Memorials of Old London. Volume 2 (of 2)

In Short

This second volume of a comprehensive antiquarian survey presents an exhaustive, thematic exploration of London's historical evolution. Edited by P. H. Ditchfield, the book gathers specialized essays detailing the city's royal palaces, Elizabethan playhouses, Restoration-era streets, old bridges, literary haunts, and civic institutions. It captures the spirit of a city that constantly rebuilds itself through fire, political turmoil, and urban expansion. The volume endures because of its meticulous synthesis of primary documents, contemporary eye-witness accounts, and architectural history, providing an essential topographical and cultural record of London’s vibrant past for historians and general enthusiasts alike.

The Story

The narrative arc of this volume traces the physical and cultural metamorphosis of London across centuries, structured as a series of thematic journeys through its architectural and social landscapes. It opens with an inspection of the city's royal and noble seats, examining how royal power moved through structures like Whitehall, St. James’s Palace, and Kensington Palace. The discussion illustrates how these magnificent edifices mirrored the shifting fortunes of English monarchs, from Tudor dominance to Restoration leisure and modern royal residence at Buckingham Palace.

Moving into the Elizabethan era, the narrative details the explosion of civic life, commercial enterprise, and dramatic art. The focus shifts to the Southwark bank of the Thames, tracing the development of early amphitheatres like the Rose, the Swan, and the Globe. It shows how theatrical culture bloomed despite civic opposition, transforming former monastic lands such as Blackfriars into vibrant, indoor playhouses and fashionable residential enclaves.

The journey continues into the turbulent seventeenth century, using Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn as primary guides through the Restoration and the catastrophe of the Great Fire of 1666. The arc documents the total disruption caused by the blaze, describing how five-sixths of the city inside the walls was reduced to ash. Yet, out of this ruin, the narrative moves into an era of extraordinary resilience and reconstruction. Readers follow the rebuilding efforts, Sir Christopher Wren’s architectural contributions, and the gradual emergence of new urban spaces.

In its later sections, the volume explores the social nervous system of the expanding metropolis: its bridges, taverns, clubs, and coffee-houses. The history of London Bridge and its successors reflects the city’s evolving transportation needs and engineering feats. The narrative then delves into the private sphere, mapping out the social networks formed inside coffee-houses, learned societies, and famous inns like the Tabard and the Oxford Arms. It concludes with a survey of literary shrines and city churches, framing London not merely as a collection of brick and mortar, but as a living pageant where history, literature, and everyday life perpetually intersect.

How It Unfolds

The royal seats flourish and fall The survey opens with a study of London's great palaces, tracking their creation, ownership, and occasional destruction by fire, such as the major blazes at Whitehall in 1691 and 1698.

The Elizabethan stage finds its home The scene shifts to the Bankside and suburban districts, where early playhouses like the Rose, Swan, and Globe emerge, replacing older bull-baiting arenas and establishing a permanent home for English drama.

Fire consumes the medieval city The narrative confronts the disaster of September 1666, detailing the day-by-day destruction of Old St. Paul's and thousands of homes, leaving displaced citizens camping in open fields like Moorfields and Highgate.

Reconstruction and civic growth take root Londoners clear the ashes, rebuild homes on temporary leases, and erect modern iron and stone bridges over the Thames to replace ancient crossings, accommodating an ever-growing volume of traffic and commerce.

The rise of social and literary haunts The final chapters wander through the city’s famous coffee-houses, inns, and learned societies, highlighting how places like Button's, the Grecian, and the Tabard served as centers for debate, commerce, literature, and community.

The People

Because this is a historical and architectural survey, its central figures are the historical personages, authors, and antiquarians who shaped London's landscape or recorded its history.

• King Charles II seeks recreation in St. James’s Park, feeding his waterfowl, playing the game of Mall, and strolling unescorted among his subjects despite political risks.
• Samuel Pepys records the intimate details of daily life, dramatic performances, and the horrific progression of the Great Fire, desiring to capture every civic event in his diary.
• John Evelyn acts as an empathetic observer of the city's tragedy, walking among the 200,000 homeless citizens in Moorfields and lamenting the total loss of Old St. Paul's Cathedral.
• Dr. Samuel Johnson haunts the local taverns, coffee-houses, and his regular pew at St. Clement Danes, representing the literary intellect and vibrant conversation of eighteenth-century London.
• William Shakespeare and his company navigate civic regulations to establish indoor and outdoor playhouses, leaving a permanent artistic footprint on areas like Blackfriars and Southwark.

In Its Own Voice

"The parke was at this time stored with numerous flocks of severall sorts of ordinary and extraordinary wild fowle, breeding about the Decoy, which for being neere so greate a citty, and among such a concourse of souldiers and people, is a singular and diverting thing."

John Evelyn describes the surprisingly wild atmosphere of St. James's Park during the reign of Charles II.

"I went againe to y^e ruines for it was no longer a citty."

Evelyn succinctly captures the absolute devastation of London following the Great Fire of September 1666.

"This incomparable art at the same time informs the Judgment, pleases the Fancy, recreates the Eye, and touches the Soul..."

An auctioneer named Millington colorfully promotes a picture sale held inside the "Barbadoes" Coffee-house in 1689.

What It's Really About

The volume is fundamentally about urban memory, resilience, and the continuity of human community through physical transformation. It argues that a city's true identity is not found merely in static stone or monarchical decrees, but in the organic overlap of its architecture, commercial enterprise, and social life. Beneath its detailed architectural inventories lies an investigation into how London routinely survives total catastrophe—such as the Great Fire—by adapting its spaces to meet new economic, social, and cultural needs. The book demonstrates that every street corner, tavern, and church aisle carries the cumulative weight of centuries of human experience.

Why Read It Today

This volume will deeply satisfy urban historians, lovers of British history, and readers who delight in granular, place-based storytelling. Reading it feels like taking an extended, unhurried walk through hidden alleyways and long-vanished courtyards alongside a deeply knowledgeable guide. The narrative weaves together architectural blueprints, literary anecdotes, and historical documents to create an extraordinarily vivid picture of past centuries.

Readers should be prepared for the traditional, scholarly pace of an early twentieth-century antiquarian text. The tone is deliberate and unhurried, occasionally digressing into detailed lists of structural modifications, historical leases, or parish boundaries. It also reflects the period perspectives of its 1908 publication date, particularly in its architectural critiques of Victorian and Edwardian additions to the city skyline. However, these minor hurdles are easily outweighed by the book's rich collection of primary accounts and its passion for preserving the forgotten corners of London's past. What remains with you is an abiding sense of London as an unbroken, ever-evolving pageant.