This structure is situated on the east side, and near the principal avenue of . Stow and Speed both assert that its foundation was about the year , and that it was dedicated to and All Saints. It was distinguished by Stow as

the Chapel or College of our Lady Mary Magdalen and All Saints, by

Guildhall

.

But Newport, in his Repertorium, I. p. , disputes the authority of both these historians.

For I find,

that the very charter of foundation of this College or Chapel, under the seals of

two

of the founders, viz. Adam Francis and Hen. de Frowick (for which surname Speed has left a blank), the other founder, Peter Fanlore (not Peter Stanbury, as Speed has it), being dead some while before, bears date on the morrow of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Ann.

1368

(

42

Edw. III.), which is about

sixty-nine

years after the foundation by them mentioned, and confirmed on the same day by Simon Sudbury, Bishop of London, in the

seventh

year of his consecration; though it is mentioned also in the same charter to be dedicated somewhat before by Michael (i. e. Mich. Northburgh), Bishop of London, who was made bishop of that see in

1354

, and was Simon's immediate predecessor. It appears farther by the said charter, that this Chapel or College was dedicated as well to the honour of God and the blessed

Mary Genetrici suæ

, as to

Mary Magdalen

and

All Saints;

that it was founded for

five

chaplains, whereof

one

of them was to be the

custos

, to celebrate therein divine offices for the souls of Roger de Frowick, Mary his wife, Reginald and Sabina, John Luter, and Isabel his wife; the aforesaid Peter Fanlore, who (as 't is there expressed) 'ante obitum ejus præsentem 'Cantariam proposuit nobiscum fundasse; ante tamen hujusmodi Cantariæ ordinationem et fundationem completas ab 'hac luce præmature decessit.' For the souls also of Mary, John, Alice, and John Anabille; for the state and health of King Edward III. and his queen, and his sons; for the soul of Michael, Bishop of London; for the state of Simon, Bishop of London; and of the mayor or custos, sheriffs, and chamberlain of London; for the state of the

two

founders, Adam Francis and Henry Frowick, and their relations then living, and for their souls when dead; as also for their parents and relations already departed; and for the souls of the kings of England, bishops of London, mayors, custos's, sheriffs, and chamberlains of this city; and for the souls of the faithful deceased.

It was endowed with tenements and their appurtenances; of them in the parish of St. Foster, and the other in that of St. Giles, Cripplegate; out of the rents of which the priests to have apiece yearly, and the custos . The mayor and chamberlain for the time being were ordained supervisors after the death of the founders, and the survivor of them; and the overplus of the rents was to be kept in a chest with locks and keys in the Chamber of ; key to be kept by the founders or survivor of them while living, and after their death by the mayor and chamberlain; another by the custos of the said College; and the by the chaplains. This overplus of rent was from time to time to be laid out in repairs of the College; and some other annual charges ordained by the said founders to be laid out about celebrating the said Roger Frowick's anniversary, which was to be performed in the parish church of , , where he lay buried. The lord mayor was to have , and the chamberlain half a mark, yearly, for supervising the premises.

In the year of the reign of Richard II. the King granted his license to Stephen Spilman, mercer, to bestow messuage, shops, and a garden, with the appurtenances, to the custos and chaplains of this Chapel or College, for their better maintenance, for ever.

Thus it continued till Henry VI. when that monarch, in the year of his reign, at the petition of the mayor, aldermen, and commons of London, granted his license for pulling down the said chapel, being old and ruinous, and the new-building and enlarging the same, by taking down a certain messuage on the south side of it, wherein John Barnar the custos, and the other chaplains did dwell, and adding the ground thereto; in compensation whereof the mayor and commonalty were, by virtue of the same king's license, to assign over to the said custos and chaplains for ever other messuage on the north side of , for the habitation.

The same king in the year of his reign, granted to the parish clerks in London

a guild of St. Nicholas for

two

chaplains by them to be kept in the said Chapel of

St. Mary Magdalen

near

Guildhall

, and to keep

seven

almspeople.

In Sir Henry Barton, skinner, mayor, founded a chaplaincy here; Sir Roger Depham, mercer; and Sir William Langford, had also chaplains here.

This Chapel or College had ultimately a custos, chaplains, clerks, and choristers. The mayor and chamberlain were patrons, and the bishop of London ordinary of the chapel.

Foundation of the College of

Guildhall

.

The deed of dotation or foundation of the College under this name is entered in fol. & seq. of Bishop Bonner's Register, in the custody of the Registrar of the Consistory Court of the Lord Bishop of London, and is to the following effect, viz.

That Adam Fraunces and Henry de Frowyk, citizens of London, by their deed-poll under their seals, dated at London, on the morrow of the Annunciation of the blessed Mary, A.D. , and the year of the reign of King Edward the , to the honour of God, the blessed Mary his Mother, Mary Magdalen, and All Saints, founded in the Chapel of the most blessed Virgin Mary the Mother of God, near , London, perpetual College (which they caused to be solemnly dedicated by Michael, Bishop of London), to consist of chaplains, of whom should be warden; and they also granted for the perpetual support of the chantries as follows, viz. to warden of the chantry a chaplain, and to the other chaplains and their successors, chaplains to celebrate divine services therein for the good state of the founders whilst living, and their souls after death; also for the soul of Peter Fanlore, who intended to found the chantry there, but died before the carrying his intention into effect, and for the souls of certain other persons therein named, tenements, with all their appurtenances; whereof, with shops, were situate in London, in the parish of St. Vedast, in the ward of Farringdon Within (the buttals and boundaries of which tenements are set out in the deed): and the other of the said tenements was situate in the parish of St. Giles without Cripplegate, London, opposite the same gate (the buttals of which said tenements are also set out): to hold the said tenements with their appurtenances to the aforesaid warden, chaplain, and the other chaplains, and for the time being, celebrating divine services in the chantries,

The course of the services, and the order of performing them, are then laid down; and the deed proceeds to state,

that

four

only of the aforesaid

five

priests (except the warden) should receive every year,

for ever

, of the said tenements, and the rents and profits thereof, for the support, board, and clothing of their

four

chaplains, and for all their necessaries and other things whatsoever,

forty marks

sterling, that is to say, each of them

ten marks

yearly, by

four

equal portions.

Also, that the said warden should receive of the said issues of the

three

tenements, every year,

thirteen

marks sterling, by

four

equal portions: also, the said warden should collect the rents belonging to the said Chapel of

Guildhall

, and pay and dispose of the same as therein mentioned. It is also ordained that there should be a clerk, who should assist the chaplain serving therein, and who should receive for his support, board, and clothing, and other necessaries,

six marks

yearly, by

four

equal portions, out of the rents belonging to the said Chantry.

Then follow regulations as to the keeping the accompts of the rents and repairs of the tenements, which should be inspected by the founders in their lifetime; and, after their deaths, by the of London, or of London, if there should be no mayor, and the of the for the time being. Further regulations are laid down for other small sums, to be paid to the said priests, and the clerk, for extraordinary services and other works of piety. That in the case of the death, cession, or other vacancy of warden of the said Coliege, the founders in their lifetime, and the survivor of them, should present another fit warden to the , or (the see being vacant) to the Dean and Chapter of , within days after the vacancy; and that, after the death of the survivor of the founders, all the priests of the said Chantry then surviving, might demand from the mayor, or warden, of London (there being no mayor), license to elect fit priest, out of themselves, to be warden of the said College, to be confirmed by the Bishop or his Vicar, or (in case of vacancy of the see) by the Dean and Chapter of ; and the said mayor, or warden, of London, within days after such license demanded, should grant it; otherwise, after the lapse of such days after the demand, and the same not granted, the said chaplains might freely proceed to the election of a future warden, to be confirmed as aforesaid. The mode of the new warden's qualification, &c. is then set out, and also the manner of filling up the vacancies of the priests of the Chantries, together with the form of inquiring into, and punishing, the crimes of the warden and priests, if they should be impeached of any.

Also the founders ordain that the books, vestments, chalices, and the other necessary and sufficient ornaments for the said Chantries, if any should be wanting, should be bought and found out of the rents of the tenemeuts, at the will of the founders; and after the death of the survivor, at the will of the of That the mayor, for surveying the premises, after the death of the survivor of the founders, should receive yearly ; and the chamberlain (), half a mark yearly, at terms of the year by equal portions.

This deed was ratified and confirmed by Simon Bishop of London, on the morrow of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, A.D. .

(Subscribed)

Ista fundatio precedens remanet in custodiâ in Camerâ de Guyhalde civitatis Londonensis sub sigillis fundatorum.

In page of the same Register, it appears that this Chapel was enlarged on the petition of the mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the city of London, by charter of King Henry VI. dated at Canterbury, the , in the year of his reign; and by which charter the warden and chaplains of the Chapel were made a corporation.

The entry of this patent is thus subscribed:

Ista litera regia precedens remanet in custodiâ in Camerâ Guyhaldie civitatis Londonensis sub sigille Regis Henrici Sexti.

It remained under this government until it was surrendered at the general dissolution of monasteries, when the Chapel was appropriated to the use of the lord mayor and aldermen, and there used to be prayers and sermons every court day, as well as upon public occasions, till about years since, when the building was converted to a Court of Requests.

This Chapel suffered from the great fire in ; the upper part was burut, but the walls escaped; so that the upper windows, which were originally built in the Gothic style, were rebuilt of the Tuscan order.

When used for divine worship, the walls were hung with tapestry; and at the west end was a gallery, which was peculiarly appropriated for the lord mayor and his attendants. The aldermen were accommodated with seats of oak, on each side of the Chapel, and there was also a handsome pulpit and reading-desk. Under the gallery were carved the arms of England, below which, on a projection, were carved the arms of the city of London. The altar-piece was very handsome.

The whole dimensions of the Chapel were, the nave and chancel feet in length, breadth feet, and height feet.

There were also some sepulchral remains as follow:

. Catherine, the wife of William Lightfoot, of the attornies of the lord mayor's court. Thus inscribed:

Piæ memoriæ Catharinæ Lightfoot filiæ Roberti Abbott gen. præcharissimæ conjugis Wil. Lightfoot, unius è quatuor clericis in curiâ dom. majoris hujus civitatis.

Fœmina exemplaris pietatis et prudentiæ. Vixit in sanctissimo matrimonio XI. annos, et obiit in flore ætatis (casibus puerperii XVII. die Feb. 1673). Et heic juxta sita est expectans fœlicem resurrectionem per Jesum Christum. Amen.

. To the memory of William Lightfoot, with this inscription:

Hic jacet corpus Gu. Lightfoot, gen. quondam unius quatuor attorn. in curia dom. majoris infra hanc civitatem, et nuper registrarii hospitii Tho. Sutton, ar. qui ob. die . Aetat suæ . Resurgam.

3. Here lies interred the body of William Man, Esq. who was admitted sword-bearer to the city of London, the 20th of October 1659, and remained so to his death, which happened the 30th day of April 1705, in the 76th year of his age.

. Here lyeth interred the body of Wiliam Fluellin, Esq. late alderman of this city, who departed this life the , being the year of his age.

5. In hoc tumulo sepultum jacet corpus Gulielmi Avery, Armigeri, dum vixit celeberrimæ huic civitati à commentariis legum rationumque publicarum scriba et computista. Ingenio et acumine pollens, in negotiis expediendis promptus, in quo morum suavitas et candor pectoris emicuere fidelitate, pariter ac diligentia in isthoc munere exequenda notabilis.

Anno impl. 52. Ob. Feb. 9, 1671.

. Weaver, in his Funeral Monuments, records the following epitaph to the memory of a former custos:

En Thomas Frances pius hic qui lustra per octo custos extiterat, jacet et semper requiescat. Ob. Mar. 4, 1488.

In the front of the Chapel, facing Yard, still remain, in a very mutilated state, niches, ornamented with columns and entablature, &c. of the Composite order, supported by a demi-lion, griffin, terms, &c. The niches are filled with the figures of Edward the , Queen Elizabeth, and Charles the .