The most famous of these was Billingsgate, which in the traditions of Geoffrey of Monmouth took its name from Belinus, the British Apollo. In the Laws of Ethelred (979-1015)[89] there is an item "concerning the Tolls given at Bilingesgate." It is probably the Lundentuneshythe named in a charter of 749[90] and the Roman Wharf of London. [Illustration: FIG. 24.--FRAGMENT FOUND IN THE SOUTH WALL.] The next most important quay is Queenhythe, otherwise, as Stow says, "called Edredshithe because it at first belonged to one called Edred." This is confirmed by the name of the Church of St. Michael "Ædredeshuda" found about 1148 in the St. Paul's documents; about 1220 it appears as St. Michael's de Hutha Regina in the same. The queen who gave her name to this quay was Matilda, wife of Stephen; in the Cotton Charters (xvi. 35) is a grant from her of the hospital by the Tower and rents from Edredshythe to Holy Trinity Aldgate. In the Close Rolls of 21 Henry III. (1237) are two entries in regard to the Necessary House formerly built by Matilda, late Queen, at Queenhythe for the common use of the city; it was to be made as long as the quay of Alan Balun, so that it might have a free course of water. Dugdale cites a grant (_temp._ Henry II.) of a rent-charge on Ripa Reginæ called "Aldershithe" [?] to St. Giles. In 1247 the wharf was granted to the city at a farm of £50 a year.[91] From a charter of King Alfred himself, dated 899, we find that the Edred who gave his name to this wharf was none other than Ethered, Alfred's son-in-law and his lieutenant in London (died 912).[92] In a second version of the charter given in Birch's collection it is called Rethereshythe, but the Peterborough Chronicle again names it correctly and gives the further interesting fact that Harold held land near this quay: "_Comes Harold dedit terram in London juxta monaster. S. Pauli juxta Portum qui vocatur Etheredishithe_".[93] In a survey of the quays and approaches given in the _Liber Custumarum_ a Retheresgate appears, and in a will of 1279 Retheresgate and the lane of St. Margaret near it are mentioned. The lane was later Rethers Lane and then Pudding Lane. I cannot explain the confusion as to the two sites and names. Edredshythe was walled, and the public way leading to it is mentioned. It is of great interest that its actual basin yet remains to us. If the city were not given over to all the horrors of "riches," we might hope to see a statue of the great king erected at this quay. It is of romantic interest that we can associate with this site the names of the husband of Alfred's daughter Ethelfleda, Lady of Mercia and of London, and Harold, last of the English. [Illustration: FIG. 25.--FRAGMENT FOUND IN SOUTH WALL.] _Botolph's Wharf._--According to Stow, the Conqueror confirmed to Westminster Abbey "the gift which Almundus of the port of St. Botolph gave ... with the house and one wharf which is at the head of London Bridge ... as King Edward granted."