a new seal to be made, devised by Mr. Hall, to whom CHAP. III. the old seal was delivered. This was occasioned by a proclamation, commanding the names of the pope and Thomas à Becket to be put out of all books and monuments; which is the reason that they are so often seen blotted out in old chronicles, legends, primers, and service-books printed before those times.

The government is vested in officers appointed by the city, denominated bridgemasters. The keepers of the bridge-house had anciently an interest in mills upon the river Lea, and were accustomed to repair the bridges at Stratford, for which reason the bridge-house arms are still cut on some of those bridges.

In 1802, some old granaries in Tooley street, which belonged to the city, were taken down. They were built with chesnut. An inscription was found that they were begun and finished at the charge of the bridge-house, when Sir George Barn was lord mayor

in 1587.

The bridge-house and some adjoining premises have been let to government for keeping their stores.

Opposite St. Olave's church, Tooley street, and adjoining Church yard alley, leading to Queen Elizabeth's free grammar school, formerly stood a spacious stone building, the city residence of the priors of Lewes, in Sussex, whenever occasion led them to visit London or its vicinity on parliamentary or ecclesiastical duty. Strype, noticing St. Olave's church, says: "On the south side the street was sometime one great house, builded of stone, with arched gates, which pertained to the prior of Lewes, in Sussex, and was his residence when he came to London; it is now a common hostery for travellers, and hath as sign the Walnut tree." In Maitland's time it became converted into a cider-cellar,

BOOK II. and is described as follows: "Opposite St. Olave's church anciently stood a spacious stone building, the city mansion of the prior of Lewes, in Sussex; the chapel of which, consisting of two aisles, being still remaining at the upper end of Walnut-tree alley; it is converted into a cider-cellar or warehouse, and by the earth's being greatly raised in this neighbourhood, it is at present under ground; and the gothic building, a little westward of the same (at present a wine vault belonging to the King's Head tavern), under the school house, a small chapel, I take to have been part of the said mansion-house." *

There are two entrances to this crypt in White-horse court, leading from Tooley street to Southwark house, formerly the King's Head tavern, and prior to that the sign of the Walnut tree. Entering by the north entrance, it is seven feet six inches long, by six feet wide, which leads to a large semicircular arched vault, thirtynine feet three inches long, by eighteen feet wide; on one side is a well, from which water is at present conveyed to the houses above. Towards the further end is a doorway, leading to another semi-circular vaulted arch, thirty-one feet long by thirteen feet ten inches wide; from this is a passage seven feet by six feet, which leads to the principal apartment of this ancient building, the whole length of which is forty feet six inches by sixteen feet six inches in width. At the further end are two windows. This ancient apartment consists of four groined arches, supported on dwarf columns. From this is an entrance to another vault of various dimensions, but the length is twenty-seven feet four inches. Part of this vault is arched as the former, and part groined,

* Maitland's London, p. 1389.

over which the stairs leading to the grammar school CHAP III. are erected.*

On the banks of the Thames, considerably below the bridge, formerly stood the abbot of Battle's house, and nearly adjoining was Battle bridge, so called because it was situated on the ground, and over a water-course, flowing out of the Thames, pertaining to Battle abbey.

In the reign of Queen Anne this parish was much burdened by the resort of great numbers of the inhabitants of the palatinate in Germany, who fled to this country for protection from the tyranny of their rulers. Great numbers of these unfortunate people came over to England in expectation of being sent to people Carolina. In 1708, five hundred of them were brought into this parish, where they were quartered in one place, but so crowded together that a malignant fever ensued. In September and October, 1709, there were near one thousand of them who were lodged in the warehouses of Sir Charles Cox, contrary to the express desire of the inhabitants, who in 1790 petitioned parliament to have them removed. Sir Charles Cox gave them the shelter gratis for two months, but on the 8th of February he received one hundred guineas for rent, by a warrant on the chamber of London, drawn by the commissioners for distributing her majesty's bounty, on condition of having the use of these warehouses till the emigrants could be sent to Ireland. In October it was. computed that no less than one thousand four hundred persons were collected in these warehouses.

Three thousand had been sent in August, at the request of the lord lieutenant, and in February following, eight hundred more were sent ; but not meeting with

*Wilkinson's Londinia Illustrata.

BOOK II. a pleasant reception, in 1711 two hundred and thirtytwo families, averaging at five each (one thousand one hundred and sixty) returned, and were crowded into the bridge house in this parish. Infectious disorders soon broke out, and Dr. Mead, and Mr. Ames, an apothecary, were called in to their assistance. Besides the danger arising from thence, the poor rate was increased by £700. from expenses incurred by relief administered to them.

In the reign of King James I. and Charles I. and II. a great number of the inhabitants were felt-makers and hatters.

The parish of St. Olave having greatly increased in houses and population, as before noticed, the commissioners for erecting fifty new churches within the bills of mortality, purchased a site for a church and cemetery, consisting of a field which was walled in and called the Artillery ground, wherein the train bands of Southwark used to exercise. It was built accordingly, and was consecrated June 13, 1733. The district of Horsleydown was appointed for its parish, and was established by an act of 6 George II. 1733. This act states that a site for a church had been purchased, and a new church built thereon, near Horsley-down; and it enacts, that the new parish should be totally independent of the parish of St. Olave. Three thousand five hundred pounds were granted to buy lands for the maintenance of a rector, who was also to be paid £60. per annum by quarterly payments, out of burial fees, for which the burial grounds and vaults were vested in the vestry, exclusive of the rector; on non-payment, the rector may distrain on the churchwardens; the vestry to consist of the rector, and all the inhabitants renting £10. a year and upwards; this provision to be in full of all