Part 16

LEATHERHEAD, or LETHERHEAD, a small town in Surry, situated about four miles to the S. W. of Epsom. It had formerly a market, which has been discontinued above an hundred years. Here is a bridge over the river Mole, which having sunk into the earth near Mickleham, at the foot of Boxhill, rises again near this town, and runs through Cobham, to the Thames at Moulsey. ’Tis pleasantly situated on a rising bank by the side of the river, and in as good a situation for riding or hunting as most within twenty miles of London, it having a fine, open, dry, champaign country almost all round it.

LEATHERSELLERS, a company incorporated by letters patent granted by Henry VI. in the Year 1442. They are governed by a Prime, and three Wardens, with twenty-six Assistants, and an hundred and fifty-six liverymen, who at their admission pay a fine of 20_l._ each.

By a grant of Henry VII. the Wardens of this corporation, or their deputies, were impowered to have the inspection of sheeps, lambs, and calves leather throughout the kingdom, in order the more effectually to prevent frauds in those commodities.

LEATHERSELLERS _hall_ in Little St. Helen’s, was part of the convent of nuns dedicated to St. Helen, and considering the antiquity of its building, has some of the best joiners and plaisterers work in the kingdom. The entrance into the common hall is up a handsome flight of stone steps from the court yard. The screen is magnificently adorned with six columns of the Ionic order, enrichments, &c. and the ceiling enriched with fretwork.

_Boyle’s_ LECTURE. See the article BOYLE’S LECTURE.

LEE’S _Almshouse_, upon the Narrow Wall, Lambeth, was erected by Gerard Van Lee; and Valentine Van Lee, who was probably his son, gave the eight poor inhabitants of this house, the sum of 5_l._ _per annum_, for the term of five hundred Years. _Maitland._

LEE’S _court_, 1. St. Catharine’s lane.† 2. Hockley in the Hole.†

LEE’S _street_, Red Lion square, Holborn.†

LEG _alley_, 1. Barnaby street.* 2. Long Acre.* 3. Shoreditch.* 4. Tooley street.*

LEG _court_, Peter street, Westminster.*

_St._ LEGER’S _wharf_, Tooley street.†

LEGGET’S _walk_, Upper Ground.†

LEICESTER _fields_, a very handsome square, the inner part of which is enclosed with iron rails, and adorned with grass plats and gravel walks, in the center of which is an equestrian statue of his present majesty gilt. The buildings with which this square is surrounded, are very good, especially the north side, where is Leicester house, once the seat of the Earl of Leicester, and now inhabited by her Royal Highness the Princess Dowager of Wales. This is a large brick building, neat and commodious, though not magnificent. It has a spacious court before, and a fine garden behind it; there is here a good collection of pictures; and from this house the square is denominated. Next to this edifice is the house of Sir George Savile, Bart. in which his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales resides at present.

LEICESTER _street_, 1. By Leicester fields.☐ 2. Liquorpond street. 3. Warwick street, Haymarket.

LEIGH’S _court_, St. Catharine’s lane.†

LEITH HILL, near Boxhill in Surry, admired for affording one of the noblest prospects in all Europe, of which Mr. Dennis gives a lively description in his Letters familiar, moral and critical; we shall therefore transcribe his words. “In a late journey,” says he, “which I took into the Wild of Sussex, I passed over an hill which shewed me a more transporting sight than ever the country had shewn me before, either in England or Italy. The prospects which in Italy pleased me most, were that of the Valdarno from the Apennines; that of Rome, and the Mediterranean from the mountains of Viterbo; of Rome at forty, and the Mediterranean at fifty miles distance from it; and that of the Campagne of Rome from Tivoli and Frescati; from which two places you see every foot of that famous Campagne, even from the bottom of Tivoli and Frescati to the very foot of the mountain of Viterbo, without any thing to intercept your sight. But from an hill which I passed in my late journey into Sussex, I had a prospect more extensive than any of these, and which surpassed them at once in rural charms, in pomp, and in magnificence. The hill which I speak of, is called Leith Hill, and is about five miles southward from Darking, about six from Box Hill, and near twelve from Epsom. It juts itself out about two miles beyond that range of hills which terminate the north downs to the south. When I saw from one of these hills, at about two miles distance that side of Leith Hill which faces the northern downs, it appeared the beautifullest prospect I had ever seen: but after we had conquered the hill itself, I saw a sight that would transport a stoic; a sight that looked like enchantment and vision. Beneath us lay open to our view all the wilds of Surry and Sussex, and a great part of that of Kent, admirably diversified in every part of them with woods, and fields of corn and pastures, every where adorned with stately rows of trees.

“This beautiful vale is about thirty miles in breadth, and about sixty in length, and is terminated to the south by the majestic range of the southern hills, and the sea: and it is no easy matter to decide, whether these hills, which appear at thirty, forty, fifty miles distance, with their tops in the sky, seem more aweful and venerable, or the delicious vale between you and them more inviting. About noon, in a serene day, you may at thirty miles distance, see the very water of the sea through a chasm of the mountains. And that which above all makes it a noble and a wonderful prospect, is, that at the same time that, at thirty miles distance, you behold the very water of the sea; at the same time that you behold to the south, the most delicious rural prospect in the world; at that very time, by a little turn of your head towards the north, you look full over Box Hill, and see the country beyond it, between that and London; and, over the very stomacher of it, see St. Paul’s at twenty-five miles distance, and London beneath it, and Highgate and Hampstead beyond it.”

LEMON _street_, 1. Goodman’s fields.† 2. Lowman’s Pond row, Southwark.†

LEMONTREE _yard_, Bedfordsbury.*

_St._ LEONARD’S _Eastcheap_, was dedicated to Leonard, a French saint, and mighty miracle-monger, and stood on the east side of Fish street hill, near Little Eastcheap; but being destroyed by the fire of London in 1666, and not rebuilt, the parish is annexed to that of St. Bennet’s Gracechurch street. _Maitland._

_St._ LEONARD’S _Foster lane_, was dedicated to the above-mentioned saint, and stood on the west side of Foster lane, Cheapside; but suffering in the fatal catastrophe of 1666, and not being rebuilt, the parish is annexed to that of Christ’s Church.

_St._ LEONARD’S _Shoreditch_. There was a church in this place dedicated to the same saint in very early times, and there are records of a dispute concerning itz in the reign of Henry II. The last structure, which was a very mean heavy pile, stood till the year 1735, when the inhabitants having the year before applied to parliament, it was pulled down, and the present light and elegant edifice was soon after erected in its room. _Strype’s edit. of Stow._

To this church there is an ascent by a double flight of plain steps, which lead to a portico of the angular kind supported by four Doric columns, and bearing an angular pediment. The body of the edifice is plain, but well enlightened, and the steeple light, elegant and lofty. The tower at a proper height has a series of Ionic columns, and on their entablature are scrolls which support as many Corinthian columns placed on pedestals, and supporting a dome, from whose crown rises a series of columns of the Composite order, on whose entablature rests the spire standing upon four balls, which give it an additional air of lightness; and on the top, as usual, is a ball and fane.

This church is both a rectory and a vicarage; but the distinct rights of the Rector and Vicar are said to be not thoroughly ascertained; however the profits of the vicarage amount to about 350_l._ a year.

LEOPARD _alley_, Saffron hill.*

LEOPARD’S _court_, Baldwin’s Gardens.

LESTER’S _yard_, Bluegate fields.†

LEVERIDGE’S _yard_, Nightingale lane.†

LEWISHAM, a town in Kent, situated on the river Ravensburn, between Blackheath and Surry. Here are two free schools, of which the Leathersellers company in London are Governors.

LEWIS’S _yard_, 1. Greenbank, Wapping.† 2. Saffron hill.†

LEYDON _street_, Shadwell market.†

LIDIER’S _court_, Saltpetre bank.†

LIFEGUARD _yard_, Oxford street.

LILLEY’S _alley_, Saffron hill.†

LILLIPOT _lane_, Noble street, Foster lane.†

LIMEHOUSE, was anciently a village above two miles distant from the city of London, though it is now joined by a continued chain of buildings: its original name was Limehurst, which has been corrupted to Limehouse, This, according to Mr. Stow, is a Saxon word signifying a grove of lime trees, and it was given to this village, on account of the number of those trees anciently in that neighbourhood.

LIMEHOUSE _bridge_, Limehouse.

LIMEHOUSE _causeway_, Limehouse.

LIMEHOUSE _corner_, Limehouse.

LIMEHOUSE _dock_, Narrow street, Limehouse.

LIMEHOUSE _Fore street_, at the end of Ratcliff Narrow street.

LIMEHOUSE HOLE, Limehouse.

LIMEHOUSE HOLE _stairs_, Limehouse.

LIMEHOUSE HOLE _street_, Limehouse.

LIMEHOUSE _road_, White Horse street.

LIMEKILN _dock_, Limehouse.

LIMEKILN _hill_, Limehouse.

LIMEKILN _yard_, Limehouse.

LIME _street_, extends from Leadenhall street into Fenchurch street, and is thus called from its being anciently a place where lime was either made or sold. _Maitland._

LIME STREET _square_, Lime street.

LIME STREET WARD, is very small, and is bounded on the north and east by Aldgate ward; on the south by Langbourn ward; and on the west, by Bishopsgate ward. It is observable that there is no church, nor whole street in this ward, though it runs through several parishes. Its principal buildings are the East India House, and Leadenhall.

To this ward belong an Alderman and four Common Council men, including the Deputy, four constables, two scavengers, sixteen wardmote inquest men, and a beadle. The jurymen returned by the wardmote inquest serve as jurors in the several courts in Guildhall, in the month of November.

LIME TREE _court_, Narrow wall, Southwark.‡

LIMPSFIELD, a village near Croydon in Surry, in the Kent road.

LINCOLN’S INN, one of the four Inns of Court, is situated on the west side of Chancery lane, where formerly stood the houses of the Bishop of Chichester and of the Black Friars, the latter erected about the year 1222, and the former about 1226; but both of them coming to Henry Lacey, Earl of Lincoln, he built in their room a stately mansion for his city residence. It however afterwards reverted to the bishopric of Chichester, and was demised by Robert Sherbourn, Bishop of that see, to Mr. William Syliard, a student there, for a term of years; after the expiration of which Dr. Richard Sampson, his successor, in the year 1536 passed the inheritance thereof to the said Syliard and Eustace his brother; and the latter, in 1579, in consideration of the sum of 500_l._ conveyed the house and gardens in fee to Richard Kingsmill and the rest of the benchers.

The charge of admission into this house, including fees, amount to 5_l._ and every student, after studying there seven years, is admitted to the bar. The members are obliged to be a fortnight in commons every term, on the penalty of paying 18_s._ in case of absence. _Stow._ _Maitland._

Lincoln’s Inn principally consists of three rows of good buildings, all taken up by gentlemen of the society. These form three sides of the square, and here the buildings are all new and uniform, the north side lying open to the gardens, which are greatly improved with gravel walks, grass plats, rows of trees, and a very long terrace walk, which affords a fine prospect of Lincoln’s Inn Fields. In the middle of the square is a neat fluted Corinthian column in a small bason surrounded with iron bars. This column supports a handsome sun dial, which has four sides, and on the corners of the pedestal are four naked boys spouting water out of Tritons’ shells. This is one of the neatest squares in town, and tho’ it is imperfect on one side, that very defect produces a beauty by giving a prospect of the gardens, which are only separated from it by iron rails, and fill the space to abundantly more advantage. No area is kept in better order for cleanliness and beauty by day, or illuminations and decorum by night. The fountain in the middle is a pretty decoration. The print represents as much of the square as could be taken in the visual angle at one view, with the fountain in the middle, as it appears coming into it from Portugal row. This is one of the most considerable Inns of Court possessed by the gentlemen of the law. Here is a good hall and chapel of Gothic architecture. The latter was built by Inigo Jones, who notwithstanding his skill and reputation in architecture, could not persuade them to have it in any other stile.

The above gardens, which are extremely pleasant and commodious, are, like those of Gray’s Inn, laid open for public use; the greatest part of the west side of the square is taken up with the offices belonging to the stamp duty. See STAMP OFFICE.

A little behind the north east side of the square is the above chapel, which was built about the year 1622 or 1623, on pillars, with an ambulatory or walk underneath, paved with broad stones. This walk, particularly when illuminated by the lamps, inspires the mind with a kind of melancholy pleasure, that may be better felt than described. The outside of the chapel is a good piece of Gothic architecture, and the windows are painted with the figures at full length of the principal personages mentioned in the sacred Scriptures. On the twelve windows on the north side, are Abraham, Moses, Eli, David, and the prophets Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and Zachariah, with John the Baptist, and St. Paul, and on the south side are the rest of the Apostles. Under these figures are the arms of a great number of the gentlemen belonging to this society. The colours in these paintings being extremely bright and beautiful, it is not at all surprizing that these pictures on glass should be much admired, though the designs are in reality but poor, and there is little expression in the faces.

In the old buildings fronting the garden beyond the square, is the library, which consists of a good collection of books in several languages and faculties.

LINCOLN’S INN FIELDS, is universally allowed to be the largest, and one of the most beautiful squares in London, if not in Europe. It is encompassed on three sides by houses, and on the east by the wall of the terrace of Lincoln’s Inn garden. The north side is called Newman’s row, the west side Arch row, the south side Portugal row, and the east side Lincoln’s Inn wall. This square was originally laid out by the masterly hand of Inigo Jones, and it is said that the sides of it are the exact measure of the great Pyramid of Egypt. It was intended to have been built all in the same stile; but there were not a sufficient number of people of taste, to accomplish so great a work. The house which was late the Duke of Ancaster’s, is built on this model; but elevated and improved so as to make it more suitable to the quality of the owner. It has that simple grandeur which characterises all the designs of the celebrated Inigo Jones. The print here given of it may serve to convey some idea not only of this particular house, but of the noble appearance which the whole square would have made had it been all built after this fine design.

Some of the houses however in this square are grand and noble, but they are far from having that beauty which arises from uniformity. The square is now adorned with a fine bason in the middle, well supplied with water; and with grass plats and gravel walks, encompassed with an iron pallisade fixed upon a stone plinth, at a proper distance from the buildings.

LINCOLN’S INN _gate_, on the south side of Lincoln’s Inn square.

LINCOLN’S INN _passage_, on the west side of Lincoln’s Inn square.

LINTON’S _court_, Near New Gravel lane.†

LINTON’S _lane_, Newington Butts.†

LINTON’S _yard_, Milk yard, Shadwell.†

LION AND LAMB _alley_, Golden lane.*

LION’S _court_, Lutener’s Lane.†

LION’S INN, anciently a common Inn, with the sign of the Lion, is one of the Inns in Chancery, and is situated between Holiwell street and Wych street. It is a member of the Inner Temple, and is governed by a Treasurer and twelve Ancients, who with the other members are to be three weeks in commons in Michaelmas term, and a fortnight in each of the rest. _Chamberlain’s Present State._ _Maitland._

LION’S INN _court_, Lion’s Inn.*

LION’S _key_, Thames street.†

LION’S _street_, Bloomsbury.†

LION’S _yard_, Whitecross street.†

LIQUORPOND _street_, Leather lane.

LISLE _street_, Prince’s street, Soho.†

LISSHAM _Green_, a pleasant village near Paddington.

LITCHFIELD _street_, Soho.

LITTLE ALMONRY, by the Great Almonry, Westminster; so named from the alms given there. See the next article.

LITTLE ALMONRY _Almshouse_, situated in the Little Almonry, was founded by Henry VII. for the accommodation of twelve poor watermen and their wives, who annually receive of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster 7_l._ 2_s._ 4_d._ each couple, with a purple gown every other year; and for the burial of a Duke, Marquis, or their Ladies in the Abbey, 1_l._ 6_s._ 6_d._ and for that of an Earl, Baron, or their Ladies, 10_s._ 6_d._

LITTLE _St._ ANDREW’S _street_, Seven Dials.

LITTLE _St._ ANN’S _lane_, 1. Old Pye street. 2. Peter street, Westminster.

LITTLE ARGYLE _street_, Argyle street, Great Marlborough street.†

LITTLE ARTHUR _street_, Great Arthur street, Goswell street.†

LITTLE ASHENTREE _court_, Water lane.‡

LITTLE AYLIFF _street_, Goodman’s Fields.†

LITTLE BACON _street_, Brick lane.†

LITTLE BAILEY _street_, Little Tower hill.†

LITTLE BANDYLEG _walk_, Queen street.

LITTLE BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE, Little Britain.

LITTLE BEAR _key_, Thames street. See BEAR _key_.

LITTLE BELL _alley_, 1. Coleman street.* 2. Grub street.*

LITTLE BENNET’S _court_, Marygold court.†

LITTLE BLACK HORSE _court_, Aldersgate street.

LITTLE BOOTH _street_, Coverley’s fields.

LITTLE BOSS _alley_, Thames street.

LITTLE BRICK _lane_, Nicol’s street.

LITTLE BRIDGES _street_, Bridges street.†

LITTLE BRITAIN, extends from Aldersgate street to Duck lane. This was anciently called Britain street, from the Duke of Britany’s palace situated in it near St. Botolph’s church.

LITTLE BROAD _street_, Broad street, London wall.

LITTLE BROOK’S _street_, Grosvenor square.†

LITTLE BUSH _lane_, Thames street.

LITTLE BUR _street_, Nightingale lane, East Smithfield.†

LITTLE CABLE _street_, 1. Cable street, Rag Fair.† 2. Wellclose square.†

LITTLE CARTER _lane_, Old Change.†

LITTLE CASTLE _street_, Winsley street.*

LITTLE CATHARINE _street_, In the Strand.

LITTLE CHANDOS _street_, St. Martin’s lane.

LITTLE CHAPEL _street_, 1. Great Wardour street. 2. By New Chapel street, Westminster.

LITTLE CHEAPSIDE, Three Cranes, Thames street.

LITTLE CHEAPSIDE _yard_, Three Crane alley.

LITTLE COCK _alley_, 1. Redcross street, Cripplegate.* 2. Whitecross street, Cripplegate.*

LITTLE COCK _hill_, Ratcliff.†

LITTLE _court_, 1. Duke’s Place, by Aldgate. 2. St. Mary Overies church yard.

LITTLE CROW _alley_, Whitecross street, Cripplegate.*

LITTLE CROWDER’S WELL _alley_, Jewin street.

LITTLE CROWN _alley_, Long Alley, Moorfields.*

LITTLE DEAN’S _court_, St. Martin’s le Grand.

LITTLE DEAN’S _yard_, Dean’s Yard, Westminster.

LITTLE DICE _key_, Thames street.

LITTLE DISTAFF _lane_, Old Change.

LITTLE DRURY _lane_, in the Strand.

LITTLE DUKE’S PLACE, or _court_, Leadenhall street.

LITTLE DUNNING’S _alley_, near Bishopsgate street.†

LITTLE EARL _street_, Seven Dials.†

LITTLE EASTCHEAP, Gracechurch street.

LITTLE ELBOW _lane_, 1. In Great Elbow lane, Thames street. 2. Ratcliff.

LITTLE ESSEX _street_, Essex street, in the Strand.

LITTLE FLOWER DE LUCE _court_, Cowcross.*

LITTLE FRIARS _gate_, Fleet street, leading to White Friars.

LITTLE FRIDAY _street_, Friday street, Cheapside.

LITTLE GEORGE _street_, 1. Great George street, Conduit street. 2. Great George street, Spitalfields.

LITTLE GLOUCESTER _court_, Chequer alley, Whitecross street.

LITTLE GLOUCESTER _street_, Whitecross street, Cripplegate.

LITTLE GRAY’S INN _lane_, Gray’s Inn lane, Holborn.

LITTLE GREENWICH, Aldersgate street.

LITTLE GREENWICH _alley_, Aldersgate street.

LITTLE GROSVENOR _street_, Grosvenor square.

LITTLE GUN _alley_, Orchard, Wapping.*

LITTLE HART _street_, near Covent Garden.

LITTLE _St._ HELEN’S, Bishopsgate street. See _St._ HELEN’S.

LITTLE _St._ HELEN’S _Almshouse_, was erected by the Leathersellers company, pursuant to the will of John Hasilwood, of Waltham, Esq; in the year 1544, for the reception of four men and three women, who were allowed by the founder only 8_d._ per week each; but by other benefactions, and the bounty of the company, they now receive 2_s._ weekly, and six bushels of coals at Christmas. _Maitland._

LITTLE _St._ HELEN’S _court_, Bishopsgate street within.

LITTLE HERMITAGE _street_, Wapping.

LITTLE HOLLIS’S _street_, Hanover square.†

LITTLE HOWARD’S _yard_, Angel alley.†

LITTLE JERMAIN _street_, St. James’s street.

LITTLE JOHN’S _street_, Davis’s street.

LITTLE ISLAND, New Gravel lane.

LITTLE IVY _lane_, Ivy lane.‡

LITTLE KING’S HEAD _court_, near Shoe lane, Fleet street.

LITTLE KING’S _street_, St. James’s street.

LITTLE KIRBY _street_, Hatton garden.†

LITTLE KNIGHTRIDER _street_, Great Knightrider street, by Addle hill.

LITTLE LAMB _alley_, Blackman street.*

LITTLE LAST _alley_, East Smithfield.*

LITTLE LOMBARD _street_, Lombard street, by the Mansion house.

LITTLE LOVE _lane_, Wood street, Cheapside.

LITTLE MADDOX _street_, New Bond street.

LITTLE MARLBOROUGH _street_, Carnaby street.

LITTLE MARSH _yard_, near Wapping.

LITTLE _St._ MARTIN’S _lane_, Charing Cross.

LITTLE MATCH _walk_, Upper Shadwell.

LITTLE MAYPOLE _alley_, St. Margaret’s hill.

LITTLE MAZEPOND _street_, in the Maze.

LITTLE MINORIES, that part of the Minories which is railed in, and is out of the city liberties. See the article MINORIES.

LITTLE MINORIES _court_, Little Minories.

LITTLE MITCHELL’S _street_, Old street.†

LITTLE MONTAGUE _court_, Little Britain.

LITTLE MONTAGUE _street_, 1. Crispin street, Spitalfields. 2. Pelham street.

LITTLE MOORFIELDS, Fore street, Moorgate.

LITTLE MOOR _yard_, St. Martin’s lane, Charing Cross.†

LITTLE MOUSE _alley_, East Smithfield.

LITTLE NEW _court_, Lamb alley.

LITTLE NEWPORT _street_, Great Newport lane.

LITTLE NEW _street_, New street, Shoe lane.

LITTLE NEW STREET _hill_, near Shoe lane.

LITTLE NIGHTINGALE _lane_, Burr street.

LITTLE NORTHUMBERLAND _alley_, Crutched Friars.

LITTLE NOTTINGHAM _street_, Dyot street.

LITTLE OLD BAILEY, Great Old Bailey.

LITTLE ORMOND _street_, 1. Southampton row. 2. Red Lion street, Holborn.

LITTLE ORMOND _yard_, Ormond street.

LITTLE PEARL _street_, Lamb street, Spitalfields.*

LITTLE PETER _street_, 1. Little Windmill street. 2. Tufton street.