the affair before his present Majesty, who, to promote so good a work,
granted his letters patent in the year 1732, directing that three pence
in the pound be deducted from the pay and half-pay of all commission and
warrant officers of the navy; and to appoint the Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty, the Treasurer, Commissioners, Paymaster, and Cashier of
the navy, for the time being, twenty Captains, ten Lieutenants, five
Masters, five Boatswains, five Gunners, five Carpenters, five Pursers,
and five Surgeons of the navy, the eldest of their respective stations,
to be Governors of this corporation: out of whom are appointed a
President, two Vice Presidents, a Treasurer, and fifteen Assistants, as
a committee for the management of all the affairs belonging to this
charity.
The first Commissioner of the Admiralty is to be always President; and
the Treasurer of the navy to be always the Treasurer; but the two Vice
Presidents, and fifteen Assistants, are to be elected annually.
By the orders of this generous corporation, no officer or servant
employed therein, is to receive any salary, reward, or gratuity; the
whole business being transacted _gratis_.
The first step taken by the Governors was providing for the widows whose
husbands died after the date of the above letters patent; who, in the
first year amounted to twenty-four, to whom pensions were allowed,
according to the following regulations, viz. To the widow of a Captain,
45_l._ _per annum_; to the widow of a Lieutenant or Master, 30_l._ and
to the widow of a Boatswain, Gunner, Carpenter, Purser, Surgeon, second
Master of a yacht, or Master of a naval vessel appointed by the navy
board, 20_l._ _per annum_.
The Lords Commissioners afterwards commiserating the unhappy
circumstances of many poor widows, whose husbands died before this
corporation was established, and therefore could receive no benefit from
the fund which was justly appropriated to the relief of the widows of
those officers who had paid to its support, renewed their application to
his Majesty, who recommended their case to the Parliament; upon which it
was enacted, that one seaman should be allowed upon the books of every
ship of war, in the sea-pay in every hundred men that its complement
should consist of, and that the produce of the wages of such seamen, and
the value of their victuals should be given and applied towards the
relief of poor widows of commission and warrant officers of the royal
navy.
SEACOAL _lane_, extends from Snow hill to Fleet lane. Stowe thinks it was
originally called Limeburners lane, and that it took its present name
from the burning of lime there with sea coal.
SEAHORSE _alley_, Durham yard, in the Strand.*
SEARLE’S _square_, Lincoln’s Inn.†
SEARLE’S _street_, Carey street, Lincoln’s Inn.†
SEARLE’S _wharf_, near White Friars.†
_Office of sick and hurt_ SEAMEN, _and for taking care of_ PRISONERS OF
WAR, on Tower hill, is under the government of four Commissioners, the
first of whom has 400_l._ _per annum_, and 65_l._ for house rent; and
the other three 300_l._ a year. The officers under these Commissioners
are, a Secretary, who has 200_l._ _per annum_; a first Clerk, who has
100_l._ a year; and three inferior Clerks, who have 60_l._ a year.
_Office for sick and maimed_ SEAMEN IN THE MERCHANTS SERVICE, in the Royal
Exchange. The corporation who provide for these objects of distress,
consists of a number of merchants, who were incorporated on the 24th of
June 1747, and are governed by a President, and a Council of twenty-one.
SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE, Whitehall. The Kings of England had anciently
no more than one Secretary of state, till about the end of the reign of
Henry VIII. when it was thought proper that this important office should
be discharged by two persons of equal authority, both stiled _Principal
Secretaries of state_.
At that time they did not sit at the council board; but having prepared
their business in a room adjoining to the council chamber, they came in,
and stood on either hand of the King; when nothing was done till they
had gone through with their proposals. But Queen Elizabeth seldom coming
to council, that method was laid aside, and the Secretaries took their
places as Privy Counsellors, which dignity they have enjoyed ever since,
and a Council is seldom, or never, held without the presence of, at
least, one of them.
Their employment rendering their office a place of extraordinary trust,
this, together with the multiplicity of their business, places them in a
distinguished light, both in respect to the King and the people: for
they attend almost every day upon his Majesty, as occasion requires; the
petitions of the people are for the most part lodged in their hands, to
be presented to the King; and, in return, they make the dispatches,
according to his Majesty’s answers and determinations.
The correspondence to all parts of Great Britain without distinction,
relating to the church, the army, the militia, grants, pardons,
dispensations, &c. is managed by either of the Secretaries. But as to
foreign affairs, all the nations that have any intercourse with Great
Britain, are divided by them into two provinces, the northern and
southern, each being under one of the Secretaries, as his separate
department. They have this special honour, that if either of them be a
Baron, he takes place, and has the precedence of all other persons of
the same degree, tho’ by creation they might have a right to precede
him: but if he is above the degree of a Baron, he then takes place only
according to the seniority of his creation.
Each of the Secretaries have lodgings appointed for them in all the
King’s houses; both for their own accommodation, for their office, and
for those that attend upon it. They have each a salary of 3000_l._ a
year; which, added to their lawful perquisites, is said to make their
places worth 8000_l._ _per annum_ each.
The Secretaries and Clerks they employ under them are wholly at their
own choice, and have no dependence upon any other person. These are,
In the northern department, two Under Secretaries and Keepers of state
papers, a first Clerk, and ten other Clerks, a Gazette writer, who has
300_l._ _per annum_; and a Secretary for the Latin tongue, whose salary
is 200_l._ a year.
In the southern department are, two Under Secretaries, a first Clerk,
seven other Clerks; and a Law Clerk to both, who has a salary of 400_l._
_per annum_.
The Secretaries of state have also the custody of the King’s seal,
called the signet; the use and application of which gives denomination
to another office, called the Signet office. See the article SIGNET
OFFICE.
There is also another office depending on the Secretaries of state,
called the Paper office; for which see that article.
SEDGWICK’S _rents_, London Wall.†
SEDGWICK’S _yard_, London Wall.†
SEETHING _lane_, Tower street.
_St._ SEPULCHRE’S, on the north side of the top of Snow hill near Newgate,
and in the ward of Faringdon without, owes its name to its being
dedicated in commemoration of Christ’s sepulchre at Jerusalem. It is of
great antiquity, and was probably founded during the time, when all
Europe were employed in crusades to the holy land; however, about the
beginning of the twelfth century, it was given by the Bishop of
Salisbury to the Prior and Canons of St. Bartholomew in Smithfield, who,
in virtue of that grant, had the right of advowson till the dissolution
of their monastery, when coming to the Crown, it continued therein till
King James I. in the year 1610, granted the rectory and its
appurtenances, with the advowson of the vicarage, to Francis Philips and
others; after which the rectory with its appurtenances were purchased by
the parishioners, to be held in fee-farm of the Crown, while the
advowson was obtained by the President and Fellows of St. John Baptist’s
college in Oxford, in whom the patronage still continues. _Dugd. Mon.
Ang._
The present structure was much damaged, though not destroyed by the fire
of London; after which it was thoroughly repaired in 1670, when nothing
of the old building, except the walls, was suffered to remain, and not
those entirely.
This is a very spacious church, it being 126 feet long, besides a broad
passage through at the west end; the breadth is fifty-eight feet,
exclusive of the north chapel; the height of the roof in the middle isle
is thirty-five feet, and the height of the steeple to the top of the
pinacles, is 146 feet. The whole length of the side is in a manner taken
up by a row of very large Gothic windows, with buttresses between, over
which runs a slight cornice, and on the top a plain and substantial
battlement work. The steeple is a plain square tower crowned with four
pinacles.
The wall of this church yard, till very lately, extended so far into the
street all along the south side of the church, as to render the passage
narrow and dangerous; but after the church yard on that side had been
shut up about fourteen years, it was levelled, and laid open to the
street in the beginning of the present year 1760.
The Vicar of this church, besides other advantages, receives 200_l._ in
money in lieu of tithes.
Munday, in his edition of Stow’s Survey, mentions the following
monumental inscription in this church.
Qualis vita, finis ita.
Here under lyes the wonder of her kinde,
The quintessence of nature and of grace,
Wit, beauty, bounty, and (in noble race
The rarest jewel) a right humble minde,
Here lyes her body, but her soule refin’d
Above th’empyreall, hath imperial place,
In bliss so boundlesse, as no words embrace,
Nor art can feigne, nor mortal heart can finde.
Her fame remaines a monument of honour,
Built by her virtue, gilt with purest gold,
With lilly flowers and roses strewed upon her.
Her epitaph.
Urania thus enrol’d:
Milde childe, chaste mayden, and religious wife:
The even crownes the day, Joane Essex’ death her life.
Before we conclude this article, it may be proper to observe, that in
the year 1605, Mr. Robert Dew gave by deed of gift, fifty pounds to this
parish, on condition that for ever after, a person should go to Newgate,
in the still of the night before every execution day, and standing as
near the cells of the condemned prisoners as possible, should, with a
hand bell, (which he also gave for that purpose) give twelve solemn
tolls with double strokes, and then after a proper pause, deliver with
an audible voice the following words:
“You prisoners that are within,
Who for wickedness and sin,
After many mercies shewn you, are now appointed to die to-morrow
in the forenoon, give ear and understand, that to-morrow morning
the greatest bell of St. Sepulchre’s shall toll for you in form
and manner of a passing bell, as used to be tolled for those at
the point of death: to the end that all godly people hearing
that bell, and knowing it is for your going to your deaths, may
be stirred up heartily to pray to God to bestow his grace and
mercy upon you whilst you live.
“I beseech you, for Jesus Christ’s sake, to keep this night in
watching and prayer, for the salvation of your own souls, while
there is yet time and place for mercy; as knowing to-morrow you
must appear before the judgment seat of your Creator, there to
give an account of all things done in this life, and to suffer
eternal torments for your sins committed against him, unless
upon your hearty and unfeigned repentance, you find mercy
through the merits, death, and passion of your only mediator and
advocate Jesus Christ, who now sits at the right hand of God to
make intercession for as many of you as penitently return to
him.”
He likewise ordered that St. Sepulchre’s great bell should toll, till it
was supposed these unhappy prisoners were executed; and that as the
criminals passed by the wall of St. Sepulchre’s church yard, to
execution, the same bellman should look over it, and say:
“All good people, pray heartily unto God for these poor sinners,
who are now going to their death, for whom this great bell doth
toll.
“You that are condemned to die, repent with lamentable tears:
ask mercy of the Lord for the salvation of your own souls,
through the merits, death, and passion of Jesus Christ, who now
sits at the right hand of God, to make intercession for as many
of you as penitently return unto him.”
“Lord, have mercy upon you,
Christ, have mercy upon you,
Lord, have mercy upon you,
Christ, have mercy upon you.”
For this service the bellman or sexton receives 1_l._ 6_s._ 8_d._ a
year; but upon these occasions there is generally so much noise, that
nobody can hear one word that the bellman says.
_St._ SEPULCHRE’S _alley_, a passage by the east end of St. Sepulchre’s
church. SERGEANTS AT LAW. The highest degree of lawyers under a Judge.
The young student in the common law, when admitted to be of one of the
inns of court, is called a _Moot-man_, and after about seven years
study, is chosen an Utter Barrister, and is then capable of being made a
Sergeant at law.
When the number of Sergeants is small, the Lord Chief Justice of the
Common Pleas, by the advice and consent of the other Judges, chuses
about six or eight of the most learned persons of the Inns of court, and
presents their names to the Lord Chancellor, or Lord Keeper, who sends
to each of them the King’s writ to appear on a particular day before the
King, to receive the degree of a Sergeant at law.
At the time appointed, they being dressed in robes of two colours, brown
and blue, they go, attended by the students of the Inns of court, with a
train of servants and retainers, dressed in peculiar liveries, to
Westminster hall, where they publicly take a solemn oath, and are
cloathed with robes and coifs, without which they are from thenceforward
never to appear in public. After this they give a great entertainment to
the principal persons of the nation; and present gold rings to the
Princes of the blood, the Archbishops, the Lord Chancellor, and the
Treasurer, to the value of forty shillings each ring; to the Earls and
Bishops rings of 20_s._ and to other great officers, Barons, &c. rings
of less value, besides a great number of rings to their private friends.
Out of these Sergeants are chosen the Judges of the King’s Bench and
Common Pleas.
SERGEANTS INN, on the south side of Fleet street, almost opposite to the
end of Fetter lane. It consists of a court surrounded with handsome new
buildings, among which are the Society’s chapel and hall; and a very
handsome edifice belonging to the Amicable Society.
The officers belonging to this Inn, are, a Steward, a Master Cook, and a
Chief Butler.
SERGEANTS INN, Chancery lane, near the end next Fleet street, consists of
two courts, a small hall, and a convenient kitchen; but the buildings
are low and mean.
The officers of this Inn are, also, a Steward, a Master Cook, and a
Chief Butler.
SERGEANTS INN _court_, 1. Chancery lane. 2. Fleet street.
SERMON _lane_, 1. Limehouse. 2. Little Carter lane.
SERSNET _alley_, Narrow Wall, Limehouse.
SETTER’S _yard_, Deadman’s fields.
SEVEN DIALS, near Monmouth street; so called from a handsome pillar, upon
which are seven sun-dials, fronting the same number of streets, which
radiate upon it.
SEVENOAK, a market town in Kent, near the river Dart or Darent, 23 miles
from London, in the road to Rye. It obtained its name from seven very
large oaks which grew near it, when it was first built; and is governed
by a Warden and Assistants. Here is an hospital and school, for the
maintenance of people in years, and the instruction of youth, first
erected by Sir William Sevenoak, Lord Mayor of London in the year 1418,
who is said to have been a foundling supported and educated at the
expence of a charitable person of this town, whence he took his name.
The school afterwards met with other benefactors, and among the rest,
Queen Elizabeth having greatly augmented its revenue, it was thence
called Queen Elizabeth’s free school. It was rebuilt in 1727. Sir Henry
Fermor, Bart. has a seat here; as has also Dr. Thomas Fuller. About a
mile from Sevenoak, to the south, is Knowl Place, the seat of the Duke
of Dorset, situated in the middle of a park; and towards the east is the
seat of —— Pratt, Esq; which is also seated in the midst of a park.
SEVEN STARS _alley_, 1. Cable street, Rag fair.* 2. Ratcliff highway.* 3.
Rosemary lane.* 4. Whitecross street.*
SEVEN STARS _court_, 1. Great Garden, St. Catharine’s lane.* 2. Moor
lane.* 3. Seven Stars alley, Ratcliff highway.*
SEVEN STEPS _alley_, 1. Old Montague street. 2. Petticoat lane,
Whitechapel. 3. Rotherhith Wall.
SEVEN STEPS _yard_, Houndsditch.
SEYMOUR’S _court_, Little Chandois street.
SHAD THAMES _street_, Horselydown.
SHADWELL, formerly a hamlet in the parish of Stepney, is now a distinct
parish, and by the great increase of buildings is united to this
metropolis. This parish, which is one of the Tower hamlets, is situated
on the north bank of the Thames, and received its name from a fine
spring which issues from the south wall of the church yard. The parish
is, from its situation, divided into Upper and Lower Shadwell, Lower
Shadwell being anciently a part of Wapping marsh.
In the north east of this parish is Sun tavern fields, where a Roman
cemetery, or burying place, was discovered about the year 1615, wherein
were found two coffins, one of which being of stone, contained the bones
of a man; and the other of lead, finely embellished with scallop shells,
and a crotister border, contained those of a woman, at whose head and
feet were two urns, each three feet high; and at the sides several
beautiful red earthen bottles, with a number of lachrymatories of
hexagon and octagon forms. On each side of the inhumed bones were two
ivory scepters of the length of eighteen inches each, and upon the
breast the figure of a small Cupid, curiously wrought; as were likewise
two pieces of jet resembling nails, three inches in length. According to
the opinion of that judicious antiquary Sir Robert Cotton, who made this
discovery, the person here interred must have been the wife of some
Prince, or Roman Prætor, by the decorations of the coffin and the things
contained in it.
In this place were likewise discovered several urns, with Roman coins,
which had on one side this Inscription, _Imp. Pupienus Maximus P. F._
and on the reverse, with hands joined, _Patrus Senatus_.
A few years ago was also discovered in this place a mineral spring, said
to be impregnated with sulphur, vitriol, steel, and antimony. It is
esteemed a great anti-scorbutic, and is said to have performed many
remarkable cures in the leprosy, scurvy, scald heads, and other
cutaneous diseases.
For Shadwell church, see the article _St._ PAUL’S _Shadwell_.
SHADWELL _dock_, Shadwell.
SHADWELL _market_, Upper Shadwell.
SHADWELL WATERWORKS are placed in Shadwell, and wrought by two fire
engines, that fill two main pipes of six or seven inches bore with
Thames water; by which means that neighbourhood is well supplied.
_Maitland._
SHAFTESBURY HOUSE, in Aldersgate street. See the article LONDON LYING-IN
HOSPITAL.
SHAFT’S _court_, Leadenhall street.
SHAKESPEAR’S _walk_, Upper Shadwell.†
SHARP’S _alley_, 1. Barnaby street, Southwark.† 2. Cow Cross, Smithfield.†
3. Leadenhall street.† 4. Nortonfalgate.†
SHARP’S _buildings_, Duke’s Place, near Aldgate.†
SHAW’S _alley_, Kent street, Tooley street.†
SHAW’S _court_, St. Margaret’s hill.†
SHEEN, or EAST SHEEN, a pleasant village, situated a little to the south
of Mortlake, where is the fine seat of the Lord Viscount Palmerston, the
successor of Sir William Temple. The gardens were laid out and completed
by the great genius of Sir William, who here spent the latter part of
his life.
SHEEP’S HEAD _alley_, Shoreditch.
SHEER _lane_, Temple Bar.
SHEERS _alley_, 1. East Smithfield.* 2. Shoreditch.* 3. White street.* 4.
Wentworth street.* 5. Wood street, Cheapside.*
SHEFFIELD _street_, Clare market.
SHELDON’S _court_, Bedfordbury.†
SHEPHERD’S _alley_, near Vintner’s hall, Thames street.†
SHEPHERD’S _court_, 1. Hockley in the hole.† 2. Upper Brook street.†
SHEPHERD’S _gardens_, in the Minories.†
SHEPHERD’S _market_, near Curzon street.†
SHEPHERD’S _mews_, Park street, Southwark.†
SHEPHERD’S _street_, Oxford street.†
SHEPHERD’S _yard_, Shoreditch.†
SHERBURN _lane_, Lombard street; thus named from the brook Langbourn,
which anciently ran out of Fenchurch street, and here turning south,
divided into several shares, rills, or streams. This lane was also
anciently called Southbourn lane, because these rills here ran south to
the Thames. _Maitland._
SHERIFFS, two very ancient officers of the city, established in the time
of the Saxons: but Richard I. changed the name of these officers to the
Norman appellation of Bailiff, which signifies an Intendant, Collector,
or petty Magistrate; as the Saxon Sciregrave implies a Judge, Overseer,
or Collector. However, the appellation of Bailiff proving of no long
duration, the more ancient one of Sheriff was restored to that office.
The Sheriffs are chosen by the Liverymen of the several companies on
Midsummer day, the Lord Mayor drinking to those whom he nominates for
their approbation: but any person who can swear that he is not worth
15000_l._ may be excused from serving the office; however, if he is
qualified with respect to fortune, he is obliged to serve, or to pay a
fine of about 500_l._ or otherwise to engage in a law suit with the
city. This last is particularly the case of the dissenters, who look
upon themselves as disqualified by law; since by act of Parliament,
every person who serves the office of Sheriff ought to have received the
sacrament in the church of England, twelve months before he enters upon
his office.
Any gentleman of the city may be chosen an Alderman, without his serving
the office of Sheriff; but he is obliged to be a Sheriff before he can
be Lord Mayor.
The office of Sheriff, according to our great antiquary Mr. Camden, is
to collect the public revenues within his jurisdiction, to gather into
the Exchequer all fines, to serve the King’s writs of process, and by
the _posse comitatus_ to compel headstrong and obstinate men to submit
to the decisions of the law; to attend the Judges, and execute their
orders, to impanel juries, and to take care that all condemned criminals
be duly executed.
All actions for debt in the city are entered at the two compters
belonging to the Sheriffs, where the prisoners either give bail, or are
confined in prison, unless being freemen, they chuse to be carried to
Ludgate. See the article COMPTER.
SHERIFFS COURTS, are courts of record held in Guildhall every Wednesday
and Friday, for actions entered in Wood street Compter, and on Thursdays
and Saturdays for those entered at the Poultry Compter, of which the
Sheriffs being Judges, each has his Assistant or Deputy, who are
commonly called Judges of these courts, before whom are tried actions of
debt, trespass, covenant, &c. where the testimony of an absent witness
in writing is allowed to be good evidence. _Maitland._
To each of these courts belong four Attorneys, a Secondary, a Clerk of
the papers, a Prothonotary, and four Clerks sitters. See the article
COMPTER.
SHERWOOD _street_, near Golden square.
SHIP _alley_, 1. Broad street, Ratcliff.* 2. Fore street, Limehouse.* 3.
Phœnix street, Spitalfields.* 4. Ratcliff highway.* 5. Wellclose
square.*
SHIP _court_, in the Old Bailey.*
SHIP _street_, near New Gravel lane, Shadwell.*
SHIP _yard_, 1. Bishopsgate street without.* 2. In the Borough.* 3. Golden
lane, Barbican.* 4. Green bank, Wapping.* 5. King street, New Gravel
lane.* 6. Monkwell street.* 7. Petty France, Westminster.* 8. Phœnix
street.* 9, Redcross street, Cripplegate.* 10. Without Temple Bar.*
SHIP _back yard_, in the Minories.*
SHIPPEY’S _yard_, in the Minories.†
SHIPPING _stairs_, Limehouse.
SHIPWRIGHTS, a company by prescription for several ages, were incorporated
by letters patent granted by King James I. in the year 1605.
This corporation consists of a Master, two Wardens, and sixteen
Assistants; but have neither livery nor hall: for though they had
formerly a hall near Ratcliff cross, yet that being demolished they
occasionally meet at different places to transact their affairs.
SHIPWRIGHTS _street_, Rotherhith.
SHITTEN _alley_, Chamber street, Shadwell.‖
SHOE _lane_, extends from Fleet street to Holborn.
SHOEMAKER _row_, 1. By Aldgate. 2. Black friars.