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nastery into a bishopric, with a deanery and twelve prebendaries; appointing the whole of the county of Middlesex, except Fulham, which was the bishop of London's peculiar, as the diocese of the new see.

Thus Westminster obtained the dignity of a city; Henry also built the palace of St. James, and purchased Whitehall for his own residence; the Old Palace near the abbey being destroyed by fire. He also inclosed a fine spot of ground for a park between the two palaces. And from this time Westminster increased greatly with buildings on every side. The bishopric was, however, dissolved, in 1550, by king Edward VI. and thereby the title of city was lost; though, through courtesy, it still retains the name.

Extra From the time of the dissolution of the bishopric the goPlates vernment of Westminster fell under the Dean and Chapter of St. Peter's, in civil as well as ecclesiastical affairs, whose jurisdiction, extends over the city and liberties of Westminster, the precinct of St. Martins le Grand, in London, and some towns in Essex; all which are exempt from the jurisdiction of the bishop of London, and of the archbishop of Canterbury and the management of the civil power has been, ever since the Reformation, in lay hands, elected from time to time, and confirmed by the dean and chapter.

The principal of the lay magistrates is the High Steward, chosen by the dean and chapter; at which election the Dean sits as high steward. The next magistrate is the Deputy Steward, chosen or appointed by the high steward, and confirmed by the dean and chapter. This officer is in the nature of a sheriff; for he keeps the court-leet with the other magistrates, and is always chairman at the quarter sessions.

Here is also an High Bailiff, chosen by the dean and chapter, and confirmed by the high steward. He is returning officer at the election of representatives in parliament, and all other bailiffs are subordinate to him. He summons juries, and sits next to the deputy steward in court: and he has a right to all fines, forfeitures, and estrays. There are also sixteen burgesses and their as

sistants,

sistants, whose office, in all respects, resembles that of an alderman's deputy in London, each having his proper ward under his jurisdiction: and out of these are elected two head burgesses; one for the city, and the other for the liberties, who in the court-leet sit next to the high bailiff.

The High Constable is chosen at a court-leet, and has all the other constables under his direction: but there is no freedom nor trading companies within this jurisdiction.

The various Courts for the distribution of justice in the City and Liberties of Westminster, are as follow: 1. THE COURT OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER; a supreme court of record, held in Somerset Place, for deciding by the chancellor of the duchy, all matters of law or equity, concerning the estates belonging to the county palatine of Lancaster. 2. THE QUARTER SESSIONS OF THE PEACE; a court of record held by the justices of the peace, at the Guildhall, for all trespasses, &c. withu the city and liberties. 3. THE WESTMINSTER COURT LEET; held by the dean, or his steward, for chusing parochial officers, preventing and removing nuisances, &c. 4. COURTS OF REQUESTS, in Castle Street, Leicester Square, and Vine Street, Piccadilly; for deciding (without appeal) before commissioners, all pleas for debt under forty shillings. 5. COURTS OF PETTY SESSIONS, held every week day at Bow Street, Marlborough Street, and Queen Square, for matters of police, various offences, misdemeanors, &c.; and the ST. MARTIN LE GRAND COURT, of which mention has already been made.

The various districts, are also governed by householders, denominated BURGESSES, and their assistants, who are, as above, upon the same distinction as aldermen and common council; there are for St. Margaret's parish four burgesses, and three assistants. St. John's, one burgess, and two assistants. St. Martin's, two burgesses, and two assistants. St. Anne's, two burgesses, and two assistants. St. James's, two burgesses, and two assistants. St. George, one burgess, and one assistant. The same for each of the parishes of St. Paul, Covent Garden, and St. Clement.

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Besides these officers there are, within this jurisdiction, inquest men, surveyors of the highway, constables, beadles, watchmen, scavengers, rakers, &c.

Westminster sent no members to parliament till the first year of the reign of Edward VI. It has been represented by two burgesses ever since; and the right of election was in 1680 declared to be in the inhabitants paying scot and lot. The king's menial servants having no proper houses of their own in this city, have no right to vote. The number of electors are supposed to be about eleven thousand.

The armorial bearings of the deanery are those used by the City of Westminster.

ROUTE I.

From Temple Bar along Picket Street, the Strand, Somerset House, the Savoy, the Adelphi, Charing Cross, Whitehall, to Parliament Street, Westminster Bridge, Palace Yard, Abingdon Street, Millbank, Tothill Street, and Pimlico.

WE

E have been compelled, from various concurrent circumstances, to vary our mode of travelling through this vast metropolis; and to continue our routes, from the Royal Exchange, as the principal point of direction, instead of Charing Cross, for Westminster, and St. Margaret's Hill, for Southwark, as originally intended. It is trusted that the mode at present pursued will be equally eligible.

PICKET STREET. The description of the two estates formed by the City, as improvements to the principal en trances to the metropolis, having already been given; it is only necessary to add here, that the part of the improvement in the Strand, is completed on the north side, by the construction of twenty-three stately houses, more fitting as mansions for the nobility than the shops and residences of

Vol. II. p. 628, et seq.

tradesmen,

tradesmen, who are to live by the profits of their various occupations. These are however to be disposed of by lot- X x fee & tery, in the same manner as in Skinner Street. X 18606

The STRAND, in 1353, was an open highway, with only a few stately palaces, and their gardens towards the Thames. In that year it was so ruinous, that Edward III. by ordinance of a tax on wool, &c. caused the road to be repaired from Temple Bar, to the Wool Staple near Westminster Abbey; and that the owners of houses should repair as much as lay before their doors.

The petition of the inhabitants in the vicinity of the king's palace had, in the reign of Edward II. represented "the footway at the entrance of Temple Bar, and thence to the palace, to be so bad, that the feet of horses, and rich and poor men received constant damage, particularly in the rainy season; at the same time the footway was interrupted by thickets and bushes." The statute of the thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth of Henry VIII. exhibits this road as being "full of pits and sloughs, very perilous and noisome." And of the way leading, without Temple Bar, westward, and unto Clement's Inn gates, and New Inn gates, to Drewry Place, in the county of Middlesex;' and allso one little lane (probably Holiwell Street) stretching from the said way to the sign of the Bell at Drewry Lane end, &c. were very foul, and full of pits and sloughs."* Even so lately as the time of Stow, we are informed of the nuisance of a lay-stall at the back of the bishop of Durham's palace," in the highway leading to the Corte."

"When the sewers were constructing in this street, 1802, eastward of St. Clement's church, the workmen discovered an antient stone bridge of one arch, about eleven feet in length. It was covered several feet in depth by rubbish and soil, and found to be of great strength in the construction. A doubt arises whether this was the Pons Novi Templi, or bridge of the New Temple, passed by the lords and others who at tended parliament at Westminster, after going out of the city to this place by water; which wanting repair, Edward III. called upon the Knights Templars to effect, or an arch turned over a gully, or ditch, when the road, now the street termed the Strand, was a continued scene of filth." Malcolm's London. Redivivi. Vol. III. p. 391.

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It appears, however, that there had for a long period existed ideas of forming communications between the court and the city. Edward I. granted to Walter le Barbur, a void space in the high street, in the parish of St. Clement Danes, and St. Mary le Strand: and Robert le Spencer had another grant from that prince for the same purpose.

In the year 1533, a street was formed, but it was then, and for many succeeding years, only a double line of houses, with gardens, among which was Covent Garden, belonging to the abbot and convent of Westminster; all beyond were fields and country. The village of Charing, and the church of St. Martin, literally stood in the fields; and St. Giles's was a distant country village. A loosely built street was completed about the year 1560; the houses on the south side were furnished with extensive gardens, which at present give names to various streets, from their several owners.

St.

But the capital had so increased in riches during the careful government and glorious reign of queen Elizabeth, that in the year 1600, there were very considerable additions made to the north of the lines above described. Martin's Lane was built on both sides; and, though St. Giles's church remained in an insulated state, the road was completely formed into streets eastward, from Broad St. Giles's to Snowhill. At this time also Covent Garden and Lincoln's Inn Fields were built in an irregular manner; and at the same period arose Drury Lane, Clare Street, and Long Acre.

PALSGRAVE HEAD COURT, is so named in remembrance of FREDERICK V. elector and count palatine of the Rhine; who having married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of James I. was chosen king of Bohemia, and himself and princess crowned at Prague; his competitor was the emperor Ferdinand.

James, less concerned than he ought to have been for his daughter's interest, could not be prevailed upon to engage in the contest; and for want of his assistance, not only Bohemia was lost, but the electorate taken from its hereditary

possessors,

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