Chronicles of London Bridge - Richard Thompson

“An altered copy of these verses was printed upon the Thames in the great Frost of 1814; and from an advertisement in the ‘London Daily Post’ of Thursday, January the 31st, 1739-40, we learn that this and the following print were originally sold for 6d. each.

“A Copper-plate printed in red, 9½ inches by 13¼, the view taken opposite St. Paul’s, with tents, sports, &c. in front, sixteen lines of verse beneath, with ‘Frost and Ice Fair, shewing the diversions upon the River Thames, began the 26th of Decem^r 1739-40, ended Febru^ry the 17th.’”

“In the beginning of this Frost, the houses on London Bridge appear to have received considerable damage, from the many vessels which broke from their moorings, and lay beating against them; the notice of which, we derive from the two most celebrated newspapers of the time,—the ‘Daily Post,’ and Woodfall’s ‘General Advertiser.’ The latter of these, for Monday, December the 31st, 1739, states that ‘all the watermen above the Bridge have hauled their boats on shore, the Thames being very nigh frozen over:’ and in the same paper, for Wednesday, January 2nd, 1739-40, it is observed, that ‘several vintners in the Strand bought a large Ox in Smithfield on Monday last, which is to be roasted whole on the ice on the River of Thames, if the Frost continues. Mr. Hodgeson, a Butcher in St. James’s Market, claims the privilege of selling, or knocking down, the Beast, as a right inherent in his family, his Father having knocked down the Ox roasted on the River in the great Frost, 1684; as himself did that roasted in 1715, near Hungerford Stairs. The Beast is to be fixt to a stake in the open market, and Mr. Hodgeson comes dress’d in a rich lac’d cambric apron, a silver steel, and a Hat and Feathers, to perform the office.’ After the mention of numerous accidents near London Bridge, the repetition of which would occupy considerable time with but little gratification, the ‘Daily Post,’ of Tuesday, January the 22nd, 1740, thus notices the first breaking-up of this famous frost. ‘Yesterday morning, the inhabitants of the West prospect of the Bridge were presented with a very odd scene, for, on the opening of their windows, there appear’d underneath, on the River, a parcel of booths, shops, and huts, of different forms, and without any inhabitants, which, it seems, by the swell of the waters and the ice separating, had been brought down from above. As no lives were lost, it might be view’d without horror. Here stood a booth with trinkets, there a hut with a dram of old gold; in another place a skittle-frame and pins, and in a fourth ‘the Noble Art and Mystery of Printing, by a servant to one of the greatest trading companies in Europe.’ With much difficulty, last night, they had removed the most valuable effects.’ To conclude my information upon this subject, I have to observe only that the ‘Daily Post’ of Thursday, February the 14th, states that the Sterlings of London Bridge had received so much damage during the frost from the great weight of ice, that their repairs would amount to several thousand pounds.

“The last extract given us by Maitland, in his ‘History’ page 49, from the Bridge-House revenues and accounts, extends from Lady-day 1752 to Lady-day 1753, and consists of the following particulars.”

	£	s.	d.
“‘In the hands of the Bridge-Masters, at the foot of their last account	2669	9	6
In the hands of the Chamberlain of London, paid to him by Webb’s securities	600	0	0
	——————			3269	9	6
In Tenants’ hands in arrears at Lady-day, 1752				2413	18	9½
In arrear for fines then				70	6	11
Rental General this year, including Quit Rents				3843	8	7
Fines set this year				662	0	0
Whole charge				£10259	3	9½

					£	s.	d.
‘Rents and Quit-Rents paid					52	9	3
Taxes and Trophy-money: sums collected for the accoutrements and maintenance of the Militia					194	11	4½
Expenses					351	17	1½
Emptions of Timber		471	7	6
	Stone, Chalk, Terrass	340	4	4
	Iron-work	158	18	0
		——————			970	9	10
Mason, Painter, Glazier, Carpenter, &c.					1904	13	9
Shipwrights’ work and Cordage					104	18	0
Benevolence					232	13	4
Particular Payments by Order					1254	7	3¾
Fees and Salaries					287	4	5
Costs at Audit and Lady Fair					160	11	0
					£5513	15	4¾

	£	s.	d.
‘Amount of the preceding Charge	10259	3	9½
Deduct the foregoing expenses	5513	15	4¾
Remainder	4745	8	4¾
Whereof discharged by desperate arrears and remitted	89	0	0
Remaining due to the Bridge-house, at Lady-day, 1753	4656	8	4¾
And thus disposed of.
Arrears of Fines and Quit-rents	2483	15	1¾
Arrears and Fines	70	6	11
In the hands of the Bridge-Masters	1502	5	5
In the hands of the Chamberlain of London	600	0	0
	£4656	7	5¾’

“There appears to be some little inaccuracy in this statement by Maitland, since the amounts which he sets down are not the products of the sums when added together; but these I have rectified, though the balance of the whole account does not quite accord with the sums remaining in hand.

“We have at length reached that period, when the extensive alteration, or even re-building, of London Bridge, began to form a matter of grave and active consideration; and in relating the proceedings of these times, there will be no little difficulty in condensing into one consecutive account, all the numerous surveys, reports, plans, proposals, and objections, which were then published. In treating of this part of the subject, however, as it will be best and briefest to do it in order, we will first consider the state of old London Bridge, as it was represented by the various Architects employed to survey it; then give some account of the schemes proposed for its alteration; and lastly, describe that which was adopted, and the means used for carrying it into effect.