Chapter VII: Introduction (7)

Concerning German beers, we need only allude to =Mum=, or =Mumm=, which is peculiar to Brunswick, and named after Christoph Mumme, who first brewed it in 1492; =Lager-Bier=, so called because it is kept in a lager or cellar; and =Bock-bier=, a liquor which causes the inconsiderate tippler to caper about like a bock, or goat.

_DIAMONDS AND PRECIOUS STONES._

The word =Diamond= is a corruption of, and synonymous with, =Adamant=, derived from the Greek _adamas_, untamable, infrangible, not to be subdued, in accordance with the prefix _a_, without, and _damas_, to tame, to subdue. As every one must be aware, the diamond is capable of resisting fire.

The great diamonds of the world are the following:--=The Kohinoor=, or “Mountain of Light,” weighing 106 carats, came into the possession of Queen Victoria on the annexation of the Punjaub in 1849; the =Mattan= (367 carats) belongs to the Rajah of Mattan; the =Orloff= (194 carats) preserves the family name of Catherine II. of Russia, who purchased it in 1775; the =Shah= (86 carats), presented by Chosroes I., Shah of Persia, who died in the year 579, to the Czar of Russia; the =Star of the South= (254 carats), discovered in Brazil by a poor negress in 1853; the =Sauci= (106 carats), originally the property of a French gentleman of this name, and bought by the Russian Czar for half a million roubles in 1835; the =Regent=, also known as the =Pitt= (137 carats), first acquired by Mr. Pitt, the grandfather of the Earl of Chatham, and subsequently sold to the Duc d’Orleans, Regent of France, for £135,000; the =Pigott= (82¼ carats), brought from India by Lord Pigott sometime previous to 1818, when it came into the possession of Messrs. Rundell and Bridge; the =Dudley= (44½ carats), found at the Cape by a black shepherd in 1868, and, after various changes of ownership, bought by the Earl of Dudley for £30,000; and the =Twin Diamonds=, both found in the bed of the river Vaal at the Cape in 1872.

With regard to precious stones:--the =Turquois= derived its name from Turkey, where it was first found; the =Topaz=, from Topazos, an island in the Red Sea; and the =Agate=, from the Greek _Achates_, a river in Sicily, in the bed of which it was anciently discovered. The term =Amethyst= comes from the Greek _amethustos_, a precious stone, and =Opal=, through the Latin _opalus_, from the Sanskrit _opula_, a precious stone. =Emerald= traces its origin through the French _emerande_ to the Latin and Greek _omaragdus_; =Garnet=, through the French _grenat_, from the Latin _granatus_; and =Ruby=, from the Latin _ruber_, red. =Pearl= is an Anglo-Saxon word derived from the Latin _pirula_, a diminutive of pear.

We may conveniently add that the weight of precious stones, as well as that of gold, is regulated by =Carats=, because formerly carat seeds, or the seed of the Abyssinian coral flower were employed for this purpose.

_NAVAL AND MILITARY SOBRIQUETS._

The Roman Manlius (appointed Consul in the year 224 B.C.) received the name of =Torquatus= from the incident of having torn the golden torque or collar from the neck of his adversary in the field. Charles, the son of Pepin d’Heristal, was surnamed =Martel= in recognition of his victory over the Saracens, who attempted the invasion of France in the year 732. According to the chronicler, “he knocked down the foe and crushed them between his axe, as a martel or hammer crushes what it strikes.” Robert, Duke of Normandy, the father of William the Conqueror (died 1035), bore the name of =Robert le Diable=, or =Robert the Devil=, on account of his courageous cruelty in war. The Scottish outlaw, Sir William Wallace (born 1270, beheaded 1305), was styled =The Hammer and Scourge of England= by reason of his patriotism. William Douglas, Lord of Nithsdale (died 1390), was known as =Black Douglas= because his frame was tall, strong, and well-built, while his hair was dark and his complexion swarthy. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus (died 1514), merited the sobriquet of =Bell the Cat= for having put to death the upstart favourites of James III., and so prevented the creation of nobles out of architects and masons whom the king particularly patronized. At a meeting convened in the Church of Lauder by the Scottish nobles for the purpose of taking measures to obtain the removal of these persons, Lord Gray had put the question, “But who will bell the cat?” “That will I!” answered Douglas on the instant; and he kept his word, for in the very presence of the king he slew the obnoxious minions with his own hand.

Richard Nevil, Earl of Warwick (born 1420, died 1471), was surnamed =The King Maker= for the reason that while he espoused the cause of the Yorkists, Edward IV. succeeded in his efforts to gain the English Crown; and when, subsequently, he transferred his influence to the Lancastrians, Henry VI. was restored and the usurper deposed. Harry Percy (born 1364, died 1403) was styled =Hotspur=, and Prince Rupert (born 1619, died 1682) =The Mad Cavalier= because they found it impossible to restrain their rash courage in time of war. The soldiers of Cromwell, after the Battle of Marston Moor, received the popular name of =Ironsides= on account of their armour and their iron resolution. The sobriquet of =The Almighty Nose= was bestowed upon Oliver Cromwell (born 1599, died 1658), in allusion to his nasal enormity. Strange, indeed, that he who had attained to the highest position in the land by the sheer force of arms should have been so continually taunted with the length and colour of his nose! Yet so it was. Nevertheless, there have been others whose peace of mind was daily threatened by popular malice in this selfsame respect. Even the great Roman poet Ovid suffered a lifelong martyrdom, and became the recipient of the sobriquet of =Naso=, owing to the possession of an unusually large nose; just as in modern times Wilson, the painter, and Cervetto, the violincellist of Drury Lane Theatre, never succeeded in putting their heads out of their own doors without being greeted with shouts of “=Nosey!=” from the mob.

The Duke of Cumberland (born 1721, died 1765) rightly deserved the opprobrious surname of =The Bloody Butcher= on account of his merciless slaughter of the vanquished adherents of the Young Pretender after the Battle of Culloden. The soldiers of the Duke of Marlborough (born 1650, died 1722) familiarly styled their leader =Corporal John= because he had risen from the rank of Corporal; while General Bonaparte, afterwards Emperor of the French (born 1769, died 1821), bore the name of =The Little Corporal=, in allusion to his original rank, his low stature, youthful appearance, and extraordinary courage. As most readers are aware, Wellington (born 1769, died 1852) earned the name of =The Iron Duke= by his iron will and resolution; and Blucher (born 1742, died 1819) that of =Marshal Forward=, by his dash and readiness to attack the enemy in the campaign which terminated in the Battle of Waterloo. Prince Bismarck, the late Chancellor of the German Empire (born 1815) owed his surname of =The Iron Chancellor= to his extraordinary vigour and indomitable will. Helmuth, Count von Moltke, Field-Marshal of the German armies (born 1800, died 1891), was popularly surnamed =Helmuth the Taciturn=, because though a master of half a dozen languages, he was never known to betray himself in one of them. The sobriquet of =Stonewall Jackson=, possessed by Thomas Jonathan Jackson, the Confederate General in the American War of 1861 to 1865, originated with General Lee, who, after rallying his troops at the Battle of Bull Run, exclaimed, “There is Jackson, standing like a stone wall!” A less complimentary sobriquet bestowed upon General Andrew Jackson, President of the United States (born 1767, died 1845), by his own soldiers, was that of =Old Hickory=, in allusion to his tough, unyielding disposition. The circumstance is thus commented upon by Parton, the author of Jackson’s Life:--“The name of _Old Hickory_ was not an instantaneous inspiration, but a growth. First of all, the remark was made by some soldier, who was struck with his commander’s pedestrian powers, that the General was tough. Next, it was observed that he was as tough as hickory. Then he was called _Hickory_. Lastly, the affectionate adjective ‘old’ was prefixed, and the General thenceforth rejoiced in the completed nickname, usually the first-won honour of a great commander.”

Of naval sobriquets we shall mention only three. Commodore John Byron, the circumnavigator (born 1723, died 1786), was popularly known as =Foul Weather Jack= because, it was said, he never enjoyed a fine passage throughout the whole of his experience. Admiral Edward Vernon (born 1684, died 1757), to whom reference is made in our article on “Spirits,” was called =Old Grog=, because he wore a “Grogram” coat in “dirty weather” [_see_ GROGRAM]. Admiral Sir Henry Digby received his well-known sobriquet of =The Silver Captain= under the following interesting circumstances:--On the October 14, 1799, when commanding the frigate _Alcmene_, on a cruise off the Spanish coast, he shaped his course for Cape St. Vincent, and was running to the southward, in the latitude of Cape Finisterre. Twice during the night he rang his bell to summon the officer on the watch, and asked him if any person had been in the cabin. “No, sir; nobody,” was the answer. “Very odd,” rejoined Sir Henry. “Every time I dropped asleep I heard somebody shouting in my ear, ‘Digby! Digby! go to the northward; Digby! Digby! go to the northward!’ I shall certainly do so. Take another reef in your topsails, haul your wind, tack every hour till daybreak, and then call me.” These orders were strictly carried out, and the frigate was tacked at four, at five, at six, and at seven o’clock. She had just come round for the last time when the man at the masthead called out, “Large ship on the weather-bow, sir!” On nearing her a musket was discharged to bring her to. She was quickly boarded, when she proved to be a Spanish vessel laden with dollars, in addition to a large cargo of cochineal and spices. By this capture therefore, the fortunate dreamer secured, as his (Captain’s) share of the prize-money, the sum of £40,730 18s.; the lieutenants each £5,091 7s. 3d.; the warrant officers each £2,468 10s. 9½d.; the midshipmen each £791 17s. 0¼d.; and the seamen and marines each £182 14s. 9½d. The captured treasure was said to have been so weighty that sixty-three artillery tumbrils had to be requisitioned for the purpose of transporting it from the vessel to Plymouth Citadel.

_MONEY._

The word =Money= owes its existence to _Moneta_, one of the surnames of Juno, in whose temple the first coinage of the Romans took place. =Mint= claims the same etymology, being a contraction of the Latin _moneta_, brought about through the Anglo-Saxon _mynet_. By =Sterling Money= is meant the standard coin of Great Britain, and for this reason:--During the reign of King John the merchants of the Hansa Towns, of which the inhabitants were commonly described as Esterlings, because they resided in the eastern portions of Germany, having long been noted for the purity of their coinage, the king invited a number of them over to this country for the purpose of reforming and perfecting our coinage. The invitation was accepted; and ever afterwards good English money received the name of Esterling or sterling money.

A =Guinea= was an English gold piece first struck in 1663 out of gold brought from the coast of Guinea, West Africa. Its value has been subject to fluctuations at different periods. Thus, in 1663 it was worth 20s.; in 1695, 30s.; in 1717, 21s.; in 1810, 22s. 6d.; and in 1816, 26s. The coinage of guineas was discontinued July 1, 1817. A =Sovereign= is so called because when originally coined, during the reign of Henry VIII., it bore a representation of that sovereign in his royal robes. A =Crown-piece= when first introduced displayed a crown on its reverse side. The =Florin= took its name from Florence, in which city it was struck as long ago as the thirteenth century. Its reverse side has always borne a representation of a lily, emblematical of “The City of Flowers.” The term =Shilling= traces its origin in the Anglo-Saxon _scilling_, the Icelandic _skillinge_, and the Gothic _skilliggs_, in each case denoting the twentieth part of a pound, as at present. A =Penny=, so called from the Anglo-Saxon _penig_, and Danish _pennig_ (whence the modern German =Pfennig= has been derived), originally denoted a copper coin of full value; a =Halfpenny=, the half of a penny; and a =Farthing=, a corruption of the Old English _fourthling_, denotes a penny divided into four parts. We must not omit to mention that in olden times only penny-pieces were struck; and these were deeply indented in the form of a cross--exactly, in fact, after the manner of our Good Friday buns; so that when half-pennies or farthings were required the pennies could be broken into two or four portions without difficulty.

Among coins other than those now current in this country we may mention the =Ducat=, or Duke’s Money, specially struck for circulation in the Duchy of Apulia in the year 1140, and which bore this beautiful inscription: “Sit tibi Christi, datus, quem tu regis, iste ducatus” (“May this duchy which You rule be devoted to You, O Christ”); and the =Noble=, so called on account of the superiority of its gold. During the reign of Henry III. this gold piece found its way into England under the name of =Rose-Noble=, owing to the impression of a rose on its reverse side; but in the reign of Henry VIII., simultaneous with the substitution of the figure of St. George, it was designated a =George-Noble=. The value of this coin at both periods was six-and-eightpence. The current value of an =Angel=, so styled from the angel on its reverse side, was, when introduced in the reign of Henry VI., six-and-eightpence; but at the accession of Elizabeth it had increased to ten shillings.

The =Thistle-crown= of James VI. of Scotland (James I. of England), value four shillings, was so called because it had a rose on one side and a thistle on the other; both surmounted by a crown. The Scottish sovereign of this period was styled a =Jacobus=, the Latinized form of the King’s name. After the union of the two countries it became, of course, current in England also; but in the two succeeding reigns it was denominated a =Carolus=, the Latin for the name of Charles. A French gold coin long current in Scotland was the =Dolphin=, which derived its name from the fact of its introduction by Charles V., who was also Dauphin of Vienne. The French =Louis d’or= (a louis of gold) was first struck in the reign of Louis XIII.; this was superseded by the =Napoleon=, during the consulate of Napoleon Bonaparte. The =Franc= originally denoted the silver coin of the Franks. The term =Dollar= is a British modification of the German Thaler, an abbreviation of Joachim’s-Thaler; by which was implied a piece of money struck out of the silver discovered in the Thal, or Valley, of St. Joachim, France, about the year 1518. The silver drawn from this valley being of superior quality, it was coined into ounce pieces, which received the name of =Joachims-Thalers=; but all other ounce pieces subsequently struck from silver obtained elsewhere were simply called =Thalers=. The =Kreuzer=, now superseded, owed its name to the cross on its reverse side.

=Wood’s Halfpence= was the designation of an inferior copper coinage circulated in Ireland by a certain William Wood, under a patent granted to him by George I. The withdrawal of the patent was eventually procured owing to the denunciations of Dean Swift in the mysterious “Drapier’s Letters.” The legal tender notes of the United States are commonly styled =Greenbacks=, from the colour of the device imprinted on the back of them. Bank of England notes formerly bore the name of =Abraham Newlands= from the signature of the chief cashier.

By the term =Bullion=, remotely derived from the Low Latin _bulla_, a seal, and, more directly, from the Old French _bullione_, the Mint, is meant the stock of the precious metals formed into bars and stored in the strong rooms of the Bank of England in readiness for coinage. Money vested in Government securities is known as =Stock=, or =Government Stock=, in allusion to the origin of the term, viz., the Anglo-Saxon stocc, a trunk, a stick; because prior to the year 1782, when the practice was abolished, the official acknowledgment of money received on behalf of the Government was written on both sides of a broad piece of wood, which was then cut in two; and the one portion, called the Stock, was delivered to the person lending the money, the Counterstock being retained at the Tally Office. The instrument of reckoning in this manner was styled the =Tally=, in accordance with the French verb _tailler_, to cut; while the correspondence of the Stock and Counterstock, or, in other words, the two portions of the Tally, furnished the origin of the modern phrase “to tally,” as well as the designation TALLYMAN, or a trader who lets out goods, principally clothing, on the system of payment by weekly instalments. The word =Consols= is a contraction of “Consolidated Annuities,” or the funded portion of the National Debt. The fund which provides for the annual reduction of the latter is styled the =Sinking Fund=. The French State Loans known as =Tontines= perpetuate the name of Lawrence Tonti, a Neapolitan _protégé_ of Cardinal Mazarine, who projected the scheme in 1653. The annual statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the finances of this country is called the =Budget=, agreeably to the French _bougetta_, a little bag; because formerly the various documents were presented to Parliament in a leathern bag.

_SPIRITS._

=Rum= is a native West Indian term for a spirit distilled from cane-juice; =Whisky= is an English rendering of the Irish =Uisquebaugh=, derived from the two Gaelic words _uisge_, water, and _beatha_, life; =Brandy= is a corruption of the Old English _brandwine_, literally burnt wine; while =Gin= is short for Geneva, where this spirit was first distilled. =Hollands= is the popular English name for Dutch gin. =Cognac=, a French brandy of the best quality, owes its designation to the town of which it forms the staple industry; and =Nantes= to the port where it is shipped. =Old Tom= was named after Tom Chamberlain, the senior partner in Messrs. Hodges’ well-known distillery.

The term =Punch= traces its origin to the Hindoo _pantsch_, signifying five, because this favourite concoction originally consisted of five ingredients, viz., arrack, sugar, tea, lemons, and water; whereas =Toddy= is a western corruption of _taudi_, the native Hindoo name for palm-juice. The word =Grog= perpetuates the memory of “Old Grog,” the nickname of Admiral Edward Vernon, who first ordered his sailors to dilute their rum with water [_see_ OLD GROG].

Scotch whisky is usually styled =Mountain Dew=, from the fact that in former times it was often distilled in the mountains in order to escape the watchfulness of the excise officers. The superior Scotch whisky known as =Glenlivet= derives its name from the district in which it is distilled. The popular =LL Whisky= originated under the following circumstances: When the Duke of Richmond was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, he one day, in the year 1807, sent to various Dublin distilleries for samples of their best whisky; and preferring that furnished by Messrs. Kinahan, his Grace ordered a large vat in which this particular quality of the spirit was kept to be reserved for his own use. Accordingly, the letters “LL,” signifying Lord Lieutenant, were painted on the vat; and ever since Messrs. Kinahan’s whisky of the same quality has borne the name of “LL Whisky.”

_LONDON STREETS AND SQUARES._

=Fleet Street= received its name from the =Fleet=, once a swift-flowing stream, now converted into a sewer. =Mitre Court=, =Falcon Court=, and =Red Lion Court= were designated after old taverns respectively bearing these signs. =Bolt Court= was so called from the “Bolt-in-Tun,” an ancient coaching-house, transformed into a railway goods receiving office standing on the opposite side of the way. =Johnson’s Court= did not receive its title from Dr. Johnson, who lived in it for some time, but from the owner of the property. =Wine Office Court= originally contained an office where wine licences were issued. =Shoe Lane= received this designation from the traditional account that when the Devil ran away with Lady Hatton [_see_ HATTON GARDEN] he dropped one of her shoes in Shoe Lane and her cloak in =Cloak Lane=, near Cannon Street. =St. Bride Street= and =Bride Lane= owe their names to the Church of St. Bride close by. =Salisbury Court= occupies the site of an ancient palace of the Bishops of Salisbury. =Dorset Street= and =Dorset Buildings= carry us back in fancy to the =Dorset Gardens Theatre=, erected in the grounds attached to the residence of the Earl of Dorset in the early days of the Restoration. =Whitefriars Street= marks the western boundary of the monastery of the Carmelites, or White Friars, built in 1245. The whole district of Whitefriars formerly comprised a Sanctuary infested by debtors and lawbreakers; on which account it bore the name of =Alsatia=, in allusion to the French province of Alsace, long notorious for its intestine strife and political disaffection. =Bridge Street= is a modern thoroughfare leading to =Blackfriars Bridge= and =Blackfriars Road=, so called from the monastery of the Dominicans or Black Friars established on the site of =Printing House Square= and the _Times_ office, about the year 1276. =Water Lane= was originally a narrow lane winding down to the Thames.

=Ludgate Hill= derived its name from the old Lud Gate, built by King Lud in the year 66 B.C. on the spot where the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway now crosses this busy thoroughfare. The gate was removed in 1760. =La Belle Sauvage Yard= was formerly the coachyard of the celebrated Inn of this name. =The Old Bailey= is a corruption of _Bail Hill_, which contained the residence and court of the Bail, or Bailiff, from very early times. The =Broadway= was doubtless considered a fine thoroughfare in the days when London streets generally were so narrow that opposite neighbours could shake hands out of their top-story windows. =Friar Street= was designated after the Black Friars’ Monastery. =Sermon Lane= is a corruption of “Shere-moniers’ Lane,” in which stood the office of the money-shearers or clippers at the time when the Mint was in this neighbourhood. =Paul’s Chain= owed its name to a chain formerly drawn across its northern extremity the while service was held in St. Paul’s. =Old Change= was originally known as “The King’s Exchange” on account of the building where the bullion was stored convenient to the Money-shearers’ Office and the Mint. =Paternoster Row= received its name from the stationers who sold religious texts, prayer-books, and rosary beads, formerly called _Paternosters_ in this street. =Ave Maria Lane=, =Creed Lane=, and =Amen Corner=, being of later date, their designation to complete the religious metaphor was perhaps natural. =Warwick Lane= stands on the site of a magnificent palace owned by the Beauchamps, Earls of Warwick. =Ivy Lane= contained the ivy-clad houses of the prebendaries attached to St. Paul’s Cathedral. In =Panyer Alley= may be seen a curious stone let into the wall of the middle house on the east side, upon which are chiselled the rude figure of a boy seated on a pannier or basket, and a distich reminding the pedestrian that this is the highest ground in the City. The alley was a standing-place for bakers with their panniers at the time when a corn market was held at the western extremity of Cheapside.

=Cheapside= properly denotes that side of the Cheap where the rich goldsmiths had their shops. The term _cheap_ is Saxon for a market, derived from _ceapan_, to buy. The Old English spelling of the name of this locality was =Chepe=. =Ironmonger Lane= was the regular habitation of the artificers in iron in the reign of Edward I.; =Bread Street= of the bakers; and =Friday Street= of the fishmongers who supplied the fast-day markets. =Milk Street= was the ancient milk market. =Gutter Lane= is a corruption of “Guthurun Lane,” so called after a wealthy Danish burgher. =Foster Lane= contains the Church of St. Vedast (otherwise St. Foster), Bishop of Arras in the French province of Artois, in the time of Clovis. =Wood Street= was anciently inhabited by turners and makers of wooden cups and dishes and measures. =Lawrence Lane= received its name from the Church of St. Lawrence in =Gresham Street=, which perpetuates the memory of Sir Thomas Gresham, merchant and founder of the Royal Exchange (born 1519, died 1579), because =Gresham College=, established by him in his own mansion, on the site of the present =Gresham House=, Old Broad Street, was removed here in 1843. =Lad Lane=, now absorbed in Gresham Street, was a corruption of “Our Lady Lane,” so called from a statue of the Virgin. =Aldermanbury= was so called from the original Guildhall that stood on its east side. The approach to the present Guildhall received the name of =King Street= in honour of Henry IV., in whose reign the edifice was opened. In =Basinghall Street= stood the mansion of Solomon Basing, Lord Mayor in 1216. =Coleman Street= preserves the memory of the first builder upon the land. The =Old Jewry= was the privileged quarter of the Jews, whose first synagogue was erected here in 1262. =The Poultry= comprised the shops of the scorchers and stuffers, who afterwards settled down in the =Stocks Market= (so called from the old stocks for public offenders that stood there), displaced by the building of the Mansion House in 1739. =Bucklersbury= was originally the property of a wealthy grocer named Buckle who owned a manor-house here; the Anglo-Saxon word _bury_ being applicable either to a town or to an inhabited enclosure. =King William Street= was named soon after William IV. opened the present London Bridge, on August 1, 1831. =Queen Victoria Street= was cut through in the reign of her present Majesty.

=Cannon Street= is a corruption of =Candlewick Street=, colloquially styled “Can’lwick Street,” from the candlemakers who congregated in it. =Budge Row= received its name from the sellers of budge, or lambskin-fur, which at one time was greatly used as an ornamentation to their attire by scholars and civic dignitaries. =London Stone= marked the centre of the City during its occupation by the Romans in the year 15 B.C. =Watling Street= is a mispronunciation of “Vitellina strata,” meaning the street of Vitellius, who at the time it was constructed occupied the Imperial throne. This was the great highway of the Romans, running from Dover, through Canterbury and London, direct to Cardigan in Wales. =Walbrook=, formerly written “Wall-brook,” reminds us of the pleasant stream of clear water that once ran along the west side of this street and emptied itself into the Thames. =Crooked Lane= was so called from its winding character. =Swan Alley=, in Upper Thames Street, derived its title from an ancient mansion of the Beauchamps whose crest was a swan. =Boss Alley= calls attention to the fact that the executors of Sir Richard Whittington erected a _boss_, or conduit, hereabouts in the long, long ago. =College Hill= is all that remains to remind us of the College of St. Spirit and St. Mary founded on its site by the same generous Lord Mayor and benefactor of the public. =Fye Foot Lane= is properly “five-foot lane,” the actual width of this thoroughfare at one end; while =Duck’s Foot Lane= is a corruption of “Duke’s Foot Lane,” signifying the private path leading from the manor-house of the Dukes of Suffolk in what is now =Suffolk Lane= down to the water-side. =Queenhithe= was so called because the tolls collected at this _hithe_, or wharf, were claimed as pin-money by Eleanor, queen of Henry II. =Dowgate= is a modern spelling of “Dwrgate” (_dwr_ being Celtic for water), where, in the absence of bridges, the Romans had a ferry across the river to the continuation of Watling Street towards Dover. The =Steelyard= was the place where the King’s beam, or _Steel yard_, for weighing merchandise was set up. Foreigners who landed goods here were, between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, known as THE STEELYARD MERCHANTS.

=Gracechurch Street=, formerly corrupted into “Gracious Street,” received its name from an old church standing in a grass market hereabouts. =Fenchurch Street= recalls the church in the fens, or marshy land, on the north bank of the Thames. =Eastcheap= was the eastern _cheap_ or market, as distinguished from Chepe or Cheapside. =Mincing Lane= is a corruption of “Mynchen Lane,” denoting the tenements held by the _minichery_, a Saxon name for a nunnery, of St. Helen’s, Bishopsgate Street. =Mark Lane= was originally styled “Mart Lane,” from a fair held here from the earliest times. =Blind Chapel Court=, situated at the north-east corner of Mark Lane, carries the imagination back to “Blanch Appleton,” the documentary description of a white stone manor belonging to a knight named Appleton, in the reign of Richard II. In =Rood Lane= stood an ancient _rood_, or cross, representing the dying Saviour. =Seething Lane= is a corruption of Sidon Lane; and =Billiter Street= of Belzetti Street, commemorating the names of the original owners of, and builders upon, the land. The =Minories= marks the site of the Priory of the MINORESSES, or NUNS OF ST. CLARE (the Order founded in Italy, by St. Clare in 1212); corresponding to the =Minims=, or Lesser Friars, founded by St. Francis de Paula in 1453. =Crutched Friars= was the Priory of the Crutched, or Crossed, Friars of the Holy Trinity [_see_ RELIGIOUS ORDERS]. =Aldgate= received its name from the _Ald Gate_, the oldest of the City gates, taken down in 1760. Aldgate Pump, which stood beside the gate, still remains. =George Yard= was formerly the inn yard of “The George.” =Duke’s Place= preserves the memory of Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, beheaded in 1572, who had inherited the property of the Crutched Friars by marriage.

=Leadenhall Street= derived its title from the =Leadenhall Market=, a corruption of “Leather Hall,” the leather-sellers’ market of olden times. =St. Mary-Axe= owes its name to the Church of St. Mary-Axe which stood in it [_see_ the article “LONDON CHURCHES AND BUILDINGS”]. =Throgmorton Street= and =Nicholas Lane= were both named after Sir Nicholas Throgmorton, a wealthy London banker, and the head of an ancient Warwickshire family, said to have been poisoned by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, in 1571. =Threadneedle Street= is a corruption of “Three-Needle-Street,” so called from the arms of the Needle Makers’ Company. =Bartholomew Lane= was designated after the Church of St. Bartholomew, at the back of the Royal Exchange. =Lothbury= was originally “Lattenbury,” inhabited by the workers in _latten_, a fine kind of brass or bronze, which formed an important industry in the Middle Ages. =Cornhill= was the ancient corn market. =St. Michael’s Alley=, where the first English coffee-house was opened, took its name from the neighbouring church. =Finch Lane= is properly “Finke Lane,” in honour of Sir Robert Finke, who built the Church of St. Bennet Finke, pulled down to enlarge Gresham’s Royal Exchange. =Change Alley=, a contraction of “Exchange Alley,” was in the year 1720 the busy centre of the South Sea Bubble. =Birchin Lane= is a corruption of “Birchover Lane,” named after the builder.

=Lombard Street= constituted the colony of the Jews of Lombardy sent over to England by Pope Gregory IX. for the purpose of advancing money to those who were unable to pay the taxes so rigorously demanded throughout the country in 1229. =Austin Friars= contained the Priory of the Austin, or Augustin Friars. =Bishopsgate Street= was designated after the strong gate built by the good Bishop Erkenwald, son of Offa, King of the Saxons; and repaired by Bishop William in the reign of William I. =Great St. Helen’s= comprises the ground anciently held by the Nuns of the Order of St. Helen. =Devonshire Square=, in this neighbourhood, marks the situation of the mansion of William Cavendish, second Earl of Devonshire, who died under its roof in 1628. =Artillery Lane= stands upon the old practising ground of the Tower Gunners prior to the seventeenth century. =Houndsditch= was the old ditch beyond the city wall, anciently considered by the inhabitants to be the proper depository for dead dogs. =Bevis Marks= is a corruption of “Bury’s Marks,” where stood the mansion and grounds of the Abbots of Bury. =Petticoat Lane=, also known as =Rag Fair=, is the central old clothes mart of the Jewish inhabitants of the metropolis. =Wormwood Street= and =Camomile Street= were so called on account of the herbs found growing among the Roman stones. =London Wall= defines the ancient boundary of Roman London. =Barbican=, a continuation of the old Roman Wall, is an English form of the Saxon _burgh kennin_, or postern tower. Here it was that the Romans placed sentinels by night and day to give notice of conflagrations in the City or of dangers from outside quarters. In =Great Winchester Street= stood the original =Winchester House=, built by the first Marquis of Winchester. =Old Broad Street= was in Elizabeth’s reign the most fashionable thoroughfare in London, containing the mansions of the wealthiest city merchants. =Moorgate Street= was so called from the gate that divided the City from the moor, comprising the borough of Finsbury. =Beech Lane= was designated after Nicholas de la Beech, Lieutenant of the Tower during the reign of Edward III. =Cripplegate= is the narrow thoroughfare anciently graced (or disgraced) by a stone gate which received its name from the beggars and cripples who congregated around it. This affection for the old gate on the part of the cripples may be explained by the circumstance that the neighbouring church was dedicated to St. Giles, the patron of cripples. =Whitecross Street= and =Red Cross Street= were respectively denominated from a white and a red cross of stone, which defined the boundaries of the land belonging to the Knights Templars and the Knights Hospitallers. =Playhouse Yard= reminds us that the old “Fortune Theatre” stood here. =Jewin Street= was for centuries the only burying-ground permitted to the Jews of London. =Aldersgate Street= took its name from the old City gate, distinguished for several alder-trees that grew beside it. In =Bridgewater Square= stood the mansion, destroyed by fire in 1687, of the Egertons, Earls of Bridgewater. =Bartholomew Close= marks the situation of the cloisters of St. Bartholomew’s Priory, of which the church still remains. =Cloth Fair= comprised the ancient rendezvous of the Flemish and Italian merchants for the annual sale of cloths. This was the real Fair, to which “Bartholomew Fair” was merely an adjunct designed for the amusement of the populace who came from all accessible parts of the country. =Duke Street= and =Little Britain= were so called because in olden times the Dukes of Brittany resided here. =Newgate Street= received its name from the latest of the City gates, which also lent its title to the gloomy prison hard by. =Bath Street= contained one of the Turkish Bagnios, or Baths, introduced in London as early as the year 1679. =King Edward Street= serves to remind us that the neighbouring Grammar School known as Christ’s Hospital was established by Edward VI. =Giltspur Street=, formerly styled =Knightrider Street=, was so called from the Knights, distinguished by their gilt spurs, who passed through it on their way to the tournaments in Smithfield. =Pie Corner=, where the great Fire of London ceased its ravages in 1666, derived its name from an eating-house that rejoiced in the sign of “The Magpie.” =Farringdon Street= and =Farringdon Road= perpetuate the memory of William Farrindon, citizen and goldsmith, who purchased the Aldermanry of the Ward still known by his name for twenty marks in 1279, and became Sheriff two years later. =Saffron Hill= owes its designation to the rich crops of saffron that grew on its site at the time when it formed the eastern portion of the grounds attached to Ely House, the London residence of the Bishops of Ely, which stood on the spot now marked by =Ely Place=, and bounded on the west by =Hatton Garden=; so called because, when the property became demised to the Crown, it was presented by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Christopher Hatton, who literally danced himself into Her Majesty’s favour. =Snow Hill= was formerly described as “Snore Hill,” from the fact that the stage-coach passengers intended for “The Saracen’s Head” were generally fast asleep when they arrived at their destination.

=Holborn= is a contraction of “The Hollow Bourne,” indicative of a stream in a hollow. In Domesday Book the name appears as “Holebourne.” =Holborn Bars= marks the City boundary on its western side. =Leather Lane= was the recognized colony of the leather-sellers. =Fetter Lane= is a perversion of “Fewtor’s Lane”--in other words, a lane infested by vagabonds in the days when it led to some pleasure gardens. The term was derived from the Norman-French _faitour_, signifying an evil-doer. =Brooke Street= (in which Chatterton, the boy-poet, ended his life by poison), and =Greville Street= preserve the name of Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke, Councillor to James I., whose house stood in the latter thoroughfare. =Gray’s Inn Road= forms the eastern boundary of Gray’s Inn. =Verulam Buildings=, Gray’s Inn, facing Gray’s Inn Road, received this title in honour of Lord Bacon, who was created Baron Verulam and Viscount St. Albans. =Furnival Street=, on the east side of Holborn Bars, owes its name to Furnival’s Inn, which it faces. Until quite recently this street was designated =Castle Street=, from the old “Castle Inn,” whose site it covers. The name of =Dyers’ Buildings= memorializes the one-time existence of some almshouse erected hereabouts by the Dyers’ Company. =Cursitor Street= received its title from the Cursitors’ Office founded in this vicinity by the father of the great Lord Bacon. The Cursitors were those who issued writs in the name of the Court of Chancery. The word _cursitor_ is a corruption of chorister. Anciently all the officers of the Court of Chancery were divines; and the Lord High Chancellor himself was the Ecclesiastical Keeper of the King’s Conscience. =Chancery Lane= is a corruption of “Chancellor’s Lane,” originally containing the court and official residence of the Lord High Chancellor. =Southampton Buildings= occupy the site of Southampton House, which witnessed the death of Thomas, the last Earl of Southampton, Lord Treasurer of Charles II. Those sorry tenements, =Chichester Rents= supply the place of the old town mansion of the Bishops of Chichester. =Lincoln’s Inn Fields= are situated on the east side of the Inn, or mansion, of Henry de Lacey, Earl of Lincoln, in the fourteenth century [_see_ INNS OF COURT]. =Sardinia Street= takes its name from the =Sardinian Chapel=, the oldest Roman Catholic chapel in London, dating back to the year 1648, and originally the residence of the Sardinian ambassador. =Great Turnstile= and =Little Turnstile= are pleasant-sounding names, eminently suggestive of the rural character of this neighbourhood in bygone days. The turnstiles were set up to prevent sheep and cattle from straying out of Lincoln’s Inn Fields into the public highway. =Great Queen Street= was so called in compliment to Queen Elizabeth, in whose reign it was first formed into a footway for pedestrians plodding westwards from Lincoln’s Inn towards the narrow path, anciently designated, as the modern street still is, =Long Acre=. The word _Acre_, derived from the Greek _agros_, Latin _ager_, and Anglo-Saxon _acer_, means a ploughed or sown field. =Drury Lane= derived its name from Drury House, the town residence of Sir William Drury, K.G., one of our most able commanders in quelling the wars with Ireland. The house was situated where the Olympic Theatre now stands. =Denzil Street= and =Holles Street= were so designated by Gilbert, Earl of Clare, whose house occupied the site of =Clare Market=, in memory of his uncle Denzil, Lord Holles, one of the five members of the House of Commons whose persons Charles I. made an ineffectual attempt to seize. =Hart Street= and =White Hart Street= both owe their titles to “The White Hart” Inn, demolished in the time of George I. =Catherine Street=, Strand, and =Portugal Street=, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, were designated in honour of Catherine of Braganza, queen of Charles II. =Serle Street= received its name from Henry Serle, a bencher of Lincoln’s Inn, who left considerable property in the parish of St. Clement-Danes when he died in 1690. =Wych Street= was known in early times as _Aldwyche_, denoting the road leading directly from the Strand and the church just mentioned to the “Old town,” now known as Broad Street, St. Giles’s parish. =Holywell Street= took its title from the Holy Well discovered on the eastern side of St. Clement-Danes.

The =Strand= literally means the strand of the Thames. At one time Somerset House and a few other princely mansions only occupied its southern side. =Thanet Place=, a secluded _cul de sac_ comprising ten houses, opposite the Law Courts, was named after the Earl of Thanet, to whom, previous to 1780, the property belonged. =Palsgrave Place= was so called in compliment to the Palsgrave Frederick, King of Bohemia, who married the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James I., in 1612. =Devereaux Court= received its title from Essex House, which also gave its name to =Essex Street=, the residence of Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, the Parliamentary General. =Milford Lane= was in olden times characterized by a rustic mill; and the lane itself led down to a ford across the river. =Arundel Street=, =Norfolk Street=, =Surrey Street=, and =Howard Street=, stand upon the site of the town house and grounds of the Howards, Dukes of Norfolk, and Earls of Arundel and Surrey. =Savoy Street= leads to the Chapel Royal, the only remaining portion of the ancient Savoy Palace [_see_ SAVOY CHAPEL]. =Wellington Street=, constructed in 1829-30, was named to complete the compliment partially bestowed upon the Duke of Wellington by the designation of =Waterloo Bridge=, opened June 18, 1817, or two years after the famous victory. =Bow Street= was so called on account of its bent shape when it was first laid out to connect the Strand with Oxford Street in 1637. =Covent Garden= is a corruption of Convent Garden, or the garden belonging to St. Paul’s Convent. =York Street= and =James Street= were both named in honour of the Duke of York, afterwards James II. =King Street=, constructed in his reign, was designated after Charles I., and =Henrietta Street= after his queen, Henrietta Maria. In =Tavistock Street=, =Russell Street=, =Bedford Street=, and =Southampton Street=, we trace some of the family titles of one of the ancestors of the present ground landlord, viz., Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, Marquis of Tavistock, Duke of Bedford, whose daughter is known in history as the celebrated Rachel, the wife of Lord William Russell, the patriot, beheaded in 1683. Southampton House, in which Lady Russell was born, stood in the street named after it. =Bedfordbury= originally denoted the enclosed property of the Bedford family. =Maiden Lane= was so styled on account of a statue of the Virgin that stood at the corner of this thoroughfare at the time when it skirted the south wall of the Convent Garden. =Chandos Street= received its name from James Bridges, Lord Chandos, the ancestor of the “Princely Duke of Chandos.” =Exeter Street= marks the situation of Exeter House and its grounds, the property of a lineal descendant of the great Lord Burleigh, after whom =Burleigh Street= was designated. =Cecil Street= and =Salisbury Street=, on the opposite side of the Strand, remind us that here stood Salisbury House, the residence of Robert Cecil, first Earl of Salisbury, one of the sons of Lord Burleigh just alluded to.

=Adelphi= is the Greek word for brothers. This collective title was chosen for the pleasantly situated little district which comprises =Adelphi Terrace=, =Adam Street=, =John Street=, =Robert Street=, and =James Street=, the work of the brothers Adam, after whose Christian names three of the streets were designated. Similarly, =George Street=, =Villiers Street=, =Duke Street=, and =Buckingham Street= preserve the memory of George Villiers, second Duke of Buckingham, of whose mansion the old gate built by Inigo Jones may still be seen. =Charing Cross= is a perversion of “Chère Reine Cross,” so named from the memorial cross erected upon the spot where the body of Eleanor, the _dear queen_ of Edward I., was last set down while on its way to Westminster Abbey. The present cross is merely a model of the original demolished by the Puritans in 1647. =Craven Street= is the property of Lord Craven. =Northumberland Street= and =Northumberland Avenue= owe their names to Northumberland House, the town mansion of the Dukes of Northumberland, taken down in 1874.

=Trafalgar Square= received its title from the Nelson Column, set up in 1843, two years before the Square itself was completed. =St. Martin’s Lane= was named after the parish church of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields. =King William Street= was built upon in the reign of William IV. The name of =Seven Dials= arose from a column set up at the diverging point of seven streets, and displaying as many clock faces. Its object was to mark the limits of St. Giles’s and St. Martin’s parishes. =Cranbourne Street= marks the course of a long, narrow bourne, or stream, that formerly ran from Tyburn by way of Brook Street, Grosvenor Square, and across Leicester Fields into Long Acre, and thence emptied itself into the Thames at the bottom of Milford Lane. The first portion of the name was in allusion to the long, slender neck and legs of the crane. =Leicester Square= (formerly denominated =Leicester Fields=) derived its name from Leicester House, the noble mansion built on its east side by Robert Sidney, Earl of Leicester, in 1636. On the site of =Coventry Street= stood the mansion of Henry Coventry, Secretary of State in the reign of Charles II. =Great Windmill Street= reminds us of the old windmill that stood hereabouts a couple of centuries ago. It was not until January, 1831, that the hay market, properly so called, was removed from the spacious thoroughfare still known as the =Haymarket=. =Jermyn Street= was named after Henry Jermyn, Earl of St. Albans, whose residence, St. Alban’s House, stood on its north side. In =Arundel Street= we have one of the family titles of the ground landlord, Lord Arundel of Wardour. =Orange Street= was designated in honour of the Prince of Orange, afterwards William III. =Panton Street= perpetuates the memory of Colonel Thomas Panton, a notorious gamester, whose daughter married into the Arundel family. =Suffolk Street= marks the situation of the old town mansion of the Earl of Suffolk.

=Spring Gardens=, during the days of the Stuarts, contained an ingenious contrivance by which any person stepping upon a hidden spring was suddenly immersed in a shower of water. =Pall Mall= is a modern spelling of _paille maille_, the title of a French game at ball, somewhat similar to our croquet, first played in this thoroughfare--then open to St. James’s Park--about the year 1621. =Carlton House Terrace= stands on the site of Carlton House, the palace of Frederick, Prince of Wales, the father of George III. =King Street=, =St. James’s Street=, and =St. James’s Square= were designated in honour of James I. =Bury Street= is properly “Berry Street,” after the name of its builder.

The =Green Park= deserves its title on account of its verdure, so refreshing to the eye. =Hyde Park= anciently comprised the manor of Hyde held by the Abbots of St. Peter’s, Westminster, but claimed by the Crown on the dissolution of the monasteries. =Hyde Park Corner= defines the position of the old toll-gate at the western extremity of London. =Rotten Row= is a corruption of _route du roi_, the French for “route of the King,” to the historic royal residence at Kensington. =Albert Gate=, =Queen’s Gate=, and =Prince’s Gate= are of modern date, named in honour of the royal personages indicated. The =Marble Arch= is an imposing structure of white marble originally erected in front of Buckingham Palace in 1830, and removed to its present position in 1851. =Rutland Gate= was designated after the mansion of the Dukes of Rutland hard by. =Cumberland Gate= and =Duke Street=, Grosvenor Square, were both named after the Duke of Cumberland, brother to George III. =Grosvenor Gate=, =Grosvenor Street=, and =Grosvenor Square= preserve the memory of Sir Richard Grosvenor, Grand Cup-bearer to George II., who died in 1732. The ancestral line of the Grosvenors may be traced back to _Le Gros Veneur_, “the chief hunter,” to the Dukes of Normandy prior to the Conquest. =Stanhope Gate=, =Great Stanhope Street=, and =Chesterfield Street= received their names from =Chesterfield House=, the residence of Philip Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield, of epistolary fame. =Park Lane= was formerly a narrow lane skirting the east side of the Park. =Portugal Street= was named in honour of the queen of Charles II. =Chapel Street= owes its designation to its proximity to Grosvenor Chapel. =Hamilton Place= perpetuates the name of Colonel James Hamilton, Ranger of Hyde Park, and boon companion of Charles II.

That fine thoroughfare known as =Piccadilly= was designated after “Piccadilla Hall,” its most westerly building during the reign of Elizabeth, and utilized as a depôt for the sale of the then fashionable PICCADILLY LACE, so called on account of its little spearlike points, _piccadilly_ being the diminutive of _pica_, a pike, a spear. In the succeeding reign of James I., the high ruff worn by males was styled a piccadilly, though the lace had disappeared from its edge. =Curzon Street= was named after George Augustus Curzon, third Viscount Howe, the ground landlord. =Charles Street= and =Queen Street= were first built upon in the reign of Charles II., in honour of whom and his queen they were designated. =Shepherd Street=, =Shepherd’s Market=, and =Market Street= faithfully preserve the memory of the owner of the land upon which the ancient “May Fair” was held. =Hay Hill=, =Hill Street=, and =Farm Street= mark the situation of an old farm that stood upon the lands of John, Lord Berkeley of Stratton, an able officer in the army of Charles I., whose titles are perpetuated in =John Street=, =Berkeley Square=, =Berkeley Street=, and =Stratton Street=; while =Bruton Street= refers to the family seat of the Berkeleys, situated at Bruton, Somersetshire. =Mount Street= marks the site of one of the western forts or bastions hastily formed by the Parliamentarians in 1643 to resist an expected attack upon the Metropolis from this side by the Royalists. =Clarges Street= derived its name from the residence of Sir Walter Clarges built in 1717, and afterwards occupied by the Venetian Ambassador. In =Half-Moon Street= stood an old tavern bearing the sign of “The Half-Moon.” =Arlington Street= and =Bennett Street= were named after Henry Bennett, Earl of Arlington, whose town house was situated on the site of the former thoroughfare. =Dover Street= was so called in memory of Henry Jermyn, Lord Dover, who died in it in 1782. =Albemarle Street= contained the residence of Christopher Monk, second Duke of Albemarle, acquired from the Earls of Clarendon. =Old Bond Street=, of which =New Bond Street= is a modern continuation, received its name from the Bond family, now extinct. The land upon which it stands was the property of Sir Thomas Bond, Comptroller of the Household of Henrietta Maria, queen of Charles I. =Clifford Street= preserves the memory of Elizabeth Clifford, who became the wife of Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington (died 1753), after whom =Old Burlington Street=, and subsequently, =New Burlington Street= were designated. In =Cork Street= resided Lord Cork, one of the four brothers of the Boyle family advanced to the peerage at the same time. =Savile Row= was named after Dorothy Savile, who became Countess of Burlington and Cork, and inherited the property. =Vigo Street= commemorates the capture of Vigo, in Spain, by the British on several occasions in the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The street dates back to the year 1720. =Sackville Street=, built in 1679, serves its purpose as perpetuating the memory of the witty Charles Sackville, Earl of Dorset, whose friends were unwilling that his fame should be allowed to die. =Air Street=, Piccadilly Circus, was at the time of its erection in the year 1659 one of the most westerly, and consequently, open streets of the town. =Swallow Street= is a corruption of “Slough Street,” at one time a miry thoroughfare much infested by footpads. =Vine Street= recalls the ancient vineyard belonging to the Abbey at Westminster, situated here.

=Regent Street= was named by John Nash, the architect, after his royal patron, the Prince Regent. It was commenced in 1813. =Conduit Street= received its name from the conduit or spring-head set up in the meadow formerly known as “Conduit Mead,” now swallowed up by Old Bond Street. =Maddox Street= was built by one Maddox in 1720. =Brook Street= reminds us of the pleasant stream that wound its way from Tyburn down to Leicester Fields, where it was designated the Cranbourne, and ultimately spent itself in the Thames. =Mill Street= affords us an additional memory of the rurality of London in bygone times. =George Street= (also =St. George’s Church=), =Hanover Street=, and =Hanover Square= were designations in honour of the Hanoverian succession in the person of George I. =Davies Street=, connecting Berkeley Square with Oxford Street, received its name in compliment to Miss Mary Davies, the heiress of Ebury Manor, Belgravia, who carried that estate by her marriage into the possession of the Grosvenors.