In fact, the Elephant and Castle at Newington Butts did not come into existence until long after Shakespeare's time. The ground on which it stands was not yet built upon in 1658, being then granted as a charitable donation to the poor of Newington parish. The grant was renewed and confirmed in 1673, when the structure here represented may already have come into existence, for we are told that building operations had then lately taken place. The sign may be derived from the crest of the Cutlers' Company. Close to the Elephant and Castle, during the construction of a new sewer in 1823, some piles, posts, and rings for barges were found imbedded in the soil. Hard by, in the early part of this century, that strange fanatic, Joanna Southcott, set up a meeting-house for her followers. Newington Butts was so named from the exercise of archery at the butts, which was practised here by the parishioners in Tudor times. The inn was rebuilt in 1824. Of late there has been another rebuilding on the same site. The view is founded on an old drawing in the Gardner collection.
A house called the "Oliphant," previously the "Red Hart," is mentioned in the vestry proceedings of St. Saviour's parish, Southwark, in 1598, and an "Elephant Alley" near the Globe theatre comes to light in the St. Saviour's sacramental token book for 1600. Shakespeare may have had in his mind the building thus indicated, when he made the allusion quoted above.
2. White Hart Inn Yard, Southwark, 1884 (Water-colour).
3. Back of White Hart Inn, Evening, 1884 (Black and white).
4. In the Gallery of the White Hart, 1884 (Water-colour).
5. In the Gallery of the White Hart, 1884 (Black and white).
6. Old Houses in Inner Yard of the White Hart, 1884 (Water-colour).
[Illustration: No. 6. OLD HOUSES. WHITE HART INN. SOUTHWARK.]
Southwark being on the high road to the coast and to Canterbury, which contained the famous shrine of St. Thomas à Becket, was for centuries occupied by inns in number out of all proportion to ordinary shops and dwellings.
The Borough, according to a State Paper of 1619, "consists chiefly of inn-keepers." John Stow, in his Survey (1598), says, "from thence (the Marshalsea) towards London Bridge on the same side, be many fair inns for the receipt of travellers; by these signs: the Spurre, Christopher, Bull, Queen's Head, Tabard, George, Hart, King's Head," etc. Of older date (about 1542) is a map of Southwark, to be found among the Duchy of Lancaster Records in the Record Office, which shows almost all the more important Southwark inns. They were grouped together chiefly on the east side of what is now called the Borough High Street, the most distant not being more than a quarter of a mile apart. These inns had a gateway from the street, which was closed at night. Passing through this gateway one entered a yard, round which ran the galleries where the guests were housed. Beyond this again there was a larger yard, which contained the stabling, and where there were often various tenements. This was approached by a passage from the outer yard, and generally there was also access to it from behind.