Rebecca’s yard, East Smithfield.
Rebel’s row, near St. George’s church, Southwark.
Reckman’s rents, Limehouse bridge.†
Record Office, in the Tower, is kept in Wakefield’s Tower, which joins to the Bloody Tower, near Traitor’s Gate; and consists of three rooms one above another, and a large round room where the rolls are kept. These are all handsomely wainscoted, the wainscot being framed into presses round each room, within which are shelves, and repositories for the records; and for the easier finding of them, the year of each reign is inscribed on the inside of these presses, and the records placed accordingly.
Within these presses, which amount to fifty-six in number, are deposited all the rolls from the first year of the reign of King John, to the beginning of the reign of Richard III. but those after this last period are kept in the Rolls chapel. See Rolls Office.
The records in the Tower, among other things, contain, the foundation of abbies, and other religious houses; the ancient tenures of all the lands in England, with a survey of the manors; the original of our laws and statutes; proceedings of the courts of common law and equity; the rights of England to the dominion of the British seas; leagues and treaties with foreign Princes; the achievements of England in foreign wars; the settlement of Ireland, as to law and dominion; the forms of submission of the Scottish Kings; ancient grants of our Kings to their subjects; privileges and immunities granted to cities and corporations during the period abovementioned; enrollments of charters and deeds made before the conquest; the bounds of all the forests in England, with the several respective rights of the inhabitants to common of pasture, and many other important records, all regularly disposed, and referred to in near a thousand folio indexes. Chamberlain’s Present State. Strype’s Stowe.
This office is kept open, and attendance constantly given, from seven o’clock till one, except in the months of December, January, and February, when it is open only from eight to one, except on Sundays and holidays. A search here is half a guinea, for which you may peruse any one subject a year.
Recorder of London. This officer ought always to be a learned Lawyer, well versed in the customs of the city. He is not only the chief Assistant to the Lord Mayor in matters of law and justice; but takes place in councils and in courts before any man that hath not been Lord Mayor: he speaks in the name of the City upon extraordinary occasions; usually reads and presents their addresses to the King; and when seated upon the bench delivers the sentence of the court. Maitland.
Red Bull alley, 1. Kent street, Southwark.* 2. St. Olave’s street, Southwark.* 3. Thames street.*
Red Bull court, 1. Fore street, Cripplegate.* 2. Red Bull alley.*