London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- History -- 18th century
The Heralds’ College or office is situated on the east side of Bennet’s
Hill, almost against Doctors’ Commons. It is a spacious building, with a
square court in the middle of it, on the north side whereof is the
Court-room, where the Earl Marshal sits to hear causes lying in the court
of honour concerning arms, achievements, titles of honour, &c.
25. The Ward of Farringdon Without includes Ludgate Hill, Fleet Street
and Fleet Ditch, Sheer Lane, Bell Yard, Chancery Lane, Fetter Lane, Dean
Street, New Street, Plough Yard, East and West Harding Street,
Fleur-de-Lis Court, Crane Court, Red Lion Court, Johnson’s Court,
Dunstan’s Court, Bolt Court, Hind Court, Wine Office Court, Shoe Lane,
Racquet Court, Whitefriars, the Temples, Dorset or Salisbury Court,
Dorset Street, Bridewell, the Old Bailey, Harp Alley, Holborn Hill,
Castle Street or Yard, Cursitor Alley, Bartlett’s Buildings, Holborn
Bridge, Snow Hill, Pye Corner, Giltspur Street, Cow Lane, Cock Lane,
Hosier Lane, Chick Lane, Smithfield, Long Lane, Bartholomew Close, Cloth
Fair, and Duck Lane.
West Smithfield—or, rather, Smoothfield, according to Stow—is an open
place, containing little more than three acres of ground at present, of
an irregular figure, surrounded with buildings of various kinds. Here is
held one of the greatest markets of oxen and sheep in Europe, as may
easily be imagined when it appears to be the only market for live cattle
in this great city, which is held on Mondays and Fridays. There is also
a market for horses on Fridays; nor is there anywhere better
riding-horses to be purchased, if the buyer has skill, though it must be
confessed there is a great deal of jockeying and sharping used by the
dealers in horseflesh. As for coach-horses, and those fit for troopers,
they are usually purchased in the counties to the northward of the town.
The famous fair on the feast of St. Bartholomew also is held in this
place, which lasts three days, and, by the indulgence of the City
magistrates, sometimes a fortnight. The first three days were heretofore
assigned for business, as the sale of cattle, leather, &c., but now only
for diversion, the players filling the area of the field with their
booths, whither the young citizens resort in crowds.
The public buildings in this ward are Bridewell, Serjeants’ Inn in Fleet
Street, the Temple, the Six Clerks’ Office, the Rolls, Serjeants’ Inn in
Chancery Lane, Clifford’s Inn, the House of the Royal Society, Staple’s
Inn, Bernards’ Inn, and Thavie’s Inn, Justice Hall in the Old Bailey, and
the Fleet Prison, with the churches of St. Bartholomew, and the hospital
adjoining, the churches of St. Sepulchre, St. Andrew, Holborn, St.
Bride’s, and St. Dunstan’s-in-the-West.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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