Baldwin’s yard. 1. Baldwin’s gardens. 2. Narrow alley, Stone lane.†
Bale’s court, Cow cross, Smithfield.†
Ball alley. 1. Aldersgate street.* 2. Cannon street.* 3. Kingsland road.* 4. Lime street, Leadenhall street.* 5. Lombard street.* 6. London Wall.* 7. Long alley, Moorfields.* 8. St. Catharine’s lane.* 9. Wheeler street, Spitalfields.*
Ball court. 1. Giltspur street, without Newgate.* 2. Mincing lane, Fenchurch street.* 3. Old Bailey.* 4. Poor Jury lane, within Aldgate.*
Ball yard. 1. Beech lane.* 2. Giltspur street.* 3. Golden lane.*
Ballast wharf. 1. Cock hill, Ratcliff. 2. Lower Shadwell.
Balsover street, Oxford street.†
Bambury court, Long Acre.
Bancroft’s beautiful Almshouse, School and Chapel at Mile End, were erected by the Drapers company in the year 1735, pursuant to the will of Mr. Francis Bancroft, who bequeathed to that company the sum of 28,000l. and upwards, in real and personal estates, for purchasing a site, and building upon it an almshouse, with convenient apartments for twenty-four almsmen, a chapel, and school room for 100 poor boys, and two dwelling-houses for the schoolmasters, and endowing the same. He also ordered that each of the almsmen should have 8l. and half a chaldron of coals yearly, and a gown of baize every third year; that the school boys should be cloathed and taught reading, writing and arithmetic; that each of the masters, besides their houses, should have a salary of 30l. per annum, and the yearly sum of 20l. for coals and candles, for their use, and that of the school; with a sufficient allowance for books, paper, pens and ink; that the committee of the court of assistants should have 5l. for a dinner, at their annual visitation of the almshouse and school; and that 3l. 10s. should be given for two half yearly sermons to be preached in the parish churches of St. Helen and St. Michael Cornhill, or elsewhere, in commemoration of this foundation, at which the almsmen and boys were to be present. To each of these boys, when put out apprentices, he gave 4l. but if they were put to service they were to have no more than 2l. 10s. to buy them cloaths.
The edifice is not only neat but extremely elegant, consisting of two wings and a center detached from both of them. In the middle of the front is the chapel, before which is a noble portico, with Ionic columns, and coupled pilasters at the corners, supporting a pediment, in the plane of which is the dial. There is an ascent to the portico by a flight of steps, and over the chapel is a handsome turret. On each side of the portico, are two houses like those in the wings. The construction of the wings is uniform, lofty and convenient: twelve doors in each open in a regular series, and the windows are of a moderate size, numerous, and proportioned to the apartments they are to enlighten. The square is surrounded with gravel walks. with a large grass plat in the middle, and next the road the wall is adorned with handsome iron rails and gates. In short, the ends of the wings next the road being placed at a considerable distance from it, the whole is seen in a proper point of view, and appears to the greatest advantage.