Chapter C (4)

CRUTCHED FRIARS. This street took its name from a monastery of the
Holy Cross at the south east corner of Hart street, near Tower hill.
This monastery was founded about the year 1298, and continued till
the suppression of the other religious houses. In the reign of Henry
VIII. a Prior of this house being found in bed with a whore in the
day time, by the Visitors appointed by the Lord Cromwell, he
distributed thirty pounds among them, and promised them as much
more; an account of which being sent by the Visitors to Cromwell,
these scandalous crimes hastened the dissolution of monasteries. The
ruins of this religious house are not now to be seen, and nothing of
it remains but the name, which is given to the street, that is more
commonly called Crutched Friars, than Hart street. In the place
where the monastery stood, is now erected the Navy office, and many
other handsome buildings.

CUCKOLD’S _court_, Thames street.║

CUCKOLD’S _point_, Rotherhith Wall.║

CUCKOLD’S POINT _stairs_, Rotherhith.║

CUCUMBER _alley_, 1. Queen street, Seven Dials. 2. Ship yard, Temple
Bar.

CULLUM _street_, Fenchurch street; it takes its name from Sir Thomas
Cullum, Knt. who built it. _Maitland._

CULVER _court_, Fenchurch street.

CUMBERLAND _court_, Bartholomew close.†

CUMBER’S _court_, Blackman street.†

CUMBER’S _paved court_, Blackman street.†

CUPER’S _bridge_, Narrow Wall, Lambeth.†

CUPER’S _bridge stairs_, Cuper’s bridge.†

CUPER’S GARDENS, near the south bank of the Thames, opposite to
Somerset house, and in the parish of Lambeth, was for several years
a place of public entertainment: the gardens were illuminated, and
the company entertained by a band of music, and fire works; but
this, with other places of the same kind, has been lately
discontinued by an act that has reduced the number of these seats of
luxury and dissipation. Here are several statues, &c. the remains of
Greek and Roman antiquities, that have been much disfigured by time
and bad usage, supposed to be part of the famous collection of the
Earl of Arundel, but being broken and defaced, were not thought good
enough to be presented to the university of Oxford, and put among
the _Marmoria Arundeliana_; they were therefore removed hither, when
Arundel house on the other side of the Thames was turned into a
street.

CUPID’S _alley_, Golden lane.

CUPID’S _street_, Coverley’s fields.

CURE’S _Almshouse_, in College yard, Deadman’s Place, Southwark, was
founded by Thomas Cure, Esq; in the year 1584, for the reception of
sixteen poor men and women, with an allowance of twenty pence a week
each; and by the additional benefactions of his son and Mrs.
Appleby, each of them receives an additional allowance of 16_s._ a
year.

CURLL’S _court_, In the Strand.†

CURRIERS, a company of considerable antiquity, since, according to Mr.
Stow, they founded a religious fraternity in the convent of White
Friars, Fleet street, so early as in the year 1367; they were
however not incorporated by letters patent till the year 1605. This
company consists of a Master, two Wardens, twelve Assistants, and
103 Liverymen, whose fine is 9_l._ 13_s._ 4_d_. They have a pretty
handsome hall near Cripplegate.

CURRIERS _alley_, 1. Bristol street, 2. Shoe lane.

CURRIERS ARMS _Inn yard_, Fann’s alley.*

CURRIERS _court_, London Wall.

CURSITORS _Office_, in Chancery lane, where is made out original
writs. The Clerks, who are twenty-four in number, were anciently
called _Clerici Brevium de Cursu_, and each hath certain counties
and cities allotted them, for which they make out such original
writs as are required; they are a distinct corporation, and each of
them executes his respective duty by himself or his deputy. This
office was erected by Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper, in the reign
of Queen Elizabeth, and the father of the celebrated Sir Francis
Bacon.

CURSITORS _alley_, Chancery lane.☐

CURSITORS _street_, Chancery lane.☐

CURTAIN _row_, Hog lane, Norton Falgate.

CURZON _street_, MayFair, a long street, with some grand houses on the
south side, and on the north side is the house of the Lord Fane.

CUSHION _court_, 1. Little Broad street. 2. Pig street.

_The_ CUSTOM HOUSE, a commodious building, erected for the receipt of
his Majesty’s customs on goods imported and exported. It is situated
near the east end of Thames street, and its front opens to the
wharfs and rivers. In ancient times the business of the Custom House
was transacted in a more irregular manner at Billingsgate: but in
the reign of Queen Elizabeth a building was erected here for this
purpose; for in the year 1559, an act being passed that goods should
be no where landed, but in such places as were appointed by the
Commissioners of the revenue, this was the spot fixed upon for the
entries in the port of London, and here a Custom House was ordered
to be erected; it was however destroyed by fire with the rest of the
city in 1666, and was rebuilt with additions two years after by King
Charles II. in a much more magnificent and commodious manner, at the
expence of 10,000_l._ but that being also destroyed in the same
manner in 1718, the present structure was erected in its place.

_Custom House._
_S. Wale delin._ _B. Green sc. Oxon._
]

This edifice is built with brick and stone, and is calculated to
stand for ages. It has underneath and on each side, large warehouses
for the reception of goods on the public account, and that side of
the Thames for a great extent is filled with wharfs, keys, and
cranes for landing them. The Custom House is 189 feet in length: the
center is twenty-seven feet deep, and the wings considerably more.
The center stands back from the river; the wings approach much
nearer to it, and the building is judiciously and handsomely
decorated with the orders of architecture: under the wings is a
colonade of the Tuscan order, and the upper story is ornamented with
Ionic columns and pediments. It consists of two floors, in the
uppermost of which is a magnificent room fifteen feet high, that
runs almost the whole length of the building: this is called the
Long Room, and here sit the Commissioners of the customs, with their
officers and clerks. The inner part is well disposed, and
sufficiently enlightened; and the entrances are so well contrived,
as to answer all the purposes of convenience.

Though we cannot call this a very beautiful building, yet from its
great utility, and the conspicuous place in which it stands, we
thought a representation of it by a print could not be omitted.

It is observable that in the year 1590, the customs and subsidies in
the port of London inwards, were let to farm to Mr. Thomas Smith,
for 20,000_l._ _per annum_, when it was discovered that they
amounted annually to 30309_l._ so that Queen Elizabeth lost every
year 10,309_l._ but by the vast increase of commerce since that
time, they at present bring in above an hundred times as much, the
customs now annually amounting to above two millions, and yet this
immense business is transacted with as much order and regularity, as
the common affairs of a merchant’s counting house.

The government of the Custom House is under the care of nine
Commissioners, who are entrusted with the whole management of all
his Majesty’s customs in all the ports of England, the petty farms
excepted, and also the oversight of all the officers belonging to
them. Each of these Commissioners has a salary of 1000_l._ a year,
and both they, and several of the principal officers under them,
hold their places by patent from the King. The other officers are
appointed by warrant from the Lords of the Treasury.

CUSTOM HOUSE _court_, Beer lane.☐

CUSTOM HOUSE _key_, Thames street.☐

CUSTOM HOUSE _stairs_, Thames street.☐

CUSTOS BREVIUM, the first clerk of the court of Common Pleas, whose
office is to receive and keep all writs returnable in that court,
and to receive of the Prothonotaries all records of _nisi prius_
called _posteas_. He holds his place by patent from the King, and
has the gift of the second Prothonotary’s place, and of the Clerk of
the juries. This office is in Brick court, near the Middle Temple.
See COMMON PLEAS.

CUTLERS, a company incorporated by letters patent granted by King
Henry V. in the year 1417, and afterwards united to the haft and
sheath makers. This fraternity is governed by a Master, two Wardens,
and twenty-one Assistants, with a livery of 110 members, who upon
their admission pay a fine of 10_l._ They have a neat and convenient
hall in Cloak lane, Dowgate hill.

CUTLERS _street_, Houndsditch.

CUTTERS _rents_, Gravel lane.

CUT-THROAT _lane_, 1. Cock hill, Ratcliff. 2. Upper Shadwell.

CUTTING _alley_, New North street.