Artichoke alley. 1. Barnaby street.* 2. Holiwell street, Shoreditch.*
Artichoke court. 1. Cannon street, Walbrook.* 2. Whitecross street.*
Artichoke hill, Ratcliff Highway.*
Artichoke lane. 1. Virginia street.* 2. Near the Hermitage, Wapping.* 3. Newington Causeway, Southwark.*
Artichoke head lane, near the Hermitage.*
Artichoke yard. 1. Shoreditch.* 2. Newington Causeway, Southwark.*
Artillery Ground. The Old Artillery Ground was a little north east of what is now Devonshire square in Bishopsgate street. This was originally a spacious field called Tassel Close, from its being planted with tassels for the use of the clothworkers. It was afterwards let to the cross-bow makers, who used to shoot there; but being at length inclosed with a brick wall, served as an artillery ground, to which the gunners of the Tower repaired every Thursday, when they levelled brass pieces of large artillery against a butt of earth raised for that purpose. The last Prior of St. Mary Spital granted to the gunners of the Tower this artillery ground for thrice ninety nine years, for the use and practice of great and small artillery; and King Henry VIII. gave the company a charter. Hence this artillery ground became subject to the Tower; the streets, &c. compose one of the Tower hamlets, and the inhabitants are still summoned on juries belonging to the courts held on Tower hill.
In the year 1585, the city being put to great trouble and expence by the continual musters and training of soldiers, some brave and active citizens, who had obtained experience both at home and abroad, voluntarily exercised themselves, and trained up others in the use of arms, so that within two years there were almost three hundred merchants, and other persons of distinction, qualified to teach the common soldiers the management of their guns, pikes, and halberts, as well as to march and countermarch. These met every Thursday, each person by turns bearing office from the corporal to the captain, and some of these gentlemen had the honour of having a body of forces under their command at the great camp of Tilbury, in the year 1588, when the Spaniards sent against us their pretended invincible Armada, and these commanders were generally called Captains of the Artillery Garden.
This noble exercise became afterwards discontinued for a long time, but was renewed in the year 1610, when several gentlemen having obtained the permission of King James I. undertook at their private expence a weekly exercise in the same artillery ground, and in the year 1662, erected an armoury, in which they placed 500 sets of arms, of extraordinary beauty and workmanship. The Artillery company now greatly increased, and the people resorted to the artillery ground to learn to defend themselves and their country; and even many gentlemen from every county went thither to learn martial exercises, in order to teach them to the militia, in the distant parts of the kingdom.
At length this company being so much increased that this artillery ground was scarcely able to contain them, for they amounted to about 6000: they removed to the New Artillery Ground near the upper end of Moorfields, where they still continue to assemble.