SOURCE: The Saturday Magazine, No. 117. Supplement, April, 1834
But it was in the reign of Elizabeth, that British commerce began to assume any great degree of importance. In the first year of this reign, (1559,) in consequence of the irregular manner in which the Customs-duties were collected in the Port of London, an Act was passed to compel all persons to land their goods at certain places; and, about the same time, a new Custom-house was erected near the western boundary of the Tower. This structure, of which we give an Engraving, (page 161,) presents a curious contrast to the immense building1, now devoted to the same purposes: it was totally destroyed by the great fire of 1666, a calamity which befell two subsequent custom-houses which were erected on the same site.
1 For an account of the progressive rise of the Customs in Great Britain, see the Saturday Magazine, Vol. II. page 187.
Page: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Next>
See also:
London Churches
London Buildings
London Landscapes
Prints: London Interiors