The buildings of the Steelyard were finally pulled down in the autumn of 1863, and the ground was excavated immediately afterwards. The Cannon Street Railway Station covers approximately the whole site of the Steelyard except the strip on the north front cut off for the widening of Upper Thames Street. See Philip Norman, “Notes on the Later History of the Steelyard in London,” _Archæologia_, vol. lxi. pt. ii. (1909), pp. 389-426; Wykeham Archer, _Once a Week_, vol. v. (1861); J. E. Price, _Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archæological Society_, vol. iii. 67 (1870). See also for the whole history of the Steelyard, Lappenberg, _Urkundliche Geschichte des Hansischen Stahlhofes zu London_, Hamburg, 1851. Footnote 4: Dr. Norman, however, considers that it has nothing to do with a weighing-machine, but that it is an Anglicised form of the German “Stahlhof.” See his paper in _Archæologia_, quoted on the preceding page. Their privileges were so great that they had always been unpopular, and this dislike grew in strength until the reign of Henry VIII, when the first attempts were made to break up their monopolies, which ended, some sixty years later, in their complete overthrow. When Holbein first came among them, however, they still occupied the foremost place in the commercial life of London, and were an exceedingly rich and prosperous community. They served the King and Court in more ways than one, for they were constantly made use of for the despatch of letters abroad and for the translation of communications received from foreign countries. They made arrangements with their agents in Europe for the payment of the diets and other expenses of Henry’s ambassadors and special messengers, and much confidential continental news was received through their business houses. Books, prints, and various rare and artistic objects were also forwarded to them for delivery to the English court. Thomas Cromwell, in particular, made much use of them in the sending and receiving of foreign correspondence. They also entertained all important visitors, artists, craftsmen, and others of their own countrymen who visited England.