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TY - ELEC
A1 - ,
ED - Jenstad, Janelle
T1 - Petition of the Water Bearers
T2 - The Map of Early Modern London
ET - 6.6
PY - 2021
DA - 2021/06/30
CY - Victoria
PB - University of Victoria
LA - English
UR - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/PETI1.htm
UR - https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/edition/6.6/xml/standalone/PETI1.xml
ER -
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Chamberlain of London
Servant of the prophet Elisha in the Bible.
King of England and Ireland
Member of the
Noblewoman.
Water-bearer and petitioner.
This is a person who is either chosen to be anonymous or whose identity has been lost.
The city of London, not to be confused with the allegorical character (
Cheapside Street, one of the most important streets in early modern London, ran east-west between the Great Conduit at the foot of Old Jewry to the Little Conduit by St. Paul’s churchyard. The terminus of all the northbound streets from the river, the broad expanse of Cheapside Street separated the northern wards from the southern wards. It was lined with buildings three, four, and even five stories tall, whose shopfronts were open to the light and set out with attractive displays of luxury commodities (Weinreb and Hibbert 148). Cheapside Street was the centre of London’s wealth, with many
Cornhill was a significant thoroughfare and was part of the cityʼs main major east-west thoroughfare that divided the northern half of London from the southern half. The part of this thoroughfare named Cornhill extended from St. Andrew Undershaft to the three-way intersection of Threadneedle, Poultry, and Cornhill where the Royal Exchange was built. The name Cornhill
preserves a memory both of the cornmarket that took place in this street, and of the topography of the site upon
which the Roman city of Londinium was built.
Note: Cornhill and Cornhill Ward are nearly synonymous in terms of location and nomenclature - thus, it can be a challenge to tell one from the other. Topographical decisions have been made to the best of our knowledge and ability.
Gracechurch Street ran north-south from Cornhill Street near Leadenhall Market to the bridge. At the southern end, it was called
New Fish Street
. North of Cornhill, Gracechurch
continued as Bishopsgate Street, leading through
Bishop’s Gate out of the walled city into the
suburb of Shoreditch.
Not labelled on the Agas map, the Conduit upon Cornhill is thought to have been located in the middle of Cornhill Ward and opposite the north end of Change Alley and the eastern side of the Royal Exchange
(Harben 167; BHO). Formerly a prison, it was built to bring fresh water from Tyburn to Cornhill.
St. Martin’s Lane (Strand) was located in Westminster and ran north-south between Tottenham Ct. Road and the westernmost end of the Strand by Charing Cross. It is not to be confused with St. Martin’s Lane (le Grand) or St. Martin’s Lane (Bridge Within Ward).
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AMong the great multitude of poore distressed people of this kingdome, with ioyfull hearts and lifted vp hands to heauen, we your petitioners, haue iust cause to say. Blessed be the Lord God of Israell, that moued the heart of his gration Maiestie,
For, most honourable assembly, to make this their grieuance plaine, that they are matters of truth, and no suggestions or inforcements. There was in the Parliament, holden in the Henry the eighth
In the said Act there was a carefull prouiso, that it should not be lawfull, for the said Lord Maior nor commonaltie, nor to their successors, or ministers, to take away any water, or spring now brought, or hereafter to be brought, or conueyed, by Pypes or Trenches, to the mansion of any person or persons, nor for any person or persons, by any way, deceipt, meane, or any other craftie conueiance, shall vndermine, minish, withdraw, or abate any Spring, or springs, found or hereafter to be found, now brought or conueyed, stopped, abated, or otherwise altered, from his dew course, and conueyance to the Conduits in London.
That the said water brought to the said City, by vertue of the said Act, is the most wholsome, purest, and sweetest water, comming to the said City, is not to be doubted or disputable; and sufficient store thereof, at the spring heads. And yet notwithstanding the said former Act; most of the said water is taken, and kept from the said Conduits in London, by many priuate branches and Cockes, cut and taken out of the Pipes, which are layed to conuey the same, to the said Conduits; and laid into priuate houses and dwellings, both without and within the City; whereby it is drawne out of the wayes, and many times suffered to runne at waste, to the generall grieuance of all good Citizens, and all others; repayring to the same, hauing their meat dressed with other waters, neither so pure nor holsome, as the Conduits water is, as common experience teacheth; contrary to the true intent of the same statute.
There are, as was confessed by the Cities Plumber, one Randoll
Secondly, the water granted vnto Newgate, for vse of that house only, is caried forth daily by fiue men to many places, which Tankerdbearers keepe no houres, but worke continually, and so exhaust and draw away the water from the other Conduits.
The SwinnertonHenry 8
Fourthly, the water that now serueth Alderman-bury Conduit, doth belong to the pipes of Cheapside, and was lately cut out of the same, and that water which should or would serue that Conduit of Alderman-bury, is wholy stopt or giuen to priuate houses by the way.
Fiftly, Cornehill and Gracious-street men, complayning for want of water in their Conduits, there was three houres in a day abated by the Chamberlaine of the City,
Sixtly, one of the maine and chiefest pipes runneth vnder part of Saint Martins Lane, and the Couen garden, in which places there are lately erected many new buildings and dwellings of Bricke; and it is supposed that digging deeper for the foundations, and finding the Pipes, they may take some priuate branches, out of their due course.
Your Petitioners doe humbly desire, for that there is great defect of water, in the said conduits: and that it is a generall grieuance, to the whole City; and that diuers complaints, haue beene made by your Petitioners for redresse, but no reliefe can be procured, and are vtterly remedilesse, but by this Honourable assembly that wee the Petitioners, may be permitted to preferre our Bill into this Honourable house: For remedy of this grieuance, and as in duty we are bounden; so we will daily pray, that God may blesse all your counsels, to the benefit of all succeeding ages.