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Posted by Shaz519 (U2827975) on Friday, 21st August 2009
I just wondered, did we inherit the present day street numbering system from the romans, since they built the first cities and major roads? Did they number one side odd and the other even? to facilitate registration for taxes and census taking? or did the present door numbering occur later?
Sat, 22 Aug 2009 20:44 GMT, in reply to Shaz519 in message 1
So far as I know there is no evidence of Roman street numbering, or house names for that matter. Possibly if you needed to find someone, you just asked around.
There is this article
'A Stranger in Town: Finding the Way in an Ancient City' by R. Ling
(...) there is no evidence of any ancient system of house-numbering or labelling. Surprising as it may seem, we must conclude that properties were normally known (as they are on at least one marble plan-fragment and in various inscriptions from Rome) simply by the names of their owners. (...)
since they built the first cities and major roads?Β
Do you mean in Britain? Possibly, but the Romans were hardly the first people in history to build cities and (major) roads.
I can't recall exactly when street numbering was introduced in Britain, but it was MUCH more recent than Roman times.
From memory, it was sometime around the 18th century, probably because of the expansion of the cities that got going around that time.
Having said that, someone will now contradict me, with conclusive evidence, that the Sumerians got there first and we copied them.
Would have thought that there wouldn't really be a need for house numbering until the introduction of postal service deliveries.
Of course, there are still small towns and villages where house numbering does not exist, nor is it required. I live in such a town, everyone simply goes to the post office to collect their mail.
The Romans did not have the same system as us. They did not use street names, they used block names.
, in reply to message 7.
Posted by an ex-nordmann - it has ceased to exist (U3472955) on Saturday, 29th August 2009
As was used to such comic effect in that old Roman sit-com "Balatronis et Equii Tantum", where the protagonists, the Familias Bisculus (Avus Bisculus, Rodney Bisculus and Derek "Del-Puer" Bisculus) reside in an insula in the suburbanus of Peckhamus called the Villa Nelson Mandellus. Their three-wheeled Fringilla Locupleta, their mates Puersi, Triggerus and Denzillius, and their unfailing incompetence in their efforts to turn a fast dinari were once carnarius et fermentum to an avid audience in Londinium and beyond. Derek's catchphrase "Qui audet adipiscitur", delivered in every episode was always guaranteed to have them rolling in the alae!
Do you think that was a help Nordmann?
I have seen references to letters in books, including reference to at least one ancient letter (found in Egypt) with the address written on the back, but after an hour of searching on Google I cannot find any reference to it.
Have you come across anything like that?
i think door numbers first appeared on london streets in 1764
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Walpole was the first to reside in 10 Downingstreet in 1732. Of course the number itself could have dated from a later period.
Comments?
i think when he moved in to the downing street premises they where a group of buildings then in 1760,s were converted and the the door used today appeared ,i may be wrong...
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