King’s Arms inn yard, Holborn Bridge.*
King’s Bench, the highest Court of Common Law in England, is so called, because the King sometimes sat there in person on an high bench, and the Judges, to whom the judicature belongs in his absence, on a low bench at his feet: or because this Court determines pleas between the Crown and the subject of treasons, felonies, and other pleas, which properly belong to the King: and also in whatsoever relates to the loss of life or member of any subject, in which the King is concerned, as he is a sufferer by the loss of the life or limbs of his subjects. Here likewise are tried breaches of peace, oppression, and misgovernment; and this Court corrects the errors of all the Judges and Justices of England, in their judgments and proceedings, not only in pleas of the Crown, but in all pleas, real, personal, and mix’d; except only pleas in the Exchequer. This Court is general, and extends to all England; and where-ever it is held the law supposes the Sovereign to be there in person. In this Court there commonly sit four Judges, the first of which is stiled the Lord Chief Justice of the King’s Bench; and sometimes the Lord Chief Justice of England; whose salary is 4000l. a year, and the puisne Judges 1500l. a year each. Chamberlain’s Present State.
The Court of King’s Bench in Westminster Hall, is in the south east corner.
King’s Bench alley, 1. Dorset street, Spitalfields. 2. St. Margaret’s Hill.
King’s Bench Office, In the Inner Temple, at the lower end of King’s Bench walk, next the Thames. Here the records of that Court are kept to secure them from fire.
King’s Bench Prison, In St. George’s fields, is a place of confinement for debtors; and for those sentenced by the Court of King’s Bench to suffer imprisonment, for libels and other misdemeanors; but those who can purchase the liberties have the benefit of walking through a part of the Borough, and in St. George’s fields.
This prison is situated in a fine air; but all prospect of the fields, even from the uppermost windows, is excluded by the height of the walls with which it is surrounded. It has a neat chapel for the performance of divine worship, and only one bed in each room; but these rooms are extremely small; they are all exactly alike, and none above nine feet in length.
King’s Bench walk, Inner Temple, from the King’s Bench office kept there.
King’s College lane, Bristol street.
King’s court, 1. Milk street, Cheapside. 2. Nightingale lane, East Smithfield.