woollen cloth, who had been brought from Flanders by Ed. ward III. were settled in business, and were appointed to have their meetings in the church yard of St. Lawrence Poultney; whilst those of Brabant assembled for the purposes of commercial intercourse in the church yard of St. Mary Somerset, Thames Street. "There were then in this city," says Stow, "weavers of divers sorts, to wit, of dra pery, tapery, and napery." But this mode of manufacture was soon displaced by regular drapery, and is at present in habited not only by persons in that profession, but by other eminent shop-keepers. On the north side of this street, in Abchurch Lane is the parish church of . qoli THIS parish is united to that of St. Laurence Poultney. When the church of St. Mary was first built is uncertain; but Simon de Winchcombe, who was sheriff of London, Anno 1383, founded a chantry in the 19th of Richard II. and the church was repaired at the parish charge in the year, 1611. 3N2 The The church of ST. LAURENCE, Stow observes, was augmented with a chapel of Jesus, by Mr. Thomas Cole, and that and the parish church made a college of Jesus and Corpus Christi by Sir John Poultney, four times lord mayor; * the foundation grant was confirmed by Edward III. and the whole surrendered in the reign of Edward VI. Both these parish churches were burnt down in 1666; and the parish of St. Laurence being afterwards united to that of St. Mary, the latter church was rebuilt and finished in 1686. It is a neat structure, well built of brick, and stone quoins, window and door-cases; the tower is also of similar materials, the steeple has a cupola and spire; the roof is covered with lead, and the inside comprises a dome above a cantaliever cornice, supported by columns and several pilasters of the Corinthian order. In the dome are four port-hole windows, opening at the cardinal points. This dome is ornamented by a painted cornice, supported by huge dentals; above is a representation of the host of heaven in full concert, praising the name JEHOVAH in the centre; underneath are brackets and ornamented shells; on the latter are seated the figures of Faith, Hope, Charity, &c. The church is lined with Norway oak about eleven feet high; a very commodious gallery at the west end, containing the organ, is of the same kind of timber; the gallery con * Sir John Poultney was a citizen and draper of London, and lord mayor in 1330, 1331, 1333, and 1336. He founded the above college for a master and twelve chaplains; besides which he built the church of Alhallows the Less, Thames Street, the church of the Carmelite Friars in Coventry, and a beautiful chapel in St. Paul's cathedral, where, says Stow, he was buried. This Sir William Dugdale disputes, and intimates an extract from Sir John Poultney's will that he was buried in St. Laurence's church. In the chapel last mentioned he appointed three chaplains; and, for the more solemn performance of his anniversary, he assigned annual allowances, not only to the canons, minor canons, &c. of the cathedral, but to the lord mayor of London, and the city officers, if present. For the accomplishment of which he devised certain lands and rents in the city to St. Laurence's College, which they by indenture devised to the dean and chapter, to perform the several duties therein mentioned. sists of a front of circular pannels in carved frames, with enrichments of cherubims, and underneath is a handsome doorcase, adorned with architrave, cornice, and pediment, with the arms of England carved. The north door-case is adorned with attic pilasters and arches, and two fluted pilasters, entablature, and pediment of the Corinthian order, enriched with cherubims, fruit, leaves, corn-ears, &c, The altar-piece is a most magnificent piece of carved work. It consists of four columns, their entablature, and spacious arched open pediment, of the Corinthian order, on which last is the letter R. within a garter supported by two cherubims. The intercolumns are the Commandments, very neatly done in gold characters on black, and the Lord's Prayer and Creed are gold on bluc; all the four tables are within frames, carved and gilt. Over the columns are four lamps on acroters, and the whole has enrichments in great variety, of spacious festoons of fruit, leaves, palm-branches, and a pelican feeding her young, carved in relievo. The communion table is veneered and adorned with four cherubims; it stands on a foot-pace of black and white marble. The pulpit is of carved Norway oak, enriched with cherubims, vases, festoons, &c. A spacious brass branchcandlestick given (with the iron from which it is pendant) by Mr, John Watson, who also bequeathed to the parish 41. per annum for ever: his arms are engraved on the branch. The dimensions of the church are, in length sixty-three feet, breadth sixty, altitude of the church fifty-one, and of the steeple one hundred and forty feet. Here were interred, according to Stow : William Wilkinson, alderman, 1519; Sir James Hawes, mayor, 1574; Sir John Branch, mayor, 1580. a pru This Sir John is recorded by the above historian as "a dent good man." Ob. July 1588, aged seventy-three years. Dame Helen his wife gave to be lent to two young men of the Company of Drapers, from four years to four years for ever, fifty pounds. To poor maids' marriages, ten pounds. To the poor of the church, ten pounds. To the poor poor prisoners in and about London, twenty pounds. Twenty-six gowns to poor men and women, twenty-six pounds. And many other worthy legacies to the Uni versities. And in St. LAURENCE POULTNEY were buried, Robert and Henry Radcliffe, earls of Sussex. John Olyffe, alderman, Ob. 1577. "Elizabeth, the wife of Emanuel Lucar, a very ingenious person in all sorts of needlework, could write three hands. very well, was a good accomptant, could play well on the vial, lute, and virginals. She read, spoke, and wrote Latin, Italian, and Spanish; and, which crowned all, was endued with many virtues. She died at the early age of twentyseven. An. Dom. 1537. On the south side of the church is a very handsome white and veined monument, adorned with twisted columns, their entablature and pediment, of the Composite order; on the pediment are three urns, and under it two cherubims, sustaining a fine gilded mantling, and the arms of the deceased, between four cherubims, two above and two below. And between two infants weeping is an inscription, to the memory of Edward Sherwood and his family. Another monument to the memory of Sir PATIENCE Ward, lord mayor, 1681. St. Mary's is a rectory, in the gift of Bennets or Corpus Christi college. St. Laurence is a curacy in the gift of the parish. The site of the church is in Laurence Poultney Lane, nearly opposite. Among the rectors of St. Mary Abchurch, we remark Mr. JAMES NASMITH, who published a new edition of Tanner's Notitia Monastica, and other works. Dr. JOHN WAR REN, late bishop of Bangor. William Latimer, curate of St. Laurence Poultney, complained, jointly with Bishop Hooper, in the reign of Edward VI. against Bishop Bonner, for leaving out of his sermon at Paul's Cross, the article of the king's authority whilst a minor, contrary to the royal injunction; and for various neglects in his episcopal office and duty; for which the bishop was prosecuted and deprived. Latimer, it is supposed, escaped the vengeance of Bonner by flight be. yond sea; he afterwards was successively chaplain to Queen Elizabeth, archdeacon of Westminster, and dean of Peterborough, where he was buried in 1583. Passing the south end of Nicholas Lane, we arrive at CLEMENT'S LANE, in which is situated the parish church of. ST. CLEMENT, EASTCHEAP. ST. CLEMENT was born at Rome, and became a disciple of St. Peter the Apostle. He was afterwards ordained bishop of his native city. By his piety and learning, he made many converts to the Christian faith, and was banished by the emperor Trajan to the Chersonesus, beyond the Pontus, to dig in the marble quarries, and labour in the mines; where he found several of his own persuasion, who felt. themselves elated by the sight and conversation of so good. a man. His eminence was so great even in this place, that his doctrine became well attended, and his religion attracted the multitude to such a degree, as to cause the demolition of every monument of paganism. Persecution by, the emperor was the consequence; but though many suffered death for their faith, the Christian religion encreased; which so incensed Trajan against St. Clement, that to strike terror into his followers, he was taken in a ship, and thrown |