The Next Officer To The High Steward Is The Deputy Steward,
Appointed By The High Steward, And Confirmed By The
Dean and
chapter, who is usually a gentleman learned in the law, being judge
of their court for trial of
Civil actions between party and party,
which is held usually on Wednesday every week. They have also a
court-leet, held annually on St. Thomas's Day, for the choice of
officers, and removal of nuisances. The deputy-steward supplies the
place of sheriff of Westminster, except in the return of members of
Parliament, which is done by the high bailiff, an officer nominated
by the dean and chapter, and confirmed by the high steward. The
high-bailiff also is entitled to all fines, forfeitures, waifs and
strays in Westminster, which makes it a very profitable post.
The high constable, chosen by the burgesses at their court-leet, and
approved by the steward or his deputy, is an officer of some
consideration in this city also, to whom all the rest of the
constables are subject.
The burgesses are sixteen in number, seven for the city and nine for
the liberties of Westminster, appointed by the high steward or his
deputy, every one of whom has his assistant, and has particular
wards or districts: out of these burgesses are chosen two chief
burgesses, one for the city, the other for the liberties. The dean,
high steward, or his deputy, the bailiffs and burgesses, or a quorum
of them, are empowered to make bye-laws, and take cognisance of
small offences, within the city and liberties of Westminster. But I
look upon it that the justices of peace for Westminster have in a
great measure superseded the authority of the burgesses (except as
to weights, measures, and nuisances), by virtue of whose warrants
all petty offenders almost are apprehended and sent to Tothill
Fields Bridewell; and for higher offences, the same justices commit
criminals to Newgate, or the Gatehouse, who receive their trials
before commissioners of oyer and terminer at the Old Bailey, as
notorious criminals in the City of London do; and so far the two
united cities may be said to be under the same government.
The precinct of St. Martin's-le-Grand, in London, is deemed a part
of the city of Westminster, and the inhabitants vote in the
elections of members of Parliament for Westminster.
The ecclesiastical government of the city of Westminster is in the
dean, and chapter, whose commissary has the jurisdiction in all
ecclesiastical causes, and the probate of wills; from whom there
lies no appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury or other spiritual
judge, but to the King in Chancery alone, who upon such appeal
issues a commission under the Great Seal of England, constituting a
court of delegates to determine the cause finally.
I next proceed to survey the out-parishes in the Counties of
Middlesex and Surrey which are comprehended within the bills of
mortality, and esteemed part of this great town. And first, St.
Giles's in the Fields contains these chief streets and places:
Great Lincoln's Inn Fields, part of Lincoln's Inn Garden, Turnstile,
Whetstone Park, part of High Holborn, part of Duke Street, Old and
New Wild Street, Princes Street, Queen Street, part of Drury Lane,
Brownlow Street, Bolton Street, Castle Street, King Street, the
Seven Dials, or seven streets comprehending Earl Street, Queen
Street, White Lion Street, and St. Andrew's Street, Monmouth Street,
the east side of Hog Lane, Stedwell Street, and Staig Street.
Great Lincoln's Inn Fields or Square contains about ten acres of
ground, and is something longer than it is broad, the longest sides
extending from east to west. The buildings on the west and south
generally make a grand figure.
In the parish of St. Sepulchre, which is without the liberties of
the City of London, we meet with Hicks's Hall and the Charter House.
Hicks's Hall is situated in the middle of St. John's Street, towards
the south end, and is the sessions house for the justices of peace
of the County of Middlesex, having been erected for this end, anno
1612, by Sir Baptist Hicks, a mercer in Cheapside, then a justice of
the peace. The justices before holding their sessions at the Castle
Inn, near Smithfield Bars.
To the eastward of Hicks's Hall stood the late dissolved monastery
of the Charter House, founded by Sir Walter Manny, a native of the
Low Countries, knighted by King Edward III. for services done to
this crown, probably in the wars against France.
Sir Walter Manny at first erected only a chapel, and assigned it to
be the burial-place of all strangers; but in the year 1371 Sir
Walter founded a monastery of Carthusian monks here, transferring to
these fathers thirteen acres and a rood of land with the said
chapel: the revenues of which convent, on the dissolution of
monasteries, 30 Henry VIII., amounted to 642 pounds 4d. 1ob. per
annum.
Sir Thomas Audley soon after obtained a grant of this Carthusian
monastery, together with Duke's Place, and gave the former in
marriage with his daughter Margaret to Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, from
whom it descended to the Earl of Suffolk, and was called Howard
House, the surname of that noble family. By which name Thomas
Sutton, Esq., purchased it of the Earl of Suffolk for 13,000 pounds,
anno 1611, and converted it into a hospital by virtue of letters
patent obtained from King James I., which were afterwards confirmed
by Act of Parliament, 3 Charles I.
Pounds s. d.
The manors, lands, tenements, and
hereditaments which the founder
settled upon this hospital
amounted to, per annum 4493 19 10
The revenues purchased by his
executors, &c., after his death,
to per annum 897 13 9
Total of the charity per annum 5391 13 7
But the revenues now amount to upwards of 6,000 pounds per annum by
the improvement of the rents. This charity was given for the
maintenance of fourscore old men, who were to be either gentlemen by
descent reduced to poverty, soldiers by sea or land, merchants who
had suffered by piracy or shipwreck, or servants of the King's
household, and were to be fifty years of age and upwards at their
admission, except maimed soldiers, who are capable of being admitted
at forty years of age.
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