The imbalance in numbers of constables among the wards proved difficult to
correct so long as the basis of service remained the obligation of eligible house-
holders to hold the post for a year in turn. The obvious problems that this
caused in the faster growing wards led the court of aldermen to add a few add-
itional constables at several points in the seventeenth century: in 1642 , 1679 , and
1688 , for example—all, perhaps significantly, years of political crisis and threat-
ened violence in the streets.^8 But it proved difficult to increase the number of
116 Constables and Other Officers
(^8) Rep 40 , fo. 48 ; Rep 85 , fo. 19 ; Rep 93 , fo. 46.
Table 3. 1 .Distribution of constables by wards in the City of London, 1663
Ward Number of Number of Number of Houses per
precinctsa constablesa housesb constable
Aldersgate Within 4 4 426 106.5
Aldersgate Without 4 4 609 152.3
Aldgate 7 6 1,089 181.5
Bassishaw 2 2 142 71.0
Billingsgate 9 11 398 36.2
Bishopsgatec 7 7 2,038 291.4
Bread Street 13 13 331 25.5
Bridge 14 14 385 27.5
Broad Street 10 10 785 78.5
Candlewick 7 7 286 40.9
Castle Baynard 10 10 784 78.4
Cheap 9 11 367 40.8
Coleman Street 6 6 611 101.8
Cordwainer 8 8 367 45.9
Cornhill 4 4 180 45.0
Cripplegate Within 9 9 748 83.1
Cripplegate Without 4 4 1,946 486.5
Dowgate 8 8 369 46.1
Farringdon Withind 16 18 1,368 76.0
Farringdon Withoutd 18 23 4,278 186.0
Langbourn 12 12 530 44.2
Lime Street 4 4 209 52.3
Portsoken 5 5 1,385 277.0
Queenhithe 9 9 488 54.2
Tower 10 12 782 65.2
Vintry 9 9 418 46.4
Walbrook 7 7 306 43.7
Total 225 237 21,625 91. 2 av.
Notes:
aSource: Act of common council 1663 : CLRO: Alchin MSS, E/ 57
bSource: John Smart, A Short Account of the Several Wards, Precincts, Parishes, etc. in London( 1741 )
cBishopsgate Within and Without together
dIncluding attached Liberties.