London and Its Environs Described, vol. 6 (of 6): Containing an Account of Whatever is Most Remarkable for Grandeur, Elegance, Curiosity or Use, in the City and in the Country Twenty Miles Round ItAnonymous
History
London and Its Environs Described, vol. 6 (of 6): Containing an Account of Whatever is Most Remarkable for Grandeur, Elegance, Curiosity or Use, in the City and in the Country Twenty Miles Round It
Anonymous
London (England) -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; London (England) -- Gazetteers -- Early works to 1800
The sums received for the support of this hospital since its foundation
in 1746, amount to 18,926_l._ And there have been received into the
house for the natural way from the 26th of September 1746, to the 25th
of March 1759, 3946 patients, of which 2916 have been cured; A very
great number considering the fatality of this distemper, and that most
of them were adults, often admitted after great irregularities, and
some when past cure.
But what appears much more extraordinary, out of 131 who were
inoculated before the 31st of December 1751, only two died, one by
worms, who did not appear to have them before the inoculation, and
the other apprehended to have first caught the distemper in the
natural way. From that period till the 25th of March 1759, the number
of inoculated amounts to 1567, out of which only four have died. An
astonishing proof of the advantages of inoculation! _From the account
published by the governors._
SMALL’S _rents_, Petticoat lane, Whitechapel.†
SMART’S _key_, Billingsgate.†
SMART’S _rents_, Lamb alley, St. Giles’s.†
SMITHFIELD, or WEST SMITHFIELD, though the epithet West is never used
but to distinguish it from East Smithfield near Little Tower Hill. This
is the greatest market for black cattle, sheep and horses, in Europe;
and also a considerable market for hay and straw; for the sale of which
it was famous five hundred years ago. _Maitland_ derives its name from
its being originally a _smooth_ or level field; and observes that it
was anciently much larger than at present, it being greatly diminished
by the buildings with which it is inclosed, the whole west side
extended as far as the sheep market does at present, and was called
_the Elms_, from the many elm-trees growing there; this was the place
of execution for offenders in the year 1219, and it seems long before.
King Henry II. granted to the priory of St. Bartholomew the privilege
of a fair to be kept annually at Bartholomew tide, on the eve, the day,
and the morrow, to which the clothiers of England, and the drapers of
London repaired, and had their booths and standings in the church-yard
within the priory, which was separated from Smithfield only by
walls and gates, that were locked every night and watched, for the
safety of the goods deposited there; and the narrow street or lane
afterwards built where the cloth was sold, still retains the name of
cloth fair.
This fair, which was appointed to be kept three days, was at length
prolonged to a fortnight, and became of little other use but for idle
youth, and loose people to resort to it, upon which it was again
reduced to the original standard; and the booths, for drolls and plays
in the middle of Smithfield, by the falling of which many persons had
lost their lives, were ordered to be no longer permitted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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