in early times, at Queenhithe, The spot seems, 

 however, to have suited the convenience of the 

 public, more than that of the fishermen. In the 

 eleventh year of the reign of King Henry III. 

 (1226), the constable of the tower was ordered to 

 compel the boats arriving with fish to proceed to 

 the market at Queenhithe; and Edward IV. in 

 the third year of his reign (1462), directed that 

 two out of three vessels arriving with fish, should 

 proceed to the market at Queenhithe, that the 

 other should remain at Billingsgate, and pre- 

 ference be always shewn to the market at the 

 former place At that early period, when the 

 population of London appears not to have been a 

 twenty- fourth part of its present amount, the me- 

 tropolis was therefore furnished with two fish mar- 

 kets. The market at Queenhithe has been wholly 

 discontinued, probably for some centuries, and it 

 is not known that any other attempt has been made 

 to establish a second market for fish, except that 

 near Westminster Bridge. The latter was opened 

 under the authority of an Act, 22nd Geo. II. 

 for the amendment of which a Bill was brought in, 

 which was lost, and two Acts were passed, one in 

 the thirty-second, and another in the thirty-ninth 

 year of that reign. The inhabitants of Westmin- 

 ster were extremely anxious for the success of the 

 measure. It excited much interest, and under- 

 went abundance of discussion. It appears, how- 

 ever, never fully to have taken effect, and its 



