The History and Antiquities of London, Westminster, Southwark, and Parts Adjacent, vol. 4
Allen, Thomas
1827
Ancient House, Strand.
The house was ornamented in front with the fleur-de-lis, and other devices; but these were probably added to it in some later repairs in commemoration of the visit of so distinguished a guest. | |
Between Essex-house and was a chapel dedicated to the Holy Ghost, called S. Spirit; but of the time and occasion of its foundation, Stow confesses himself ignorant. To the west of this last was the bishop of Bath's house, or inn, as it was usual to call such residences. Afterwards it became the residence of the earl of Arundel. | |
was once a place of considerable traffic. The stack of houses which occupied the spot which now forms a wide opening on the west side of Temple-bar, was, with respect to the ground plan, in the form of an obtuse-angular triangle, the eastern line of which was formed by a shoemaker's, a fish-monger's, and another shop, with wide extended fronts, and its western point blunted by the intersection of the vestry-room and almshouses of parish; both the sides also contained shops of various descriptions; the south (Strand), a number of respectable tradesmen, such as bakers, dyers, drysalters, smiths, tin-plate workers, &c.; the north (,) was, as its name implied, really a flesh-market; it was at wholly occupied by butchers, who had from a very early period brought their meat in carts from the country, and sold it just without the civic liberties, for the supply of the western parts of the city. These foreign butchers, as they were termed, were considered so extremely useful in repressing the exorbitant demands of the native butchers, and lowering the prices of the London markets of these days, that the competition was encouraged, and their dealings were attended with such success, that the desire of immoderate profit operated upon them as it has upon their descendants, in the present age, and induced them to become stationary; perhaps to go hand in hand with the people they had formerly opposed. Be this as it may, in the reign | |
346 | of queen Elizabeth, , which had for the purpose above specified been in the of Edward I. granted to Walter le Barbur, took the form of an established market; in process of time other shops, besides butchers, fishmongers, and green-grocers, were opened. The whole of , on the south side of the church, was taken down in , and the present handsome crescent erected at the expense of the corporation of London. |
of this quarter, as well as of some other parts of , seems to have been in a deplorable state so lately as , when an act for new paving this city and its liberties was passed. Until that time, it appears, every inhabitant, before his house, did what was right in his own eyes; the consequence of which was, that some doors were superbly paved, some indifferently, some very badly, and others totally neglected, according to the wealth, avarice, or caprice of the inhabitants. And a proof of the filth and nastiness which prevailed, is detailed in the London Chronicle of that time. | |
Speaking of the plan for a new pavement, the writer exclaims,
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This part of , in the early part of Elizabeth's reign, was the scene of frequent disturbances, occasioned by the young students belonging to the inns of chancery; who were so riotous and unruly at night, parading the streets to the danger of peaceable passengers, and the annoyance of the neighbourhood, that the inhabitants were obliged to keep watches. In , the recorder himself, with more of the honest inhabitants, stood by- to see the lanthorn hanged out, and to observe if he could meet with any of the rioters. About at night they saw young Mr. Robert Cecil, the lord treasurer's son (who was afterwards secretary of state to queen Elizabeth), pass by the church, and as he passed gave them a civil salute; at which they said, This passage the recorder wrote in a letter to his father, adding,
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Footnotes: [] Beauties of England, vol. x. pt. iv. p. 168. |