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.
By this act the General Post Master was impowered to appoint post houses
in the several parts of the country hitherto unprovided, both in post
and by-roads: the postage of letters to and from all places therein
mentioned was not only ascertained, but likewise the rates of post
horses to be paid by all such as should ride post.
At length, upon the union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland, a
General Post Office was established by act of parliament in the year
1710, not only for the united kingdom of Great Britain, but likewise for
that of Ireland, and her Majesty’s plantations in North America and the
West Indies.
The office of Post Master is at present under the direction of two
Commissioners who have 2000_l._ _per annum_, and are assisted by a
Secretary of 200_l._ a year, who has four Clerks, two of 60_l._ a year,
one of 50_l._ and one of 30_l._
The other officers under the direction of the Post Master General are, a
Receiver General, who has 300_l._ _per annum_, under whom are two
clerks, who have 50_l._ a year each.
An Accomptant General who has 300_l._ _per annum_, and has a Deputy of
90_l._ a year, and three Clerks who have 50_l._ a year each.
A Comptroller of the inland office who has 200_l._ a year, and has a
Deputy of 90_l._ a year. A Solicitor to the post office who has 200_l._
a year; a Resident Surveyor, who has 300_l._ a year; and two Inspectors
of the mis-sent letters who have 100_l._ a year each.
Six Clerks of the roads, viz. Chester, 100_l._ _per annum_; Assistant,
60_l._ West, 60_l._ and Assistant, 60_l._ North, 60_l._ a year, and
Assistant, 60_l._ Bristol, 60_l._ a year, and Assistant 60_l._ Yarmouth,
60_l._ a year, and Assistant, 60_l._ Kent, 60_l._ a year, and Assistant,
50_l._ Notwithstanding the smallness of these salaries; the perquisite
of franking news papers, &c. into the country renders the profits of the
Clerks of the roads very considerable.
A Court Post who has 2_l._ a day; and a deliverer of the letters to the
House of Commons, who has 6_s._ 8_d._ a day.
There is also a Clerk of the by-nights, who has 60_l._ a year, and his
Assistant, 60_l._ Ten sorters, seven of whom have 50_l._ a year, and
three 40_l._ a year each, seven, supernumerary sorters, three at 30_l._
and four at 25_l._ each. A window man and alphabet keeper, who has
60_l._ a year; and several other officers and servants, among whom are
sixty-seven letter carriers at 11_s._ a week.
In the foreign office is a Comptroller, who has 150_l._ a year; an
alphabet keeper, who has 100_l._ _per annum_, a Secretary who has 50_l._
a year; and six Clerks, five of whom have 50_l._ a year each, and one
40_l._ a year.
Rates for carrying Letters by the Post, to any part of Great Britain and
Ireland.
_Double letters to be paid twice as much as single, treble letters three
times as much, and the ounce four times as much as single letters._
Every single letter not exceeding one sheet, to or from any place not
exceeding eighty miles, 3_d._
Every single letter above eighty miles, 4_d._
Every single letter from London to Berwick, or from Berwick to London,
4_d._
Every single letter from Berwick to any place within forty miles
distance, 3_d._
Carriage of every single letter a greater distance than one hundred and
forty miles 6_d._
The port of every single letter to or from Edinburgh, and to and from
Dumfries or Cockburnsperth, and between either of those places and
Edinburgh, not coming from on ship-board, 6_d._
The port of every single letter from Edinburgh to or from any place
within fifty miles distance in Scotland, 2_d._
The port of every single letter a farther distance, and not exceeding
eighty miles within Scotland, 3_d._
The port of every single letter above eighty miles within Scotland,
4_d._
Between Donachaddee in Ireland and Port-Patrick in Scotland for port of
letters and packets (over and above the inland rates) to be paid at the
place where delivered; single letter, 2_d._
The carriage of every single letter from England to Dublin, in Ireland,
or from Dublin into England, 6_d._
The carriage of every single letter from Dublin to any place within
forty miles distance, or from any place within the like distance to
Dublin, 2_d._
The carriage of every letter a farther distance than forty miles, 4_d._
And for the port of all and every the letters and packets directed or
brought from on ship-board, over and above the said rates, 1_d._
The several rates for the carriage of Letters, Packets, and Parcels; to
or from any parts or places beyond the seas, are as follow; viz.
_Double letters to be paid for twice as much as single, treble letters
three times as much, the ounce four times as much as the single
letters._
All letters and packets coming from any part of France to London. Single
10_d._
All letters or packets passing from London through France, to any part
of Spain or Portugal (port paid to Bayonne) and from Spain and Portugal
through France to London, 1_s._ 6_d._ single, double 3_s._
All letters and packets passing from London through France, to any part
of Italy or Sicily by the way of Lyons, or to any part of Turky, by the
way of Marseilles, and from any of those parts thro’ France to London.
Single 1_s._ 3_d._
All letters and packets coming from any part of the Spanish Netherlands
to London. Single 10_d._
All letters and packets passing from London through the Spanish
Netherlands to any part of Italy or Sicily (port paid to Antwerp), and
from any port of Italy or Sicily, through the Spanish Netherlands unto
London. Single 1_s._
All letters and packets passing from London through the Spanish
Netherlands to any part of Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, and
all parts of the North, and from any of those parts through the Spanish
Netherlands unto London. Single 1_s._
All letters and packets passing from London through the Spanish
Netherlands to any part of Spain or Portugal; and from any part of Spain
or Portugal, through the Spanish Netherlands to London. Single 1_s._
6_d._
All letters and packets passing from any part of the United Provinces to
London. Single 10_d._
All letters and packets passing from London through the United
Provinces, for any part of Italy or Sicily, and from any part of Italy
or Sicily, through the United Provinces, to London. Single 1_s._
All letters and packets passing from London through the United
Provinces, to any part of Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, and all
parts of the North; and from any of those parts and places, through the
United Provinces, to London. Single 1_s._
All letters and packets passing from London through the United
Provinces, to any part of Spain or Portugal; and from any part of Spain
or Portugal, through the United Provinces, to London. Single 1_s._ 6_d._
All letters and packets passing from London through the Spanish
Netherlands or the United Provinces, to Hamburgh (port paid to Antwerp
or Amsterdam) and from Hamburgh through the Spanish Netherlands, or the
United Provinces, to London. Single 10_d._
All letters and packets passing between London, Spain, or Portugal, by
packet boats. Single 1_s._ 6_d._
All letters and packets passing from London to Jamaica, Barbadoes,
Antigua, Montserrat, Nevis, and St. Christopher’s, in America, and from
any of those parts to London. Single 1_s._ 6_d._
All letters and packets from London to New York, in North America, and
from thence to London. Single 1_s._
All letters and packets from any part of the West Indies, to New York
aforesaid. Single 4_d._
All letters and packets from New York to any place within sixty English
miles thereof, and thence back to New York. Single 4_d._
All letters and packets from New York to Perth Amboy, the chief town in
East New Jersey, and to Bridlington, the chief town in West New Jersey,
and from each of those places back to New York, and from New York to any
place not exceeding one hundred English miles, and from each of those
places to New York. Single 6_d._
All letters and packets from Perth Amboy and Bridlington, to any place
not exceeding sixty English miles, and thence back again. Single 4_d._
All letters and packets from Perth Amboy and Bridlington, to any place
not exceeding one hundred English miles, and thence back again. Single
6_d._
All letters and packets from New York to New London, the chief town in
Connecticut in New England, and to Philadelphia, the chief town in
Pensilvania, and from those places back to New York. Single 9_d._
All letters and packets from New London and Philadelphia, to any place
not exceeding sixty English miles, and thence back again. Single 4_d._