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In early modern London, Fish Wharf was an incredibly active area of commercial industry on the north bank of the River Thames in Bridge Ward Within. On that south side of Thames stréete
(Stow 1598, sig. M5r). Additionally according to Henry Harben’s
be adjacent, on the west, to the present London Bridge Wharf, and between that wharf and Fresh Wharf east(Harben).
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In early modern London, Fish Wharf was an incredibly active area of commercial industry on the north bank of the River Thames in Bridge Ward Within. On that south side of Thames stréete
(Stow 1598, sig. M5r). Additionally, according to Henry Harben’s
be adjacent, on the west, to the present London Bridge Wharf, and between that wharf and Fresh Wharf east(Harben).
There exists numerous variations of the name, including different spellings for both early times it was of considerable importance, as the
(Harben). These a serious dispute arose as to their right to sell fish by retail in these shops,
which required petitioning the King and many subsequent legal proceedings (Harben). Fish Wharf may be considered then to be of great import to the economic history of London in general and its fishing industry in particular.
Not surprisingly, Fish Wharf would be frequently used by the
and incorporated the whole under the general name of the(Herbert 5-6). Upon merging they would be granted a charter, a system of rules and taxation, an agreed upon salary amount, and an individualized crest. Though there are few literary mentions of the wharf, one can certainly recall the Bard himself referring to fishmongers inFishmongers of London
Choas Allen recounts the importance of Fish Wharf to the
the(Allen 350). Some of the most popular kinds of fish included herrings, salmon, oysters, carp, and eel which were enjoyed by commoners and gentry alike. Moreover, the fishing industry was undoubtedly supported by Catholic observances of Lent. Allen’s analysis paints a fascinating picture of seventeenth century London, where in Fish Wharf was not only populated by a class of merchants, but by local residents and peddlers as well. Such interactions were not always peaceful, however. The rich and complex economic landscape of Fish Wharf was repeatedly the site of attempted monopolies by thefishmongers , who kept shops upon Fish-wharf, used to sell herrings and other fish brought by land and by water, to the inhabitants and to the hawkers who carried them through the streets
(Knight 196). The ruling was not limited to1363 some of thefishmongers again endeavoured to effect a monopoly, but it was ordered that thebillestres , or poor persons who cried and sold fish in the streetsshall not be hindered
poor personsonly, but also
women coming from the uplands with fish caught by them or their servants in the water of the Thames or other neighbouring streams were to be allowed to frequent the markets(Knight 196). Knight’s account identifies both class and gender distinctions that occurred in the market places of Fish Wharf, revealing the underlying systems of society in early modern London.