John Thomas Smith’s Antiquities Of Old London

For good reason John Thomas Smith acquired the nickname ‘Antiquity Smith’ – while working as Keeper of Drawings at the British Museum, between 1790 & 1800, he produced a large series of etchings recording all the antiquities of London, from which I publish this selection of favourites today

Old houses in the Butcher Row near Clement’s Inn, taken down 30th March 1798 – the right hand corner house is suggested to have been the one in which the Gunpowder Plot was determined and sworn

A Curious Pump – in the yard of the Leathersellers’ Hall, Bishopsgate

Sir Paul Pindar’s Lodge, Half Moon Alley, Bishopsgate

A Curious Gate in Stepney – traditionally called King John’s Gate, it is the oldest house in Stepney

London Stone – supposed to be the Millinarium of the Romans from which they measured distances

The Queen’s Nursery, Golden Lane, Barbican

Pye Corner, Smithfield – this memorialises the Great Fire of 1666 which ended at Pye Corner

Old house in King St, Westminster – traditionally believed to have been a residence of Oliver Cromwell

Lollards’ Prison – a stone staircase leads to a room at the very top of a tower on the north side of Lambeth Palace, known as Lollard’s Tower

Old house on Little Tower Hill

Principal gate of the Priory of St Bartholomew, Smithfield

Savoy Prison – occupied by the army for their deserters and transports

Mr Salmon’s, Fleet St

Gate of St Saviour’s Abbey, Bermondsey

Rectorial House, Newington Butts

Bloody Tower – the bones of the two murdered princes were found within the right hand window

Traitors’ Gate

The Old Fountain in the Minories – taken down 1793

The White Hart, Bishopsgate

The Conduit, Bayswater

Staple’s Inn, Holborn

The Old Manor House, Hackney

Dissenting Meeting House at the entrance to Little St Helen’s, taken down 1799

Remains of Winchester House, Southwark

London Wall in the churchyard of St Giles Cripplegate

London Wall in the churchyard of St Giles’ Cripplegate

Figures of King Lud and his two sons, taken down from Ludgate and now deposited at St Dunstan’s, Fleet St, in the Bone House

Images courtesy Bishopsgate Institute

You may also like to take a look at

John Thomas Smith’s Ancient Topography

John Thomas Smith’s Vagabondiana

John Thomas Smith’s Vagabondiana II

John Thomas Smith’s Vagabondiana III