St. Thomas his Hospital c. p. 81. Of the Charter-House or Sutton's Hospital p. 90 Of Old and New Bedlam p. 97. Sect. 4. Of its Palaces viz. Whitehall or the Kings Court c. p. 99. Of St. James's Palace and the Park p. 122 Of Westminster-hall and the Courts there viz. Common-Pleas Kings-Bench Chancery and Exchequer p. 126. Of Dooms-day-Book p 135. A full Account of the High-Court of Parliament c. p. 193. Of Somerset-house p. 156. Sect. 5. Of the Royal Exchange c. p. 159. Sect. 6. Of Colledges and Inns of Court viz. Gresham-Colledge Sion-Colledge Physitians-Colledge Doctors Commons Colledge of Heralds c. and Inns of Court and Chancery p. 162 179. Sect. 7. Of London-Bridge p. 191. Of the River of Thames and Lord Mayors Jurisdiction there p. 195. Of the New River p. 209. Chap. 4. Of the Government of London Ecclesiastical Temporal and Military c. p. 213. to 288. Of the Charters By-Laws and Courts in London p. 263. to 277. Chap. 5. Of the Trade of London its Merchants the Original of Money an Account of the several Corporations and their Coats of Arms blazon'd p. 269. The Oath of a Freeman p. 331. Of Guild-hall Leaden-hall Blackwel-hall and the Custom-house p. 333 to 336. Of Docks Porters c. p. 340. Of the Markets for Coals Corn and Fish p. 342. Of the Navy-Office and Post-Office p. 343 345. Of the Penny-Post p. 350. The Rates of Coachmen p. 359. An Alphabetical Account of the Carriers Waggoners and Stage-Coaches that come to the respective Inns in London from all parts of England and Wales with the days of their Coming in and Going out p. 383. The Rates of Carmen and Watermen p. 436 442. An Historical Account of the Wars Tumults Fires Epidemical Diseases Rarities and Accidents that have happened in the City of London Briefly abstracted from Ancient and Modern Writers p. 443. An Appendix containing the Names of the present Aldermen and the respective Wards they Govern With a List of the present Officers of the Lord Mayors House and the Officers belonging to the Two Counters THE PRESENT STATE OF LONDON CHAP. I. Of its Antiquity and Original OUr Famous Antiquaries generally agree that the Britains whose Posterity now inhabit the Dominion of Wales and are called Welsh â—eâ—e the Founders of the Renowned City of LONDON They were in old times known by the Name of Aborigines because they first inhabited the Countrey Some derive the name London which is the greatest probablity from the British word Llhong which signifies a Ship and Dinan a Town that is a Town of Ships this City being in all Ages since its foundation very renowned for Shipping and Navigation 2. Others from Llhwindian because as Caesar in his Commentaries and Strabo mention the Ancient Britains called their fortified Woods Llhwn which is equivalent to a fenced Town and that where S. Pauls Church now stands there was in old times a Wood where a Temple was built for Diana it being the custom of those Pagan Times to build their Fanes or Temples to Diana in Woods or Groves and so it signifies Dianas Town 3. Some derive it from Llhandian the Britains still calling Llan a Church and so may signifie Dianas-Church or Temple for there have been frequently digged up Oxens Heads and Bones which have been offered as Victims or Sacrifices there viz. in Camera Dianae So that this word came in tract of time to be pronounced London Caesar Comment lib. 5. calls it Civitas Trinobantum viz. The City of the Trinobants some would have it translated the state of Trinobants for Trosa Nova or Troy Novant New Troy Which appellation was in old times by many ascribed to London as Geoffery of Monmouth the Welsh Historian affirms It is said by the same Author that King Lud repaired this City and much augmented it with fair buildings calling it Caire Lud that is Lud's Town and from him Ludgate takes its Name This City was built 2789 years ago that is 1108 years before the birth of Christ and by the exactest computation in the time of Samuel the Prophet and 350 years before the building of Rome Of all Historians Cornelius Tacitus who first called it Londinum says that it was in his time which is about 1655 years ago Copia Negotiatorum Commeatu valde celebre that is very famous for multitude of Merchants and Traffick or Commerce Herodian in the Life of the Emperour Severus says it was Vrbs magna opulenta that is a Great and Rich City Marcelinus says That in his time which is 1200 and odd years ago it was Vetustum oppidum an ancient Town Fitz-Stephens tells us That haec Civitas Vrbe Roma secundum Chronicorum fidem satis Antiquior est c. Viz. This City according to the credit of Chronologers is far more ancient then Rome In the flourishing Estate of London it was called Augusta a Name denoting Dignity and Majesty for the Great Octavian Successor to Julius Caesar took to himself the Name of Augustus as a Title most Sacred and Honourable This Marcellinus witnesses in his 27 and 28 Books calling it Augusta and that in old times it was called London It was very famous by that Appellation under the Emperour Valentinian And in Constantine's time there was a Mint appointed there and Money stamp'd with this Impression P. Lon. S. that is Pecunia Londino Signata Money stamp'd in London And the Overseer or Master of the Mint was called Praepositus Thesaurorum Augustensium that is Provost of the Treasures of Augusta in Britain CHAP. II. Of the Situation of London THe Wisdom of our Ancestors is very Eminent and Remarkable in the Excellent Situation of this famous City which we shall shew 1. With respect to Air 2. Its conveniencies of being supplied with all sorts of Provisions by Sea and Land 1. With respect to Air This City being situate on the North side of the River in the Latitude of 51 Degrees 30 Minutes and so far distant from the Sea that it is not annoyed with the boistrous Winds or unwholsom Vapours of it and yet so near that it enjoys the mild salubrious Breezes of the Eastern Southern and Western Seas with the wholsom gusts and fresh Air of the Country round about it must needs therefore have an Excellent Air. And it is by Experience found to be as healthy a City considering its greatness and Number of Inhabitants with the prodigions quantity of Coals burnt yearly in it as any in the known World 2. The Soil is rich and fertile abounding with plenty of all things useful for the life of Man The Country round about it being very well Inhabited supplying it with plenty of all Sorts of Provision and the Respective Manufactories of England to furnish not only the Inhabitants but for Transportation to the several parts of the World where its Merchants Trade For which it has the advantage of large strait and fair High-ways for Carriages and Passengers by Land
French or Latin He knew the state of Foreign Princes perfectly and his own more He could call all Gentlemen of Account through his Kingdom by their Names And all this when he had scarce yet attained to the Age of Fifteen Years and dyed before Sixteen That from hence we may gather It is a sign of no long Life when the Faculties of the Mind are ripe so early His Pious and Religious Life was Remarkable as may be seen in the whole series of it and his Death was no less for the hour before he dyed he was over-heard to pray thus by himself O Lord God deliver me out of this miserable and wretched life O Lord thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy Chosen's sake if it be thy Will send me life and health that I may truly serve thee O Lord God save thy chosen People in England and defend this Realm from PAPISTRY and maintain thy true Religion that I and my People may praise thy Holy Name for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake So turning his Face and seeing some by him he said I thought you had not been so nigh Yes said Dr. Owen we heard you speak to your self Then said the King I was praying to God I am faint Lord have mercy upon me and receive my Spirit And in so saying his blessed Spirit departed to take possession of an heavenly Crown when he had enjoyed an earthly Crown six years five months and nine days He was buried the 9th of August in Henry the Seventh's Chappel at Westminster near the Body of the said King Henry the Seventh his Grandfather This small Digression I hope will not be unacceptable to all true Christians being in memorial of that Peerless and Never-enough Bewailed Prince but he was too good for the World and rests now in endless Happiness In the year 1552 began the Repairing of the Gray-Fryers House for the poor Fatherless Children and in the month of November the Children were taken in to the same to the Number of almost 400. On Christmas-day in the Afternoon while the Lord Mayor and Aldermen Rode to Pauls the Children of Christs-Hospital from St. Lawrence-lane end in Cheapside towards Pauls all in one Livery of Russet-Cotton Three hundred and forty in Number and at Easter next they were in Blue at the Spittle and so they have continued ever since but they were this Year at St. Sepulchres This indeed was a work of extraordinary Piety and in my judgment it is a very Comely Sight to see the Poor Boys when they Sup all together with what Decency Order and Neatness they are serv'd and Governed by the respective Persons in that Office how plentifully they are provided with good Dyet Washing Lodging and Learning to fit them for business which the City takes care to settle them in according to their respective Capacities and it is known that many of them came to be Men of Note Wealth and great Usefulness in their Countrey Christs-Hospital Bridewel and St. Thomas are Incorporated by the Names of the Mayor Commonalty and Commons of the City of London Governors of the Possessions Revenues and Goods of the Hospitals of Edward King of England the Sixth oâ— Christ Bridewel and St. Thomas the Apostleâ— c. St. Bartholomew-Hospital is Incorporated by thâ— Name of the Mayor Commonalty and Citizens 〈◊〉 the City of London Governors of the Hospital 〈◊〉 the Poor called Little Saint Bartholomews near to West-Smithfield of the Foundation of King Henry the Eighth In the Year 1533 the 10th of April Sir George Barnâ— being Mayor of this City was sent for to the Court at Wâ—itehall where the King gave him 〈◊〉 was said his House of Bridewel and 700 Marks of Land late belonging to Savoy Hospital and all the Bedding and other Furniture c. for Bridewel and St. Thomas in Southwark The Gift was confirmed by Charter dated June 26. following And in the Year 1555 Sir William Gerrard Lord Mayor and the Aldermen entred Bridewel and took possession thereof according to the Gift of the said King Edward the same being confirmed by Queen Mary This Bridewel is now buâ—lt in a very curious and stately manner To reckon up the several Eminent and Bountiful Benefactors to these Hospitals would be endless they except some that would be concealed are to be found in the Records of those places to which the Reader is referred Only it being a very singular Example of Honesty Industry and Piety not to detract in the least from any Worthy and Bountiful Benefactor I will Remark one Richard Castel oâ— Castellâ—r Shoemaker dwelling in Westminster a Man of great labour and care in his Faculty with his own hands so that he was called the Cock of Westminster because both Winter and Summer he was at his Work before Four a Clock in the morning This Man thus honestly and painfully labouring for his Living God blessed and increased his Labours so â—bundantly that he purchased Lands and Tenements â—n Westminster to the yearly value of 44 l. And having no Child with the consent of his Wife who survived him and was a virtuous good Woman gave the same Lâ—â—ds wholly to Christs-Hospital aforesaid to the Relief of the Innocent and Fatherless Children and for the Succor of the Miserable Sore and Sick harboured in other Hospitals about London Sir William Chester Kt. and Alderman of London and John Calthrop Citizen and Draper of the same City at their own proper Costs and Charges â—â—ade the Brick-Walls and Way on the Back-side which leadeth from the said New Hospital unto the Hospital of St. Bartholomew and also covered and vaulted the Town-Ditch from Aldersgate to Newgate which before was very Noisom and Contagiouâ— to the said Hospital Sir Rowland Hill Lord Mayor in the 3d Year of this King besides many large and bountiful Charities on other things gave this Hospital 500 l. in his Life and 100 l. at his Death In the Year 1552 the Citizens of London having purchased the void suppressed Hospital of St. Thomas in Southwark in the Month of July began the Reparations thereof for Poor Impotent Lame and Diseased People so that in November following the Sick and Lame were taken in II. Of all the Hospitals that ever were Founded in Christendom there is none can parallel that of Thomas Sutton Esq called Sutton's Hospital which will commend to all succeeding Posterity the duely deserved Praises of that truely Worthy and Never-to-be-forgotten Gentleman the Phoenix of Charity in our Times The Dissolved Charter-house by West-Smithfield belonging to the Right Honourable Thomas Earl of Suffolk after Lord Treasurer of England is sufficiently known to be a very large and goodly Mansion beautified with spacious Gardens Walks Orchards and other Pleasures Enriched with divers Dependencies of Lands and Tenements thereunto belonging and very aptly seated for wholesom Air and several other Commodities All which Commodiousness of Situation and largeness of Circuit gave occasion to this well minded Gentleman
West yea a considerable share of the richest Merchandizes of the World c. so that this Famous River may be said to be as it were the Radical Moysture of London and its best Friend which was hinted by the Lord Mayor to King James for the King being displeased because the City would not lend Him a Sum of Money told the Mayor and Aldermen that he would Remove His Court with all the Records of the Tower and the Courts of Westminster-Hall to another place with further expressions of that kind The Lord Mayor calmly heard all and at last Answered Your Majesty hath Power to do what You Please and Your City of London will obey accordingly but She humbly Desires that when Your Majesty shall remove Your Courts You would please to leave the Thames behind You. Besides the inestimable Benefit that this Noble River brings to the City and the Adjacent places by the easie conveyance of all Sorts of Goods and Merchandizes almost all the Fuel for Firing being also brought by it from Newcastle Scotland Kent Essex c. It supplies the City in very many places with excellent wholsom Water convey'd into all the Adjacent Houses by Water Engines of great cost and Artifice So much for the Thames The City of London is supply'd with pure Spring-Water from above Twenty Conduits so Commodiously placed that they serve all the Chiefest parts of the City And in all parts though on the highest Ground It is abundantly Served with Pump Water and those Pumps in many places hardly Six Foot deep in the Ground Of the New-River This Famous and never-to-be-forgotten Work brought by the Liberal Charge and Exquisite Skill of one Worthy Man Sir Hugh Middleton Knight and Baronet Citizen and Goldsmith of London deserves an everlasting Memorial Several Wells and Springs of sweet and fresh Water with which the City was served being Decayed sundry Projects were on Foot to supply that want but this Principal Device was found out by the aforesaid Gentleman and the Difficulties and vast Expence made it for some time to be retarded but Courage and a Resolution to promote the Publick Good prompted him on to the Atchievment which since hath proved happily Commodious and of infinite Utility to the whole City so that the brave Adventurer deserves a Statue to Eternize his Name and Transmit his Memory to keep it Fresh like his Waters to future Ages Now as Mr. Stow speaks very ingeniously if those Enemies to all Good Actions Danger Difficulty Detraction Contempt Scorn and Envy could have prevailed by their Malevolent Interposition either before at the beginning and in the very Birth of the Attempt and a good while after this work had never been accomplished Queen Elizabeth granted Power to the Citizens by Act of Parliament for Cutting and Conveying of a River from any part of Middlesex or Hartfordshire to the City of London with a Limitation of ten Years time for the performance thereof But She dyed before it was undertaken King James Granted the like but without limitation of time And when others would not undertake it Sir Hugh Middleton did with infinite Pains and vast Charge both begin and finish it He brought it from Amuel and Chadwel two Springs near Ware in Hartfordshire from whence in a turning and winding Course it Runs threescore Miles before it reaches the City At the North-side of the City at Islington he built a large Cistern to receive it and from thence it is dispersed in Pipes serving the highest parts of London in their lower Rooms and the Lower parts in their higher Rooms It was begun the 28 th of February Anno Dom. 1608 and finished in five Years It can hardly be imagined what difficulties and rubs there were in the way through which the Water was to pass some being Ozie Soft and Muddy other again as Hard Craggy and Stâ—ny in some places the Channel is Thirty Foot deep in other places it is carried over Valleys in open Troughs betwixt Hills which Troughs are supported by Wooden Arches some of them fixt in the Earth very deep and rising in Height above 23 Foot Over this New-River are made 800 Bridgs some of Stone some of Brick and some of Wood and six hundred Men have been at once imployed in this Great Work The River being brought to the said Great Cistern the Water was not let in till Michaelmas Day Anno 1613. Sir John Swinnerton then Lord Mayor and Sir Thomas Middleton Brother to the said Sir Hugh being Elected Lord Mayor for the Ensuing Year In the Afternoon Sir John Swinnerton and Sir Thomas Middleton with Sir Henry Mountague the Recorder of London and many of the Worthy Aldermen Rode in a Solemn manner to see the Great Cistern and first Issuing of the strange River thereunto which was then made Free Denizen of London and the Solemnity was thus A Troop of Labourers of the Number of Sixty or more well Apparrelled and wearing Green Monmoth Caps after the Brittish manner all alike carried Spades Shovels Pickaxes and such like Instruments of Laborious Employment and marching after Drums twice or thrice about the Cistern presented themselves before the Mount where the Lord Mayor and the Aldermen were with a Worthy Company besides and one Man in the behalf of the rest delivered a handsom Speech in Verse at the Conclusion of which the Flood-Gates flew open and the Stream ran Cheerfully into the Cistern the Drums Beating and Trumpets Sounding in Triumphant manner and a Gallant Peal of Chambers gave a Period to the Entertainment Upon which brave Man these Lines were made Ad Hugonem Middleton Equitem Aurat um De stupenda hac aquarum opera Compita qui fluvium per Londinensia Duxti Vt jam quisque suis vicus abundet aquis Non Aganippe tuas satis est depromere laudes Haec scaturigo novae quam tibi fundit aquae Before we leave this Head although it is noâ— necessary to give a particular Account of every Conduit whereof there are many in and about the City as was said and one now a Rearing in the place of the Old Conduit at the West end of Cheapâ— side which is intended to be a Stately one and beseeming the Magnificence of the City and that Gallant Street where it is to be Erected c. Yeâ— that neatly-wrought Conduit in Stocks-Market aâ— the West end of Lumbard-street is not to be omitted whereupon is placed a very Magnificent Statue of KING CHARLES the II. on Horseback Trampling upon an Enemy all in Excellent White-Marble at the Sole Cost and Charges of Sir Robert Viner who was Lord Mayor of London in the Year 1675. There is likewise a very Magnificent Statue of King CHARLES the I. on Horse-back all ofâ— Solid Brass at Charing-Cross the Figures of both which are here Exhibited THE K. AT THE STOCKs MARKET THE K. AT CHARING CROSs CHAP. IV. Of the Government of London IN this Chapter we shall briefly Treat of the Government of this Renowned City
purchase of outward peace forced me to insert and perhaps it were more fit for a Divine and for another Treatise in this Section of the Ecclesiastical Government of this Renowned City There belong to this Cathedral besides those mentioned before A. Chaunter a Chancellor five Arch-Deacons viz. London Middlesex Essex Colchester and S. Albane a College of 12 Petty Canons 6 Vicars Choral and Choristers c. In the Bishop of London's Diocess there is contained the City of London all Middlesex and Essex and a part of Hartfordshire SECT 2. Of the Temporal Government of the City of LONDON THis great and populous City is governed with that admirable Order and Regularity that it is even astonishing For therein as in most other things she excells all the Cities in the World To handle this at large would make this small Tract swell beyond bounds we shall therefore give a brief abstract of it for Methods sake under these heads 1. Its Magistrates and Publick Officers 2. Its Charters and Priviledges 3. It s Particular or By-laws 4. Its Courts 5. Its Prisons 6. Its Watches 1. Of the Magistrates and Publick Officers of London This Renowned City in the time of the Romans was made a Praefectura and the chief Magistrate call'd a Prefect which continued about 300 years In the time of the Saxons the name was changed into a Portgreeve that is Custos or Guardian and sometimes Provost of London After the coming in of the Normans the chief Magistrate was called Bailivus from the French word Bailler tradere committere that is Commissarius or one that hath Commission to govern others and there were sometimes two Bayliffs in London till King Richard the First in the year 1189. changed the name of Bayliff into Mayor which hath so continued 482 years The first Lord Mayor was Henry Fitz-Alwin Draper who continued in the Mayoralty from the first of Richard the First untill the 15 th of King John which was above 24 years He was interred in the Parish Church of S. Mary Bothaw near to London-Stone where he dwelt not S. John Baptist as was by mistake affirm'd p. 39. which the Reader is desired to correct by this c. In this place before we come to treat more particularly of this great and honourable Magistrate it may not be amiss to give a List of all the Lord Mayors and Sheriffs from that time to this present year 1681. Richard the First began his Raign July the 6th 1189. A. D. A. R. Lord MAYORS SHERIFFS 1189 1 Henry Fitz-Alwin Henry Cornhil Richard Reynere 1190 2 The same John Herlion Roger Duâ—e 1191 3 The same William Haverel John Buckmote 1192 4 The same Nicholas Duke Peter Newly 1193 5 The same Râ—ger Duke Richard Fitz-Alwin 1194 6 The same William Fitz-Isabel William Fitz-Arnold 1195 7 The same Robert Besaunt Joke de Josne 1196 8 The same Gerard de Antiloche Robert Durant 1197 9 The same Roger Blunt Nicholas Ducket 1198 10 The same Const Fitz-Arnold Robert le Bean. 1199 11 The same Arnold Fitz-Arnold Ri. Fitz Bartholomew King John began his Reign the 6th of April 1199. A. D. A. R. Lord MAYORS SHERRIFFS 1199 1 Henry Fitz-Alwin Arnold Fitz-Arnold Ri. Fitz Bartholomew 1200 2 The same Roger Dorset James Bartholomew 1201 3 The same Walter Fitz-Allice Sim. de Aldermanbury 1202 4 The same Norman Blondel John de Ely 1203 5 The same Walter Browne W. Chamberlaine 1204 6 The same Thomas Haverel Hamond Brond 1205 7 The same John Walgrave Rich. de Winchester 1206 8 The same John Holy-land Edm. Fitz-Gerard 1207 9 The same Roger Winchester Edmund Hardle 1208 10 The same Peter Duke Thomas Neal. 1209 11 The same Peter le Josue William Blound 1210 12 The same Adam Whitbey Stephen le Grass 1211 13 The same John Fitz-Peter John Garland 1212 14 The same Randolph Eyland Constantine Josue 1213 15 Roger Fitz-Alwin Martin Fitz-Allice Peter Bate 1214 16 The same Solomon Basing Hugh Basing 1215 17 William Hardel John Travers Andrew Newland King Henry the III. began His Reign the 19th of October 1216. A. D. A. R. Lord MAYORS SHERIFFS 1216 1 William Hardel John Travers Andrew Newland 1217 2 Robert Serl Thomas Bokerel Ralph Holyland 1218 3 The same Bennet Senturer William Blundivers 1219 4 The same John Wail or Veil Josue le Spicer 1220 5 The same Richard Wimbledon John Wail or Veil 1221 6 The same Richard Renger John Veil 1222 7 The same Richard Joyner Thomas Lambert 1223 8 Richard Benger William Joyner Thomas Lambert 1224 9 The same John Travers Andrew Bokerel 1225 10 The same The same The same 1226 11 The same Roger Duke Mar. Fitz-Williams 1227 12 Roger Duke Stephen Bokereâ— Henry Cocham 1228 13 The same The same The same 1229 14 The same William Winchester Robert Fitz-John 1230 15 The same Richard Walter John de Woborn 1231 16 Andrew Bokerel Michael of St. Helen Walter de Enfield 1232 17 Andrew Bokerel Henry de Edmonton Gerard Bat. 1233 18 The same Roger Fitz-Mary Roger Blunt 1234 19 The same Ralph Ashwray John Norman 1235 20 The same Gerard Bat. Rich. or Rob. Hardel 1236 21 The same Henry Cobham Jordan Conventry 1237 22 The same John Tolason Gerv. the Cordwainer 1238 23 Richard Benger John Codras John Wilhall 1239 24 William Joyner Reymond Bongy Ralph Ashwy 1240 25 Gerard Bat. John Gisors Michael Tony. 1241 26 Reymond Bongy Thomas Duresm John Voyl 1242 27 The same John Fitz-John Ralph Ashwy 1243 28 Ralph Ashwy Hugh Blunt Adam Basing 1244 29 Michael Tony. Ralph Eoster Nicholas Bat. 1245 30 John Gisors Robert Cornhil Adam of Bewly 1246 31 The same Simon Fitz-Mary Lawrence Frowick 1247 32 Peter Fitz-Alwin John Voil Nicholas Bat. 1248 33 Michael Tony. Nicholas Fitz-Josue Geoffry Winchester 1249 34 Roger Fitz-Roger Richard Hardel John Tolason 1250 35 John Gisors Humphrey Bat. Will. Fitz. Richard 1251 36 Adam Basing Lawrence Frowick Nicholas Bat. 1252 37 John Tolason William Durham Thomas Wimborn 1253 38 Richard Hardel John Northampton Richard Richard 1254 39 The same Ralph Ashury Robert of Limâ—n 1255 40 The same Stephen Doe Henry Walmond 1256 41 The same Michael Bokerel John the Minor 1257 42 The same Richard Otwell William Ashwy 1258 43 The same Robert Cornhill John Adrian 1259 44 John Gisors John Adrian Robert Cornhill 1260 45 Will. Fitz-Richard Adam Browning Henry Coventry 1261 46 The same John Northampton Richard Pichard 1262 47 Thom. Fitz-Richard John Taylor Richard Wallbroke 1263 48 The same Rob. de Mountpeter Osbert de Suffolk 1264 49 Thomas Fitz Thomas Fitz-Richard George Râ—kestey Thomas de Detford 1265 50 The same Edward Blâ—nt Peter Anger 1265 51 William Richards John Hind John Walraven 1266 52 Allen de-la-Zouch John Adrian Lucas de Batencourt 1267 53 T. Wimborn Custos Sir Stephen Edward Walter Harvey William Duresm 1268 54 Hugh Fitz-Ottonis Custos of London and Constable of the Tower Thomas Basing Robert Cornhill At this time the KING Granted the Choice of the Mayors and Sheriffs to
Ministers of this City And if ye be letted by any person or persons that ye may not dueâ—y do your Office ye shall certifie the Mayor and Councel of the City of the Name or Names of him or them that so let you Ye shall also Swear that During the time that ye shall stand in the Office and occupy the Room of a Constable ye shall once at the least every Month certifie and shew to one of the Clerks of the Mayors Court and in the same Court as well the Names as Surnames of all Free-men which ye shall know to be deceased in the Month in the Parish wherein ye be inhabited as also the Names and Sirnames of all Children of the said Freemen so deceased being Orphans of this City And thus ye shall not leave to Do as God you help c. The Scavengers Oath is thus Ye shall Swear that ye shall Diligently oversee that the Pavements within your Ward be well and sufficiently repaired and not made too high in Noysance of your Neighbours and that the Ways Streets and Lanes be cleansed of Dung and all manner of filth for Honesty of this Câ—ty And that all the Chimneys Furnaces and Recedoes be of Stone sufficiently made against Peril of Fire And if ye find any the Contrary ye shall shew it to the Alderman of the Ward so that the Alderman may Ordain for the amendment thereof And thus ye shall do as God you help c. Before we leave this Head it may not be amiss to give an Alphabetical List of the Officers and Rooms in the City of London in the Lord Mayors Gift Alvegars Searchers and Sealers of Woollen-Cloath Attorny-ship in the Sheriffs Court Baker of the Bridge-House Bayliff of the Hundred of Osalston Bayliwick of Southwark Beadle-ship of the Court of Request Bell-man Clerkship of the Lord Mayors Court Clerkship of the Papers Clerkship of the Chamber Clerkship of the Compters Clerkship of the Bridge-House Clerkship of the Works and Reparation-stuff Clerkship of the Court of Request Clerkship of the Commissioners for the Inlargment of Prisoners in Execution in the Compters Clerk of Bridewell Clerkship of Blackwell-Hall Clerkship of the Commissioners for Inlargment of Prisoners in the Kings-Bench Common Sergeant-ship Common Pleaders Common-Hunt Common Cryers Common Comptroller Comptroller of the Chamber Collector of Scavage Collectors of Wheeladge on London-Bridge Conduit at Dowgate Drawing Water Foreigntaker Gauger of Wines and Oyl Keeper of Blackwell-Hall Keeper of the Store-house in Blackwell-Hall Keeper of Worsted-Hall Keeper of Bay-Hall Keeper of the Conduit at Newgate Keeper of Ludgate Keepership of Newgate Keepership of the Compters Keeper of the Compters in Southwark Keeper of Bethlehem Keeper of the Sessions-House Keeper Clean of the Market and Market-House in Newgate-Market and Collector of Duties there Keeper of the New Burial-place Keepers of the Wood and Coals for the poor in several places Measurage of Silks Cloath and Linen Meal-Weighers Measurage of Cottons Measurage of Bays Packership Protonariship Portership of Blackwell-Hall Portership of the Bridge-House Remembrancer Rentership of the Bridge-House Rentership of Finsbury Sword-Bearer Secondariship Solicitorship Three Sergeant Carvers Three Sergeants of the Chamber Sergeants of the Chaunel Stewardship of Southwark Stewardship of Finsbury Town-Clerkship Under-Sheriff-wick Under Water-Bayliff Weigher of Raw-Silks Water-Bayliff Two Yeomen of the Chamber Four Yeomen of the Water-side Yeomen of the Channel Six Young Men. Au Abstract of the Charters of the Famous City of London THe ROYAL CHARTER granted by our Gracious Soveraign King Charles the Second the 24 th of June in the 15 th of his Reign in confirmation of all the Charters of this City granted by his Royal Predecessors recites them all verbatim of which that is the most memorable we can only give a brief Alphabetical Abstract the Reader that would read them at large being referred to larger Tracts By Charter of King H. 2. was granted Acquittal of Murder within the City and in Portsoken thereof confirmed by King John ch 1. By Hen. 3. ch 4. ch 9. By Charter of King John ch 3. there was granted an Acquittal of Duties in the Thames claimed at the Tower confirmed by King Hen. 3. ch 3. By Charter of King H. 1. an Acquittal of Toll Tollage Custage and Custome that is that all the men of London shall be quit and free and all their goods throughout England and the Ports of the Sea of all Toll and Passage and Lestage and all other Customs And by H. 2. that if any in all England shall take any Custom or Toll of or from the men of London after he shall fail of Right the Sheriff of London may take Goods thereof at London Confirm'd by King John ch 1. by King H. 3. ch 4. by the same ch 8. by E. 3. ch 1. King John ch 2. The City Accompts to the King to be past in the Exchequer See E. 3. ch by King John 2. Allowance of Sheriffs is to be in the Exchequer and confirm'd by H. 3. ch 7. Aids Citizens by Charter of Ed. 2. are not to War out of the City and the Aids then granted to the King are not by that Charter to be drawn into Example None are to be amerced but according to the Law of the City by Charter of Hen 2. confirmed by R. 3. ch 1. That the Sheriffs of London be as other Sheriffs by Charter of Ed. 1. and their amerciament is not to exceed 20. l. H. 3. ch 1. By Charter of Ed. 4. Char. 1. Aldermen for term of Lives shall have this Liberty that is to say that as long as they shall continue Aldermen there and shall bear the Charge of Aldermen proper and also those which before had been Aldermen and have also with their great Costs and Expences born the Offices of Mayoralty shall not be put in any Assizes Juries or Attaints Recognizances or Inquisitions out of the said Ciâ—y and that they nor any of them shall be Tryer or Tryers of the same although they touch us viz. the King or our Heirs or Succescessors or other whomsoever That Aldermen of London are not to be made Collectors or Taxers out of the City nor to suffer for Refusal of such Offices By the same Charter Aldermen past the Mayoralty are to be Justice of the Peace The Mayor Aldermen and Recorder to be Justices of Oyer and Terminer and the Mayor to be of the Quorum By Charter of Hen. 1. All Debtors which do owe Debts to the Citizens of London shall pay them in London or else discharge themselves in London that they owe none But if they will not pay the same neither come to clear themselves that they owe none the Citizens of London to whom the Debts shall be due may take their Goods in the City of London of the Burrough or Town or of the County wherein be Remains who shall owe the Debts By Charter of E. 4. ch 1. Attachments are to be made by the City Officers in Southwark
to whom they will and of what Estate they will And may also Devise a New Rent to rise from their Tenements in manner as they like best And those which are Free-men of the said City may Devise their Tenements in Mortmain Infants within Age may not make a Devise nor can Women-Covert Devise their Tenements by License of their Husbands nor in other manner during the Coverture The Husband may not Devise his Tenements to his Wife for a higher Estate upon pain to lose the whole Neither may the Husband Devise the Tenements descended to his Wife nor the Tenements which the Husband and Wife have jointly purchased but if the Husband and the Wife have Tenements Joyntly to them and to the Heirs of the Husband the Husband may Devise the Reversion All Testaments by which any Tenements be Devised may be inrolled in the Hustings Court of Record at the suit of any which may take advantage by the same Testaments And the Testament which ought to be inrolled shall be brought before the Mayor and Aldermen in full Husting And there shall the said Testaments be Proclaimed by the Sergeant and the same also to be proved by two Discreet men well known the which shall be sworn and examined of all the Circumstances of the said Testaments and of his Seal and if the proof be found good and loyal and agreeable then shall the said Testament be inrolled in the same Hustings of Record and the Fee shall be paid for the Inrollment and no Testament Noncupative nor other Testaments may be inrolled of Record except that the Seal of the Testor be put to the same Testament But the Testaments that may be found good and loyal are effectual although they be not inrolled nor of Record The Testament within the said City ought by Custome of the same City to be adjudged effectual and Executory having Regard to the Testators Wills although that the Words of such Testaments be defective and not according to the Common-Law c. The Mayor and Aldermen that are for the time by Custom of the City shall have the Wardship and Marriages of all the Orphans of the said City after the Death of their Ancestors although the same Ancestors do hold to them and the City of any other Lord by what service soever The Mayor and Aldermen ought to inquire of all the Lands and Tenements Goods and Chattels within the said City appertaining to such Orphans and safely keep them to the use and profit of such Orphans or otherwise commit the same Orphans together with their Lands and Tenements Goods and Chattels to other their Friends by sufficient Surety found of Record in the Chamber of Guild-hall to maintain conveniently the said Orphans during their Non-age and their Lands and Tenements to repair and the said Goods and Chattels safely to keep and thereof to render a good and Loyal Accompt before the said Mayor and Aldermen to the profit of the same Infants when they shall come to their Age or when they shall be put to a Mystery or shall Marry by the Advice of the said Mayor and Aldermen And that in all Cases except that it be otherwise ordained and disposed for the same Orphans or for their Lands and Tenements Goods and Chattels by express words contained in the Testaments of their Ancestors No such Orphans ought to be Marryed without the Consent of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen Where Lands and Tenements Goods and Chattels within the said City are Devised to an Infant within age of one City or of the same City his Father living that such an Infant is no Orphan yet by usage of the said City the said Lands and Tenements Goods and Chattels shall be in the Custody of the Mayor and Aldermen as well as of the Orphans to maintain and keep them to the use and profit of the same Infant Except that the Father of the Infant or some other of his Friends will find sufficient Surety of Record to maintain and keep the said Lands c. to the use and profit of the said Infant and thereof to render a good and loyal accompt c. The Magistrates and Officers of the said City ought to obey no Commandment nor no Seal but only the Commands and Immediate Seal of the King Nor ought any Officer of the King to make Seizure or any Execution within the said City nor the Liberties thereof by Land or by Water but only the Officers of the said City The Sheriffs of London may make Arrests and serve Executions in the River of Thames from the East-part of London-Bridge untill the Return and from the West-part of the said Bridge unto Stanes-Bridge The said Sheriffs ought to have Forfeitures of the Chattels of all kind of Fugitives and Fellons and of Deodands that is in Latine a thing forfeited to God as if a Horse kills his Keeper or a Cart run over a Man such are forfeited to the King to be distributed to the poor within the said City and the River of Thames in aid of their Farm viz. 300 l. per Annum which they pay yearly to the King If the Goods of a Free-man be Arrested or wrongfully detained to pay Toll c. elsewhere and witnessed by men of credit the Goods or Merchandize of the party detaining or of others of the same Village where the wrong was done if found within the City of London are to be Arrested by the City Officers to be detained in the Name of Withernam which word in the Common-Law is the taking or driving a Distress to a hold or out of the County where the Sheriff cannot come upon a Replevin to make Deliverance thereof to the party Distreined untill agreement be made with the said Freeman for damages sustained c. The Lord Mayor as was said before being chief Buttler on Coronation Days is to have a Golden Cup at the Coronation of every King as was given when his present Majesty was Crowned Baker's Chron. p. 748. Edit 1679. If a Woman that hath a Husband as a Woman Sole hire any House or Shop within the City she shall be charged to pay the Rent of the said House and Shop and shall be impleaded and pursued as a Sole Woman by way of Debt if need be notwithstanding that she was Marryed at the time of the Lease the Lessor not knowing thereof If a plaint of Trespass be made against a Man and his Wife for a Tresspass done by the Wife solely then the Wife shall answer sole without her Husband if the Husband come not and shall have Plea as a sole Woman and if she be attainted of Trespass she shall be condemned and Committed to Prison untill she hath made agreement If Plaint be made against a Freeman resident within the City or by the Law of the City hath a Summons because of the Franchise if the Plaintiff come to the Sheriff and bring with him six or four Freemen credible persons that will testifie that the Defendant is going
through the City of London for going to Court when his House was Infected December 22. 1607. Nineteen Pyrates were Executed at Wapping These Historical Memorandums with what is scattered up and down the Book Comprehend the most memorable Tumults Fires Plagues Rarities and Casualties in which this Great City has been concern'd I confess there are many more of less Remark but I must of necessity refer the Reader at present to larger Tracts if he be so Curious as to pe ruse them An APPENDIX Containing the Names of the Present Aldermen of the City of London and the respective Wards they Govern Also a List of the Officers of the Lord Mayors House and the Offices belonging to the Two Compters IN this Appendix shall be inserted some few things that should have been put into their proper place could I have timely obtained distinct Information The City of London is divided into Twenty Six Wards each of which is Governed by its Respective Alderman the Names of which are these that follow with the several Wards which they Govern Aldersgate-Ward Sir Thomas Bludworth Alderman Algate-Ward Sir Thomas Bâ—câ—ford Alderman Bassishaw-Ward Sir Simon Lewis Alderman Billingsgate-Ward Sir John Peak Alderman Bishopsgate-Ward Sir Joseph Sheldon Alderman Breadstreet-Ward Sir Henry Tulse Alderman Bridge-Ward Sir George Waterman Alderman Broadstreet-Ward Sir William Pritchard Alderman Candlewike-Ward Sir James Edwards Alderman Castlebaynard-Ward Sir William Turner Alderman Cheapside-Ward Sir Robert Clayton Alderman Colemanstreet-Ward Sir John Frederick Alderman Cordwayner-Ward Sir Robert Jeffery Alderman Cornhil-VVard Sir William Hooker Alderman Cripplegate-VVard Sir John Shorter Alderman Dowgate-VVard Sir Thomas Gold Alderman Farringdon-Ward within The Right Honourable Sir Patience Ward L. Mayor Farringdon-VVard without Thomas Pilkington Esq Alderman Langborne-VVard Sir Robert Viner Alderman Limestreet-VVard Sir William Rawsterne Alderman Portsoken-VVard Sir James Smith Alderman Queen-Hythe-VVard Sir John Lawrence Alderman Tower-Street-Ward Sir John Chapman Alderman Vintry-VVard Henry Cornish Esq Alderman Walbrook-Ward Sir John Moore Alderman Sir Thomas Allen Alderman of Bridge-Ward without A List of the Officers of the L. Mayors House William Man Esq Sword-Bearer John Wells Esq Common-Cryer Ro. Cheney Esq Common-Hunt Harvey Esq Water-Baily John Robotham Coroner Jo. Bancroft R. Capel Tho. Blenksop Serjeant Garvers John Clare John Beverly John Cole Seâ—â—eants of the Chamber John Bradnox Serjeant of the Channel William Jones Thomas Cross William Page Lee Sadler Yeomen of the Water-side John Noyes Yeoman of the Channel William Shaw Under Water-Bayliff Daniel Man and Samuel Boufoy Yeomen of the Chamber Francis Brown Richard Ball Thomas Hewit Sydrach Denham John Doley Young Men. John Weightman and two more Meal-Weighers William Cave John Fickels Yeomen of the Wood-Wharf William Cave Fruit-Meter Daniel Man Hall-keeper Officers belonging to Woodstreet-Compter Richard Normansel Secundary George Kingswel Clerk of the Papers Benjamin Woodworth William Scot John Mordent and Marshal Clerks Sitters Longworth Cross and Robert Reves Attornies Serjeants Wil. Newton Edw. Howard â—ohn Prigmore â—ohn East â—ohn Boyer â—no Brown â—ohn Hill Wells â—ohn Costhust Ed. Thompson Fran. Bromley John Bell Andr. Lambeth Henry Lee Ralph Lewis W. Thorn dead Will. Keath John Rand Yeomen Dan. Beverly Rob. Cooper Will. Bell sen Will. Jacobs John King Steph. Webb Jos Hill Tho. Stanton Na. Churchman Nath. Thwait Henry Witt Will. Bell jun. Tho. Audley Geo. Cotterel Andrew Harris Edward Omans Tho. Crayford William Alcock Officers belonging to the Poultrey-Compter Trotman Secundary William Pim Clerk of the Papers John Normansel George Dixon Ger. Green Gabriel Neve Clerks Sitters Dutton Seymour Robert Brabon Godfrey Woodward Richard Dalling Thomas Baynes Lewis Newenham Attornies Serjeants Richard Cole Arth. Seth Taylor John Cushy Simon Sâ—nds Edward Cole Robert Cole George Benson Henry Linnet James Witham Edward Tudor Richard Ashby James Smith Thomas Bond Abraham New 〈…〉 Tricâ—â— Samuel Mabbs Archibald Sparks Yeomen Fletcher Edward Hen Sheldon John Lâ—â—son John Wesâ—â—â—cut Will. Trickle Tim. Cotterel Will â—â—therston Mabâ— John 〈◊〉 William Philâ—ps William Parker Zach Gardner Edward Barber 〈…〉 〈…〉 Joseph 〈◊〉 John 〈◊〉 Note That though the several Attornies Serjeanâ—â—â— and Yeomen belonging to the two Compters are in a strict sence said to belong but to One Compter yet do they do business in Both as occasion requires and as they happen to be Employ'd FINIS Advertisement IF there be any defect or imperfection in the Accounâ— of the Carriers Waggoners and Stage-Coachâ—â— it is really the fault of such Persons to whom 〈◊〉 was made in the respective Inns for a Perfect Account to get which there were six Persons employed Yet in many places partly by the ignorance of some the discourtesie or suspitions of others the Persons employed could not procure so Satisfactory an Account 〈◊〉 â—â—uld be wished Therefore if any Carriers Waggâ—â—â— or Stage-Coachmen will send their Names 〈…〉 Days to the Booksellers for whom this 〈…〉 Care shall be taken for Common Benefit 〈…〉 them in due place
The Lord Mayor Court Of Aldermen THE PRESENT STATE OF London OR Memorials COMPREHENDING A Full and Succinct Account Of the Ancient and Modern State thereof By THO. DE-LAVNE Gent. Civitates ab initio Vtilitatis causa constitutae sunt Aristot 1. Polit. LONDON Printed by George Larkin for Enoch Prosser and John How at the Rose and Crown and Seven Stars in Sweethings-Alley near the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1681. To the Right Honourable Sir Patience Ward Knight LORD MAYOR OF THE City of LONDON My Lord THese Memorials respecting the Ancient and Modern State of this great and Renowned City of which under His Majesty Your Lordship enjoys the Supreme Magistracy cannot find a more Proper or more Honourable Patron than Your Lordship considering the High Place You hold in that Meridian for which This Discourse is Calculated The General Grief expressed by all Loyal English Protestants for Your Lordships late Indisposition and the General Rejoycing amongst them for Your Happy Recovery as a Mercy to this City of both which the Presenter of this Address was in part a Witness and Partaker are Evidences both of Your Lordships Good Administration in so Eminent a Dignity aud the Universal Satisfaction of this Famous Metropolis in Your Government Your Prudent Zealous and Couragious Conduct in these Perillous and Menacing Times suitable to those Never-to-be-forgotten Speeches delivered by Your Lordship and Your Eminent and Worthy Predecessor Sir Robert Clayton at the Time of Your Election to this August Magistracy has engaged all True Patriots and Abhorrers of Foreign and Domestick Vassalage a thing attempted to be Introduced by those Execrable Mediums of Assassinating the Sacred Person of His Royal Majesty and Everting His Government to give Your Lordship an Eminent Place in their Esteem and Justly Obliges this Great City to Honour Your Lordship in a Degree suitable to so High a Merit My Lord I hope You will vouchsafe me Your Pardon for my Presumption in Publishing this small Product of my Recess and Solitude under the Patronage of Your Honourable Name for which and the Famous City You Govern I have so High a Veneration that it Obliges me to be Your Lordships most humble Servant Thomas De-Laune London June 24. 1681. To the Reader THis Abstract is partly collected from the best Authors I could meet with as the Chronicles and Statutes of England Antiquaries Modern Writers c. I have endeavoured to avoid Prolixity and to omit no Remarkables as far as my designed Brevity would admit intending rather a Compendium than a Voluminous History What lay scatered in divers Volumes are reduced in a method wholly new under their proper Heads briefly yet I hope not obscurely I have intermixt many new things which fell within my own observation or my Friends respecting the Present State of this City never to my knowledge I am sure never in this Method Published It is said That Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile Dulci If that be not done here yet it is an Essay of that kind being a mixture wherein with great variety things highly useful are interwoven with delightsom And if there be any mistakes or imperfections which all men are liable to upon any Information which shall be thankfully resented it may be capable of Rectifying hereafter I do not pretend to give a full account of all things worthy to be known in this great City or of its famous Citizens for that would make an huge Volume but onely of the most Eminent which have occurr'd to my Reading or Observation As to the Method and particulars treated of you are referred to the Synopsis or Table of Contents following by which you may easily find out any thing in the Book If the City thinks this worth entertainment it will engage me to proceed in perfecting other Materials I have by me and offer it in another work which I trust will be useful to all I have an high Honor for this Illustrious City and the worthy Inhabitants thereof as an Instance of which this Essay is offered to the perusal of the Candid Reader by Thomas Dâ—-lauâ—â— To his Friend Mr. Thomas De-Laune An Acrostick on The Present State of LONDON This is that City which the Papal Crew Have by their Damn'd Devices overthrew Erected on her old Foundations New Pourtrayed once by Stow and now again Rebuilt and Re-reviv'd by thee De-laune Extracted Phoenix-like whose splendor shows She triumphs o're the Ruine of her Foes Excellent Architect that in few Sheets New builds a City of Five hundred Streets Temples Courts Churches Monuments and Halls Shores Towers Gates Inns Citadels and Walls The Grandeur of this fam'd Metropolis Arts Laws and Customs thou hast shewn in this This Little Volume comprehends the Great European-Empory the Royal Seat Of English Monarchs whose Succession runs From Royal Fathers Lineally to Sons London the Author fully lets Thee see Orders and Customs of Antiquity Names Honours Titles Companies drawn forth Display'd in Banners Badges of thy Worth Of all the Cities on the Continent No better Governours nor Government R. S. To his Friend the Author UPON THE Present State of LONDON REader Survey DE-LAVNE and his Survey Who LONDON's Glories lively doth display In Her immediate State whose Stately Pile Exceeds all Structures on the British Isle Look through this Little Book as through a Glass You may behold what now She Is and Was. View between Sixty Six and Eighty One Can you not see Great Alteration In Sky-Invading-Flames three days She burns Which all her Glories into Ashes turns But stop not there Look nearer yet by Ten Doth She not mount to greater Glory then Before Look nigher yet by Five for this Her Present State a Pleasant Prospect is This Glass Brave City he presents to Thee That Thou Thy Self Thy Self may'st better see This Thy Remote and Distant Friends will move To Admiration and Vniting Love When they peruse those Gallant Laws whereby Thou' rt Rul'd and Rulest by Just Policy Thy Piety Thy Splendid Trade by which Thou art become so Great so Good so Rich. Those worthy Characters which he hath writ Exalts Thy Greatness Justifies his Wit 'T is not my Task Thy Splendor to Commend It is Exalted by DE-LAVNE Thy Friend My Muse would fain Attempt his Commendation But is constrain'd to rest in Admiration D. E. Philopolis The CONTENTS CHap. 1 Of the Antiquity Original and Name of London Page 1. Chap. 2. Of the Situation of London P. 3. Chap. 3. Of its Increase Magnitude Publick Structures and number of Inhabitants p. 5 292. Sect. 1. Of its Walls Towers Gates c. p. 9. Of the Tower and Ancient Castles p. 13 17. Sect. 2. Of its Churches and Monuments p. 19 Of Pauls Church and Westminster-Abby p. 20 The Ancient State of all the Churches in London Alphabetically with their monuments c. p 27. The Monument of Mr. Fox Martyrologist p. 69. Of Mr. Speed the Famous Historian p. 73. Sect. 3. Of Hospitals viz. Christs Hospital and
Zeal of the King was as he said himself so astonished That he could not tell what to say But after some pause said That he thought at this present for some entrance to be had it were good to practise with the City of London because the Number of the Poor there are very great and the Citizens also very many and wise and he doubted not but they were also both pitiful and merciful as the Mayor and his Brethren and other the Worshipful of the said City And that if it would please the Kings Majesty to direct His Gracious Letters unto the Mayor of London willing him to call unto him such Assistants as he should think meet to consult of this matter for some Order to be taken therein he doubted not but good would follow thereon and he himself promised the King to be one himself that should earnestly travel therein The King forthwith not only Granted his Letter but made the Bishop tarry until the same was written and his Hand and Signet set thereto and commanded the Bishop not only to deliver the said Letter himself but also to signifie unto the Mayor that it was the Kings especial Request and express Commandment that the Mayor should therein travel and so soon as he might conveniently give him knowledge how far he had proceeded therein The Bishop was so joyous at the having this Letter that now he had occasion to travel in so good a matter wherein he was marvellous zealous that nothing could have more pleased and delighted him wherefore the same Night he came to the Lord Mayor of London who was then Sir Richard Dobbs Kt. and delivered the King's Letter and shewed his Message with effect The Lord Mayor not only joyfully received this Letter but with all speed agreed to set the matter forward for he also favoured it very much And the next day being Monday he desired the Bishop of London to dine with him and against that time the Mayor promised to send for such men as he thought meetest to talk of this matter and so he did He sent first for two Aldermen and six Commoners and afterwards more were appointed to the number of 24. In the end after sundry Meetings for by the means and good diligence of the Bishop it was well followed they agreed upon a Book that they had devised wherein first they considered on Nine special kinds and sorts of poor People and those they brought into these Three degrees 1. The Poor by Impotency 2. The Poor by Casualty 3. The Thriftless Poor 1. The Poor by Impotency are also divided into three kinds viz. 1. The Fatherless Poor Mans Child 2. The Aged Blind and Lame 3. The Diseased Person by Leprosie Dropsie c. 2. The Poor by Casualty are likewise of 3 kinds that is to say 1. The Wounded Soldier 2. The Decayed Housholder 3. The Visited with any grievous Disease 3. The Thriftless Poor are three kinds in like manner viz. 1. The Rioter that consumeth all 2. The Vagabond that will abide in no place 3. The Idle Person as Strumpets and others For these three sorts of Poor three several Houses were provided 1. For the Innocent and Fatherless which is the Beggars Child and is indeed the Seed and Breeder of Beggary they provided the House that was the late Gray-Fryers in London and called it by the Name of Christs-Hospital where poor Children are trained up in the knowledge of God and some virtuous Exercises to the overthrow of Beggary For the 2 Degree was provided the Hospitals of St. Thomas in Southwark and St. Bartholomew in West-Smithfield where are continually at least 200 Diseased Persons which are not only there lodged and Cured but also fed and nourished For the 3 Degree they provided Bridewell where the Vagabond and idle Strumpet is chastised and compelled to labour to the overthrow of the vicious life of Idleness They provided also for the honest decayed Housholder that he should be relieved at home at his House and in the Parish where he dwelt by a Weekly Relief and Pension And in like manner they provided for the Lazer or Leprous Person to keep him out of the City from Clapping of Dishes and Ringing of Bells to the great trouble of the Citizens and also to the dangerous Infection of many that they should be relieved at home at their Houses by several Pensions Now after this good Order taken to the Eternal Honour of this Noble City and the Citizens willing to further the same the Report thereof was made to the King And His Majesty for the Advancement thereof was not only willing to grant such as should be Overseers and Governors of the said Houses a Corporation and Authority for the Government of them but also required that he might be accounted as the Chief Founder and Patron thereof And for the furtherance of the said Work and continual maintenance of the same He of his meer Mercy and Goodness granted that whereas before certain Lands were given to the maintaining of the House of the Savoy founded by King Henry VII for the Lodging of Pilgrims and Strangers and that the same was now made but a Lodging for Loyterers Vagabonds and Strumpets that lay all day in the Fields and at night were harboured there the which was rather the maintenance of Beggary than any Relief to the Poor gave the same Lands being first surrendred by the Master and Fellows there which Lands were of the yearly value of 600 l. unto the City of London for the maintenance of the Foundation aforesaid And for a further Relief a Petition being made to the King's Majesty for a Licence to take in Mortmaine or otherwise without Licence Lands to a certain yearly value and a space left in the Patent for His MAJESTY to put in what Sum He pleased He looked on the void place called for Pen and Ink and with His own Royal Hand wrote this Sum 4000 Marks by the year which is 2666 l. 13 s. 4 d. and with the former 600 l. makes in all 3266 l. 13 s. 4 d. and then said in the hearing of his Council Lord I yield thee most hearty thanks that thou hast given me life thus long to finish this work to the Glory of thy Name After which Foundation established he lived not above two days whose life would have been wished equal to the Patriarchs if it had pleased God so to have prolonged it He dyed at Greenwich the 6th of July Anno 1553. He was in Body beautiful of a sweet Aspect and specially in his Eyes which seemed to have a starry liveliness and lustre in them For his pregnancy of Wit and Knowledge in all kinds of Learning Cardan who coming into England had often conference with him reporteth of him that he was extraordinary skilful in Languages and in the Politicks well seen in Philosophy and in Divinity and generally indeed a very Miracle of Art and Nature He would answer Ambassadors sometimes upon the sudden either in
the very greatest and most bountiful Gift that ever was given in England no Abbey at the first Foundation thereof excepted or therewith to be compared being the Gift of one man only He gave to the Poor in Barwick 100 Marks To the Poor of Stoke-Newington 10 l. To the Poor Fishermen of Ostend in Flanders 100 l. To the mending of the High-Ways between Islington and Newington in the County of Middlesex 40 Marks or 26 l. 13 s. 4 d. To the mending the High-Ways between Ashden and Walden called Walden-lane in Essex 100 l. To the mending the High-Ways between Great Lynton in the County of Cambridge and the said Town of Walden 60 l. 13 s. 4 d. Towards the mending of Horseth-lane 60 l. To the mending of the Bridges and ordinary High-Ways between South-Minster and Malden in Essex 100 l. To the Chamber of London 1000 l. to be Yearly lent to Ten young Merchants not having any great Stocks of their own and those Ten to be appointed by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City for the time being and the Dean of Pauls they are 〈◊〉 to pay any Interest for it nor any to enjoy it but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Poor People of Hadstock 20 l. To the Poor of Littlebury and Balsham 40 l. To the Parson and Church-Wardens of Balsham for the time being towards the buying a Bell to be hanged up in the Steeple to amend the Ring there 20 l. To the Poor of South-minster 20 l. To the Poor of little Halâ—enbury 20 l. To the Poor of Dunsby in the County of Lincoln 20. l. To the Poor Priâ—â—ers in the Prisons of Ludgate Newgate the two â—ompters in London the King 's Bench the 〈◊〉 2000 l. to be paid and divided among the same Prisoners by even and equal portions To the Master Fellows and Scholars of the Corporation of Jesus College in Cambridge 500 Marks To the Master Fellows and Scholars of the Corporation of Magdalen Colledge in Cambridge 500 l. To every one of his Feâ—ffees put in trust about his 〈◊〉 26 l. 13 s. 4 d. To the Poor of Beverly a 〈◊〉 in Cottingham To the Poor of Lincoln a Remainder of Years in the Rectory of Glentham in the County of Lincoln To Mr. Hutton Vicar of Littlebury 20 l. To the Poor of â—â—mps Castle 10 l. To the Poor of Elcomb 10. l. To Mr. Floud Parson of Newington 13 l. 6 s. 8 d. To the Poor of the Parish of Hacknâ—y 10 l. with several others c. And so much for Famous SVTTON and his Hospital which deserves an Eternal MEMORIAL III. The Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlem vulgarly called Bedlam was Founded by Simon Fitz-Mary one of the Sheriffs of London Anno 1246. He Founded it to have been a Priory of Câ—â—ons with Brethren and Sisters and King Edward the III. granted a Protection for the Brethren Militiae Beatae Mariae de Bethlem within the City of London in the Fourteenth of his Reign But it was 〈◊〉 an Hospital for Distracted People Stephenâ—â—â—â—â—nings Merchant-Taylor gave 40 l. towards 〈◊〉 chase of the Patronage by his Testament Anno 1523. The Mayor and Commonalty purchased it with all the Lands and Tenements thereunto belonging in the Year 1546. The same Year King Henry the VIII gave this Hospital unto the City The Church and Chappel thereof were taken down in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth and Houses built there by the Governors of Christ's Hospital in London In this Place People that be Distracted of their Wits were received and kept at the Suit of their Friends but not without Charges to their bringers in This Place being old narrow and not very pleasant the City of London resolved to build a New Hospital which in April 1675 was begun and to the great Glory and Ornament of the City and the great benefit of the Poor Lunaticks was finished July 1676 in so Stately and Beautiful a manner that the whole World can hardly Parallel it It is of a great Length reaching from Moor-gate to the Little-Postern leading out of the North-East part of Moor-Fields into the City near the City Walls with a most Glorious Front towards those Delicate Walks of Moor-Fields the Architecture is very Regular Exquisite and Rich with a Stately Turret in the midst of a Curious Form and Fair green Courts part of which are Paved with broad Stone for walks Environ'd with a very hansom Brick-Wall there are two Stately Galleries reaching from one end to the other on the sides of which are the Lodgings of the Distracted People which are very neat and convenient they are carefully and very decently served with plenty of good wholsom Dyet and very well attended by Persons appointed to that purpose This Work cost above 18000 l. to which many Noble Citizens c. were Benefactors 〈◊〉 is indeed a Work very well becoming the Magâ—â—â—nce of this Renowned City who in all their undertakings and in all Publick Acts of Ornament to the City or Charity to the Poor have demonstrated themselves to be Peerless WESTMINSTER HALL THE ROYALL EXCHANGE CLARENDON HOVSE COVENT GARDEN There was of old an Hospital of St. Mary Rouncival by Charing-Cross but suppressed and turned to Tenements So much for the Hospitals SECT 4. Palaces and Houses of the Nobility WE will begin with the Royal Palaces as White-Hall where the Court is kept when the King is in the City In antient times Westminster-Palace was the habitation of the Kings of England from the time of Edward the Confessor which was by casual Fire burnt down in the time of Henry the VIII This was a very large and stately Palace and for the building in that Age incomparable In the Remains of which the High Court of Parliament Sits but more of that hereafter King Henry the VIII translated his Seat to a House not far of built by Cardinal Wolsey and is called White-Hall This Place formerly belonged to Hubert de Burgh Earl of Kent by whom it was given to the Gray-Friers and of them bought by Walter Gray Archbishop of York and called York-place but Anno. 1529 the King took it from Wolsey and the Archbishop and named it White-Hall this King built there a Sumptuous Gallery and a very Beautiful Gate-House thwart the High-street to St. James's Park In this Gallery the Princes with their Nobility used to stand or sit to behold all Triumphant or Military Exercises To Describe all particularities relating to this Royall-Seat would be too tedious Take a few short Remarks There is a most Magnificent and Stately Banquetting-House built by King James And the Delicate Privy-Garden was lately enlarged towards the South with a Pond of an Oval form supplied with Water from Hide-Park where you may see the Water shot or forced up to a great height from the surface of the Pond and by its winding-fall delights the Eye and the Ear with its pretty murmur Although this Palace of White Hall makes not so Glorious a shew on the out-side as some other stately
When the King Prorogues or Dissolves the Parliament He commonly comes in Person to the House of Lords in his Robes with the Crown on his Head and sends by the Vsher of the Black-Rod for all the House of Commons to the Bar of that House and after the King's Answer to each Bill signified as aforesaid his Majesty usually makes a Solemn Speech the Lord Chancellor another and the Speaker of the House of Commons a Third Then the Lord Chancellor by the special Command of the King doth pronounce the Parliament Prorogued or Dissolved The King being Head of the Parliament if his Death doth happen during the Sitting of the Parliament it is ipso facto Dissolved IV. Sommerset-House in the Strand is the Queens Palace In the Year 1549. Edward Duke of Sommerset Uncle to Edward the 6 th and Lord Protector pulled down several adjoyning Buildings to make him a Mansion-House there the Stones of which Houses and some other more remote Buildings which he demollished were converted to this Spatious and Beautiful Palace of which we cannot add much more but that it was the Fatal place where the wicked Romish Assassinates prompted by Hell and their accursed Principles most barbarously Murdered that Noble Patriot and never to be forgotten Knight Sir EDMOND-BERRY GODFREY on Saturday the 12 th of October 1678. The Bloody Villains being enraged at the Discovery of their Execrable Plot in which this brave Gentleman was very active made him a Sacrifice to their Revenge so that he may be truly stiled the Martyr of the English Protestant Interest and deserves a Memorial in all Loyal Christian Hearts The Narrative is published at large to which we refer our Reader only we cannot omit his Majesties Royal act who so resented this Abominable Villany that he issued his Proclamation the 20 th of October promising 500 l. to the Discoverer and a Pardon if one of the Malefactors and another soon after promising on the word of a King not only the said Reward of 500 l but such care for the Security of the Discoverer as he could in Reason propose upon which Captain William Bedlow since Dead and Mr. Miles Praunce a Silver-smith in Princes-street which last confessed to have been in the Fact made the Discovery and upon their clear and undoubted Evidence three of the Wretches were Executed viz. Green Berry and Hill the rest fled from Justice but cannot escape Divine Vengeance Having spoken of these principal Palaces it may be expected that we should speak something of the Great and Famous Houses of the Nobility which are very many and Magnificent not yielding to any in Europe as Clarendon-House which for Situation stately Architecture spacious solid uniform Structure is admirable Berkley-House Wallingford-House Northumberland-House Salisbury and Worcester Houses Bedford Leicester Newport Mountague and Southampton Houses and indeed most Houses of the great Peers But the brevity of our Volume will not admit a large Description only in General we shall say something of them in the Section that Treats of the Fire Anno 1666. and the Rebuilding of the City SECT 5. Of Exchanges and Publick-Halls THe Royal Exchange in Cornhil-Ward was Erected in the Year 1566 just one hundred Years before it was Burnt in this manner Certain Houses upon Cornhil containing Eighty Housholds were purchased by the City of London for above 3532 l. which they sold for 478 l. to such as would take them down and carry them away Then the Ground or Plot was made plain at the Charges of the City and Possession thereof was given to Sir Thomas Gresham Knight a Noble Merchant and Agent to Queen Elizabeth by certain Aldermen in the name of the whole for to Build an Exchange thereon for Merchants to Assemble On the 7 th of June he laid the first Stone in the Foundation being accompanied with some Aldermen where every one of them laid a piece of Gold which the Work-men took up The Work was advanced with such Expedition that in November 1567 it was finished and afterwards in the presence and by the special Command of the Queen it was Proclaimed by a Herald and with sound of Trumpet named The ROYAL EXCHANGE It was Built most of Brick and yet was the most splendid Burse all things considered that was then in Europe The Burse for Merchants was kept before in Lumbard-street In the great and dismal Conflagration Anno 1666. the Royal Exchange was consumed But it is since Rebuilt in a far more stately and Magnificent manner of excellent Portland Stone almost as durable as Marble with such curious and admirable Architecture especially for a Front a Turret and for Arch-work that it surpasseth all other Burses in Europe The Form is Quadrangular with a large Paved Court where the Merchants Meet it is Quadratum Oblongum an Oblong square and on each side are stately Galleries or Portico's Checquered with a smooth and delicate Stone-Pavement the Arches supported with strong Stone Pillars where in case of Rain or extream Heat the greatest part may be sheltered The whole Fabrick cost above 50000 l. whereof one half was disbursed by the Chamber of London and the other by the Company of Mercers And to reimburse them there are to be let 190 Shops above-stairs at 20 l. per annum and 30 l. Fine besides the several Shops below on the several sides and the huge Vaulted Cellars under ground so that it must needs be the richest piece of Ground in the World For The Exact Dimensions of the Ground whereon this Goodly Fabrick is Erected is but 171 Foot from North to South and 203 Foot from East to West and little more than three quarters of an Acre of Ground yet producing above 4000 l. Yearly Rent The New Exchange on the Strand was called Durham-House Built by Thomas Hatfield Bishop of Durham who being made Bishop of that See Anno 1549. continued so 36 Years It was a very Capacious Edifice on the North side stood a row of Thatcht low Stables which the Right Honourable Robert Earl of Salisbury then Lord High Treasurer of England purchased and pulled down Erecting in the room thereof at his own Charge a very goodly and beautiful Building with Cellars underneath and a Walk fairly Paved above it with Rows of Shops and the like above stairs The first Stone was laid the 10 th of June 1608 and it was finished in November following The Shops above and under were curiously adorn'd and in April following the Earl Invited King James the Queen the Prince the Duke of York to come thither who came attended with many of the Nobility where after a Rich Banquet the King named it Britains Burse There are also two Exchanges more viz. The Middle Exchange and Exeter Exchange which last was lately built in both which Goods are sold as at the Royal Exchange Having done with Exchanges we shall proceed to the Publick Halls of Companies As for the Great Guild-Hall for Orders sake the Reader is referred to the Section
sumptuous Fane The Lands Chief Seat that challengeth for hers Kings Coranations and their Sepulchers Then goes along by that more beautious Strand That shews the Wealth and glory of the Land Such sumptuous Seats within so little space Th' all-viewing Sun scarce sees in all his Race By London leads which like a Crescent lies Whose Windows view with the be-spangled Skies Her rising Spires so thick themselves do show As do the Reeds that on her Banks do grow There sees his Wharffs and People-crowded Shores His bosom spread with shoals of labouring Oars With that great Bridge that doth him most Renown By which he puts all other Rivers down This Noble River hath her Original out of the side of an Hill in Cotswold Downs a little above a Village called Winchcomb in Oxfordshire where it was antiently called Isis or the Ouse running to Oxford and by the way receiving many small Rivulets and Brooks joyning at that City with the Charwell then by Abington Dorchester where the River Thame and Isis joyn from whence it is called Thamâ—sis or Thames thence by Reading Maiden-head Windsor Stanes and several other considerable Palaces Towns and stately Houses to London and receives the Medway a considerable River that runs by the City of Rochester and Waters all the Southern parts of Kent The length of it being at least if measured by the Journeys at Land 180 Miles and Ebbs and Flows as before near 80 Miles The Common difference betwixt Tide and Tide is found to consist of 24 Minutes which wanteth but 12 of a whole hour in 24 by which they come later than the other Mr. Stow tells us that in his time the first Edition of his Survey being Printed above 80 years ago there were 2000 Wherries or small Boats whereby 3000 Water-men got their Living their Gains being most in Term-time but now there are a great many more this River being a Nursery to breed young Men sit for the Sea to Serve His Majesty or the Merchants c. Besides these there is an Infinite Number of Wherries Tide-Boats Tilt-Boats Barges Hoys c. for Passengers or to bring necessary Provision of all sorts from all Quarters of Oxfordshire Berkshire Buckinghamshire Bedfordshire Hartfordshire Middlesex Essex Surrey and Kent unto the City but of the Navigation of London we refer to the Chapter of Trade and the Rates of Water-men to a distinct head to be Treated of hereafter The Extent of the Jurisdiction and Prerogative of the Lord Mayor Commonalty and Citizens of London on the River Thames c. THe Lord Mayor of LONDON for the time being and his Successors for ever in that great Dignity have full Power and Authority over the Rivers of Thames and Medway to inflict punishment upon all Transgressors relating to the said Rivers the Water-Bayly of London being his Substitute The Extent of this Jurisdiction begins at a place called Colnie-Ditch a little above Stains-Bridge Westward as far as London-Bridge and from thence to a place called Yendall otherwise Yenland or Yenleete and the Waters of Medway This Authority and Jurisdiction belongs to the Lord Mayor Commonalty and Citizens of London by divers Grants Charters and Confirmations made by the Kings and Queens of England besides sundry Acts of Parliament Yet there have been some contests betwixt the Lord Mayor and the Lord High Admiral of England about it but after a fair and Judicial Tryal in open Court the Controversie was decided in favour of the City and the Lord Mayor was adjudged to be Conservator of the Thames There were also some Controversies about the Rivers of Thames and Medway but all differences were absolutely concluded Anno 1613. Sir John Swinnerton being then Lord Mayor and Thomas Sparry Esq being then his Deputy in that Office So that the Lord Mayor bears always since as in former times the stile of Conservator of the said River within the said Limits and Bounds And whereas there was a Company of Fishermen called Tinckermen that with unlawful Nets and other devices made an infinite destruction of the young Brood or Fry of Fish to feed their Hogs by the singular care and cost of the Lord Mayor and vigilance of the Citizens they were many years ago supprest and a regular and orderly manner of Fishing brought in use that such a havock may not be made of the young Fry As also sundry other abuses by unlawful Fishing and some annoying Timbers in Tilbury-hope dangerous to Passengers and destructive to the young Brood of Fish and Fishermens Nets were also to general benefit reformed Likewise they took care to clear and cleanse the River Westward of about 79 Stops or Hatches consisting of divers great Stakes and Piles erected by Fishermen for their private lucre and standing ill-favouredly for Passengers near the Fair-Deep but none now are left except such as stand out of the passable high stream that can prejudice none The like Course was kept in the time of Henry the 4 th and Henry the 8 ths times There is also a watchful Eye that no Carrion nor Dead Carkasses be thrown into the River to pollute or infect the stream To all these intents and purposes the Lord Mayor and the Aldermen his Brethren with the under Officers meet eight times a year in the four Counties of Middlesex Surrey Kent and Essex and have a Judicial sitting for Maintenance of the Rivers Rights and Priviledges where they have power to Impanel Juries to make Inquisition after all Offences committed upon the River within their Exteâ—â— and as the Verdict given by the Jury makes it appear so they proceed to the punishment of the 〈◊〉 sors according to the quality of the offence whereof it may be proper to give this Memorable Instance as it is Recorded by Mr. Stow in his Survey page 20 Printed Anno 1633. and more briefly delivered by Mr. Howel in his Londinopolis Printed Anno 1657. page 15. Thus. Sir John Rolls Knight and Lord Mayor of the City of London and Conservator of the River of Thames and Waters of Medway assisted and accompanied by the Aldermen and two Sheriffs then contemporary and attended by the Recorder and the Sub-conservation or Water-Bayly with 50 Officers and Servants took their Barges at Billings-gate the third of July 1616. and in a few hours arrived at Graves-end in Kent where a Session for Conservancy of the said River was kept before the said Lord Mayor and his said Assistants at which place and time a Jury of the Free-holders of the said County being sworn to inquire of all Offences committed in any part of the River whatsoever within the said County The Common Sergeant of the City the Recorder being then absent upon extraordinary occasions Delivered them a Charge to this effect That for as much as there had not been any Session of Conservancy in many years passed kept by any Lord Mayor of London in that place it was probable and evident they could not be well informed neither of the Lord Mayor's
amongst the highest Nobles of the Kingdom which serve on that Day in other Offices He presents the King with Wine in a Golden Cup having a Cover of which the King Drinks and the Lord Mayor receives the said Cup for his Fee The first Lord Mayor that went by Water to Westminster was Sir John Norman Draper Anno 1453. the 32. of H. 6. that is 228 years ago The two Sheriffs of this City are also Sheriffs of the County of Middlesex and are annually Chosen by the Citizens from among themselves in the Guild-Hall upon Midsummer-day a high Priviledge among many others anciently granted to this City by several Kings and Queens of this Kingdom but they are not Sworn till Michaelmas-Eve and then are also presented at the Exchequer to be allowed by the Barons and Sworn after which they enter upon their Office If the Persons so chosen refuse to hold they incur a Penalty unless they will take a Solemn Oath that they are not worth 10000 l. In the Year 1199. that is 482 years ago King John granted the Sheriff-Wick of London and Middlesex to the City as King Henry the First before had done for the sum of 300 l. a year which is paid into the Exchequer to this Day He gave them also Authority to Chuse and Deprive their Sheriffs at pleasure In the 1. of R. 1. the Citizens obtained to be Governed by two Bayliffs which Bayliffs are in Divers antient Deeds called Sheriffs according to the Speech of the Law which called the Shire Ballâ—va c. which King also as formerly said gave the City liberty to be governed by a Mayor as their Principal Governour and their Bayliffs were changed into Sheriffs The Sheriffs of London In the Year 1471. were appointed each of them to have Sixteen Sergeants every Sergeant to have his Yeoman and Six Clerks viz. A Secondary a Clerk of the Papers and Four other Clerks besides the Under-Sheriffs Clerks their Stewards Bâ—tlers Porters and other in Houshold many There are Twenty-six Aldermen that preside over the Twenty-six Wards of the City of which more when we speak of Wards when any of these die the Lord Mayor and Aldermen chuse another out of the most substantial men of the City If any so chosen refuse to hold he is usually Fined 500 l. All the Aldermen that have been Lord Mayors and the Three eldest Aldermen that have not yet arrived to that Honourable Estate are by their Charter Justices of the Peace of this City In the Year 1555. Seven Aldermen Died in less than Ten Months The Recorder of London is usually a Grave and Learned Lawyer that is skilful in the Customs of the City who is to be an Assistant to the Lord Mayor He taketh his place in Councels and in Courts before any man that hath not been Mayor and Learnedly Delivers the sentences of the whole Court The Present Recorder is Sir George Treby an eminent Gentleman and a Worthy Member of our last Parliaments The Chamberlain of London is at present Sir Thomas Player a Gentleman that has deserved very well of this City and the Protestant Interest in General both in that Station and as a Member for this Honourable City in the last Parliaments The Chamberlain is Elected by the Commons upon Midsummer-day so are the Two Bridge-Masters The Auditors of the City and Bridge-House Accounts the Surveyors for BEER and ALE. There is also a Town-Clark or Common-Clerk and a Remembrancer who are Esquires The Chamberlain of London is an Officer very considerable in point of power for without him can no man set up Shop or Occupy his Trade without being Sworn before him no man can set over an Apprentice to another but by his Licence he may Imprison any that disobeys his Summons or any Apprentice that misdemeans himself or punish him otherwise On Munday and Tuesday in Eâ—ster-week all the Aldermen and Sheriffs come unto the Lord Mayor's House before Eight of the Clock in the Morning to Break-fast wearing their Scarlet Gowns Furr'd and their Cloaks as also their Horses attending When Break-fast is ended they mount their Horses and ride to the Spittle which is an ancient Custom not changed but once in 300 years and that upon extraordinary occasion till this year when they went to S. Sepulchres the Sword and Mace being born before the Lord Mayor There they hear a Sermon and then return to Dinner and some of the Aldermen Dine with the Sheriffs and some with the Lord Mayor On Wednesday in Easter-week they go thither in the same manner only the Lord Mayor and Aldermen wear their Violet Gownes and sutable Cloaks But the Ladies on the former Days wearing Scarlet on this Day are attired in Black On Whitsunday all the Aldermen use to meet the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs at the New-Church-yard by Moorfields wearing their Scarlet Gowns lined without Cloaks there they hear a Sermon appointed for that Day and so return to Dinner When they chuse Parliament-men all the Aldermen meet the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs at the Guild-Hall by nine of the Clock in the Morning wearing their Velvet Gowns and their Cloaks either furred or lined according as the time of the year requireth when they are to be chosen and they sit in the Hastings-Court untill the Commons do make Choice of them The last Honourable Members that served for this Renowned City were Sir Robert Clayton Knight that was Lord Mayor the last year Thomas Pilkinton Alderman Sir Thomas Player Knight and William 〈◊〉 Esq of whose real worth courage fidelity and wisdom in the management of that great Trust the City is very sensible as appears by the publick demonstrations deservedly given of it and no less sensible was the last Parliament but one of the Cities Loyalty Fidelity and great care to preserve his Majesties Royal person and the Protestant Religion that the thanks of the House was order'd to be given them which was accordingly done by the Worthy Members aforesaid What the Office of the Constables in the City of London is you may gather from their Oath which is thus Ye shall Swear that ye keep the Peace of our Soveraign Lord the King well and lawfully after your power And ye shall Arrest all them that make Contest Riot Debate or Affray in breaking of the said Peace and lead them to the House or Compter of one of the Sheriffs And if ye be withstood by strength of Misdoers ye shall rear on them an Out-cry and pursue them from Street to Street and from Ward to Ward till they be Arrested And ye shall search at all times when ye be required by the Seavengers or Beadles the Common Noysance of your Ward And the Beadle and Raker ye shall help to Rear and gather their Sallary and Quarterage if ye be thereunto by them required And if any thing be done within your Ward against the Ordinance of this City such defaults as ye shall find there done ye shall them present to the Mayor and
And by Charter of Ed. 6. The Lord Mayor Recorder and Aldermen that are Justices of the Peace in London are to be Justices of the Peace in Southwark All Forfeited Recognizances about Ale-houses Inmates Bastard Children Appearance at Sessions of Goal-Delivery Fines and Issues of Jurors except Fines or Issues Royal c. Granted to the City by Charter of King Charles 1. Chart. 1. That no Aliens are to keep Houses in London nor be Brokers by Charter of E. 3 ch 5. That no Citizen shall wage Battel H. 1. H. 2. R. 1. ch 1. John ch 1. H. 3. ch 4. ch 9. No Stranger is to buy Goods before they be weighed by the King's Beam H. 3. ch 9. The Inhabitants of Black-Fryers to be exempted from Taxes and Fifteenths King James ch 2. By Letters Patents of King Henry the VIII Dated at Westminstor Jan. 13. In the 28 th Year of his Reign he did give and grant unto the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London and their Successors the Keeping Ordering and Governing of the House and Hospital called Bethlehem situate without and near Bishops-gate and all Mannors Lands Tenements Possessions Revenues and Hereditaments whatsoever and wheresoever lying and being belonging or appertaining unto the said Hospital or House called Bethlem and Made and Constituted by the same his Letters Patents these the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London and their Successors Masters Keepers and Governours of the said House and Hospital called Bethlem and of the said Mannors Lands Tenements and other premisses belonging to the same House or Hospital to have hold and enjoy the said Custody Order and Government of the said House or Hospital called Bethlem c. for ever c. London is by King James Char. 3. stiled his Royal Chamber who not only confirmed the Charters of his Predecessors but did give grant and confirm unto the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of London and to their Successors the weighing of all Coals called Stone-Coals weighable Earth-Coals and all other Coals weighable of what kind soever in or at the said Port of London coming or brought up the said River of Thames in any Ship Boat or Barge or other Vessel whatsoever floating or being in any Port of the same Water of Thames and upon whatsoever Bank Shore or Wharf of the same Water of Thames from the Bridge of Stanes to London-Bridge and from thence to a place called Yendal or Yenland towards the Sea For which the Duties Payable to the Mayor Commonalty and Citizens c. is Eight pence for every Tunn none is to unlade Coals till the Mayor has Notice and of the quantity because the Mayor c. should be capable at any time when required to inform His Majesty c. what quantity of Coals of what sort soever from time to time is brought into the City c. and how the City and Adjacent places are supplied No Markets of Coals to be in any Boats Lighters or other Vessel whatsoever except in the Ship that first brought in the Coals no Forestalling Ingrossing Regrating upon pain of incurring such Pains and Punishments as the Law provides for contemners and neglecters of Royal Mandates By Charter of Ed. IV. ch 4. In consideration of 7000 l. c. was granted to the Mayor c. the Offices or Occupations of Packing all manner of Woollen Cloaths Sheep-Skins Calves-Skins Goat-Skins Vessels of Amber and all other Merchandizes whatsoever to be Packed Tunned Piped Barrelled or any wise to be included with the oversight of opening all manner of Customable Merchandizes arriving at the Port of Safety as well by Land as by Water within the Liberties and Franchises of the said City and Suburbs c. And alsâ— the Office of Carriage and Portage of all Woolâ— Sheep-Skins Tynn-Bails and other Merchandizes whatsoever which shall be carryed in London from the Water of Thames unto the Houses of Strangers and contrariwise from the said Houses to the same Water or of other Merchandizes which ought to be carryed being in any House for a time And also the Office c. of Garbling of all manner of Spices and other Merchandizes coming to the said City at any time which ought to be Garbled Also the Office of Gager Office of Wine-Drawers c. to be exercised by them or their Deputies The Office of Coroner to beat the Mayors c. disposal Severed them from the Office of Chief-Butler c. Witness the King at Westminster the 20 th of June Anno Regni 18. By Charter of E. III. ch 1. It is granted thus Whereas in the Great Charter of the Liberties of England it is contained that the City of London may have all their antient Liberties and Customs and the same Citizens at the time of the making of the Charter from the time of Saint Edward King and Confessor and William the Conqueror and of other our Progenitors had divers Liberties and Customes as well by the Charters of those our Progenitors as without Charter by Antient-Customs whereupon in divers the Circuits and other the Courts of our said Progenitors as well by Judgments as by Statutes were Invaded and some of them Adjudged We Will and Grant for us and our Heirs that they may have the Liberties according to the Form of the above-said Great Charter and that Impediments and Usurpations to them in that behalf made shall be revoked and Annulled c. That the Mayor be one of the Justices of Goal-Delivery of Newgate and to be Named in every Commission thereof to be made That the Citizens may have Infangtheft This is a Saxon word signifying a Liberty Granted to certain Lords of Mannors to Judge any Thief taken within their Fee And Outfang-theft that is a Liberty Granted to the Lord to try any Thief taken out of his Fee and Chattels of Felons of all those which shall be Adjudged before them within their Liberties c. Citizens may Devise Lands in London in Mortmain or otherwise Merchant Strangers to Sell Goods within Fourty Days and may not keep Houses but are to be with Hosts that is Lodgers The KING 's Marshall Steward or Clerk of the Market of the King's Houshold may not Sit within the City Liberties No Citizen is to be drawn to Plead without the Liberties of the City about any thing that happens within the Liberties thereof No Escheator may Exercise that Office in the City but the Mayor for the time being is to do it Citizens to be Taxed in Subsidies as other Commoners not as Citizens To be quit of all Tallages this word is derived from the French word Taille a piece cut out of the whole signifying the paying a part or share of a Mans substance by way of Tribute Tax or Toll and that the Liberty of the said City shall not be taken into the hands of us or our Heirs for any Personal Trespass or Judgment of any Minister of the said City Neither shall a keeper in the said
City for that occasion be Deputed but the same Minister shall be punished according to the quality of his Offence c. No Purveyor of the Kings c. is to make any Prices of the Goods of the Citizens without the Consent of the Party no Price to be made of the Citizens Wines against their Wills c. No Purveyor is to be a Merchant of the Goods whereof he is Purveyor That no market is to be kept nor afterterwards to be Granted to any within Seven Miles in Circuit of the said City That all Inquisitions to be taken by the Justices of London c. shall be taken in St. Martins le Grand in London but not elsewhere except the Inquisitions to be taken in the Circuits at the Tower of London and for the Goal-Delivery at Newgate That no Citizen is to be Impleaded in the Exchequer unless it concern the King c. By Charter of Henry the First the Citizens to be free from Scot and Lot and Dane-Guilt that is a Tribute laid upon our Ancestors of Twelve pence for every Hide of Land throughout the Realm by the Danes for clearing the Seas as they pretended of Pyrates H. the II. R. the I. ch 1. King John ch 1. Henry the III. ch 8. The Citizens may Traffick with their Commodities and Merchandizes wheresoever they please throughout His Majesties Kingdoms and Dominions as well by Sea as by Land without Interruption of him or his as they see Expedient quit from all Custom Toll Lestage that is a Custom challenged in Fairs fer carrying of things and Paying c. and may abide for their Trading wheresoever they please in the same His Kingdom c. as in times past they were Accustomed c. Henry the VII Granted a Charter That no Stranger from the Liberty of the City may Buy or Sell from any other Stranger to the Liberty of the same City any Merchandizes or Wares within the Liberties of the same City upon pain of Forfeiture of the said Goods c. to the Use and Profit of the Mayor Commonalty c. Strangers may Buy things in Gross for their own Use but not to Sell again c. None is to take Loding in the City by Force by Charters of H. the I. R. the I. ch I. H. the III. ch 4. H. the III. ch 9. By Charter of King CHARLES the I. the Offices of Paccage of Cloaths Wools Woollfels c. Balliage of Goods c. Portage of Goods Seavage of all Goods c. Customable granted to the Mayor Commonalty c. with a power to Administer an Oath for the discovery of concealed Goods c. The Sergeants of London may bear Maces of Gold or Silver Ed. III. ch 4. By Charter of King Henry I. It was granted to the Citizens of London to hold Middlesex to Farm for 300 l. upon Account to them and their Heirs so that the said City shall place as Sheriff whom they will of themselves and shall place whomsoever or such one as they will of themselves for keeping of the Pleas of the Crown and of the Pleading of the same and none other shall be Justice over the same Men of London c. This was confirmed by King John by Charter dated July 5 Anno Reg. 1. the City paying 300 l. as aforesaid of Blank Sterling Money at two Terms in the Year viz. at the Easter-Exchequer 150 l. and at Michaelmas-Exchequer 150 l. saving to the Citizens all their Liberties and Free Customs c. If the Sheriffs offend so as to incur the loss of Life or Member they shall be Adjudged as they ought to be according to the Law of the City c. wherefore says the Charter we Will and Stedfastly Command that the Citizens of London and Middlesex with all the said Sheriffwich belonging of us and our Heirs to possess and enjoy Hereditarily Freely and Quietly Honorably and Wholly by Fee Farm of 300 l. c. All Fishâ—rs Vintners and Victualers coming to the City shall be in the Rule of the Mayor and Aldermen 7 R. II. cap. 11. Aldermen shall not be Elected Yearly but remain till they be put out Ibidem Cap. 11. Merchants may Sell Cloth Wine Oyl Wax or other Merchandize as well by Wholesale as Retail to all the KING's Subjects as well as Londoners notwithstanding Franchise to the Contra 7 H. IV. ch 9. Citizens worth 400 Marks in Goods or Chattels may be Jurors in Attaint and the Justices to sit only at the Guild-Hall or within the City notwithstanding 23 H. VIII cap. 3. The Mayor c. next Court after the first of Michaelmas is to name Watermen Yearly to be Overseers of Rowing between Graves-End and Windsor the 2 and 3 Pbillip and Mary cap. 16. Sect. 3. The Mayor c. to Assess the Fare of Watermen and two Privy-Councellors to sign it 2 and 3 Phillip and Mary chap. 16. Sect. 11. Citizens of London and other Inhabitants Tradesmen c. for Debts under 40 s. may Summon in to the Court of Conscience that is the Court of Requests and the Commissioners there to Determine the Difference and to Register Orders 3 Jac. cap. 15. Sect. 2. These brief Memorandums are produced not as comprehending the full Abstract much less the words at length of the several Charters and Priviledges of thiâ— Famous City but as Guides to direct where they may read at large to be more full would be inconsistent with the designed brevity of this small Tract for it would make a Volume it self yet what is here pointed at with what 's scatterd up and down the Book under particular Heads which to avoid repetition are not mentioned here may inform the Reader of the most Memorable which was the thing only intended He that would consult them more largely is referred to a Book Intituled the Royal Charter of Confirmation granted by King CHARLES the II. to the City of London by S. G. Gent. And Rastals Statutes at Large from whence with some others these Memorials were Collected Some brief Heads of the most memorable Customs or particular Laws of the City of LONDON IN this place we shall only mention some of the most remarkable of these Laws referring the Reader to a Book called the City Law Printed 1658. The Mayor and Aldermen have always used to cause to come before them the Malefactors which have been taken and Arrested within the said City for carrying of Tales and spreading abroad of News imagined in disturbance of the Peace makers and Counterfeiters of false Seals false Charters and for other notorious Defects and those which they have found culpable of such misdeeds by confession of the Parties or by inquest thereof made shall be punished by setting in the Pillory or further Chastised by Imprisonment according to their Merit and according to the Reasonable Discretion of the said Mayor and Aldermen Men and Women by usage of the said City may Devise their Tenements Rents and Reversions within the said City and Suburbs thereof
to run away withdraw or absent himself the Sheriff may arrest the Defendant by his Body or Goods as a Foreigner c. When a Debtor in the said City is bound by Obligation in a certain sum to be paid at a certain time to come the which Debtor was held sufficient at the time when he was bound and after is become Fugitive or not sufficient then if the Creditor come before the Mayor and Sheriffs of the said City making such a suggestion and hath with him six or four credible Freemen of the same City that will truly testifie that the Debtor will withdraw and Convey his Goods out of the City or that he is not sufficient to make Payment then the Mayor or one of the Sheriffs before whom the Suggestion is made useth to Arrest the Debtor although the Day contained within the Obligation be not yet come and to keep the same Debtor in Prison untill the Day of Payment be come or otherwise that he shall find Pledges to attend at the same Day and so to Arrest for House-hire before the Day if the Tenant be Fugitive If a Free-man of the City find his Debtor suddenly within the same City which Debter hath absented himself before or that he be Fugitive City-Law pag. 105. and the which Debtor will Escape away before that the Creditor can have an Officer the usage is in such Case that the Free-man himself with aid of his Neighbours without other Officer may Arrest his Debtor and carry him to the Office of one of the Sheriffs and there make his Suit as the Law requires A Brief Account of the Courts held in this Honourable City THe highest and most ancient Court in this famous City is that called the Hustings a Saxon Word Hus signifying a House and Sthing or Thing a Cause or Plea so that it is Domus Causarum a House of Causes or Pleas or Pleadings This Court preserves the Laws Rights Franchises and Customs of the City There be handled the the Intricatest Accounts and Pleas of the Crown and of the whole Kingdom It is of great Antiquity the Laws of Edward the Confessour much referring to it where may be read these words Debet enim in London quae caput est Regni Legum semper Curia Domini Regis singulis septimâ—nis die Lunae Hustingis sedere teneri c. That is The Court of our Lord the King ought to sit and be held every Week on Monday at the Hustings in London which City is the head of the Kingdom and Laws c. But now it is held on Tuesdays in the Guild-Hall of London before the Lord Mayor Sheriffs and Aldermen every Week All the Lands and Tenements Rents and Services within the City and Liberties are pleaded there in two Hustings one is called Husting de placito terrae Husting of Plea of Land the other de Communibus placitis of Common-Pleas It is held on Monday to Demand the Demandants and to award Non-suites to allow Essoynes and on Tuesday to award the Default and Plead For certain times no Hustings may be held by Custom of the City viz. Husting of Plea of Land ought to be held a Week by it self at the aforesaid days but the Inrollments and Titles of the said Hustings make mention of Monday only In Husting of Plea of Land are Pleaded Writs of Right Patents Directed to the Mayor and Sheriffs of London which Writs have this process by Custom of the City viz. The Tenant or Tenants shall first have three Summons at the Tenements Demanded at three Hustings of Plea of Land next ensuing after the Livery of the Writ and of the Hustings without Demanding the Tenements at any aforesaid And after the three Summons ended three Essoynes at three other Hustings of Plea of Land then next ensuing and at the next ensuing after the third Essoyne and the Tenants making Default Process shall be made against them by a Grand cape or petit cape after the appearance and other Process at the Common-Law And if the Tenants shall appear the Demandants shall Count against the Tenants in the Nature of what Writ they will except certain Writs which are Pleadable in Husting of Common-Pleas c. without making Protestation to see in the Nature of any Writ And the Tenants shall have the view and shall be Essoyned after the view as at the Common-law And the Tenant shall have an Essoyn after every appearance by Custom of the City And although that such a Writ be abated after the view by exception of Joynt-Tenancy or other exception Dilatory or other such Writ be â—evived the Tenants by the Custom of the City shall have the view in the second Writ Notwithstanding the view before had And if the parties plead to Judgment the Judgment shall be pronounced by the Recorder and six Aldermen at least were wont to be present at the giving of every such Judgment Every Beadle of the City by the advice of the Alderman of his Ward against every Hustings or Plea of Land shall Summon Twelve Men Freeholders being the best and most sufficient of his Ward to come to Guild-Hall for to pass in an Inquest if there be need for the rest of the Free-holders of the said Ward And if the parties plead and descend to an Inquest then shall the Inquest be taken of the People Inheritors having at the least Frank-Tenement of the same Ward where the Tenements are and other three Wards next to the place where the Tenements are so that four sufficient men of the same Ward where the Tenements are shall be sworn in the same Inquest if there be so many No Damages by Custom of the City are recoverable in any such Writ of Right Patent and the Inquest may pass the same day by such common Summons of the Beadle if the parties be at Issue and the Jurors come Otherwise Process shall be made to cause the Inquest to come at another Husting of Plea of Land ensuing by Precept of the Mayor directed to the Sheriffs who shall be Ministers by the Commandment of the Mayor to serve the Writs and to make Execution thereof notwithstanding that the Original Writ be directed to the Mayor and Sheriffs Joyntly And it is to be understood that as well the Tenants as the Demandants may make their Attorneys in such Pleas c. See City-Law p. 46. c. In the Hustings of Common-Pleas are Pleadable Writs called ex gravi querela for to have Execution of the Tenements out of the Testaments which are Inrolled in the Hastings Writs of Dower unde nihil habet Writs of Gavelkind and Custom and of Service Instead of a Cessavit Writs of Error of Judgments given before the Sheriffs Writs of Waste Writ de Partitione facienda between Co-partners Writs of quid Juris clamat and per quae â—ervitiâ— and others which Writs are close and directed to the Mayor and Sheriffs and also Replegiaries of things taken and of Distresses wrongfully taken are
Pleadable before the Mayor and Sheriffs in the same Husting of Cowmon-Pleas by Plaint without Writ c. The Aldermen of London are summoned to the Husting and they ought by usage of the said City to be summoned by an Officer of the Sheriffs sitting upon an Horse of 100 s. price at least Of the Court of Requests or Conscience THis Court was first Erected by an Act of Common-Councel 9 H. 8. viz. That the Lord Mayor and Aldermen for the time being should Monthly assign two Aldermen and four Discreet Commoners to sit twice a week to hear and Determine all matters brought before them betwixt Freemen where the Due Debt or Damage did not exceed 40 s. Afterwards the said Number of Commissioners were enlarged to the Number of Twelve which continued till the end of Queen Elizabeths Reign and 3 Jacobi cap. 15. confirm'd by Act of Parliament where it was Enacted That every poor Citizen and Free-man inhabiting in London being sued for Debt under 40 s. may exhibit his suit in the Court of London called the Court of Requests where shall be nominated Twelve Commissioners three of which may send for any Creditor who is complained of in suing such a Debt under 40 s. and if he refuse to come or perform not their Orders they may cause him to be Arrested by any Sergeant of London and Commit him to Prison there to remain untill he perform the said Order c. This Court was to continue by the first Act of Common-Councel but for two years but being found Charitable and Profitable for the relief of poor Debtors unable to make present payment and to restrain malicious persons from proceeding in wilful Suits and to help poor persons as had small Debts owing to them and unable to prosecute Suits in Law elsewhere it was continued by divers Acts of Common-Councel as aforesaid Of the Court of the Lord MAYOR and ALDERMEN IN this Court the Lord Mayor and Aldermen as also the Recorder and Sheriffs who are usually Aldermen or else constantly Chosen upon the next vacancy sit this is a Court of Record principally instituted among other causes for the redressing and correcting the Errors Defaults and misprisions which happen in the Government of the City It is kept on Tuesdays and Thursdays In this Court are comprehended several other Courts as I. The Court of Orphans for the Mayor and Alderman as was said at large before by Custom have the Custody of the Orphans within the City c. The Chamberlain is a sole Corporation to himself and his Successors for Orphans and a Recognizance made to him and his Successours touching Orphans shall by Custom go to his Successor The Government of Orphans is so invested in the Mayor that if any Orphans sue in the Ecclesiastical Court or elsewhere for a Legacy or Duty due to them by the Custom a Prohibition doth lie 2. The Court of Wardmote or of the Wardmote Inquest for the whole City being divided into twenty-six Wards every Ward hath such an Inquest consisting of twelve or more who inquire after Abuses and Disorders and present them to be redressed inquiry is also made into all things that can conduce to the Regulating and well governing the City 3. The Court of Hall-mote or Hall-Court or Assembly of every Guild or Fraternity for Redressing what belongs to the said Companies in particular 4. The Court of the Conservation of the Water and River of Thames which belongs to the Lord Mayor from Stanes-Bridge unto the Water of Yendal and Medway of which we have spoke largly before when we Treated of the River of Thames 5. The Courts of the Coroner and Escheater which both belong to the Lord Mayor he being Coroner and Escheator by vertue of his Authority and Office 6. The Court of Policies and Assurances to Merchants that venture and Traffique on the Seas where Ships and Goods are Insured at so much per Cent. where there is an Officer of good Quality who Registers those Assurances 7. The Court of the Tower of London which is held within the Verge of the City before the Steward by prescription of Debt Trespass and other Actions Now part of the Tower is within the City and part in Middlesex viz the East part but the West in London whereof as was formerly said when we spoke of the Tower p. 14. there was a notable Example in the Person of Sir Thomas Overbury who being poysoned in a Chamber on the West part the principal Murderers were Tryed before Commissioners of Oyer and Terminer in London and so was Sir Gervase Elways the Lieutenant of the Tower at that time 8. The Court of Common-Councel consisting as the Parliament of England of two Houses one for the Lord Mayor and Aldermen and the other for the Commoners In which Court are made all By-Laws which bind all the Citizens of London for every Man either by himself or by his Representative gives his assent thereunto wherein consists the great happiness of the English Subject above all the Subjects of any other Prince in the World that neither in Laws nor By-Laws neither in Taxes or Imposts any man is obliged but by his own Consent The Oath of a Common-Councel-Man YE shall Swear that ye shall be true to our Soveraign Lord the King that now is and to his Heirs and Successors Kings of England and readily ye shall come when ye be summoned to the Common-Council of this City but if ye be reasonably excused and good and true Councel ye shall give in all things touching the Commonwealth of this City after your Wit and Cunning and that for favour of any person ye shall maintain no singular profit against the Common profit of this City and after that ye be come to the Common-Councel you shall not thence depart untill the Common-Councel be ended without reasonable cause or else by the Lord Mayors License And also any secret things that be spoken or said in the Common-Councel which ought to be kept secret in no wise you shall disclose as God you help The Common-Councel-Men are chosen at the Wardmote-Inquest for the respective Wards and are to be of the most sufficient honest and discreet Men of the Ward to serve for the ensuing year on St. Thomas the Apostles day 9. The Court of the Chamberlain of the City to whom belongs the Receipts of the Rents and Revenues of the City And to his Court belongs the business of Apprentices over whom he hath great Authority as was said before This Officer is chosen by the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Commons He over-sees and keeps all the Books Rolls Records and other Monuments and Remembrances that ought to remain of Record and the City Treasure to keep and maintain all the Rents and Tenements pertaining to the Chamber of London His Office about Orphans we have shewed before as also about Apprentices to which we shall add that he is to cause their Indentures to be Inrolled and make those Apprentices to serve out
their time One may be a Freeman of London 1. By Seâ—vice as in case of Apprentiship 2. By Birth-right as being the Son of a Freeman 3. By Redemption by Order of the Court of Aldermâ—n For such as are made Free this way the Chamberlain of London is to set the Fines of such Redemptions He is to take Fines of such as are rebellious to their Masters or Guardians and for certain other Defaults c. To shew the Piety of the honourable Governours of this great City in ancient as well as modern times I shall produce the Instructions Recorded for the Apprentices of London out of Stow p. 668. Edit 1633. The Observation of which is heartily recommended to the Youth concern'd It is thus YOu shall constantly and Devoutly on your knees every day serve God Morning and Evening and make Conscience in the Due hearing of the Word Preached and endeavour the right practise thereof in your Life and Conversation You shall do diligent and faithful Service to your Master for the time of your Apprentiship and Deal truly in what you shall be trusted You shall often read over the Covenants of your Indenture and see and endeavour your self to perform the same to the uttermost of your power You shall avoid all evil Company and all occasions which may tend or draw you to the same and make speedy Return when you shall be sent of your Masters or Mistresses Errands You shall avoid Idleness and be ever Employed either for God's Service or in your Masters business You shall be of fair gentle and lowly speech and behaviour to all men and especially to all your Governours And according to your Carriage expect your Reward for Good or Ill from God and your Friends c. Of the Sheriffs Courts THere are two Courts of Sheriffs one for the Counter in Woodstreet and another for the Counter in the Poultry whereof there are two Lawyers as Judges well read in the Customs of the City as well as the Common-Laws but if an erroneous Judgment be given before the Sheriffs the party griev'd may sue a Writ of Error and remove it to the Hustings before the Mayor and Sheriffs if they yield no Redress then shall certain Justices be assigned by the King's Commission to sit at St. Martins le Grand by Nisi prius for to Redress the said Judgments and if there be default found in the the Mayor and Sheriffs they shall be punished for their Misprisions by the form contained in the Statute of 28 E. 3. c. 10. One taken in Execution in London upon a Condemnation in the Sheriffs Court and Removed by Habeas Corpus into the Kings-Bench shall be commited there in Execution for that Debt and having discharged all Causes in the Kings-Bench shall be remanded Then there is the Court of Sessions or Goal-Delivery held usually eight times a year at the Old-Bayly both for the City and Middlesex for the Tryal of Criminals whereof the Lord Mayor is the Chief Judge and hath the power of Reprieving condemned Persons The Prisons in London OF Ludgate we have spoken in the Section of Gates page 9. And of Newgate page 10. The Counter in the Poultry belongs to one of the Sheriffs of London and has been kept and continued there time out of mind The Counter in Woodstreet belongs also to one of the Sheriffs prepared to be a Prison-House Anno 1555. and on the 28 th of September that year the Prisoners that lay in the Counter in Breadstreet were removed to this Counter Both these Counters were burnt in the Year 1666 but Rebuilt since much more stately and Commodious than they were before There is also in the late Parish of St. Margaret Southwark a Prison called the Counter in Southwark c. The Fleet is also a Prison so called of the Fleet or Water running by it now made Navigable and called the Fleet-Dike There was also in Southwark a Prison called the Clink on the Banks-side also a Prison called the White-Lyon in Southwark so called because it was formerly an Inn with that Sign this being the appointed Goal for the County of Surry Stow p. 455. There are besides these two Prisons more in Southwark viz. The Kings-Bench and the Marshalsea which last belongs to the Marshals of England Lastly there is the Gate-House in Westminster a Prison likewise for Offenders c. Of the Watches in London To speak in general terms there cannot be found in the World more Regular Careful and Orderly Watches than are in this great City which indeed is very needful for where there is such a vast confluence of aâ—â— sorts of People it is of absolute necessity to keep diligent Watch to prevent Disorders and Mischiefs which else would happen William the Conquerour commanded that in every Town and Village a Bell call'd Curfew-Bell should be Nightly rung at Eight of the Clock and that all People should then put out their Fire and Candle and take their rest which Order was observed in his Reign and the Reign of William Rufus but Henry the First revoked that Order But Henry the Third Anno 1253. Commanded Watches in Cities and Burroughs to be kept in order to the preservation of Peace and Quietness amongst his Subjects c. There are in the Respective Streets convenient Stations for the Watchmen who are Citizens and obliged to perform that Duty in their turns with their Officers and are to Examine all persons that walk in unseasonable hours and to Apprehend Suspitious persons or such as are Riotous or otherwise mis-behave themselves and secure them At set and convenient times they appoint a Party to go their Rounds and to apprehend such as they find Tippling in Victualing-Houses at unseasonable hours or in Houses of ill-name or Night-walkers or any other persons wheresoever that are uncivil or cannot give a good account of themselves and the Reason of their being abroad and when any such are Apprehended they keep them all night in safe Custody on the Guard or send them to one of the Counters to be forth-coming before a Justice of the Peace the next day who deals with them according to the merit of their Cause By this means an Infinite deal of Evils as Murders Roberies Felonies Fires c. are prevented which would otherwise happen it being certain that in so great and populous a City amongst the many good People it cannot be avoided but that a great many wicked persons capable of the blackest Villanies do creep in as daily and sad experience shews Of the Military Government of London HAving Treated of the Ecclesiastical and Temporal Government of this Great City we will give some brief touches of its Military Government Ancient and Modern In the 23 of H. VIII 1532. At a General Muster in London were first taken the Names of all Men within this City and Liberties only which reach not far from the Walls from the Age of 16 to 60. Also the Number of all Harnesses and all
Chief 37. MARBLERS The Company call'd the Marblers or Sculpters are in one Fraternity with the Masons yet they have a different Coat viz. a Chevron between two and a Mallet Argent 38. WOOL-PACKERS There was a Company of Wool-packers in the time of the Hans when the Staple of Wool flourished their Coat Azure a Wool-sack Argent 39. FARRIERS Had their rise from Henry de Ferraris a Norman who was Master of the Horse to the Conqueror who gave him the honour of Tutbury the first preferment of the Ferrars Their Arms three Horse-shoos Azure 40. PAVIOVRS This is an ancient Company their Coat Argent a Chevron between three Rummers Sable 41. LORINORS Their Arms are Gules on a Chevron Argent three Horse-Combs 'twixt three Roses Argent 42. BROWN-BAKERS Incorporated 19 Jacobi their Arms Gules a hand issuing out of the Clouds a chief Barry wavie Or and Azure on a Chevron Gules 43. WOOD-MONGERS Incorporated 3 Jacobi Their Coat Argent a Chevron 'twixt three Faggots Sable 44. VPHOLSTERS or VPHOLDERS Their Arms Sable three Tents Gules on a Chevron Or three Tents of the second 45. TVRNERS Incorporated 2 Jacobi Their Coat Azure a Katharine-wheel Argent 46. GLAZIERS Their Arms two Crosiers Salterways Sable four Sprigs on a Chief Gules a Lyon passant Gardant Or. 47. CLARKS The Company of Clarks called Parish-Clarks is ancient and stand Register'd in the Books of Guild-Hall They were incorporated 17 H. 3. Their Arms Azure a Flower-de-luce Or on a Chief Gules a Leopards head 'twixt two Books Or. 48. WATER-MEN Have for their Arms barry waive of six Azure and Argent a Lighter proper on a chief Gules a pair of Oars Salterways 'twixt two Cushions Or. 49. APOTHECARYES This Company having separated themselves from the ancient Society of the Grocers grew so much in favour with King James that he used to call them his Company and therefore gave them a Charter of Incorporation the 15 th of his Reign Amongst many worthy Members of this Company I may not forget Dr. Gideon De Laune Apothecary to King James a man noted for many singularities in his time a great Benefactor to to the Publick and particularly to the Foundation of the Apothecaries-Hall in Black-Fryars where his Statue in white Marble is to be seen to this day And to whom I have the honour to be nearly related which is not the Reason that I mention him but to perpetuate his Memory as well as others as his due desert he liv'd piously to the age of 97 years and worth notwithstanding his many acts of publick and private piety near as many thousand pounds as he was years having 37 Children by one Wife and about 60 Grand-children at his Funeral His famous Pill is in great request to this day notwithstanding the Swarms of pretenders to Universal Pill-making This little digression I hope will not be offensive 50. SILK-THROWERS This Company was made a Fellowship of this City 19 Jacobi and Incorporated by the name of the Master Wardens Assistants and Commonalty of the Trade or Mystery of Silk-throwers of the City of London 13 April 5 Car. 1. Besides these there are several other Societies of which more hereafter These Corporations or Bodies-Politick have all their stately spacious Halls as was said with Clerks and other Ministerial Officers to attend them when they meet to consult about the regulation of their respective Societies and for promoting publick Good and advancement of Trade and Wealth as also when they meet at their sumptuous and splendid Feasts And in this London surpasseth all other Cities The Arms of LONDON To conclude our Heraldry the Arms of this Illustrious City shall bring up the Rear as well as it has been placed in the Front It is Argent Cross Gules with the Sword of St. Paul not Sir William Wallworth's Dagger as some have conceited for this Coat did belong to the City before the said Sir William Walworth Lord Mayor slew the Rebel Wat Tyler as learned Antiquaries Affirm The Oath of a Freeman YE shall Swear that ye shall be good and true to our Soveraign Lord King Charles the Second and to the Heirs of our said Soveraign Lord the King Obeysant and Obedient ye shall be to the Mayor and Ministers of this City the Franchises and Customs thereof ye shall maintain and this City keep harmless in that which in you is Ye shall be contributary to all manner of charges within this City as Summons Watches Contributions Taxes Tallages Lot and Scot and to all charges bearing your part as a Freeman ought to do Ye shall colour no Forreigners Goods under or in your Name whereby the King or this City might or may lose their customs or advantages Ye shall know no Foreigner to buy or sell any Merchandize with any Foreigner within this City or Franchise thereof but ye shall warn the Chamberlain thereof or some Minister of the Chamber Ye shall implead or sue no Freeman out of this City whiles ye may have Right and Law within the same City Ye shall take none Apprentice but if he be Free-born that is to say no Bondmands Son nor the Son of any Alien and for no less term than for seven Years without fraud or deceit and within the first Year ye shall cause him to be inrolled or else pay such Fine as shall be reasonably imposed upon you for omitting the same And after his terms end within convenient time being required ye shall make him Free of this City if he have well and truly served you Ye shall also keep the King's Peace in your own person Ye shall know no Gatherings Conventicles or Conspiracies made against the Kings Peace but ye shall warn the Mayor thereof or let it to your power All these points and Articles ye shall well and truly keep according to the Laws and Customs of this City to your power so God you help c. Of the Guild-Hall PAge 160. The Reader was referred to what should be spoken about the great Guild-Hall to the Chapter of Government where an account has been given of the several Courts there therefore there is no need of further addition here as to that only we shall briefly remark its Antiquity Fabian says that this Hall was begun to be built New Anno 1411. 12 H. 4. By Sir Thomas Knolles then Lord Mayor and his Brethren the Aldermen and made a large and great House 1 H. 6. The Executors of Sir Richard Whittington gave towards the paving of this great Hall 20 l. and next year 15 l. more to the said pavement with hard stone of Purbeck they also Glazed the Windows thereof and of the Lord Mayors Court on every of which the Arms of Sir Richard Whittington were placed The Foundation of the Mayors Court was laid 3. H. 6. and of the Porch on the South-side of the Court Then were built the Lord Mayors Chamber the Councel-Chamber and other Rooms above stairs The New Councel-Chamber a very good and honourable Deed with
Woodstreet on Wednesday goes out on Thursday Wells in Somersetshire and other places thereabouts John Proviss Worthington Price Carriers come to the Castle in Woodstreet on Thursday goes out on Friday Warwick John Windmill Anthony Bailey Carriers come to the Rose in West-Smithfield on Wednesday goes out on Thursday Mr. Rothwel Carrier comes to the Bell in West-Smithfield on Wednesday goes out on Thursday Thomas Wilmotte Francis Purden Thomas Ousler Daniel Swift's Coach-Wagon comes to the Bell-Savage on Ludgate-hill on Saturday goes out on Monday Windsor in Berkshire Mr. Bennet's Coach comes to the White-horse in Fleet-street in and out every day Mr. Saunders Coachman comes to the Bell-Savage on Ludgate-hill in and out every other day Robert Burridge Samuel Bradford Coachmen come to the Eagle and Child in the Strand in and out every day Samuel Bennet Coachman comes to the Kings-head near Charing-cross in and out every day Mr. Hattox Reader Neal and Burt come to the Chequer-Inn near Charing-cross in and out every day Philip Best 's Coach comes to the Unicorn in the Hay-market in and out every day Elias Gliss Coachman comes to the Crown in the Hay-market in and out every day The same Man comes to the Black-horse near the Mews-gate in and out every day Mr. Burt's Coach comes to the George in Kings-street Westminster in and out every day Wolverhampton in Staffordshire William Woolley's Wagon comes to the Bell-Savage on Ludgate-hill on Saturday goes out on Monday Watford in Hertfordshire John Halsey's Coach comes to the Bull in Holbourn on Monday Wednesday and Friday goes out on Tuesday Thursday and Saturday Wiltopp in Hampshire Mr. Garaway's Wagon comes to the Windmill in Shoe-lane on Wednesday goes out on Thursday Watford in Leicestershire William Biggs Carrier comes to the Castle in West-Smithfield on Wednesday goes out on Thursday Wemington in Leicestershire â—eorge Goodsâ—n Carrier comes to the Bear and Ragged-staff in West-Smithfield on Saturday goes out on Monday Woodford Edward Lake Wagoner comes to the Maiden-head in St. Giles's on Tuesday and Thursday goes out Wednesday and Friday Worcester John Winslow Thomas Winslowâ— Flying-Coach comes to the Kings-head near Charing-cross on Tuesday Thursday and Saturday goes out Monday Wednesday and Friday Woodford in Essex John Hinton's Coach comes to the Three Nuns without Aldgate in and out every day Wonsted in Essex William Humphrey's Coach comes to the Blueâ— Boar witout Aldgate in and out every day Wadhurst in Sussex James Reed Carrier comes to the Queens-head in Southwark on Wednesday goes out on Thursday Weam in Shropshire William Chetwood Wagoner comes to Blossoms-Inn in Lawrence-lane on Friday goes out on Saturday once in three weeks Wittham in Essex John Summers Carrier comes to the Cross-Keys in Grace-church-street on Thursday goes out on Friday Y. Yarmouth and Norwich Mr. Philips Coachman â—â—nes to the Green Dragon within Bishopsgate every Wednesday and Friday goes out Thursday and Saturday York Francis Gardner Margaret Gardner Henry Molden's Coach comes to the Black Swan in Holbourn on Monday Wednesday and Friday goes out Tuesday Thursday and Saturday The Rates and Orders for Carmen At a General Quarter-Sessions of the Peace holden for the City of London the 10th of Octob. in the Twenty ninth year of His Majesties Reign Sir Thomas Davies then Lord Mayor at Justice-Hall in the Old-Baily the following Rates and Orders were appointed for Carr-men Rates for Carr-men ALL Carr-men Trading or Working with Carrs in the City of London and Liberties thereof shall and may demand and take for every Carriage or Load of the Commodities under-mentioned the Rates hereafter following that is to say s. d. From any the Wharfs between the Tower and London-Bridge to Tower-street Grace-Church-street Fen-Church-street Bishopsgate-street within Cornhill and places of like distance up the Hill with 18 Hundred Weight not exceeding 20 Hundred Weight 2 2 And being above 20 Hundred Weight for every Hundred 0 2 In which may be included Two Pun2heons of Prunes 2 Bales of Mather 20 Barrels of Figs 2 Fat 's of Fustians 6 ordinary Sacks of Cotton-Wools of Smyrna and 3 Cyprus Bags a Butt of Currans a great Butt of Oyls 3 Chests of Sugar 8 Bags of Alâ—ms 1 Last of Flax 1 Last of Hemp and any other Goods herein not named of the like Weight for every Load 2 2 And for Sea-Coals 14 pence the Load every Load to be half a Chaldron and for one Hundred Fagots the like Rate 1 2 And from any the Wharfs aforesaid to Broad-street Lothbury Old Jury Bassishaw Coleman-street Ironmonger-Lane St. Lawrence lane Milk-street Aldermanbury Cheapside Wood-street Friday-street Bread-street and places of like distance for the like Weight of 18 Hundred not exceeding 20 Hundred Weight for the Goods aforesaid and other Goods herein not named of the like Weight for every Loâ—d 2 6 And being above 20 Hundred Weight for every Hundred 0 2 And so Sea-Coals 16 pence the Load every Load to be half a Chaldron and for one Hundred Fagots the like Rate 1 4 Also from any the Wharfs aforesaid to Smithfield-Baâ—s Holborn-Bâ—â—s Temple-Bar or any of the Bars on the North-side of the City and places of like distance up the Hill with 18 Hundred Weight not exceeding 20 Hundred Weight for every Load 3 4 And going beyond the said places the parties to agree with the Carr-men Also from any the Wharfs aforesaid to Tower-street Bishopsgate within Cornhill and others places of like distance up the Hill with 14 Hundred Weight not exceeding 18 Hundred Weight 1 10 In which may be included Twenty pieces of Raisins a Load of Raisins of the Sun 6 Bags of Pepper 6 ordinary Bags of Galls 3 great Bags of Galls 6 Bales and Barrels of Indico 6 Bales of Grogram Yarn 6 Bales of Turkie Silk 5 Hogsheads of Cloves 4 Bales of Callicoes 3 Hogsheads of Wines 2 Chests of Sugar or any other Goods of the like Weight 5 Hogsheads of Tobacco not exceeding 18 Hundred weight 1 10 Also from any the Wharfs aforesaid to Broad-street Lothbury Old Jury Bassishaw Colâ—man-strâ—et Ironmonger-Lane St. Lawrence-Lane Milk-street Aldermanbury Cheapside Wood-street Friday-street Bread-street and places of the like distance for any of the said Goods of the same quantity and Weight for every Load 2 0 Also from any the Wâ—arfs aforesaid to Tower-â—treet Grace-Church-street Fan-Church-street Bishopsgate-street within Cornhill and other places of like distance up the Hill with 8 Hundred Weight not exceeding 14 Hundred Weight 1 6 In which may be included All Buâ—s and Pipes of Wine or a Pipe of Oil Packs of Canvas 2 Hogsheads or 3 Terces a Fat of Fustians and all other Goods of the like Bulk and Weight for every Load 1 6 And from any the Wharfs aforesaid to Broadstreet Lothbury Old Jury Bassishaw Coleman-street Ironmonger-Lane St. Lawrence-lane Milk-street Aldermanbury Cheapside Wood-street Friday-street and other places of like distance for any other Goods of like Load or Weight for every Load 1 8 Also from London-Bridge-foot Westward to the
given by Polidor Virgil p. 561. Thus Quibus Rebus ita usu venit c. by which means it grew to a Custom that after a vast destruction of men by this Distemper this kind of help was found effectual If any person was taken with this Sweat by day he must go to Bed with his Cloaths on If by night and the party be in bed then he must rest and not stir for 24 hours compleat in the mean time he must be so covered as not to provoke Sweat but let it proceed of its own accord he must neither eat nor drink any thing but what will just serve to keep him alive he must not so much as put forth hand or foot to be cooled for that 's death unavoidable If the Patient observes this he is certainly cured else lost and this Disease saith he invaded only England or English-men which men at that time made portentous constructions of This Mortal Distemper was succeeded by a rageing Plague which swept away many so that the King was forced to remove his Court from one place to another By that Sweating-sickness in H. 8's time infinite multitudes of People dyed in several places of England especially in London sparing neither rich nor poor for even in the King's Court the Lord Gray of Wilton and the Lord Clinton and many Knights Gentlemen and Officers died of it The like Sweating-sickness hapned in the 20 th year of his Reign which began in London and afterwards spread it self into all parts of the Kingdom so that the Term and the Assizes were adjourned In the 20 E. 3. as Baker says p. 131. there died in London of a Plague 57374 persons In the 4 th of Queen Mary hot burning Agues and other strange Diseases took away much People So as between the 20 th of October and the last of December there died 7 Aldermen of London namely Henry Heardson Sir Richard Dobs Sir Will. Laxton Sir Henry Hobblethorn Sir John Champney Sir John Ayleph and Sir John Gresham of which some were Lord Mayors c. I find that in the 8 th of Qu. Eliz. there died in ten Months seven Aldermen of London viz. Edward Banks Richard Chamberlain Sir Martin Bowes Sir Richard Mallory Sir William Hewet Sir Thomas White and Richard Lambert one of the Sheriffs for that year In the 36 th of Qu. Eliz. there dyed of the Plague in London and the Suburbs 17890. besides the Lord Mayor and three Aldermen and Michaelmas-Term was holden at St. Albans The first of King James viz. 1602 there died in London and Liberties 38244 whereof of the Plague 30578 yet the next year though the City was increased with a great number of Strangers there died of all Diseases but 4263. There broke out likewise a great Plague in the First of King Charles the First whereof more died than in the beginning of his Fathers Reign Many other Plagues have been in the City but I shall conclude this subject with a brief account of the great Plague in 1665. In the beginning of May the Bill of Mortality mentions nine that died of the Plague and decreased the next Week to three then increased to fourteen next to seventeen next forty three and then great Persons began to retire into the Country In June the Bill increases to 112 next 168 next 267 next 470 then do many Tradesmen go into the Country and many Ministers take occasion to absent themselves from their Charge In July the Bill rises to 725 then to 1089 next 1843 next to 2010 Now most Parishes are infected a vast number of Houses shut up no Trade at all and the number of dying persons still encreasing although so many thousands left the City In Aug. the Bill rises to 2817 next 3880 next 4237 and then 6102 all which died of the Plague besides other Diseases Now there is a dismal solitude in London-streets every day looks with the face of a Sabbath observed with greater solemnity than it used to be in the City Shops are shut up very few walk about so that grass begins to spring in some places A deep silence every where no ratling of Coaches c. no calling in Customers no London Crys no noise but dying Croans and Funeral Knells c. In September the Bill rises to 6988 the next falls to 6544 but then rises again to 7165 which was the greatest Bill There were but four Parishes that were not infected and in them few tarried The next Bill falls to 5538 then to 4929 then to 4327 then to 2665 then to 1421 then to 1031. First Week in November it rises to 1414 but falls to 1050 then to 652 then to 333 and so lessened more and more to the end of the year when we had a Bill of 97306 which died of all Diseases which was 79000 more than the year before and the number of them which died of the Plague was reckoned to be 68596 that year but others say that there died of that fatal Disease in little more than a years space near 100000 persons in London and some adjacent places I shall proceed to remark briefly some few things more which are Miscellaneous Collections of my own from Divers Authors In the time of Edward the Second when the workmen were digging the Foundation of a Work about Pauls there were found more than 100 heads of Oxen which confirm'd that opinion that of old time it had been the Temple of Diana and that there was the Sacrifice of Beasts In the 3 H. 5. It is said that seven Dolphins came up the River of Thames whereof four were taken In the Fourth of Q. Mary before Harvest Wheat was sold for four Marks the Quarter Malt at 44 s. the Quarter Pease at 46 s. 8 d. Yet after Harvest Wheat was sold for 5 s. the Quarter Malt for 6 s. 8 d. Rye at 3 s. 4 d. In the Country Wheat was sold for 4 s. the Quarter Malt at 4 s. 8 d. and in some places a Bushel of Rye for a pound of Candles which was 4 d. I have read that in the Third of King James a Whale came up within eight miles of London whose body was seen divers times above water and judged to exceed the length of the largest Ship in the River but when she tasted the fresh-water and sented the Land she returned into the Sea I find recorded by divers Writers that the 17 th of July 1619 one Bernard Calvart of Andover rode from St. George's Church in Southwark to Dover and from thence passed by Barge to Callice in France and from thence returned back to St. George's Church the same day setting out about three in the Morning and returned about eight in the Evening fresh and lusty being 184 miles which was very strange In the 14 th R. 2. on Christmas-day a Dolphin was taken at London-bridge being ten Foot long and a monstrous grown Fish In the 37 H. 8. On Tuesday in Easter week William Foxely Pot-maker for the Mint
and a Navigable River for the Conveyance of heavy Commodities as Fuel c. So that it may be called the Grand Mart of England And for Navigation and Forâ—eign Commerce in which no Emporium in the World can Challenge precedence and by which a considerable share of the Riches of other Nations is imported the Reader is referred to the Chapters where we shall Treat of Trade The River Thames upon wâ—iâ—h it is seated and by it in the form of a Crescent each part of the City enjoying the benefit of the River and yet not far distant from each other This City is so far from the Sea that it needs not fear a Forreign Surprize and yet in 12 hours by the help of the Tide it is capable to receive the greatest Ships that Traverse the Ocean CHAP. III. Of its Increase Magnitude Inhabitants Publick Structures c. AS it was said of the People of Rome that e parva origine from a small beginning they grew to a vast greatness so we may truly say of this Famous City the Metropolis of our Monarchy which even in Neroes days was Renowned for Concourse of Merchants and provision of all things as Speed informs us and must Consequently be Great and Populous That it has received an accession and increase in the Respective Ages is certain and in our Memory we have seen it to multiply exceedingly in beautiful Structures and number of Inhabitants So that it is at present of vast extent being from Lime-House to the end of Tuttle-steet from East to West above 7500 Geometrical paces that is above seven Miles and ahalf And from the further end of Blackman-street in Southwark to the end of St. Leonard-Shore-Ditch is 2500 paces that is two Miles and a half The Principal Streets Lanes and Alleys in this great City are above 500 in number and yet some of them above half a measured Mile in length Before the dreadful Conflagration in 1666 there were computed within the Walls above 15000 Houses which is but one fifth of the whole City as appears by the Weekly Bills of Mortality so that the Total of Houses may be 75000 which are mightily increased since the Rebuilding of the City enlarging it self every way especially about St. James's and Sohoe-Fields where it has received such Additions of beautiful Buildings as by themselves would make a brave City So that now London for fair and stately Edifices uniform and Regular buildings and other publick Structures does not only excel its former State but all things considered may outvie the most Magnificent Cities of the Universe as shall be Demonstrated more particularly As to the number of Inhabitants when London was by more than a fourth part less than it is now there were computed to be eaten 67500 Beefs yearly there ten times as many Sheep that is 675000 besides abundance of Calves Lamb Swine all sorts of Poultry Foul Fish Roots Milk c. And that every year to supply the City with Coals there is brought into the River about 300000 Chaldrons every Chaldron being 36 Bushels The Bills of Mortality in times of no Infection do yearly amount to 20000 and odd which is three times more than Amsterdam and equal to if not beyond Paris as by the Bills themselves may be seen In the year 1667. when the greatest part of the City lay in Ashes within the Walls and much without and consequently many of the Inhabitants forced to retire into the Countrey for Habitation according to exact computation there were brewed that year in London 452563 Barrels of Beer 580421 Barrels of Ale and 489797 Barrels of Table-Beer or Small Beer The Strong Beer 36 gallons to the Barrel sold at 12 s. 6 d. the Small Beer also 36 gallons to the Barrel sold at 6 s. 6 d. the Ale 32 gallons to the Barrel sold at 16 s. But now there is a vast greater quantity besides abundance of Spanish French and Rhenish Wines Cyder and other Liquors consumed The Excise of Beer and Ale though very moderate is or has lately been Farmed of the King at above 120000 l. a year Parish Churches besides Chappels there are in all 132 which is twice more then any City in Christendom hath which leads us to take a View of the Publick Structures which for methods sake shall be described in this order NEW-GATE LUD-GATE CRIPPLE-GATE ALDERS-GATE WESTMINSTER ABBY 25 PARLAMENT HOVSâ— THE MON VMENT St MARY OVERIEâ—S CHVRCH BOW STEEPLE BISHOPS-GATE MOORE-GATE THE TOWER ALD-GATE 1. The Walls Towers Gates c. 2. Churches and Monuments 3. Hospitals and Work-Houses 4. Palaces and the Houses of the Nobility 5. Exchanges and Publick Halls 6. Colledge and Inns of Court 7. Bridges and the New River 8. Markets SECT I. Of its Walls Gates Towers c. SImâ—on of Durham the Ancient Writer tells us That London was first encompassed with Walls by Constantine the Great at the Request of his Mother Helena about the year 399. or according to Stow 306. Which Wall being of rough Stone and Brittish Brick was in compass three miles inclosing the Model of the City almost in the form of a Bow on the Land-side except Denting in betwixt Cripplegate and Aldersgate but on the South-side it was as the String of a Bow furnished with Towers and Bulwarks at due distances The City is of greater length from East to West then from North to South That part of the Wall which stood on the Thames side is by the continual flowing and washing of the River fallen down and decayed yet there appeared some remains thereof in Henry the Second's time Fitz-Stephens who then lived says That London was ab Austro-muraâ—aâ— Turrita that is Walled and Towered on the South but that in Tract of Time the River Thames destroyed it Mr. Stow in his Survey tells us That the City being destroyed by the Danes Anno 839. was repaired by Alfred King of the West Saxons Anno 886. after it had lain waste 47 years Anno 1215. the sixth of King John the Barons entred the City by Aldgate plundered the Jews repaired the Walls with the Stones of their Houses Anno 1257. Henry the Third caused the decayed Walls to be repaired at the common charge of the City Anno 1282. Edward the First giving Licence to enlarge the Black Fryars Church and to break down a part of the Wall between Ludgate and the River Thames he gave certain Customs to the Mayor and Citizens to build a Wall from Ludgate West to Fleet-Bridge and so behind the Houses by the Fleet-Water now the New-Channel to the River In the year 1310. Edward the Second commanded the Citizens to finish the Wall already begun and the Tower at the end of it within the Water of the River Thames near Black-Fryars Anno 1322. being the second of Edward the Third the Walls were again repaired It was also granted by King Richard the Second in the tenth year of his Reign That a Toll should be taken of the Wares sold by Land or
the foundation of the aforesaid Gate it was much loosned and weakned so that 200 and oddâ— years after viz. Anno 1440. 18 H. 6. It fell down and was never since re-edified There were several other Water-Gates which were purchased by private Men as at Black-frier-stairs a free landing place Puddle-Wharf Pauls-Wharf a free landing place Broken-wharf Queen-Hith a place called Woolf-Gate in the Parish of Aâ—lâ—allows after called Woolf-lane but the lower part being built on by the Earl of Shreâ—sâ—ury and the upper part by the Chamberlain of London it was grown out of use There was also a Gate called Ebgate now the Old Swan There was also a small Gate called Oyster-Gate because Oysters were sold there and other Shell Fish Bridg-gate so called of London-Bridg was reckoned by Fitz-Seephens one of the Principal Gates of the City Next Buttolph-gate so called of St. Buttolphs-Church adjoining Of Billingsgate we have spoke already There was a Water-gate by the Custom-House at the South end of Water-lanâ— and another Water-gate by the Tower Of the Tower of London THe Wall of the City was furnished round about with Towers and Bulworks at due and Regular distances Of which where the Wall ended towards the River on the East-side the most eminent was that which we call the Toâ—â—r of London Built by William the Conqueror about the Year 1078. Some say that Caesar built the White-Tower but that is not so nor does he mention it in his Commentary though an exact Recorder of his own Actions Gundulph Bishop of Rochester being Principal Surveyor and Overseer of the Work This was the great Square Tower now called the White-Tower which has been much inlarged by several Buildings since adjoyned at diverse times and incompassed with a Wall And Anno 1190 in the 2 R. 1. as was said the Bishop of Ely Chancellor of England inclâ—sed it with a thick and strong outward Wall of stone Embattailed and caused a Broad and Deep Ditch to be cast about the same thinking to have Invironed it with the River of Thames so that it is a most Famous Goodly Citadel resembling a big Town Edward the 4 th fortified this Tower inclosing a certain piece of Ground taken from Tower-Hill on the West which is now called the Bulwark Near West-gate opening to the South there is a strong Postern for passengers by the Ward-House over a Drawbridg let down for that purpose On the South side towards the East is a large Water-gate for the Receipt of small Vessels under a store Bridg from the River Thames beyond it 〈◊〉 a small Pâ—stern with a Draw-bridg seldom let down but to receive great Persons that are Prisoners The Lyon-Tower was built by Edward the 4 th This is not only a Fort or Citadel to Defend and Command both City and River but alâ—o a Royal Palace where our Kings with their Courts have Lodged some times 'T is furnished with an Armory and Royal Arsenaf of Arms and Ammunition for 60000 Men. Here are kept the Treâ—sury for the Jewels and Ornaments of the English Crown the only Mint now for Coining Silver and Gold in England And the most Antient Records of the King's Courts of Justice at Westminster This is the Chief Prison for the safe Custody of Great Persons that are Criminals It is out of any County or Parish yet a great part of it is within the liberty of the City For it was the Judges opinion that those that were to be Tried for the Murder of Sir Thomas Overbury must be Tried in the City the Fact being done there The Office of his Majesties Records is of venerable Antiquity And as the Chapel of the Rolls in Chancery-Lane and Petty Bag-Office doth fill with Records out of other Offices they are transmitted into the Tower after some years for preservation and security These Records contain the Foundations and Dissolutions of Abbeys Donation of Land c. These Records at the Rolls being joyned to those in the Tower will make a perfect continuance of all the Antient Rights of England as 1. The Leagues and Treaties of Foreign Princes 2. The Warlike Atchievments of the English in France and other Parts 3. The Original of all the Laws Enacted and Recorded till the Reign of Richard the 3. 4. The Homage and Dependancy of Scotland upon England The Establishment of Ireland in Laws and Dominions 5. The Dominion of the British Seas excluding both French and Dutch from Fishing there without the Kings License proved by Records before the Conquest 6. The Title of the Realm of France and how obtained 7. And all that the Kings or Princes of this Land have until that time done abroad on granted or confirmed unto their Subjects at home or abroad 8. Tenures of all Lands extents of Surveys of Mannors and Land Inquisitions post mortem 9. Libertys and Priviledges Granted to Citys Towns or private Men. 10. Several Writs Bleadings Proceedings c. in Courts of Chancery Common Law Exchequer c. 11. Inspeximus's and Inrollments of Charters and Deeds before the Conquest 12. Metes and Bounds of all Forrests with the respective Rights of the Inhabitants to common pasture besides many other things too tedious to be repeated and are in the Petition of the Commons of England in Parliament Anno 46. E. 3. Num. 43. Said to be the perpetual Evidence of every Mans Right and the Records of this Nation without which no Story of the Nation can be written or proved They are reposited in Wakefield-Tower adjoyning to the Blood-Tower near Traytors-gate It is to be kept open and constantly attended for all Resorters thereto from 7. to 11. of the Clock in the Morning and from 1. till 5. in the Afternoon every Day of the week but in December January and February from 8. in the Morning to 4. in the Afternoon except Holy-days c. The Governor is call'd the Lieutenant of the Tower who ought to be a Person of Worth and Fidelity and by Vertue of his Office is to be a Justice of Peace in Kent Surrey and Middlesex he is High Steward of a Court there held hath a Deputy may refuse an Habeas Corpus and may give Protection to all Debtors belonging to the Tower all England over He can take two Gallons and a Pint of all Wine-Ships that come His Sallary is 200 l. per annum His usual Fee for every Prisoner sent to the Tower who are commonly Men of Estates is 20 l. and 3. l. a week of an Esq 5. l. for a Knight for a Baron or above 5. l. at Entrance to whom the King weekly allows 10 l. whereof two parts to the Prisoner the third to the Lieutenant for Lodging and Dyet and 50 l. to the Lieutenant upon the Prisoners discharge The Gentleman Taylor is put in by the Lieutenant of the Tower and his Fee is 41 s. of a Gentleman and 5 l. of a Knight There are 40 Warders of the Tower accounted the King's Domestick Servants and sworn by the Lord
Chamberlain of His Maiesties Houshold or by the Clerk of the Check In this Tower is kept the Office of His Majesties Ordnance the standing and grand Magazine of the principal Preparatives Habiliments Utensils and Instruments of War by Sea and Land It is under the Government in chief of the Master of the Ordnance by whom it is committed to principal Officers as a Lieutenant who in the absence of the Master of the Ordnance imparts all Orders and Warrants directed to the Office and is to see them duely executed and to give Order for the discharging great Ordnance when required at Triumphs Festivals c. As also to see the Train of Artillery and all its Equipage fitted for motion upon any occasion The Surveyor is to survey all the Stores and Ordnance to allow Bills of Debt and see that all Provision be good c. The Clerk of the Ordnance Records all Orders and Instructions for the Government of the Office and Patents Grants Names of Officers c. Draw Estimates of Provision and supplys Letters Contracts c. Make all Bills of Imprest and Debentures Keep Journals and Liegers of Receipts and Returns of Stores The Store-keeper takes into his charge the Munitions and Stores and is to look that the Store-houses be kept in due Repair The Clerk of the Deliveries is to draw all Proportions for Deliveries of any Stores or Provisions and to be present at the Delivery There are other Patent Officers as the Master-Gunner of England the Keeper of the small Guns a principal Engineer with divers inferior Attendants and Artificers which for brevity we omit In the Tower is also the Office of Warden of the Mint where is Coined all the Bullion that is minted in England The chief Officer is the Warder of the Mint who receives all the Silver and Gold brought in by Merchants Goldsmiths or others and pays them for it Then the Master-Worker who causes the Bullion to be melted delivers it to the Moneyers and when minted receives it again from them The Comptroller who is to see that all the Money be made according to the just Assize c. The Assay-Master weighs the Bullion and is to see that it be according to the Standard The Auditor passes all Accompts The Surveyor of the Melting is to see the Bullion cast out and not to be altered after it is delivered to the Melter There are several other inferior Officers c. As for the Money c. See the Present State of England p. 10. The first Gold that was Coined in the Tower was in the Reign of Edward III. and the Pieces were called Florences of the value of 6 s. 8 d. All great Sums before were used to be paid by the Weight as so many Pounds or Marks of Silver or Gold but not stampt Lesser Payments in Starlings probably because there was a Star stamped upon them and were called Pence nor can we read of them before the Reign of Henry II. In this Tower only is the Brake or Rack usually called The Duke of Exeter ' s Daughter because he was the first Inventer of it So much of the Tower of London Besides the Towers on the Bridge which have suffered by the Accidents of Fire Antiquaries speak of two Castles that were on the West-part of London one the Castle of Monfiquet built by a Baron of that Name that came over with the Conqueror but since demolished and the Black-Fryars risen out of the Ruines of it The second is Baynard's Castle by Paul's Wharf built by one Baynard who came hither likewise with the Conqueror who being Ennobled the Honour succeeded from Father to Son a long time till it came to Robert Fitz-water a brave and valiant Knight who falling into the displeasure of King John was banished and the Castle ruined but recovering his favor by a notable Combat he perform'd in France against an English Knight Fitz-water being on the French side he was re-invested in his Possessions and so repaired the Castle again He was made chief Bannerer or Banner-bearer of London what his Office was and the Solemnity about it is to be seen in Stowes Survey of London in the Chapter of Towers and Castles When thiâ— Honour fell from the Fitz-Waters or Baynard Castle is uncertain Henry VII repaired this Castle and Queen Mary was proclaimed there We reaâ— of a Tower that stood where Bridewell now stands and a Royal Palace where our Kings kept theâ— Courts and summon'd Parliaments A great parâ— of this on the West-side was given to the Bishop 〈◊〉 Salisbury and thence is derived the Name of Salisbury-Court The Eastern-part was waste till Hen. 〈◊〉 built a stately Palace there and call'd it Bridewelâ— where the Emperor Charles V. was most magnificently entertained Anno 1522. There was a Tower call'd the Royal Tower iâ— the Parish of St. Michael de Pater Noster wherâ— King Stephen kept his Court afterwards call'd Thâ— Queens Wardrobe There was another at Bucklerâ—bury called Serns Tower where King Edward II kept his Court and his Exchange of Money Barbican was likewise another Tower where thâ— City Centinels were wont to Watch but demolisheâ— by King Henry III. Anno 1227. after he was râ—â—conciled to the Barons Sect. 2. Of its Churches and Monuments THE Number of Parish-Churches besides Chapels within the Weekly Bills of Mortality is 132 twice more than any City in Christendom can shew The Cathedral of which is dedicated to the Apostle St. PAVL and the onely Cathedral of that Name in Europe It was founded by Aethelbert King of Kent Anno 610. under whom Segbert a Saxon Reigned in this Tract of Ground in a place where stood a Temple of Diana and afterwards did endow it with Lands and Privileges so did afterwards Athelstan Edgar and Eward the Confessor It was much enlarged by Erkenwald the Fourth Saxon Bishop thereof And being almost destroyed by Fire Anno 1078. Mauritius another of its Bishops began the Foundation of this magnificent Pile and went on about 20 years but the Quire and Tower were not finished till Anno 1221. As to other Casualties we refer you to the Chapter that treats of Fires As to its Dimensions the length of it according to Stow was 240 Taylors Yards or 720 Foot the Breadth 130 Foot the Heighth of the Steeple 520 Foot whereof the Stone Work was 260 and the Spire 260 Foot The Length of it according to others was 690 Foot that is 20 Foot more than St. Peters at Rome It stood upon so much Ground as contained above three Acres and an half Upon the Spire of Timber was a Bowl of Copper Gilt 9 Foot and 1 Inch in compass whereon stood the Cross 15 Foot and an half high and very near 6 Foot across made of Oak covered with Lead and another Cover of Copper over the Lead Above all stood the Eagle or Cock of Copper Gilt 4 Foot long and the Breadth of the Wings 3 Foot and an half It was built in Form of a Cross
repairs and charges in the Years 1623 1624 and 1625. which cost above Five hundred pound in the Year 1629. it was very richly and beautifully adorned all at the proper cost and charge of the Parish XLVIII The fair Parish Church of St. Margarets Lothbury in Coleman-Street Ward stands upon the Water-Course of Walbrooke which was Reedified Anno 1440. Robert Large gave to the Quire of that Church One hundred Shillings and Twenty pounds for Ornaments and to the Vaulting over the Water-course of Walbrook by the said Church for the inlarging thereof Two hundred marks This Church was repaired and richly beautified at the charge of the Parishioners Anno 1621. XLIX In Friday street in Breadstreet-Ward is the Parish Church of St. Margaret Moses so called of one Moses that was Founder or Newbuilder thereof It was Repaired and Beautified at the cost of the Parishioners Anno 1627 L. In the same Wardon Fishstreet-hill stands the Parish Church of St. Margarets New Fish-street which was a Proper Church but without any Monuments of Note LI. St. Margaret Pattens in Rood-lane Billings-gate Ward being much decayed was Repaired and Beautified at the charge of the Parishioners Anno. 1614. who from that year to 1632 expended 275 l. five s. 6 d. upon it LII St. Mary Abchurch standeth near unto the South-end of Abchurch-lane in Candleweek-street-Ward upon a rising ground and was a Fair Church with sundry Monuments in it It was Beautified and Repaired at the proper cost and charge of the Parishioners in the year of our Lord 1611. LIII In Alderman-bury-street is the Fair Parish Church of St. Mary Alderman-bury with a Church-Yard and Cloyster adjoyning in which Cloyster as Mr. Stow says was hanged and fastned a shank-bone of a man in length Twenty eight inches and a half of a size larger by three inches and a half than that in St. Laurence Jewry but not so hard this is Monstrous for it is more then after the proportion of Five shank bones of any Man now living amongst us The Church was repaired and beautified An. 1633. at the cost of the Parish LIV. Alder-Mary Church on the South-side of Budg-Row by the West corner thereof in Cordwainer-street-Ward is so called because older than any Church of St. Mary in the City Sir Henry Keble Grocer and Lord Mayor who deceased 1518 gave a 1000 l. by his Testament towards the Rebuilding it It was repaired and beautified by the Parish Anno 1632. LV. At the upper end of Hosier-lane toward West Cheap is the fair Parish-Church of St. Mary-le-Bow vulgarly Bow-Church This Church in the Reign of William the Conqueror being the first in this City builded on Arches of Stone was therefore called New Mary Church or St. Mary de Arcubus or le Bow in West Cheaping The Court of the Arches is kept in this Church and taketh Name of the place not the place of the Court 'T is in Cordwainer-street-Ward We read that anno 1090. the Third of William Rufus by tempest of Wind the Roof of this Church was overturned wherewith some persons were slain and Four of the Rafters of twenty six Foot in length were pitcht with such violence in the Ground of the high street that scarce four Foot of them remained above Ground which were fain to be cut even with the Ground because they could not be plucked out for the City of London was not then paved but a Moorish ground Anno 1271 a great part of the Church fell down and slew many people Men and Women John Rotham or Rodham by his Will Anno 1465 gave the Parish wanting room in their Church-Yard a certain Garden in Hosier-lane for burial of their Dead which so continued near a hundred Years but now is built up and converted to a private dwelling The old Steeple was Re-edified Anno 1469 so that it was ordained by a Common Councel that the Bow-Bell should be nightly Rung at Nine a Clock to maintain which viz. the Ringing of Bow-Bell John Denne Mercer by his Testament dated 1472 according to the trust of Reginald Langdon gave to the Parson and Wardens two Tenements with the Appurtenances since made into one in Hosier-lane This Church has been Re-built very gorgeously since the great fire and the Steeple finished with that Elegancy of rare Architecture height and curiosity that it excels any in Christendom of which more hereafter LVI On the South-side of Walbrook-Ward from Candlewick-street in the mid way betwixt London-stone and Wallbrook-corner is the proper Parish-Church called St. Mary Bothaw or Boathaw because adjoyning to an Haw or Yard wherein of old times Boats were made and Landed from Dowgate to be mended It was repaired and beautified at the Charge of the Parish in the Year of our Lord 1621. LVII The Parish-Church called St. Mary-Cole-Church in Cheap-Ward is so named of one Cole that Builded it upon a Vault above Ground so that Men were forced to ascend thereunto by certain steps It was repaired and beautified at the Parish charge Anno Feb. 1623. LVIII In St. Mary-Hill-lane is the fair Parish-Church of St. Mary on the Hill because of the ascent from Billingsgate In the Year 1322 Richâ—rd Hackney one of the Sheriffs of â—â—ondon was buryed there Stow. p. 227. and Alice his Wife as Robert Fabian writeth saying thus In the Year 1379 in the Month of April as Labourers digged for the Foundation of a Vault within the Church of St. Mary-Hill near unto Billingsgate they found a Coffin of Rotten Timber and therein the Corps of a Woman whole of skin and of bones undissevered and the joints of her Arms pliable without breaking of the skin upon whose Sepulchre this was ingraven Here lies the Bodies of Richard Hackney Fishmonger and Alice his Wife the which Richard was Sheriff in the 15 th of Edward II. viz. anno 1322. So that her Body was 175 years after she had been buried found uncorrupted It was kept above ground three or four days without Noyance but then it waxed unsavoury and was again buried This Church was repaired and beautified at the charge of the Parish Anno 1616. LIX In Milk-Street in Cripple-Gate-Ward stands the Parish-Church of St. Mary Magdalen in which were several Monuments amongst which one for Queen Elizabeth It was repaired and beautified at the charge of the Parish in the year 1619. LX. Over against the North-west end of Lambert-hill-lane in Knight-Riders-street is the Parish-Church of St. Mary Magdalen commonly called so with the addition of Old Fish-street It was repaired and beautified at the charge of the Parish Anno 1630. which came to 140 l. in this was a Monument of Queen Elizabeth it is in Castle-Baynard-Ward LXI The Parish-Church of St. Mary de Monte also commonly called St. Mary Mounthaw is situate on the West-side of Old Fish-street in Queen-hith-Ward It was built to be a Chapel of the House of the Mounthaunts and the Bishop of Hereford is Patron thereof It was in part new built and very much inlarged
9 28. Rutland 2 29. Shropshire 12 30. Somersetshire 18 31. Southampton Or Southamptonshire 26 32. Staffordshire 10 33. Suffolk 16 34. Surrey 14 35. Sussex 20 36. Warwickshire 6 37. Westmorland 4 38. Wiltshire 34 39. Worcestershire 9 40. Yorkshire 30 BARONS of the CINQUE-PORTS Port of Hastings 2 Town of Winchelsey 2 Town of Rye 2 Port of new Rumney 2 Port of Hieth 2 Port of Dover 2 Port of Sandwich 2 Port of Seaford 2 WALES 1. Anglesey 1 Bewmaris 1 2. Brecon 1 Town of Brecon 1 3. Cardigan 1 Town of Cardigan 1 4. Carmarthen 1 Town of Carmarthen 1 5. Carnarvan 1 Town of Carnarvan 1 6. Denbigh 1 Town of Denbigh 1 7. Flint 1 Town of Flint 1 8. Glamorgan 1 Town of Cardiff 1 9. Merioneth 1 10. Pembrook 1 Town of Haverford-west 1 Town of Pembrook 1 11. Montgomery 1 Town of Montgomery 1 12. Radnor 1 Town of Radnor 1 The Barons of the Cinque-Ports are at this Day only as Burgesses in Parliament yet they are still called Barons after the antient manner because heretofore they got Renown by their Exploits at Sea in defending the Kingdom in Memory whereof they have yet the priviledge to send Burgesses to bear the Cloth of State over the King's Head on the day of His Coronation and to Dine that Day in the King's presence The Writ or Summons to the Sheriff for Election of Members to Serve in the House of Commons runs to this purpose The KING to the Sheriff c. Greeting WHereas by the Advice and Assent of our Council for certain arduous and urgent Affairs concerning Vs the State and Defence of our Kingdom of England and the Church of England We have Ordamed a certain Parliament of Ours to be held at this Our City of the Day of next Ensuing and there to have Conference and to Treat with the Prelates Great Men and Peers of Our said Kingdom We command and strictly enjoyn you that making Proclamation at Our next County Court after the Receipt of this Our Writ to be holden the day and Place aforesaid you cause two Knights girt with Swords the most fit and discreet of the County aforesaid and of every City of that County two Citizens of every Burrough two Burgesses of the discreetest and most sufficient to be freely and indifferently chosen by them who shall be present at such Proclamation according to the Tenor of the Statutes in that Case made and provided and the Names of the said Knights Citizens and Burgesses so châ—sen to be inserted in certain Indentures to be then made between you and those that shall be present at such Election whether the Parties so Elected be present or absent and shall make them to come at the said Day and Place so that the said Knights for themselves and the County aforesaid and the Citizens and the Burgesses for themselves and the Commonalty of the said Cities and Boroughs may have severally from them full and sufficient Power to do and to consent to those things which then by the Favour of GOD shall happen to be Ordained by the Common Councel of Our said Kingdom concerning the businesses aforesaid so that the business may not by any means remain undone for want of such Power or by reason of the improvident Election of the foresaid Knights Citizens and Burgesses But we will not in any Case that you or any other Sheriff of Our said Kingdom shall be Elected and at the Day and Place aforesaid the said Election being made in a full County Court you shall certify without Delay unto Vs in Our Chancery under your Seal and the Seals of them who shall be present at the Election sending back unto Vs the other part of the Indenture aforesaid affixed to these presents together with the Writ Witness Our Self at c. The King is in the sence of Law the Fountain of Justice He is Lord Chief Justice of England and therefore all the Laws of the Realm are called His Laws for He is Caput principium finis Parliamenti that is the head beginning and end of Parliament and nothing can have the Force of a Law but what has His Royal Assent The highest Court of Judicature in England is the House of Lords in Parliament who are assisted with the most Grave and Eminent Lawyers of England both in Common and Civil Law who are only Ministerial there and have no Voices but to give their Opinions in matters of Law which become doubtful To the Judicature of this Supreme and most Honorable Court all other Courts and Persons that are Subjects of England are accountable for all Crimes not properly Tryable Remediable or Punishable in other inferiours Courts of Justice and to this Court all last Appeals are made from whose Sentence there lies no Appeal but to a succeeding Parliament and this Supreme Judicatory or Judicial Power lies only in the King and House of Lords and at the Bar of this High Court may the House of Commons as the Grand Inquest of the Nation Impeach the Highest Subject of England whether of the Clergy or of the Laity and prosecute them till it come to a Sentence All Members of Parliament both Lords and Commons that they may attend the publick Service of their Country are priviledged with their Menial Servants attending on their Persons together with all their necessary Goods brought along with them from all Attachments and Imprisonments for Debts Trespasses Account or Covenant all the time that they are on the way to the Place of Parliament all the time that they tarry there and return Eundo Morando ad propria redeundo but not from Arrests for Treason Felony or breach of the Peace The place of Meeting for this High and Honorable Assembly is in whatsoever City Town or House the King pleaseth but most usually at Westminster All the Lords Sit in a fair Room by themselves and the Commons not far from them in another Fair Room heretofore the antient Free Chappel of St. Stephen The King as oft as he comes which is usually at the opening of Parliaments passing of Bills or Solemn Debates is placed at the upper end of the Room in a Chair of State under a Cloth of State under which on either hand sit none but the King's Children On the King 's right hand is a Seat for the Prince of Wales on His left hand is a Seat for the Duke of York On the King 's right hand next the Wall are placed on a Form the two Archbishops next below on another Form the Bishops of London Durham and Winchester Upon other Forms on the same side the rest of the Bishops sit according to the Priority of their Consecration On the King 's left hand upon Forms are placed the Lord Chancellor Treasurer President of the King's Council the Lord Privy Seal if they are Barons above all Dukes except those of the Royal Family if they are not Barons then they Sit uppermost on the Wool-sacks On the same side Sit
in the Chapter of Government that Treats of Courts And as for the Publick-Halls of Companies the Reader is also Referred to the Third Section of the 5 th Chap. that Treats of the Respective Corporations SECT 6. Of Colleges and Inns of Courts THis RENOWNED CITY may not unfitly be stiled an Vniversity for all Liberal Arts and Sciences are here Taught and Profest Here is Divinity Law and Physick Read the Municipal or Common-Laws of the Nation Taught and Degrees taken therein which can be said in no other Nation Here a man may Learn all â—orts of Languages all the Branches and Parts of the Mathematicks and the Military Art whatsoever is necessary to make an ingenious Nobleman or Gentleman throughly accomplished in Geography Cosmography Chronology History Hydrography Navigation Arithmetick of all sorts Vulgar Instrumental Decimal Algebraical or Geometry Astronomy WHITE HALL THE TEMPLE PHISITIANS COLLEDGE LORD SHAFTSBVRY HOVSE Fortification Gunnery Gaging c. Brachygraphy or Short-hand the Arts of Riding Fencing Dancing all sorts of Musick Vocal and Instrumental Fire-works of all kinds Limning Painting Enamelling Sculpture or Ingraving Heraldry Architecture Grammar Rhetorick Poetry and indeed any thing that may be nam'd of European Art whether Liberal or Mechanick may be here Learnt with most exquisite Curiosity But that which is to be most commended as the chief Blessing is that this Famous City excells all other in this World for number of Pious and Godly Protestant Christians of Reverend Godly and Learned Divines and Ministers who Preach the Gospel in order to its propagation in the Power and Truth thereof Men eminent for ability in all sorts of Learning and for Piety and Holiness in their Lives and Conversations such Examples as very well second their Preaching Which is spoke not to boast of any humane perfection as meritorious nor to magnifie any without cause nor including universals because some that take that Sacred Function upon them prove otherwise but is represented as a motive to provoke the Inhabitants to thankfulness for so great a Mercy and to make a seasonable and profitable Improvement of the Blessing lest their Candle be removed In a few words it may be said of this City in allusion to what is spoken Rev. 22. 11. He which is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is holy let him be holy still That whosoever has a mind to Associate himself with sincere pious Christians may have the opportunity to do so as much as can be desired and such as are driven by the impetuosity of irregular and too much prevailing evils may find which ought to be lamented and if it may be restrain'd Companions in all sorts of wickedness which is not mentioned by way of disparagement to any individual much less to the City which is certainly better Govern'd than any in the World and more free from those vile Debaucheries so extraordinarily frequent in other great Cities but as a check to those licentious persons that when they would act the parts of ill persons Resort to the Suburbs without the Jurisdiction of the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor It is indeed admirable to see what Order is kept and with that Harmony so that upon any extraordinary occasion a civil man may walk any hour in the night giving good words and a good account to the well order'd and regular Watches c. But of this more in the Chapter of Government Of Gresham-College The same Noble Merchant and Citizen of London Sir Thomas Gresham of whom we spoke before that gave the Royal Exchange and Built Alms-houses in Broadstreet that gave considerable sums of Money to be distributed quarterly for ever to five Prisons and four Hospitals in and about this City Built Gresham-College and endowed it with the Revenue of the Royal Exchange of which he gave one Moity to the Lord Mayor and Commonalty and their Successors and the other Moity to the Right Worshipful Company of Mercers in trust that the Lord Mayor and Aldermen should find in all time to come four able Persons to Read Divinity Geometry Astronomy and Musick and to allow each of them besides fair Lodgings 50 l. a Year And that the Company of Mercers should find three more able men to Read Civil-Law Physick and Rhetorick each of which to have also besides fair Lodgings 50 l. a Year which Lectures are to be Read every Day in the Week except the Lords Day in Term-time in the Morning in Latine and in the Afternoon the same in English except the Musick Lecture which is to be read only in English There was also within these few Years a Mechanick Lecture for Natural Philosophy instituted by a worthy Gentleman Sir John Cutler with a Salary for the Reader of 50 l. per annum to be read at the time and place where the Royal Society shall meet Of the Charter-House called Sutton's Hospital where are 80 decay'd Gentlemen Soldiers and Merchants with a Governor and Chaplain 44 Scholars with a Master and Usher plentifully maintained in Diet Lodging Cloaths Physick c. living in a Collegiate manner with much neatness and handsomness the 44 Scholars when fit for the Universities being to receive an Allowance of 20 l. a Year for eight Years after their Reception there out of the Revenue of this Colledge And such as are fit for Trades a considerable Sum to bind them Apprentices where there are also all meet Officers as a Physician Apothecary Steward Cooks Butlers c. with competent Salaries we have spoke largely already in the Section of Hospitals to which we refer Of Sion Colledge This Colledge stands not far from Cripplegate in Cripplegate-Ward where there was in ancient Times a House of Nuns This being in great decay William Elsing Mercer anno 1329. 3 E. 3. began in the place thereof the Foundation of an Hospital for one hundred blind men to which he gave two Houses of a considerable value But 't was anno 1332. made a Priory for Canons Regular and in the same place there was at last a Colledge erected by Thomas White Doctor in Divinity for the use of the Clergy of London and the Liberties thereof and a part thereof to be for 20 poor People 10. Men and 10 Women To perform all this besides several Sums of money and considerable yearly Revenues given by the said Doctor White to pious and charitable Uses in divers places he gave 3000 l. to purchase and build this Colledge and for the maintenance of those Poor he setled 120 l. a year for ever and 40 l. a year for four plentiful Dinners for the Clergy that shall meet there who are to have four Latin Sermons one at the beginning of every quarter In this Colledge is a fair spacious Library built by John Sympson Rector of St. Olaves Hart-street London and one of the said Doctor White 's Executors who fitted it with Wainscot Stalls Desks Seats and other necessary and useful Ornaments befitting the place at his own charge This Library is
well furnished with choice Books of all sorts but chiefly such as are useful for Divines and that by the bounty of several Benefactors This Colledge felt the Rage of the great Fire anno 1666. but it is very handsomly repaired and the damage of the Library which was very great made up It receives increase every year by the Legacies or Gifts of worthy Persons and the Piety of good Authors who commonly bestow one Book of what they publish especially of Subjects that are Voluminously handled upon this Colledge where they are Chain'd up and kept very well which is a very good work much tending to the advancement of Learning Here any Student may repair at seasonable hours morning and afternoon and may study six hours in a day without interruption and may enter himself a Member if he pleases paying Half a Crown to the Library-Keeper and Twelve-pence to the Person that sweeps and keeps it clean To conclude it is extraordinary useful especially for the poorer sort of Students who cannot purchase a necessary store of Books for their own use And I could heartily wish that some of our learned men who are of brave publick and generous minds would examine wherein it is deficient and set on foot some Medium to furnish it better especially with Mathematical Physical Common and Civil Law-Books of all which there are many of our Modern Writers have Treated more Exquisitely than any of their Predecessors Of the Colledge of Physicians In this Renowned City there is a Colledge or Corporation of Physicians who by Charters and Acts of Parliament of Henry VIII and since his Reign have certain Priviledges whereby no man though a Graduate in Physick of Oxford and Cambridge may without Licence under the said Colledge Seal practise Physick in London or within seven Miles of the said City nor in any other part of England in case he hath not taken any Degree in Oxford or Cambridge whereby also they can administer an Oath Fine and Imprison any Offenders in that and divers other Particulars can make By-Laws purchase Lands c. whereby they have Authority to search all the Shops of Apothecaries in and about London to see if their Drugs and Compositions be wholsom and well made whereby they are freed from all troublesom Offices as to serve upon Juries to be Constables to keep Watch and Ward to bear Arms or provide Arms or Ammunition c. Any Member of this Colledge may practise Chyrurgery if he please not only in London but in any part of England This Society had anciently a Colledge in Knight-rider-street the Gift of Dr. Linacre Physician to King Henry VIII since which a House and Ground was purchased by the Society of Physicians at the end of Amen-Corner whereon the Famous Dr. Harvey anno 1562 at his own proper charge did erect a magnificent Structure both for Library and a Publick Hall and for the meeting of the several Members of this Society endowed the same with his whole Inheritance which he resigned up while he was living and in health part of which he Assigned for an Anniversary Harangue to commemorate all their Benefactors and exhort others to follow their good Example and to provide a plentiful Dinner for the Worthy Company This Goodly Edifice was burnt Anno 1666 and the Ground being but a Lease the present Fellows of the College have purchased with their own Moneys a Fair piece of Ground in Warwick-Lane whereon they have raised a very Magnificent Edifice Of this Colledge there is a President four Censors aud eight Elects who are all Principal Members of the Society and out of whom the President is Yearly chosen The four Censors have by their Charter Authority to Survey Correct and Govern all Physitians or others that shall Practice in London or within Seven Miles of the same to Fine Amerce and Imprison any of them as they shall see Cause The usual Fee of a Doctor in antient times was 20 s. and one that had not taken that Degree 10 s. But now there is no certain Rule but some that are Eminent have received in Fees Yearly 2000 or 3000 l. and purchased great Estates which in other Countries because the Fees are exceedingly less is very rare Besides the Members of this Colledge there are divers able Physitians in London that have great Practice although they never had any License which is conniv'd at by the Colledge and so is the too much practice of Empericks Mountebanks Apothecaries Chirurgeons c. with other pretenders to Cure by things which they call Vniversal Medicines or Panpharmâ—câ— And certainly it is a very Perillous and Destructive abuse to suffer unskilful Persons that know not the Nature of Diseases nor are able from the Constitution of the Patient and requisite Symptoms to infer a Rational Conclusion or make a true discovery of Causes or give probable Prognosticks of the event to take up this profession because they neither understand the Nature of Simples nor the proper and fit mixture of Compounds and consequently cannot apply sutable Medicaments to the languishing Patient but where by meer chance they Cure one they destroy hundreds such being as great Murtherers of the Body as some Audacious Graceless Heretical and unskilful Pretenders to Preach the Sacred Mysteries of the Gospel are instruments to pervert their too too Credulous Disciples and consequently to destroy their Souls which is hinted not to cast any disparagement upon those Honorable Functions but only such as abuse them and are not fitly qualified to practice them And it could be wished that there were a Reformation of the abuses in each their errors having a direct tendency to destroy both Body and Soul Indeed the Law of England has provided that if one who is no Physitian or Chirurgeon or is not expresly allowed to practice shall undertake a Cure and the Patient die under his hand it shall be Felony in the Person presuming so to do And the Law of God is as expresly against the other who must give a strict account to the Physitian of Souls for infecting instead of Spiritually healing as far as instruments may do his Flock But this by the way Of the College of Civilians called Doctors Commons The Civil Law is most practised in London though Degrees therein are taken only in Oxford and Cambridge and the Theory there best acquired The College called Doctors Commons was first purchased by Doctor Henry Harvey Dean of the Arches for the Professors of the Civil Law where commonly did reside the Judge of the Arches the Judge of the Admiralty and the Judge of the Prerogative Court with divers Eminent Civilians who living in a Collegiate manner and Commoning together it was called Doctors Commons It stood near St. Pauls in the Parish of St. Bennets Pauls-Wharf in Farringdon-Ward-within The Buildings were utterly consumed by the Dreadful Fire in 1666 and then they resided at Exeter-House in the Strand but it has been since Re-built at the proper Cost and Charges
Houses were burnt for there hapned many grievous Fires there of which and other Accidents more hereafter it lookt more like a stately and Continued Street than a Bridge The Charges of keeping this Bridge in Repair are so great that there is a large House a vast Revenue in Lands and Houses and Divers considerable Officers set apart for the constant care and Repair thereof The principal whereof are the two Bridge-Masters chosen out of the Body of the Liveries upon Midsummer-day after the Sheriffs and the Chamberlain Concerning this Bridge and the stupendious site and structure thereof take the ingenious fancy of Mr. James Howel in imitation of Sannazarius the famous Venetian Poet who writ the like about that City and the Rialto the prime Bridge there Cum Londinensem Neptunus viderat Vrbem Vectus ibi propriis atque revectus Aquis Dum Densam penetrat sylvam lucosque ferentes Pro Ramis funes pro foliisque cruces Cum superimpositum torrenti flumine Pontem Viderat Rapido ponere jur freto Cum tantos Muros ferrumina Castra tot Arcus Vidit haec tergo cuncta jacere suo Arcus qui possunt totidem formare Rialtos Metiri siquis summa vel ima Cupit Haec Deus undarum aspiciens fluxusque retrorsum Tundere horrendos inde Boare sonos Nunc mihi quanta velis terrae miracula pandas Est primus Mundi pons ait iste Stupor The same Paraphas'd in English When Neptune from his billows London spy'd Brought proudly thither by a high Spring-Tide As through a floating Wood he steer'd along And moving Castles cluster'd in a throng When he beheld a mighty Bridge give Law Vnto his Surges and their fury awe When such a shelf of Cataracts did roar As if the Thames with Nile had chang'd her shoar When he such Massy Walls such Towers did eye Such Posts such Irons on his back to lie When such vast Arches he observ'd that might Nineteen Rialto's make for depth and height When the Cerulean God these things survey'd He shook his Trident and astonish'd said Let the whole Earth now all her Wonders count This Bridge of Wonders is the Paramount There was first a Ferry where this Bridge is built and the Ferry-man and his Wife Dying his only Daughter a Maid named Mary with what her Parents left her and the profits of this Ferry built a House for Nuns where the East part of St. Mary-Overy's Church now stands and gave them the oversight and profits of the Ferry This Nunnery was afterwards converted into a Coâ—lege of Priests who built the Bridge of Timber but the time when is uncertain but mention is made of it Anno 994. when the Londoners overthrew a part of Sweyn King of Denmark's Army who besieged them many of the Danes being Drowned in the Thames because in their hasty flight they took no heed of or could not recover the Bridge This Bridge was burnt Anno 1136. It was afterwards new built but the Charges of continual Reparation being so great it was by the Aid of the Citizens and others built of Stone as beforesaid the Timber Bridge having been maintain'd partly by the proper Lands thereof partly by Legacies and Libâ—rality of Divers Persons and partly by Taxations in divers Shires at least 215 years before the Bridge of Stone was built And that we may give an Estimate of the Payments and Allowances belonging to this great Bridge it is recorded that in Henry the 7 th's time it amounted in one year to above 815 l. by which may be guessed what improvement and increase it is come to by this time the prices of things being so vastly altered Besides this Bridge there are three other curious Sone-Bridges over that mighty Chargeable and beautiful work or Channel rendring Navigable the Fleet Brook from the River Thames to Holborn-Bridge which is 100 Foot Broad on the sides of which are many huge Vaults to treasure up Coals for the use of the poor c. About the middle of this Channel stands Fleet-Bridge being considerably advanced though it lies in a level with Fleet-street and the bottom of Ludgate-Hill so that all Waggons Coaches Carmen c. pass over it the other two Bridges viz. Bridewell-Bridge and Fleet-laneBridge are raised 14 Steps or Stairs above the Streets on each side of the said Channel in order to the admittance or giving passage to all Lighters Barges Boats Hoys c. which bring in plentifully every Tide Coals for which and other Goods brought there are certain Duties paid to the City which were granted to the City by an Act of Parliament This Channel was finished Anno 1676. at the Cost of above 74000 l. And by the same Act of Parliament Hâ—lborn-Bridge at the North-end of this Channel was ordered to be enlarged which is very commodiously done to the great advantage of Passengers Theâ—e were several other inferiour Bridges mentioned by Stow and others but being of no great eminency and can hardly now be discovered we pass them by Of Rivers Aqueducts c. The Great and famous River of Thames deserves precedency not only of all other Rivers in England but perhaps of the World because it 's breadth depth gentle strait and even Course extraordinary wholsome Water and Tides render it more commodious for Navigation than any other that we read of The Sea Flows up this River near fourscore miles that is almost to Kingstone 12 miles above London by Land and 20 by Water bringing the greater Vessels to London and the smaller beyond then against the stream Boats are drawn to Oxford and higher many miles It is High Water at this City when the Moon comes to the North-East and South-West points of Heaven the one in our Hemisphere and the other in the opposite Hemisphere The highest Tides are upon a Land Flood the Wind Northwest at the Equinoctial and the Moon at Full When these Four Causes concur which is very rare the River over-flows its Banks in some places endamaging Westminster in their Cellars This Noble River opening Eastward towards Germany and France is much more advantageous for Traffique then any other River of England There is a variety of excellent Fish especially incomparable Salmon and along its Banks on either side a fat and fruitful Soyl pleasant with Meadows and innumerable Palaces and stately Buildings of the Nobility Gentry and great Citizens that it yields as beautiful a sight as can any where be met withal Which may be thus Described only from Windsor to London with a little alteration of Mr. Draytons Lines But now this Flood upon his Voyage prest That finds with strength his beauty still increast Where Windsor stood on Tip-toe to behold The Goodly Thames so far as e're he could With Royal Houses Crown'd of stately pride On either Bank as he along doth glide With sweet Delight doth his long Course pursue Doth Oatlands Hampton-Court and Richmond view Then Westminster great Thames doth entertain That vaunts her Palace and her
Jurisdiction and power to Reform Annoyances and Offences there and to inflict due punishments upon the Offendors nor of the Nature of the Service to be by them performed in the Course of their Inquiry therefore he thought it convenient to make both the one and the other known unto them Hereupon he shewed them that the Jurisdiction of the Court of London in the River of Thames from Stanes Bridge Westward unto the points of the River next unto the Sea Eastward appeared to belong to the City in manner and form following I. First in point of Right by prescription as appears by an ancient Book called Dunâ—horp That Civitatis fundationis aedificationis constructionis causa erat Thamesis Flâ—vâ—us quorum vero Civitatis fluminis gubernationem tam duces Majores Custodes Vicecomites Aldr. Magnates Civitatis Memoratae hucusque obtinuerunt habuerunt Whence he inferr'd that the Government of the River hath belonged to the City time out of mind In 21. H. 3. Jorden Coventry one of the Sheriffs of the City was sent by the Mayor and Aldermen to remove certain Kiddles that Annoyed the Rivers of Thames and Medway who ultra Yenland versus mare did take divers persons that were Offenders and imprisoned them Whereupon complaint being made to the King he took the matter ill at the first and sent for the Lord Mayor and Citizens to Kennington Where upon hearing of the Matter before the said King the Cities Jurisdiction over the said River was set forth and allowed and the Complainants convinced and every one of them Amerced at 10 l. and the Amercements adjudged to the City And afterward their Nets were burnt by Judgment given by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen in the Hustings 1. R. 2. Writs were directed to the Sheriffs of Essex and Kent Reciting the Cities Title with Command not to suffer the Citizens of London to be molested contrary to the Liberties formerly granted and allowed unto them II. Secondly In point of Right by Allowance in Eire the Conservation of the Thames belongs to the City For it was produced that 1 R. 2. before Hugh Bigot Justice Iâ—enerant the Sheriffs and Citizens of London were called in Question for their Jurisdiction exercis'd on the Thames before whom it was found by a Jury in Southwark Quod nullus habet aliquid Juris in Thamisia usque ad Novum Gurgitem nisi Civis London In the 14 E. 2. The Constable of the Tower was Indicted by Divers Wards of London before the Justices in Eire at the Tower De muneris recep Cove pro Kedellis in Thamisiis Constabularius ad Kidellas respondet quod Justic non habent Jurisdictionem extra London prolitum inde cognoscere cum praedict Kidelli sunt in aliis Comitatibus Justic. dixerunt aqua Thamisiae pertinet ad Civitatem London usque Mare si velit respondeat Who then Pleaded Not Guilty III. He went further in point of Right that this Jurisdiction belonged to the City by antient Charters 8 R. 1. that is 480 and odd Years ago Dominus Richardus Rex Filius Regis Henrici secundi concessit firmiter praecepit ut omnes Kidelli qui sunt in Thamisia amoveantur ubicunque fuerint in Thamisia 1. Joh. Rex concessit firmiter praecepit ut omnes Kidelli qui sunt in Thamisia vel in Medway amoveantur ne caeteri Kidelli alicubi ponantur in Thamisia vel in Medway super forf 10 1. sterlingorum Then he urged the Famous Charter of King Henry the III. which ran thus Henry by the Grace of God King of England Lord of Ireland Duke of Normandy and Aquitain and Earl of Anjou unto all Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Earls Barons Justices Sheriffs Stewards Ministers and to all Bayliffs and to all his True Men Greeting wotteth well that we for the health of our Soul and the health of the Soul of King John our Fader and the Souls of our Ancestors and also for the Common profit of our City of London and of all our Realms have Granted and stedfastly Commanded That all the Weares that be in Thames or in Medway be done away and that from henceforth no Weares be set in Thames or Medway upon the forfeiture of 10 1. Also we claim quit to our Citizens of London all that that our Constable of our Tower of London was wont to take of the said Weares Wherefore we will and stedfastly Command that no Constable of the aforesaid Tower at any time from henceforth forward any thing ask nor any Grievance do to any of the same City by Eâ—cheson of the same Weares it is to us known enough and by our true Men do us to understand that most privacy and least profit might fall unto the same City and to the whole Realm by Enchesen of the same Weares which we make for ever firm and stable unto the same City as the Charter of our Lord King John our Fader which our Barons of London thereof have reasonably Witnessed Witnesses Eustace of London Peter of Westminster c. at Westminster the 18th of February in the Year of our Reign Eleven Besides these he produced divers others in this King ' s Reign to the purpose aforesaid and the 7th of E. III. IV. This Jurisdiction belongs to the City of London by Acts of Parliament W. 2. cap. 47. an 13. No Salmons to be taken from the Nativity of our Lady unto St. Martins Day in all points nor none to be taken in Mill-Pools from the midst of April until Midsummer under penalty for the first Offence of burning of Nets and Engines the second Offence Imprisonment for a Quarter of a Year the third Offence for a whole Year 13. R. II. confirms the restraint of taking Salmons in many Waters from the midst of April until Midsummer upon the same pain nor within that time to use any Nets called Stalkers nor any other Engine whereby the Fry may be destroyed He urged likewise 17 R. II. cap. 9. and the 11. H. VII cap. 15. 1 Eliz. cap. 17. Against Nets Wheeles and other Engines for destroying the Fish against killing of Salmon and Trouts out of season against killing Pike or Pickerel not ten Inches long or Salmon not 16 Inches long or Trout not 8 Inches long or Barbel 12 Inches and more nor to Fish with any Nets but such whereof every Meash or Mash shall be two Inches and a half broad Angling excepted This not to extend to Smelts Roches Minoes Bullhead Gudgeons or Eâ—les in place where the same have been used to be taken The Offender to lose for every Offence 20 â—s and the Fish also the unlawful Nets Engines and Instruments The Mayor of London Inter alia hath full Power and Authority by this Act to Inquire of all Offences Committed contrary thereunto by the Oaths of 12 Men or more and to Hear and Determine all and every the same and inflict Punishments and impose Fines accordingly V. He proceeds to assert the Cities
Right to the Conservation of the Thames and the Waters of Medway by way of Inquisition whereof there were two the one taken at Raynam in Essex the other at Gravesend in Kent before Sir William Cambridge Grocer then Lord Mayor of London 9 Henry V. where it was presented that whereas by the antient Ordinances of London the Meshes of Nets should be two Inches in the fore part and one Inch in the hinder part and it being found that the Offences according to the said Inquisitions are Contra libertates consuetudines Civitatis it was adjudged that the Nets should be burnt according to the antient Custom in that behalf provided VI. He goes on after to prove that this Right belongs to the City by Decrees In 8 Henry IV. the Mayor and Aldermen did exhibit their humble Petition to the King's Councel reciting that time out of mind they had the Conservation and Correction of the River of Thames of all Trincks Nets and other Engines whatsoever in the River of Thames and Medway placed and have used to make a Sub-Conservator under them and complaining that Alexander Bonner then Sub-Conservator having discharged his Duty in removing Kiddles he was ill intreated by the owners dwelling in Erith Bratriferry Barking Woolwich and other places in the Counties of Kent and Essex and upon hearing of the matter in Camera Stellata they were found Guilty and Constrained to submit themselves to the Lord Mayor and ordered to bring always their Nets unto him before they should use them and that the Kiddles then taken should be at the disposition of the Lord Mayor so the Offenders made their submission accordingly VII He proceeds This Right appertains to the City of London by Letters Patents which he proved by a Grant made by Edward IV. to the Earl of Pembroke for setting up a Wear in the River of Thames which Grant was Revoked and Cancelled at the Request of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen upon shewing their Right therefore alleaged it was contrary to their antient Liberties At which time the Cities Title to the Conservancy of the Thames and Medway was at large set forth and recited to have been shewn to the Lord Chancellor and to the said Earl and his Counsel which accordingly was also read VIII He reinforceth the Right of the City by Proclamations whereof one was made by H. VIII in the 34 of His Reign wherein it is affirmed that the Lord Mayor and his Predecessors have had by divers Grants of the Kings of England and by Acts of Parliaments enjoyed always the Conservacy of the Thames without Impediments or Interruption By which Proclamation it was Commanded that none should resist deny or impugne the Lord Mayor or his Deputy in doing or executing any thing that might conduce to the Conservacy of the River and of the Fish and Fry within the same IX He produceth Report for in a Controversie betwixt the Lord Admiral and the Lord Mayor for the Measuring of Coals and other things upon the Thames it then fell into Debate to whom the Conservacy of the Thames did belong which cause was referred by Queen ELIZABETH's Councel of State 1597 to the Attorney-General and Solicitor who joyntly Certified amongst other things that the Conservancy and care of the said River did and ought to belong to the City of London X. By quo Warranto it was proved that the Conservacy of the Thames belongs to the City for 3 Jac. a quo Warranto was brought against the City in the Exchequer to know by what Title She claimed the Conservacy of the River of Thames and the Waters of Medway whereupon the City made Her Title Good thereunto by antient prescription and otherwise so Judgment was given in Her Favour XI He goes on afterwards to confirm the Right of the City by Proof of Vsage in regard the Lord Mayor and Aldermen have time out of mind made Ordinances concerning the Good Government of the River of Thames as well for the Seasons and Manner of Fishing beneath London-bridge Eastward upon pain of certain Penalties as appears from time to time from the Reign of Henry III. and so downward The Lord Mayor hath removed Kiddles Wears Trinks and other unlawful Engines and reformed the disorders of such as have offended besides in the River of Thames and inflicted punishment upon Offenders accordingly The Right of the City appears also by the Writs and Preceps under the Teste of the Lord Mayor to the Sheriffs of Kent and Essex for the Returning of Juries before him to inquire of Offences done in the River The same Right of the City appears also by Commissions whereof divers have been directed to the Lord Mayor to put in Execution the Acts of Parliament made for Conservance of the Thames and Medway and to inquire of all Offences made or done in the said Waters and to punish the Deliaquents accordingly Lastly He makes good the Right and Title of the City by the Continual Claim She has made thereunto as appears in those various Contests She had with the Lord Admiral of England wherein after divers Debates and Disputes She still came off well and made Her Title good Which moved King Jamts in the third Year of His Reign to put a Final Determination to the Business by the Letters Patents he passed unto the City wherein he saith That ad omnem Controversiam in hac parte Temporibus tam presentibus quam futuris tollendam omne Dubium amo vendam that to cut off all Controversies as well of the present times as of Future and to remove all Doubts he did Confirm and Ratifie the said Right unto the City of London c. I. This Office of Conservator of so Noble a River is of great Extent for he is to preserve the Currency of the stream on the Banks on both sides II. To preserve the Fish and Fry within the same that no Fishermen use unlawful Nets or Engines or fish at Prohibited Seasons III. To hinder the erection of any Weares Kiddles or Engines and the knocking in of any Posts Piles or Stake which may in any sort hinder the Stream or Navigation and to pull them up if already done and punish the Offenders also to prevent all incroachments upon the Rivers and the Banks thereof likewise to inquire of all Bridges Flood-Gates Mill-dams and such like Annoyances and whether any do hurl in any Soyl Dust or Rubbish or other Filth whatsoever to choak her But for the strength and safety of the River against the Invasion of an Enemy by Block-Houses Forts Bastions or Castles and the securing of the Merchant and Navigation to and fro that Charge belongs to the Soveraign Prince The former Charge Care and Circumspection belongs properly to the City of London which is Seated in a fit place to be watchful over her for which Vigilance the Thames Rewards the City abundantly by bringing her in the Spices of the South the Jewels of the East and the Treasures of the
in Three Sections 1. The Ecclesiastical Government 2. The Temporal or Civil Government 3. The Military Government SECT 1. Of the Ecclesiastical Government THe Government of London considering how great and populous it is is very admirable and might take up a volume in the Description thereof The Ecclesiastical Government is by a Bishop and I have read that in the Britains time it was an Archbishops See of which see page 57. before but removed in the Saxons time to Canterbury for the sake of Austin the Monk who first preached the Gospel to the Heathen Saxons and lies buried there To the Cathedral of London belongs a Dean a Chapter a Treasurer and 30 Prebendaries In the several Parishes there are placed many learned and eminent Divines a Rector or Vicar for every Parish who are reputed the most excellent Preachers in Christendom insomuch that divers Foreigners have come hither on purpose to learn their way There is in every Parish a Vicarage or Parsonage-House for these Divines and their Families with good allowances for their Maintenance of which and the Union of Parishes take the following account By an Act of Parliament made in the 19 Car. 2. Cap. 3. Sect. 31. It was Enacted that the Parishes to be Rebuilded within the City of London in lieu of those which were demollished by the late Dreadful Fire should not exceed the number of 39. But in the 22 Car. 2. Cap. 11. Sect. 62. It was Enacted that for as much as upon an exact Survey taken of the Number of Houses to be Rebuilded and of the Extent of the respective Parishes necessary to be continued within the said City it doth appear that the Parishes to be setled and continued and the Parish-Churches to be rebuilded within the said City of London in lieu of those demollished or consumed by the said late Fire cannot conveniently by Union or otherwise be reduced to a less Number than fifty one It was therefore further Enacted that the Number of Parishes to be setled and of Parish-Churches to be rebuilded within the said City of London should be Fifty One the aforesaid Act or any thing therein contained to the contrary notwithstanding There was also Anno 22. and 23. Car. 2. Cap. 15. An Act of Parliament for the better Settlement of the Maintenance of the Parsons Vicars and Curates of the said Parishes to prevent Controversies of Law that might arise about the alteration of Houses in the Rebuilding of the City It was therefore reduced to a certainty of Tythes or a sum of Money in lieu of Tythes as in the following Table may be seen ☞ Note that the first Seventeen Parishes after mentioned are to remain and continue as heretofore they were and that the respective Parish Churches to each of the said Parishes belonging were to be Rebuilded for the use of the said Parishes ☞ Note likewise that the rest that are joined in Order are the united Parishes and that the first Parish mentioned in each line is the Parish-Church of the Parishes so united and that the sum annexed to each is the annual payment to be made to the Parson Vicar or Curate of the same in lieu of Tythes l. 1. Allhallows Lumbardstreet 110 2. S. Bartholomew Exchange 100 3. S. Bridget alias Brides 120 4. S. Bennet-Fink 100 5. S. Michael Crooked-lane 100 6. S. Christopher 120 7. S. Dionys Back-Church 120 8. S. Dunstans East 200 9. S. James Garlick-hith 100 10. S. Michael Cornhill 140 11. S. Michael Bassishaw 132 l. 11 s. 12. S. Margaret Lothbury 100 13. S. Mary Aldermanbury 150 14. S. Martin Ludgate 160 15. S. Peter Corn-hill 110 16. S. Stephen Colemanstreet 110 17. S. Sepulchres 200 Parishes United 18. Alhallows Breadstreet and S. John Evangelist 140 19. Alhallows the Great and Alhallows the Less 200 20. S. Alban Woodstreet and S. Olaves Silverstreet 170 21. S. Ann and Agnes and S. John Zachary 140 22. S. Augustine and S. Faith 172 23. S. Andrew Wardrobe and S. Anne Black-Fryers 140 24. S. Antholin and S. John Baptist 120 25. S. Bennet Grace-Church and S. Leonard East-cheap 140 26. S. Bennets Pauls-Wharff and S. Peter Pauls-Wharff 100 27. Christ-Church and S. Leonard Foster-lane 200 28. S. Edmond the King and S. Nicholas Acons 180 29. S. George Botolph-lane and S. Botolph Billings-gate 180 30. S. Laurence Jewry and S. Magdalen Milk-street 120 31. S. Magnus and S. Margaret New Fish-street 170 32. S. Michael Royal and S. Martin Vintry 140 33. S. Matthew Friday-street and S. Peter Cheap 150 34. S. Margaret Pattons and S. Gabriel Fen-Church 120 35. S. Mary at Hill and S. Andrew Hubbard 200 36. S. Mary Wolnoth and S. Mary Wool-Church 160 37. S. Clement East-Cheap and S. Martin Orgars 140 38. S. Mary Abchurch and S. Laurence Pountney 120 39. S. Mary-Aldermary and S. Thomas Apostles 150 40. S. Mary-le-Bow S. Pancras Soper-lane and Alhallows Honey-lane 200 41. S. Mildred Poultry and S. Mary Cole-Church 170 42. S. Michael Woodstreet and S. Mary Staining 100 43. S. Mildred Breadstreet and S. Margaret Moses 130 44. S. Michael Qeeen-hith and Trinity 160 45. S. Magdalen Old Fish-street and S. Gregory 120 46. S. Mary Sommerset and S. Mary Mountâ—aw 110 47. S. Nicholas Cole-Abby and S. Nicholas Olaves 130 48. S. Olave Jewry and S. Martin Ironmonger-lane 120 49. S. Stephen Walbrook and S. Bennet Shâ—erhog 100 50. S. Swythin and S. Mary Bothaw 140 51. S. Vedast alias Fosters and S. Michael Quern 160 These respective sums in liue of Tyths are to be yearly paid over and above Glebes Perquisites and Bequests the Assessment to be made by the Aldermen of each Ward or his Deputy the Common-Councel-men and Church-Wardens and one or more of the Parishioners Impropriators are by the said Act to make the same allowances to the Incumbents as they did before the Fire Upon Refusal of Payment the Lord Mayor may Grant his Warrant to the Collector who with a Constable in the Day-time may Levy the same by Distress and sale of the Goods of the Party so refusing c. restoring the overplus but may deduct the reasonable Charges of making Distress c. Provided that it shall and may be lawful to and for the Warden and Minor Canons of S. Pauls Church London Parson and Proprietors of the Rectory of the Parish of S. Gregory aforesaid to receive and enjoy all Tythes Oblations and Duties arising or growing due within the said Parish in as large and beneficial a manner as formerly c. The Parish-Churches were to be Rebuilt according to Models appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury the Bishop of London and the Lord Mayor of London with the King's Approbation The Church-yards of the Demolished Churches were to be inclosed with Brick or Stone-Walls for Burial for the Parishes formerly belonging to the same and the Parishes to which they are respectively united and not used or employed for any other purpose whatsoever except such parts thereof as the Lord Mayor and Aldermen with
sorts of Weapons for War than they drew out of these only such able Men as had White Harness and them all to appear in White Coats with Breeches and white Caps and Feathers and because Notice was given that the King himself would see them Muster they all prepared to appear as splendidly as they could and to that end the Lord Mayor Aldermen Recorder and Sheriffs and all who had been Sheriffs had all white Harness and over that Coats of black Velvet with the Arms of the City Embroidered thereon each one a great Gold Chain and Mounted on a goodly Horse with rich Trappings on their Heads Velvet Caps in their Hands Battle-Axes gilt Each Alderman and the Recorder had four Halberdiers in white Silk or else Buff-Coats waiting on them with gilt Halberds and the Lord Mayor and sixteen tall men apparrelled in white Sattin Doublets Caps and Feathers Chains of Gold and other Gorgeous Attire with long gilt Halberds following his Lordship at a distance But next to him he had four Footmen in white Sattin then two Pages cloathed in Crimson-Velvet and Cloath of Gold riding on Gallant Horses richly furnisht one of them carrying the Lord Mayors Helmet and the other his Pole-Ax both richly gilt and adorn'd Most of the Citizens of any Quality or Office were in white Sattin or white Silk Coats with Chains of Gold and some with rich Jewels what the Number of Men in Arms was is not recorded but it may be guessed at by what follows They Mustered in Mile-end-Fields and before Nine of the Clock in the Morning began to March entring at Aldgate in excellent order down to Westminster where the King and Court stood to view them passing by thence they Marched about St. James's-Park so through Holborn up to Leaden-Hall and there Disbanded immediately and yet this was not done till five of the Clock in the Evening which was Eight hours continual March At His Majesties Return to his Government there were in London and the Liberties six Regiments of Trained-Bands and six Regiments of Auxiliaries and one Regiment of Horse these thirteen Regiments about six Weeks before his Majesties arrival Mustered in Hyde-Park being then drawn out for promoting and securing his Majesties Return These twelve Regiments of Foot were 18000 Men compleat Eight of these Regiments had seven Companies in each and the other four had six Companies in each in all Eighty Companies The Regiment of Horse of six Troops and 100 in each Troop this considerable Army drawn together before the 20 th of May was Judged to be highly useful for facilitating that great Work Some Months after the King sent to the City a Commission of Lieutenancy appointing several persons as his Lieutenants in London giving them the same power that the Lords Lieutenants have in their respective Counties and in pursuance of that Commission the Regiments were new settled There were six Regiments of Train-Bands commanded by six Citizens Knights and their Lieutenant-Colonels were all Knights and there were six Regiments of Auxiliaries In all these twelve Regiments were 20000 Men then were listed two Regiments of Horse each consisting of five Troops in all 800 Horse these were all Drawn into Hide-Park where His Majesty was pleas'd to take a view of them But in case of need it is certain that in London and within the Liberty there may in few days be raised 400000 Men Besides Southwark one Regiment of Train'd-Bands 1500 Men The Hamlets of the Tower two Regiments in all 3000 Men then Holborn Regiment and Westminster Regiment 2000 each and in case of necessity they can raise 20000 more that is in all 66500 Men and in case of absolute need they can double that Number and yet leave enough to manage Trade c. To demonstrate this we shall look back into former times when London was far less populous and of less dimensions then Now and produce what we find Recorded of its Military power Stow in his Survey p. 85. saith that Anno 1539 31. H. VIII a great Muster was made of the Citizens on the 8 th of May at Mile-end all in bright Harness with Coats of white Silk or Cloath and Chains of Gold in three great Battels to the Number of 15000 which passed through London to Westminster and round St. James's Park and so home through Holborn This was for the Midsummer Watch which custom was discontinued till 1548. 2 E. 6. and then revived with an Addition of above 300 Demi-Laâ—ces and light Horsemen prepared by the City for Scotland for the Relief of the Town of Haddington kept by the English The like Marching Watch hath not been used since though some attempts have been made in order to its continuation as Anno 1585. A Book was written by a grave Citizen Mr. John Mâ—ntgomery Dedicated to Sir Thomas Pullison then Lord Mayor and the Aldermen containing the Manner and Order of a Marching-Watch on the accustomed way wherein he used this Motive That Artificers of sundry sorts were thereupon set to Work none but rich men charged poor men helped old Souldiers Trumpets Drummers Fifes and Ensign-beâ—rers with such like men meet for the Princes Service kept in ure wherein theâ— safety and defence of every Common-Wealth consisteth Armor and Weapons being yearly used thereby the Citizens had of their own ready prepared for any need whereas by intermission hereof Armourers are out of Work Souldiers out of ure Weapons over-grown withfoulness few or none good being provided c. Mr. Howel in his Londinopolis Printed 1657. Writes thus p. 398. For strength Defensive and Offensive for Arms of all sorts for Artillery Amunition for Arsenals and Docks on both sides the River for Castles and Block-houses c. London is not inferiour to any she hath 12000 Trained-Band Citizens perpetually in a Readiness excellently Armed c. The City of London hath sent out strong Fleets in former times to scoure and secure the Four Seas from Depredations and Pyracy Anno 1293 She was able to set forth a Fleet of 95 Ships Another Record shews that in King Stephens Reign the City raised 60000 Foot and 20000 Horse for Land Service which is about 500 years ago No place is better furnished with Magazines of Corn and Arms against a Famine for besides that at Leadeâ—-Hall and the Bridge-House How many Halls have Store-Houses of this kind By the Computation of humane Souls in this great City may be guessed what Military force may be raised of which the said Author says thus In the year 1636. King Charles the First sending to the Lord Mayor to make a Scrutiny what Number of Papists and Strangers were in the City the Lord Mayor Sir Edward Bromfield took occasion thereby to make a cense or computation of all the people and there were of Men Women and Children above 700000 that lived within the Bars of his Jurisdiction alone and this being so long ago viz. 45 years 't is judged by all probable computation that London hath more by a third
part now than at that time Then the City of Westminster and all the Suburbs without the Lord Mayor's Jurisdiction and the contiguous Buildings that joyn with it as an Intire piece on all sides contain by all likely conjecture at least as many more so that taking all together the Number of humane Souls may amount to above one Million and an half this computation was thus delivered by Mr. Howel 24 years ago and it is certain that the Number is vastly encresed since as may appear by the great Addition of Buildings even within these few years At that time Mr. Howel Judged the Circumference of the City c. to be above twelve Miles but it is certain whate'er it was then it is much more now so that upon the whole if the Number of Inhabitants be no more then as above and allowing but the tenth part able to bear Arms the City and Suburbs may raise 150000 Fighting-men of which a third part is enough for a Brave Army viz. 50000 Men according to the Modern manner of War Besides these Train'd-Bands and Auxilliary-men before-mentioned there is the Artillery Company which is a Nursery of Souldiers and hath been so threescore and odd years The present King listed himself there when he was Prince of Wales and so did the Duke of York who commanded that Company But lately His Majesty was pleased to honour that Company himself so highly as to tell them when they were last February about a New Election that he would Himself be their Leader which was resented with the Universal Joy of the Company it being indeed an extraordinary honour to be under the Immediate Commands of so Royal a Leader Under His Majesty there is a Leader who exercises this Company every Tuesday fortnight in the Artillery-Ground a spacious and delicate green Field inclosed with a fair Brick-wall near Moor-fields for that purpose And the other Tuesday the Exercise is performed by the several Members of the Company who are there Trained up to Command Of this Society there are many of the Nobility also the Lord Mayor and most of the Aldermen all the Commanders of the Train-Bands and Auxiliaries here Exercise Arms. This Company consists of about six hundred men Their Officers are a Leader two Lieutenants two Ensigns two Serjeants a Provost-Marshal three Gentlemen of Arms c. They have also a Court-Marshal consisting of a President a Vice President a Treasurer and Twenty four Members of the Company On the second Tuesday in February at a General Rendezvouz every year the Officers are Elected So much of Government which I shall shut with the Words of one of the great Magistrates of this famous City viz. Slingsby Bethel Esq one of the Sheriffs in a late Paper of his Just Vindication against the malicious and lying Invectives of some base ill-minded persons that were so impudent to asperse him in his Honour and Reputation upon occasion of the late Poll in Southwark where he was one of the Candidates to serve for that Burrough in Parliament but the well known Worth of that wise and eminent Gentleman is above the reach of such Detractors Tongues for while they go about to sully his spotless Reputation they render it though against their minds so much the more illustrious all sober persons concluding that he must needs be a good man because bad men hate him for to be praised by such is ever esteem'd a kind of reproach and so the Philosopher took it when he exclaim'd in some heat for being praised by a scandalous person Which is but by the by as the impartial sense of one that has not the happiness of personally knowing that worthy person Yet no stranger to his due Character This City is indeed saith he p. 7. a great and opulent City full of People and Trade a City eminent for the great Charters Priviledges and Immunities with which it is invested Renowned for its many Courts and Councels Companies and Societies and for the good Laws therein Instituted and Ordained for the better Government of the several Ranks and Orders of men amongst them whereby they are enabled to obtain their own Justice maintain their own Peace and pursue all the good and advantagious ends of Trade with the better success and greater security And as the happiness and good estate of this City doth depend upon the right use and improvement of these advantages and upon a Due and Righteous Execution of those good Laws so the honour and esteem which this great City most justly finds from all men both at home and abroad doth principally result and arise from hence I confess there is another thing that doth well befit this great City which we call State and Grandeur which though it is far below and differs in the esteem of wise men as much from that honour which I have before described as my Lord Mayors Horse accoutred with his richest furniture and trappings doth from that Honourable Person that sits upon him cloathed with eminency of Power and Authority is found nevertheless most necessary to attract that Reverence from the Vulgar and Common People towards so August a Government which they giving Judgment of things more by outward appearance then by intrinsick worth and real value would otherwise hardly give to the greatest Potentates To this end the City hath its several Ensigns of Authority and Power sitted to all degrees of Magistracy and shewing the place they bear in the Government with a becoming Greatness They have their solemn Processions and Cavalcades set forth with Habits Equipages Attendants and other Ornaments sutable to the several Degrees and Orders of Men for the greater State They have also their Publick Shews and Triumphs upon set times and occasions adorn'd with much splendor to Entertain and Divert the People with Gaze and Admiration And they have besides these their publick Feasts upon set times and solemn occasions of assembling and rejoycing together for their refreshment And I do agree that as these being practised with that moderation and within those limits which the Laws of the City upon great Reason have wisely Ordained may be of good Vse to the ends aforesaid so I have not been wanting in performing my part therein c. CHAP. V. Of the Trade of LONDON TO go about to Demonstrate the great Necessity and Benefit of Trade in General in a Common-wealth or City were but in re non dubia uti oratione non necessaria in a matter which is undoubted to use a needless Harangue it being certain that Wealth and Riches which are acquired by Traffick and Industry are Subsidia Belli Ornamenta Pacis the Supports of War and Ornaments of Peace by which the wants of one place are supplyed by the plenty of another and the Indigence of the Poor relieved by Employments from the Rich there being such a general dependance of one Calling upon another from the Highest to the Lowest that they cannot well Subsist without the mutual aid of
each other in which is manifest the Infinite Wisdom of the Soveraign Disposer of all things who has order'd Human Affairs to so due and regular a Subordination to each other and so necessary a Concatenation among themselves that by a perfect Symmetry or Symphony of Parts they conclude in a perfect Harmony of General Good to Mankind which Superlative Blessing should be improved to mutual Advantage and the Glory of the Supreme Author of it In this Chapter we Design to produce some Remarks with respect to Trade in some Particulars as 1. The Particular Advanges of London with Respect to Trade 2. Its Merchants 3. It s Trade into the Country 4. It s Trade to Foreign Parts 5. Of the twelve Principal Companies with their Coats of Arms c. 6. Of the other Corporations with their Coats of Arms. 7. Of the Custom-House 8. Of the Post-Office 9. Of Of the Rates or Fares of Watermen Carmen Coachmen 10. Of the Carryers Waggoners and Stage-Coaches that come to the Principal Inns with the Days of their coming in and setting forth to all the Principal Parts of England SECT 1. SOme of the Advantages of this great City were hinted Page third and fourth to which we shall add that one of the Supreme Advantages is by the goodly River of Thames which opening Eastward towards Germany and France is much more Advantageous for Traffick than any other River in England and it may be said without Vanity that no River in the World can shew a Braver sight of Ships than are commonly to be seen like a Floating Forrest from Black-Wall to London-Bridge which in continual Voyages Import all sorts of Goods either for Need or Ornament and Export our Superfluities to the extraordinary Advantage of all sorts of People high or low of this see more in the Section of the River Thames Another Advantage that London hath is its being Situate so farwithin the Land that it is plentifully supplyed with all necessary Provision from the Country at easie and indifferent Rates and the Manufactures of the Respective Counties which the City disperses to Markets beyond Seas in Recompence the Country is supplyed by the City with all sorts of necessary Merchandizes wanting there c. Insomuch that London is a large Magazine of Men Money Ships Horses Ammunition of all sorts of Commodities necessary or expedient for the Use or Pleasure of Mankind It is the mighty Rendezvous of Nobility Gentry Courtiers Divines Lawyers Physitians Merchants Seamen and all kind of Excellent Artificers of the most Refined Wits and most Excellent Beauties for it is observed that in most Families of England if there be any Son or Daughter that Excells the rest in Beauty or Wit or perhaps Courage or Industry or any other rare Quality London is their Pole-Star and they are never at rest till they point directly thither which vast Confluence besides being the Kings Chief and Imperial Seat where Parliaments and the Principal Courts of Justice are held where the Inns or Colledges of the Municipial Laws are Seated with the Great Houses of the Nobility and Ministers of State must needs bring a vast Advantage and Increase to Trade besides the most Exquisite Ornament and Gallantry that any Place in the World can shew SECT 2. Of the Merchants of London MErchandizing may be said to be an Art or Science invented by Ingenious Mankind for the Publick Good and Profit of all supplying as was said the Native wants of one Place by the abundance of others that do not Consume their own Growths Products or Manufactures Such as Negotiate and Traffick this way are called Merchants The things Sold or Exchanged are two First Wares or Goods And Secondly Moneys or Coyn which are usually Contracted or Bargained for three ways First When Goods are Exchanged for Goods that is so much of one Sort for like value of another and this is called Bartering usual here in old times and in many places of America Asia and Affrica in these days but in Process of time Men finding it too difficult and troublesom to carry about them all things thus Bargained and Truckt for from place to place invented a common Standard or Measure that should countervail and be in Value as all other things and be Accounted in Payments Satisfaction and Equivalency to all others and this is called Money of Gold Silver or other Mettals This Use of Money is as old as Abraham but it was not then Coyned but only in Pieces Unstampt and since by Authority of Princes it was divided into great and small Pieces and into several and Distinct parts and Denominations and Stampt or Coyned with several Characters denoting the true Weight and Value of the same This was done first by Servius in Rome of Brass whereon was Imprinted the Image of Sheep and Oxen betokening the Wealth and Riches of those days ten of those Pieces made a Denier or Penny and were called by Latines Denarii This was the Original of Money which afterward came to be Coyned of Silver and Gold Secondly The Second way is of Goods for Money and this is Termed Bargaining or Buying and Selling this Facilitates Merchandizing and to prevent the Inconvenience and Danger of the Carriage of Money about a Man another Medium was found and that was Thirdly Exchanging which is the giving of so much Money in one Place to one who should cause it to be again repay'd in another place by another for him In all Exchanges there is concluded two Payments two places and four distinct Persons viz. he that Payeth in one place and Receiveth in another and he that Receiveth in the one place and Payeth in the other and so no Man can Remit except there be another to Draw nor can any Receive except there be another Authorized to Pay The first of these ways was taught to Maâ—kind by Necessity the second was found out to Facilitate the first and the third to Facilitate the second Thus was the Original of Exchanges to Accommodate Commerce which was first Practized without Benefit or Loss or any other Consideration they using to Pay the Value of the very Sum Received but in time it came to be considered that the Party Paying loses time and runs a hazard and therefore it was held reasonable that he should have some benefit Hence Exchanges are converted to an Art or Mystery Moneys being remitted for benefit without so much respect to the end of its Original Institution In the first sort the Merchant ought to know the Commodities delivered and received the present Value of both the quality viz. whether lasting or perishable the property viz. whether of Natural growth or Artificial and lastly the quantity viz. whether plentifulâ— or scarce and in few Lands In the second sort the same things are necessary and also a knowledge how the things are bought and sold whether by weight as ponderous Goods by concave or long measures as Commodities of length or such as are Solid or Liquid A knowledge
H. 6. and confirm'd 13 July 2. Eliz. Their Coat is a Chevron Engrailed Argent three Tunns Sable 'twixt 6 Garbes Salterways Or. 3. LEATHER-SELLERS The Company of Leather-Sellers is ancient for they were first Incorporated 6 R. 2. Their Coat is three Bucks trippant regardant Gules 4. PEWTERERS The Pewterers were Incorporated in the Reign of E. 4. in the 13 of his Reign Jan. 20. Their Arms Azure on a Chevron Or three Roses Gules between 5. BARBER-CHYRVRGEONS The Barber-Chyrurgeons were Incorporated by Edw. 4. but confirmed by every King and Queen since with enlargments Their Arms are a Cross quarter'd Gules a Lyon passant gardant Or in the first quarter a Chevron between three In the second party per pale Argent and vert a Rose crown'd with an Imperial Crown the first as the fourth the second as the third 6. ARMOVRERS The Armourers were Incorporated in the beginning of H. 6. the King himself being pleased to be Free of their Company Their Arms Argent on a Chevron Gules a Gantlet between four Swords in Saltire on a Chief Sable a Buckler Argent charg'd with Cross Gules betwixt 2 Helmets of the first 7. WHITE-BAKERS This Company are of great Antiquity they were a Company 1 E. 2. had a new Charter 1 H. 7. confirm'd by H. 8. E. 6. Queen Ma. Queen Eliz. and King James Their Arms Gules three Garbs Or on a Chief an arm issuing out of the Clouds proper holding a pair of Scales Or between three Anchors of the first 8. WAX-CHANDLERS These are also of ancient standing and much used in times of Popery they became Incorporated Anno 1484. 2 R. 3. Their Arms Azure on a Chevron between three Lamps Argent three Roses Gules 9. TALLOW-CHANDLERS This is a Society of great Antiquity first formally Incorporaâ—ed 2 E. 4. Their Arms a Pale counterchang'd Argent and Azure between thâ—ee Doves Argent volant with Oâ—ve branches vert 10. CVTLERS Incorporated beginning H. 5. Their Arms six Swords Salterways proper 11. GIRDLERS Incorporated 6 th August 27 H. 6. yet very ancient Their Arms Azure Or and a pale between three Gridirons Azure 12. BVTCHERS This Company came not to be Incorporated till the third of King James then they were made a Corporation by the Name of Master Wardens and Commonalty of the Art and Mystery of Butchers yet the Fraternityâ— is ancient their Arms Azure two Axes Salterways Argent between two Roses Argent as many Bulls heads Cowped of the second attir'd Or a Bores head Gules 'twixt two Garbs vert 13. SADLERS This Company is very ancient as shewing their beginning in the times of E. 1. have continued in their Livery and given Livery â—ear 400 years what the said King and R. 2. H. 4. E. 2. E. 3. H. 5. H. 6. E. 4. R. 3. H. 7. H. 8. E. 6. gave King James confirm'd Their Arms a Chevron between three Saddles Or. 14. CARPENTERS This Ancient Company were Incorporated by Letters Patents of Edw. 4. in his 17 th year the 7 th of July by the Name of the Master Warden and Commonalty of the Mystery of Freemen of the Carpentry of the City of London Their Arms Azure a Chevron engrailed between three Compasses Argent 15. CORDWAINERS This Company of Shoomakers called Cordwainers of old were Incorporated 17. H. 6. and confirmed by all Kings since Their Arms Azure a Chevron Or between three Goats heads erased Argent attir'd Or. 16. PAINTERS This Company having the Addition of Painters-Stainers are of high Antiquity yet not Incorporated till Anno 1580. 23 of Qu. Eliz. 17. CVRRIERS These are also Ancient but Incorporated 12 June 3 Jacobi Their Arms Azure a Cross ingrailed Or between four Saws Salterways Argent 18. MASONS The Company of Masons called Free-Masons were a loving Brotherhood for many Ages yet not regulated into a Society till 12 H. 4. Their Arms Sable on a Chevron between three Castles Argent a pair of Compasses of the first 19. PLVMMERS Incorporated 9 Jacobi yet a a very Ancient Fellowship 20. INHOLDERS Incorporated 6. H. 8. Their Arms a Chevron quarterly Or. and Gules counterchanged between three Garbs Or. 21. FOVNDERS Incorporated 18 th Sept. 12 Jacobi Their Coat Gules a Spoon-pot 'twixt two Candlesticks Or. 22. EMBROIDERERS Incorporated 4 th Eliz. Their Arms Barry of 8 Argent and Azure on a Fesse Or a Cup Argent between as many Lyons passant regardant 23. POVLTERS Incorporated 19 H. 7. Their Arms are three Swans of the first as many Herons of the second 24. COOKS Incorporated 12 E. 4. Their Arms a Chevron Sable between three Burray branches proper 25. COOPERS Incorporated 16 H. 7. by the name of Master Wardens or Keepers of the Commonalty of the Freemen of the Mystery of Coopers in London and the Suburbs of the same City Their Arms party per pale Gules and Or a Chevron between three Hoops in a Chief Azure 26. TYLERS and BRICK-LAYERS Though very ancient yet not Incorporated till the 10 th of Qu. Eliz. Their Arms Azure a Chevron a Flower-de-luce Or in Chief 'twixt two Gads of Steel of the second 27. BOWYERS This Company though of great Antiquity and Honour to the English Nation yet their Incorporation was but 21 of K. James Their Arms Sable on a Chief three Mullets on the first between three Saws of the first 28. FLETCHERS These are also a Corporation Their Arms Sable a Chevron Or between three Arrows Argent 29. BLACK-SMITHS A very ancient Fraternity Incorporated 20 th of Eliz. Their Arms Sable a Chevron between three Hammers crowned Or. 30. JOYNERS Joyners or Seelers were Incorporated by Qu. Eliz. in her 13 th Year Their Arms Gules a Chevron 'twixt two Compasses and a Globe Argent on a Chief pale Gules charged with an Escalop Or between two Roses of the first 31. PLAISTERERS Incorporated in the Reign of H. 7. Their Arms Azure an Eschutcheon Or a Rose between two Flower-de-luces Gules two Hammers and a Brush Argent 32. WEAVERS The Company of Weavers were of very ancient Note as having three several Societies of themselves viz. the Woollen-Weavers the Arras-Weavers and the Linnen-Weavers Their Arms Azure three Leopards heads with three Shuttles in their Mouths Argent on a Chevron Gules Or between 33. FRVITERERS Incorporated 3 Jacobi Their Arms Argent the Tree of Paradise between Adam and Eve proper 34. SCRIVENERS An ancient Society Incorporated 28 Jan. 14 Jacobi Their Arms an Eagle volant holding in his Mouth a Penner and Inkhorn 35. BOTTLE-MAKERS and HORNERS As for these the precedent times have remembred them to be of Antiquity and two Distinct Companies combined in one But I find saith Stow page 638. no Record that they were at any time Incorporated 36. STATIONERS This Company was of great Antiquity before Printing was invented Their old Dwelling was in Pater-Noster-Row and the parts adjoyning yet not Incorporated till 3 Ph. and Mary Their Arms Argent on a Chevron between three Bibles Or a Falcon volant between two Roses the Holy Ghost in
all Stores belonging to Shipping to examine and audit Treasurers Victuallers and Score-keepers Accounts his Sallary is 500 l. yearly Surveyor of the Navy whose Office is Generally to know the state of all Stores and see the Wants supplyed to sind the Hulls Masts and Yards and estimate the Value of Repairs by Indenture to charge all Boat-swains and Carpenters of His Majesties Navy with what Stores they Receive and at the end of each Voyage to state and audit their Accounts his Sallary is 490 l. Clarks of the Acts whose Office is to Record all Orders Contracts Bills Warrants and other business transacted by the Principal Officers and Commissioners of the Navy c. the Sallary of the Commissioners of the Navy is 500 l. yearly to each There are two Commissioners whose particular work is to be at Portsmouth and Chatham always in readiness to give Orders for the better Management of His Majesties Affairs in his Yards or Store-houses there Sallary to each is 350 l. Yearly Each of these Officers above-named have two Clarks and some of them more all paid by the Treasurer of the Navy all hold their places by Patent from the King and most of them during pleasure The King hath for his Navy Royal and Stores four great Yards or Store-houses viz. at Chatham Deptford Woolwich and Portsmouth where his Ships are Built Repaired and laid up after their Voyages In which yards are Employed Divers Officers whereof the six principal are Clerks of the Check Store-keeper Master Attendants two at Chatham Master-Shipwright Clark of the Control Clark of the Survey Note that the Charges of the Clarks and Instruments are included in the afore-mentioned Sallaries Besides these four Yards his Majesty hath divers Rope-Yards as at Chatham Woolwich and Portsmouth where are made all his Cables and Cordage for his Navy Also in time of Sea-War the King hath another Yard at Harwich where there is out of War time continued an Officer at the charge of 100 l. yearly The ordinary Charge of his Majesties Navy in times of Peace continuing in Harbour is so well regulated that it amounts to scarce 7000 l. Besides all Charges of Building of Ships c. or setting forth any Fleets which some years even in peaceable times amounts to 12 or 13000 l. more as may easily be conjectured by the Charges of Building and Rigging of Ships and of one Months expence at Sea Of the Post-Office THis Office is now kept in Lumbard-street formerly in Bishops-gate-street the Profits of it are by Act of Parliament settled on his Royal Highness the Duke of York But the King by Letters Patents under the great Seal of England constitutes the Post-Master-General From this General Office Letters and Packets are dispatched On Mondays To France Spain Italy Germany Flanders Sweedland Donmark Kent and the Downs On Tuesdays To Holland Germany Sweedland Denmark Ireland Scotland and all parts of England and Wales On Wednesdays To all parts of Kent and the Downs On Thursdays To France Spain Italy and all parts of England and Scotland On Frydays To Flanders Germany Italy Sweedland Denmark Holland Kent and the Downs On Saturdays All parts of England Wales Scotland and Ireland Letters are returned from all parts of England and Scotland certainly every Monday Wednesday and Friday from Wales every Monday and Fryday and from Kent and the Downs every day But from other parts more uncertainly in regard of the Sea A Letter containing a whole sheet of Paper is convey'd 80 Miles for 2 d. two sheets for 4 d. and an Ounce of Letters for 8 d. and so propoâ—tionably a Letter containing a sheet is conveyed above 80 Miles for 3 d. two sheets for 6 d. and every Ounce of Letters for 12 d. A sheet is conveyed to Dublin for 6 d. two for a shilling and an Ounce of Letters for 12 d. This Conveyance by Post is done in so short a time by night as well as by day that every 24 hours the Post goes 120 Miles and in five days an answer of a Letter may be had from a Place 300 Miles distant from the Writer Moreover if any Gentlemen desire to ride Post to any Principal Town of England Post-horses are always in readiness taking no Horse without the consent of his owner which in other Kings Reigns was not duly observed and only 3 d. is demanded for every English Mile and for every Stage to the Post-Boy 4 d. For conducting Besides this Excellent convenience of conveying Letters and Men on Horse-back there is of late such and admirable commodiousness both for Men and Women of better rank to travel from London and to almost all the Villages near this great City that the like hath not been known in the World and that is by Stage-Coaches wherein one may be transported to any place sheltred from foul Weather and foul ways free from endamaging ones Health or Body by hard jogging or over violent motion and this not only at a low price as about a shilling for every five Miles but with such velocity and speed as that the Posts in some Foreign Countries make not more Miles in a day for the Stage-Coaches called Flying-Coaches make forty or fifty Miles in a day as from London to Oxford or Cambridge and that in the space of twelve hours not counting the time for Dining setting forth not too early nor coming in too 〈◊〉 The several Rates that now are and have been taken for the Carriage of Letters Packquets and Parcels to or from any of His Majesties Dominions to or from any other parts or places beyond the Seas are as followeth that is to say s. d. MOrlaix St. Maloes Caen New-haven and places of like distance Carriage paid to Rouen Single 0 6 Double 1 0 Treble 1 6 Ounce 1 6 Hamburgh Colen Frankfort Carriage paid to Antwerp is Single 0 8 Double 1 4 Treble 2 0 Ounce 2 0 Venice Geneva Legorn Rome Naples Messina and all other parts of Italy by way of Venice Franct pro Mantua Single 0 9 Double 1 6 Treble 2 3 Ounce 2 8 Marseilles Smirna Constantinople Aleppo and all parts of Turky Carriage paid to Marselles Single 1 0 Double 2 0 3 4 Oun. 2 9 Ounce 2 8 And for Letters brought from the same places to England Single 0 8 Double 1 4 Treble 2 0 Ounce 2 0 The Carriage of Letters brought into England from Calice Diep Bulloign Abbeville Amiens St. Omers Montrel Single 0 4 Double 0 8 Treble 1 0 Ounce 1 0 Roven Single 0 6 Double 1 0 Treble 1 6 Ounce 1 6 Genoua Legorn Rome and other parts of Italy by way of Lyons Franct pro Lyons Single 1 0 Double 2 0 3 4 Ounce 2 9 Ounce 3 9 The Carriage of Letters Outwards To Bourdeaux Rochel Nants Orleans Bayon Tours and places of like distance Carriage paid to Paris Single 0 9 Double 1 6 Treble 2 3 Ounce 2 0 Letters brought from the same places into England Single 1 0 Double 2 0 3 4 Oun.
hazard against all the Difficulties Oppositions and Discouragements that attended it though now he hath several Citizens in partnership with him But I am truly informed that the Income does not yet amount to three fourths of the necessary Charge to support it therefore I am persuaded that this Honourable City will employ the Inventers rather than an Invader if ever any such should be And that 't is much below such a Prince as his Royal Highness is to desire the Ruine of such a Family I am the more large upon this Particular because it would be a general Discouragement to the Contrivers of useful and profitable Inventions if others should be encouraged to reap the Crop of what they with so much charge and labor have sown This Penny-Post is thus managed The Principal Office to which all Accompts c. are daily transmitted is in Lyme-street at the Dwelling-house of the said Mr. Dockwra formerly the Mansion-house of Sir Robert Abdy K.nt. There are seven Sorting-houses proper to the seveâ— Precincts into which the Undertakers have divided London Westminster and the Suburbs situated at equal distances for the better maintenance of mutual Correspondence There are about 4 or 500 Receiving-houses to take in Letters where the Messengers call every hour and convey them as directed as also Post-Letters the writing of which are much increased by this Accommodation being carefully convey'd by them to the General Post-Office in Lombard street There are a great Number of Clerks and poor Citizens daily employed as Messengers to Collect Sort Enter Stamp and Deliver all Letters every Person entertained giving Fifty pounds security by Bond for his Fidelity and is to be subject to the Rules and Orders from time to time given by the Undertakers who oblige themselves to make good any thing deliver'd to their Messengers under the value of Ten pounds if Sealed up and the Contents Endorsed And these Messengers have their Wages duly paid them every Saturday night By these are convey'd Letters and Parcels not exceeding One Pound Weight nor Ten Pound in Value to and from all Parts at seasonable times viz. of the Cities of London and Westminster Southwark Redriff Wapping Ratcliff Lyme-house Stepney Poplar and Blackwall and all other places within the weekly Bills of Mortality as also to the four Towns of Hackney Islington South-Newington-Butts and Lambeth but to no other Towns and the Letters to be left only at the Receiving-houses of those four Towns for the said four Towns but if brought home to their Houses a Penny more in those Towns nor any Letter to be deliver'd to them in the Street but at the Receiving-houses They now do use Stamps to mark the hour of the Day on all Letters when sent out from their Office to be deliver'd by which all Persons are to expect their Letters within one hour little more or less from the time marked thereon excepting such Letters as are to be convey'd to the Out-Towns and Remotest parts which will be longer by which the cause of delay of Letters may be easily discern'd viz. whether it be really in the Office or their own Servants or others with whom Letters are left Of which the First signifies Eight in the Morning the Last Four in the Afternoon and the Middlemost is the Letter of the chief Office in Lyme-street each Office having its proper Letter and an Acknowledgment that the Penny-Post is paid to prevent the giving of any thing at the Delivery All Persons are desired not to leave any Town-Letters after Six of the Clock in the Winter and Seven in the Summer on Saturday Nights because the many poor Men employ'd may have a little time to provide for their Families against the Lords-day having no leisure all the week besides Upon three days at Christmas two days in Easter and Whitsontide and upon the 30 of January the Penny-Post does not go To the most Remote places Letters go four or five times of the day to other places six or eight times of the day To Inns of Court and places of business in Town especially in Term or Parliament-time 10 or 12 times of the day For better information of People where the Receiving-houses are there are great Numbers of Printed Tickets dispersed from time to time amongst the Neighborhood and Advertisements in the Publick Intelligences which all concern'd may take Notice of so that any body may be by the Neighborhood immediately inform'd where a Receiving-house is Carriers and Stage-Coach Letters are to have Two-pence inclosed to each Carrier or Coachman because they often reject them for want of money Hundreds of such being return'd which any Inquirer may have again upon notice for they lie Alphabetically disposed of in the chief Office for that end On all Post-Nights due Care is taken to call for and convey to the General Post-house in Lombard-street all Post-Letters whether Foreign or Inland left in any of the Penny-Post Receiving-houses at or before Nine of the Clock at Night And I could wish for Encouragement of the Undertakers that all Persons would so far contribute to the continuance of this useful Design as to send their Post-Letters by this Conveyance to the Post-Office in Lombard-street which they do not Convey by themselves or Servants If any Post-Letters be left without Money that should pay before-hand they will be Returned to the Office therefore such as send Money are to indorse the Postage-money upon their Letters Such as inclose Money in Town-Letters are to Indorse the true Sum on the Outside and to tye fast and seal up under a plain Impression all Parcels which may be one way to prevent Disputes in case any thing be lost The Undertakers will not answer for any Centents unseen unless sealed fast and the Value Indorsed plain to be Read 2. Some brief Hints of the Vsefulness of this Office 1. In and near this great and famous Emporium is the usual Residence of our Kings the High Court of Parliament the fixed Seats of all the Courts of Judicature and in it is managed a vast Trade as was shew'd in the Chapter that Treats of it now a cheap frequent and safe way of Correspondence is very advantageous for all that are concerned in Commerce or Business The principal Trade of London depends upon Navigation and therefore the City and Suburbs are situate along the River of Thames extending in length as was shew'd pag. 5. from Lyâ—ne-house to the end of Tuttle-street 7500 Geometrical Pâ—ces that is seven Miles and an half and from the end of Blackman-street to the end of St. Leonard Shoreditch 2500 Paces in Breadth that is two Miles and the whole Circumference as by Demonstration can be made apparent is above 20 Miles taking in all the Contiguous Suburbs and Westminster so that it is the longest if not the greatest and most populous City in Christendom This extraordinary Length though it adds to its Splendor and Beauty yet it renders speedy Communication and Intercourse in Business very
the City in Ancient Times The first Passage I shall produce shall be out of Polydore Virgil Printed at Basil 1534. 147 years ago He saith thus Hoc 〈◊〉 successâ— Danus ferocior effectus Londinum quo 〈…〉 Etheldredum se recepisse mâ—tuâ— causa aggrediendum â—â—â—stituit Itaque c. Which in English is to this sence The Dane being grown more fierce by the success of his Affairs resolved to make his Approaches to London where he understood that Ethelred had retired having therefore prepared all things necessary for his Expedition he proceeds to beleaguer the City and begirt it round by this perillous Attempt either to terrifie the Enemy or try their Strength and Courage On the other side the Citizens although somewhat fearing the effect of so great a Storm yet considering that upon their case depended the General Fate of their Countrey and that this was the Principal City defended themselves bravely some sally out and others annoy the Besiegers from the Walls every one in all places striving to excel others in Bravery of Courage and Gallantry of Action At last though the Danes gave many stout and sharp Assaults yet the Valiant Londoners in Defence of their King notwithstanding the peril of such an Enterprize gather into a Body and set open the Gates and ran upon the Enemy with great Fury and Courage But the Dane whilst he encourages his men and was striving to compleat the Victory which he thought he was almost in possession of is incompassed and beset on all sides and his men slain in great numbers yet he breaks out through his Enemies Weapons and with the residue of his before huge but now Routed Army marching night and day arrives at Bath in two days c. So far he This happened almost sixty years before the Conquest in the days of Ethelred King Sweyne being then King of Denmark After the death of this Sweyne his Son Canutus afterwards King of England besieged London both by Land and Water but after much dangerous labour judging it impregnable by the obstinate Valour of the Defendants he departed but returned with greater Forces the same year and besieged the City again but the Citizens behaved themselves so gallantly and destroyed so many of his Souldiers that he was forced to betake himself to a shameful flight In the dissention between King Edward the Coâ—fessor and his Father-in-law Earl Godwyn which was the mightiest Subject within this Realm the Earl with great Army came to London yet was by the Citizens resisted till by means of the Nobility they were reconciled Seventy years after the Conquest Maud the Empress made War upon King Stephen for the Right of the Crown and had taken his Person Prisoner but by the Strength of the Londoners and Kentish-men she was routed at Winchester and her Brother Robert Earl of Glocester was taken in exchange for whom King Stephen was delivered In the year 1383 but Polidore Virgil says Anno 1581. about 4 R. II. and 298 years ago there fell out an Accident which created much disturbance in the Kingdom and particularly in London occasioned as I find Recorded in several Chronicles through the Rudeness of a Poll-money Collector who coming into the house of one John Tyler at Deptford in Kent demanded of his Wife Poll-money for her Husband her Self their Servants and Daughter the Woman alledges that the Daughter was not of Age to pay The rude Fellow said he would try that and by force immodestly turns up her Coats having in several places as was reported used the same trial the Mother makes an Out-cry and Neighbours run in her Husband being at work hard by and hearing the noise comes in with his Lathing-Staff in his hand for he was a Tyler with which after he had reasoned a while with the Collector who gave him provoking Language and strook at him he knock'd his Brains out and making his Appeal to the People who were apt to receive any occasion of Tumult he so incensed them with the help of a Factious Clergy-man one John Ball that the Commons from divers parts drew together and whether beginning in Kent or Essex they drew into their Faction the Commons of Sussex Hertfordshire Cambridgeshire Suffolk Norfolk and other Shires and apprehending all Passengers made them swear to be true to K. Richard and never to receive any King that should be called John which they did for the Envy they bore to John Duke of Lancaster Thus their Number still increased that by that time they were come so far as Black-Heath they were esteemed to be One hundred thousand They took upon them to cut off the Heads of all that professed the Law Justices of the Peace the Countrey Jarors and any person that they thought to be learned especially if they found any to have Pen and Ink they pull'd off his Hood and with one voice cry'd Hale him out and cut off his Head and it was immediately done They resolved to burn all Court-Rolls and Records with all old Monuments Their Chaplain John Ball a wicked Priest advised them to destroy all the Nobility and Clergy so that there should be no Bishop in England but one Archbishop which should be himself and that there should not be above two Religious persons in one house but that their Possessions should be divided among the Laity for which Doctrine they held him as a Prophet The King was at this time at Windsor but removed in all haste to the Tower of London to whom repaired the Archbishop of Canterbury Chancellor the Bishop of London the Prior of St. John Treasurer the Earls of Buckingham Kent Arundel Warwick Suffolk Oxford and Salisbury and others of the Nobility and Gentlemen to the number of 600. The Commons of Essex came on the other part of the River Thames From Black-Heath the Kentish Rebels came to Southwark and broke open the Prisons of the Marshalsea and the Kings-Bench with other Prisons and let out the Prisoners The Essex Rebels spoiled the Archbishop's house at Lambeth and burnt all the Goods with the Books Registers and Remembrances of the Chancery with several other Outrages Then they came to London over the Bridge and sent for one Richard Lyon a grave Citizen who had been Tyler's Master and struck off his Head carrying it upon a Pole in Triumph before them The next day they came to the Savoy the Duke of Lancaster's House which they set on Fire burning all the rich Furniture breaking in pieces Plate and Jewels to an extraordinary value and then throwing them into the Thames saying They were men of Justice and would not like Robbers enrich themselves with any mans Goods And when one of their Fellows was seen to convey a fair piece of Plate into his bosom they took him and threw him and that into the Fire Thirty two of them were got into the Dukes Wine-Cellar where they stay'd Drinking so long that they were not able to come out in time but were shut in with Wood and
much offended at the Uproar and immediately sent for the Lord Chief-Justice by whose advice a special Commission of Oyer and Terminer was issued out and about a Fortnight after the Malefactors were Arraigned at the Guildhall of London and Ashhurst and Stamford being found guilty of Murder were Condemned and Executed at Tyburn Much more may be said of these Tumults but for necessary Reasons it is reserved to another place In the Relation of FIRES we shall only give a brief account of the most remarkable In the time of King H. 1. All the Buildings from Cheapside to Aldgate which was a large Tract was consumed by a dreadful Fire Some of the Fires on London-Bridge we have already mentioned In the Year 1212 on the 10 th of July at night there hapning a great Fire in Southwark a great Multitude of People going over the Bridge to see it or help to quench it on a sudden by blowing of the South Wind the North part of the Bridge was set on fire upon which the People on the Bridge would have returned but could not and it hapned that while they lingred too long the South end of the Bridge took sire also so that the People thronging between the two Fires expected nothing but present Death Then there came to aid them several Ships and Vesâ—els into which the Multitude so un advisedly rushed that the Vessels were thereby sunk or were overset 〈◊〉 that by Fire and Water there perished above 3000 persons In the Year 1633 about Midnight 〈◊〉 third part of the Houses on the Bridge were consumed by a great Fire to the Number of 42 Houses with a great part of the Wares Goods and rich Furniture in them before eight a Clock next Morning and the Fire remained glowing and burning for a Week after in their Vaults and Cellars Many Fires there were that damaged St. Pauls-Church In the Conquerors time Anno 1087 it was quite consumed together with the greatest part of the City This Fire is recorded to begin at the entry of the West-gate and consumed the East-gate June the 4 th 1561 between three and four in the afternoon the great Spire of the Steeple of St. Paul's was fired by Lightning which broke forth two or three yards beneath the foot of the Cross and from thence it burnt downward so that in four hours the Steeple with all the Roof of the Church was destroyed To repair which Queen Elizabeth immediately gave 1000 Marks and a Warrant for 1000 Loads of Timber to be taken out of her Woods or elsewhere c. In the 27 E. 1. The Palace at Westminster and the Monastery adjoyning were consumed with fire It would be endless to give a particular account of all the Fires by which this famous City suffered from time to time especially of late years which being so fresh in Memory and so fully set forth in Narratives I shall at present for bear to transcribe as the Fires at Waping Limehouse Shadwell the Temple the great Fire that lately hapned in Southwark Wednesday night the 8 th of this instant June the former great Fire that consumed several 100 Houses in the said Borough but are now very gallantly rebuilt c. And for an Instance of all we will give a brief and particular account of that Dreadful FIRE in Anno 1666 which laid the City in Ashes and did almost incredible mischief The City of LONDON within the Walls is seated upon abont 460 Acres of Ground whereon was bilt about 15000 Houses the Fire destroyed 373 Acres within the Walls of the City and 63 Acres 3 Roods without the Walls There were burnt 13200 Houses 87 Parish-Churches six Chappels most of the principal publick Edifices as the great Cathedral the great Guild-Hall the Royal-Exchange the Custom-House most of the stately Halls of Companies whereof the whole Damage is almost incredible It was observed as judicious Stationers computed that in that one Commodity of Books was lost 150000 l. and the loss in other cumbersome Goods as Wines Tobacco Sugars Plumbs c. was extra ordinary insomuch that one Person Sir Robert Jeffery Alderman now living lost of Tobacco to the value of 20000 l. It hath been computed by an Ingenious person that the 13200 Houses burnt valued one with another at no more than 25 l. yearly Rent and at the low rate of 12 years purchase will amount to 3900000 l. Sterlin The 87 Churches the spacious Cathedral of St. Pauls the 6 Chappels the Exchange Custom-House Guild-Hall the magnificent Halls of Companies the several principal City Gates with other publick Edifices and Colledges may be well valued above 2000000 l. The Wares Houshold-Goods Moneys lost and spoiled by the Fire or pilfered away by those wicked wretches that made their gain of the Common Calamity may modestly be computed above 2000000 l. The Money spent on a General removing of Goods during the Fire and bringing them back afterwards in the hire of Boats Carts and Porters may be reckoned at least 2000000 l. the Total whereof 9900000 l. Sterlin This Dreadful FIRE began upon the Second of September at two of the Clock in the Morning being the Lords-Day and lasted till Thursday following being the sixth of the same Month it brokâ—out in Pudding-lane near London-Bridge at one Fariner a Baker's House and spread it self besides breadth from almost Tower-hill to St. Dunstans-Church near Temple-Bar in Fleet-street The Consternation of all persons was extraordinary and no Wonder for that Raging and Masterless Element did more mischief in a matter of four days â—ime than three or four Armies unresisted could haâ—â— easily done in twice the time Some Men were forced to pay 5 l. 10 l. 20 l. 30 l. for a Cart to carry away into the Field some choice Goods and certainly they had little Conscience that exacted so much He that would more largely peruse every Days progress let him peruse Mr. Vincent's excellent Book Intituled Gods terrible Voice to the City Printed 1671 page 46. Who were the Authors Contrivers and Promoters of this prodigious Conflagration may be read at large in Capt. William Bedloes Narrative of it Printed Anno 1679. to which I am forced to refer my Reader only shall transcribe a few things which he particularly advertises the Citizens to take notice of First The Ways taken by Papists to begin and promote FIRES 1. BY Fire-Balls put in with Poles or otherwise through holes or open places into Houses as at Mr. Fariner's House which began the great Fire 2. By hard Fire-Balls thrown through Glass-Windows as at the Smiths in Black-Fryars 3. By flinging the said Balls or other Combustible matter fired into Cellars through the Bars on Grates where they are left without Shutters as aâ— the Oly-mans in Southwark 4. By firing their own Lodgings as the Frenchman did in Shoo-lane in the time of the great Fire and likewise the two Peters near Saffron-hill 5. By hiring Cellars in dangerous places â—illing them with Combustibles and then firing them
the City it Self 1269 55 John Adrian Walter Potter Philip Taylor 1270 56 The same Gregory Rochesly Henry Walleis 1271 57 Sir Walter Harvey Richard Harris John de Wodeley King Edward the First began His Reign the 16th of November 1272. 1272 1 Sir Walter Harvey John Horn. Walter Potter 1273 2 Henry Walleis Nicholas Winchester Henry Coventry 1274 3 Gregory Rokesley Lucas Batencourt Henry Frowick 1275 3 The same John Horn. Ralph Blount 1276 5 The same Robert de Arar Ralph L. Fewre 1277 6 The same John Adrian Walter Largley 1278 7 The same Robert Bâ—sing William le Meyre 1279 8 Gregory Rokesley Thomas Box. Ralph Moore 1280 9 The same Willliam Farrendon Nicholas Winchester 1281 10 Henry Walleis William le Meyre Richard Chigwell 1282 11 The same Ralph Blunt Hawkin Betuel 1283 12 The same Jordan Goodcheap Martin Box. 1284 13 Gregory Rokesley Stephen Cornhill Robert Rokesley 1285 14 Ralph Sandwich Walter Blunt John Made 1286 15 The same Thomas Cross Walter Hawteyne 1287 16 The same William Hereford Thomas Stanes 1288 17 The same William Betaine John of Canterbury 1289 18 The same Fulk of St. Edmund Solomon Langford 1290 19 The same Thomas Romain William de Lyre 1291 20 The same Ralph Blunt Hamond Box. 1292 21 The same Elias Russel Henry Bole. 2293 22 The same Robert Rokesley Martin Awbery 1294 23 The same Henry Box. Richard Gloucester 1295 24 Sir John Briton John Dunstable Adam de Halingbury 1296 25 The same Thomas of Suffolk Adam of Fulâ—â—m 1297 26 Henry Walleis Richard Refham Thomas Sely. 1298 27 Elias Russel John Armentor Henry Fingene 1299 28 The same Lucas de Havering Richard Champnes 1300 29 Sir John Blunt Robert Collor Peter de Bessenho 1301 30 The same Hugh Pourte Simon Paris 1302 31 The same Will. Combmartin John de Burford 1303 32 The same Roger Paris John de Lincoln 1304 33 The same William Causon Reginald Thunderley 1305 34 The same Geoffry at the Conduit Simon Billet King Edward the II. began His Reign the second of July Anno Domini 1307. 1307 1 Sir John Blunt Nicholas Pigol Nigellus Drury 1308 2 Nicholas Faringdon William Basing James Butler 1309 3 Thomas Romaine Roger le Palmer James of St. Edmond 1310 4 Richard Reffam Simon Cooper Peter Blacney 1311 5 Sir John Gysors Simon Metwâ—â—â— Richard Wâ—â—ford 1312 6 Sir John Gysors John Lambin Adam Lutkin 1313 7 Nicholas Faringdon Robert Garden Hugh Garton 1314 8 Sir John Gysors Stephen Abingdon Hammond Chickwell 1315 9 Stephen de Abington Hammond Goodcheap William Bodeleigh 1316 10 John Wingrave William Caston Ralph Balancer 1317 11 The same John Prior. William Furneaux 1318 12 The same John Pointel John Dalling 1319 13 Hammond Chickwell Simon de Abington John Preston 1320 14 Nicholas Faringdon Reinald at the Conduit William Prodham 1321 15 Hammond Chickwell Râ—chard Constantine Richard de Hackney 1322 16 The same John Grantham Richard de Ely 1323 17 Nicholas Farindon Adam of Salisbury John of Oxford 1324 18 Hammond Chickwell Bennet of Fulham John Cawston 1325 19 The same Gilbert Mordon John Causton 3126 20 Richard Britain Richard Rothing Roger Chauntclere King Edward the III. began His Reign the 25. of January 1326. A. D. A. R. Lord MAYORS SHERRIFFS 1327 1 Hammond Chickwell Henry Darcy John Hawton 1328 2 John Grantham Simon Francis Henry Cobmartin 1329 3 Richard Swanland Richard Lazer William Gysors 1330 4 Sir John Pountney Robert of Ely Thomas of Worwode 1331 5 The same John Mocking Andrew Aubery 1332 6 John Preston Nicholas Pike John Husband 1333 7 Sir John Pountney John Hammond William Hauford 1334 8 Reginald at the Conduit John Kingstone Walter Turk 1335 9 The same Walter Mordon Richard Vpton 1336 10 Sir John Pountney John Clark W. Curtes 1337 11 Henry Darcy Walter Neal. Nicholas Crane 1338 12 The same William de Pomfret Hugh Marbler 1339 13 Andrew Aubery William Thorney Roger Frâ—sham 1340 14 The same Adam Lucas Bartholomew Morris 1341 15 John of Oxenford Richard de Barking John de Rokesly 1342 16 Simon Francis John Lâ—ufkin Richard Killingbury 1343 17 John Hammond John Steward John Aylesham 1344 18 The same Geoffry Witchingham Thomas Leg. 1345 19 Richard Lazer Edmund Hemenhall John of Glocester 1346 20 Geoff. Witchingham John of Croydon William Clopton 1347 21 Thomas Leggy Adam Brampston Richard Fas or Bas. 1448 22 John Loufkin Henry Bicard Simon Doleby 1349 23 Walter Turk Adam of Bury Ralph of Lynne 1350 24 Richard Killingbury John Notte Will. of Worcester 1351 25 Andrew Aubery Iohn Wroth. Gilb. of Stenineshorpe 1352 26 Adam Francis John Peace John Stotly 1353 27 The same William Wood. John Little 1354 28 Thomas Leggy Will. Nottingham Roger Smelt 1355 29 Simon Francis Thomas Foster Thomas Brandon 1356 30 Henry Picard Richard Nottingham Thomas Dolsel 1357 31 Sir John Stody Stephen Candish Bartholom Frostling 1358 32 John Loufkin John Barns John Buris 1359 33 Simon Doulseby Simon of Bemington John of Chichester 1360 34 John Wroth. Walter Borny John Dennis 1361 35 John Peche William Holbech James Tame 1362 36 Stephen Candish John of St. Albans James Andrew 1363 37 John Not. Richard of Croyden John Hiltoft 1364 38 Adam of Bury John de Metford Simon de Morden 1365 39 John Loufkin John Bukilsworth John Ireland 1366 40 The same John Ward Thomas of Lee. 1367 41 James Andrew John Tarngold William Dickman 1368 42 Simon Mordan Robert Goideler Adam Wimondham 1369 43 John Chichester John Piel Hugh Holdich 1370 44 John Barns William Walworth Robert Gayton 1371 45 The same Adam Staple Robert Hatfield 1372 46 John Piel John Philpot. Nicholas Brembar 1373 47 Adam of Bury John Aubery John Fished 1374 48 William Walworth Richard Lyons William Woodhouse 1375 49 John Ward John Hadley William Newport 1376 50 Adam Staple John Northampton Robert Laund Richard the II. began His Reighn the 21. of June 1377. A. D. A. R. Lord MAYORS SHERIFFS 1377 1 Sir Nicholas Brember Nicholas Twiford Andrew Pikeman 1378 2 John Philpot. John Boseham Thomas Cornwallis 1379 3 John Hadley John Helisdon William Barra 1380 4 William Walworth Walter Doget William Knighthode 1381 5 John Northampton John Rotu John Hynde 1382 6 The same Adam Bramme John Sely. 1383 7 Sir Nicholas Brember Simon Winchcomb John More 1384 8 The same Nicholas Exton John French 1385 9 The same John Organ John Churchman 1386 10 Nicholas Exton William Stondon William More 1387 11 The same William Venor Hugh Falstalfe 1388 12 Nicholas Twiford Thomas Austin Adam Carlehul 1389 13 William Venor John Walcot John Love 1390 14 Adam Bamme John Francis Thomas Vivent 1391 15 John Hinde John Shadworth Henry Vamere 1392 16 William Stondon Gilbert Mafield Thomas Newington 1393 17 John Hardley Drew Barintin Richard Whittington 1394 18 Sir John Froyshe William Bramston Thomas Knolls 1395 19 William More Roger Ellis William Sevenoke 1396 20 Adam Brown Thomas Wilford William Parker 1397 21 Sir Rich. Whittington John Wodcock William Ascham 1398 22 Sir Drew Barintin