Highgate, a large and populous village in Middlesex, a little above four miles north of London, is so called from its high situation on the top of a hill, and a gate erected there above 400 years ago, to receive toll for the Bishop of London; upon an old miry road from Grays Inn lane to Barnet, being turned through that Bishop’s park. The church, which is a very old edifice, is a chapel of ease to Pancras and Hornsey; and where it stands was formerly an hermitage; near which the Lord Chief Baron Cholmondeley built and endowed a free school in 1562, which was enlarged in the year 1570, by Edwin Sandys, Bishop of London, and a chapel added to it. There are also here several dissenting meeting houses. On the side next London, the fineness of the prospect over the city, as far as Shooter’s hill, and below Greenwich, has occasioned several handsome edifices to be built; particularly a very fine house erected by the late Sir William Ashurst. It is remarkable that most of the public houses in Highgate have a large pair of horns placed over the sign; and that when any of the country people stop for refreshment, a pair of large horns fixed to the end of a staff, is brought to them, and they are earnestly pressed to be sworn. If they consent, a kind of burlesque oath is administered; that they will never eat brown bread when they can get white; never kiss the maid when they can kiss the mistress; and abundance of other things of the same kind, which they repeat after the person who brings the horns, with one hand fixed upon them. This ridiculous ceremony is altered according to the sex of the person who is sworn; who is allowed to add to each article, except I like the other better; the whole being over, he or she must kiss the horns, and pay a shilling for the oath, to be spent among the company, to which he or she belongs.
Highgate road, Tottenham court.
Hilliard’s court, Old Gravel lane.†
Hillington, or Hillingdon, the name of two villages in Middlesex, situated near each other, at a small distance from Uxbridge, and distinguished by the epithets Great and Little. The church of Great Hillington is a vicarage, to which the town of Uxbridge is a hamlet, and here Meinhardt, late Duke of Schomberg had a seat; and Mr. Chetwynd has one at Little Hillington.
Hill’s Almshouse, in Rochester row, Tothill fields, was erected in the year 1708, pursuant to the will of Emery Hill, Esq; for the use of six poor men and their wives, and six poor widows. The former are allowed 7l. 4s. and a chaldron of coals every year; and the latter 5l. and a chaldron of coals per annum, and a gown every other year.
The same gentleman erected an almshouse in Petty France, Westminster, in the year 1677, for the reception of three men and their wives; but left it to be endowed out of the surplusage of the above almshouse; however it does not appear that there ever was any surplus. Maitland.
Hill’s rents, Helmet court, Butcher Row, near Temple Bar.†
Hill’s wharf, Wapping Wall.†
Hill’s yard, Shoreditch.
Hind court, 1. Coleman street, Lothbury. 2. Drury lane. 3. Fleet street.