the use of the Presbyterian, Independent, and Baptist persuasions. This gentleman, in 1711, bequeathed his valuable collection of books and manuscripts for this purpose, with a handsome salary for a librarian and a housekeeper, and, in pursuance to his will, a neat building was erected in Redcross-street, with a genteel apartment for the librarian, &c. and a room capable of containing 40,000 volumes, though not more than 20,000 volumes are at present in this apartment. In this library is a register, in which dissenters may record the births of their children.

This foundation, which has been greatly augmented since its first institution, is under the direction of twenty-three trustees, viz. fourteen ministers and nine laymen, who must be all Presbyterians, under whom there is a secretary and a steward.

In the front library are the following portraits:

Dr. Williams; rev. R. Steele, M. A. of St. John's college, Cambridge; rev. W. Harris, D. D.; rev. C. Fleming, D. D.; rev. S. Wright, D.D.; rev. S. Charnock, D. D. of Emanuel college, Cambridge; rev. J. Newman; rev. Thomas Manton, D. D.; rev. J. Priestley, LL. D. F. R. S.; rev. S. Annesley, LL. D. of Queen's college, Cambridge, vicar of St. Giles, Cripplegate, from whence he was ejected; rev. J. Howe, M. A. of Christ's college, Cambridge; rev. W. Bates, D. D.; rev. I. Watts, D. D.; rev. W. Tonge, of Salters'-hall; rev. A. Kippis, D. D.; rev. J. Shower; rev. H. Grove; rev. N. Vincent, M. A.; rev. J. Newman; rev. J. Flavel, B. A. of University college, Oxford; rev. R. Baxter : rev. J. Evans, D. D.; rev. O. Hughes; rev. W. Gough; rev. G. Griffiths, M. A. chaplain at the Charter-house, whence he was ejected; rev. T. Jacombe, D. D.; rev. A. Rees, D. D. by Opie.

In the back library are the following paintings:

An old painting of the Protestant Reformers, sitting at a long table with the devil, the pope and a friar beneath.

Portraits of Dr. Williams, Mrs. J. Williams, and Mr. F. Barkstead, her first husband; Mr. T. Barkstead ; Barkstead, esq.; John Milton; rev. Thomas Cartwright, D. D.; rev. D. Rogers; rev. W. Wollaston; rev. J. Bayes; rev. Thomas Cotton; rev. B. Robinson; rev. M. Silvester; rev. J. Burroughs; rev. T. Rogers; rev. W. Perkins; rev. S. Baker; rev. M. Henry; rev. J. Oakes; rev. T. Case; rev. T. Amory; rev. R. Mayo; rev. J. Oakes, sen.; rev. D. Chaumier; rev. J. Chester; rev. V. Alsop; rev. S. Say; and a portrait named sir J. Oldcastle. In this apartment is also a bust of Dr. I. Watts.

On the staircase are portraits of the rev. J. Oldfield; rev. B. Grosvenor; H. Haynes, esq.; Dr. Avery; J. Mauduit, esq.; rev. D. Burgess; rev. J. Caryl; rev. Dr. Benson.

Among the scarce and curious books in this library, may be noticed the following:

Copy of the Salisbury Liturgy finely illuminated.

The Hours of the Virgin, printed at Paris, 1498.

An illuminated Bible, inscribed, Biblia Sacra Vet. et Nov. Test, cum Prologo Hieronomi: nec non Libri Apocryphi.

In the front library is a miniature copy of the head of Christ, from a painting in the Vatican at Rome.

In the library are several curiosities, as an Egyptian mummy, and a glass basin which held the water wherewith queen Elizabeth was baptized.

A short distance from the east end of Cripplegate church was a water-conduit, brought in pipes of lead from Highbury, by John Middleton, one of the executors to sir William Eastfield. The inhabitants adjoining castellated it at their own costs and charges, about the year 1483. At a common council afterwards held, it was agreed, that the chamberlain should, at the costs of the chamber, cause the common well and spring at St. Giles's, to be covered with a house of brick. There was also a boss of clear water in the wall of the church-yard, made at the charges of Richard Whittington, sometime mayor. The same was afterwards turned into a pump, and so quite decayed.

There was also a pool of clear water near the parsonage, on the west side thereof, which was filled up in the reign of Henry VI. The spring was cooped in, and arched over with hard stone; and stairs of stone to go down to the spring on the bank of the town ditch. And this was also done of the goods, and by the executors of sir Richard Whittington.

From the south-west end of Redcross-street runs Jewin-street, in which are several ancient houses. One on the south side is traditionally said to have been the residence of the poet Milton.

This was originally the Jews' garden, as being the only place appointed in England wherein to bury their dead, till the year 1177, the 24th of Henry II. that it was permitted them, after long suit to the king and parliament at Oxford, to have special place assigned them in every quarter where they dwelt.

Tenementum et terras, situat. in parochia Sti. Bothi. extra Adrichgate, int. tenement. nuper Rici. Odiham ex parte australi, ac gardinum vocat. Jewyn garden ex parte orien.

This plat of ground remained to the said Jews till the time of their final banishment from England, and was afterwards turned into garden plats and summer-houses for pleasure.

It is now called Jewin-street, being a continued street of houses on each side of the way, and leads into Aldersgate-street. This place, with its appurtenances, was anciently called Leyrestrowe; which king Edward I. granted to William de Monte Forte, dean of St. Paul's, London; being a place (as it is expressed in a record) without Cripplegate, and the suburbs of London, called Leyrestowe, and which was the burying place of the Jews of London; which was valued at 40s. per annum.

Nearly fronting the north end of Redcross-street, in former times, stood a watch-tower, called Burgh-Kenning, or Barbican, a kind of advanced post for Cripplegate. These barbicans were considered

of such importance, that the custody of them was always entrusted to some person of consequence in the state. This tower being granted by Edward III. to the earl of Suffolk, became his city residence. He rebuilt it, and it was afterwards the residence and property of Peregrine Bertie, lord Willoughby. He probably inherited it from his mother, Catherine, baroness Willoughby of Eresby, and duchess of Suffolk, as there are entries of this family in the parish register of St. Giles, Cripplegate. It seems as if part of these premises had been let out on building leases, in the reign of Elizabeth; for the said Peregrine, by his will, dated at Berwick, 7th of August, 1599, bequeaths to his son, Peregrine Bertie, his messuages, lands, &c. with the appurtenances, known by the name of Willoughby Rents, situated in Barbican and Golden-lane, to enjoy the same after the death of his sister Susan, countess of Kent. Several of the earls of Kent and their family are buried in St. Giles, Cripplegate, as appears by the register, and probably from this house. The name of the Barbican is still preserved in that of the street which runs from this spot to Aldersgate-street.

Adjoining to the Barbican, on the east, was another stately edifice, called the Garter-house, which was erected by sir Thomas Wriothesley, garter king at arms, uncle to the first earl of Southampton. On the top of the building was a chapel, called by the name of Sanctissima Trinitatis in alto. The site is now occupied by Garter-place.

Robert Glover, Somerset herald, lived in the same parish, which probably brought about the friendship which subsisted between that herald and Catherine, duchess of Suffolk, and her son Peregrine, lord Willoughby, those personages standing sponsors to several of his children baptised in the parish of St. Giles, Cripplegate.

Beech lane derives its name from the number of beech trees that formerly grew upon the scite thereof; amongst which stood a great house, the mansion of the abbot of Ramsey, to receive him during

his stay at London; and was afterwards called Drewrie-house, from being the residence of sir Drew Druery; it was afterwards in the occupation of prince Rupert. It has been for a long time pulled down, and on its site are several modern houses of brick.

At the north-east end of Beech-lane there are a row of alms-houses, founded 1540, pursuant to the will of lady Ann Askew, widow of sir Christopher Askew, lord-mayor of London, 1533, for eight poor widows of the draper's company, with an allowance of 37. per annum, and half a chaldron of coals, in trust of the drapers company. These alms-houses have a venerable appearance, the doorways and windows being formed of stone; the latter are square, with heavy mullions of stone. Against the east wall of this building, are the arms of the drapers company, and, beneath, a blank shield, with 1594.

CHAPTER XVII.

History and Topography of Dowgate Ward.

This ward takes its name from the ancient water-gate, called Dourgate, which was made in the original wall that ran along the north side of the Thames, for the security of the city of London, against all attempts to invade it by water. It was originally one of the four gates, or the south gate of this city, where anciently was the trajectus, or ferry of the Watling-street, whose direction was towards the north-west, as was discovered in digging the foundation of Bow-church, in Cheapside, and one of the four great Roman military ways; and Stow, by naming it Downgate, from the great descent from St. John Baptist's church on Dowgate-hill, to the river Thames, is mistaken: because, considering the discovery of a tesselated Roman pavement* in this neighbourhood, it will appear, that there was little or no descent at that place when this gate was at first erected; therefore, it could not receive its name from that: wherefore, Leland is probably correct in conceiving that it was anciently formed by the Britons, under the Roman government, and called Dour-gate, that is, the water-gate; which, according to the reasons there assigned, answers exactly to this place; and if so, this was the only original water-gate.

This ward is divided into eight precincts, named the first, second, third, &c. It is bounded on the east by Candlewick and Bridge wards, on the north by Walbrook ward, on the west by Vintry ward, and, on the south, by the river Thames.

It is under the government of an alderman, and returns eight

* Vide ante, vol. i. p. 6.

inhabitants to the court of common council.

Before the great fire in 1666, there were two churches in this ward, Allhallows the great, and Allhallows the less; the former was only rebuilt.

Allhallows the Great.

In Thames-street, between Hay-wharf-lane and All-hallowslane, stands the parochial church of All-hallows the Great, so called to distinguish it from another in this ward, also dedicated to All-saints, by the stile of All-hallows the Less.

All-hallows the Great, otherwise All-hallows the more, and Allhallows ad fænum in the ropery, from its vicinity to a hay wharf, and its situation amongst rope-makers, who in ancient times had walks on that spot, is situate on the south side of Thames-street, it is a rectory, founded by the noble family of the Despensers, who presented thereunto in the year 1361. From whom it passed with the heiress to the earl of Warwick and Salisbury; and at last to the crown, by settlement from the widow of Richard Nevil, earl of Warwick, upon king Henry VII. And Henry VIII. exchanged this church with the archbishop of Canterbury in the 37th year of his reign, who, for the time being, has continued patron thereof ever since and it is numbered amongst the peculiars of that see. The ancient church was very handsome, with a large cloister on the south side thereof, about the church-yard: and was rich and beautiful within. But it fell in the general conflagration of the city in

1666.

The plan of the present edifice is an oblong square, increased as in many of Wren's designs by the addition of an aisle ; in the present instance on the north side of the church; a heavy square tower is attached to the same side occupying a portion of the aisle. The north side is made into four divisions, containing as many windows with semicircular arched heads lighting the aisle; beneath the extreme windows are doorways, the eastern lintelled, and the western arched in a segment and covered with a pediment; the elevation is finished with a cornice and parapet; the tower rises above the second division from the east, in three unequal stories; the first contains a low arched window, the second a circular one, and the third, which is entirely clear of the church, has semicircular arched windows in every front; the elevation is finished with a cornice and parapet; the latter pierced with a trellis work, a clerestory (being the southern wall of the body of the church) rises above the aisle; it contains three low arched windows. The eastern front has a large arched window in the centre (now converted into a circle) between two smaller ones of the same form in the body of the church, and one in the aisle; the elevation finishes with a cornice and parapet. The south front agrees with the opposite one, except in regard to the tower, and the clerestory; the windows of the latter occupying a continuation of the main elevation owing to the absence of the