_The History of the Parish of St. John, Clerkenwell._
On friday the twenty seventh Day of December in the year of our Lord
Christ one thousand seven hundred twenty and three, and in the tenth
Year of the Reign of George by the Grace of God, king of Great Britain,
&c. being St. John’s Day, this Church was consecrated and dedicated to
the Service of Almighty God by the Right Reverend Father in God Edmund
[Gibson] by Divine Permission Lord Bishop of London, by the Name of the
Church of St. John Clerkenwell in the County of Middlesex.
This Church is what was the Choir of the antient Church of the Knights
Hospitallers, or the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem in England, which
Order began at Jerusalem about the Year of our Lord Christ 1099, taking
its rise and name from an Hospital built for the reception of Christian
Strangers and Pilgrims, who came to perform their Devotion at the Place
of our Lord’s Sepulchre, and from a Church adjoining dedicated to St.
John Baptist.
In the 11th Century the Christians in the Holy Land were very much
harassed by the Turks, till some Merchants from Amalfi in Italy visited
the parts about Syria and Egypt, and so far recommended themselves to
the Inhabitants by the many rare and pretious commodities they brought
thither, that the Calif of Egypt gave them a part of Jerusalem to live
in, where they built a Cloister and transplanted thither from Italy an
Abbot with some Benedictine Monks, who entertained all Christian
Pilgrims and travellers: soon after a Cloister was erected for Women,
and these being too small, the Hospital or Alms-House just mentioned was
founded for the reception of both sick and well, under the direction of
an Overseer maintained chiefly by Alms from Amalfi and other parts of
Italy: shortly after, the Church was built, and dedicated to St. John
Baptist; tradition informing, that his Father Zachary had often
travelled that way, from whence those of this Foundation took the Name
of Joannitæ, and continued an Order of Hospitalers or Alms-men some few
Years.
In the year 1099, when the Christian Princes, under the command of
Godfrey of Bologne, Duke of Lorrain besieged Jerusalem, Gerard the then
overseer, with the rest of the Hospitalers by a sudden and unexpected
Sally upon the rear of the Turks, contributed greatly to the overthrow
of the infidels, and the recovery of the Holy-Land. Godfrey made public
acknowledgments of this signal piece of Service, and being created King
of Jerusalem gave the Hospitalers large presents, and put the defence
of many Towns into their hands. From this time their Order commenced
that of Knighthood, Gerard being their first Grand Master. The Order was
confirmed by Pope Honorius the second, and by the then Patriarch of
Jerusalem. The members of it were called indifferently the Knights
Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem. It was their Vow and Profession
to exercise hospitality, to resist the Barbarians that should offer any
injury to Pilgrims on the High Ways, and to maintain the Christian
religion by force of Arms in their Country. They soon greatly increased
in Fame and Riches and spread into many nations: the services they did
to Christian Princes procured them every where great respect, Wealth and
Privileges, insomuch that tho’ at first they professed voluntary
poverty, they were afterwards at once in Possession of 19000 Manors in
Christendom.
This Order flourished with great pomp and splendour in this Nation:
their Prior was reckoned the first Baron in England; their Establishment
here was very early, for about a Year after their first Institution at
Jerusalem, viz. An. Dom. 1100, Jordan Briset Baron, and Muriel his wife,
founded a Priory in this place for the Knights of this Order, and built
a Church, which was dedicated to the Honour of St. John Baptist, in the
Year 1185, being then consecrated by Heraclius Patriarch of Jerusalem.
Both Church and House were burnt in 1381, by the Essex Rebels, but were
afterwards rebuilt and continued in the possession of the Knights
Hospitallers till the 32nd Year of Henry the 8th (which was years after
the general Dissolution of Religious Houses in this Kingdom,) when by a
particular Act of Parliament the Priory was suppressed, and the House,
Church, and all the Lands of the Knights Hospitallers were vested in the
Crown, with all Privileges, &c. thereto belonging, other than the right
of Sanctuary, which Right is by this Act discharged, but with an express
saving of the Privileges common to Churches and Church Yards applied and
used to God’s service. In this Act of Parliament the Hospital, House,
Church, &c. are mentioned, not as a part of, or within the Parish of St.
James, Clerkenwell, but as situate and being near to the City of London,
in the County of Middlesex, and so the same are mentioned in the grant
from the Crown and subsequent writings.
The Hospital or Priory Church, and House of St. John were preserved from
Spoil and down-pulling so long as Henry the 8th lived; but in the third
Year of King Edward the 6th the Body and side Isles with the great Bell
tower, (a most curious piece of workmanship, graven, gilt, and
enamelled,) were pulled down; but the Choir, (which remained,) was
closed up in the reign of Queen Mary, who restored the Order and
incorporated a Priory and several Brethren, and granted to them this
Church, House, and many Lands; but the Order being again dissolved by
Queen Elizabeth, the Church and Priory remained in the Crown till the
9th day of May, in the 5th year of King James the first, when by Letters
Patent of that date the King granted the same to Ralph Freeman and his
heirs, in free and common Soccage by the name of the City or House of
the late Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England, in the County of
Middlesex, and all the City, Circuit, and Precinct of the same House,
having therein one great Mansion House, one great Chapel, &c.,
containing by estimation 5 acres. From Freeman the said Church or
Chapel, and part of the great house and gardens, came in the 10th Year
of King James the first Ld. Wm. Cecil Lord Burghley, Son and Heir
apparent of Thomas Earl of Exeter, by whose daughter the Lady Diana, it
passed in marriage in the 5th Year of King Charles the 1st to Thomas,
Lord Bruce, afterwards Earl of Elgin, whose son Robert was created Earl
of Ailesbury, in which Family this Church or Chapel, (from thence called
Ailesbury Chapel,) continued till the Year 1706, and being then sold by
them, was afterwards, viz. in the Year 1721, purchased by Mr. Simon
Michell, with intent to accommodate the Inhabitants of a new Street by
him then partly built, called Red Lion Street, and the neighbouring
inhabitants with a convenient place for Divine Worship. He afterwards
enlarged the said Chapel, or what was used as such, being the middle
Isle only by restoring thereto the North isle, (which had been made part
of a dwelling-house,) and also the South Isle, (the upper part of which
had been converted into a Library, and the lower part separated by a
wall from what was left to the Chapel,) and having likewise entirely new
built the west front, and new roofed the whole, and furnished the Chapel
with convenient Galleries and pews; he proposed it thus rebuilt and
beautified to the Commissioners appointed in pursuance of Acts of
Parliament for building 50 New Churches in and about London, as proper
to be by them converted into a Parochial Church for such an adjoining
District, as they should think fit to appoint for a Parish to the same.
This proposal being accepted and an agreement made by the Commissioners
with Mr. Simon Michell, he and Mr. Hutton (his trustee) by bargain and
sale enrolled in Chancery, bearing date the 29th day of August 1723,
conveyed the Chapel, and the ground extending from the East end thereof
to St. John’s Street, (on the front part whereof next to St. John’s
Street, stood 2 houses,) to the said Commissioners, who by Deed bearing
date the 11th day of December 1723 and afterwards enrolled in Chancery,
did, pursuant to their Power, granted by the said Acts of Parliament,
declare and appoint the Chapel to be from and for ever after the
Enrollment of that Deed and the consecration of the Chapel, a Parish
Church by such Name as should be given thereto in the act of
Consecration; and by the same Deed the said Commissioners did pursuant
to the said Acts of Parliament set out and appoint a Parish for the said
Church, and ascertained the Bonds and Limits of such new parish to be as
followeth:--
The entry in the vestry-book, hitherto given verbatim, proceeds to set
out the parish bounds in words, and a copy of the act of consecration.
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It is interesting to go a little farther into the history of this
ancient church.
While Henry VIII. reigned, “the rebels of Essex and Kent,” in 1381, set
fire to the house, causing it to burn for the space of seven days
together, and not suffering any to quench it: afterwards the church, and
houses thereto appertaining, were new built, and the church finished by
Thomas Docwray, lord prior there about the year 1504, as appears by the
inscription over the gate-house, mentioned by Stow as remaining in his
time, and which still remains. The church was employed as a storehouse
for the king’s “toyles and tents for hunting and for the wars,” &c.
Stow, who says this, speaking of its destruction in the third year of
king Edward VI., adds, that the church for the most part, to wit, the
body and side isles with the great bell tower was undermined and blown
up with gunpowder, and the stone thereof employed in building the lord
protector’s (Somerset) house in the Strand. The great bell tower he
calls “a most curious piece of workmanship, graven, gilt, and inameled
to the great beautifying of the city, and passing all other that I have
sceene.” He adds that the part of the quire which remained, with some
side chapels, was closed up at the west end by cardinal Pole, in the
reign of queen Mary, and the other was repaired, and sir Thomas Tresham
Knight, made the lord prior there with the restitution of some lands. At
the suppression, the priory was valued “to dispend in lands, 3385_l._
19_s._ 8_d._ yearly; sir William Weston being then lord prior, died on
the 7th of May, 1540.” The king granted “great yeerely pensions” to the
knights; and to the lord prior, during his life, 1000_l._ “but he never
received a penny.” He died of a broken heart on Ascension-day in the
same year, the very day the house was suppressed. An account of the
exhumation of his body on the 27th of April, 1788, on taking down the
old church of St. James, Clerkenwell, with interesting particulars
respecting him, may be seen in the “Gentleman’s Magazine” for that year.
Mr. Bartholomew of Red Lion-street, Clerkenwell, a lover, and as far as
he is permitted by the other inhabitants, a preserver of the antiquities
of his parish of St. John, is in possession of a portion of prior
Weston’s cere-cloth.
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The only vestiges of the antiquity and extent of this church are in
Jerusalem-court, which runs from St. John’s-square into St.
John’s-street, and is bounded on the left by houses or dwellings
constructed within the remaining part of the south wall: they are now,
(in November, 1825,) undergoing reparation by new facing, but portions
of the old church buttresses remain, though they are much mutilated, and
their shafts buried to the extent of many feet below the pavement. There
is not a single inscription or monument of any age remaining. The only
remarkable stone in the churchyard is a memoritur of the late “Mrs.
Sarah Newman of No. 63, Cow-cross-street, St. Sepulchre,” who died a few
years ago, and is rendered “remarkable” by an amplification of the
ever-recurring epitaph, “Affliction sore” &c. She is made to say--
Pain was my portion,
Physic was my food,
Groans was my devotion,
Drugs did me no good;
Christ was my physician,
Knew what way was best,
To ease me of my pain,
He took my soul to rest.
* * * * *
A mural inscription in the church, represents “Simon Michell Esq. a
member of the Middle Temple and Lincoln’s Inn, descended from a family
of that name in Somersetshire. He died August 30, 1750, aged 74.” He was
a barrister, and member of parliament for Boston. Red Lion-street, built
by him, is the best class of houses erected in his time in Clerkenwell,
which, among the “lower orders,” is called “Jack Adams’s parish,” for a
reason that, if it can be authentically communicated, will be hereafter
inserted.
The old gateway of St. John’s priory remains in the state wherein it is
seen monthly on the title-page of the “Gentleman’s Magazine.” The east
turret and the great rooms over the gateway, are used as a tavern called
“The old St. John of Jerusalem,” occupied and kept by Mr. William Flint,
who formerly carried on the business of a printer in the Old Bailey. The
lower part of the west turret is the watchhouse of St. John’s parish. On
entering the gateway from the south, the fixed iron shaft of the top
hinge, whereon the ancient gate swung, is about level with the elbow of
a person of ordinary stature: from this, the height to which the ground
has been raised above the old level may be imagined. The gateway itself
has been lately repaired at the parish expense, chiefly at the instance
of Mr. Bartholomew, who took great pains to ascertain and properly
colour the arms of Prior Docwray on the crown of the arch, and the
remaining ornaments, some of which had been hidden in the watchhouse. An
ancient door in the watchhouse bricked up, and boarded over by the
wainscotting, retains an old carved oak-facing at the top; through Mr.
Bartholomew’s persistance it was not destroyed, and he has caused a
small flap with hinges to be inserted in the wainscot for the purpose of
disclosing this carving, from time to time, to curious inquirers. He is
one of the few inhabitants of Clerkenwell, who take an interest in
maintaining the reputation of this suburb for its former grandeur.
The rental of St. John’s parish in the year 1782, was 12,658_l._ In
1825, it amounted to 21,724_l._, not so much from additional building,
as from increase in the value of property.
St. John’s-gate will be always remembered in connection with the
“Gentleman’s Magazine,” which was first printed there by Edmund Cave.
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