Bridewell precinct, Fleet ditch.
Bridewell rents, Vine street.
Bridewell walk, Clerkenwell.
Bridge. See Black Friars Bridge, London Bridge, and Westminster Bridge.
Bridge House, several large buildings, erected as storehouses for timber, stone, or whatever is proper for building or repairing London bridge. It seems to have had its foundation with the bridge itself, and is situated on a considerable spot of ground on the south bank of the Thames, near St. Olave’s church. It had formerly several granaries, for the service of the city in a time of scarcity; and also ten ovens for baking bread, for the relief of the poor citizens: but these granaries are now applied to the use of the cornfactors, who here lay in considerable quantities of corn. The Bridge house is under the management of the Bridge-master, whose office is to look after the reparation of the bridge, and is allowed a considerable salary.
Bridge street, Westminster, so called from its situation with respect to Westminster bridge.
Bridge Ward within, is thus named from London bridge, and is bounded on the south by Southwark, and the river Thames; on the east, by Billingsgate ward; on the north, by Langborne ward; and on the west, by Candlewick and Dowgate wards. It begins at the south end of London bridge, from which it extends northward up Gracechurch street, to the corner of Lombard street, including all the bridge, the greatest part of the alleys and courts on the east side, and on the west, all the alleys, courts and lanes in Thames street, on both sides to New key, part of Michael’s lane, and part of Crooked lane. The principal streets are New Fish street and Gracechurch street; and the principal buildings, London bridge, the parish churches of St. Magnus, and St. Bennet’s Gracechurch street; Fishmongers hall, and the Monument.
This ward is governed by an Alderman, and his Deputy, fourteen other Common Council men, sixteen wardmote inquest men, six scavengers, fifteen constables, and a beadle; and the jurymen returned by the wardmote inquest serve in the several courts of Guildhall in the month of July.
Bridge Ward without, contains the whole borough of Southwark, extending southward from the bridge to Newington; to the south west almost to Lambeth; and to the east to Rotherhith. The principal streets are, the Borough, Blackman street, Long lane, Kent street, Tooley street, St. Olave’s street, and Bermondsey street; and the most remarkable buildings are the parish churches of St. Olave, St. Mary Magdalen Bermondsey, St. Saviour, St. George, and St. Thomas; the prisons of the King’s bench, the Marshalsea, the New prison, and the Clink; St. Thomas’s hospital, Guy’s hospital and the Lock.
This ward is only nominally governed by an Alderman and three Deputies, but has no Common Council men; it has, however, twenty wardmote inquest men, sixteen constables and a bailiff. Stow’s Survey.