A Source-Book of English Social HistoryJones, M. E. Monckton (Mary Evelyn Monckton)
History
A Source-Book of English Social History
Jones, M. E. Monckton (Mary Evelyn Monckton)
Great Britain -- Economic conditions; Great Britain -- Social conditions
10. That no Builder ... be permitted to lay his first Floor over the
Cellar, more than 13 inches above the Street, or less than Six, with
one circular Step to lead up thereto to be placed without the Building.
And that no Trap Doors or Open Grates be in any wise suffered to be
made into any such Cellar or Warehouse without the Foundations of the
Front; but that all Lights to be made into any of them be henceforth
made upright, and not otherwise. And that no Bulks, Jetties, Windows,
Ports, Seats or anything of like Sort, shall be made or erected, in any
Streets, Lanes, or By-lanes, to extend beyond the ancient Foundation
of Houses ... it shall be lawful for the Inhabitants, to suffer their
Stall-boards when their Shop Windows are set open to turn over Eleven
Inches, and no more from the Foundation of their Houses into the
Streets, for the better conveniency of their Shop Windows.
LONDON NIGHT-WATCHES
(Stow, ibid., p. 256)
Besides the standing Watches, all in bright Harness, in every Ward and
Street in this City and Suburbs, there was also a marching Watch, that
passed through the principal Streets thereof, to wit, from the Little
Conduit by Paul’s Gate through West Cheap, by the Stocks, through
Cornhill (etc., etc.), to Aldgate and up Grasse Church Street into
Cornhill, and through into West Cheap again, and so broke up. The whole
Way (measured) ... 3200 Taylors Yards of Assize. For the Furniture
whereof with Lights, there were appointed 700 Cressets, 500 of them
being formed by the Companies, the other 200 by the Chamber of London.
Besides the which Lights, every Constable in London, in number more
than 240 had his Cresset ... and every Cresset had two Men, one to bear
or hold it, another to bear a Bag with Light, and to serve it: so that
the Poor Men pertaining to the Cressets taking Wages, besides that
everyone had a Strawen Hat, with a Badge painted, and his Breakfast,
amounted in number to almost 2000. The Marching Watch contained in
number about 2000 Men; part of them being old Soldiers, of skill
to be Captains, etc., ... Drummers, Demi-launces on great Horses,
Gunners with hand Guns, ... Archers in Coats of white Fustian, signed
on the Breast and Back with the Arms of the City, their Bows bent in
their Hands, with Sheafs of Arrows by their Sides, Pikemen in bright
Corselets, ... Bellmen in Almain Rivets, and Aprons of Mail in great
Number.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account