The Present State of London, Treatise · Chapter 5 · Section 3 · Part 1 – Part 15
Of Docks.
THeſe Docks or Harbours are cut into the Land without further Current, and are uſeful for the convenient lying of Veſſels, Hoys, Lighters, Barges, Boats, &c. in order to the convenient Delivery of Proviſion, as Victual, Fuel, &c. to the adjacent Inhabitants. They are in number very many.—Some of the chief are, Scotland-Dock, adjoyning to White-Hall. —White-Fryars-Dock: Puddle-Dock, at the Weſt-end of Thames-ſtreet.—Queen-Hith-Dock, a place of much Trade for ground Corn, or Meal, which is brought out of the Weſt Country thither in great Quantities; Billingsgate-Dock, a place of great Trade, and where ſhips of conſiderable Burthen may Harbour.—Sabbs-Dock, Tower-Dock, St. Katharines-Dock,—Hermitage-Dock,—Execution-Dock, which though it be of later years, fitted up retains to this day the former name which it received, becauſe it was the only place for Executing Pyrats, and Sea-Robberts, which is uſually done by Hanging them on a Gibbet erected at Low-water-mark— Limehouſe-Dock. And on the South-ſhore are Clink-Dock, and St. Saviours-Dock—There are beſides theſe, many Docks for private uſe, as for repairing of Ships and Veſſels, which we omit.
Under this head of TRADE, and in this place, it may not be improper to give a Brief Account of the Porters of London, who are not incorporate Companies, but Brotherhoods, whoſe Original and Government are by Acts of Common-Councel.—They are of two ſorts.
1. Ticket-Porters, who do take up, weigh, load, and ouſe all Merchants Goods, as Cloath, Fruit, Sugars, Oyls, Wines, Mettals, &c. and have to their Governour Sir Thomas Allen: Theſe are very numerous; their Quarteridge is 4 d. each.
2. Fellowſhip Porters.—To theſe belong the ſhoring, or landing, houſing, carrying, or recarrying all meaſurable Goods, as Corn, Salt, Coals, &c. Their chief Governour is the Alderman of Billingsgate Ward, who is at preſent Sir John Peak. Theſe are in Number about 700 and their Quarterige is 12 d. each.—Theſe and the former have very good Government and Orders among themſelves, and before any is admitted to that Employ among them, they pay a Fine.—The Ticket-Porters give good ſecurity for their Honeſty and Fidelity, ſo that no more need be done, but to take notice of his Name, which is ſ…ampt on his Ticket that hangs at his Girdle, and repairing to their Governor, ſatisfaction may be had for any wrong or miſ-behaviour, &c.
There is a very remarkable Cuſtom among the Fellowſhip Porters, as an Ingenious perſon that belongs to their Society informed me, which is thus:
The next Sunday after every Midſummer-day, they have a Sermon preached to them, ſo order'd by an Act of Common-Councel, in the Pariſh-Church of St. Mary-On-the-Hill, preparative to which, this Order is obſerved, they furniſh the Merchants and their Families about Billings-gate with Noſeg…ys or Poſies over-night, and in the morning they go from their Common-Hall, or place of Meeting in good Order, each having a Poſie or Noſegay in his hand; They walk through the middle Iſſe to the Communion-Table, where are two Baſons, and every one offers ſomething to the Relief of the Poor, and towards the Charges of the Day. After they have all paſt, the Deputy, the Merchants, their Wives, Children, and Servants, do all come in Order from their Seats, and beſtow their Offerings alſo; which is a Ceremony of much variety. I am certainly informed, that the very charges of their Noſegays coſt them, in one year, not long ago, near 20 l.
Coal-Market.
AT the head of Billingsgate-Dock is a ſquare Plot of ground compaſſed with Poſts, known by the Name of Roomland, which with the Adjacent part of the ſtreet hath been the uſual place, where the Ship-Maſters, Coal-Merchants, Woodmongers, Lightermen and Labourers, do meet every Morning, in order to the Buying, Selling, Delivering and taking up of Sea-Coals and Scotch-Coals, as the principal Market. This Coal-Market was kept on Great Tower-hill in the time of the Cities late Deſolation.
Corn-Market.
UPon Bear-key, between Sabs-Dock and Porters-key, is the uſual place or Chief Market for Corn, which is bought and ſold there every day, but principally Mondays, Wedneſdays and Frydays, which are the Market-days, where great Quantities of all kind of Grain are bought and ſold by ſmall Examples, commonly called Samples, whether it be lying in Granaries or Ships, and, it (viz. Bear-key) is the principal place where the Kentiſh and Eſſex Corn-Veſſels do lie.
Fiſh-Market.
THe Freſh Fiſh-Market is kept at Billings-Gate, Mondays, Wedneſdays and Frydays.
Of the Navy-Office, where the whole Buſineſs concerning the King's Ships of War is managed.
FIrſt there is the Treaſure of the Navy, his Office is to receive out of the Exchequer, by Warrant from the Lord Treaſurer of England, and to pay all Charges of the Navy, by Warrant from the principal Officers of the Navy, for which he had formerly Sallary, 220 l. 13. s. 4 d. beſides 3 d. in the pound for all Money paid by him, but hath now an honourable allowance certain from His Majeſty in lie… thereof.
Next the Comptroller of the Navy, whoſe Office to attend and Controll all payments of Wages, to know the Market-Rates of all Stores belonging to Shipping, to examine and audit Treaſurers, Victuallers, and Score-keepers Accounts, his Sallary is 500 l. yearly.
Surveyor of the Navy, whoſe Office is Generally to know the ſtate of all Stores, and ſee the Wants ſupplyed; to ſind the Hulls, Maſts and Yards, and eſtimate the Value of Repairs, by Indenture to charge all Boat-ſwains and Carpenters of His Majeſties Navy, with what Stores they Receive, and at the end of each Voyage, to ſtate and audit their Accounts, his Sallary is 490 l.
Clarks of the Acts, whoſe Office is to Record all Orders, Contracts, Bills, Warrants, and other buſineſs tranſacted by the Principal Officers and Commiſſioners of the Navy, &c. the Sallary of the Commiſſioners of the Navy is 500 l. yearly to each. There are two Commiſſioners, whoſe particular work is to be at Portſmouth and Chatham, always in readineſs to give Orders for the better Management of His Majeſties Affairs in his Yards or Store-houſes there; Sallary to each is 350 l. Yearly.
Each of theſe Officers above-named have two Clarks, and ſome of them more, all paid by the Treaſurer of the Navy, all hold their places by Patent from the King, and moſt of them during pleaſure.
The King hath for his Navy Royal and Stores, four great Yards or Store-houſes, (viz.) at Chatham, Deptford, Woolwich, and Portſmouth, where his Ships are Built, Repaired and laid up after their Voyages. In which yards are Employed Divers Officers, whereof the ſix principal are Clerks of the Check, Store-keeper, Maſter, Attendants, two at Chatham, Maſter-Shipwright, Clark of the Control, Clark of the Survey.
Note that the Charges of the Clarks and Inſtruments are included in the afore-mentioned Sallaries.
Beſides theſe four Yards, his Majeſty hath divers Rope-Yards, as at Chatham, Woolwich, and Portſmouth, where are made all his Cables and Cordage for his Navy. Alſo in time of Sea-War, the King hath another Yard at Harwich, where there is, out of War time, continued an Officer at the charge of 100 l. yearly.
The ordinary Charge of his Majeſties Navy in times of Peace, continuing in Harbour, is ſo well regulated, that it amounts to ſcarce 7000 l. Beſides, all Charges of Building of Ships, &c. or ſetting forth any Fleets, which ſome years, even in peaceable times, amounts to 12, or 13000 l. more, as may eaſily be conjectured by the Charges of Building and Rigging of Ships, and of one Months expence at Sea.
Of the Poſt-Office.
THis Office is now kept in Lumbard-ſtreet, formerly in Biſhops-gate-ſtreet, the Profits of it are by Act of Parliament ſettled on his Royal Highneſs the Duke of York. But the King by Letters Patents, under the great Seal of England, conſtitutes the Poſt-Maſter-General.
From this General Office, Letters and Packets are diſpatched,
On Mondays
To France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Flanders, Sweedland, Donmark, Kent and the Downs.
On Tueſdays
To Holland, Germany, Sweedland, Denmark, Ireland, Scotland, and all parts of England and Wales.
On Wedneſdays
To all parts of Kent, and the Downs.
On Thurſdays
To France, Spain, Italy, and all parts of England and Scotland.
On Frydays
To Flanders, Germany, Italy, Sweedland, Denmark, Holland, Kent, and the Downs.
On Saturdays
All parts of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Letters are returned from all parts of England and Scotland, certainly every Monday, Wedneſday and Friday; from Wales every Monday and Fryday; and from Kent and the Downs every day: But from other parts more uncertainly, in regard of the Sea.
A Letter containing a whole ſheet of Paper is convey'd 80 Miles for 2 d. two ſheets for 4 d. and an Ounce of Letters for 8 d. and ſo propo…tionably; a Letter containing a ſheet is conveyed above 80 Miles for 3 d. two ſheets for 6 d. and every Ounce of Letters for 12 d. A ſheet is conveyed to Dublin for 6 d. two for a ſhilling, and an Ounce of Letters for 12 d.
This Conveyance by Poſt is done in ſo ſhort a time, by night as well as by day, that every 24 hours, the Poſt goes 120 Miles, and in five days, an anſwer of a Letter may be had from a Place 300 Miles diſtant from the Writer.
Moreover, if any Gentlemen deſire to ride Poſt, to any Principal Town of England, Poſt-horſes are always in readineſs, (taking no Horſe without the conſent of his owner) which in other Kings Reigns was not duly obſerved; and only 3 d. is demanded for every Engliſh Mile, and for every Stage to the Poſt-Boy, 4 d. For conducting.
Beſides this Excellent convenience of conveying Letters, and Men on Horſe-back, there is of late ſuch and admirable commodiouſneſs, both for Men and Women of better rank, to travel from London, and to almoſt all the Villages near this great City, that the like hath not been known in the World, and that is by Stage-Coaches, wherein one may be tranſported to any place, ſheltred from foul Weather, and foul ways, free from endamaging ones Health or Body by hard jogging, or over violent motion; and this not only at a low price, as about a ſhilling for every five Miles, but with ſuch velocity and ſpeed, as that the Poſts in ſome Foreign Countries, make not more Miles in a day; for the Stage-Coaches, called Flying-Coaches, make forty or fifty Miles in a day, as from London to Oxford or Cambridge, and that in the ſpace of twelve hours, not counting the time for Dining, ſetting forth not too early, nor coming in too ….
The ſeveral Rates that now are and have been taken for the Carriage of Letters, Packquets, and Parcels, to or from any of His Majeſties Dominions, to or from any other parts or places beyond the Seas, are as followeth, that is to ſay,
s. d.
MOrlaix, St. Maloes, Caen, New-haven, and places of like diſtance, Carriage paid to Rouen—
Single 0 6
Double 1 0
Treble 1 6
Ounce 1 6
Hamburgh, Colen, Frankfort,— Carriage paid to Antwerp, is—
Single 0 8
Double 1 4
Treble 2 0
Ounce 2 0
Venice, Geneva, Legorn, Rome, Naples, Meſſina, and all other parts of Italy by way of Venice, Franct pro Mantua,—
Single 0 9
Double 1 6
Treble 2 3
Ounce 2 8
Marſeilles, Smirna, Conſtantinople, Aleppo, and all parts of Turky, Carriage paid to Marſelles.—
Single 1 0
Double 2 0
3/4 Oun. 2 9
Ounce 2 8
And for Letters brought from the ſame places to England—
Single 0 8
Double 1 4
Treble 2 0
Ounce 2 0
The Carriage of Letters brought into England, from Calice, Diep, Bulloign, Abbeville, Amiens, St. Omers, Montrel—
Single 0 4
Double 0 8
Treble 1 0
Ounce 1 0
Roven—
Single 0 6
Double 1 0
Treble 1 6
Ounce 1 6
Genoua, Legorn, Rome, and other parts of Italy by way of Lyons, Franct pro Lyons—
Single 1 0
Double 2 0
3/4 Ounce 2 9
Ounce 3 9
The Carriage of Letters Outwards.
To Bourdeaux, Rochel, Nants, Orleans, Bayon, Tours, and places of like diſtance, Carriage paid to Paris—Single 0 9
Double 1 6
Treble 2 3
Ounce 2 0
Letters brought from the ſame places into England—Single 1 0
Double 2 0
3/4 Oun. 3 0
Ounce 4 0
The Carriage of Letters Outwards.
To Norembourgh, Bremen, Dantzick, Lubeck, Lipſwick, and other places of like diſtance, Carriage paid to Hamburgh—Single 1 0
Double 2 0
3/4 Oun. 3 0
Ounce 4 0
Paris—Single 0 9
Double 1 6
Treble 2 3
Ounce 2 0
Dunkirk, Ostend, Liſle Ipers, Cambrary, Ghent, Bruxels, Bruges, Antwerp, and all other parts of Flanders.
Sh…e, Fluſhing, Middleburgh, A…ſter…am, Rotterdam, Delph, Hague, and all other parts of Holland and Zealand—Single 0 8
Double 1 4
Treble 2 0
Ounce 2 0
All Merchants Accounts, not exceeding a Sheet, Bills of E…change, Invoices, Bills of Lading, ſhall …e allowed without rate in the price of the Letters, and alſo the Covers of the Letters not exceeding a Sheet, to M…rſeilles, Venice, or Legorn, towards Turkie.
The ſaid Office is managed by a Deputy, and other Officers, to the Number of ſeventy ſeven perſons; who give their actual attendance reſpectively, in the diſpatch of the buſineſs.
Upon this Grand Office, depends one hundred eighty two Deputy-Poſt-Maſters in England and Scotland; moſt of which keep Regular Offices in their Stages, and Sub-Poſt-Maſters in their Branches; and alſo in Ireland, another General Office for that Kingdom, which is kept in Dublin, conſiſting of Eighteen like Officers, and Forty-five Deputy Poſt-Maſters.
The Preſent Poſt-Maſter-General, keeps conſtantly, for the tranſport of the ſaid Letters and Pacquets;
Between England and—
France, two Pacquet-Boats.
Flanders, two Pacquet-Boats.
Holland, three Pacquet-Boats.
Ireland, three Pacquet-Boats.
And at Deal, two Pacquet-Boats for the Downs.
All which Officers, Poſt-Maſters, Pacquet-Boats, are maintained at his own proper Charge.
And as the Maſter-piece of all thoſe good regulations, eſtabliſhed by the preſent Poſt-Maſter-General, for the better Government of the ſaid Office, he hath annexed and appropriated the Market-Towns of England, ſo well to their Reſpective Poſt-Stages, that there is no Conſiderable Market-Town, but hath an eaſie and certain Conveyance for the Letters thereof, to and from the ſaid Grand Office, in the due courſe of the Males every Poſt.
Though the Number of Letters Miſſive in England, were not at all Conſiderable in our Anceſtors days, yet it is now ſo prodigiouſly great, (ſince the meaneſt People have Generally learnt to write) that this Office is Farmed for above 40, rather 50000 l. a Year.