]86 HISTORY OF FRUITS. 



Various parts of London, by their names, give evident 

 proofs of their having been formerly planted with grapes, 

 as Vine-streets in Hatton-garden, St. Giles's, and Pic- 

 cadilly ; the Vineyards by Houndsditch, and Coldbath- 

 fields; and even within the walls of the City of London, 

 there is a street called the Vineyard. 



f lhe Little Park at Windsor was appropriated as a vine- 

 yard for the use of the Castle, even so late as the reign of 

 Richard the Second. Lambarde observes, that some part 

 of the wine was spent in the king's household, and some 

 sold for the king's profit. We also read that in different 

 years of Henry the Second's reign, allowances were made 

 to the officer who farmed Windsor of that prince, for wine, 

 perry, and cider. 



In Northamptonshire, Martin, abbot of Peterborough, 

 in the time of King Stephen, is said, in the Saxon Chro- 

 nicle, to have planted an extensive vineyard. Madox in 

 his History of the Exchequer writes, that the sheriffs of 

 Northamptonshire and Leicestershire were allowed in 

 their account for the livery of the king's vine-dresser at 

 Rockingham, and for necessaries for the vineyard. 



The isle of Ely was expressly denominated the isle of 

 vines by the Normans. The bishop of Ely, shortly after 

 the Conquest, appears to have received at least three or 

 four tuns of wine annually, as tithes from the vines in his 

 diocese ; and in his leases he made frequent reservations 

 of a certain quantity of wine by way of rent : many of 

 these wines were little inferior to the French wines in 

 sweetness. Few ancient monasteries were without a vine- 

 yard attached to them. 



In the archives of the church of Ely is the following 

 register : 



Exitus Vineti . ..-^ v. j 2 15 3* 



Do. Vineae . > al , ,,-,j 10 12 2i 



