*SOUTHWARK, (Surrey) being only parted from London by its bridge, seems but a suburb of that great city; yet it contains 6
ps. and for its extent, number of people, trade, wealth, hoss. almsh. and ch. scs. &c. it is inferior to few cities in
England. It is mentioned in history, anno 1053, and was a distinct corp. governed by its own bailiff till 1327, when a
grant was made of it to the city of London; whose mayor was to be its bailiff, and to govern it by his deputy. Sometime
after this, the inh. recovered their former privileges; but in the R. of Edw. VI. the crown granted it to the city of
London for 647 l. 2 s. 1 d. and in consideration of a farther sum of 500 marks paid to the crown by the city, it was
annexed to the said city; and by virtue of the said grant continues subject to its Ld.-mayor, who has under him a steward
and bailiff, and proclaims its Fair on Sept. 8, for a fortnight; and it is governed by one of its 26 ald. by the name of
Bridge-without. The military Gt. is by the Ld.-lieutenant of the Co. and 11 deputy-lieutenants, who have under them a
regiment of 6 companies, of 150 men each. Its Mts. are M. W. and F. and all plentifully furnished with all manner of
provisions. It is divided into 2 parts, viz. the Bor.-liberty and the clink or manor of Southwark. The first bel. to the
jurisdiction of the Ld.-mayor of London, who by his steward holds a court of record every M. at St. Margaret's-Hill, for
all debts, damages, and trespasses within his limits; to which court bel. 3 attornies, who are admitted by his steward.
There are also 3 court-leets held in the Bor. for its 3 manors, viz. the great-liberty, the guild-hall, and the K's-manor;
wherein, besides the other business usual at such courts, are chose the constables, aleconners,and flesh-tasters. The
clink is under the jurisdiction of the Bp. of Winchester, who, besides a court-leet, keeps a court of record (on the Bank
side, near St. Saviour's-Ch.) by his steward and bailiff, for pleas of debt, damages, and trespasses. There is a counter
for the imprisonment of offenders in the bailiwick, and another for the clink-liberty. Besides these there is the
Marshalsea-prison, which is the Co.-gaol for felons, and the admiralty-gaol for pyrates. Here is a court, which was first
erected for trial of causes bet. the K.'s domesticks, or menial servants, of which the Kt.-marshal is president, and his
steward judge; to whom bel. 4 counsellors, and 6 attornies; and the court is held every Fr. by him, or his deputy, for
debt, damages, and trespasses, in causes for 10 m. round Whitehall, excepting London. Here is also the K's-bench-prison,
the rules of which are of a considerable extent, and the allowance somewhat better than that of the common prisons; for
which reasons many debtors remove themselves hither by Habeas Corpus. It is properly a place of confinement, in all cases
triable in the K's-benchcourt. Here was formerly that called Suffolk-House, a palace built by the D. of Suffolk, in the R.
of Hen. VIII. where was afterwards a mint for the coinage of money, which consists of several streets, whose inh. formerly
claimed a privilege of protection from arrests for debt, which has since been suppressed by the legislature, who have
lately passed an act for establishing a court of conscience here, as well as in London, Westminster, and the Tower-
Hamlets, &c. for the better recovery of small debts. The Bps. of Winchester had formerly a palace here, with a park (the
same that is now called Southwark-Park) which is since converted into ware-houses and tenements, held by lease from the
Bps. of that see. In the times of popery, here were no less than 18 houses on the Bankside, licensed by the Bps. of
Winchester (under certain regulations confirmed by Pt.) to keep whores, who were, therefore, commonly called Winchester
Geese. Here are 2 hosps. viz. St. Thomas's and Guys, the noblest endowment of the kind perhaps in England. We have not
room for particulars, for which we refer to Maitland's History of London, Westminster, and Southwark; yet most observe,
that the founder of the latter was Tho. Guy, a bookseller of London, but a native of Southwark, who, by printing and
binding bibles, discounting sailors tickets, and by South-Sea stock, had started a vast estate; out of which, at his death
in 1724, he left about 200,000 l. to finish and endow this hos. besides 150,000 l. in other legacies and distributions.
Though it is said to be for incurables, i.e. for such as are turned out of other hosps. for any ailments that me incurable
(except lunacy) it is not so; for the founder by his will vested his executors, with a power of continuing the patients,
or discharging them; and he used to say, he would not have his hos. made an almsh. Dr. Gibson mentions a very particular
grant here of St. Mary-Overy's-Ch. to the Ch.-wardens for ever, with the tythes to provide 2 chaplains at their pleasure,
who are neither presented nor inducted; wherein it differs from all other Chs. in England.