the Old Bailey

the Old Bailey

South from Newgate Street, at No. 2, to 46 Ludgate Hill (P.O. Directory). In Farringdon Ward Without.

First mention "Old baily," 23 H. VI. (Anc. Deeds, B. 2176).

Former names and forms: "In ballio," c. 1241–8 (ib. A. 7499). "The Baillie," 35 H. III. (ib. A. 2585). "la Ballie," Is Ed. I. (ib. A. 2699). "The baily," 1276 (Ct H.W. I. 26). "Le Bayl," 1290 (Cal. Ch. Rolls, II. 345). "le Baly," 1305–6 (Ct. H.W. I. 175). "The Baily without Newegate," 1307 (ib. 193). "le Baille without Ludegate," 1311 (ib. 221). "Great Old Bailey," (Rocque, 1746).

Strype also speaks of the Great and the Little Old Bailey (Ed. 1720, I. iii. 281).

Stow says he does not know the origin of the name, but suggests that it may have been so called as containing the court of the Chamberlaine of the City (S. 374), and as Newgate seems to have been at one time called "Chamberlain Gate" the suggestion is not an improbable one.

The northern end was widened towards the end of the 18th century by the removal of the middle row of old tenements, the western side of which had been known as "Little Old Bailey" (q.v.).

A portion of the old wall of London was found here in the rear of No. 8 adjoining the Sessions House, in 1900, 8 ft. high and 8 ft. 3 in. thick, about 18 in. below the street level, 99 ft. 6 in. from the centre of the roadway (Trans. L. and M. Arch. Soc. N.S. I. (4), p. 351).

Old Bailey, Ludgate-Hill,—at 28, the first street on the L. about twenty doors from Fleet-market, it extends to Newgate-st.

Old Bailey, the, Ludgate-hill, is the first turning on the left hand going from Farringdon-street towards St. Paul's. Maitland and other antiquaries say, that it derives its name from Bale-hill, an eminence whereon was situated the Bale, or bailiff's house, wherein he held a court for the trial of felons. This is somewhat corroborated by the fact that the place of security where the sheriffs keep the prisoners during the session, is still named the Bale Dock.

Old Bailey, a narrow street running between Ludgate Hill and Newgate Street. At the Newgate Street end is Newgate Prison, where public executions take place. The upper end was widened by the removal of a Middle Row of mean tenements, the lane on the west side of which was called the Little Old Bailey.

The xxviii daye of November [1557] came ridyng through Smythfelde and Old Balee and through Fleet Street into Somersett Plase, my good lade Elisabeth grace, the Queen's syster; with a grate company of velvett cotts and chaynes.—MS., quoted by T. Warton, Life of Sir T. Pope, p. 100.

The same MS. describes her return "down Fleet Strete and through Old Bailee," etc., "towards byshope hatfeld plase;" but this does not quite agree with the received account, which represents her as proceeding, on her return, to the Tower.

I have not read how this street took that name, but it is likely to have risen of some Court of old time there kept …

[See Sessions House]

William Camden, the son of a painter-stainer, and the author of the Britannia was born in the Old Bailey in 1550. Peter Bales, the famous penman of the 16th century, a remarkable man in many ways, had a school of much celebrity at the upper end of this street. Middleton mentions him in his Black Book (1604), "We were commanded to draw any mark with a pen which should signify as much as the best hand that ever old Peter Bales hung out in the Old Bailey." Algernon Sidney is said to have resided in the Old Bailey, in "the house of Mr. Meres, printer." In Ship Court (three doors from Newgate Street, on the west side) Hogarth's father kept a school. The house was pulled down in 1875, as was also No. 67, at the corner of the court, where William Hone in 1817 published his three celebrated political parodies on the Catechism, the Litany, and the Creed, for which he was thrice tried at Guildhall, and thrice acquitted. At No. 68, the second door south of Ship Court, lived Jonathan Wild, the famous thief and thief-taker. His house was distinguished by the sign of Charles I.'s head.¹ Jesuits' bark was first sold in the Old Bailey.

The fever bark, commonly called Jesuits' Powder, which is so famous for the cure of all manner of agues, brought over by James Thompson, merchant of Antwerp, is to be had either at his own lodgings, at the Black Spread Eagle, in the Old Bailey, over against Black and White Court, or at Mr. John Crook's at the Ship in St. Paul's Church Yard, with directions for use.—Mercurius Politicus, December 9 to December 16, 1658.

Black and White Alley in Strype's Map, 1720, was an opening halfway up on the west side, so that the "Black Spread Eagle" was on the site of the present Sessions House. In the Beaufoy Collection is a 17th century token of Thomas Paulson at the Black Spread Eagle in the Old Bailey. There is also one of the "Blew Bell Inn, Old Baley, 1650." The Blue Bell was the evening resort of William Oldys, Norroy King-at-arms, the learned bibliographer (d. 1761). His beverage was porter, with a glass of gin between each pot This was potent tipple, and to ensure his finding his way to his chambers at the Heralds' College before the clock struck twelve—after which every person entering had to pay the porter a fine of sixpence—Oldys engaged the watchman to convoy him safely at the proper hour every night. Oldys was a laborious punster as well as antiquary. He used to address his associates at the Blue Bell as "rulers," the inn being within the rules of the Fleet. The inn still exists, but now calls itself "The Bell Hotel;" it is at the entrance to Prujean Square. There are several busy booking offices, as the Old Bailey is the great collecting place for the suburban carriers. Here is the Sunday School Union, a spacious recent building, containing, besides the usual working offices of the society, a hall, with platform and organ, for meetings and worship, library and reading-room for the use of Sunday School teachers, and Biblical Museum.

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¹ Captain Alexander Smith's Life of Jonathan Wild, 12mo, 1726.