Part 8

THREE TUNS _court_, 1. Crooked lane.* 2. Brown’s street.* 3. Halfmoon alley.* 4. Hart street, Mark lane.* 5. Ivy lane, Newgate street.* 6. St. Margaret’s hill, Southwark.* 7. St Michael’s lane, Great Eastcheap.* 8. Moorfields.* 9. Nightingale lane East Smithfield.* 10. Old Castle street, Wentworth street.* 11. Redcross street, Cripplegate.* 12. Threadneedle street.*

THREE TUNS _yard_, Cloth fair, Smithfield.*

THREE TWISTERS _alley_, Bunhill row.*

THRIFT _street_, Soho.†

THRIFT’S _alley_, Spring street.†

THROGMORTON _street_, extends from Broad street to the end of Bartholomew lane.

THROWSTERS _yard_, Lamb alley.

THRUM _street_, King street, Cheapside.

THRUM _yard_, Sutton street.

THUNDERBOLT _alley_, Windmill row. Upper Moorfields.

THWAIT’S _rents_, Newington Causeway.†

TICHBOURN _court_, 1. Holbourn.† 2. Vine yard, Drury lane.†

TICHFIELD _street_, 1. Chapel street: 2. Margaret street.†

TIDEWAITERS _court_, Little Minories.

TILBURY, or WEST TILBURY, a very ancient town in Essex, situated near the Thames; here the four proconsular ways made by the Romans, crossed each other, and in the year 630, this was the see of a bishop named Ceadda, who converted the East Saxons, In the reigns of Edward I. Edward II. and Edward III. it was held of the crown by the family of the Tilburies, and from them probably took its name. It is situated by level unhealthy marshes called the Three Hundreds, which are rented by the farmers, salesmen and grazing butchers of London, who generally stock them with Lincolnshire and Leicestershire weathers, which are sent hither from Smithfield in September and October, and fed here till Christmas or Candlemas; and this is what the butchers call right marsh mutton.

TILBURY _fort_, is situated in the marsh on the bank of the Thames, at some distance from the above town, from which it took its name, and is placed opposite to Gravesend. It is a regular fortification, and may justly be termed the key of the city of London. The plan was laid by Sir Martin Beckman, chief engineer to King Charles II. who also designed the works at Sheerness. It was intended to be a pentagon, but the water bastion was never built.

The foundation is laid upon piles driven down in two ranges, one over the other, which reach below the channel of the river, and the lowermost being pointed with iron, enter the solid chalk rock, which extends under the Thames and joins to the chalk hills on the other side. The esplanade of the sort is very large, and the bastions which are faced with brick are said to be the largest of any in England. It has a double moat, the innermost of which is 180 feet broad; with a good counterscarp, a covered way, ravelins, and terails. On the land side are also two small redoubts of brick; but its chief strength on that side consists in its being able to lay the whole level under water, and by that means to render it impossible for an enemy to carry on approaches that way.

On the side next the river is a very strong curtain, with a noble gate, called the water-gate in the middle, and the ditch is palisadoed. Before this curtain is a platform in the place of a counterscarp, on which are planted 106 cannon, carrying from 24 to 46 pounds each, besides smaller ones planted between them; and the bastions and curtains are also planted with guns. Here likewise is a high tower called the blockhouse, which is said to have been built in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

TILERS and BRICKLAYERS, a fraternity of considerable antiquity, though it was not incorporated till the year 1568, when Queen Elizabeth granted them letters patent.

This company consists of a master, two wardens, thirty-eight assistants, and 103 liverymen, who, upon their admission, pay a fine of 12_l._

They have a convenient hall in a court in Leadenhall street. _Maitland._

TILT _yard_, Whitehall. So called from the tilts and tournaments formerly used there. _Maitland._

TIN PLATE WORKERS, a company incorporated by letters patent granted by King Charles II. in the year 1670; by the name of _the master, wardens, assistants and commonalty of the art and mystery of Tin_ _Plate Workers_, alias _Wire Workers of the city of London_.

This fraternity is governed by a master, two wardens, and twenty assistants; but has neither hall nor livery. _Maitland._

TINDERBOX _alley_, Norton Falgate.

TINDERBOX _court_, White Lion yard.

TITE’S _alley_, Limehouse.†

TITTENHANGER, three miles south-east of St. Albans, is situated near Colney, and is a very handsome seat belonging to Sir Henry Pope Blunt, Bart.

TITMOUSE _alley_, Farmer’s street, Shadwell.

TITUS’S _court_, Holbourn hill.†

TOBACCOPIPE _alley_, 1. Little St. Anne’s lane.* 2. Sun yard, Nightingale lane, East Smithfield.*

TOBACCOPIPE MAKERS, a company incorporated by letters patent, granted by King Charles II. in the year 1663.

They are governed by a master, two wardens, and eighteen assistants; but have neither hall nor livery. _Maitland._

TOBACCOPIPE _yard_, Old Gravel lane, Ratcliff Highway.*

TOBACCO ROLL _court_, 1. Gracechurch street*, 2. Long _alley_, Moorfields.*

TOBACCO ROLL _yard_, Sun yard, Nightingale lane.*

TOKENHOUSE _yard_, 1. Leadenhall street: 2. A very handsome place in Lothbury, chiefly inhabited by merchants.

TOM’S _yard_, Whitechapel.†

TONGUE’S _alley_, Whitechapel.†

TONGUE’S _yard_, Whitechapel.†

TONSON’S _wharf_, Puddle Dock.†

TOOLEY’S _gate_, Tooley street.†

TOOLEY’S _gate yard_, Tooley street.†

TOOLEY’S _stairs_, Tooley street.†

TOOLEY _street_, the first street in Southwark next London Bridge.†

TOOLEY’S _Watergate_, Tooley street.†

TOOLEY’S _Watergate stairs_, Tooley street.†

TORMENT _hill_, Broadway.

TOTHIL _court_, Tothil street.

TOTHILFIELDS, Peter street, Westminster.

TOTHILFIELDS SCHOOL, situated in Rochester row, Tothilfields, was founded by Emery Hill, Esq; in the year 1667, for the instruction of twenty boys of the parish of St. Margaret, Westminster, in english, latin, writing and arithmetic. _Maitland._

TOTHIL SIDE, Tothilfields.

TOTHIL _street_, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster.

TOTTENHAM COURT, a pleasant village situated between St. Giles’s and Hampstead.

TOTTENHAM _court road_, St. Giles’s.

TOTTENHAM HIGH CROSS, a village on the west side of the river Lea, five miles north-east from London in the road to Ware. David King of Scotland being possessed of this manor, after it had belonged to the Earls of Northumberland and Chester, gave it to the monastery of the Trinity in London; but Henry VIII. granted it to William Lord Howard of Effingham, who being afterwards attainted, it reverted again to the King, who then granted it to the dean and chapter of St. Paul’s to whom it still belongs. The present Earl of Northumberland and the Lord Colerain have seats here, and there are also a great number of pretty houses belonging to the citizens of London, the church stands on a hill, which has a little river called the Mosel at the bottom, to the west, north and east.

The parish is divided into four wards, viz. 1. Nether ward, in which stands the parsonage and vicarage: 2. Middle ward, comprehending Church end, and Marsh street. 3. High Cross ward, containing the hall, the mill, Page green, and the High cross; and 4. Wood Green ward, which comprehends all the rest of the parish, and is bigger than the three other wards put together.

The cross, which gives name to the place, was once much higher than it is at present, and upon that spot Queen Eleanor’s corps was rested, when on the road from Lincolnshire to London. St. Loy’s well, in this parish, is said to be always full, and never to run over; and the people report many strange cures performed at Bishop’s Well. In 1596, an almshouse was founded here by one Zancher, a Spaniard, the first confectioner ever known in this kingdom. Here are also a free-school, and a charity school for twenty-two girls, who are cloathed and taught.

TOWER _of London_, on the east side of the city, near the Thames. This edifice, at first consisted of no more than what is at present called the White Tower; and without any credible authority, has been vulgarly said to have been built by Julius Cæsar; though there is the strongest evidence of its being marked out, and a part of it first erected by William the Conqueror in the year 1076, doubtless with a view to secure to himself and followers a safe retreat, in case the English should ever have recourse to arms to recover their liberties. That this was the Conqueror’s design, evidently appears from its situation on the east side of London, and its communication with the Thames, whence it might be supplied with men, provisions, and military stores, and it even still seems formed for a place of defence rather than offence.

However the death of the Conqueror in 1087, about eight years after he had begun this fortress, for some time prevented its progress, and left it to be completed by his son William Rufus, who in 1098 surrounded it with walls, and a broad and deep ditch, which was in some places 120 feet wide, several of the succeeding Princes added additional works, and Edward III. built the church.

Since the restoration, it has been thoroughly repaired: in 1663 the ditch was scoured; all the wharfing about it was rebuilt with brick and stone, and sluices made for letting in and retaining the Thames water as occasion may require: the walls of the White Tower, have been repaired; and a great number of additional buildings have been added. At present, besides the White Tower, are the offices of Ordnance, of the Mint, of the keepers of the records, the jewel office, the Spanish armoury, the horse armoury, the new or small armoury, barracks for the soldiers, handsome houses for the chief officers residing in the Tower, and other persons; so that the Tower now seems rather a town than a fortress. Lately new barracks were also erected on the Tower wharf; and the ditch was in the year 1758, railed round to prevent for the future those melancholy accidents which have frequently happened to people passing over Tower Hill in the dark.

The Tower is in the best situation that could have been chosen for a fortress, it lying only 800 yards to the eastward of London Bridge, and consequently near enough to cover this opulent city from invasion by water. It is to the north of the river Thames, from which it is parted by a convenient wharf and narrow ditch, over which is a drawbridge, for the readier taking in or sending out ammunition and naval or military stores. Upon this wharf is a line of about sixty pieces of iron cannon, which are fired upon days of state.

Parallel to this part of the wharf upon the walls is a platform seventy yards in length called the Ladies line, from its being much frequented in summer evenings by the ladies, as on the inside it is shaded with a row of lofty trees, and without affords a fine prospect of the shipping, and of the boats passing and repassing the river. The ascent to this line is by stone steps, and being once upon it, you may walk almost round the Tower walls without interruption, in doing which you will pass three batteries, the first called the Devil’s battery, where is a platform, on which are mounted seven pieces of cannon: the next is named the Stone battery, and defended by eight pieces of cannon; and the last, called the Wooden battery is mounted with six pieces of cannon: all these are brass, and nine pounders.

But to return to the wharf, which is divided from Tower Hill at each end, by gates opened every morning for the convenience of a free intercourse between the respective inhabitants of the tower, the city, and its suburbs. From this wharf is an entrance for persons on foot over the drawbridge, already mentioned; and also a water-gate under the Tower wall, commonly called Traitor’s Gate, through which it has been customary, for the greater privacy, to convey traitors and other state prisoners by water, to and from the Tower: the water of the ditch having here a communication with the Thames, by means of a stone bridge on the wharf. However the Lords committed to the Tower for the last rebellion, were publicly admitted at the main entrance. Over this water-gate, is a regular building terminated at each end by a round tower, on which are embrasures for cannon, but at present none are mounted there. In this building are an infirmary, a mill, and the water-works that supply the Tower with water.

The principal entrance into the Tower is by two gates to the west, one within the other, and both large enough to admit coaches and heavy carriages. Having passed thro’ the first of these you proceed over a strong stone bridge, built over the ditch, which on the right-hand leads to the lions tower, and to a narrow passage to the draw bridge on the wharf, while on the left-hand is a kind of street in which is the Mint. The second gate is at a small distance beyond the lions tower, and is much stronger than the first, it has a portcullis to let down upon occasion, and is guarded not only by some soldiers, but by the warders of the Tower, whose dress and appearance will be immediately described.

_The Officers of the Tower._ The principal of these to whom the government of the Tower is committed, are, first the Constable of the Tower, who has 1000_l._ _per annum_, and is usually a person of quality, as his post at all coronations and state ceremonies, is of the utmost importance, and as the crown and other regalia are in his custody: he has under him a Lieutenant, and a deputy Lieutenant; these officers are likewise of great dignity; the first has 700_l._ a year, and the last, who is commonly called the Governor of the Tower, has 1_l._ a day. The other officers are, a tower-major, a chaplain, a physician, a gentleman-porter, a yeoman-porter, a gentleman-jailer, four quarter-gunners, and forty warders, who wear the same uniform as the King’s yeomen of the guard. They have round flat crowned caps, with bands of party-coloured ribbands: Their coats, which are of a particular make, but very becoming, have large sleeves, and very full skirts gathered round, somewhat in the manner of a petticoat. These coats are of fine scarlet cloth, laced round the edges and seams with several rows of gold lace, and girt round their waists with a broad laced girdle. Upon their breasts and backs they wear the King’s silver badge, an embroidered thistle and rose, and the letters G. R. in very large capitals.

_The ceremony at opening and shutting the gates._ This is done every morning and night with great formality. A little before six in the morning in summer, and as soon as it is well light in winter, the yeoman-porter goes to the Governor’s house for the keys, and from thence proceeds back to the innermost gate, attended by a serjeant and six of the main guard. This gate being opened to let them pass, is again shut; while the yeoman-porter and the guard proceed to open the outermost gates, at each of which the guards rest their firelocks, as do the spur-guard, while the keys pass and repass. The yeoman-porter then returning to the innermost gate, calls to the warders in waiting to take in King George’s keys; whereupon the gate is opened, and the keys lodg’d in the warders hall, till the time of locking them up again, which is usually about ten or eleven at night, with the same formality as when opened. After they are shut, the yeoman and guard proceed to the main guard, who are all under arms, with the officers upon duty at their head. The usual challenge from the main guard is, _Who comes here?_ To which the yeoman-porter answers _The keys_. The challenger returns _Pass keys_, and the officer orders the guard to rest their firelocks; upon which the yeoman-porter says, _God save King George_, and _Amen_ is loudly answered by all the guard. The yeoman-porter then proceeds with his guard to the Governor’s, where the keys are left; after which no person can go out, or come in upon any pretence whatsoever till the next morning, without the watch-word for the night, which is kept so secret, that none but the proper officers, and the serjeant upon guard, ever come to the knowledge of it; for it is the same on the same night, in every fortified place throughout England. But when that is given by any stranger to the centinel at the spur-guard, or outer gate, he communicates it to his serjeant, who passes it to the next on duty, and so on till it comes to the Governor, or commanding officer, by whom the keys are delivered to the yeoman-porter, who, attended as before, the main guard being put under arms, brings them to the outer gate, where the stranger is admitted, and conducted to the Governor; when having made known his business, he is conducted back to the outer gate; and dismissed, the gate shut, and the keys delivered again with the same formality as at first. It is happy for us that all this seems mere form and parade; but it is however fit that all this ceremony should be duly observed.

_The Lions Tower._ In examining the curiosities of the Tower, it will be proper to begin with those on the outside the principal gate, the first thing a stranger, usually goes to visit is the wild beasts, which from their situation first present themselves: for having entered the outer gate, and passed what is called the spur-guard, the keeper’s house presents itself before you, which is known by a painted lion on the wall, and another over the door which leads to their dens; and by ringing a bell, and paying six pence each person, you may easily gain admittance.

At your entrance, you come to a range of dens in the form of an half moon. These dens are rooms about twelve or thirteen feet high, divided into two apartments, the upper and the lower. In the upper apartment the beasts generally live in the day, and at night retire into the lower to rest: you view them through large iron grates, like those before the windows of a prison; so that you may see them with the utmost safety, be they ever so savage. Some of these dens are empty, and other inhabited by lionesses of different ages, who are here kept with the utmost care, particularly while young; for hardly any creature is more tender than a lion’s whelp, and they would here infallibly perish, were they not immediately taken from their dams as soon as whelped; for even in Barbary, where they are a part of the inhabitants of the woods and forests, many of them die in strong convulsions, from the pain they suffer in breeding their teeth. Those bred in the Tower are kept twelve months in a warm room, and fed mostly with milk diet, before they are put into their dens: when about five or six weeks old, they are as gentle as a lamb; but it is observed, that their savage nature gradually increases with their growth, which at three years is at the full, and then they seem as fierce as those brought from abroad.

The first they shew is Dido, a beautiful lioness, about twelve years of age; and the next is a young lioness from Africa, that used to play with her keeper like a puppy. She was taken by a negroe boy, as she was drinking in the river Gambia, on the coast of Africa, when no bigger than a cat; for the boy being sent to fetch water, found her without her dam, and carried her home: but the dam afterwards coming in search of her, and not finding her, ran roaring about, and killed several negroes, the cattle and every living thing that came in her way. The boy and the lioness were bought by the French, but being taken in their passage to Europe, were sent to the Tower, where she seemed incredibly fond of the young negroe.

After having seen another lioness or two, you are conducted to another range, where you are shewn a fine leopard, and three most beautiful tygers. The tyger, in shape resembles a cat, only is much larger, and when wild is extremely fierce and ravenous, it lurks in the woods, and seizes its prey by a sudden spring, and men in traversing the desarts, are frequently surprized by this animal. These tygers are finely spotted or streaked with black upon a yellowish ground. They are full of play, and leap a prodigious height, when, like a cat, they are playing their gambols. As to the leopard, he is a most beautiful creature; his colour is a shining yellow, finely interspersed with bright spots. No description can give the reader a complete idea of these beasts; for every image that words can convey, must fall short of that original beauty stamped upon them by nature.

Having satisfied your curiosity with the sight of these extraordinary beasts, you are shewn a variety of birds, among which is a golden eagle, a noble bird that has been kept here above ninety years; besides which there are other eagles from different countries, all of them having something different in their shape or colour, by which a curious observer may easily distinguish them.

You are next shewn an horned owl, which is a very surprizing bird, and as there is not perhaps such another in England, we shall give a particular description of it. Its head seems full as big as that of a cat, and its eyes, which are large, have circles round them of a bright shining gold colour. The feathers that compose the horns begin just above the eyes, and rise intermixed with a little white; but as they extend beyond the head, become of a red brown clouded with a more dusky colour, and are tipp’d with black. The spaces round the eyes, which compose the face, are of a light brown, confusedly mixed with orange colour, gradually becoming more dusky as it borders on the eyes. The top of the head, neck, back, wings, and upper side of the tail are of a dark brown, spotted and intermixed with some confused transverse small lines of ash colour and reddish. The great wing-feathers, and the tail, are barred across with dusky bars of half an inch in breadth, more or less; but between the back and wings the feathers are of an ash colour. The fore part of the neck and breast are a bright brown, inclining to orange, which gradually grows fainter on the sides. This brown part is spotted with pretty large dark spots, and intermixed between them, with the same dusky colour. The middle of the breast, belly, thighs, and under side of the tail are a faint ash colour, pretty regularly barred transversely with dusky lines; and the inside of the wings are coloured and variegated in the same manner: the legs and toes, almost to the ends are covered with light ash coloured feathers, and the ends of the toes and the claws, are of a dark horn colour, and very strong and sharp.

From these extraordinary birds you are conducted to a den where you are shewn the Great Pompey, the finest and largest lion ever seen in England; he is about twelve years of age, and of a noble and majestic appearance. His head is large, and his neck covered with a long shagged mane that reaches to his shoulders. He is of a yellowish colour, and about four feet high; his body is small in proportion to his head; but his legs have the appearance of amazing strength; his large muscles being very visible. The bones of his fore-legs seem about the thickness of a man’s wrist, and his fore-feet are armed with five prodigious claws, sheathed like those of a cat, with which he seizes his prey like that animal; but his hinder feet have only four. He seems very gentle and tractable to his feeder, and will lie down and let him play with him like a spaniel.