The church is one of the prebends of St. Paul’s; the old Gothic structure lately taken down was erected in the year 1503, and stood till 1751, when it being in a ruinous condition, the inhabitants applied to parliament for leave to rebuild it, and soon after erected the present structure, which is a very substantial brick edifice, though it does not want an air of lightness. The body is well enlightened, and the angles strengthened and decorated with a plain rustic. The floor is raised considerably above the level of the church yard, and the door in the front is adorned with a portico, which consists of a dome supported by four Doric columns; but both the door and the portico appear too small for the rest of the building. The steeple consists of a tower, which rises square to a considerable height, terminated by a cornice supporting four vases, at the corners. Upon this part is placed an octangular balustrade, from within which rises the base of the dome in the same form, supporting Corinthian columns with their shafts wrought with rustic. Upon these rests the dome, and from its crown rises the spire, which is terminated by a ball and its fane. Though the body of the church is very large, the roof is supported without pillars, and theinside is extremely commodious, and adorned with an elegant plainness.
This parish is very extensive, and includes Upper and Lower Holloway, three sides of Newington Green, and part of Kingsland. There are in Islington two Independent meeting houses, and a charity school founded in the year 1613, by Dame Alice Owen, for educating thirty children: this foundation, together with that of a row of almshouses, are under the care of the Brewers company. There is here also a spring of chalybeat water in a very pleasant garden, which for some years was honoured by the constant attendance of the late Princess Amelia and many persons of quality, who drank the waters: to this place, which is called New Tunbridge Wells, many people resort, particularly during the summer, the price of drinking the waters being 3d.for each person. Near this place is a house of entertainment called Sadler’s Wells, where during the summer season people are amused with balance masters, walking on the wire, rope dancing, tumbling, and pantomime entertainments.
Islingtonroad, 1. Goswell street. 2. St. John’s street, West Smithfield.
Juliancourt, Angel alley.
Clerk of theJuries Office, in Hind court,Fleet street. The Clerk of the juries is an officer of the court of Common Pleas, who makes out writs calledHabeas Corpora, andDistringas Juratorum, for appearance of the jury, either in that court, or at the assizes in the country. This office is executed by a deputy.Chamb. Pres. State.
Justice Hall, on the north east side of the Old Bailey, stands backwards in a yard to which there is an entrance through a gateway. Had the building therefore been a fine one, it could not have been viewed to advantage; but it is a plain brick edifice, that has nothing to recommend it. A flight of plain steps lead up into the court room, which has a gallery at each end for the accommodation of spectators. The prisoners are brought to this court from Newgate, by a passage backwards which leads to that prison, and there are two places where they are kept till called to their trials, the one for the men and the other for the women. There are also rooms for the grand and petty jury and other accommodations.
An author, whose opinion we have given on other subjects, condemns this, and all the other courts of justice in England, as wanting that grandeur and augustness which might strike offenders and mankindin general with an awe for the place; and he recommends the form of a theatre as most proper, the stage for the bench, the pit for the council, prisoners, &c. and the circle round for the spectators. Whether this writer’s idea of the form of a court of judicature is just and well founded, we shall not determine.
It seems however to be wished, that these public edifices had more of the appearance of grandeur and magnificence, especially in the metropolis of the kingdom.
This court is held eight times a year by the King’s commission of oyer and terminer, for the tryal of criminals for crimes committed within the city of London and county of Middlesex. The Judges are, the Lord Mayor, the Aldermen past the chair, and the Recorder, who, on all such occasions, are attended by both the Sheriffs, and by one or more of the national Judges. The offences in the city are tried by a jury of citizens, and those committed in the county by one formed of the housekeepers in the county. The crimes tried in this court are high and petty treason, murder, felony, forgery, petty larceny, burglary, cheating, libelling, the using of false weights and measures, &c. the penalties incurred by whichare the loss of life, corporal punishment, transportation, amerciaments, &c.Stow,Maitland.
IvyBridge, In the Strand.
Ivy Bridgelane, In the Strand.
Ivy Bridgestairs, Near the Strand.
Ivylane, runs from Pater Noster Row into Newgate street. This lane took its name from the Ivy which grew on the walls of the prebends houses, formerly situated here.Stow.
Ivystreet, Dyot street, St. Giles’s.