HACKNEY.

This village was anciently celebrated for the numerous seats of the nobility and gentry, which occasioned, says Maitland, a mighty resort thither of persons of all conditions from the city of London; whereby so great a number of horses were hired in the city on that account, that they were called Hackney or Hack horses, and, from the number of them employed to go to this neighbourhood, in process of time gave a name to this locality.

HORSLEYDOWN.

Many derivations are traced to, or take their name from, the merry reign of Charles II. It was one of his amours which gave rise, it is said, to the cognomen of Horsleydown. Below Rederiffe lived a miller, who had a pretty wife, and whom, when the miller was absent, our amorous monarch, disguised as a student at law, was wont to wanton with. On one occasion, however, the miller came unawares upon them, when his majesty with some little difficulty made his escape, and mounting his horse, which with an attendant was at a little distance, fled as fast as "Tam O'Shanter!" He had not proceeded far, however, before his horse fell down, when the miller coming up gave his incog. majesty a good drubbing, which circumstance, it is added, gave that locality the name of Horsleydown. Another writer says "The tale of Charles and the miller is a very pleasant one," but adds, "it is more probable the site of this parish was anciently a grazing ground, and therefore denominated Horse-down, now corruptly Horsleydown.

ISLINGTON.

The name of this village has been fancifully derived from two Saxon appellations, viz.-Gisel, an hostage or pledge, and dun ortun, a town. In ancient records it is called Isendune, Isendon, Iseldon, and Isleton, meaning the Lower Town, or Fort, from Ishel, lower, and Dun, town or fortress. The present name was adopted in the sixteenth century.

ISLE OF DOGS.

Stow says, this place derives its name from the King's hounds formerly being kept here, where were the royal kennels. It was originally called Poplar Marsh.

JEWIN STREET.

This street derives its name from the first Jewish cemetery being here; and the only one, says Maitland, for the sepulture of that nation from all parts of England till the year 1777, when,

by an indefatigable application to parliament, it was enacted that they should have burial-grounds in any part where they resided.

KNIGHT-RIDER STREET.

This street is thus named, in consequence of it being the road by which the Knights passed to the tournaments and joustings, which were held at Baynard's castle in the reign of King John.

LITTLE BRITAIN.

Stow, speaking of Little Britain, says: "Where the kings of Scotland used to be lodged, between Charing Cross and Whitehall, is likewise called Scotland; and where the Earls of Britain were lodged, without Aldersgate, the street is called Britain Street."

LAMB'S CONDUIT STREET.

This term is derived from William Lambe, gentleman and clothworker, who, in 1577, built a water conduit at Holborn Cross. The conduit was taken down in 1746.

LEADENHALL STREET.

This street derives its name from Leadenhall, which stood on the site of the skin market. In 1445, it was converted into a granary for the city, by Simon Eyre, draper, and mayor of London. It appears to have obtained its name from its being covered with lead, then an unusual roofing.

LUDGATE STREET.

"This street," says an ingenious writer, "derives its name from Lud, son of Bilenus, king of Britain." Maitland, however, says "This gate is denominated Fludgate, from a rivulet below it, where Fleetditch now is. I am apt to think, however, it should rather be Fleetgate, from the Saxon flod, vloet, Fleote, or Fleet, which imply a small navigable water-course, such as the Fleet rivulet has probably been from the original London."

LONDON WALL.

London Wall explains its own etymology. Within these few years there was a long tract of the old wall of London standing in the locality now so named, of which a few fragments now remain at the back of Cripplegate Church, as well as in Warwick Court, Fleet Street.

LONG-ACRE.

This street was originally a piece of ground called Seven Acres, from whence came the present name.

LAWRENCE POULTNEY LANE.

This lane, which runs from Eastcheap to Thames street, derives its name from the adjacent church, which is dedicated to St. Lawrence, and also to Sir John Pulteney, who founded a college here.

LOTHBURY.

The etymology of Lothbury is uncertain; Stow says it is derived from berie, meaning a court, and the fact of its having been inhabited by founders and candlestick-makers, who, whilst turning and polishing their goods, make a loathsome noise which is very disagreeable to the passers-by, and by them it is disdainfully called Lothberie.

LOMBARD STREET.

This street is so named from the Lombards, who inhabited that part of Italy called Lombardy, being a class of people who first introduced the Banking system into England. This street was principally inhabited by goldsmiths, who, down to the reign of James the Second, were the only bankers in this country.

LIMEHOUSE.

This place, which is one of the Tower Hamlets, derives the appellation of Limehouse from Lime-hurst, which, by its Saxon termination, implies a grove of Lime-trees, which, according to Stow, abounded in this neighbourhood.

LAMBETH.

Lambeth is variously written-Lamb-hyde, Lam-hyte, &c., viz. a dirty station; from the circumstance of its being overflowed by the Thames.

MONMOUTH STREET.

This celebrated Wardrobe derives its appellation from James Duke of Monmouth, who had a house on the south side of Soho Square.

MINORIES.

Minories is derived from certain poor ladies of the order of St. Clair, or Minoresses, who were invited into England by Blanche, Queen of Navarre (wife to Edmund, Earl of Lancaster), who, in 1293, founded here a convent for their reception.

MONKWELL STREET.

On the site of Barbers' hall, or thereabouts, formerly stood a monastery of the Carthusian order, dedicated to St. Giles the

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patron of cripples. Here was a Well which was said to possess sovereign virtue," and to which the faithful and afflicted flocked daily. This well being under the special protection of the monks, it was in time denominated the Monks' Well, which circumstance ultimately gave a name to the street, now called Mugwell, or Monkwell Street, Cripplegate.

MILK STREET.

We had formerly our milk, honey, egg, and bread market. The three former were one market, and gave a name and locality to what is now called Milk Street, Honey-lane Market, &c. Every necessary of life, in former times, was obliged to be sold in open market; Cheapside was the principal market in the city. Milk Street is famed as the birthplace of Sir Thomas More.

MOORFIELDS.

So called from a mere, muir, or lake, which formerly stood here, and on which, says Fitzstephen, “the citizens amused themselves when it was frozen over, by tying bones to their feet and skaiting on the same; thys," he adds, " was manly sporte." After the great fire of London, 1666, the people lived in sheds and tents in Moorfields till such time as other tenements could be erected for them.

MAZE POND, SOUTHWARK.

This locality in the borough of Southwark, derives its name from the abbot of Battle having a very extensive labyrinth or maze in his garden here, and which gave to this particular spot its present appellation.

MARK LANE.

At the north-east corner of Mark Lane was anciently situate the manor-house, says Maitland, of Blanch Appleton, which in the reign of Richard II. belonged to Sir Thomas Roos of Hamelake, which manor had a privilege of holding a mart or fair, whence the adjacent lane was denominated Mart Lane, but now corrupted to Mark Lane. The great corn market of the metropolis is situated in this street.

ST. MARY AXE.

This street was originally called St. Mary's Street. It took its present appellation from possessing one of the three axes which beheaded the eleven thousand virgins. In 1565, the parish of St. Mary the Virgin was united to St. Andrew Undershaft.

MARY-LE-BONE.

The modern name of this locality is a perversion: it was originally written Mary-le-bourne, or Mary on the Brook (see Tyburn). It may be stated, however, that in the time of Elizabeth

it was called Marybone, and is so designated by lady Mary Montague (a century later) in the following line:

"And dukes at Marybone bowl time away."

MINT, BOROUGH.

Opposite to the west end of St. George's Church, in the Borough, anciently stood a magnificent structure, belonging to the duke of Suffolk, which coming to Henry VIII., he converted it into a Mint, and which gave the present locality its name.

MILLBANK

Simply from a Mill that stood on the Thames bank here.

THE MEWS,

As at Charing Cross, is a name derived by Du Fresne, in his Glossary, from the Latin muta, and French La Meue, the disease to which hawks are subject, of yearly muting or changing their feathers, this being the place where the king's hawks were kept before it was converted into stables. Muta, he says, is also the building in which falcons are shut up when they mute, or change their feathers. Edward II. in his 13th year granted to John de la Beche, the custody of the king's houses, "de mutis" at Charrying, near Westminster. Ralph de Manners, the king's falconer, had, in the like manner, granted to him the custody of the King's Mews at Charinge, the 23rd of Edward III.; as also, Sir Simon de Burley, 1st Richard II. Henry VIII.is said to have kept his horses there, for which purpose he partly rebuilt the old structure; and the same was, by Edward VI. and Mary, afterwards enlarged and converted into stabling. From this place, its first use, and subsequent application, it has of late years been customary to give to any range of buildings erected for stabling the name of Mews.

The little of the original Mews which remained, and which was erected as above, was that lately occupied as a barrack, and which has now given way to the fine new opening to St. Martin's church. It was composed of red “Tudor Brick," with stone windows and dressings, supported by buttresses, and crenellated at top.

NEWINGTON BUTTS.

So called, from the citizens of London practising archery in that locality-the Butts being set up as targets.

NEWGATE.

Here stood a gate of the city, originally called Chamberlain's gate. It was used as a prison, so long back as 1218, for persons