Part 9

ALLHALLOWS _Lombard street_, situated in Bell alley, near the north corner of Lombard street, in Langbourn ward. A church stood here under the same patronage, before the year 1053; but the present plain, well-proportioned building, was erected in the room of that destroyed by the fire of London. The body is enlightened by a single series of large windows, and the tower is terminated by a plain battlement.

This church is a rectory, and one of the thirteen peculiars in this city belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Rector, besides glebes, donations, and casualties, receives 110_l._ a year in lieu of tithes. _Maitland._

ALLHALLOWS _London wall_, a small mean edifice, a little to the east of Bethlem Hospital, on the outside of London wall. It escaped the fire in 1666, and is a rectory, in the King’s gift.

ALLHALLOWS _Staining_, situated near the north end of Mark lane. It is said to obtain the name of Staining, from the corruption of the word _stoney_, because built at first of stone, when the other churches dedicated to all the Saints were of wood. It escaped the fire in 1666. The body is well illuminated with Gothic windows, and the square tower is crowned with a small turret.

This church is a curacy, in the gift of the Grocers company. The curate receives about 100_l._ a year by tithes. _Maitland, and English Architecture._

ALLHALLOWS STAINING SCHOOL, was founded in the year 1658, by Mr. William Winter, who endowed it with the sum of 600_l._ the profits arising from which, amounting to 26_l._ _per annum_, are employed in instructing six boys in reading, writing, and accounts, and putting them out apprentice, with each of whom a sum is given not exceeding 10_l._

ALLHALLOWS _Lane_, near the Steelyard, Thames street.☐

ALLHALLOWS _Stairs_, Allhallows lane, Thames street.

_Lord High_ ALMONER, a clergyman of the highest rank, and frequently the Archbishop of York, who has the office of disposing of the King’s alms, and for that use receives all deodands, the goods of persons found guilty of self-murder, and other sums allowed by his Majesty to be disposed of for that purpose. Besides the sums distributed to the poor of several parishes, there are many poor pensioners to the King below stairs, who have a competency duly paid them, either because they are so old as to be unfit for service, or because they are the widows of such of his Majesty’s household servants as died poor, and were unable to provide for their wives and children in their life-times.

Under the Lord High Almoner, are a Sub-almoner, a Yeoman, and a Groom of the Almonry.

ALMONRY, vulgarly called the _Ambry_, receives its name from the alms of the Abbey being distributed there, and was originally a chapel dedicated to St. Catharine, and not, as Mr. Stow asserts, to St. Anne. Near this chapel Abbot Islip erected the first printing-house that ever was in England in the year 1474; when Mr. William Caxton, a citizen and mercer of London, bringing that invaluable art from Holland, became the first printer in Britain. _Maitland._

ALMONRY SCHOOL, situated in the Almonry at Westminster, was founded in the year 1677, by Henry Hill, Esq; who also endowed it with 7_l._ a year for the education of poor children.

ALMSHOUSES. See a particular account of each under the names of their respective founders. The number of persons contained in the several Alms-houses and hospitals within the bills of mortality, with the children put forth apprentice by the money collected at the feast, &c. of the Sons of the Clergy, and the several poor families that participate of the king’s annual charity, amount in the whole to about 8000 persons, and the sum employed for their relief to 80,000_l._ _Maitland._

ALMSHOUSE _yard_. 1. Little Almonry, Westminster. 2. Dormer’s Hill. 3. Little Chapel street. 4. Coleman street. 5. Snow Hill, in which Hammond’s almshouse is situated.

_St._ ALPHAGE, in Aldermanbury near London wall, owes its name to its dedication to St. Alphage, or Elphege, a noble Saxon Saint, and Archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered at Greenwich by the pagan Danes, in the year 1013. This church escaped the flames in 1666, and is still standing; tho’ it is as mean a structure as can well be conceived.

The living is a rectory in the patronage of the Bishop of London, and the Rector receives about 75_l._ a year in tithes.

AMBLE _court_, near Wellclose square.

AMEN _corner_, at the end of Pater-noster-row, near St. Paul’s. See PATER-NOSTER-ROW.

AMERSHAM, or AGMONDESHAM, a small but very ancient borough, in Buckinghamshire, situated in a vale between woody hills, 29 miles from London. This town does not come within the compass which we have prescribed round London, but our map of the environs not being a circle, the angles of it take in some few places at a greater distance than 20 miles; and these being inserted in our map, we thought we could not dispense with taking notice of them, as well as of those within the prescribed limits. The town consists of a long street, divided about the middle by a shorter cross street; in the intersection of which stands the church, said to be the best rectory in the county; it being well endowed by Geoffery de Mandeville, Earl of Essex, in the reign of King Stephen. There is here a handsome market-house, built with brick on arched pillars, about 80 years ago, by Sir William Drake, Knt. It has a free school founded in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; and here is also a fine seat called Shardelowes, the manor of which formerly belonged to the noble family of the Russels; but about the time of the restoration it was sold, with the borough, to Sir William Drake, Bart. in whose family it still remains.

AMICABLE SOCIETY, in Serjeants-inn Fleet street, was incorporated by a charter granted by Queen Anne, in the year 1706, for a perpetual Assurance-office for the purpose of making a provision for their wives, children, and other relations, after an easy, certain and advantageous manner, with power to purchase lands, &c. and to have a seal, which is a dove standing upon a serpent, and above in a scroll the motto PRUDENS SIMPLICITAS. The number of persons to be incorporated was not to exceed 2000. After paying the charges of the policy, and 10_s._ entrance-money, each person was to pay 6_l._ 4_s._ _per annum_, which annual payments have since, by the increase of the Society’s stock, been reduced to 5_l._ a year, payable quarterly, and from these payments the dividends to claimants are to arise.

That this Society has been greatly beneficial to the public, evidently appears from a state of their yearly dividends from Lady-day 1710, to Lady 1757, during which each claim amounted upon an average to 106_l._ 1_s._ 4_d._ but taking the computation only for these twenty-three years last past, _viz._ from the year 1734, (when by an order of the general court, a part of their yearly income was appropriated for augmenting their claims whenever they should happen to be under 100_l._) the quantum of such claims from the year 1734 to 1757, have amounted upon an average to 120_l._ 9_s._ 1_d._ and so considerable has been the increase of the dividends for these nine years last past, that each claim, during that period, has been advanced upon an average to 142_l._ 6_s._ 5_d._

However, at a general court held May 12, 1757, an order was made for farther augmenting the dividends on claims, so as that for the future they will not be less than 125_l._ each claim, but yet may happen to be considerably more, which has been the case of several former years.

The advantages from becoming members of this society are such as follow:

To clergymen, physicians, surgeons, lawyers, tradesmen, and particularly persons possessed of places or employments for life: to such parents, husbands, or wives, and other relations, whose income is subject to be determined or diminished at their respective deaths, who by insuring their lives by means of this Society, may now in all events leave to their families a claim, or right, to receive a sum not less than 125_l._ for every five pounds annually paid in, and very probably a larger sum, as appears by the above account.

To married persons, more especially where a jointure, pension, or annuity depends on both or either of their lives, by insuring the life of the persons intitled to such annuity, pension or jointure.

To dependents upon any other person intitled to a salary, benefaction, or other means of subsistence, during the life of such person, whose life being insured in this society, either by themselves, or by the person upon whom they are dependent, will intitle them to receive upon the death of such person, a sum not less than 125_l._ for each number so insured.

To persons wanting to borrow money, who by insuring their lives, are enabled to give a collateral security for the money borrowed.

To creditors intitled to demands larger than their debtors are able to discharge, such debtors may, by a like insurance, secure to their creditors their principal sums at their deaths.

The abovementioned advantages are chiefly with respect to perpetual insurances for life; but temporary insurers may find no less advantage from this Society, as may plainly appear from the following instance, _viz._ _A. B._ has agreed for the purchase of an office or employment, but wants 300_l._ or 400_l._ to make up the purchase-money: he is willing to assign a share of the profits or income of his office, as a security or pledge for the repayment of the principal with interest, but cannot obtain a loan of that sum without insuring his life till the whole be cleared, which he is enabled to do by the help of this Society. For example; He purchases three numbers, on each of which he insures his life, and thereby his assigns become intitled to three several claims at his death; which claims, by the abovementioned provision, will not be less than 125_l._ each, and may probably amount to more: he assigns and deposits his policy with the lender: he pays to the Society for the yearly contributions on the three numbers no more than 5_l._ each, which is considerably less than 5_l._ _per cent._ under which rate no other office will insure, and that for one year only; at the end of which such offices are at liberty to refuse any further insurance: whereas in this Society the insurance continues during the life of the insured, unless excluded by the non-payment of the quarterly contributions. And every insurer, or their representatives, at the end of their insurance may in a great measure (if not entirely) reimburse themselves their purchase-money (originally paid by them for their numbers) by disposing of them at a market price, which they may do without any farther trouble than applying to the Society’s office.

The regulations of the Society are as follow:

All persons at the time of their admission are to be between the ages of twelve and forty-five, and must then appear to be in a good state of health.

Persons living in the country may be admitted by certificates and affidavit, forms of which may be had at the office.

Every claimant is impowered to put in a new life in the room of the deceased within twelve calendar months next after the end of the current year, for which his or her claim shall be allowed as often as the same shall happen, upon payment of 10_s._ entrance.

Any person may have two or three several insurances, or numbers, on one and the same life, whereby such persons will be intitled to a claim on each number so insured.

The affairs of the corporation are managed by a court of twelve directors annually chosen within forty days after every 25th of March; and the majority of the members assembled at a general court, which is never to consist of less than twenty, are impowered to make laws and ordinances for the good government of the corporation. The charter directs one of the members of the Society to be elected their Register, who being also their receiver and accomptant, is therefore required by the by-laws to give good security in the sum of 2000_l._ at least.

Five members of the Society are annually elected auditors, who are by their office to inspect every transaction of the Society, to examine all vouchers for receipts and payments, and upon oath to lay before the quarterly and annual general courts, the quarterly and annual accounts of the Society: and on the day before the holding each court of directors, the auditors are to state and enter in the directors minute book a balance of the cash of the Society.

Attendance is daily given at the Society’s office from nine in the morning, till two in the afternoon, holidays excepted. _From the proposals printed by the Society._

AMSTERDAM _court_, Upper Shadwell.

AMYAS’S ALMSHOUSE was erected in George yard, Old street, in the year 1655, by Mrs. Susanna Amyas, for eight poor single men or women, who have an allowance of 4_l._ _per annum_ each; besides 6_l._ to furnish them all with coals, 1_l._ for water, and 1_l._ for one of the eight to read prayers daily.

ANABAPTISTS, or, as they chuse to call themselves, Baptists. See an account of their several places of worship, under the article BAPTIST.

ANCHOR _alley_. 1. Mint street,Southwark.* 2. Worcester place, Thames street.*

ANCHOR AND HOPE _alley_, Green bank, near Wapping.*

ANCHOR _court_, Anchor street, Spitalfields.*

ANCHOR _lane_, Thames street.*

ANCHOR _street_. 1. By Webb’s square, Spitalfields.* 2. Thames street.*

ANCHOR _yard_, Barnaby street, Southwark.*

ANDERSON’S _yard_, Oxford street.†

ST. ANDREW’S _Holborn_, a plain but not inelegant church, situated on the south side of Holborn, and at the corner of Shoe lane. It is dedicated to St. Andrew the Apostle, who was distinguished by being the first person Christ called for a disciple; and his suffering martyrdom in Achaia. There was a church in this place called by the name of the same Apostle, so early as the year 1297. The old church escaped the flames in the dreadful fire of London, that proved fatal to so many others; but ten years after being found too ruinous for repair, was taken down in 1687, and the present structure erected in its place, except the tower, which was not finished till the year 1704.

This church has a considerable space before it, which is entered by a handsome pair of iron gates. It is a neat edifice, with two series of windows, and a handsome balustrade round the top. The tower, which rises square, consists only of two stages, and round the top is a balustrade with a pinacle at each corner; on the crown of each is placed a pine apple, from which rises the fanes. On the inside, the church is extremely neat and well finished.

The living is a rectory, said to be worth 600_l._ a year, in the patronage of the Duke of Montague. _Stow, Maitland, English architecture._

_St._ ANDREW’S _court_, Holborn hill, so called from the above church.

_St._ ANDREW _Hubbard_, a church which stood between St. Botolph’s lane, and Love lane, in Little Eastcheap, where the King’s weigh-house now stands; but being destroyed by the fire of London, and not rebuilt, the parish was united to that of St. Mary at Hill.

_St._ ANDREW _Undershaft_, at the corner of St. Mary Ax in Leadenhall street, and in Aldgate ward. There stood in this place a church dedicated to the same Saint so early as in 1362, which was pulled down in the year 1532, and the present structure erected in its room. It obtained the name of _Undershaft_ from a may-pole, which was anciently called a shaft, being annually raised in the street near it on May-day, and was taller than the steeple.

This church is a plain gothic structure, with a well enlightened body, and a square tower terminated by battlements, with pinacles at the corners, within which rises a turret that contains the bell. It is a rectory, in the patronage of the Bishop of London. The Incumbent receives 120_l._ a year by tithes.

_St._ ANDREW _Wardrobe_, on the east side of Puddledock hill, in Castle Baynard ward, took its name from a great royal wardrobe erected there in the reign of King Edward III. There was a church on the same spot dedicated to St. Andrew in the year 1322: but the present structure was not built till the year 1670, when it was erected in the place of one burnt by the fire of London. The body is enlightened by two rows of windows, and the tower has neither turret, pinacles nor spire.

This church is a rectory, in the gift of the Crown, and to this parish that of St. Ann’s Black Friars is annexed. The Rector receives by act of parliament 140_l._ a year in lieu of tithes. _Newc. Repert. Eccles._

ANGEL _alley_. 1. Fore street, Lambeth.* 2. King’s street, St. James’s square.* 3. Shoe lane.* 4. Gray’s Inn lane.* 5. Long acre.* 6. Aldersgate street.* 7. Redcross street.* 8. Whitecross street, Cripplegate.* 9. Charterhouse lane.* 10. Coleman street.* 11. Fenchurch street.* 12. Leadenhall street.* 13. Houndsditch.* 14. Little Moorfields.* 15. Bishopsgate street.* 16. Golden lane, Old street.* 17. Stony lane, Petticoat lane. 18. Whitechapel.* 19. Brick lane, Spitalfields.* 20. Ratcliff highway.* 21. Nightingale lane, East Smithfield.* 22. Pepper Alley, Southwark.* 23. Coal Harbour, Thames street.*

ANGEL _court_. 1. King’s street, St. James’s square.* 2. Drury lane.* 3. Charing Cross.* 4. Charterhouse lane alley.* 5. Aldersgate street.* 6. Friday street.* 7. Grub street.* 8. Camomile street.* 9. Bishopsgate street without.* 10. Lamb alley, Bishopsgate street.* 11. Angel alley, Aldersgate street.* 12. Foul lane, in the Borough.* 13. Great Windmill street.* 14. King’s Bench alley, Southwark.* 15. Redcross street in the Park, Southwark.* 16. Leadenhall street.* 17. Little Elbow lane.* 18. New Gravel lane.* 19. Redcross street, Cripplegate.* 20. Little Old Bailey.* 21. Snowhill.* 22. Long acre.* 23. Long ditch, Westminster.* 24. Near St. James’s square.* 25. St. Martin’s lane, Charing cross.* 26. Near Surrey street in the Strand.* 27. Throgmorton street.* 28. White’s alley, Rosemary lane.* 29. Stony lane, Petticoat lane.* 30. Shoe lane.*

ANGEL _hill_, Oxford street.*

ANGEL _street_. 1. St. Martin’s le grand.* 2. Little Moorfields.* 3. St. George’s fields, Southwark.*

ANGEL AND SUGARLOAF _yard_, in the Minories.*

_St._ ANN’S _alley_, Noble street, Foster lane.

ANN’S _alley_, East Smithfield.

_St._ ANN’S _Aldersgate_, on the north side of St. Ann’s lane, in the ward of Aldersgate within, is dedicated to St. Ann the mother of the Virgin Mary. The old church in this place perished in the fire 1666, and the present was raised in its place about three years after. It is a very plain edifice: the body is enlightened by a few large windows, cased with rustic. The tower, which is very plain, is also strengthened at the corners with rustic, and from its top rises a turret and spire.

The church is a rectory in the patronage of the Bishop of London, and the parish of St. John Zachary is annexed to it. The Rector receives 140_l._ _per annum_, in lieu of tithes.

_St._ ANN’S _Black Friars_, stood on the east side of Churchyard alley, in the precinct of Black Friars, and the ward of Faringdon without; but having suffered in the fatal calamity of 1666, and not being rebuilt, the parish was annexed to that St. Andrew Wardrobe.

_St._ ANN’S _Limehouse_, arose from the great increase of houses and inhabitants, by which the village of Limehouse, a hamlet of Stepney, became joined to the metropolis, and it was resolved that here should be one of the fifty new churches appointed by act of parliament to be built within the bills of mortality. The foundation was laid in the year 1712, and the present structure finished in 1729; but the inhabitants of this hamlet not applying to parliament to have it erected into a parish till the year 1729, it was not consecrated till 1730. This hamlet and part of that of Ratcliff, having been constituted a distinct parish from that of Stepney, the sum of 3500_l._ was given by parliament to be laid out in fee simple towards the support of the Rector; besides which the church wardens were to pay him annually the sum of 60_l._ to be raised by burial fees.

This church is of a very singular construction, the body is not one plain building, but is continued under separate portions. The door under the tower has a portico, covered with a dome supported by pilasters, and to this door there is an ascent by a flight of plain steps. Its square tower has a large Corinthian window adorned with columns and pilasters. The corners of the tower are also strengthened by pilasters, which on their tops support vases. The upper stage of the tower is plain, and extremely heavy, and from this part rises a turret at each corner, and a more lofty one in the middle.

The advowson of this rectory, which is not to be held in commendam, is in the Principal and Scholars of King’s hall, and Brazen-nose College, Oxford. _Maitland._

_St._ ANN’S _Soho_, owes its foundation to the same cause as the former, the increase of public buildings; the inhabitants of the parish of St. Martin’s in the Fields became much too numerous to be contained in the church, and therefore applying to parliament, this was erected in the year 1686, in a spot of ground then called Kemp’s Field, and the parish to which it belongs was separated from St. Martin’s in 1678.

The walls of this church are of brick with rustic quoins. The tower, which is square, is strengthened with a kind of buttresses, and at the springing of the dome, which supports the lanthorn, there are urns on the corners with flames. The lanthorn, which is formed of arches, is surrounded with a balustrade at the bottom, and a turret over it is well shaped, and crowned with a globe and fane.

The advowson of this church is settled upon the Bishop of London, and the Rector; instead of tithes, receives from the parishioners 100_l._ a year, which, together with the glebe, surplice fees, and Easter book, amount to about 300_l._ _per annum_. _Maitland._

_St._ ANN’S _court_, Dean street, Soho.☐

ANN’S _court_, East Smithfield.

ANONYMOUS _New street_, Coverlead’s fields.

ANSON’S _alley_, Broad St. Giles’s.†

_St._ ANTHOLIN’S _Church yard_, Budge row.

_St._ ANTHONY, vulgarly called _St._ ANTHOLIN’S, Budge row, a plain but well-proportioned church, with a neat spire. The former church in this place was destroyed by fire in 1666, and the present edifice finished in 1682. It is built of stone, and is of the Tuscan order, firm and massy. The length of the church is 66 feet, and the breadth 54. The roof is a cupola of an elliptic form, enlightened by four port hole windows, and supported by composite columns. The steeple consists of a tower, and a neat spire.

The living is a rectory, with the parish of St. John Baptist annexed to it, and the advowson is in the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul’s. The Rector receives 120_l._ a year in lieu of tithes.

_St._ ANTHONY’S HOSPITAL and SCHOOL, an ancient foundation in Threadneedle street. See the FRENCH EPISCOPAL CHURCH _in Threadneedle street_.

ANTILOPE _alley_, King’s street Westminster.*