Walbrook Ward. London Stone. 193

Walbrook Ward. London Stone.

Nil opis hos cineres,     
florum decorare corollis:
Flos, hic compositus     
qui jacet, ipse fuit.
Moribus, Ingenio,     
Naturâ suavis, aperto
Pectore, cui niveus     
nil nisi Candor, erat.
Quem Sidneiani spatiis,     
umbraque lycæi,
Artibus excoluit     
Granta diserta suis.
Bis denos vitæ nondum     
numeraverat Annos,
Cum brevis extremum     
clauderet hora diem.
O quantos gemitusque suis     
luctusque reliquit,
Tam properè Angelicas     
dum sitit ire domos.
Euge beate, tuo cum Christo     
sorte fruaris,
Sentiat & similem,     
qui legit ista sitim.
Ri. Dugard, Mœrens composuit.]


The modern MONUMENTS here in this Church of St. Swithen, are these.

 

On the North side of the Table. Michael Godfrey, of London, Merchant, the eleventh Son of Tho. Godfrey of Hoddiford, in the County of Kent, Esq; deceased Decemb. 3. 1689. And his Daughter Elizabeth, 1691. And Hester his other Daughter, married to Hugh Smithson of Tottenham, Esq; dying in Childbed, 1698.

Modern Monuments.

J. S.

Upon a Pillar near the Gallery, a Monument for Michael Godfrey, Merchant, Son of the abovesaid Michael Godfrey. He was a memorable and very worthy Man; being elected the first Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. Attending his Majesty King William encamped befored Namur was slain by a Canon Ball from the Works of the besieged, 17. July, 1695. His Body was brought over, and here buried.

On a blue Stone before the Communion Rail.

Here lyeth the Body of Mrs Agnes Reid, Daughter of the Honourable John Reid Esq; one of his Majesties Judges in the Island of Barbadoes who departed this Life the first day of January, in the Year of our Lord, 1685.

Virtue and Beauty here doth lye,
All her Sexes sole Epitomie,
They must have Musick; all the Arts
Judgments to use or want her Parts.     
When such vanish; then what can save     
The most ingenious from the Grave.

On the North side over the Communion Table hangs a Hatchment with the Arms of the Holworthys.

On the South near the Communion Table, another with this Inscription.

Sir John Bolle, Baronet, dyed March the Third, 1685. He lyes underneath in the Vault belonging to his Family.


CHARITIES belonging to this Parish are as follow:

 

The Poor have 12d. per Week in Bread. 50s. per ann. allowed then in Coals; the Gift of Henry Hobener.

Charities.

A weekly Lecture formerly 14l. per ann. now reduced to 10l. 10s. being the Gift of Tho. Wetnal, in the reign of K. James I. It is in the Hands of Trustees.

There was a Parsonage House before the Fire: But burnt down; rebuilt by Henry Whisler of S. Mary Abchurch, on a Lease for forty Years, commencing March the 25th 1675. Ground Rent 4l. per ann. The Dimensions in front 13 Foot, in length 30 Foot, in breadth backward 10 Foot 9 Inches, little more or less.]

Parsonage.

On the North side of this Church and Churchyard, is one fair and large builded House, sometime pertaining to the Prior of Tortington in Sussex, since that to the Earls of Oxford, Anno 1598. to Sir John Hart, Alderman [after him to Mr. Humfrey Smith, Alderman of this City, who married a Daughter of the said Hart.] Which House hath a fair Garden belonging thereunto, lying on the West side thereof. On the backside two other fair Houses in Walbrook. In the Reign of King Henry VII. Sir Richard Empson, Knt. [Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster] dwelled in one of them, and Edmond Dudley Esq; in the other: Either of them had a Door of entercourse into this Garden, wherein they met, and consulted on Matters at their pleasures. In this Oxford Place Sir Ambrose Nicolas kept his Maioralty: Since him, the said John Hart did likewise.

Prior of Tortington's Inn.

Oxford Place by London Stone.

Empson and Dudley dwelt hereabouts.

On the South side of this high Street, near unto the Chanel, is pirched upright a great Stone, called London Stone, fixed in the Ground very deep, fastned with Bars of Iron, and otherwise so strongly set, that if Carts do run against it through negligence, the Wheels be broken, and the Stone it self unshaken.

London Stone.

The cause why this Stone was there set, the very time When, or other Memory hereof is there none. But that the same hath long continued there, is manifest, namely, since (or rather before) the time of the Conquest. For in the end of a fair written Gospel Book, given to Christ's Church in Canterbury, by Ethelstane, King of the West Saxons, I find noted of Lands or Rents in London belonging to the said Church, whereof one Parcel is described to lye near unto London Stone. Of later time we read, that in the year of Christ, 1135. the first of King Stephen, a Fire, which began in the House of one Ailward, near unto London Stone, consumed all East to Ealdgate. In which fire the Priory of the holy Trinity was burnt, and West to S. Erkenwald's Shrine in S. Paul's Church: And these be the eldest Notes that I read thereof.

Lib. Trin.

Antiquity of London Stone.

Some have said, this Stone to have been set as a Mark in the middle of the City within the Wall: But in truth it standeth far nearer to the River of Thames, than to the Wall of the City.

Read Mr. John Speed, what he saith thereof, and of the like Stones.

Some others have said, the same to be set, for the tendering and making of payment by Debtors to their Creditors, at their appointed days and times, till of later time, payments were more usually made at the Font in Ponts * Church, and now most commonly at the Royal Exchange. Some again have imagined, the same to be set up by one John or Thomas Londonstone, dwelling there against it. But more likely it is, that such Men have taken Name of the Stone, than the Stone of them; as did John at Noke, Thomas at Stile, William at Wall, or Well, &c.

*So writ in all the Editions, for Pauls undoubtedly.

Methinks, some of our Forefathers had a Conceit, that London Stone was set up in signification of the City's Devotion towards Christ and his Care and Protection of the City; under the Notion of a Stone, on which it was founded, and by his Favour so long preserved. For that Way

J. S.

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