Smithfield, originally known as the "Smooth Field," was located just outside of London's city wall; it was, however, still within the city's jurisdiction (Borer 62). Bartholomew Fair, the annual event, depicted by Ben Jonson in the play of the same name, was held at Smithfield, near St. Bartholomew's Hospital (Salgado 59). Smithfield was also the location of London's weekly livestock market, and was mentioned in John Stow's Survey of London for this reason: "horse-coursers and sellers of oxen sheep, swine, and such like, remain in their old market of Smithfield" (75). In Lanthorne and Candle-light, Thomas Dekker brings to light many of the notoriously corrupt practices that happened regularly at the horse market at Smithfield. In 1614, around the same time that Jonson was writing Bartholomew Fair, Smithfield was renovated; it was paved, channels were cut in the ground to facilitate the drainage of rain water, and a railing was erected. These renovations cost the vast sum of £1600, and considerably improved the conditions of the tradegrounds (Salgado 63).
On the days that the livestock market was not held, Smithfield was often used for other public events like tournaments and archery contests; it was also used for public executions (Borer 63). Alfred Marks states that the civic gallows of London were located at Smithfield; however, it seems that the majority of hangings took place at Tyburn Tree (59). Depending on the crime and the sentence given, it was possible for convicted criminals to be hanged, beheaded, or boiled to death at Smithfield. During the reign of Henry VIII, there were at least two persons who were boiled to death at Smithfield after being convicted of murder by poison, which was considered the most cowardly and offensive way to murder someone (Laurence 8-9). It was in 1402 that Smithfield became known as the place where heretics were burned at the stake (Marks 59). During the time of Mary Tudor (1553-58), nearly three hundred heretics were burned at the stake in three and a half years (Borer 145). Marks points out that although the burnings at Smithfield are popularly associated with "Bloody Mary," the practice began long before her reign, and continued long after she died (59n).
Smithfield continued to be a livestock market long after the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages, and during the reign of Charles I a great deal of the slaughtering occurred there (Borer 222-23). However, the conditions of the market grew increasingly worse until 1855, when the City moved it to Islington, where proper slaughter houses were built (255).
--Tara Drouillard