Part 2
NAVY OFFICE, in Crutched Friars. Here all affairs relating to the royal navy are managed by the Commissioners under the Lords of the Admiralty. It is a very plain building, that by its appearance gives us no idea of its importance; but it must be allowed the merit of being extremely convenient. The office where the Commissioners meet, and the clerks keep their books, is detached from the rest, as a precaution against accidents by fire, the papers here being of the utmost importance; and in the other buildings some of the Commissioners and other officers reside.
The Treasurer of the navy is an officer of prodigious trust, as he receives and pays all sums for the use of the navy: his salary is therefore 2000_l._ _per annum_, and 800_l._ for his instruments.
The seven Commissioners have all their different departments in the management of the business of this office; and each has a salary of 500_l._ a year.
One is Comptroller of the navy: he attends and comptrols all payments of wages; is obliged to know the market price of all stores belonging to shipping, and to examine and audit all the treasurers, victuallers, and storekeepers accounts. This Commissioner has two clerks who have 100_l._ a year each: one of 60_l._ a year, and nine of 50_l._ each. Besides in his office for seamen’s wages he has a chief clerk who has 200_l._ a year, and also nine others of 50_l._ each.
Two others are Joint-surveyors of the navy, and besides the salary of 500_l._ a year each, one of them has 80_l._ _per annum_ for house rent. They are in general to know the state of all stores, and to see the wants supplied; to survey the hulls, masts, and yards, and to estimate the value of repairs by indenture; to charge all boatswains and carpenters of the navy with what stores they have received; and at the end of each voyage to state and audit their accounts. They have a chief clerk, who has 100_l._ a year, and six others of 50_l._
The fourth is Clerk of the acts. It is his office to record all orders, contracts, bills, warrants, and other business transacted by the principal officers and commissioners of the navy. He has an assistant, who has a salary of 300_l._ a year, and 50_l._ for house rent; a chief clerk, who has 100_l._ a year; another has 70_l._ another 60_l._ and nine others have 50_l._ _per annum_ each.
The fifth is Comptroller of the Treasurer’s accounts, and has a clerk of 100_l._ a year; another of 60_l._ another of 50_l._ and another of 40_l._ a year. The ticket office is under his inspection, and there he has two chief clerks of 200_l._ a year each; another of 80_l._ six of 50_l._ a year each, and one of 40_l._ In this office there are also six extra clerks who have 50_l._ a year each, and one who has 2_s._ 6_d._ a day.
The sixth is the Comptroller of the victualling accounts, who has a clerk of 100_l._ a year; one of 50_l._ and one of 40_l._ _per annum_.
The seventh is Comptroller of the store-keeper’s accounts, who has also a chief clerk, that has a salary of 100_l._ a year; six clerks of 50_l._ a year each; and another of 40_l._ _per annum_.
Besides these there are three Extra Commissioners of the navy, who have 500_l._ a year, and 80_l._ each for house rent; and under these are several clerks, and other officers.
There is also a Commissioner residing at Gibraltar, who has 1000_l._ a year, and several officers who have considerable salaries under him: a Commissioner resident at Chatham yard, at Portsmouth yard, and at Plymouth yard, who have 500_l._ a year each; but Deptford and Woolwich yards are under the immediate inspection of the navy board; as Sheerness yard is under the inspection of the Commissioner at Chatham.
The number of these Officers and Commissioners have been increased on account of the exigence of affairs; but the principal of them hold their offices by patent under the great seal.
NEAL’S _yard_, Great St. Andrew street, Seven Dials.†
NEAT HOUSE _lane_, Upper Millbank.
NEAT HOUSES, Near Chelsea Bridge.
NECKINGER _lane_, Rotherhith wall.
NECKINGER _road_, Neckinger lane.
NEEDLEMAKERS, a company incorporated by letters patent granted by Oliver Cromwell, in 1656, consisting of a Master, two Wardens, eighteen Assistants, and forty-eight Liverymen, who upon their admission pay a fine of 3_l._ 6_s._ 8_d._ but having no hall they transact their business in Guildhall.
It is remarkable that by an act of Common Council in 1658, it was ordered that every needlemaker free of the city, of whatever company they be, should from thenceforward be subject to the search and survey of this company; that no needlemaker of any other company should bind an apprentice to himself, till he had first bound him to the Master or one of the Wardens or Assistants of the Needlemakers company, who should turn over such an apprentice to him, before the Chamberlain of London, in order that all such apprentices might be made free of the Needlemakers company; and that any such master, not being free of that company, who should take an apprentice in any other manner, should forfeit the sum of 20_l._
NELL’S _wharf_, St. Catharine’s.
NELMES, a village in Essex, on the east side of Rumford.
NELSON’S _court_, 1. Drury lane.† 2. Rosemary lane, Tower hill.†
NEPTUNE _street_, Wellclose square.
NETHERHALL, a village in Essex, on the north side of Chipping Ongar.
NETHERHALL, a village in Essex, near Great and Little Parndon, and at the conflux of the Lee and the Stort.
NETTLETON’S _court_, Aldersgate street.†
NETTLEWELL, a village on the south west side of Harlow.
NEVILL’S _alley_, Fetter lane.†
NEVILL’S _yard_, Church street, Lambeth.†
NEVIS _court_, Near the Upper Ground, Southwark.†
NEW _alley_, In Hoxton.
NEW BEDFORD _court_, Eagle court, Strand.
NEW BELTON _street_, Long Acre.
NEW BLACK RAVEN _court_, Near Chiswell street, Moorfields.*
NEW BOND _street_, a street which consists of handsome new buildings, near Oxford street.
NEW BOSVILE _court_, Carey street, Lincoln’s Inn Fields.†
NEW BROAD _street_, 1. A handsome street inhabited by merchants and other gentlemen; extending from the end of Broad street to Moorfields. 2. Marshal street, Carnaby street.
NEW BUILDINGS, 1. Coleman street. 2. Dunning’s alley, Bishopsgate street without. 3. Feathers alley, in the Maze, Southwark.
NEW BURLINGTON _street_, Swallow street.
NEWBURY’S _Almshouse_, on the north side of Mile-end green, also called the Skinners Almshouses, was erected by that company in the year 1688, pursuant to the will of Lewis Newbury, for twelve poor widows of the Skinners company, who have an allowance of 5_l._ 10_s._ a year, and half a chaldron of coals each.
NEWCASTLE _court_, 1. Butcher Row, by Temple Bar. 2. Newcastle street, by Chick lane.
NEWCASTLE _street_, 1. Chick lane, Smithfield. 2. From Seacoal lane to Fleet market. 3. Whitechapel.
NEW COCK _lane_, 1. Brick lane, Spitalfields.* 2. Swan fields, Shoreditch.*
NEW _court_, 1. Angel alley. 2. Blackman street, Southwark. 3. Bow lane, Cheapside. 4. Bowling alley, Dean’s yard, Westminster. 5. Brown’s street. 6. Canon row, Westminster. 7. Carey street, Lincoln’s Inn Fields. 8. St. Catharine’s court, near the Tower. 9. Fore street, Cripplegate. 10. George yard, Whitechapel. 11. Goswell street, Aldersgate street. 12. New Gravel lane, Shadwell. 13. Old Gravel lane, Ratcliff Highway. 14. Great St. Anne’s lane, by Orchard street, Westminster. 15. Hand alley. 16. Harrow alley, Petticoat lane. 17. Hart street, Crutched Friars. 18. High Holborn. 19. Hog lane. 20. Kent street. 21. Knightsbridge. 22. Lamb alley. 23. Little Broad street. 24. Little Newport street. 25. St. Margaret’s hill. 26. Middle Temple. 27. Moor lane. 28. Narrow street, Ratcliff. 29. Newington Butts. 30. New street. 31. Nightingale lane. 32. Peter street, Westminster. 33. Petticoat lane, Whitechapel. 34. Pig street, Threadneedle street. 35. Quaker street, Spitalfields. 36. Rosemary lane, Tower hill. 37. St. Swithin’s lane, Canon street. 38. Throgmorton street. 39. Wentworth street. 40. White Horse yard. 41. White street. 42. York street.
NEW CRANE, Wapping Wall.
NEW CRANE _stairs_, Wapping.
NEW FISH _street_, By Great Eastcheap.
NEW FISH STREET _hill_, New Fish street.
NEWGATE, is situated 1037 feet south west from Aldersgate, and is thought by most Antiquarians, to be so denominated from its being first erected in the reign of Henry I. several ages after the four original gates of the city: Howel is however of a contrary opinion, and asserts that it was only repaired in the above reign, and that it was anciently denominated Chamberlain gate; tho’ it is very extraordinary, that this gate is not once mentioned before the conquest. But be this as it will, it appears from ancient records, that it was called Newgate, and was a common jail for felons taken in the city of London, or the county of Middlesex, so early as the year 1218; and that so lately as the year 1457, Newgate, and not the Tower, was a prison for the nobility and great officers of state.
At length Newgate being much damaged by the fire of London in 1666, the present beautiful structure was erected. The west side is adorned with three ranges of Tuscan pilasters, with their entablatures, and in the inter-columniations are four niches, in one of which is a figure representing Liberty; the word _Libertas_ is inscribed on her cap, and at her feet lies a cat, in allusion to Sir Richard Whittington, a benefactor to the prison, who is said to have made the first step to his good fortune by a cat.
The inside of the gate is also adorned with a range of pilasters, with their entablatures, and in three niches are the figures of Justice, Mercy and Truth.
The author of _The Review_ observes,
“That Newgate considered as a prison, is a structure of more cost and beauty than was necessary, because the sumptuousness of the outside but aggravates the misery of the wretches within: but as a gate to such a city as London, it might have received considerable additions both of design and execution, and abundantly answered the cost in the reputation of building. The gate of a city erected rather for ornament than use, ought to be in the style of the ancient triumphal arches; and it must be allowed, that hardly any kind of building, admits of more beauty or perfection.”
If Newgate be considered as a prison, it is indeed a very dismal one. It is the county jail for Middlesex, both for debtors and malefactors, as well as the city prison for criminals. The debtor rendered unfortunate by the vicissitudes of trade, or unforeseen losses, has the reproach of being confined in the same prison with the greatest villains; and too often his being in Newgate is imputed by the ignorant to crimes which he abhors. On the other hand, those confined as criminals, are, even before they are found guilty by the laws of their country, packed so close together, that the air being corrupted by their stench and nastiness, occasions a dismal contagious disease, called the Jail distemper, which has frequently carried off great numbers, and even spread its contagion to the Court of Justice, where they take their trials. But to prevent these dreadful effects the city has introduced a ventilator on the top of Newgate, to expel the foul air, and make way for the admission of such as is fresh; and during the sessions herbs are also strewed in the Justice Hall, and the passages to it, to prevent infection.
In this prison there are however commodious and airy apartments for the use of such as are able to pay for them; and the advantage of a private passage behind the houses to Justice Hall in the Old Bailey, where they are in no danger of being rescued, while going to, or coming back from their trials. It is to be wished that this prison was made still more commodious; that the little cells of the malefactors were enlarged and rendered more airy, and that the proposal so often talked of, of building another prison for the debtors, was carried into execution.
NEWGATE MARKET, before the dreadful fire of London, was kept in Newgate street, where there was a market house for meal, and a middle row of sheds, which Maitland says, were afterwards converted into houses, inhabited by butchers, tripesellers, &c. while the country people, who brought provisions to the city, were forced to stand with their stalls in the open street, where their persons and goods were exposed to danger by the passage of coaches, carts, and cattle that passed through the streets. This must be allowed to have been a very inconvenient market, and the houses or sheds in the middle of the street, must almost have choaked up the passage, or at least have rendered it liable to frequent obstructions. At that time Butcher hall lane was filled with slaughter houses for the use of this market, and Blowbladder street was rendered remarkable by blown bladders hanging in the windows of the shops, where bladders were sold.
After the fire of London, which afforded an opportunity of rendering the new streets more commodious than the old ones had been, it was ordered by act of parliament that Newgate market should be removed from the street, and a square was formed on the south side for that purpose, surrounded by decent houses. This square is 194 feet long from east to west, and 148 feet broad from north to south. In the middle is a market house, under which are vaults or cellars, and the upper part of the building is employed as a kind of warehouse for the fruiterers, and the keepers of green stalls by night. In the shops under this building tripe and other things are sold, and in the middle near the market house are sold fruit and greens. At a convenient distance are shops for butchers, the sellers of butter, &c. and the houses beyond these, which extend along the sides of the market, are also taken up by butchers. It may be proper to observe with respect to the butter shops, that some of these contract for the produce of several dairies, and that it is not uncommon for one of these shops to take 30 or 40_l._ for butter alone, in a morning, even before eight or nine o’clock. The passages to the market from Paternoster row and Newgate street, are taken up with poulterers, bacon shops, fishmongers, and cheesemongers.
NEWGATE _street_, is a street of considerable trade, and extends from Blowbladder street, to Newgate.
NEW GEORGE _street_, 1. Near Bethnal green. 2. St. John’s street, Spitalfields.
NEW GRAVEL _lane_, Shadwell. Thus named from the carts loaded with gravel passing through it to the Thames, where the gravel was employed in ballasting of ships, before ballasting was taken out of the river. It obtained the epithet of New, to distinguish it from the Old Gravel lane, which was used for the same purpose long before.
NEWELL _street_, Berwick street, Old Soho.†
NEW JAIL, in Southwark, a prison lately erected near Bridewell alley, in the Borough, for felons in the county of Surry.
NEWINGTON BUTTS, a village in Surry, extending from the end of Blackman street, to Kennington common, is said to receive the name of Butts, from the exercise of shooting at Butts, much practised, both here and in the other towns of England, in the reign of King Henry VIII. &c. to fit men to serve in the regiment of archers. But Mr. Aubrey thinks it received this name from the Butts of Norfolk, who had an estate here. The Drapers and Fishmongers company have almshouses here: and Mr. Whatley observes, that here were planted the first peaches so much esteemed, distinguished by the name of Newington peaches. The church here, which is dedicated to St. Mary, is a rectory in the gift of the Bishop of Winchester, and the profits arising to the Incumbent amount to about 140_l._ _per annum_. _Maitland._ See STOKE NEWINGTON.
NEWINGTON _causeway row_, Blackman street.
NEWINGTON GREEN, a pleasant village between Islington and Stoke Newington, chiefly consisting of a handsome square of a considerable extent surrounded by houses which are in general well built; before each side is a row of trees, and an extensive grass plat in the middle. It is in the parish of Stoke Newington; on one side of the ground is a meeting house. See STOKE NEWINGTON.
NEW INN, contiguous to St. Clement’s Inn, in Wych street, is one of the Inns of Chancery, and was founded about the year 1485, for the reception of the students of an Inn of Chancery, at the south east corner of Seacoal lane.
New Inn is an appendage to the Middle Temple, and is governed by a Treasurer and twelve Ancients, who, with the other members, are to be in commons a week every term, or to compound for the same. _Maitland._
NEW INN _court_, Wych street.
NEW INN _passage_, Houghton street, Clare market.
NEW INN _yard_, Holiwell street, Shoreditch.
NEW _lane_, Shad Thames.
NEWMAN’S _court_, 1. In Cornhill.† 2. Farmer’s street, Shadwell.†
NEWMARKET _street_, Wapping.
NEW MARTEN _street_, Near East Smithfield.†
NEW NICOL _street_, Swanfields, Shoreditch.†
NEW NORTH _street_, Theobald’s row, Red Lion street, Holborn.
NEW PACKTHREAD _alley_, Grange road, Bermondsey.
NEW PACKTHREAD _yard_, Westminster.
NEW PALACE _yard_, by Union street, Westminster. When King Richard II. rebuilt Westminster Hall in the year 1397, that part was called the New Palace, and being inclosed with a wall, it had four gates, of which that leading to Westminster stairs is the only one now standing. The three others that have been demolished were, one on the north, which led to the Woolstaple; another to the west, a beautiful and stately edifice called High Gate, at the east end of Union street; and another at the north end of St. Margaret’s lane. _Maitland._
NEW PARK, in Surry. See RICHMOND.
NEW PARADISE _street_, Rotherhith.
NEW PASSAGE, 1. Bull and Mouth street, St. Martin’s le Grand. 2. Newgate market.
NEW PETER _street_, Peter street.
NEWPORT _alley_, Newport street, near Newport market.
NEWPORT _court_, Little Newport street, near Long Acre.
NEWPORT MARKET, Litchfield street, a square with shops round it, with a market house in the middle, in which are shops for butchers, &c.
NEWPORT _street_, Castle street, near Newport market.
NEW PRISON, near the east end of Clerkenwell green, is a house of correction for the county of Middlesex, in which rogues and vagabonds are kept to hard labour. It was erected in the year 1615.
NEW PRISON _walk_, a passage leading to the New Prison, Clerkenwell.
NEW PUMP _court_, Moor lane, Cripplegate.
NEW PYE _street_, by Orchard street, Westminster.
NEW QUEEN _street_, Oxford street.
NEW RAG FAIR, Rosemary lane, Little Tower hill.
NEW RENTS, 1. Compter lane, St. Margaret’s hill. 2. St. Martin’s le Grand.
NEW RIVER. Various were the projects in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth, and King James I. for supplying the city of London with a sufficient quantity of water, for domestic uses: the former granted an act of parliament, which gave the citizens liberty to cut and convey a river from any part of Middlesex or Hertfordshire to the city of London, within the limited time of ten years; and the latter granted another act, in which they obtained the same power, but without being confined to any limited time: nobody however began this great and important work, till at last Sir Hugh Middleton undertook to bring a river from Amwell in Hertfordshire to the north side of London near Islington.
The work began on the 20th of September 1608, and was attended with innumerable difficulties. The distance from London is twenty miles, and he was obliged, in order to avoid the eminences and vallies in the way, to make it run a course of thirty-eight miles three quarters and sixteen poles, and to carry it over two vallies in long wooden frames or troughs lined with lead; that at Buthill, being six hundred and sixty feet in length, and thirty in height; under which, for the passage of the land waters is an arch capacious enough to admit under it the largest waggon laden with hay, or straw: the other near Highbury is four hundred and sixty-two feet long, and seventeen in height, where it is raised along the top of high artificial banks, and at the bottom of the hollow supported by poles, so that any person may walk under it. In short over and under this river, which sometimes rises thus high, and at others is conveyed under ground, runs several considerable currents of land waters, and both above and below it a great number of brooks, rills, and water courses have their passage.
This river, which is of inestimable benefit to London, was by this truly great man brought to the city within the space of five years, and was admitted into the reservoir near Islington on Michaelmas day 1613; on which day Sir Thomas Middleton, brother to the great Sir Hugh, was elected Lord Mayor for the ensuing year, who accompanying Sir John Swinerton, then Lord Mayor, attended by many of the Aldermen, the Recorder, and other gentlemen, repaired to the bason, now called New River Head, when about sixty labourers, handsomely dressed, and wearing green caps, carrying spades, shovels, and pickaxes, marched, preceded by drums and trumpets, thrice round the bason, when stopping before the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and other gentlemen, who were seated upon an eminence, one of the labourers addressed himself to them in a long copy of verses, which being ended, the sluices were opened, and the stream ran plentifully into the reservoir, under the sound of drums and trumpets, the discharge of several pieces of ordnance, and the loud acclamations of the people.
Sir Hugh Middleton, to enable himself to complete this grand work, had at last, after spending his own fortune, been obliged to apply to King James I. who advancing a sum of money became entitled to a moiety of the profits; he was also obliged to sell many other shares, and in short, was in a manner entirely ruined by a project, that has been attended with unspeakable benefit to this city: since by the water of this river, a speedy stop has been put to a great number of dreadful fires, and the health of the city has been remarkably preserved by the cleanliness it has introduced among us. Yet so little was the great advantages that might then, and are now derived from this river, at that time understood, that for above thirty years there were not divided above 5_l._ odd money, to each of the shares, which are seventy-two in number.
This river now draws most of its water from the Lee, which being the property of the city of London, that corporation, contrary to the interest of the city in general, opposed a bill brought into parliament for giving farther powers to the New River company, to take the advantage that might be obtained by the river Lee: but the opposition was without effect, and in 1738–9 the bill passed into a law.
The Governors of the New River company then agreed with the proprietors of the lands on the river Lee for a cut of two cubic feet of water from that river, at a certain rate; and after the agreement, told them they would double the price for a four foot cut, which the proprietors agreed to, not considering the great disproportion between the two cuts; and this cut of the river Lee now supplies the largest share of the New River water.