The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-06
From the London Globe.

\0 gate Market Is just forty years
 old, having been opened in 1877, so that if the projected dismarketing be carried out by the common council it can- not be said in one sense that an ancient landmark Is being removed. But the his- tory of the place runs back into the re- mote past It was the old port of Lon don, and customs were paid here under Ethelred IL, in the year 979. Even the origin of the name is doubtful for the famous antiquary. Stow. says How this gate took that name, or of what antiquity the same is, I must leave un- certain, as not having read any ancient record thereof more than that Godfrey Monmouth writeth that Belip, king of the Britons, about 400 years hefore Christ's nativity, built this gate, and named 1t Belin's Gate after his own call ing; and that when he was dead his body being burnt, the ashes in a vessel of brass were set upon high pinnacle of stone over the same gate. It seemeth to me not to be so ancient, but rather to have taken that name of some later owner of the place, happily named Beling or Biling.'
 Other old writers tell us that this Belin, or Belinus, King of Britain, was g. de- scendant of Lear, and a fellow-adventurer with Brennus, King of the Gauls. at the sacking of Rome, 36o years before the Christian era, and also the father of King Lud, whose name has been perpet- uated in Ludgate.
 In very early times Queenhthe and Billingsgate were the chief city wharves for landing cargoes of fish, the former being at first the more important, but the supremacy passed to Billingsgate owing to the trouble that ships had in passing London Bridge. In 12S2 a message was sent from the King, Edward l., to the sergeants of Billingsgate and Queenhithe, commanding them to see that all boats are moored on the city side at night, and to have the names of all boats, and no one to cross the Thames at night. That the place was considered of some military importance with regard to the defense of London Is shown by the fact that it was ordered to be defended by wooden tur- rets in the reign of Edward II. and again, in 1870, when the mayor, aldermen and commonalty were given to understand that certain galleys, with a multitude of armed men therein, were lying off the Isle of Thanet. it was ordered that every night watch shall be kept between the tower of London and Bilingsgate with forty men-at-arms and sixty archers. The city early asserted it's control and in March, 1462. Edward ". confirmed the charter of Henry ". whereby the citi- zens obtained the right of taking toll and custom at Billingsgate and other places. It continued to be an important port, and was opened as landing place for pro- visions in 1858, but 1t did not become cele- brated as fish market until the reign of King William H., who in 1899, by act of parliament, made 1t a free port for fish. which might be sold there every day of the week except Sunday.
 The unpublished phraseology, native, though not peculiar, to this quarter of London has given rise to the proverbial use of the name. One may term this the Esculine Gate of London" says old Fuller. Here one may hear linguas jurgatrices." The seventeenth century references to the rhetoric or obscene language of the market are frequent. and hence foul language itself is called "billingsgate.' In Vanity Fair" too, Thackeray tell us how MT. Osborne cursed Billngsgate with an emphasis worthy of the place. It is curious how markets are the natural abode of strong language. Thus the French equivalent for, You are no better than a Billingsgate fish flag" or Your compliments are like those of the Place Maubert," the Place Maubert being noted for it's market. In the good old days the Billingsgate DOT ters seem to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves for one Bagford, writing in ms, says: This brings to my mind an- other ancient custom that hath been