Samuel Lese, Citizen and Clothworker, by his last Will, dated April 26, 1634. gave to the Company of Clothworkers, two Houses near Holborn-bridge, in the Parish of St. Andrews Holborn, for divers pious and charitable Uses; particularly, for a Sermon to be preached in the Parish of Bow, on the 1st of May yearly, 1l. to the Clerk and Sexton, 3s. To the Churchwardens of the Parish of St. Andrew Holborn, for the use of the Poor, yearly, 2l. To the Master and Wardens of the said Company of Clothworkers, for their pains in seeing the same perfomed, five Shillings apiece; that is, one Pound five Shillings; (which Company come to the Sermon.) To the Assistants of the Yeomanry, [i.e. those not on the Livery,] ten Shillings. To the Beadle, &c.

Theophilus Royle, Citizen and Draper of London, by his last Will, dated Feb. 5. 1655. gave, for a Sermon to be preached in St. Mary le Bow, on the 5th of November, yearly, at Five a Clock, by the Rector of the said Parish; in commemoration of our great deliverance from the Gunpowder Treason, one Pound: Appointing that a number of poor People, whereof three of the Drapers Company, should be at the preaching of the same Sermon; and receive five Shillings apiece, by the Hands of the Wardens.

Deputy Withers, formerly an Inhabitant of the Parish; who died in March, An. 1700. by his Will, gave to the Minister and Churchwarden of this Parish, an Annuity of Forty Shillings, to be paid out of the House in which he dwelt, viz. at the corner of Bowlane in Cheapside, during the Lease of the said House; for a Sermon to be preached yearly, on Good-Friday in the Afternoon. Whereof, to the Preacher, 1l. To the Reader of the Prayers of the Church of England, 5s. To the Clerk and Sexton, half a Crown apiece. And to Four of the poorest Inhabitants, that frequent the Prayers, half a Crown apiece.

The following Sums were given by Will, for the maintenance of a Weekly Lecture in St. Mary le Bow, by these Persons following.

In January, An. 1621/22, on Thursday at Five of the Clock, the Lecture was set up. The several Legacies before mentioned, having been laid out by the Churchwardens; together with some addition (as it seems) of the Parish Stock, for the purchase of two Tenements, and a Shop, in Abchurch Lane. Which was put into the Hands of Trustees, of the same Parish; to employ the Rent of the said Tenements, for the Maintenance of the said Lecture.

The Rent received, as appears by the Parish Books, for divers Years, until the great Fire, was 26l. per Ann. The Lecturer received after the rate of 30l. per Ann. to the year 1640. The Clerk and Sexton, 20s. apiece, besides Candles. From the Year 1640. to the Fire, he received 32l. 10s. After the Fire, the Houses being burnt down, a Lease was made and signed by the Rector, Mr. Smalwood, and Churchwardens, July 16, 1668. granting to Tho.Bowes, Esq; the Ground of the said Houses, for Ninety Years; paying twleve Pound per Ann.

When the Church was rebuilt, the said Mr. Smalwood, the then Rector, preached this Lecture once a Month: (viz. the Thursday before the Sacrament) and received in consideration of it, the said Ground Rent of 12l. per Ann. Since Mr. Smalwood's Death, the Lecture is discontinued: But of late, the Rector finding it in the Parish Books, hath set it up again; which is preached by the Reader, as it was before; and the said Salary paid.

In this Parish there is a Parsonage House let out by Lease, to be built for Forty Years; from Lady-day, 1676. at 4l. per Ann. being the Woolpack, an Alehouse in Bow-lane.

There is also a Ground Rent of Forty Shillings the Minister received, for an House partly situate in the Church-yard; let by Lease to the Drapers for sixty five Years; from May the 1st, An. 1670.

This Bow Church was repaired and beautified, and the Pews new placed for more Convenience, An. 1706. and a Skreen then erected at the North Door. It hath a very fair and costly Altar-piece, of exquisite Workmanship: On each side whereof, is a large Pillar of the Corinthian Order, imitating Porphyry Stone. Upon the top of the Pediment, is the Figure of a great Golden Candlestick, with a Wax Candle, as though it burned: And on each side, on three descents, stand as many other Candlesticks, with Candles appearing as lighted. In the said Pediment, facing the Church, within a Glory, is a Round of Gold, inscribed, Glory to God on high: Somewhat lower, over the Communion Table; On Earth Peace, good Will towards Men. The high Cieling of this Church, is made Archwise; and so is the Cieling over the Galleries, North and South, also arched; answerable to the denomination of the Church, viz. Le Bow, or of the Arches.]

Without the North side of this Church of St. Mary Bow, towards West Cheape, standeth one fair Building of Stone, called in Record, Sildam; a Shed which greatly darkneth the said Church: For by mean thereof, all the Windows and Doors, on that side, are stopped up.

This Building was made by King Edward the IIId, upon this Occasion. In the Reign of the said King, divers Justings were made in London, betwixt Sopars Lane and the Cross in Cheape; (for the Standard stood not then in place where now it is,) namely, one great Justing was there in the Year 1330. the Fourth of Edward III. whereof is noted thus. About the Feast of St. Michael, there was a great and solemn Justing of all the stout Earls, Barons, and Nobles of the Realm; at London, in West Cheape; betwixt the great Cross and the great Conduit, nigh Sopars Lane. Which Justing lasted three Days: Where, Queen Philip, with many Ladies, fell from a Stage of Timber; notwithstanding, they were not hurt at all. Wherefore the Queen took great care to save the Carpenters from punishment. And through her Prayer, (which she made on her Knees) she pacified the King and Council. And thereby purchased great Love of the People.

After which time, the King caused this Silde, or shed, to be made, and strongly to be builded of Stone, for himself, the Queen, and other Estates to stand in, there to behold the Justings, and other Shows at their pleasures. And this House (for a long time after) served to that use: Namely, in the Reign of Edward IIId, and Richard the IId. But in the Year 1410. Henry IVth, in the twelfth of