XIVa
In October 1894 I began the survey of London, having entered into an arrangement with Messrs. A. & C. Black, the publishers of the Encyclopædia Britannica, for its production.
The survey of London was first undertaken by John Stow, and the first edition was published in 1598. His work remains as the basis of all following works on the same subject. It is indeed remarkable to observe how very little was added to Stow for a long time. Anthony Munday, James Howell, and a “Society of Gentlemen” successively brought out new editions of Stow’s Survey—not always under that name—during the seventeenth century. In 1720 an edition brought up to date with maps and excellent illustrations was issued by John Strype in two volumes folio. This was followed by The Circuit Walk, or Perambulation. In 1754 another edition of Stow and Strype appeared with very little alteration. In the same year William Maitland produced his History and Survey of London which was original and, for the time, very good. Other books came out on the history of London with or without the Perambulation. These, whether they bore the name of Lambert, Allen, or Entick, were practically copies of Maitland—mere copies verbatim of page after page. Harrison’s history, which belongs to the same time as Maitland, is also for the most part a copy. Since the appearance of Strype—that is to say for nearly a hundred and fifty years—there has been no survey of London. Maps of London there are, books on various points connected with London—such as the history of a suburb, of a church, of an institution—but there has been no survey.
My proposal was to conduct such a survey. The plan was as follows: First, the history of London from the earliest times to the end of the nineteenth century was to be written by myself. I have now (1901) completed the work down to the end of the eighteenth century. This history includes the rise and growth of the government of London, the story of its religious houses, the daily life of the people, the records of trade, shipping, buildings—everything that can be found for a reconstruction and restoration of the City from age to age. The history of Westminster and of Limehouse was planned to follow the history of the City. The antiquities of London and of its ancient suburbs were to be detailed after this. The City churches were to be described with their chantries and monuments. There were to be monographs on St. Paul’s, Westminster Abbey, the Inns of Court, the Tower of London, and other important places. The perambulations of the City and its suburbs, including the whole area covered by the London County Council, were to come next. We were then to give the history of London as it is today, with all its buildings and institutions, including a history of education in London from the earliest times to the end of the nineteenth century.
This was the task that lay before me. I began with the perambulations, which were carried out for me by three or four active and intelligent young people. For my own part I set to work at once upon the history. I confess that had I known the enormity of the labours before me, I should not have undertaken the work. Everyone will understand that the number of points constantly cropping up and demanding investigation could not be estimated beforehand. My original design was to give the whole day to the work except when I had fiction in hand—that is to say, to give about eight months of the year. When I was working upon a novel I gave up my mornings from nine to twelve to fiction; and my afternoons—from half-past one till six—to the Survey. A change of work does not fatigue one so much as continuing steadily at the same work. To put away the fiction, which I did at home, and to take up the Survey, which I wrote in town, was a refreshing change, the work being divided by the time taken up in getting into town. However, when I look at the masses of typewritten material which represent the six years of work at the Survey, I am astonished that I have been able to carry out so much with my own hand. I resolved, at the outset, to undertake the history alone, but I found it necessary to take over a great deal more. I mention the Survey as part—a good part—of my life’s work. I know not how it will be received. There is so vast a field to be covered. The modern discoveries made concerning mediaeval London and the recent publications of the Corporation have given me a quantity of material never before used or put together. I need not here furnish a list of these books: that will be found in the Survey itself. Let it only be remembered that I have been able to break away altogether from Maitland and to treat the City from new materials and newly published records.
I have only to say, further, on this point, that I hope to see the publication begun this year (1901), and that I am, further, in hopes that the history and the Survey will be found worthy of the time and the subject. The beginning of the twentieth century is a fitting time for such a Survey to appear, and it is interesting to think that it is as nearly as possible three hundred years since the first edition of Stow was published.