church.

Trinity Church, Newington Butts, is situated on the CHAP. I. south side of Trinity square, at a short distance from Trinity Blackman street, and nearly on the verge of the parish of St. Mary Newington. It is enclosed in a small square of handsome houses, with a plantation in the centre, and ornamented with a statue of King Alfred. The portico and principal front of the edifice, with the steeple, is placed on the north side of the body of the church, instead of the usual situation at the west end." The portico consists of six fluted Corinthian columns, supporting a plain entablature and pediment. In the wall behind are five entrances. The steeple is in two stories; the first consists of a plinth, pierced with a circular aperture in each face for the dials, and surmounted by two Doric columns in each elevation, the angles finished in antis; the intercolumniations are filled with weather boards. Upon the second story a square pedestal, ornamented on its sides with long panels filled with carved honeysuckles, serves as a plinth to an octagon tower, with a ball and cross on the apex of its roof, which finishes the elevation.

The body of the church is a parallelogram situated east and west, and in height is divided into two stories, by a plain course. In both stories is a series of segment arched windows. The angles are finished with antæ, and the entablature is continued as a finish round the whole building; both the east and west ends are terminated with pediments. On the centre of the south side is a projection, containing a flight of stairs to the gallery, and an entrance beneath it to the church. The roof is covered with copper.

The interior presents a large unbroken area, roofed in one span. The walls are finished with an entablature, charged with a rich honeysuckle moulding, resting

BOOK III. on antæ of the Ionic order, ranging from the floor of the church to the architrave. The ceiling is panelled; in the centre of each pannel is a large expanded flower. The south, north, and western sides are occupied by galleries resting on Doric pillars. The clock in front of the western gallery was the gift of David King, Esq., an inhabitant of the parish, and justice of peace for the county. The altar screen, situated below the eastern window, consists of a pediment surmounting four slabs, inscribed with the decalogue, &c. The window above contains some poorly executed stained glass. On the north side, two galleries, situated in deep recesses and built above the vestibules of the principal entrance, contain sittings for the charity children. The pulpit and reading desk are counterparts of each other, and stand on opposite sides of the church. The font stands in the nave beneath the western gallery; it is composed of Croggan and Co.'s artificial stone, and enriched with honeysuckles and other Grecian mouldings. The design is an antique vase, with handles. In the gallery is placed the organ, in an oak case, with gilt ornaments. A chandelier of brass depends from the centre of the roof.

The first stone was laid on the 2d of June, 1823, by the late archbishop of Canterbury. On the 16th of December, 1824, it was consecrated by the same primate. The parish, though situated in the diocese of Winchester, is a peculiar of the archbishop, who was attended by Sir John Nicholl, Knt. as dean of the Arches. The present is said to be the largest of the new churches yet erected. It contains sittings in pews for 277 persons, free seats 519, seats for charity children 252, making a total number of 2048; but a far greater number can always be accommodated without

inconvenience. The tower contains a peal of eight pow- CHAP. I. erful bells. The ground on which the church is built, was given by the corporation of the Trinity house, which possesses considerable property in the vicinity. The architect was F. Bedford, Esq. ·

Walworth.

The only manor in this parish is that of Walworth, Manor of now a hamlet to Newington, and the birth-place, probably, of the celebrated citizen who bore that name. King Edmund gave this mannor to his jester Hitard, who in the reign of St. Edward, being about to make a pilgrimage to Rome, obtained a license from that monarch to give it to the church of Canterbury. This manor, in Doomsday Book called Waleorde, is said to have been held in the time of William the conqueror by Bainiard, of the archbishop of Canterbury, and to have been appropriated to the support of the monks. It had been valued at thirty shillings (ninety pounds), but at the time of the survey was worth three pounds, or one hundred and eighty pounds of present money. It now belongs to the dean and chapter of Canterbury. In the reign of Henry III. the queen's goldsmith held an acre of land in Newington, by the singular tenure of rendering a gallon of honey to the king.†

There are a considerable number of chapels in Wal- Chapels. worth and its neighbourhood. In Beresford street is a handsome chapel of brick, erected in 1818. The interior has large galleries, and a very fine choir and great organ. It is capable of holding one thousand six hundred persons. In Amelia street is a chapel of the Southcotonians; in East lane is a chapel belonging to the Baptists, and in West lane one of the Independents;

* Cartulary of the see of Canterbury in the Bodleian Library, pages 36, 37.

+ Harl. MSS. 313.

BOOK III. in York street, Lock's fields, is a large brick building known as Clayton's chapel, it is capable of holding near two thousand persons; and in Lyon street, Kent road, is also a large Baptist meeting house; in Alfred place is a chapel, built in 1810, for the particular Baptists; and in Deverell street, Kent road, is one erected in 1826 for members of the Wesleyan new connexion; attached to the latter is a large burial ground. In Mount street, Walworth, is a female charity school, and a school of industry, instituted in 1796, and the present building erected in 1808.

Charity school.

Almshouses.

On the west side of Newington, near the church, is a neat building of brick, called "the United National Charity and Sunday School, supported by voluntary subscriptions." It was erected in 1820, and was intended for the instruction of one thousand children.

The Drapers' alms-houses, founded by Mr. John Walter, in 1651, are situated in Cross street, in this parish. To these alms-houses the parish has the privilege of appointing six of its own parishioners. They receive five shillings each monthly, and half a chaldron of coals, to which the parish officers add a weekly pension, as they see fit. The remainder are appointed by the Drapers' company. The statutes of these almshouses are printed at large in Aubrey's Antiquities of Surrey. The alms-houses are of brick, and were rebuilt in 1778.

There was formerly an hospital of our Lady and St. Catherine, at Newington, which continued till February, 1551, when their proctor, William Cleybrooke, had a licence to beg.*

In the beginning of the 17th century there was a theatre

*Tanner, Not. Monast. 516.