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distinguishing the eastern and the latter the western portion
of the thoroughfare.
According to a very common custom still in vogue, the
names of many of the streets record contemporary personages.
Thus, Catherine Street, the original name of Pall Mall, was
so called after the Queen of Charles II., and Portugal Street
probably derived its name from her native land. Jermyn
Street commemorates the Earl of St. Albans; York Street,
the Duke of York: Ormond Yard, the Duke of Ormond;
Pulteney Street, Sir William Poultny; Foubert's Place,
Monsieur Foubert, a riding master; Boyle Street and Burlington
Street, the Earl of Burlington, and so on. Other
streets point to a very different condition of affairs to the
present, such as the Haymarket, which ceased to be what its
name infers no further back than 1831; Windmill Street, a
lane leading to the Windmill fields, and Apple Tree Yard,
which is said to mark the site of a famous orchard. Other
names again recall contemporary historical incidents, such as
Blenheim Street, which appropriately leads out of Great
Marlborough Street.
By the courtesy of Dr. Bond, Librarian of the British
Museum, the Vestry are enabled to incorporate with this
Report a copy of the earliest known map of the Parish. A
comparison of this map with the map of the Ordnance Survey,
which is also given, will show the extent of the changes
which have taken place in the Parish in the meantime.
OTHER PARTICULARS RELATING TO THE
PARISH.
Poor Law.—The Poor Law was originally administered
by the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor, who were
required to perform personally the duties now undertaken by
paid officers, such as the rate collectors and relieving officers.