LON 
{ide, the only entrance being a common and remote one 
from Whitecrofs-ftreet. The accommodations will how¬ 
ever far exceed tliofe hitherto poflefied by this unhappy 
clafs of perfons, while the fcite, being a little more than a 
quarter of a mile from St. Paul’s, does not remove the 
incarcerated from the vortex of humanity, and the atten¬ 
tion of their friends. The architect is Mr. Montague, 
the city-furveyor; and the building and ground will colt 
not lei's than 8o,oool. 
On the north tide of the town-ditch, and at the welt 
end of St. Giles’s church-yard, was a pond of water, fed 
by a confiderable fpring; but, the former being filled up, 
the latter was arched over, about the year 1440, at the ex- 
penfe of fir Richard Whittington, and preferved by the 
name of Crowder’s Well, which ftill remains, and is wor¬ 
thy the attention of the curious antiquary. Crowder’s- 
Well-alley, which took its name from the well, is now 
converted into a handfome modern-built ftreet, called 
Weil-ftreet. 
From the fouth end of Redcrofs-ftreet runs Jewin- 
ftreet, of old time called the Jews’ Garden, as being the 
only place appointed them, in England, for the interment 
of their dead, before the year 1177, when, after long fuit 
to the king and parliament at Oxford, they were per¬ 
mitted to have a place afligned to them in every quarter 
where they dwelt. This piece of ground was retained by 
the Jews till the time of their total banilhment from Eng¬ 
land ; after which it was converted into garden-plats and 
fummer-houfes. This place, with the appurtenances, was 
anciently called Leyreftowe, which Edward I. granted to 
William de Monte Forte, dean of St. Paul’s, London j 
£ ‘ being a place (as it is exprefled in a record) without Crip- 
plegate, and the fuburbs of London, called Leyreltowe, 
and which was the burying-place of the Jews of London 
which was valued at forty (hillings per annum. 
Alderfgate-ftreet, which we have left for fome time, 
and to which we now return, changes its name, a little 
beyond the eaftern walls of the Charterhoufe gardens, into 
Gofwell-ftreet. This large thoroughfare meets the City 
Road at its approach to Illington, and not far from the 
Angel inn.—This part is exceedingly interefting on feveral 
accounts. The great opening towards the north, which, 
though every day more and more blocked up by new build¬ 
ings, (till affords a wide profpeft into the adjoining coun¬ 
try. The elegant private houfes lately erected about this 
fpot; the windings, and fucceffive diiappearings and re- 
appearings, of the New River; the bufy afpetf of the road, 
which, were it planted with trees on each fide, would fur- 
pafs the Pariiian Boulevards in beauty—all contribute to 
give the entrance into Gofwell-ftreet an airy, lively, and 
delightful, appearance. The (lope of Iflington hill to¬ 
wards the weft has a pleafing refemblance to an Italian 
landfcape—the knowl covered with lowing cattle, the flat- 
roofed houfes at a diftance, the ftill pleafant vale where 
Bagnigge Wells, now (horn of its honours, difplayed its 
verdure on the winding bank of the purling brook ; all 
thefe increafe the beauty of the feenery, and would fur- 
nifh fubjefts for the pencil of a Rofa di Tivoli, or a 
Berchem. Islington has been fully deferibed at vol. 
si. p. 437. 
In Gofwell-ftreet-road, we omitted to notice the Qua¬ 
kers’ Workhoufe or School.—The houfe was erected about 
the year 1786, on a large fquare of ground belonging to 
the Brewers’ Company, which is held by the inlfitution 
for sol. at a rent of 16!. a-year for the firft ninety years, 
and the remainder fubjeft to an increafe of 34.I. a year. It 
is ufed as a meeting, which is held monthly on a Friday 
morning, and for the purpofe of a charity-fchool. Apart¬ 
ments are provided in a neat houfe facing it for twelve 
men and twelve women, being poor and of the Society of 
Friends. The number of boys and girls is not limited. 
Six different meetings in London, together with fome le¬ 
gacies and voluntary contributions, fupport the charity, 
and provide rewards for thofe females who preferve the 
places obtained for them, which are 30s. for the fuft s and 
Vol. XIII.:No. 922 . 
D O N. 4g() 
40s. for the fecond and third years; if they behave with 
propriety, they are allowed 40I. as a marriage-portion, and 
the boys 20I. The inlfitution gives iol. and the meeting 
who fends the boy 15I. as apprentice-fees. The houfe, 
meeting, fchool, apartments, and (fairs, are as white and 
dean as brufhes and induftry can make them. The ceil¬ 
ings are remarkably high, and the windows large ; confe- 
quently the rooms are perfectly dry and well aired; the 
outfide has the appearance of a villa, furrounded as it is 
by pleafure-grounds, gardens, and trees. 
The Dyers’ alms-houfes, on the fouth fide of the City 
Road, were erecTed in the year 1776, for fixteen decayed 
members, with their wives or widows; the building confifts 
of three fides of a quadrangle, containing eight houfes of 
two rooms each, which, with the cellaring, are appropri¬ 
ated to the fixteen alms-folks; they receive an annual pen- 
fion and coals. The company have alfo another alrris- 
houfe, for ten decayed members, in St. John-lfreet, near 
Brick-lane, Spitalfields ; fo that twenty-fix perfons or fa¬ 
milies are thus maintained with comfortable lodging. 
We now return towards the city, through St. John Street 
and Clerkenwell. St. John Street, at the north end, has not 
fo good an appearance as might beexpeffed for the north¬ 
ern entrance into a great city; and perhaps, at a future 
time, a triumphal arch, in commemoration of fome great 
event, will decorate the opening in this ftreet. 
Clerkenwell derives its name from a fpring of pure and 
nioft-falubrious water filtered from the dews and fliowers of 
heaven through the graffy hills and clay-faftened grounds 
of Pentonville and Iflington. The parifli-clerks of the 
city of London ufed to meet there annually in order to 
exhibit dramatic reprefentations, commonly called myjle~ 
ries , becaufe the fubjefts were taken from the feriptures. 
To thefe, feveral allufions have been made by ancient 
authors, and particularly by Shakefpeare, but the point 
of which is now too obfeure to be eafily underftood.—The 
water of this well was fuffered to run wafte for many years ; 
but at length the parifhioners caufed it to be walled in, and 
a pump erected' upon it for the ufe of the neighbouring- 
inhabitants, on the front of which is an infeription, relat¬ 
ing its hi (lory. It Hands in Ray-ftreet, nearly oppofite 
to Mutton-hill. 
The pari(h-church of St. James, Clerkenwell, is fituated 
on the north fide of Clerkenwell-green. On the fpot 
where this church (lands, was anciently a priory, founded 
by Jordan Brifet, a wealthy baron, who, about the year 
1100, gave to his chaplain fourteen acres of land, in a 
field adjoining to Clerks’, or Clerken, well, whereon lie 
built a monaftery, which was no fooaer erefted, and dedi¬ 
cated to the honour of God and the Aflumption of the 
Virgin Mary, than he placed therein a certain number of 
black nuns of the order of St. Benedift, in’whom, and 
their fucceffors, it continued till it was fuppreffed by- 
Henry VIII. in the year 1539. Some time after the dif- 
folution of the convent, the ground came to the inhe¬ 
ritance of fir William Cavendifli, who, being created duke 
of Newcaftle, built a large brick manfion on the north- 
weft fide of the church, which for many years was called 
Newcaftle Houfe; but this has been long deferted, and 
the life of it is.now occupied by modern buildings. The 
church belonging to the old priory not only ferved the 
nuns, but alfo the neighbouring inhabitants as a place of 
worlhip, and was made parochial on the diffolution of the 
nunnery, when it appears to have been dedicated to St. 
James the Lefs ; whereas in the old records it is ftyled Ec- 
clefia. Beata Maria de Fonte Cltrkorum, In 1623, the (leeple of 
the church being greatly decayed, a part of it fell down 
whereupon the parifli contracted to rebuild it. The new 
work was railed upon the old foundation; but, before it 
was entirely finiflied, it fell down, and deftroyed a part of 
the church ; both of which were, however, foon after re¬ 
built.. The old church was a very heavy ftrufrure, partly 
Gothic, which was the original form, and partly Tufcan, 
It was taken down in the year 1788, and the old materials 
fold for eight hundred and twenty-five pounds; after 
6 I which 
