Grave’s wharf, near Fishmongers hall, Thames street.†
Gravesend, a town in Kent, twenty-two miles from London, situated on the Thames, opposite to Tilbury Fort, about six miles east from Dartford, and about the same distance from Rochester. In the reign of Richard II. the French and Spaniards sailed up the Thames to this town, and having plundered and burnt it, carried away most of the inhabitants. To enable the town to recover this loss, the Abbot of St. Mary le Grace on Tower hill, to whom King Richard II. had granted a manor belonging to Gravesend, obtained that the inhabitants of Gravesend and Milton should have the sole privilege of carrying passengers by water from hence to London, at 2d. a head, or 4s. the whole fare; but the fare is now raised to 9d. a head in the tilt boat, and 1s. in the wherry. The former must not take in above forty passengers, and the latter no more than ten. The Watermens company are by act of parliament obliged to provide officers at Billingsgate and at Gravesend, who at every time of high water by night and day, are at their respective places to ring publicly a bell set up for that purpose, for fifteen minutes, to give notice to the tilt boats and wherries to put off; and coaches ply at Gravesend at the landing of people from London to carry them to Rochester. King Henry VIII. raised a platform here and at Milton, and these towns were incorporated by Queen Elizabeth, by the name of the Portreve (which has been changed to that of Mayor) the jurats and inhabitants of Gravesend and Milton. The whole town being burnt down in 1727 the parliament in the year 1731 granted 5000l. for rebuilding its church. Here is a very handsome charitable foundation, Mr. Henry Pinnock having in 1624, given twenty-one dwelling houses and a house for a master weaver to employ the poor: and a good estate is also settled for the repairs.
Within a few years past, great improvements have been made in the lands near this town, by turning them into kitchen gardens, with the produce of which Gravesend not only supplies the neighbouring places for several miles round, but also sends great quantities to the London markets, particularly of asparagus, that of Gravesend being preferred to that of Battersea. As all outward bound ships are obliged to anchor in this road till they have been visited by the custom house officers, and as they generally stay here to take in provisions, the town is full of seamen, and in a constant hurry.
Gray Friars. See Grey Friars.
Gray’s court, Duke street, Piccadilly.†
Gray’s Inn.
S. Wale delin. B. Green sculp.
Gray’s Inn, on the north side of Holborn, near the Bars, is so called from its being formerly the residence of the ancient and noble family of Gray of Wilton, who in the reign of Edward III. demised it to several students of the law. It is one of the four Inns of Court, and is inhabited by Barristers and Students of the law, and also by such gentlemen of independent fortune, as chuse this place, for the sake of an agreeable retirement, or the pleasure of the walks.
The members of the house are to be in commons a fortnight every term, for which they pay 16s.
The officers and servants belonging to the Inn, are, a Treasurer, a Steward, a chief and three under butlers, an upper and under cook, a pannier man, a gardener, the steward, the chief butler’s men, and two porters.