The history and antiquities of Boston, and the villages of Skirbeck, Fishtoft, Freiston, Butterwick, Benington, Leverton, Leake, and Wrangle; comprising the hundred of Skirbeck, in the county of Lincoln. Including also a history of the East, West, and Wildmore fens, and copious notices of the Holland or Haut-Huntre fen ... sketches of the geology, natural history, botany, and agriculture of the district; a very extensive collection of archaisms and provincial words, local dialect, phrases, proverbs, omens, superstitions, etc. By Pishey Thompson. Illustrated with one hundred engravings.

236 SOUTH SQUARE.
was also used to hold public meetings in, and charitable and other assemblies, &c.
It is now, under the direction of the Charity Trustees, used for meetings of the
Town Council, for public meetings of the inhabitants, for lectures, &c. The
great west window of the hall is filled with tracery of the early perpendicular
period, and many remnants of ancient stained glass. The centre of the lower
division of this window has, no doubt, contained a statue of the patron saint; a
handsome canopy and pediment yet remain. The paneled parapet on the south
side of' the gable is also in nearly a perfect state; that on the north side entirely
destroyed. Massy pinnacles formerly decorated the sides as well as the centre
of the gable; these are now too much dilapidated to furnish any idea of their
original construction. The side pinnacles rested upon heavy gurgoyle corbels.
The whole of this front exhibits marks of its original elaborate decoration. The
interior of the building is so completely modernised, that nothing of the original
but the construction of the roof is visible, and this does not present anything
peculiar. Immediately south of the Guildhall is Beadsman's Lane; on the south
of which were the Beadsmen's houses and gardens. There is nothing upon record
respecting the houses; the garden formed part of the grant of Philip and Mary
to the Corporation.' Between the east end of Beadsman's Lane and Spain Lane
there was formerly a mansion house of the Westland family, which was afterwards owned and occupied by Dr. Peter Baron and his son Andrew. In 1680,
it was held by Andrew' Slee. Its site cannot now be traced.
South Street leads into South Square, a very pleasant, open, and airy part
of the town, although the increasing corn-trade of the place has, within the last
half century, a good deal changed the character of the locality, by causing the
sites of many of the private residences to be occupied with granaries. The
building represented below formerly stood at the north-western corner of the
square.,3
Gysors' Hall
See the succeeding Section on the Charities, &c. piece of ground in the Town Hall Lane, South End,
In 1550, it was agreed that the Beadsmen's garth. or was rented by William Jugg, and sold to Mr. Israel
garden, should be let out to farm. In 1660 and 1689, Jackson (lecturer), for 201. and 12d. per annum,
a garden near the Town HLall is mentioned as having rent, doing suit of court to the courts baron,
been leased with the Peacock Inn. In 1706, a holden for the three manors. —Corporation Records.