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MANCHESTER stairs, Canon row, West-
minster.
MAN-IN-THE-MOON yard, Chiswell street.
MANLEY'S wharf, Mill bank, Westmin-
ster.
MANNACK'S alley, Shoreditch.
MANOR'S street, St. Giles's.
MANSEL street, Goodman's fields.
MANSION HOUSE of the Lord Mayor, a
very noble edifice erected in the place
where Stocks market was formerly held.
As the private houses of the citizens ad-
vanced to the dignity of Lord Mayor,
were generally improper places, as well as
too small, for transacting the great busi-
ness belonging to this important office, it
was customary for the chief magistrate of
the city to hold his mayoralty at one or
other of the halls belonging to the twelve
principal companies. This however was
long perceived very inconvenient; and
therefore it was at last found expendient for
the honour of the city, and the more re-
gular discharge of that high office, to erect
a house, as the mansion of the Lord Mayor
for the time being.
This being determined by the Lord
Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council,
several places were proposed, as the end
of Pater noster row fronting Cheap-
side, Moorfields, and Stocks market, and
the latter was chosen, from its being si-
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| M A N | 243 |
tuated nearly in the center of the city; at
a small distance from the Royal Exchange,
and in the heart of business: Stocks mar-
ket was therefore removed to Fleet ditch,
and the earth dug up for laying the foun-
dation, when the ground was found so
full of springs, that it became necessary to
erect this spacious edifice upon piles.
Meanwhile many plans and designs were
drawn and examined, and that from which
this edifice was erected, had the pre-
ference.
In short, a vast number of strong piles
being driven close together, the first stone
of the foundation was laid upon them, by
the Right Honourable Micajah Perry, Esq;
Lord Mayor, on the 25th of October
1739, in the presence of several of the
Aldermen and Common Council, and this
great work was finished in 1753, Sir
Crisp Gascoigne being the first Lord
Mayor who resided in it.
This edifice is very substantially built
of Portland stone, and has a portico of
six lofty fluted columns of the Corinthian
order in the front; the same order being
continued in pilasters both under the pe-
diment, and on each side. The base-
ment story is very massy and built in rustic.
In the center of this story is the door
which leads to the kitchens, cellars, and
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