".

[47][52] The federation raised money for the work through a major campaign reaching out to individual women, industrialists, philanthropists, and Chelsea residents.

Theodora Bosanquet was executive secretary to the IFUW from 1920 to 1935, developing its library to a high standard and promoting intellectual activity and exchange across nations.

Among many other women who received funding and support were Adelheid Heimann (no relation to Betty), Gertrud Kornfeld, Dora Ilse, and Erna Hollitscher [Wikidata].

In Crosby Hall we were not only tolerated but welcomed, and we found an atmosphere of kindness and understanding which assured us that there was another world outside Nazi Germany in which we might be allowed to live freely, and perhaps happily.

[62] The scheme caused considerable controversy, but was given eventually permission after a Public Inquiry in December 1996, following two previous refusals by Kensington and Chelsea Council.

[66] Stone carving of heraldic beasts, including the lions on the building's front gates, was completed by Dick Reid OBE to display the heraldry of Moran and residents dating from 1466 according to Tudor, Elizabethan, or early Stuart historical precedent.