French Walk
23. Virginia Walk
24. Jamaica Walk.
25. Spanish Walk
26. Jews Walk
27. Cornhill
Near the south gate is a spacious staircase, and near the north gate
another, that lead up to the galleries, on each side whereof are
shops for milliners and other trades, to the number of near two
hundred, which brought in a good revenue at first, nothing being
thought fashionable that was not purchased there; but the milliners
are now dispersed all over the town, and the shops in the Exchange
almost deserted.
8. Langbourn Ward, so called of a bourne, or brook, that had its
source in it, and run down Fenchurch Street, contains these
principal streets: part of Lombard Street, part of Fenchurch
Street, part of Lime Street, and part of Gracechurch Street, with
part of the courts, lanes, and alleys in them, particularly White
Hart Court, Exchange Alley, Sherbourne Lane, Abchurch Lane, St.
Nicholas Lane, Mark Lane, Mincing Lane, Rood Lane, Cullum Court,
Philpot Lane, and Braben Court.
The public buildings in this ward are, the Post Office, Ironmongers'
Hall, Pewterers' Hall; the churches of Allhallows, Lombard Street,
St. Edmund's, Lombard Street, St. Mary Woolnoth, St. Dionis
Backchurch, and St. Allhallows Staining.
The Post Office is situated on the south side of Lombard Street,
near Stocks Market. It was the dwelling-house of Sir Robert Vyner,
in the reign of King Charles II. The principal entrance is out of
Lombard Street, through a great gate and passage that leads into a
handsome paved court, about which are the several offices for
receiving and distributing letters, extremely well contrived.
Letters and packets are despatched from hence every Monday to
France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Flanders, Germany, Sweden, Denmark,
Kent, and the Downs.
Every Tuesday to the United Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Denmark,
and to all parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Every Wednesday to Kent only, and the Downs.
Every Thursday to France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and all parts of
England and Scotland.
Every Friday to the Austrian and United Netherlands, Germany,
Sweden, Denmark, and to Kent and the Downs.
Every Saturday to all parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
The post goes also every day to those places where the Court
resides, as also to the usual stations and rendezvous of His
Majesty's fleet, as the Downs, Spithead, and to Tunbridge during the
season for drinking waters, &c.
Letters and packets are received from all parts of England and
Scotland, except Wales, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; from
Wales every Monday and Friday; and from Kent and the Downs every
day.
His Majesty keeps constantly, for the transport of the said letters
and packets, in times of peace,
Between England and France, three packet-boats; Spain, one in a
fortnight; Portugal, one ditto; Flanders, two packet-boats; Holland,
three packet-boats; Ireland, three packet-boats.
And at Deal, two packet-boats for the Downs.
Not to mention the extraordinary packet-boats, in time of war with
France and Spain, to the Leeward Islands, &c.
A letter containing a whole sheet of paper is conveyed eighty miles
for 3d., and two sheets 6d. and an ounce of letters but 1s. And
above eighty miles a single letter is 4d., a double letter 8d., and
an ounce 1s. 4d.
9. Billingsgate Ward is bounded by Langbourn Ward towards the
north, by Tower Street Ward on the east, by the River Thames on the
south, and by Bridge Ward Within on the west. The principal streets
and places in this ward are, Thames Street, Little East Cheap,
Pudding Lane, Botolph Lane, Love Lane, St. Mary Hill, and Rood Lane.
The wharves, or quays, as they lie on the Thames side from east to
west, are, Smart's Quay, Billings gate, Little Somer's Quay, Great
Somer's Quay, Botolph Wharf, Cox's Quay, and Fresh Wharf which last
is the next quay to the bridge; of which Billingsgate is much the
most resorted to. It is a kind of square dock, or inlet, having
quays on three sides of it, to which the vessels lie close while
they are unloading. By a statute of the 10th and 11th of William
III. it was enacted, "That Billingsgate should be a free market for
fish every day in the week, except Sundays." That a fishing-vessel
should pay no other toll or duty than the Act prescribes, viz.,
every salt-fish vessel, for groundage, 8d. per day, and 20d. per
voyage; a lobster boat 2d. per day groundage, and 13d. the voyage;
every dogger boat, or smack with sea-fish, 2d. per day groundage,
and 13d. the voyage; every oyster vessel, 2d. per day groundage, and
a halfpenny per bushel metage. And that it should be lawful for any
person who should buy fish in the said market to sell the same in
any other market or place in London, or elsewhere, by retail." And
because the fishmongers used to buy up great part of the fish at
Billingsgate, and then divide the same among themselves, in order to
set an extravagant price upon them, it was enacted, "That no person
should buy, or cause to be bought, in the said market of
Billingsgate, any quantity of fish, to be divided by lot among the
fishmongers, or other persons, with an intent to sell them
afterwards by retail; and that no fishmonger should buy any more
than for his own use, on pain of 20 pounds." And by the 6th Annae
it was enacted, "That no person should buy fish at Billingsgate to
sell again in the same market; and that none but fishermen, their
wives, or servants, should sell fish by retail at Billingsgate; and
that none should buy or sell fish there before the ringing of the
market bell."
The public buildings in this ward are Butchers' Hall, and the
churches of St. Mary Hill, St. Margaret Pattens, and St. George, in
Botolph Lane.
10. Bridge Ward Within contains London Bridge, New Fish Street,
Gracechurch Street as far as Fenchurch Street, Thames Street from
Fish Street to the Old Swan, part of St. Martin's Lane, part of St.
Michael's Lane, and part of Crooked Lane.
