which belonged to John de Kirkeby, of pious memory, late bishop of the same place, and which the same John in his testament in his last will bequeathed to the Chuch of St. Etheldreda, at Ely, and his successors, bishops of the same place, for ever, to be held according to the custom of the city of London, who say, on their oath, that it is not to the loss nor prejudice of the King, nor of any other person, if the King grant to the aforesaid venerable father, Robert, Lord Bishop of Ely, permission to have and hold to himself, his Church of St. Etheldreda, and his successors, for ever, the aforesaid messuage and nine cottages with appurtenances in the street of Holbourn, in the suburbs of London. They say also, that the aforesaid messuage and nine cottages with appurtenances are freely worth yearly in all issues, whilst the said cottages are tenanted (saving the services of the Chief Lords, and the keeping up the said messuage and cottages,) seventy-two shillings and eleven pence. They say also, that the aforesaid messuage and nine cottages with appurtenances, are holden of the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul, London, by rendering therefor to them yearly twenty-six shillings and four pence; to the Hospital of St. Bartholomew, Smithfield, six shillings yearly; to Master Walter Cristemasse, Chaplain of the Hospital of St. Giles, thirteen shillings; to the Church of St. Andrew, Holborn, four shillings and two pence yearly; and also fifteen pence yearly for the supply of a lamp in the Church of St. Andrew, Holborn. They say also, that one plot of ground where stands the great gate of egress of the said tenement towards the highway, is bounden to a certain prebend of the Church of St. Paul, London, in one soke*. In witness whereof, the aforesaid Jurors have placed their seals to this Inquisition. Dated at London, on the abovesaid day and year. De Luda, Bishop of Ely, who died in 1297, increased the demesne, and bequeathed fresh property to the See, on the condition that his immediate successors should pay one thousand marks, as a fund for the payment of three chaplains, for the performance of the services above mentioned. He also left three houses for the residence of the * Soke. A quit-rent or payment made to the lord by his tenant, for acting in the quality of a Sockman or Freeholder.-BAILEY. chaplains. Bishop John de Hotham, at his death in 1336, added six messuages, two cellars, and forty acres of land, which he gave to the prior and convent of Ely to say masses for his soul, and for other objects. This chapter estate, of which the present Saffron Hill is the site, appears to have been distinct from the episcopal possessions adjoining it. Thus the Bishop first, and afterwards the Chapter of Ely, entered the pre-existing parish of St. Andrew, and possessed themselves there of a considerable estate, which, in virtue of certain ancient charters to the Church of Ely, was alleged to have become independent of regal or of any other authority; that church having constituted a kind of palatinate, possessing a distinct government in itself. Camden calls Ely Place "a citie habitation of the Bishops of Ely, well beseeming bishops to dwell in; for which they are beholden to John de Hotham, Bishop of Ely, under King Edward the Third." Thomas Arundel, who was consecrated in 1373, and afterwards became Archbishop of Canterbury, expended great portions of his revenue on the palace. Whether, as some have thought, the present Chapel was of his building, or not, it is clear that a Chapel had been in existence here before and it is more probable, that he improved and beautified it. This munificent prelate not only repaired the palace, but also erected a large front towards the street, in the stone-work of which his coat of arms, sculptured, was to be seen in the time of Stowe. We shall now proceed to give an account of the Chapel, in connexion with that of the Palace itself; and we arrive, in chronological order, at a fact worthy of record, namely, the death of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, father of King Henry the Fourth, at Ely Place. He had probably resorted to this mansion, after the destruction by the rioters of his palace in the Savoy, Strand, which was, before that time, one of the most magnificent mansions in the kingdom. The death of "the fiery duke," is thus noticed by Hollinshed: A.D. 1399.—In the meane time, the Duke of Lancaster departed out of this life at the Bishop of Elie's place, in Holborne, and lieth buried in the Cathedrall church of St. Paule, in London, on the north side of the high altar, by the Ladie Blanche, his first wife.-HOLLINSHED (Richard II.) Many sumptuous feasts were given in Ely Palace. In Michaelmas Term, 1464, the serjeants at law held their banquet there, to which, among other distinguished persons, the Lord Mayor was invited, with the aldermen and sheriffs. But on the Lord Mayor's looking for the chief seat of state in the hall, as was always the custom, within the city and its liberties, when the king was not present, Lord Grey of Ruthin, then Lord Treasurer of England, was advanced to the place of honour;—a grievous slight upon the chief magistrate of the city, which he took in such dudgeon, that he left the banquet room, carrying in his train the aldermen, who are reported to have felt deep displeasure at the treatment his lordship had received, and whom his lordship consoled with a dinner at his own house instead. As some explanation of this occurrence, it may be stated, that Ely House and its precincts claimed a privilege of express exemption from the Lord Mayor's jurisdiction. About this a contest arose in 1567, which was not decided for three years. Sir Roger Martin, the Lord Mayor, attended with his followers at Ely Rents, and attempted to weigh bread among Bishop Cox's tenantry, which they resisted, on the ground of alleged exemption from his authority ; they belonging, as they presumed, to the civil jurisdiction of the diocese of Ely. The dispute having increased to a great height, a council of arbitration was appointed, consisting, among others, of |