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[The Priory.] Faringdon Ward without. [Smithfield.]238

[The Priory.] Faringdon Ward without. [Smithfield.]

Change. He left this World October the 20th, An. Dom. 1704. Ætat. 64. in full Assurance of a joyful Resurrection.

He bequeathed, for the educating of twenty poor Children in this Parish (in which he was born) 29l. per ann. after the Decease of his beloved Wife, for ever.

Churchyard, South Side. Will. Allen, 1677. And Phebe his Daughter, 1683.

Valentine Crome, Citizen of London, 1662.

Judith Smith, 1698.

Tho. Heardson, Free Mason, 1618.

This Parish hath no Charities, but 5l. a Year, given by Anthony Wyat, 1675. for Bread, to be distributed to the Poor of the Parish.

Charities.

There is no Parsonage or Vicarage House, nor ever was.

Parsonage.

There is a School, and School House for the Master, adjoining to the North side of the Church. Which the Parish let out for a Consideration, to him that teacheth there.]

The School.

This Priory, at the late Surrender thereof, made the 30th of King Henry VIII. was valued at 653l. 15s. by the Year.

Here, in Great St. Bartholomew's, after the dissolution of the Priory, lived Sir Rich. Rich, Lord Rich, and Lord Chancellor in the beginning of King Edward VI. And hither the Earl of Warwick, and some other Noblemen repaired one Morning, requiring him, from the King, to resign the great Seal. Here also dwelt another great Counsellor of Queen Elizabeth's, Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of her Exchequer.]

Here lived the Lord Rich, and Sir Walter Mildmay.

J. S.

This Church, having in the Bell Tower, six Bells in a Tune, were sold to the Parish of St. Sepulchres; and then the Church being pulled down to the Quire, the Quire was, by the King's Order annexed, for the inlarging of the old Parish Church thereto adjoining; and so was used till the Reign of Queen Mary, who gave it to the Friers Preachers, or Black Friers, and was used as their Coventual Church, until the 1st of our Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth. Those Friers were once more put out, and then all the said Church, was wholly as it stood, in the last Year of Edward VI. given by Parliament, to remain for ever a Parish Church to the Inhabitants within the Close, called Great St. Bartholomews. Since the which time, that old Church is pulled down, except the Steeple of rotten Timber, ready to fall of it self. I have oft heard it reported, that a new Steeple should be builded with the Stone, Lead and Timber, of the old Parish Church, but no such Thing was performed. For it is more easy to pull it down, than to set it up and build. The Parish have lately repaired the old Wooden Steeple, to serve their Turn.

St. Bartholomew the Great

The Bells.

The Black Friers placed at St. Bartholomew's.

From the Year of our Lord, 1622. to 1633. there hath not been a Year, wherein there hath been a great deal of Money expended in one part of the Church or other. In the Year 1620. the Porch at the West end of the Church was new built; which, in the Year 1632. was repaired and beautified. In the Year 1622. the Inside of the Church was new painted. In the Year 1624. the Gallery at the lower end of the Church was rebuilded, and very much inlarged. In the Years 1625, and 1626. great Cost was bestowed in Lead, and in the Plumbers Labour. In the Year 1628. the Steeple, being formerly part of Stone, and part of Timber, the upper part especially Timber, being all ruined and decayed, was pulled down to the very Foundation; and a new one rebuilded of Brick and Freestone, and very richly and fairly finished. Also the East Ile, and some other Parts very defective, were Repaired and Beautified at the Cost and Charges of the Parishioners. The Charge of this Year, 1633. amounting to 698l. and upwards.

Repaired.

R.

Churchwardens.]
Richard Glover,
Richard Toppin.

On the North side of this Priory, is the Lane truly called Long, which reacheth from Smithfield towards Aldersgate street. This Lane is now lately builded on both the Sides, with Tenements for Brokers, Tiplers, and such like. The rest of Smithfield, from Long lane end to the Bars, is inclosed with Inns, Brewhouses, and large Tenements. On the West side is Chicken lane, down to Cowbridge. Then be the Pens or Folds, so called of Sheep there parted, and penned up, to be sold on the Market Days.

Long lane.

Chicken lane.

Cowbridge.

Pens in Smithfield.

Then is Smithfield Pond, which of old time, in Records, was called Horse Pool; for that Men watered Horses there, and was a great Water. In the 6th of Henry V. a new Building was made in the West Part of Smithfield, betwixt the said Pool, and the River of the Wells, or Turnmill Brook, in a Place then called The Elms; for that there grew many Elm Trees; and this had been the Place of Execution for Offenders. Since the which time, the Building there hath been so increased, that now remaineth not one Tree growing.

Smithfield Pond sometime a Pool.

The Elms in Smithfield, a Place wherein Trespassers were executed.

This Place was in use for Executions, in the Year 1219. and, as it seems, long before; by a Clause Roll 4 Hen III. wherein mention is made of Furcæ factæ apud Ulmellos Com. Middlesex, ubi prius factæ fuerunt.]

Used for Executions in the beginning of H. 3.

J. S.

Cl. 4. H. 3. m. 10.

Amonst these new Buildings is Cowbridge street, or Cow lane, which turneth toward Oldbourn. In which Lane, the Prior of Sempringham had his Inn, or London Lodging.

Pet. le Neve.

Cow lane.

Prior of Sempringham's Inn.

The rest of that West Side of Smithfield hath divers fair Inns, and other comely Buildings, up to Hosier lane; which also turneth down to Oldbourn, till it meet with Cowbridge street. From this Lane to Cock lane, over against Pie Corner.

Hosier lane.

Cock lane.

And thus much for Incroachments and Inclosure of this Smithfield; whereby remaineth but a small portion for the old Uses; to wit, for Markets of Horses and Cattle; neither for Military Exercises, as Justings, Turnings, and great Triumphs, which have been there performed before the Princes and Nobility, both of this Realm and foreign Countries.

Justings in Smithfield.

For Example to note. In the Year 1357. the 31st of Edward III. Great and Royal Justs were then holden in Smithfield; there being present the Kings of England, France, and Scotland, with many other Nobles, and great Estates of divers Lands.

Several mentioned.

In the Year 1362. the 36th of Edward III. on the first five days of May, in Smithfield were Justs holden, the King and Queen being present; with the most part of the Chivalry of England, and of France, and of other Nations; to the which came Spaniards, Cyprians, and Armenians, Knightly requesting Aid of the King

of

© hriOnline, 2007
The Stuart London Project, Humanities Research Institute, The University of Sheffield,
34 Gell Street, Sheffield, S3 7QY