HACKNEY, a village in Middlesex, on the north east side of London, is a very large and populous village, inhabited by such numbers of merchants and wealthy persons, that it is said there are near an hundred gentlemen’s coaches kept. The parish has several hamlets belonging to it, among which are Clapton on the north, Dorleston and Shacklewell on the west, and Hummerton, which leads to Hackney Marsh, on the east. In this village are two meeting houses, viz. a new Presbyterian meeting near the church, and an Independent meeting in Mare street: besides a Presbyterian meeting house at Clapton, There are also here six boarding schools, a free school, a charity school, and several almshouses. Hackney church was a distinct rectory and vicarage in the year 1292, and dedicated to St. Augustine; but the Knights Templars having obtained a mill and other possessions in the parish, they were, upon the suppression of their order, granted to the Knights Templars of St. John of Jerusalem, from whom the church is supposed to have received the present appellation of St. John: however, it was not presented to by that name till after the year 1660. It is in the gift of Mr. Tyson, Lord of the manor, but in ecclesiastical affairs is subject to the Bishop of London. _Maitland._ At the bottom of Hackney Marsh there have been discovered within these few years, the remains of a great stone causeway, which by the Roman coins found there, appears to have been one of the famous highways made by the Romans. _English Gazetteer._ HACKNEY COACHES. The village of Hackney being anciently celebrated for the numerous seats of the nobility and gentry it contained, this occasioned a great resort thither of persons of all ranks from the city of London, whereby so great a number of horses were daily hired in the city on that account, that at length all horses to be lett received the common appellation of Hackney horses; which denomination has since been communicated to public coaches and chairs.