This hospital, situated without bars, in , called the Loke, was a lazar house, or hospital for leprous persons, dedicated to the Virgin, and to St. Leonard. The period of its foundation is not discoverable; yet there is reason to conclude it had existed long anterior to the reign of Edward II., inasmuch as in the year of that king there is extant on the patent roll, a writ of protection, not very unlike the briefs of the present date, at which time the revenues of the hospital were insufficient for its support. In this writ, after reciting that the master and brethren of the hospital of the blessed Mary and of St. Leonard for lepers, without , had not wherewith to support themselves, unless other relief were afforded them by the faithful and devout; and in order to prevent their being oppressed by injuries, and for their more quietly serving God, the king granted his protection for years, prohibiting all persons, during that period, from doing them any wrong, molestation or damage; and, further, beseeching all his loving subjects (as they should look for favour from God, and thanks from the king) piously and mercifully to aid the said master and brethren by charitable donations, whenever they should ask alms at their hands.

Strype's Stow, vol. ii. p. , edit. , states, that 'ohn Pope, by his will, dated , gave to the governors of the house of the poor leprous, called Le Lokes, without bar, in , annual rent of sterling, , of rent due to him, and that descended to him by hereditary right, by the death of Thomas Pope, of Sherman, his father, out of the tenements and shops formerly belonging to sir John Champeneys, in Shetebone (Sherebourn) lane, in the parish of , which was situated in length between the garden of Thomas St. Edmond, on the west, and the little lane towards the said church on the east, and extend in breadth to the tenements of John de Herford, and John Joy, and the garden of the said Thomas St. Edmond on the west, unto Shetebone-lane, towards the north, &c. to the reparation and maintenance of the said house of lepers for ever. Those foresaid tenements of the said John Champeneys belonged to the master, brethren, and sisters of the hospital of St. Catherine, near the Tower.

Over the chapel was fixed a stone, of which Aubrey, in his History of Surrey, vol. v. p. , gives the following description:

On a stone over the chapel, near it is this mangled inscription, in capitals, engraved on so soft a stone that no more than what follows could be retrieved:

M. B. This chapel was built to the honor of God, and to the use of the poore-----people harboured------ 1636.

This M. B. is said to be designed for M. Bond, a rich citizen of London, who gave towards the building of this chapel.

This building was removed to make way for the from to the Bricklayers'-arms. Near this is a small burying ground belonging to the parish.

In the is