Seven Steps alley, 1. Old Montague street. 2. Petticoat lane, Whitechapel. 3. Rotherhith Wall.
Seven Steps yard, Houndsditch.
Seymour’s court, Little Chandois street.
Shad Thames street, Horselydown.
Shadwell, formerly a hamlet in the parish of Stepney, is now a distinct parish, and by the great increase of buildings is united to this metropolis. This parish, which is one of the Tower hamlets, is situated on the north bank of the Thames, and received its name from a fine spring which issues from the south wall of the church yard. The parish is, from its situation, divided into Upper and Lower Shadwell, Lower Shadwell being anciently a part of Wapping marsh.
In the north east of this parish is Sun tavern fields, where a Roman cemetery, or burying place, was discovered about the year 1615, wherein were found two coffins, one of which being of stone, contained the bones of a man; and the other of lead, finely embellished with scallop shells, and a crotister border, contained those of a woman, at whose head and feet were two urns, each three feet high; and at the sides several beautiful red earthen bottles, with a number of lachrymatories of hexagon and octagon forms. On each side of the inhumed bones were two ivory scepters of the length of eighteen inches each, and upon the breast the figure of a small Cupid, curiously wrought; as were likewise two pieces of jet resembling nails, three inches in length. According to the opinion of that judicious antiquary Sir Robert Cotton, who made this discovery, the person here interred must have been the wife of some Prince, or Roman Prætor, by the decorations of the coffin and the things contained in it.
In this place were likewise discovered several urns, with Roman coins, which had on one side this Inscription, Imp. Pupienus Maximus P. F. and on the reverse, with hands joined, Patrus Senatus.
A few years ago was also discovered in this place a mineral spring, said to be impregnated with sulphur, vitriol, steel, and antimony. It is esteemed a great anti-scorbutic, and is said to have performed many remarkable cures in the leprosy, scurvy, scald heads, and other cutaneous diseases.
For Shadwell church, see the article St. Paul’s Shadwell.
Shadwell dock, Shadwell.