Queenhithe Lies To The Westward Of The Three Cranes, And Is A
Harbour For Barges, Lighters, And Other Vessels, That
Bring meal,
malt, and other provisions down the Thames; being a square inlet,
with wharves on three sides of it,
Where the greatest market in
England for meal, malt, &c., is held every day in the week, but
chiefly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It received the name
of Queenhithe, or harbour, from the duties anciently paid here to
the Queens of England.
24. Baynard's Castle Ward contains Peter's Hill, Bennet's Hill,
part of Thames Street, Paul's Wharf, Puddle Dock, Addle Hill,
Knightrider Street, Carter Lane, Wardrobe Court, Paul's Chain, part
of St. Paul's Churchyard, Dean's Court, part of Creed Lane, and part
of Warwick Lane.
The public buildings in this ward are Doctors' Commons, the Heralds'
Office, the churches of St. Bennet, Paul's Wharf, St. Andrew,
Wardrobe, and St. Mary Magdalen, Old Fish Street.
Doctors' Commons, so called from the doctors of the civil law
commoning together here as in a college, is situated on the west
side of Bennet's Hill, and consists chiefly of one handsome square
court. And here are held the Court of Admiralty, Court of Arches,
and the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Near the
Commons are the Prerogative Office and Faculty Office.
The Heralds' College or office is situated on the east side of
Bennet's Hill, almost against Doctors' Commons. It is a spacious
building, with a square court in the middle of it, on the north side
whereof is the Court-room, where the Earl Marshal sits to hear
causes lying in the court of honour concerning arms, achievements,
titles of honour, &c.
25. The Ward of Farringdon Without includes Ludgate Hill, Fleet
Street and Fleet Ditch, Sheer Lane, Bell Yard, Chancery Lane, Fetter
Lane, Dean Street, New Street, Plough Yard, East and West Harding
Street, Fleur-de-Lis Court, Crane Court, Red Lion Court, Johnson's
Court, Dunstan's Court, Bolt Court, Hind Court, Wine Office Court,
Shoe Lane, Racquet Court, Whitefriars, the Temples, Dorset or
Salisbury Court, Dorset Street, Bridewell, the Old Bailey, Harp
Alley, Holborn Hill, Castle Street or Yard, Cursitor Alley,
Bartlett's Buildings, Holborn Bridge, Snow Hill, Pye Corner,
Giltspur Street, Cow Lane, Cock Lane, Hosier Lane, Chick Lane,
Smithfield, Long Lane, Bartholomew Close, Cloth Fair, and Duck Lane.
West Smithfield - or, rather, Smoothfield, according to Stow - is an
open place, containing little more than three acres of ground at
present, of an irregular figure, surrounded with buildings of
various kinds. Here is held one of the greatest markets of oxen and
sheep in Europe, as may easily be imagined when it appears to be the
only market for live cattle in this great city, which is held on
Mondays and Fridays. There is also a market for horses on Fridays;
nor is there anywhere better riding-horses to be purchased, if the
buyer has skill, though it must be confessed there is a great deal
of jockeying and sharping used by the dealers in horseflesh. As for
coach-horses, and those fit for troopers, they are usually purchased
in the counties to the northward of the town. The famous fair on
the feast of St. Bartholomew also is held in this place, which lasts
three days, and, by the indulgence of the City magistrates,
sometimes a fortnight. The first three days were heretofore
assigned for business, as the sale of cattle, leather, &c., but now
only for diversion, the players filling the area of the field with
their booths, whither the young citizens resort in crowds.
The public buildings in this ward are Bridewell, Serjeants' Inn in
Fleet Street, the Temple, the Six Clerks' Office, the Rolls,
Serjeants' Inn in Chancery Lane, Clifford's Inn, the House of the
Royal Society, Staple's Inn, Bernards' Inn, and Thavie's Inn,
Justice Hall in the Old Bailey, and the Fleet Prison, with the
churches of St. Bartholomew, and the hospital adjoining, the
churches of St. Sepulchre, St. Andrew, Holborn, St. Bride's, and St.
Dunstan's-in-the-West.
Bridewell is situated on the west side of Fleet Ditch, a little to
the southward of Fleet Street, having two fronts, one to the east,
and the other to the north, with a handsome great gate in each of
them. It consists chiefly of two courts, the innermost being the
largest and best built, four or five storeys high, on the south side
whereof is a noble hall, adorned with the pictures of King Edward
VI. and his Privy Council, King Charles, and King James II., Sir
William Turner, Sir William Jeffreys, and other benefactors.
It was one of the palaces of the Kings of England till the reign of
King Edward VI., who gave it to the City of London for the use of
their poor, with lands of the value of 700 marks per annum, and
bedding and furniture out of the Hospital of the Savoy, then
suppressed.
Here are lodgings and several privileges for certain tradesmen, such
as flax-dressers, tailors, shoemakers, &c., called art masters, who
are allowed to take servants and apprentices to the number of about
140, who are clothed in blue vests at the charge of the house, their
masters having the profit of their labour. These boys having served
their times, have their freedom, and ten pound each given them
towards carrying on their trades; and some of them have arrived to
the honour of being governors of the house where they served.
This Hospital is at present under the direction of a president, and
some hundreds of the most eminent and substantial citizens, with
their inferior officers; and a court is held every Friday, where
such vagrants and lewd people are ordered to receive correction in
the sight of the Court, as are adjudged to deserve it.
Among the public buildings of this ward, that belonging to the Royal
Society, situate at the north end of Two Crane Court, in Fleet
Street, must not be omitted, though it be much more considerable on
account of the learned members who assemble there, and the great
advances that have been made by them of late years in natural
philosophy, &c., than for the elegancy of the building.
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