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Suburbs without the Walls. | 32 |
Suburbs without the Walls.
CHAP. II.
The SUBURBS without the Walls, briefly
touched: As also without the Liberties more at large described.
Consideration of the Inhabitants; and
Buildings.
The Suburb without the Postern by the
Tower.
Wappin:
The Chapel there made a Parish.
The Allom House in Wappin:
Wappin Marsh.
Ratcliff.
Whitechapel: How it came to be called, St. Mary
MATFELON.
St. Dunstans Stepney. Divers Remarks of that
Parish.
Stebunhithe Marsh.
Suburb without Bishopsgate.
Soersditch.
St. Leonard Shoreditch.
New Artillery.
Bunhil Fields. A Burying Place.
Suburb without the Postern of Moregate.
Morefields.
Suburb without Criples
Gate.
HAVING spoken of this City, the Original, and Increase
by degrees; the Walls, Gates, Ditch, Castles, Towers, Bridges, the Schools, and
Houses of Learning; and other Publick Charitable Foundations. And after that,
how the
same City is divided into Parts and Wards; and how the same are bounded: And
what
Monuments of Antiquity, or Ornaments of Building be in every of them: As also in
the
Borough of Southwark: I am lastly (to conclude this Fourth Book) to speak
briefly of
the Suburbs, as well without the Gates and Walls, as without the Liberties, and
of the
Monuments in them.
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Concerning the Estate of the Suburbs of this City, in the Reign of Henry the
Second,
Fitz Stephen hath these Words: Upwards on the West (saith he) is the King's
Palace,
which is an incomparable Building, rising with a Vawmure and Bulwark, aloft upon
the
River, two Miles from the Wall of the City, but yet conjoyned with a continual
Suburb.
On all sides, without the Houses of the Suburbs, are the Citizens Gardens and
Orchards, planted with Trees, both large, sightly, and adjoining together. On
the North
side are Pastures and plain Medows, with Brooks running thorow them, turning
Water-
mills, with a pleasant noise. Not far off is a great Forest, a well wooded
Chase, having
good Covert for Harts, Bucks, Does, Boars, and wild Bulls. The Corn Fields are
not
of a hungry sandy Mould; but as the fruitful Fields of Asia, yielding plentiful
Increase,
and filling the Barns with Corn. There are near London, on the North side,
especial
Wells in the Suburbs, sweet, wholesome and clear. Amongst which, Holywell,
Clarkenwell, and St. Clements well, are most famous, and most frequented by
Scholars
and Youths of the City in Summer Evenings, when they walk forth to take the Air.
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The Estate of the Suburbs anciently, An. 1180.
Fitz Stephen.
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Thus far out of Fitz-Stephen, for the Suburbs at that time.
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And here, before we enter in these Suburbs, and pass along through at the
particular
Places and Streets therein, it may be worth our while to stay a little, and take
some
Notice in general, both of the Inhabitants, and the multiplyed Buildings.
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Some Consideration of the Inhabitants, of the Suburbs, and the Buildings.
J. S.
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In the Days of Queen Elizabeth, in that Part of her Reign that is upwards of 120
or 130
Years ago, when London began to be very populous, there was a Confluence hither
out
of the Countries, of such Persons as were of the poorer Sort of Trades and
Occupations. Who because they could not exercise them within the Jurisdiction
of the
City, followed them here, and within the Compass of three or four Miles of the
City.
By reason of these Tradesmen, bad Commodities were made and vended, to the
wronging of the People. They made counterfeit Indigo, Musk, Saffron, Cochinele,
Nutmegs, Wax, Steel, and other Commodities. But they were but Bunglers at their
Business. They took Abundance of Apprentices, and kept them not their full
Time,
according to Law: but suffered them in a few Years to be out of their Times.
Whereby
few became sufficient Workmen. And they that were sufficient had so many
Servants,
that Numbers of Families were encreased in the Suburbs and elsewhere. Whence,
(besides that the Sickness was often encreased) the Suburbs were abused by false
and
insufficent Wares; and Deceits were practised by them; having none appointed to
oversee them and their Works. For they belonged to none of the Companies of
London: and so were under no Comptrol or Restraint.
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These Suburbians make Counterfeit Commodities.
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This at length caused a Petition to be put up to King James the First in the
Year 1609.
by the Tradesmen and Artificers of London, who set forth,
"That there were
special
Laws and Statutes for Strangers inhabiting near the City, being no Freemen; yet
those
Laws had not been put in Execution; by reason, that no special Man had been
appointed
to take the over sight of it. And by reason no good Government had been used,
or
Restraint made, there had repaired, and daily did repair from all Parts, Men of
divers
Trades and Sciences, which had not served any Apprenticeship, nor had Skill in
their
Trades; and shrouded themselves near the City, keeping Shops and using Trades
openly, as well as privately. Thereby hurting the antient Inhabitants which
dwelt near
the City, and had duely served Apprenticeships, and the Companies of the said
City,
and abused the Subjects by bad Wares and Works, encreasing Multitudes of Poor
and
causing great Scarcity.
"
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The Freemen Petition against them.
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"
They prayed therefore, that the King would grant unto Sir Thomas Chaloner, Sir
William Wade, Sir Walter Cope, and Sir Nicholas Lusher, (whom they judged very
fit
Men for this Employment,) and to their sufficient Deputies and Assigns, to erect
and
appoint one, or more general Halls for all the said Tradesmen and Artificers;
that should
inhabit the Suburbs, or within Ten Miles of it: and to authorize them, or any
two or
more of them to call before them all such as took upon them to use any Art,
Mystery or
Science, and were not Freemen of the City and of some Company. And for the
better
ordering them, to establish Yearly certain Men as Officers over every Trade,
Science
and Mystery, to have care and Oversight of the Residue of that Trade, with such
and
like Orders, as those of the like Companies within the City of London were
subject to:
and the Obstinate to be made subject to Imprisonment. And that it might be
lawful for
the said Four Governours and their Assigns, to impose upon them the Penalties of
such
Laws and Ordinances, as in such like Cases were provided "
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