in the town, borough-town, parishes, and precincts afore- CHAP. I. said, or in any of them, contrary to this our grant."

By what authority this positive and unlimited charter, which was confirmed by Charles II. and received parliamentary sanction, has repeatedly been violated, has never yet been ascertained; and though legal discussions have been frequently circulated in the courts, till it can be proved beyond all doubt that the opinion of a judge is paramount to an authentic charter, the following rights and privileges of the city of London, over and in the Dorough of Southwark, must exist in opposition to any sheriff, minister, or jurisdiction whatever.

1st. To be invested with all manner of regal rights and prerogatives, in and over the town and borough of Southwark, in as full a manner as if the same were in the king's hands.

Rights of the city of London, in and over

the borough of South

2nd. In particular to have all manner of liberties, wark. treasures, waifs, estrays, escheats, fines and forfeitures, view of frank pledges, &c.

3rd. To have all goods, chattels of traitors, felons, and fugitives, together with all manner of suits, personal actions, &c. and the execution of all writs, commands, attachments, warrants, &c. by their sheriffs and other officers.

4th. The serjeants at mace for the city to arrest for debt in the borough, in the same manner as they do in London.

5th. The city magistrates have the assay and assize of wine, bread, beer, victuals, and every thing set to sale, together with the punishment and correction of all persons dealing therein.*

* In the mayoralty of Sir William Turner, 1668, a publican was indicted for selling without his lordship's license.

BOOK II. 6th. Also to take and arrest all thieves, felons, and other criminals, found in the borough, and to commit them to Newgate, until delivered by due course of law.

Market established.

7th. The mayor, recorder and aldermen, who are justices in London, are also constituted justices for the borough, where they are to exercise the same jurisdiction as they do in London.

8th. And all and singular the inhabitants of the said borough to be under the magistracy and government of the mayor and officers of London, in the same manner as the inhabitants of the said city be.

9th. And lastly, the sheriff of Surrey, and all others the king's officers and ministers, are expressly prohibited from any ways intermeddling with the said borough.*

The charter of King Edward VI. anno iv. granted to the mayor, commonalty, and citizens of London, a market to be holden in the borough of Southwark, which was confirmed by this act. This was first established in the street between London bridge and Margaret's hill; but that place was at length found so inconvenient, that an act was obtained in 1755, 28th George II. c. ix. that from Lady day 1756, no market should be held in the High street; this act appears not to have stopped there; for, in the same year, another act was passed, c. xxv., directing that it should be removed from thence to a place called the Triangle, being on the site of Rochester yard, belonging to the bishop of Rochester; who, and his successors, were empowered, on a surrender of the whole estate, to grant it in separate leases; whereupon so much thereof as was necessary for

* Hughson's London, vol. i. p. 130.

the purpose, was granted to the churchwardens and CHAP.I. overseers, &c. of St. Saviour's parish, at a rent of £14. 13s. 6d. No provision, except hay or straw, were to be sold within a thousand yards of the spot, unless by the consent of the churchwardens and overseers; the ground was to be purchased, and all buildings, stalls, &c. ; and the rents and profits were to be vested in the churchwardens, overseers, and parishioners; and the profits, after all expences paid, were to be applied in diminution of any of the parochial rates or preferments.

In pursuance of the above charter, confirmed to the mayor, commonalty, and citizens of London, a court was held about a month after, before Sir Rowland Hill, Knt. then lord mayor of London, and the aldermen of the same city, in Guildhall, when it was enacted: "That besides the then ancient accustomed number of five and twenty aldermen, there shall be one alderman more elected, to have the rule, charge, and governance of the said borough and town; and that four discreet persons or more, being freemen of London, and dwelling within the said city, or the borough of Southwark, or in other the liberties of the said city, should from thenceforth, as often as the case should require, be from time to time nominated, appointed, and chosen, by the inhabitants of the said borough, for the time being, sitting in the said borough for that purpose, in such sort and order as the aldermen of London were in those days commonly elected."*

The same court also appointed Sir John Ayliffe, citizen and barber surgeon, the first alderman of the ward of Bridge-without, namely, of the borough of

* Proceedings of the Court of Common Council, July 4. Edward VI. Stowe, p. 765.

BOOK II. Southwark, to be numbered as one of the aldermen of the said city, and to have the rule and government of the inhabitants of the said borough, admitted by that court into the freedom of the city of London.

Fairfax marches

wark.

In 1647, the parliament was exceedingly alarmed by on South- the march of General Fairfax, with his army, towards London, and they and many of the citizens were much disposed to resist him, if they had had the means but numerous officers and other inhabitants of Southwark, on the second of August, petitioned the common council who had been summoned, that they might not be compelled to assume arms, nor march forth under the command of any but such as should be approved of by the generality of the borough, and that they might be left to their own defence. These inhabitants, not having for some time approved of the proceedings of the citizens against the army, sent privately to the general, that they were willing to surrender the borough to him. Fairfax immediately sent a brigade, under the command of Colonel Rainsborough, to take possession thereof; he was admitted into the works about two o'clock in the morning, when finding the gates shut, and the portcullis let down at London bridge, he planted two pieces of ordnance against the gate, and in a short time the great fort was surrendered.*

A vote of parliament was soon after passed for demolishing the ramparts, bastions, and other works of fortification, which encircled the cities of London and Westminster, and the borough of Southwark.

On the restoration, Charles II. was met, on the 29th of May, by the lord mayor and aldermen of London, in St. George's-fields, where a magnificent tent was

*Whitlock, p. 265.

erected, and in it the king was provided with a sump- CHAP. II. tuous collation.

Since the above period, little has occurred to require notice in the history of the borough. In the year 1799, when the volunteer system was commenced, Southwark provided its quota, and made a highly patriotic shew, in the review on Wimbledon common, June 4, 1801, when the late king expressed his high satisfaction at the martial appearance of the volunteers of the county generally.

CHAPTER II.

SURVEY OF THE FARISHES OF ST. SAVIOUR AND ST. THOMAS.

THE parish of St. Saviour is large, extending from London-bridge east to Gravel-lane west, and is divided into two liberties; that of the Borough and that of the Clink.

The original name of the church was St. Mary Overie, or over the river. On the dissolution of monasteries, about Christmas, 1539, the inhabitants of the parishes of St. Margaret and St. Mary Magdalen, petitioned the king for a grant of the church which had belonged to the priory here, and being seconded by Stephen Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, obtained it by purchase,

St. Savi

our's

parish.