Prior to 1604, however, Fleet Street was important for both judicial and clerical proceedings. Located at the east end of Fleet Street, the Temple was home to the Knights Templars, or Red Cross Knights, as they came to be known for their liveries. From 1184 until the early 1300s these knights remained in London, believing that it was their duty to protect Christians on their pilgrimages to the Holy Land. They were eventually persecuted and their property was bestowed upon the law students of London. These buildings became known as the Inns of Court. One of these law schools was known as the Temple.
Also occurring over the fifteenth century was the transfer of property and houses in Fleet Street from ecclesiastical men, or clergy, to the nobility. This transfer happened mostly in the eastern area of Fleet Street, between Whitefriars Lane and the Temple. The only parts of the street not already occupied by lawyers eventually became occupied with law firms and lawyers houses. Shakespeare’s play 2 Henry VI involves a mob, led by Jack Cade, which is about to storm the King. As they discuss all the wrongs of London that need to be eliminated, Dick the Butcher cries, "first thing we do let’s kill all the lawyers" (4.2.68).
The Fleet River was first mentioned in a land deed of 1125 (Richardson Annals 16). The river or ditch is visible on maps predating 1667. The Fleet was used as a dumping ground by the Butchers in Smithfield. The various waste animal parts went directly into the river. One can only imagine the stench and pollution in the area. As early as 1355 complaints about the smell were sent to the government of the city (Richardson Annals 48). The Fleet River was first made into a canal and then entirely built over in 1733. Both of these improvements were built to try to deter the pollution in the area.
In the Great Fire of 1666, most of Fleet Street was burned to the ground, with the exception of the Inner Temple Gate and the area to its west. Three major buildings associated with Fleet Street that burned down and were later restored are St. Brides Church, Temple Bar, and Fleet Prison. St. Brides is now famous for its steeple, designed by Christopher Wren, from which a local baker is said to have taken his idea for the tiered wedding cake. Temple Bar was originally a simple bar placed across the road at night to prevent theft of London’s many goods. After the fire, however, it was rebuilt and redesigned by Wren in 1673. By this point the area had acquired ceremonial importance. A grand gate was built, and on it stood statues of James I and his Queen on one side, and Charles I and Charles II on the other. The Fleet Prison was immediately rebuilt and is famous for the stink that surrounded it. Ironically, the prisoners at Fleet were one of the first to complain of a need to rebuild the prison in 1667. They thought their temporary prison was too far outside the city walls for their visitors, who would bring them food and alms.
Today the trade most associated with Fleet Street is that of print and journalism. In the early sixteenth century, a student of William Caxton set up a print shop in the area. Since that time many literary figures, such as Pepys, Milton, and Dryden, have been associated with the area (Foot 224). The most famous literary link to Fleet Street is definitely Samuel Johnson, who lived just around the corner while compiling words for his famous dictionary, printed in 1755.
-- Kim Martin, 2002