Golden Leg court, Cheapside.*
Golden Lion alley, Long ditch, Westminster.*
Golden Lion court, 1. Aldersgate street.* 2. By St. George’s church, Southwark.*
Golden square, near Great Windmill street, a very neat but small square, containing about two acres. A large space on the inside adorned with grass plats and gravel walks, was till lately surrounded with wooden rails; but these have been removed, and handsome iron ones placed in their room.
Gold’s hill, Dean street.
Goldsmiths, one of the twelve principal companies, is of great antiquity; for in the reign of Henry II. in the year 1180, it was among other guilds, fined for being adulterine, that is, setting up without the King’s special licence. But at length, in 1327, Edward III. in consideration of the sum of ten marks, incorporated this company by letters patent, and granted the Goldsmiths the privilege of purchasing an estate of 20l. per annum in mortmain, for the support of their valetudinary members, which in the year 1394, was confirmed by Richard II. for the sum of twenty marks. These grants were afterwards confirmed by Edward IV. in the year 1462, who also constituted this society a body politic and corporate, to have perpetual succession, and a common seal. They had now likewise the privilege of inspecting, trying, and regulating all gold and silver wares, not only in this city, but in all other parts of the kingdom; with the power of punishing all offenders concerned in working adulterated gold and silver, and the power of making by-laws for their better government.
This fraternity is governed by a Prime, three other Wardens, and ninety-eight Assistants; with a livery of 198 members, who upon their admission pay a fine of 20l.
Goldsmiths Hall, a spacious building in Foster lane, Cheapside, was originally built by Drew Barentin, about the year 1407, but was destroyed by the fire in 1666, and the present edifice arose in its place. It is an irregular structure built with brick, and the corners wrought in rustic of stone. The door is large, arched, and decorated with Doric columns, which support a pediment of the arched kind, but open for a shield, in which are the arms of the company. The hall room is spacious, and both that and the other rooms well enlightened.
In this hall are, among others, the pictures of Sir Martin Bowers, and Sir Hugh Middleton, both of this company, and great benefactors to it. They both enjoyed the office of Lord Mayor of London. The latter is worthy of immortal honour, for bringing the New River water to the city: out of the rents of which he gave 30l. a year to this company, which is now worth near the annual revenue of 300l. They have also a very great estate, and apply above 1000l. a year to charitable uses.
By an act passed in the 12th year of the reign of his present Majesty George II. it is ordered that no goldsmith, silversmith, or other person dealing in gold or silver wares, shall make any gold vessel, plate, or manufacture, of less fineness than 22 carats of fine gold in every pound troy weight; nor any of silver, of less fineness than 11 ounces, two pennyweights, of fine silver in every pound troy. And that no goldsmith, silversmith, or other dealer in gold or silver wares, shall sell, exchange, or expose to sale, any gold or silver plate, or export the same, without its being marked with the first letters of the christian and surname of the maker, and, if in London, with the marks of the Goldsmiths company, namely, the leopard’s head, the lion passant, and a distinct variable mark, denoting the year in which such plate was made; or with the mark of the worker, and the marks appointed to be used by the assayers of York, Exeter, Bristol, Chester, Norwich, or Newcastle upon Tyne; on the penalty of forfeiting 10l. for every omission. The forging of the company’s marks, exposes the maker to the penalty of 100l. or two years imprisonment. However, such pieces of gold or silver, as are either too small or too thin to receive the marks, and do not weigh ten pennyweights of gold or silver each, are not to be stamped. The price of assaying is fixed by the Wardens of the company.