The several parishes, besides their assessments, formerly paid one shilling per week for each child they had in the workhouse; but, in the year 1751, the governors came to a resolution, that no more children, paid for by the parishes to which they belonged, should be taken into the house; and since that time it has been resolved, that only such children should be taken in as were committed by the governors or magistrates of the city, found begging in the streets, pilfering, or lying about in uninhabited places

The children were dressed in russet cloth, with a round badge upon their breasts, representing a poor boy and a sheep, with this motto, God's providence is my inheritance.' The boys were taught to read and write, and the principal part of their time was spent in weaving, &c. the girls were employed in sewing, spinning, and other labour, by which they were qualified for service. When they arrived at a proper age, the boys were bound out apprentices to trades or the sea; and the girls placed in reputable families.

When assistance was wanted to defray the expense attending the workhouse, the governors applied to the court of common council, who, on each application, ordered the sum of two thousand pounds to be paid by a proportionate assessment on the respective parishes in the city.

The building for the reception of these poor, appears to have been finished about the year 1680, during the mayoralty of sir Robert Clayton, whose portrait, as the first president and governor, formerly ornamented the court room. It was originally divided into two parts; the first, next Bishopsgate-street, and called 'the steward's side,' was chiefly for the accommodation of poor children; the west end, or side called 'the keeper's side,' was for vagabonds and dissolute poor. In this latter place the females taken up in the street, were employed beating hemp, washing linen, &c. similarly to Bridewell, and the men to hard labour. This part has long been abandoned by such characters, and is now remaining in ruins. At the end of the building, immediately behind the entrance from Bishopsgate-street, was a chapel, which was pulled down about twenty years ago; and, descending by a flight of eleven steps was the remains of a temporary prison, ca led Ludgate Prison, where, on the demolition of the gate, in 1760, the prisoners from Ludgate were confined. That portion of the workhouse which remains, is at present used as a paper-hanging manufactory.

At a small distance north-east from Devonshire square, was a place called, anciently, Tassel Close, which was let to the cross-bow makers, who used to practise a game on it of shooting at the popinjay. On the decline of archery, and the invention of gunpowder, this close was surrounded by a brick wall, and served as an artillery ground, where the gunners of the Tower used weekly to practise the art of gunnery. The last prior of

St. Mary Spital granted this artillery ground for thrice ninetynine years, for the exercise of great and small artillery; and hence this ground became subject to the Tower. The artillery company received a charter from king Henry, which was afterwards confirmed by queen Elizabeth: and, in 1622, an armoury was erected in it, containing five hundred sets of arms. The company, at length, grew so numerous, that this ground was too small for them; and when they removed to the present artillery ground, this spot was distinguished by the name of the old artillery ground. It is now converted into streets and lanes, but the name is still retained in Artillery street.

Near the end of Catherine-wheel-alley the stocks originally stood; they were once stolen, but were restored and a whipping-post added.

This curious building is situated near the London workhouse, on the west side of Bishopsgate-street, and is well known by the bow and vast extent of windows along the front. The interior was formerly very curious and rich in carved work, the principal part of which has been destroyed in the most wonton manner.

On the first floor was an elegant room filled with stucco and carved work, and presenting a fine specimen of the decorative style of the latter part of the reign of Elizabeth. Mr. J. T. Smith, who made a drawing of it in 1810, and engraved it in his ancient To pography of London, thus discribes it: The ceiling was lath and plaster, together with all its ornaments, and also those of the upper cornice and frieze, including the upper half of the chimneypiece. On the latter was a basso relievo, of two miserably modelled figures of Hercules and Atlas supporting the globe, which the ar

tist, if the person who produced such a thing may be so called, thought proper to make of the shape of an egg.

All the carvings, and every other part of the room, under the upper frieze, were of oak, excepting the lower half of the chimneypiece, which was of stone.

Some parts of the sculpture of the chimney-piece were by no means so badly executed, as the before mentioned basso relievo, particularly the figures in fruit baskets, (caryatida) supporting the two tablets of stag hunting, the latter of which were precisely a repetition of each other. I have reason to believe that the two adjoining houses, to the south, together with this, were originally one fabric; as fragments of similar ceilings, and grotesque figures of the same workmanship, are still visible in them: and indeed, when we recollect that this house, commonly called sir Paul Pindar's, has only one room on a floor, the back part being occupied by a staircase, we cannot suppose that so eminent a person, holding the rank of a first-rate merchant, and indeed an ambassador, enjoying the countenance of king James, and his son Charles the First, could possibly make any figure in a house containing only four rooms.'*

In September and October, 1811, the whole of the ornaments of this room were cut away, and the room rendered, what the possessor was pleased to call a little comfortable.'

The style of architecture used, was that known by the name of king James's Gothic, though it is clear it was in use in London in the reign of Elizabeth.

The only remains are the ceiling and the carved oak window frames; the first is in excellent preservation, the pendants and shield of arms in the ceiling being quite perfect.

In Half-moon alley, behind this house, is a low plaister building, known as sir Paul Pindar's garden-house, formerly ornamented with medallions, &c. in stucco-work, the whole of which were destroyed in 1821.

On the east side of Bishopsgate-street, is a court called Montague-court, in which was formerly a mansion called Montague house, the residence and property of sir John Harrison, kt. of Balls, in the county of Hertford, in 1642.

Between Angel-alley and Skinner-street, a new church is to be erected, the site is purchased, and preparations are now making to pull down six or eight houses on the south side of Skinner-street, and several behind, with a view of excavating for a foundation.

CHAPTER VII.

History and Topography of Bread-street Ward.

6

This ward takes its name from the principal street therein, called Bread-street, which was itselfe so called of bread in old time there sold; for it appeareth by records that in the yeare 1302, which was the 30th of Edward the First, the bakers of London were bounden to sell no bread in their shops or houses, but only in the market. This ward is divided into thirteen precincts, and is under Anc. Topog. of London, 4to, P. 51.

the government of an alderman; sending twelve inhabitants to the common council. Before the great fire in 1666, there were four churches in this ward, viz.: Allhallows, St. Mildred, St. John the Evangelist, and St. Margaret Moses; the first two were the only ones rebuilt.

Allhallows Church, Bread-street.

This church received its name from being dedicated to all the saints, and its situation. It is a rectory of very ancient foundation; the patronage of which was originally in the prior and canons of Christ-church in Canterbury, who remained patrons of it till the year 1365, when it was conveyed to the archbishop of Canterbury and his successors, in whom it still continues, and is one of the peculiars belonging to that see in the city of London.

The old church being destroyed by the fire of London in 1666, the present edifice was erected in 1684, at the expense of the public.

This church is situated on the east side of Bread-street, the principal front abutting on that street, and the north front upon Watling street: the plan is parallelogram, with a square tower at the south-west angle comprehended within it. The west front of the church has four arched windows in two series; the key stones of the upper range are carved with cherubs, and the arches are surmounted with cornices resting on consoles. In the lower story of the tower is an entrance surmounted by an elliptical pediment, and above are two circular windows; the next story has an arched window, with festoons of flowers over the head, and the third story has in each face a triple arcade; the arches are sustained upon pilasters, and the key-stones are carved into fierce-looking masks: the elevation is finished with a ballustrade. Over a cornice at. the angles, are crocketted pinnacles, whimsically enough borrowed from the pointed style; of which they are, however, poor copies, and show the difficulty of engrafting the detail of one style upon another. The north front of the church is in two heights; the upper has a series of eight windows with arched heads, the keystones carved with cherubs heads, and in the basement story are two entrances; one of which, as well as one of the windows, is walled up. The east wall has no window or opening, except a small door-way at the southern angle. The portions described are all faced with stone. The south side of the church is concealed from view by the houses built against it. The entrance at the west end leads into a vestibule the breadth of the front part of which is formed in the basement story of the tower; the latter portion has eight semicircular arches and is domed over; from this, by means of two porches, the body of the church is approached; it is very plain, having neither columns nor arches. The ceiling is horizontal, coved at the sides, the covings pierced with arches ; above the windows which rest upon imposts enriched with acanthus

leaves. The centre of the ceiling forms one large pannel encircled with mouldings. The altar is adorned with a screen, bearing the usual inscriptions, and painted in imitation of antique marbles; it consists of a centre and wings, the former enriched with an elliptical pediment sustained on two Corinthian columns, with gilt capitals, and the entablature of the order above the whole; and incloses. in the head of a false arch, formed in the wall, are the royal arms In the north wall of the church is an arched recess, which contains in its basement the vestry, covered with a gallery. In consequence of this intrusion, two of the windows are converted into circles: the other windows, in number and form, resemble those in the opposite wall of the building. There is also a gallery across the west end of the church, containing the organ; it is singularly enough supported on a single Corinthian pillar in the centre, in the adoption of which, utility seems to have been studied rather than ornament. The pulpit and desks are attached to the north wall. The former is hexagonal and executed in carved oak. The christening pew is situated under the western gallery. The font is a plain octangular basin of white marble, on a pillar of the same form and material. The pewing of this church is rather singularly, but with great attention to propriety, arranged on each side of a broad walk in the centre of the church, leaving an uninterrupted view of the altar. On the doors of the churchwardens' pews are painted the arms of the archbishop and the dean and chapter of Canterbury. This building is 72 feet in length, 35 in breadth, 30 in height, and the tower and pinnacles are S6 feet high. The body was erected under the direction of sir Christopher Wren, in 1684, and the steeple in 1697, at the expence of 3,3487. 78. 2d.

There are no monuments in this church worthy of notice. It is generally believed that the remains of that eminent scholar, sir Isaac Newton, is buried in this church.

St. Mildred's Church, Bread-street

On the same side of Bread-street, south of Basing-lane, stands the parish church of St. Mildred, so called from its dedication to St. Mildred, niece to Penda, king of Mercia, who, having devoted herself to a religious life, retired to a convent in France, from whence she returned, accompanied by seventy virgins, and founded a monastery in the Isle of Thanet, of which she died abbess in the year 676. It is a rectory, founded about the year 1300, by lord Trenchant, of St. Albans; but it had neither vestry-room nor churchyard till 1428, when sir John Chadworth, or Shadworth, by his will gave a vestry-room and church-yard to the parishioners, and a parsonage-house to the rector.

→ In 1559,* on Sept. 5, the stone spire of this church was struck by Ma mustade sie flu

* Malcolm, vol. ii. p 6.