Mansion House and the Bank of England from Poultry

The Mansion House is to the right - completed about 1744. The Bank of England (prior to its enlargement by Soane) can be seen in the mid-distance on the left (in Threadneedle Street). Lombard street turns away to the right; Cornhill is straight ahead, with many signs of coffee houses hung out over the street. Opposite these is the front of the second Royal Exchange (Edward Jarman, 1669-1838) with its central tower complete with a clock. The foreground shows two men with a large street plan of the immediate area showing the position of a statue (seen behind them) of (presumably) Sir John Barnard (d. 1764) which was originally erected in a niche in the Royal Exchange in 1747 but later moved - or proposed to be moved - as obliquely referred to in the doggerel verse under the picture. Barnard was an MP who opposed Walpole and displayed considerable expertise in matters of national finance.