The History and Antiquities of London, Westminster, Southwark, and Parts Adjacent, vol. 3

Allen, Thomas

1827

Guildhall Chapel.

 

This ancient chapel, which formerly adjoined the south font of , was dedicated to and All Saints.

Stow and Speed say, this chapel was founded as early as the year , by pious citizens, Peter Fanlore, Adam Frauncis, and Henry Frowicke. But Newcourt considers both these authorities are mistaken, and post-dates the foundation years. The charter of the founders bore the date on the morrow of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, , ( Edw. III.) It was under the seals of Francis and de Frowicke, the other co-founder having been dead some time, and was confirmed on the day of the execution by Simon Sudbury, bishop of London.

The chapel, which was collegiate, had been previously consecerated by bishop Michael Northburgh, Sudbury's predecessor, to the honour of God and the blessed Virgin, Mary Magdalen, and All Saints. It was founded for chaplains, of whom was to be custos, who were to celebrate the divine offices for the health of the founders and their kindred, the royal family, the bishop, and the mayor and sheriffs, while living, and for their souls when dead. It was originally endowed with a house in the parish of St. Vedast, and another in St. Giles', Cripplegate. And in the Richard II. by Stephen Spilman, merger, with messuage, shops and a garden, in the parish of St. Andrew Hubbard. The mayor and chamberlain were appointed by the founders supervisors of their college after their decease. The custos was to receive , and the priests each out of

102

the revenues, and the overplus was to be expended in the repairs of the college. The mayor was to retain , and the chamberlain half a mark for their trouble.

King Henry VI. in the year of his reign () gave licence to John Barnard, custos, and the chaplains, to rebuild and enlarge the chapel, by adding to it the side of the house of the custos, and in the -year of his reign, the parish clerks of London founded a guild of it for chaplains, and to keep alms people. Henry Barton, skinner, mayor , founded a chaplain there; as also did Roger Depham, mercer, and sir William Langford, knt.. The mayor and chamberlain were the patrons, and the bishop of London, ordinary. In , bishop Bonner ordained statutes for the government of the college.

At the dissolution, this college had a custos, chaplains, clerks, and choristers. The revenues were valued at , and were at that period, in the general plunder of the church, surrendered to the crown. In the succeeding reign the corporation purchased the chapel, and divers messuages, lands, &c. valued at annually, for the sum of The date of the patent was , Edward VI. .

For many years service was regularly performed in it once a week, and also at the election of the mayor, and before the mayor's feast,

to deprecate.

says Mr. Pennant,

indigestion and all plethoric evils. The lord mayor and aldermen at that time had seats appropriated to them, and the walls were covered with tapestry.

In Mr. Pennant's time the service was discontinued, and the chapel used as a justice room. Its last change was into a court of requests, which continued until its destruction in . In the year an act of parliament was obtained to enable the corporation to build courts of justice on the site of this chapel and the adjacent buildings.

The monuments, in Stow's time, were the following, but all defaced: John Wells, grocer, mayor, , south side chancel. His effigy was on the tomb, vestry-door, and in other places, and in the windows,

all which

says Stow,

do shew that the east end and the south side of the choir and vestry were by him both built and glazed.

Thomas Knesworth, fishmonger, mayor, , died . others, of a draper, the other a haberdasher, names unknown.

John Clipstow, priest, custos of the library, .

Edmund Allison, priest, custos of the library, .

Sir John Langley, goldsmith, mayor, .

And of later times,

103

 

*William Avery, comptroller, .

*William Fluellin, alderman, .

*William Lightfoot, attorney of the lord mayor's court and register of the Charter-house, .

*Catherine, his wife, .

Of the above, those only remained when Mr. Maitland wrote his History, () which are marked with an asterisk. In addition, he adds that of William Man, esq. swordbearer, , died .

The architecture was of the pointed style, of that period when this chapel was rebuilt, temp. Henry VIth. The plan gave a nave, and side aisles, and west entrance, but no tower. The west front was in stories. story, a series of oblong upright pannets, with arched heads, having turns, separated by buttresses, aiding a doorway of pointed arch; architrave enriched with mouldings, springing from columns on each side. Capitals formed of oak leaves, interspersed with animals; square architrave, upon a similar column, and sweeping cornice. In the spandrils, inscribed in quarterfoils, were angels holding shields of arms; a beautiful and elegant design. A tolerable copy of this door-way was placed in the great hall in the last repair of that fabric. South aisle, modern door-way: North, the like, a thoroughfare through the aisle, angle built against by the return end of the front of the hall. story, large west window of lights. Heads of the mullions contain series of perpendicular divisions, with arched intersecting heads, pannelling as in the lower story, continued to the springing of the arch of the window. Parapet, modern brick work, finished with stone coping. In the lower divisions of this story were statues of Edward VI. Charles I. and his queen, Henrietta, in niches of the Corinthian order; fixed on the mullions of the window, the pedestals to the side niches enriched with various mouldings, and supported by carved figures of angels, were evidently coeval with the edifice. They were each placed at the foot of a large pannel, and formerly supported effigies of saints. North side, nearly in its original state. Walls very perfect. Aisle, divisions were visible, the cut away to make the aforesaid thoroughfare. , , and , contained windows of thred lights, mullions with pointed heads taking turns; pointed arches with sweeping cornices. Buttresses destroyed. Clerestory, divisions, containing pointed windows of lights, copies of the side windows in the hall, all perfect. The other divisions, hid by a dwelling house. East end chiefly rebuilt with brick. Great window nearly a fac-simile of the western; parapet and coping as before. aisle, built against by Blackwell-hall; clerestory, rebuilt with brick-windows in design and number as the opposite side. The eastern division had no window.

The editor of Stow's Survey, Mr. Strype, led his successors into a strange mistake, in the appropriation of of the statues on the west front. He calls that of the beautiful Henrietta Maria,

104

queen Elizabeth. It is singular so many authors should have copied after him without correcting this mistake, which a moment's glance at the effigy was sufficient to have done. or more of these effigies may now be seen in a mason's shop, in . It is much to be regretted that the whole were not placed in the vacant niches at the east end of St. Lawrence's church.

The registers belonging to the chapel were removed. on its destruction, to St. Lawrence's church.

On digging near the north-west angle of the chapel, just without the walls, during the time it was being pulled down, the men came to a sepulchre, between and inches below the surface of the floor in which was a stone coffin.

 

It was covered with a lid., but contained no bones. The coffin was of the usual form, being hollowed out to accommodate the head and shoulders of the deceased. In the bottom, near the foot, was a hole. The lid was ornamented with a cross botone, in relief, between candlesticks or trumpets engraved on the stone. Round the edge of the stone was this inscription:

Godefrey le Troumpour gist. Ci. Dev. Del. Ealme.

Eit Merci.

Godfey le Troumpour lies here, God, on his soul have mercy.

Each of the sides of the sepulchre in which the coffin was found were decorated with a red cross, inscribed within a circle.

Adjoining to the chapel, on the south side, was

sometime a fayre and large librarie, (furnished with books pertaining to the

Guildhall

and college), which was builded by the executors of sir R. Whittington, and by William Burie, but is now lofted and made a store-house for clothes.--The bookes, as it is aid, were in the

reigne of Edward the

sixth

sent for by Edward, duke of Sommerset, lord protector, with promise to be restored shortly: men laded from thence

three

carriers with them, but [they were] never returned.

 
 
Footnotes:

[] Survey, Strype's edit. 1754, i. 560.

[] Chron. 3. 12.

[] Speed has Peter Stamberry

[] Repertorium, i, 361.

[] Newcourt, Repert.

[] Stow.

[] Newcourt, 362.

[] Stow.

[] Maitland, ii. 885.

[] Exactly like the one described and represented in this volume, p. 53.

[] Gent.«s Mag. vol. 92. part. 2, p. 3.

[] Sur. of London, p. 219, edit. 1598.

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 Title Page
 Dedication
 CHAPTER I: The site, extent, buildings, population, commerce, and a view of the progressive increase of London
 CHAPTER II: List of the parishes and churches in London, with their incumbents, &c
CHAPTER III: History and Topography of Aldersgate Ward
CHAPTER IV: History and Topography of Aldgate Ward
CHAPTER V: History and Topography of Bassishaw Ward
CHAPTER VI: History and Topography of Billingsgate Ward
CHAPTER VII: History and Topography of Bishopsgate Ward, Without and Within
CHAPTER VIII: History and Topography of Bread-street Ward
CHAPTER IX: History and Topography of Bridge Ward Within
CHAPTER X: History and Topography of Broad-street Ward
CHAPTER XI: History and Topography of Candlewick Ward
CHAPTER XII: History and Topography of Castle Baynard Ward
CHAPTER XIII: History and Topography of Cheap Ward
CHAPTER XIV: History and Topography of Coleman-street Ward
CHAPTER XV: History and Topography of Cordwainer's-street Ward
CHAPTER XVI: History and Topography of Cornhill Ward
CHAPTER XVII: History and Topography of Cripplegate Ward Within
CHAPTER XVIII: History and Topography of Cripplegate Yard Without
CHAPTER XIX: History and Topography of Dowgate Yard
CHAPTER XX: History and Topography of Farringdom Ward Within
CHAPTER XXI: History and Topography of Farringdon Ward Without
CHAPTER XXII: History and Topography of Langbourn Ward
CHAPTER XXIII: History and Topography of Lime-street Ward
CHAPTER XXIV: History and Topogrpahy of Portsoken Ward
CHAPTER XXV: History and Topography of Queenhithe Ward
CHAPTER XXVI: History and Topography of Tower Ward
CHAPTER XXVII: History and Topography of Vintry Ward
CHAPTER XXVIII: History and Topography of Wallbrook Ward