XCV.—No. 16, CHURCH STREET.
On the street front of this house is fixed a cast-iron sign which was
dug up in the back garden during the rebuilding of the premises. Mr.
Philip Norman (fn. 1) describes it as follows: "The design is like that of a
17th-century fire-back, and represents a cock vigorously attempting to
swallow a snake, which he has seized by the tail; a second snake on the
ground behind him rears its head as if to strike. Above is the date
1652."
Figure 13:
Sign on No. 16, Church Street
In 1874, he adds, a sign was dug up in the foundation of Messrs.
Smith, Payne and Smith's Bank, No. 1, Lombard Street, which appears to
have been cast from the same mould. The sign is fixed behind a small
crane, which renders it almost invisible.
Footnotes
| 1 |
London Signs and Inscriptions, pp. 101–2 |