Part 10

In the year 1534, the Wardens of the Pewterers company, or their deputies, were impowered by act of parliament to have the inspection of pewter in all parts of the kingdom, in order to prevent the sale of the base pewter, and the importation of pewter vessels from abroad. As a farther encouragement, all Englishmen are by that act strictly enjoined, not to repair to any foreign country to teach the art or mystery of pewterers, on pain of disfranchisement: and for the more effectually preventing the art being carried abroad, no Pewterer is to take the son of an alien as an apprentice.

This corporation has a Master, two Wardens, twenty-eight Assistants, and seventy-eight Liverymen, who on their admission pay 20_l._

Their hall is in Lime street, almost facing the west end of Cullum street.

PEWTER PLATTER _alley_, Grace church street.*

PHEASANT _court_, Cow lane, Snow hill.*

PHEASANT COCK _court_, Angel alley, Houndsditch.*

PHENIX _alley_, Long Acre.*

PHENIX _court_, 1. Butcher row.* 2. High Holborn.* 3. Newgate street.* 4. Old Change, Cheapside.*

PHENIX _street_, 1. Dyot street, St. Giles’s.* 2. Hog lane, St. Giles’s.* 3. Monmouth street, Spitalfields.*

PHENIX _yard_, Oxford street.*

PHILIP _lane_, London wall.*

PHILIP’S _court_, Grub street.†

PHILIP’S _rents_, 1. Lincoln’s Inn Fields.† 2. Maze pond street, Southwark.†

PHILIP’S _yard_, Still alley, Houndsditch.†

PHILPOT _lane_, Fenchurch street.†

PHIPS’S _alley_, Shoreditch.†

PHYSICIANS. There was no legal restraint on the practice of physic, till the third year of King Henry VIII. when it was enacted that none should practise physic or surgery within the city of London, of seven miles round, unless he were first examined, and approved by the Bishop of London, or the Dean of St. Paul’s, (who should call to his assistance four Doctors of physic, and for surgery, other expert persons in that faculty) upon pain of forfeiting 5_l._ for every month such persons should practise physic or surgery, without being thus admitted.

Seven years after this law, the Physicians were incorporated into a college or society; allowed a common seal, and the power of annually chusing a President, to govern all of that faculty: they were permitted to purchase lands and tenements, and to make statutes and ordinances for the government and correction of the college, and of all persons practising physic within seven miles of the city: it was also enacted that none, either within the city, or that compass, should practise, unless first allowed by the President and the Fellows, upon pain of forfeiting 5_l._ for every month: that four persons be chosen annually for the examination and government of all the Physicians of the city, and suburbs within seven miles round, and to punish them for their offences in not performing, making, and neglecting their medicines and receipts, by fines and imprisonments: and that neither the President, nor any of the members of the college, should be summoned upon juries, &c.

At their first institution there were but thirty Fellows belonging to the college; but at their request, King Charles II. augmented their number to forty; and King James II. considering the great increase of this city in its buildings and inhabitants, was pleased to increase the number to eighty, which they were not to exceed. Before this last charter, none could be admitted a Fellow of the college, if he had not taken his degree of Doctor in one of the universities; but now all who have taken their degree in any foreign university, are qualified to become Fellows.

The college has still great power in obstructing the practise of those who are not of their body; yet by connivance or favour, others practise physic; tho’ by law, if any one not so qualified, undertakes a cure, and his patient dies under his hand, he is deemed guilty of felony.

To this college belong a President, four Censors, and twelve Electors. The President is the principal member, and is annually chosen out of the society.

The four Censors have, by charter, authority to survey, correct and govern all Physicians, or others, that shall practise within their jurisdiction, and to fine and imprison for offences as they shall see cause. They may convene any Physician or practitioner before them, and examine him concerning his skill in physic, and if he does not appear to their summons, or upon his appearance refuses to answer, he may be fined for every default, any sum not exceeding forty shillings; or if any administer unwholsome and noxious medicines, he may be fined according to discretion, net exceeding 10_l._ or imprisoned, not exceeding fourteen days, unless for nonpayment of the fine, when it shall be lawful to detain him in prison until it be paid.

_College of_ PHYSICIANS. This society had their first college in Knightrider street, which was the gift of Dr. Linacre, Physician to King Henry VIII. from whence they afterwards removed to Amen Corner, where they had purchased an house. Here the great Dr. Harvey, who immortalized his name by discovering the circulation of the blood, built them a library and public hall in the year 1652, which he granted for ever to the college, with his library, and endowed it with his estate, which he resigned to them while living, assigning a part of it for an anniversary oration, in commemoration of their benefactors, and to promote a spirit of emulation in succeeding generations. However, this edifice being consumed by the fire of London, and the ground being only upon lease, the Fellows erected the present structure.

The College of Physicians is a very noble edifice, situated near the north west corner of Warwick lane. It is built with brick and stone.

The entrance, which is grand, is under an octangular theatre, finishing in a dome, with a cone on the top, making a lantern to it. The inside is elegant, finely enlightened and very capacious. This was built by Sir Christopher Wren. The arches represented in the print are under the theatre thro’ which you enter the area. The central building, which is well worthy of observation, is the design of Inigo Jones, and contains the library and other rooms of state and convenience. The ascent to the door is by a flight of steps, and in the under part is a basement story. The whole front is decorated with pilasters of the Ionic and Corinthian orders; and on one side over the door case, is the statue of King Charles II. placed in a niche, and in the other side that of Sir John Cutler. The buildings at the two sides of the court are uniform, and have the window cases handsomely ornamented. The orders are well executed, and the whole edifice both beautiful and commodious.

The College of Physicians is a building of great delicacy, and eminently deserves to be considered among the noblest ornaments of this city, is yet so unlucky in its situation, in a narrow and dirty part of the lane, that it can never be seen to advantage.

There is here a hall, in which the Physicians sit to give advice to the poor gratis; a committee room; a library, furnished with books by Sir Theodore Mayerne and the Marquis of Dorchester, who was one of the Fellows; a great hall for the quarterly meetings of the Doctors, adorned with pictures and sculpture; a theatre for anatomical dissection; a preparing room, where there are thirteen tables, containing all the muscles in the human body; and over all garrets to dry the herbs for the use of the dispensatory.

PICCADILLY, Haymarket. There were formerly no houses in this street, and only one shop for Spanish ruffs, which was called the Piccadilly or Ruff shop. At present there are several noble houses in it. See DEVONSHIRE HOUSE, BURLINGTON HOUSE. The last house built in Piccadilly is the Earl of Egremont’s. It is of stone, and tho’ not much adorned, is elegant and well situated for a town house, having a fine view over the Green Park, which would be still more extended if the houses on each side were set farther back.

PICKAX _street_, Aldersgate street.

PICKERING’S _court_, St. James’s street.†

PICKLEHERRING _stairs_, Pickleherring street, Southwark.

PICKLEHERRING _street_, near Horselydown, Southwark.

PICTURE _yard_, Back lane, near Rag Fair.

PIE-CORNER, Giltspur street, Smithfield.

PIEPOWDER _court_, a court of record incident to a fair, as a court baron is to a manor; it is derived from the French _pié poudre_, and is said to be so called from its expeditious proceedings in the decision of all controversies that happen in fairs; since for the encouragement of all traders, justice is supposed to be as quickly administered as _dust_ can fall from the feet. _Coke’s Institutes._

During the time of Bartholomew fair, this court is held in Cloth fair by the city of London and Mr. Edwards, for hearing and determining all differences committed against the tenor of the proclamation made by the Lord Mayor, on the eve of old St. Bartholomew, for the better regulation of that fair.

PIERPOINT’S _rents_, Islington.†

PIERPOINT’S _row_, Islington.†

PIG _court_, St. Catharine’s lane.*

PIG _street_, extends from Threadneedle street to Broad street.

PILLORY _lane_, 1. Butcher row. 2. Fenchurch street.

PIN _alley_, near Rosemary lane.

PINDER’S _alley_, Shoreditch.†

PINDER’S _court_, Gray’s Inn lane.†

PINEAPPLE _court_, Woolpack alley, Houndsditch.*

PINNERS, or PINMAKERS, a company incorporated by letters patent granted by King Charles I. in the year 1636.

They consist of a Master, two Wardens, and eighteen Assistants; but have no livery.

Their hall is situated near the southeast corner of Great Winchester street, Broad street: and is most noted for being let out for a meeting of Independents, who meet there every Sunday morning. This is the only Independent meeting in London, where the audience are not Calvinists. In the afternoon it is a meeting for a congregation of general Baptists.

PINNER’S _alley_, Shoreditch.

PINNERS _court_, Broad street, leading to Pinners hall.

PIPE _alley_, Broad way, Westminster.

PIPEMAKERS _alley_, 1. Great St. Anne’s lane. 2. Whitecross street, Cripplegate.

PIPE OFFICE, in Gray’s Inn lane, an office of the Treasury, in which all accounts and debts due to the King are drawn out of the Remembrancer’s office, and charged in a great roll made up like a pipe.

The chief officers are, the Clerk of the Pipe, and the Comptroller of the Pipe. The former makes leases of the King’s lands, on his being warranted so to do by the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, or the Chancellor of the Exchequer: and these leases are sometimes directed to be made under the Great Seal, but for the most part pass the Exchequer: he has under him a Deputy, and eight Attornies, the two first of whom are Secondaries.

All accounts that pass the Remembrancer’s office, are brought to the office of the Clerk of the Pipe, and remain there, to the end if there be any determined debt due by any accomptant or other person, in any such account, it may be inserted in the great roll or the pipes thereof, and taken verbatim by the Comptroller of the Pipe into his roll, and process may be made by him for the recovery thereof by a writ called the _Summons of the Pipe_, which is in the nature of a _levari facias_.

All tallies that vouch the payments contained in such accounts, are examined and allowed by the Chief Secondary in the Pipe, and remain for ever after in this office.

The Comptroller of the Pipe writes in his roll all that is in the great roll; and nothing entered in the great roll can be discharged without his privity. He also writes out the summons twice every year to the sheriffs, to levy the debts charged in the great roll of the pipe. _Chamberlain’s Present State_. He has under him a Deputy Comptroller, and a Clerk.

PIPE _yard_, Bristol street, Puddle dock.

PIPER’S _ground_, College street.

PISSING _alley_, St. John’s street, Smithfield.‖

PITCHER’S _court_, White’s alley, Coleman street.†

PITFIELD _street_, Hoxton.†

PITMAN’S _alley_, Gardener’s lane, Westminster.†

PLAISTERERS, a company incorporated by letters patent, granted by King Henry VIII. in the year 1501, and confirmed by a charter granted by Charles II. in 1667, by the name of _The Master, and Wardens of the guild or fraternity of the blessed Mary, of Plaisterers, London_.

This company is governed by a Master, two Wardens, and thirty-two Assistants, and has seventy-seven Liverymen, who upon their admission pay a fine of 8_l._ They have a neat hall on the north west side of Addle street.

PLAISTOW, a village in Essex, in the parish of West Ham.

PLAISTOW, a village near Bromley in Kent.

PLANTATION OFFICE in the treasury. See the article TRADE and PLANTATION OFFICE.

PLAYHOUSE _passage_, 1. Bow street; leading to Covent Garden playhouse. 2. Drury lane, leading to the playhouse there.

PLAYHOUSE _yard_, 1. Black Friars, where a playhouse was formerly situated. 2. Whitecross street, Old street, where, according to Maitland, the first playhouse in London was erected; on the east side of that yard are still to be seen the ruins of the theatre.

_Clerk of the_ PLEAS OFFICE, in Lincoln’s Inn. In this office all the officers of the Exchequer, and other privileged persons, as debtors to the King, &c. are to have their privilege to plead, and be impleaded as to all matters at the common law: and the proceedings are accordingly by declarations, pleas, and trials as at the common law; because they should not be drawn out of their own court, where their attendance is required. In this office are four sworn Attornies. _Chamberlain’s Present State._

_Common_ PLEAS. See _Court of_ COMMON PLEAS.

PLOUGH _alley_, 1. Bankside, Southwark.* 2. Barbican.* 3. Carey street, Lincoln’s Inn Fields.* 4. Wapping.

PLOUGH _court_, 1. Fetter lane. 2. Gray’s Inn lane.* 3. Lombard street.*

PLOUGH AND HARROW _walk_, Nag’s Head Buildings, Hackney road.*

PLOUGHMAN’S _rents_, 1. Cow cross, near Smithfield.† 2. Turnmill street.†

PLOUGH _street_, Whitechapel.*

PLOUGH _yard_, 1. Barnaby street, Southwark.* 2. Brown’s gardens, St. Giles’s.* 3. Holborn hill.* 4. Harrow yard, Green bank.* 5. Seething lane, Tower street.* 6. Tower ditch.*

PLOUGH YARD _School_, in Plough yard, Seething lane, was founded by James Hickson, Esq; about the year 1689, for the education of twenty boys; for the instruction of whom he allowed the head Master 20_l._ _per annum_, a dwelling house, and two chaldrons of coals yearly; and to a Writing Master 8_l._ a year. Fourteen of the children are to be of the parish of Allhallows, Barking, and six of the hamlet of Wapping. _Maitland._

PLUMBERS, a company incorporated by letters patent granted by King James I. in the year 1611. This corporation is governed by a Master, two Wardens, and twenty-four Assistants; with a livery of fifty-seven members, who upon their admission pay a fine of 10_l._ They have a small hall in Chequer yard, Dowgate hill. _Maitland._

PLUMBER’S _court_, High Holborn.†

PLUMTREE _court_, Plumtree street, Shoe lane.†

PLUMTREE _square_, Plumtree street, St. Giles’s.

PLUMTREE _street_, 1. St. Giles’s. 2. Shoe lane.†

POLAND _court_, Poland street.

POLAND _street_, Oxford street.

POLAND _yard_, Oxford street.

POLLIN’S _street_, Hanover street.

_The_ POND _yard_, Bankside, Southwark.

POOR JEWRY _lane_, Aldgate; so called from its being inhabited by the Jews, on their return to England, after being expelled the kingdom by Edward I. See OLD JEWRY.

POPE’S HEAD _alley_, 1. Broad street.* 2. A neat passage from Cornhill into Lombard street, next to ‘Change alley.*

POPE’S HEAD _court_, in the Minories.*

POPISH CHAPELS, of these there are but few in the city of London; for as Popery is esteemed inconsistent with the liberties of a free people, they are therefore in a manner confined to the ambassadors, who keep them open for those of their own religion. These are,

1. In Butler’s alley meeting house, Grub street. 2. Imperial ambassador’s, Hanover square. 3. Portuguese ambassador’s chapel. 4. Sardinian ambassador’s chapel, by Lincoln’s Inn Fields. 5. Venetian ambassador’s chapel, Suffolk street.

POPLAR, a hamlet of Stepney, is situated on the Thames to the east of Limehouse, and obtained its name from the great number of poplar trees that anciently grew there. The chapel of Poplar was erected in the year 1654, when the ground upon which it was built, together with the church yard, were given by the East India company, and the edifice erected by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants and others; since which time that Company has not only allowed the Minister a convenient dwelling house, with a garden and field containing about three acres, but has allowed him 20_l._ _per annum_ during pleasure; wherefore this chapel for want of an endowment continues unconsecrated.

Poplar Marsh, called the Isle of Dogs, from the great noise made by the King’s hounds that were kept there during the residence of the royal family at Greenwich, is rather an isthmus than an island, and is reckoned one of the richest spots of ground in England; for it not only raises the largest cattle, but the grass it bears is esteemed a great restorative of all distempered cattle.

Here are two almshouses besides an hospital belonging to the East India company.

POPLER’S _alley_, Greenbank.†

POPPET _court_, Shoe lane, Fleet street.

POPPING’S _alley_, Fleet street.†

POPPING’S _court_, Popping’s alley, Fleet street.†

PORRIDGE POT _alley_, Aldersgate street.*

PORTERS. The London porters are divided into brotherhoods, and consist of four sorts, viz. Companies porters, Fellowship porters, Ticket porters, and Tackle porters.

I. The companies porters land and ship off all goods and merchandizes exported and imported to and from all parts near the west side of the Sound, in the Baltic sea, Germany, Holland, France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and towards or beyond the Cape of Good Hope.

II. Fellowship porters, whose business is to land, ship off, carry or house, all merchandize, as corn, salt, coals, and other commodities, measurable by dry measure. They are upward of 700 in number, and their chief governor is the Alderman of Billingsgate ward. Their quarterage is 12_d._ whereas the Ticket porters pay but 4_d._ each.

There is a very remarkable custom among the Fellowship porters, which is as follows, viz.

By an act of Common Council, a sermon is preached to them, in the parish church of St. Mary at Hill, the next Sunday after every Midsummer day; when overnight they furnish the merchants and families about Billingsgate with nosegays, and in the morning they proceed from their place of meeting in good order, each having a nosegay in his hand: walking through the middle isle to the communion table, every one offers something into the two basons, for the relief of the poor, and towards the charges of the day; and after they have passed, the deputy, the merchants, their wives, children, and servants walk in order from their seats, and bestow their offerings also; which is a ceremony of much variety. The charges of their nosegays have amounted sometimes to near 20_l._ in one year.

III. The Ticket porters land and ship off goods imported or exported to all parts of America, &c. and house all merchants goods, metals, &c. They give ample security for their fidelity and honesty, and such as employ them need only take notice of their names stamped on a ticket that hangs at their girdles; that upon complaint being made to their Governor, satisfaction may be given to such as have been injured by them.

IV. Tackle porters are such of the Ticket porters as are furnished with weights, scales, &c. and their business is to weigh goods.

_Rates taken by_ PORTERS _for shipping, landing, houseing and weighing_.

Sugar the hogshead, 3_d._—For weighing 4_d._

Sugar the tierce or barrel, 2_d._—For weighing 3_d._

Sugar the butt, 6_d._—For weighing 8_d._

Cotton, wool, the bag, 3_d._—The same for weighing.

Ginger, the bag, 1_d._—The same for weighing.

Melasses, the hogshead, 3_d._—For weighing 4_d._

Logwood, the ton, 1_s._—The same for weighing.

Fustick, the ton, 1_s._—The same for weighing.

Young fustick, the ton, 1_s._ 6_d._—The same for weighing.

Lignum rhodium, the ton, 1_s._ 6_d._—The same for weighing.

Lignum vitæ, the ton, 1_s._—The same for weighing.

Tobacco, the hogshead, 2_d._—The same for weighing.

Tobacco, the bundle, 1_d._—The same for weighing.

Danish, or Swedish iron, the ton, 1_s._—The same for weighing.

Narva and Riga hemp, the bundle, 6_d._—The same for weighing.

Any porter has the liberty of bringing goods into London; but may not carry any out of the city, or from one part of it to another, unless he be a freeman; otherwise he is liable to be arrested.

PORTERS _alley_, Basinghall street.

PORTERS _block_, Smithfield bars.

PORTER’S _court_, Basinghall street.†

PORTER’S _field_, Porter’s street.†

PORTERS _key_, Thames street.

PORTER’S _street_, 1. Blossom’s street.† 2. Newport market.†

PORTER’S _yard_, 1. Holiwell lane, Shoreditch.† 2. Whitecross street, Cripplegate.†

PORTLAND _street_, Oxford street.

PORTPOOL _lane_, extends from Gray’s Inn lane to Leather lane.

PORTSMOUTH _corner_, Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

PORTSOKEN WARD. The word Portsoken, according to Maitland, signifies a franchise at the gate: this ward is therefore situated entirely without Aldgate, and contains all Whitechapel as far as the bars; Petticoat lane, Houndsditch and the Minories. It is bounded on the east, by the parishes of Spitalfields, Stepney, and St. George’s in the east; on the south by Tower hill; on the west by Aldgate ward, from which it is separated by the city wall; and on the north by Bishopsgate ward.

Its principal streets are, Whitechapel up to the bars, the Minories, and Houndsditch; and its most remarkable buildings, the parish churches of St. Botolph’s Aldgate, and Trinity Minories,

This ward is governed by an Alderman and five Common Council men, including the Alderman’s Deputy; twenty-two inquest men, five scavengers, five constables, and a beadle. The jurors returned by the wardmote inquest serve in the several courts of Guildhall in the month of January. _Maitland._

PORTUGAL _row_, 1. St James’s street. 2. Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

PORTUGAL _street_, 1. Piccadilly. 2. Searle’s street, Carey street.

_General_ POST OFFICE, a handsome and commodious building near the south west extremity of Lombard street, facing Pope’s Head alley.

Of what antiquity the post is in this kingdom, is not easy to determine. Anciently the management of the foreign mails was under the direction of a stranger, who by the permission of the government was chosen by the foreigners dwelling in this city, who even pretended to have a right by prescription of chusing their own post master. However, in the year 1568 a difference arising between the Spaniards and Flemings in London, each chose their separate post master; and this contest occasioned a representation from the citizens to the Privy Council, to beseech her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, to fill that important post with one of her English subjects.

By the first accounts we find of the posts established for the convenience of this kingdom, it appears to have been managed by several private officers, who had their respective districts. But great inconveniences arising from their different methods of proceeding, they were suppressed, and a certain number of public officers erected in their room: but these also not answering the end proposed, a General Post Office was erected by act of parliament in the 12th of King Charles II. in the year 1660, to be kept within the city of London, under the direction of a Post Master appointed by the King.