THIRTEENTH CENTURY 39 



London. It is a lease, dated 1375, 1 for " A garden situate in 

 Tower Ward, near the city wall, which John Seoh lately held : 

 being between the garden which Geoffrey Puppe holds on the 

 North side, and the garden which William Lambourne holds on 

 the South." There is no better proof of the great increase in 

 the culture of fruits and vegetables than a discussion which 

 took place between the gardeners in and near London and the 

 Lord Mayor with regard to the locality in which they were 

 allowed to sell the produce of their gardens. 



It appears that for many years previous to 1345 the gardeners 

 of the Earls, Barons, Bishops, and citizens of London were 

 accustomed to sell their " pulse, cherries, vegetables, and other 

 wares to their trade pertaining," on a piece of ground " opposite 

 to the church of S. Austin near the gate of S. Paul's church- 

 yard." By 1345, however, this fruit and vegetable market had 

 grown to such an extent, and had become so crowded, as to 

 hinder " persons passing both on foot and on horseback," and 

 the " scurrility, clamour, and nuisance of the gardeners and 

 their servants " had become so obnoxious " to the people 

 dwelling in the houses of reputable persons there," and " such 

 a nuisance to the priests who are singing Matins and Mass in 

 the church of S. Austin, and to others, both clerks and laymen, 

 in prayers and orisons there serving God," that the Mayor and 

 Aldermen were petitioned to interfere, and to remove the 

 market to some more suitable place. The result of this peti- 

 tion was a meeting of the Mayor and Aldermen, and an order 

 " given to the said gardeners and their servants, that they 

 should no longer expose their wares aforesaid, for sale in that 

 place, on peril which awaits the same." But the gardeners 

 were not to be so easily defeated. They, in their turn, peti- 

 tioned the Mayor to reverse his sentence, and their petition 

 runs thus : " Unto the Mayor of London, shew and pray the 

 gardeners of the Earls, Barons, and Bishops, and of the citizens 

 of the same city, may it please you, sire, seeing that you are 

 the chief guardian of the said city, and of the ancient usages 

 therein established, to suffer and to maintain that the said 

 gardeners may stand in peace in the same place where they 

 have been wont in times of old, in front of the church of 

 1 Letter Book, H. F. XIII., 49 Ed. III. 



