The Story of LondonWheatley, Henry B. (Henry Benjamin)
History
The Story of London
Wheatley, Henry B. (Henry Benjamin)
London (England) -- History
In another document, also of the year 1344, three nets are mentioned by
name, all of which were found to be false, and were burnt near the Stone
Cross by the north door of St. Paul's, in the high street of
Chepe--these were a draynet belonging to the Abbot of Stratford, a
second net called a codnet, belonging to Robert Pesok of Plumstede, and
third net called a kidel, claimed by no one.[78] A codnet was a net
with a cod or pouch containing a stone for sinking the net (also called
a pursnet), and a kidel was a net used in kidels or weirs. There were
several different classes of fishermen, as 'trinkermen,' who used trinks
or nets attached to posts or anchors for taking fish, and petermen, who
used a broom in fishing, 'beating the bush.'[79] There are many other
references to the burning of false nets in the City Archives. From
certain regulations of the year 1388, we learn that 'no man shall fish
in the Thames with any nets but those of the Assize ordained at the
Guildhall; and that only at the proper seasons. And that no one shall
fish near to the wharves in London, between the Temple Bridge and the
Tower, within a distance of twenty fathoms.'[80]
_The Bridge._--It is supposed that during the early years of the Roman
occupation there was a ferry across from London to Southwark, but that a
bridge was built when Roman London had become a place of importance. We
have already seen that a wooden bridge existed during the Saxon period.
This must have been constantly rebuilt, and the last wooden bridge
continued for many years after the Norman Conquest. The first stone
bridge was commenced in the year 1176, under the superintendence of
Peter de Colechurch, chaplain of St. Mary Colechurch, a building which
stood in the Old Jewry until the time of the Great Fire, when it was
destroyed. Peter died in 1205, and was buried in the crypt of the chapel
built over the centre pier of the bridge and dedicated to St. Thomas of
Canterbury. Here the chaplain's bones were found in 1832, when the old
bridge was cleared away after the opening of the new bridge. So little
public interest was taken in relics of the past at this time that the
bones were sacrilegiously, flung into a barge along with the accumulated
rubbish and destroyed by careless workmen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account