The Sun. — 1845-01-24 (London, England)

VIII. In 1611 Thomas Sutton founded the Charter House on part of the site of the old monastery. " This charitable foundation for pensioners and scholars, is (was) supplied from the Old Conduit, in the field to the west of the village of Eyseldon" (Islington). A few years afterwards the New River Company became incorporated, but it was many, many years ere water from this source was carried to the neighbourhood of West Smithfield. Conduits were things of great importance with our forefathers. About 1236 a great want of water prevailing in London. occasioned by the encroachment of buildings on the fresh water canals about the City, a scheme was set on foot for bringing water from six fountains "in the tonne of Tyburne.' In 1285 the first conduit was built at the west end of Cheapside, near the centre of the space between the corner of St. Paul's-churchyard and St. Martin's-le-Grand. In 1438 Sir W. Eastfield, Lord Mayor, at his own expense brought water from Tyburn, Highbury Barn, and from the Islington fields. He erected conduits in Fleetstreet, Aldermanbury, and Cripplegate. In 1443 the Common Council granted 1,000 marks towards erecting a " new conduit, near St. Paul's-gate, at the upper end of Cheapside" (no doubt the side previously alluded to). Spring water at this time was evidently a scarce commodity. The price of the best ale was then three-halfpence a gallon. In 1541 orders were issued for repairing the conduits of London, and for bringing water from Hampstead, Marylebone, Hackney, Islington, Muswell Hill, &c., indemnifying owners of land from damage by such watercourses. A new conduit was erected at Walbrook corner (the water being drawn from the Thames). A writer, in 1750, says, at the west end of the Poultry, where Bucklersbury meets Cheapside, stood the great conduit. The south end of George-street, Hanover-square, terminates in Conduit-street, built upon the site of Conduit Mead. This conduit supplied the then west-end of the metropolis. In 1577 Wm. Lamb, citizen and cloth-worker, drew several springs of water into one head at the upper end of Red Lion-street. It was denominated Lamb's Conduit. From it he supplied (through leaden pipes*) Snow-hill, and where an old conduit (repaired by him) received the water. This conduit was taken down in 1706. The Foundling Hospital now stands on its site. The chapel in the court at the north-west corner of Monkwell-street, was originally erected by the same Wm. Lamb. Notwithstanding the progress made by the New River Company, conduits were continually erected, and the old ones kept in repair. It is within the recollection of many now living that the river burst its channel (a thing predicted a century before). This accident gave a handle to the numerous family of grumblers to mourn over the decay of conduits. "To the north of White Conduit House are," says Lambert in his survey, " the remains of an ancient ford • fication in a place known by the name of The Reed Moat, or Six Acre Field. This place is supposed to have been the spot where Paulinus, the Roman General, fled with his men, when the Britons, under Queen Boadicea, murdered the inhabitants of London, and set fire to the city. Whether this supposition be correct or not, it is certain that a Roman camp was situated on this spot, from the remains of the General's prwtorium in the south-west angle of the field." " REPORT MADE UPON A VIEW OF THE DALSTON AND ISIIINGToN