Old and New London, A Narrative of its History, its People and its Places. Illustrated with Numerous Engravings from the Most Authentic Sources. vol 2
Thornbury, Walter
1872-78
Chapter LVII: Farringdon Street, Holborn Viaduct, and St. Andrew's Church.
Chapter LVII: Farringdon Street, Holborn Viaduct, and St. Andrew's Church.
It is convenient here to devote a paragraph to the general subject of the ward--that of Farringdon Without--in which we now find ourselves. says Stow, Farringdon Without is by far the largest of all the wards of London. Its general boundaries are--on the north, and ; on the south, the Thames, between and the ; on the east, and the ; and on the west, and . The notorious John Wilkes was chosen alderman of this ward on the , says Walpole, He was at this time immensely popular with a large party in the city of London, and the election established that connection with the metropolis which was afterwards so profitable to him. This violent politician seems to have exercised a powerful fascination over those he met, by his wit, happy temperament, and tact, and no doubt much of his success with the clear-headed mercantile community of London arose from this. Lord Mansfield, who | |
p.497 | had no reason to like him, was once heard to remark, He excited great admiration by his fertility in expedients. said who knew him,
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Farringdon Without has been famous for its banking connections. The founders of the rich banking-houses in Fleet Street--the Childs, the Hoares, and the Goslings-filled at various periods the office of alderman of this ward. | |
The companion ward of Farringdon Within, out of which we passed when we left-speaking of , has for its general boundaries, on the north, (in the hall of which the wardmotes are held), and part of ; on the south, the Thames; on the east, ; and on the west, . | |
, which runs from northward to the line of , is constructed over the celebrated Fleet; Ditch. In this street stood Fleet Market. To understand the history of this market the reader must recall what we said when speaking of the , that it was erected on the site of the old Stocks Market (see Vol. I., p. ). When that happened, about , and Fleet Ditch was arched over, the business of the Stocks Market was transferred to the ground above the ditch, now called, as we have mentioned, . Such was the origin of [extra_illustrations.2.497.1] . It was opened for the sale of meat, fish and vegetables on the ; but it did not complete a century of existence here. | |
In it was found necessary to widen the thoroughfare from to ; so Fleet Market was removed from , and [extra_illustrations.2.497.2] , in the immediate vicinity, but off the line of the street, was opened in its stead. The site of this comparatively neglected mart covers an acre and a half of ground, and was built by William Montague, the city architect. It has for its southern boundary. The cost of the site and buildings was about . The following description of the market is of the date of its being opened for business, on the :--
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But careful building and liberal outlay seemed only thrown away. At a meeting of the Court of Common Council, held on the , to consider the advisability of reconstructing the market, it was stated that the receipts during the last years had only averaged . No wonder, then, that the court exhibited very little inclination to expend more money on a site which, exceedingly valuable as it would prove for other purposes, seems little suited for that of a market. | |
says a recent writer, | |
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A visit to in early morning, Mr. Henry Mayhew holds, is the proper way to form an estimate of the fortitude, courage, and perseverance of the poor. These watercress sellers are members of a class so poverty-stricken that their extreme want alone would almost justify them in taking to thieving, yet they can be trusted to pay the few pence they owe, even though hunger should pinch them for it. As Douglas Jerrold has truly said, It must require no little energy of conscience on the part of the lads to make them resist the temptations around them, and refuse the cunning advice of the young thieves they meet at their cheap lodging-houses. Yet they prefer the early rising, the walk to market with naked feet over the cold stones, and the chance of earning a few pence by a day of honest labour, to all the comparative ease | |
p.499 p.500 | of a career of fraud. adds Mr. Mayhew,
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Mr. Mayhew visited it morning. The poor, he says, were there, in every style of rags, laying in the necessary stock for their trade.
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On the east side of , and on a part of the site of the old , stands the [extra_illustrations.2.500.1] , a handsome new building, the foundation-stone of which was laid on the . This hall has been erected by the Congregationalists of England and Wales, in commemoration of the ejection from their charges, years ago--it was on the -of more than ministers of the Church of England, because they could not conscientiously subscribe to the Act of Uniformity. The ground purchased in consisted of feet of freehold land, with feet frontage to the main road, and feet to , and having a depth of about feet. It cost . The design for the memorial building, prepared by Mr. Tarring, comprised a hall capable of holding to people; a library, with accommodation for ; a board-room, and other offices, which it was calculated would be amply sufficient for all the societies connected with the denomination in London. | |
We come now to speak of of the greatest and most successful works ever undertaken in the city of London--the Valley improvements, an undertaking which will ever be quoted as a notable example of the energy and public spirit of our time. We have already spoken of the inconvenience and disagreeableness of the approach to the city from the west by . To avoid the dangerous descent of , it was at last resolved to construct a viaduct and high-level bridge over , and so to supplant , and form a spacious and pleasant thoroughfare connecting the city with that great Mediterranean of western traffic, and . This was done after long consultation, the consideration of many different schemes, and many attempts, not always successful, to reconcile conflicting interests. The works were commenced in , and if it was more than years before the valley was bridged over, and the viaduct opened to the public, we must consider the gigantic nature of the undertaking, and the delays in effecting the demolition of the old structures and roadway, embarrassed, too, by much litigation. The cost of the improvements con. siderably exceeded millions. | |
The scheme was originally calculated to cost about , the Corporation recouping themselves to the extent of from or , by the sale of building land on the sides of the new viaduct. It was resolved to remove the whole of the houses and shops on the south side of , , from the to , and thence to the summit of , while all the houses on the northern side were to be removed, enormous sums being paid in compensation--in case alone about being awarded. | |
The central object of this scheme was a stately and substantial viaduct across the Valley, between and the western end of . A new street was also to open from opposite , and pass by the back of St. Andrew's Church, to , which was to be widened as far as . Thence another new line of street, feet wide, and with easy gradients, was to be formed at the east end of , near its junction with . The viaduct across was to be feet wide, and was to commence at the west end of . | |
says a writer in the , | |
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The great ornamental feature of the [extra_illustrations.2.501.1] is the bridge across . Unfortunately for the effect, it is a skew-bridge--that is, it crosses the street obliquely-but the design is rich and striking. It is a cast-iron girder-bridge, in spans, divided by the granite piers which carry the girders. These piers are massive hexagonal shafts of polished red granite, resting on bases of black granite, and having capitals of grey granite with bronze leaves, the outer piers being, however, carried above the railing on the parapet of the bridge, and terminating in pedestals, on which are placed colossal bronze statues. These statues represent Commerce and Agriculture on the south, and Science and Fine Art on the north side. The iron palisading consists of circular panels united by scrolls, and bearing emblazonings of civic crests and devices, with the city arms on a larger scale. At the corners of the bridge, and forming an intrinsic part of the design, are lofty houses, of ornate Renaissance character, within which are carried flights of steps, giving means of communication to pedestrians between the level of the Viaduct and that of . The fronts of these houses are adorned with the statues of civic worthies of the olden time. On the north are Sir Hugh Middleton (born , died ) and Sir William (Mayor and ); and on the south are Henry Fitz-Eylwin (Mayor to ) and Sir Thomas Gresham (born , died ). | |
On the south side of the Viaduct are the new station of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway, and the new [extra_illustrations.2.501.2] , erected by the congregation of [extra_illustrations.2.501.3] . The latter is in a light Italian style of architecture. The chapel has its floor on a level with the roadway of the Viaduct, and is seated for persons. Underneath it are spacious school and class-rooms, entering from . Dr. Parker's congregation used to meet in the old chapel in the Poultry, but that building was found too small; it was therefore sold, and the present was erected, at a cost of , including the price () paid for the site. | |
The length of the Viaduct from to is about feet, and the width between the building-line feet, affording space for a -feet carriage-way in the centre, and pavements, each feet wide, at either side. The | |
p.502 | surface of the carriage-way is paved with cubes of granite inches by inches, and the side pavements are laid with York flags, with perforated gratings to light the subways. |
During the demolition of the old streets and houses, for the purpose of clearing the ground for the Viaduct, nothing of any special value or interest was brought to light. The most noteworthy incidents, says a writer in the , of , were
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The opening of by the Queen took place on the , the same day as that on which Her Majesty opened the new bridge over the Thames at Blackfriars. The ceremony was an imposing , and excited uncommon interest and enthusiasm amongst all classes in the metropolis. The day fortunately was bright and fair, and, leaving out of account a momentary interruption of its sunshine, was as good as could have been looked for in November. having been opened, and a loyal address from the Corporation of London having previously been presented, the combined royal and civic processions passed up amidst an immense assemblage of people, the roadway in the middle being kept clear by soldiers and policemen. The Queen's carriage stopped for a moment before the Viaduct Bridge, that Her Majesty might observe the structure from below. She then passed under it, and turned up into , which she traversed on the west side of the Meat Market. Her attention was particularly directed to the market-building, which was gorgeously decorated with flags and streamers. From the procession turned into , and soon the neighbourhood re-echoed with the cheering of the Bluecoat boys, who, to the number of , were assembled in their playground, to give their sovereign a loyal welcome. Under St. Sepulchre's Church were ranged several hundreds of the boys and girls of the parish and charity schools; and what with their shrill acclamations, and those of the Bluecoat boys opposite, the effect is said to have been startling. | |
In the centre of the pavilion the roadway was narrowed, so that the dais might be carried close to the royal carriage, and at this point were assembled as a deputation to receive Her Majesty, Mr. Deputy Fry, the chairman of the Improvement Committee, Alderman Carter, Sir Benjamin Phillips, and several members of the Common Council. | |
The visitors accommodated in the reserved places all rose as they heard the welcome of the boys and children at and St. Sepulchre's, and then took up the cheering. The procession slowly passed along the viaduct. More than once it came to a stop as the carriage of the Lord Mayor or an alderman halted at the platform in the pavilion, and its occupants alighted. When Her Majesty reached the platform and the carriage halted, the Lord Mayor presented Mr. Deputy Fry and Mr. Haywood, the engineer of the viaduct. Mr. Fry then handed to the Queen a volume elaborately bound in cream-coloured morocco, relieved with gold, and ornamented with the Royal arms of England, in mosaic of leather and gold; and Her Majesty declared the viaduct open for public traffic. The Lord Mayor and the other civic dignitaries then took leave of Her Majesty and returned to their carriages, and the procession again got under weigh. But it broke up immediately on passing through the gates of the temporary barrier, and | |
p.503 | the Lord Mayor and his company turned towards the city, whilst Her Majesty drove quickly up , and so by to Paddington Station, from whence she returned by special train to Windsor. |
No sooner was this gigantic undertaking completed, and the viaduct open for traffic, than an alarm was raised-cracks had appeared in some of the great polished granite pillars which supported the bridge over . A lively newspaper correspondence was the result, and many wise things were said on both sides; but the pillars have borne heavy traffic and all the changes of temperature since then without any perceptible extension of the flaw, and the safety of the work is no longer, if it ever was seriously, in doubt. | |
The present church of [extra_illustrations.2.503.1] , was erected by Wren, in , on the site of the old church, in the Ward of Farringdon Without. Let us begin by speaking of the history of the old building. The exact date of its foundation is uncertain, but in we find it given by Gladerinus to the Dean and Chapter of ; it being stipulated at the same time that the church should be held of them by the Abbot and Convent of . The monasteries being dissolved in the reign of Henry VIII., the right of presentation devolved to the Crown, and the king made it over to Thomas Lord Wriothesley, afterwards Lord Chancellor and Earl of Southampton, who died , and was buried in St. Andrew's. At a later date the right of presentation became vested in the Duke of Buccleugh. The vicar mentioned by Newcourt goes under the name of Richard de Tadeclowe; he was appointed before the year , and among those who succeeded him in the old church were Thomas de Cottingham, in , keeper of the Great Seal, and Gilbert Worthington, in . | |
As to the appearance of the original building, we learn from the will of Gilbert Worthington, printed by Strype, that there were altars in it, if not more. The steeple was commenced in , but from some cause or other it was not finished till . During the interval the north and south aisles were rebuilt. At the general clearance of the Reformation St. Andrew's fared no better than its neighbours: in the year of Edward VI. many of the altars and statues were removed, and in that year and in the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth the numerous monumental brasses of this church were converted into current coin of the realm. | |
When the Great Fire ravaged the city, the church escaped; but being in a hopelessly ruinous condition it was taken down, with the exception of the tower, about years after that event, and a new building was in course of time erected in accordance with designs furnished by the great architect, Sir Christopher Wren. | |
The interior of this new church consisted of a nave, aisles, and chancel; and has been praised by many writers for its magnificence and beauty. Mr. Godwin, however, remarks that
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adds Mr. Godwin, describing the church interior as it appeared when he wrote, in , | |
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Towards the close of , St. Andrew's underwent a most thorough overhauling, and was reopened for public worship on Sunday, the of that year. The ancient tower, which used to be separated from the nave of the church by a screen-wall, with a gallery in front, was thrown open to the nave by the removal of the wall and gallery. | |
A ritual chancel was formed at the east end, the floor-level of which was raised feet above the floor-line of the nave, and choir-stalls were arranged north and south of the same. The old high-backed square pewing was removed, and in its place new low oak seating was substituted. The old windows were done away with, and new iron ones took their place, glazed with tinted cathedral glass. | |
In addition to these alterations, the church was re-decorated. The nave ceiling and groined ceilings of the galleries were painted in panels of a tempered turquoise blue as a ground-colour, with margins in stone and vellum, the enrichments being in white. The blue grounds were filled with a classic diaper, in self-colouring and white, the walls being a neutral of silver grey. The shafts of columns were finished in Indian red. The chancel ceiling was treated in the same manner as that of the nave, with this exception, that the enrichments to the panels were gilded. | |
A new organ was also constructed. It spans over the Gothic arch, and rests upon the galleries on either side. | |
The church contains a carved oak pulpit, and a sculptured marble font, displaying cherubim. The whole length of the building is stated as feet, the breadth feet, and the height feet. | |
The old organ of St. Andrew's, made by Harris, was celebrated as being part of the discarded instrument in the contest for superiority between Father Schmydt and Harris, at the Temple Church. This contest has been described by us at page | |
p.505 | Vol. I. When Dr. Sacheverell entered upon the living of St. Andrew's, he found that the organ, not having been paid for, had, from its erection in , been shut up; he therefore had a collection made among his parishioners, raised the amount, and paid for the instrument. |
There.are no remarkable features to be pointed out in connection with the exterior of the church. It is divided into storeys, and terminates with a cornice and balustrade. says Mr. Godwin, The height of the tower is reported to be feet; there are steps from the bottom of it to the top. | |
St. Andrews, says Mr. Godwin, is of the best-placed churches in London,
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Among the tablets in the church is mentioned by Godwin as affixed to the north wall, and inscribed to Mr. John Emery, the famous comedian, who died on the . It bears the following couplet: Emery was born at Sunderland, on the , and was educated at Ecclesfield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire; and it was there doubtless that he acquired that knowledge of the Yorkshire dialect which obtained for him so much celebrity. His appearance on the stage was at Brighton, in ( ). He was excellent in his representation of the stupid dolt, and the arch, unsophisticated child of nature. says Talfourd, A fiery zealot of the days of English history lies buried here--[extra_illustrations.2.506.3] in the latter part of the reign of Henry VIII. This influential statesman was no wiser than his generation in respect to persecution. says Pennant,
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of the congenial tasks Wriothesley had to perform during the reign of Henry VIII., was to impeach and arrest the queen, Catherine Parr, for her. supposed heterodoxy. When he arrived, however, to take her into custody, the king had made friends again with his and last wife, and the chancellor was dismissed, his Majesty calling him knave, an arrant knave, a fool, a beast, and suchlike complimentary names. It was the influence of Wriothesley which chiefly led to the execution of the Earl of Surrey, and the attainder of the Duke of Norfolk, in . He was of the executors of Henry VIII., and an opponent of the Protector Somerset. | |
Another of those buried in this church was Henry Sacheverell, who died in . He was laid in the chancel, where there is an inscription on the pavement to his memory. It may well be left to another occasion to tell the story of this divine, and of the famous sermons which he preached at Derby and at , with the object of exciting alarm for the safety of the Church, and creating hostility against the Dissenters. Being impeached in the , in the year , he was sentenced to be suspended from preaching for years. But this prosecution established the popularity of the preacher; and the very month that his suspension terminated, he was appointed to the valuable rectory of St. Andrew's, . Like many who owe their popularity to circumstances, rather than to any merit of their own, Sacheverell dropped, in , into comparative obscurity, and nothing worthy of noteis told of him, but that his quarrels with his parishioners were by no means unfrequent-just as might have expected from so pugnacious a character. He had the good luck, during his latter days, to inherit a considerable fortune. | |
There is much of interest connected with the registers of St. Andrew's. Some of the books are dated as far back as , the year of Queen Elizabeth's reign. of the volumes, containing entries from to , is wholly occupied with proclamations of marriage during the interregnum, when they were published in the market-place. For example: in various parts of this book the church is spoken of as the
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The extract quoted above from the register is an illustration of a curious chapter in the history of marriage customs and laws in England. By a statute of , the betrothed couple were allowed to choose whether they would be in church or chapel on several Sundays, or cried in the open market on consecutive market-days, at the town nearest their ordinary place of worship. This was the assertion with a vengeance of the civil nature of the marriage contract. If the lovers chose the latter method, their proposed union was in most cases proclaimed by the bellman, though the kind offices of that official were not legally required for making the announcement. says Mr. J. C. Jeaffreson, the historian of
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The parish register contains interesting entries of marriage, the of which is that of Edward Coke,
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p.507 | and in . This lady was the relict of Sir William Hatton, and the daughter of the celebrated Thomas Lord Burleigh, afterwards Earl of Exeter. She became Coke's wife, his having been a lady of the ancient and highly-connected family of the Pastons, by whom he had the large sum for those days of . By the widow of Sir William he also obtained a considerable addition to his property; but his marriage with her is but another example to be added to the list of the unfortunate matrimonial alliances of distinguished men. The celebration of the ceremony involved both parties in some difficulty. There had been, the same year, a great deal of notice taken of irregular marriages, and Archbishop Whitgift had intimated to the bishops of his province that all who offended in point of time, place, or form were to be prosecuted with the utmost rigour of the law. Coke, however, seems to have presumed on his own and the lady's position, or on his acquaintance, if not friendship, with the prelate, and he disregarded the statute, and was married in a private house, without even having had the banns published or a licence obtained. But this act of contumacy was not passed over. Coke, the newly-married lady, the minister who officiated, Lord Burleigh, and several other persons, were prosecuted in the ecclesiastical court; but upon their submission by their proxies, the whole affair ended in smoke; they were absolved from excommunication, and the penalties consequent upon it, because, says the record, they had offended not out of contumacy, but through ignorance of the law in that point. It strikes , at this distance of time, that the suit may have been commenced merely for the sake of public example. |
Lady Elizabeth Hatton proved a Tartar. When, many years afterwards, [extra_illustrations.2.507.1] proposed a marriage between his younger daughter by Lady Hatton and Sir John Villiers, she raised a tempest, and resenting her husband's attempt to dispose of the daughter without asking her consent, carried the young lady off, and lodged her at Sir Edmund Withipole's, near Oatlands. Sir Edward complained to the Privy Council, and then went with his sons to Oatlands and captured his daughter, a proceeding which induced Lady Hatton to complain to the Privy Council in her turn. Much confusion followed, but at last the marriage of the young couple actually did take place. Then the ill--will between the old people broke out again, and many letters are still in existence, showing a great deal of heat and resentment in both parties. At time Sir Edward publicly accused his wife of having purloined his plate, and substituted counterfeited in its place, with intent to defraud him; but she had quite as good to say about him. In about years their reconciliation seems to have been effected, and that by no less a mediator than James I., but they never enjoyed anything like domestic happiness. | |
The other entry of marriage is that of Colonel Hutchinson and Lucy Apsley, in . And here, by way of contrast to the last, we have of the most touching instances of womanly affection that ever was set down in writing. Mrs. Hutchinson is best known by her of the life of her husband, a charming volume of biography. The account given by her of the courtship which led up to the ceremony before the altar of St. Andrew's is a narrative which all should read, and which all will enjoy. | |
Mr. Hutchinson fell in love with the lady before seeing her. He had been invited to go to Richmond by his music-master, a man who stood high in his profession, and had been warned by a friend to take heed of the place, for it was so fatal to love, that never any young disengaged person went thither who returned again free. He determined, however, to run the risk, and went. The musician's house was a lively , frequented by much good company, including gentlemen and ladies connected with the court, and many of the king's musicians. | |
There happened to be boarded there, for the practice of the lute, and till the return of her mother, a younger daughter of Sir Allen Apsley, late Lieutenant of the Tower. The mother had gone into Wiltshire to complete a treaty, in which some progress had been made, about the marriage of her elder daughter. says Mrs. Hutchinson, | |
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Her praises continued to be daily sounded in his ears; but at last news arrived which led all the company present day at table to concluded that Miss Lucy- or Lucy, as young ladies used to be called then--was really married. Mr. Hutchinson immediately turned pale as ashes, and had to retire from table to conceal his agitation. | |
But it proved a false alarm, and some little time after she made her appearance, and the lover, who had fallen in love with a shadow, met the reality.
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It was not long before friendship on her part passed into love; but of their mutual affection in its full height Mrs. Hutchinson limits herself to saying this,
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Unfortunately, the very day the friends on both sides met to conclude the marriage, she fell ill of the small-pox. The | |
p.509 | newlymarried couple lived for some time afterwards in this neighbourhood. |
Their subsequent career need only be glanced at. In Mr. Hutchinson became a lieutenantcolonel in the parliamentary army, and in was appointed governor of Nottingham Castle. He took an active part in the struggles of the civil war, and in the government of the days of the Commonwealth, and proved himself a true patriot, honest and earnest in his endeavours to serve the best interests of his country. He was an uncompromising republican, brave, high-minded, and unaffectedly pious. At the Restoration he was discharged from Parliament, and from all offices of state for ever. In , he was arrested, imprisoned at Newark, thence carried to the Tower, and in the next year removed to Sandown Castle, where he fell ill and died on the . His noble wife was refused permission toshare his confinement. | |
Richard Savage, the poet, son of the unnatural Countess of Macclesfield, was, according to Dr. Johnson, christened in this church by the direction of Lord Rivers, his reputed father; in --. | |
In the register of burials of St. Andrew's parish, under the date , appears the following entry:-- to which has been added, probably by an after incumbent, signed The addition, is perfectly correct, although the poet's Christian name, was Thomas, not William, and this slight memorial is the only record in the church of the end of a short chapter in the of genius. We shall have more to say on the subject of this unfortunate bard, as well as on the equally melancholy career of Richard Savage, when we come shortly to speak of , , and its neighbourhood. | |
In the churchyard of St. Andrew's, , lie the remains of another poet, Henry Neele, author, among other works, of the He was born in , on the , and early in life was apprenticed to a solicitor. During his clerkship-namely, in -he made his appearance as an author before the public, and from that time continued to publish occasionally, until , on the of which year, in a fit of insanity, incipient, it is true, but encouraged by excessive reading, he unhappily destroyed himself. Against the west wall of the churchyard is a gravestone commemorative of his father, and bearing an epitaph written by Henry Neele. On the same stone, together with the names of several others of the family, is the record of the poet's own premature death. The epitaph written by him is as follows:--
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St. Andrew's has been called from the sons of song who have in some way or other been connected with it. We have named already, and have here to speak of a . John Webster, the dramatist, is said to have been parish clerk in St. Andrew's, but there is, unfortunately, no confirmation of this in the register. The clerkship, however, being in the gift of the rector, the vestry register could afford no direct evidence on the subject. Webster has, to us, an obscure personal history, but by those who love an old play he will ever be remembered as the author of the and the - performances, says Hazlitt, which upon the whole, perhaps, come the nearest to Shakespeare of anything we have on record. Charles Lamb had a great admiration of our parish clerk's . he writes, Let us, while we have the chance, repeat, in honour to the memory of Webster, the exquisite lines alluded to by Lamb:--
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The , Webster's great play, remarks the critical Hazlitt,
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In the church register there is also entered the burial of Nathaniel Tomkins, executed for his share in Waller's plot. Tomkins was Waller's brother-in-law. The plot for which he suffered is of the noted conspiracies of history. Waller, the poet, in conjunction with Tomkins, Challoner, Blinkhorne, and a few others, had undertaken to seize the persons of the leading members of the , and to deliver up the city of London to Charles, who had sent in a commission of array very secretly, by means of the Lady Aubigny, whose husband had fallen at Edgehill.
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Another burial we must notice is that, in , of Joseph Strutt, the author of and several other works of an antiquarian character. Strutt was born at Springfield, in Essex, on the , and was educated as an artist. In he became a student at the Royal Academy, and was successful in winning both the gold and silver medals there. He served an apprenticeship to the unfortunate Ryland, and when his term expired, began to unite literary labours of an antiquarian character with those of his artistic profession. In he published his book, and subsequently a | |
p.511 p.512 | a (a Chalmers says); a and several other works. He died on the , in , . His biographer sums up his character in these words:--
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That celebrated preacher, William Whiston, once made himself rather troublesome in connection with this church. He constantly attended and partook of the communion. On his principles becoming known he was warned by Sacheverell to forbear partaking of the sacrament. Whiston, however, persisted, and at last the rector fairly turned him out. Whiston aired his grievances in print, and then shifted his camp into another parish. Pennant says that on the occasion of his ejection from the church, he had taken it into his head to disturb Dr. Sacheverell while he was in the pulpit, giving utterance to some doctrine contrary to the opinion of that heterodox divine. His lawyer, who had no liking for Dr. Sacheverell, tried to induce Whiston to prosecute the doctor for the insult, and offered to take the business in hand without fees; but this Whiston refused, replying,
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Whiston was born in , and died in . During his life he head many ups and downs, and seems to have been long tossed to and fro on a sea of religious doubt and metaphysical uncertaint. Towards the close of his career he distinguished himself by an abortive attempt to discover the longitude, and by his opinions on the Millennium and the restoration of the Jews. He was a favourite with Queen Caroline, who presented him with every year from the time she became queen, which pension was continued for some time after her death. We get a glimpse of the queen and the eccentric divine in the following anecdote told by Whiston's son. The queen, who liked Whiston's free conversation, once asked him what people in general said of her. He replied that they justly esteemed her as a lady of great abilities, a patron of learned men, and a kind friend to the poor. says she, Mr. Whiston begged to be excused speaking on that subject, but she insisting, he said her majesty did not behave with proper reverence at church. She replied, the king would persist in talking with her. He said, a greater than kings was there only to be regarded. She acknowledged the truth of this, and confessed her fault. said she, He answered, and so it ended. | |
But we must not be carried away, by recollection of such tales, to forget St. Andrew's. Hacket, who afterwards became a bishop, was rector here for several years. This divine was born near Exeter House in , on the , and was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. He took orders in the year , and we find him passing through various stages of advancement till in he landed in the post of chaplain to James I., with whom he became a favourite preacher. In , upon the recommendation of the Lord Keeper, Dr. Williams, he was made rector of St. Andrew's, . His patron also procured him, in the course of the same year, the rectory of Cheam, in Surrey, telling him that he intended for wealth and Cheam for health. | |
During the time of the Civil War he was in danger, through his allegiance to the unpopular party, of getting into trouble. says Cunningham,
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At the Restoration he was made Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, and set a noble example by exhibiting a degree of munificence worthy of his station. He expended in repairing his cathedral, and was, besides, a liberal benefactor to the college of which he had been a member. He was the author of the Life of Archbishop Williams, a quaint and learned work, half made up of quotations, like Burton's | |
As for his character, he is described as having | |
p.513 | been exemplary in behaviour, cheerful in conversation, hospitable, humble and affable, though subject to great eruptions of anger, but at the same time very placable and ready to be appeased, and altogether of too generous a nature to be really. vindictive. |
The Dissenters once got an agreeable surprise whilst Hacket was rector of St. Andrew's. Soon after the Restoration, having received notice of the interment of a Dissenter belonging to his parish, he got the burial service by heart. He was a fine elocutionist, and besides felt deeply the propriety and excellence of what he had to deliver; so he went through the service with such emphasis and grace as touched the hearts of all who were present, and particularly of the friends of the deceased, who unanimously gave it as their opinion that they had never heard a finer discourse. Their astonishment may be conceived when they learned that it was taken word for word from the Liturgy, a book which, though they had never read it, they affected to hold in contempt and detestation. Other clergymen, it is said, have been known to practise the same pious fraud as Mr. Hacket, and with a like success. | |
During Mr. Hacket's time St. Andrew's was old and decayed. He took in hand to rebuild it, and for that purpose got together a great sum of money, but on the breaking out of the Civil War the funds were seized by Parliament, as well as those which had been gathered for the repair of , so that he was unable to carry out his praiseworthy intentions. | |
Another eminent rector of St. Andrew's was Stillingfleet, who was afterwards raised to the see of Worcester. Stillingfleet was truly a controversial divine, his life being long warfare with Romanists, Nonconformists, Socinians, and the philosopher, John Locke. Among his Nonconformist opponents were Owen, Baxter, and Howe. He was born in , and died in . He was presented to the living of St. Andrew's, , in , by Thomas, Earl of Southampton. His biographer describes his person as tall, graceful, and well-proportioned; his countenance as comely, fresh; and awful.
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Stillingfleet was at time chaplain to King Charles II., and in that capacity exhibited considerable ability as a courtier. On occasion it is told that his majesty asked him He told the king that With this answer, which was not very becoming in a divine, the king was well content. said Stillingfleet,
said the king,
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Amongst the rectors of St. Andrew's was the Rev. Charles Barton, who died in , and of whom an anecdote worth repeating is given by the historian of the churches of London. He had acted diligently as curate of the church for several years, when the previous rector died, and presuming on length of service, he waited on the Duchess-Dowager of Buccleugh to ask for the living. said her Grace; Mr. Barton bowed in silence, and returned home, where he found his wife and family rejoicing over, the duchess's letter. said he, and of course went back immediately to thank her. When he died the duchess continued her kindness to the family, and presented at living to his eldest son, who was also in the Church. Mr. Charles Barton was buried in St. Andrew's, and was commemorated by a tablet in the north gallery. | |
Under an Act of Parliament passed in the reign of Queen Anne, and. in consequence of the proceedings that took place in connection with it, the parish of St. George the Martyr, , which before had formed part of St. Andrew's, , was erected into a distinct parish for spiritual purposes, although still united with St. Andrew's as regards the poor, and other secular matters. | |
Newcourt informs us that a public grammar-school was among the adjuncts of the church. It was of those erected by Act of Parliament in the reign of Henry VI., and, according to Maitland, stood on the right side of the church, and was taken down in . | |
Footnotes: [extra_illustrations.2.497.1] Fleet Market [extra_illustrations.2.497.2] Farringdon Market [extra_illustrations.2.500.1] Congregational Memorial Hall and Library [extra_illustrations.2.501.1] Viaduct [extra_illustrations.2.501.2] Congregational city Temple [extra_illustrations.2.501.3] Dr. Joseph Parker [extra_illustrations.2.503.1] St. Andrew's, Holborn [extra_illustrations.2.506.3] Thomas Wriothesley, Lord Chancellor [extra_illustrations.2.507.1] Sir Edward Coke |