Alderman and Draper, afterwards made a Knight of the Bath, and
Lord Mayor, in 1464 and 1476; since he not only manfully resisted
Falconbridge and his party, when they attacked the Draw-Bridge, but
upon their retiring, as they were at last forced to do, as well from
the City as from the Bridge, he sallied forth upon them, and following
them along the water-side beyond Ratcliffe, slew and captured very many
of them. The Arms of this worthy were Azure, a mullet within a circular
wreath Argent and Sable, having four hawk’s bells joined thereto
in quadrature, Or. I have given you these particulars from Stow’s
‘_Annals_,’ page 424; from Holinshed’s ‘_Chronicle_,’ volume ii., page
690; and from Fabyan’s ‘_Chronicle_,’ page 590; in which last authority
it is added that ‘the Bastarde, with his shipmen, wer chased vnto their
shippes lying at Blackewall, and there in the chase many slaine. And
the saied Bastarde, the night followyng, stale out his shippes out of
the riuer and so departed, and escaped for that tyme.’
“Another record of the destruction of part of London Bridge, marks
the year 1481, for page 61 of volume i. of Stow’s ‘_Survey_,’ informs
us, that a house called ‘_the Common Stage_,’ then fell down into the
Thames, and by its fall five men were drowned. What this building
really was, you may see in Holinshed’s ‘_Chronicle_,’ volume ii.,
page 705, where this fact is quoted from the volume entitled ‘_Scala
Temporum_,’ or, the Ladder of the Times, a contemporary record of
remarkable occurrences.
“We are indebted to that singularly curious work, known by the name of
‘_Arnold’s Chronicle_,’ for an account of the expenses of London Bridge
in several of the latter years of the fifteenth century, beginning with
1482, and terminating with 1494. The best edition of this volume is
that edited by Francis Douce, Esq., London, 1811, quarto, for the series
of modern reprints of ancient English Chronicles, which appeared about
that time. The modern title of the book is ‘_The Customs of London,
otherwise called Arnold’s Chronicle_;’ but in its original state it was
devoid of a Title-page, the Table of Contents being headed thus: ‘In
this booke is conteyned the names of y^e Bayliffs, Custos, Mairs, and
Sherefs of the Cite of London, from the tyme of King Richard the Furst;
and also th’ Artycles of the Chartur and Libarties of the same Cyte;
and of the Chartur and Libarties off England, wyth odur dyuers matters
good for euery Citezen to vndirstond and knowe; whiche ben shewid
in Chaptirs after the fourme of this kalendir following.’ The first
edition of ‘_Arnold’s Chronicle_’ is usually supposed to have been
printed by John Doesborowe, at Antwerp, about the year 1502, in small
folio; though it is without either date, or name of place, or Printer.
It seems that Richard Arnold himself was a Citizen and Haberdasher,
who resided in the Parish of St. Magnus, London Bridge, where he
flourished in the year 1519. His work is a most singular compilation,
for it not only contains all the subjects which I have already named to
you, but numerous others which seem to have no sort of connection with
it: such, for instance, as forms for legal instruments, ‘the crafte
to make a water to haue spottys out of clothe;’--‘the vij ægesse of
the worlde fro Adam forewarde;’--‘the crafte of graffyng and plantyng
of tryes;’--‘to make a pickell too kepe fresh sturgeon in;’ and the
ancient original of Prior’s beautiful ballad of the Nut-brown Maid!
But now to shew you its references to London Bridge in particular, I
must observe that one of its articles is entitled ‘The lerning for to
make a count by y^e yerly rentis of London Brygge, Fo. 270;’ nearly
all of Arnold’s examples being given from real and public documents:
indeed, he was, as Mr. Douce observes of him, ‘a very active, and even
a meddling character.’ To that activity and meddling, however, we owe
too much extremely valuable information, to visit his sins of officious
curiosity with any very severe censure; or to blame him too violently
for having compiled his volume of such very singular materials. The
first extract from these Account-rolls is for 1482, and is as follows:--
“‘The Yerely stint of the Lyuelod belonging to London Brydge. Fyrst,
for all maner ressaitis in y^e yere vii. C. _li._ or therabout;’ namely
£700. ‘The Chargis goyng out.
_Li._ _s._ _d._
‘For wagis and fees of the Officers lxix. vj. viij.
Item, for rewardis of the Officers xxiij. vj. viij.
Item, paid out for quyt rentis xxx. xiiij. vj.
Item, for quyt rentis dekayed ix. iij. viij.
Item, for vacacions xxx. -- --
Item, for costis of the Chapell xxxiiij. v. iij.
Item, the expencis vpon the Auditors -- xl. --
-------------------------
Somme of this parte C.lxxxxviij. xvj. ix. £198. 16_s._ 9_d._
Rest cler v.C.i. iij. iij. £501. 3_s._ 3_d._’
“As there is not in this account any mention of the particular
salaries actually received by the Bridge Keepers, I must refer you for
information to a modern copy of some ancient documents, entitled ‘_An
Account of the Fees or Salaries and Rewards of the Wardens or Keepers
of London Bridge, from the 20th year of the reign of King Edward IV.
Ann. Dom. 1482, to the present year, 1786, stating the times when
their salaries were augmented, and also the Rental, or yearly income
of the Bridge-House estate at each particular period._’ Single folio
sheet.--‘A. D. 1482. William Galle and Henry Bumsted, Wardens, to the
said Wardens because of their office, to either of them, £10. Also
for their Clothing, or Livery, to each, £1. Also allowed to the said
Wardens, in reward for their attendance and good provision done in
their office this year, to either of them as hath been allowed in years
past, £10. Total to each of them, £21. Total Income, or Rental of the
Bridge-House Estate this Year, £650. 13_s._ 7-1/2_d._’
“I regret, Mr. Barbican, and I am very sure that _you_ do, that our
Bridge Annals must, for some few years, be carried on principally by
these documents; for I do not, in my limited reading, find any more
interesting matter to record in them. Thus much, however, may be said
in their defence, that we may certainly learn from them the increasing
prosperity of the Bridge, and discover, in the items of their charges,
many a curious fragment of the ancient value of money, and the articles
contained in them. Having thus then, Mr. Geoffrey, deprecated your
wrath against these matters, which certainly are somewhat dull in the
recital, I proceed to the accounts of London Bridge for the years
1483-85, as they are given in ‘_Arnold’s Chronicle_.’
‘The Acompte of Willyam Galle and Hery Bumpsted, Wardeyns of London
Bredge, from Mychelmasse Anno xxij. Edw. iiij. into Mychelmasse after,
and ij yeres folowynge. The Charge. First the areragis of the last
acompte, ij. C. lxvij. _li._ xiiij. _s._ _ob._’--£267. 14_s._ 0-1/2.
‘Item, all maner resaytis the same yere, vij. C. xlvi. _li._ xvi. _s._
_ob._ Somma, M. xiiij. _li._ x. _s._ i. _d._’--£1014. 10_s._ 1_d._
‘Allowans and paymentis the same yere, vij. C. xliiij. _li._ x. _s._
ij. _d._ _ob._ Rest that is owyng ij. C. lxx. _li._ xix. _s._ x. _d._
_ob._--Wherof is dew by Edward Stone and odur, of ther arrearagis in
ther tyme, liij. _li._ vj. _s._ vj. _d._ _ob._ Item, ther is diew by
the sayd Wyllyam Galle and Hery Bumpstede, Somma, ij. C. xvij. _li._
xiij. _s._ iiij. _d._’
‘The acompte the next yere suyng, from Mychelmasse in the first yere
of the reign of King Rycharde the iij. vnto Mychelmasse next folowyng,
the space of an hole yere. The Charge.
_Li._ _s._ _d._
‘First the Areragis of the last acompte ij.C.xvij. xiij. iiij.
Item, proper rentis v.C.lxviij. xij. iiij.
Item, foreine rente lix. xi. v. ob.
Item, ferme of the Stockis lix. ix. xi.
Item, quite rente xxxi. xij. vj.
Item, passage of cartis xx. xij. vij.
Item, incrementis of rentis -- vj. vj.
Item, casuell ressaitis vi. -- --
“‘Somma of all their charge, ix.C.lxiij. _li._ vii. _s._ ix. _d._ _ob._
“Allouaunce and Dischargis the same yere. Fyrst, in quyt rentis, xxx.
_li._ xiiij. _s._ vj. _d._ To Saint Mary Spytell, w^t annuities, l.
_s._ viij. _d._ Item, decay of quyt rente, ix. _li._ iij. _s._ viij.
_d._ _ob._ Item, allowaunce for store-houses, xxxv. _s._ iiij. _d._
Item, in vacacions, xxxiiij. _li._ xvij. _s._ iij. _d._ Item, in
decrements, iij. _li._ vij. _s._ i. _d._ Item, allowaunce for money
delyuerd to the Mayre, xl. _li._ Item, for buying of stone, xvij. _li._
xiij. _s._ iiij. _d._ Item, for buying of tymbre, lath, and bord, li.
_li._ xi. _s._ v. _d._ Item, for buying of tyle and brik, xiij. _li._
ix. _s._ iij. _d._ Item, for buying of chalke, lime, and sond, xxiiij.
_li._ xi. _s._ xi. _d._ Item, for yren werke, xxxij. _li._ viij. _s._
iij. _d._ _q._ Item, requisites bought, xviij. _li._ viij. _s._ iiij.
_d._ Item, in expencis, viij. _li._ xviij. _s._ xi. _d._ Item, costis
of cariage, xij. _li._ xix. _s._ vj. _d._ Item, led and sowder, xiij.
_li._ viij. _s._ Item, for glasyng, xxxvij. _s._ i. _d._ Item, costis
of the rame, xxxiij. _li._ vj. _s._ ix. _d._ Item, masons wagis,
xlviij. _li._ xviij. _s._ iiij. _d._ _ob._ Item, Carpenters wages, C.
xiiij. _li._ v. _s._ Item, laborers wages, xxij. _li._ x. _s._ ix. _d._
_ob._ Item, Costis of the Chapel, xxxiij. _li._ v. _s._ iij. _d._ Item,
the wagis of the tylers, xij. _li._ xij. _s._ vi. _d._ Item, for wagis
of the dawbir, xij. _li._ vi. _s._ Item, for sawiars, xij. _li._ xv.
_s._ vi. _d._ Item, for wagis of paviours, xviij. _s._ viij. _d._ Item,
to the Baker at the Cok, l. _s._ Item, for fees and wagis of Officers,
lxix. _li._ vi. _s._ viij. _d._ Rewardis of Officers, xxiij. _li._ vi.
_s._ viij. _d._ Item, expencis vpon the auditours, xlij. _s._ viij.
_d._ Somme of all the paymentis and allowaunce, vij. C. xx. _li._ ix.
_s._ iiij. _d._ _qu._:’ or £720. 9_s._ 4-1/4_d._ ‘Reste, CC. xlij.
_li._ xviij. _s._ vi. _d._ _qu._ Wherof is owynge and dieu by Edward
Stone, for arereage in his tyme, Somma liiij. _li._ vi. _s._ vi. _d._
Item, by W. Galle and H. Bumpsted, C. lxxxix. _li._ xi. _s._ xi. _d._
_ob._ _qu._’
“The last document of this nature recorded in ‘_Arnold’s
Chronicle_,’ is for the year 1484, and it contains the following
particulars.--‘Ther Acompte, Anno ij. Ric. Tercij. The Charge. First,
the arreragis of ther last acompte, C. lxxxix. _li._ xi. _s._ xi. _d._
_ob._ _qu._ Item, all maner ressaitis, vii. C. xliiij. _li._ x. _s._ v.
_d._ _qu._ Somma of the Charge, ix. C. xxxiiij. _li._ ij. _s._ iiij.
_d._ Discharge. Fyrst, allowaunce of paymentis the same yere, vi. C.
xxiij. _li._ iiij. _s._ x. _d._ Soo there remayneth the somme CCC.
x. _li._ xvij. _s._ v. _d._ _ob._ Wherof is dieu by Edward Stone and
other of their arrerage in their tyme, liij. _li._ vi. _s._ vi. _d._
_ob._ And soo remayneth clerly dieu by William Gale and Herry Bounsted
CC. lvij. _li._ x. _s._ xi. _d._’ I must not omit to notice, before
quitting these particulars of the ancient expenses of London Bridge,
that they are to be found also printed in Maitland’s ‘_History_,’
volume i., pages 48, 49.
“We have frequently, in the course of these fragmenta, mentioned
various officers set over the affairs of London Bridge, and some of
the instruments which I have quoted, have shewn that several of them
were anciently appointed by the King’s Writ or Patent. The principal of
these Officers are two Bridge-Masters, having certain fees and profits,
yearly elected, or continued, by the Livery at the Common Hall, held
upon Midsummer day, after the Sheriffs and Chamberlain. Strype, the
continuator of Stow’s ‘_Survey_,’ whose signature is J. S., states, in
volume ii., page 25, that the Bridge-Master is some freeman elected by
the City and set over the Bridge-House, ‘to look after the reparations
of the Bridge;’ he adds, too, that ‘he hath a liberal salary allowed
him; and that the place hath sometimes been a good relief for some
honest citizens fallen to decay.’ We are also farther told by the same
author, on page 472 of the same work and volume, that at a Court of
Common Council, held on Friday, April 15th, 1491, in the 6th year of
King Henry VII., it was enacted that at the election of Bridge-Master,
the Lord Mayor and Aldermen should annually present four men to the
Commonalty, from whom they were to elect two to be Bridge-Masters. This
act appears to have been in force until Thursday, April the 15th, 1643,
when it was repealed, and the whole election has since remained in the
Livery. Of the names and ancient fees of these Bridge-Masters I have
already given you some specimens, and shall cite you several others in
the future years of our history.
“We must again be indebted to ‘_Arnold’s Chronicle_’ for a fragment
illustrative of the property, persons, and houses, in the Parish of
St. Magnus, and on London Bridge, in the year 1494; for on page 224 of
that mass of singular information, we find an article entitled ‘_The
Valew and stynt of the Benefyce of St. Magnus at London Brydge yerly
to the Person. The Rekenyng of the same the fyrst day of Decembre,
Anno Domini_ M. CCCC. lxxxxiiij.’ I am not going to give you the long
bead-roll of names, rents, and rates which follow; but I shall observe
that, at this period, the rents amounted to £434. 12_s._ 8_d._, and the
offerings paid to the Parson came to £75. 8_s._ 8-1/2_d._ The rent of
‘the Shoppis in Brig-strett,’ amounted to £70. 3_s._ 4_d._, and their
offerings to £12. 3_s._ 3_d._; but the only building that is mentioned
as immediately connected with our present subject is ‘the Ymage of our
Lady on the Brydge, valet iiij marke,’ or £2. 13_s._ 4_d._ You may,
perhaps, remember that this very article from ‘_Arnold’s Chronicle_,’
was afterwards printed in a small volume commonly supposed to have
been compiled by the learned Dr. Brian Walton, Bishop of Chester, and
Editor of the famous London Polyglot Bible, in 1657. This tract is
entitled ‘_A Treatise concerning the payment of Tythes and Oblations
in London. By B. W., D. D._;’ 1641, 4to., and the original manuscript,
written in an ancient hand on folio paper, is, to our delight, yet
remaining in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth Palace, No. 273.
Whilst I am speaking of this collection, I may observe that it contains
another manuscript in which are some few curious particulars concerning
the buildings on London Bridge. This is marked No. 272; was written in
1638, on folio paper; and is entitled ‘_A Catalogue of inhabitants of
the several Parishes in London, with the rent of houses and tythes paid
out of them; in order to a new settlement of Tythes_.’ The contents of
this manuscript set forth not only the names of the dwellers in the
various houses, but also ‘a moderate valuacion’ of them, ‘and other
things tithable;’ wherein, however, it is added, of St. Magnus, that
‘the Parish would not ioyne.’ This district forms article 48 of the
volume, and we find mentioned in it the following buildings ‘on London
Bridge.’ ‘One great house, shop, warehouse, cellars, &c. clear value
£50., Tithes, £1. 16_s._; it hath bin letten for above £8.’--‘One faire
house and shop, part of the Little Nonesuch,’ value £40., Tythes,
£1. 7_s._ 6_d._; and the same for the other part. ‘One Ale-cellar,
Tythes, 3_s._’ On the South side of Great Thames Street, the following
buildings are mentioned connected with the Bridge: ‘One house, wharf,
and Engines to carry water, valued at £500. cleere profitt.’--‘One
great house divided into divers tenements, Bridge-House Rents, over
them, value £20.’
“In giving you these particulars, I must own that I have considerably
anticipated the period to which they belong, but as it is my wish to
say something of the history of St. Magnus’ Parish, it could scarcely
be more properly introduced than when we were noticing the ancient
amount of its tythes, &c. The earliest mention of the Church of St.
Magnus is said by Pennant to be in 1433, though Stow speaks of several
monuments considerably older; and if you will turn to Newcourt’s
‘_Repertorium Ecclesiasticum_,’ volume i., page 396, you will find
that Hugh Pourt, one of the Sheriffs of London, in 1302, and Margaret
his wife, founded a perpetual Chantry in this edifice: and further,
that the list of Rectors commences with Robert de Sancto Albano, who
resigned his office on the 31st of August, 1323. There was also a
Guild, or Fraternity, called ‘Le Salve Regina,’ held in this Church,
as Stow shows you in his ‘_Survey_,’ volume i., page 495, which was
flourishing in the 17th year of Edward III.,--1343.--The intent of that
convention will best be shewn by an extract from Stow’s translation of
the certificate of this species of religious Benefit Society, which
is as follows:--‘Be it remembered that Rauf Capeleyn, du Bailiff;
William Double, Fishmonger; Roger Lowher, Chancellor; Henry Boseworth,
Vintener; Stephen Lucas, Stock-Fishmonger; and other of the better
sort of the Parish of St. Magnus, near the Bridge of London, of their
great devotion, and to the honour of God and his glorious Mother, our
Lady Mary the Virgin, began, and caused to be made a Chantry, to sing
an Anthem of our Lady called ‘_Salve Regina_,’ every evening: and
thereupon ordained five burning wax lights at the time of the said
anthem, in the honour and reverence of the five principal joys of our
Lady aforesaid, and for exciting the people to devotion at such an
hour, the more to merit to their souls. And thereupon many other good
people of the same Parish, seeing the great honesty of the said service
and devotion, proferred to be aiders and parteners to support the said
lights and the said anthem to be continually sung; paying to every
person every week an halfpenny. And so that hereafter, with the gift
that the people shall give to the sustentation of the said light and
anthem, there shall be to find a Chaplain singing in the said Church
for all the benefactors of the said light and anthem.’
“I do not find that the Patron Saint of this edifice is at all
mentioned by Alban Butler; nor are all writers perfectly agreed as to
who he actually was; seeing that there were two Saints named Magnus,
whose festival day was kept on the 19th of August. One of these was
Bishop of Anagnia in Italy, and was martyred in the persecution raised
by the Emperors Decius and Valerian, about the middle of the third
century after the Birth of Christ. The other St. Magnus; was the
person to whom Newcourt supposes this Church was dedicated, though he
erroneously calls his feast August the 18th. He is named, by way of
distinction, St. Magnus the Martyr of Cæsarea, in Cappadocia, because
he suffered at that City, under Alexander the Governor, in the time
of the Emperor Aurelian, A. D. 276. Having vainly endeavoured to make
him do sacrifice, he caused him to be twice exposed to the flames of
a furnace, and thrice to be thrown to wild beasts; but none of these
things moving him, he was at length stoned, and when all imagined
that he was dead, he suddenly prayed that his soul might have a
peaceful exit, and presently gave up the ghost. An extended history
of these famous men, you will find in that wonderful work the ‘_Acta
Sanctorum_,’ which I have before quoted, in the third volume for
August, pages 701-719: though there is a much longer account of the
Swedish St. Magnus, the Abbot, whose festival is September the 6th,
and whom I pray you never to mistake for the Martyr of London Bridge.
The Rectory of St. Magnus, says the tract which I last quoted from
the Lambeth Library, is rated higher in his Majesty’s books than any
living in, or about, London, being valued at £69. and 40_s._ more in
pensions, but is without any glebe attached to it. Before I close these
_spicilegia_ of the rents, &c. of St. Magnus and London Bridge, I must
observe to you that when Arnold is speaking in his ‘_Chronicle_’ of the
fifteenths raised by every Ward in London, he states, at page 48, that
the quarter of the Bridge itself, at a fifteenth, amounted to £14.
3_s._ 4_d._; and that the Bridge-street quarter produced £11. 5_s._
8_d._ So much then for a few particulars of the history of this Church
and Parish, the North-East boundary of London Bridge, to the Chronicles
of which we shall now return, taking them up again with the year 1497.
“It was in this year, you may remember, that the forces of Henry VII.,
which were proceeding to Scotland, were suddenly recalled to subdue
a commotion raised in Cornwall, in consequence of a subsidy voted by
Parliament, in 1496. The rebels were headed by one Thomas Flamoke, a
Lawyer and a gentleman; and a Blacksmith, or Farrier, of Bodmin, called
Michael Joseph; both of them, says Stow, in his ‘_Annals_,’ page 479,
‘men of stout stomackes.’ Under these leaders, then, they penetrated
even to Blackheath, but on their march were so valiantly opposed in
Kent, that numbers of the insurgents fled from their company. On
Blackheath the Royal troops were already encamped under several valiant
commanders, by whom the rebels’ retreat was immediately cut off; and in
a short engagement which ensued on June the 22nd, Flamoke and Joseph
were both taken prisoners. On the 28th following they were executed at
Tyburn; and their quarters were to have been erected in various places
in Cornwall, but Hall states, in his ‘_Chronicle_,’ folio 43 b, that,
as it was supposed it would incite the Cornishmen to new insurrections,
they were set up in London: and their heads greeted Henry VII. on
London Bridge, as he triumphantly returned over it from Blackheath.
“During this same year, London Bridge appears to have been repaired
to some extent, although it is probable that the only notice of it
may exist in the manuscript records of the Bridge Comptroller. In the
‘_Gentleman’s Magazine_,’ however, for October 1758, volume xxviii.,
page 469, is a Letter from Joseph Ames, Secretary to the Society
of Antiquaries, and Author of the ‘_Typographical Antiquities_,’
containing three inscriptions engraven on stone, found in pulling down
a part of the edifice. These, it is supposed, were laid in the building
at the different times of its repair, specified by their several
dates; but though so very ancient, yet the descriptive account states
that, ‘they are all as fresh as if new cut;’ they being then in the
possession of Mr. Hudson, the Bridge-Master. The oldest inscription is
sculptured upon a stone 9-3/4 inches in height, by 16-3/4 inches long;
[Illustration]
the letters being raised and blacked, and the words, within a border,
being ‘_Anno Domini_,’ with the date of 1497, in small black-letters,
and ancient Arabic figures. I shall introduce the other stones to your
notice in the years to which they refer; and only now remark, that they
are engraven in Plate 1, Numbers I. II. III. page 470, of the work to
which I have already referred you, whence they were copied into Gough’s
‘_Sepulchral Monuments_,’ volume ii., part i., page cclxvi., plate xxv.