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THE
LIFE
OF
JOHN STOW,
THE
AUTHOR.
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THE Antiquarian, JOHN STOW, (the Author of the
ANNALS of England, and the SURVEY of London) was born in that City: And as he
thereby became a Citizen of no mean City, so he requited the Honour, by
retrieving so
many Noble and Notable Remarks of it, and recovering so much of its Ancient
History, as
are treasured up in his Books.
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Where born.
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The Name of STOW was ancient, and of long Continuance in the City; and probably
of the
Family whereof He came. There was one Henry Stow, Draper; to whom Sir John
Abel,
Knight, in the 13th of Edward II. demised all that Capital Messuage, called Cold
Harbour,
in Dowgate Ward, in the Parish of Alhallows ad Fœnum, (as it was then
called) and
all the Appurtenances within the Gate and the Key, [for bringing up Goods from
the Water
side] as Stow himself writeth in that Ward. Which makes it appear that he was
some
wealthy Merchant.
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The Stows ancient Citizens.
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There was also in the same King's Reign, one John de Stowe, a Churchman, who had
a
Presentation from him to the Church of Rotherfeild.
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Bipart. Pat. 2. Ed. III.
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But whether our STOW were derived from these, it is uncertain: But certain it
is,
that as St. Paul made it his boast as to the Flesh, that he was an Hebrew of the
Hebrews,
so John Stow was a Citizen born of Citizens of London. For both his Father and his
Grandfather were Citizens, and Tradesmen of good Substance and Credit, dwelling
in
Cornhill, the chief Place of Trade and Credit in the City: And both lying buried
in St.
Michael's Cornhill Church, under Monuments. Thomas Stow, his Grandfather,
buried
about the Year 1526; and Thomas Stow, his Father, in the Year 1559, as himself
writes in
Cornhill Ward.
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His Parentage.
Father and Grandfather Citizens.
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And of what Company, Quality and Wealth his Grandfather was, and the Legacies
that in
his Superstitious Devotion he left, may be seen in his last Will; which I have
inserted in the
Survey, where the mention of his Burial is made, viz. in St. Michael's
Cornhill.
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In this Parish therefore we may conclude our Antiquarian was born. Of the
Monuments in
the Church there, of the Benefactors, and Accidents of the said Parish, he is in
his Survey
more exact and particular than any where else. And one Thing among the rest I
may
mention, being so very observable, which he heard his Father often tell
concerning
somewhat which fell out in the Steeple of that Church, famous in those Times (as
it is still)
for a good Ring of Bells: Viz. That on St. James's Day, a
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