86 



LIFE OF ST1J IirCJH 



PABT 11. 



along its southern boundary, so useful as a water road, 

 Imt it also possessed an abundance of wells, from which 

 a supply of pure water was obtained, adequate for the 

 requirements of its early population. The river of 

 Wells, or Wallbrook, flowed through the middle of the 

 city; and there were numerous wells in other quarters, 

 the chief of which were Clerke's Well, Clement's Well, 

 and Holy Well, the names of which still survive in the 

 streets built over them. 



As London grew in size and population, these wells 

 were found altogether inadequate for the wants of the 

 inhabitants; besides, the water drawn from them became 

 tainted by the impurities which filter into the soil wher- 

 ever large numbers are congregated. Conduits weiv 

 then constructed, through which water was led from Pad- 

 dington, from James's Head, Mewsgate, Tyburn, High- 

 bury, and Hampstead. There were sixteen of such pul >lic 

 conduits about London, and the Conduit Streets which 

 still exist throughout the metropolis mark the sites of 

 several of these ancient works. 1 The copious supply of 

 water by these conduits was all the more necessary at 

 that time, as London was for the most part built of 

 timber, and liable to frequent fires, to extinguish which 

 promptly, every citizen was bound to have a barrel full 

 of water in readiness outside his door. The corporation 

 watched very carefully over their protection, and in- 

 flicted severe punishments on such as interfered with 



1 The conduits used, in former times, 

 to be yearly visited with considerable 

 ceremony. For instance, we find that 

 "On the 18th of September, 1562, 

 the Lord Mayor (Harper), the Alder- 

 men, with many worshipful persons, 

 and divers of the Masters and Wardens 

 of the twelve companies, rode to the 

 Conduit's-head [now the site of Con- 

 duit Street, New Bond Street], for to 

 see them after the old custom. And 

 afore dinner they hunted the hare and 

 killed her, and thence to dinner at the 

 head of the Conduit. There was a 



good number entertained with good 

 checre by the Chamberlain, and, alter 

 dinner, they hunted the fox. There 

 was a great cry for a mile, and at 

 length the hounds killed him at the 

 end of St. Giles's. Great hallooing at 

 his death, and blowing of homes ; and 

 thence the Lord Mayor, with all his 

 company, rode through London to his 

 place in Lombard Street." Stowe's 

 ' Survey of London.' It would ap- 

 pear that the ladies of the Lord Mayor 

 and Aldermen attended on these jovial 

 occasions ridin in wii<i<jt>ns. 



