Ancient funerall monuments within the vnited monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the islands adiacent with the dissolued monasteries therein contained: their founders, and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred. As also the death and buriall of certaine of the bloud royall; the nobilitie and gentrie of these kingdomes entombed in forraine nations. A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the royall progenie, the nobilitie, gentrie, and communaltie, of these his Maiesties dominions. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of historicall obseruations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued authors ... Whereunto is prefixed a discourse of funerall monuments ... Composed by the studie and trauels of Iohn Weeuer.

The Priory of S. Iohn of Ierusalem.

Iordan Briset hauing first founded the Priory of Nunnes here by Clerk∣enwell, as aforesaid, bought of the said Nunnes ten Acres of ground, giuing them for the said ten Acres, twenty Acres of land in his Lordship of Wil∣linghale, or Wellinghall in Kent. Vpon which ground (lying neare vnto the said Priory) hee laid the foundation of a religious structure for the knights Hospitalers of S. Iohn of Ierusalem. These following are the words

out of the Register booke of the Deedes of the said house, written by one Iohn Stilling-fleete, a brother of the house, circa ann. 1434. to the end that their benefactors names being knowne,* 1.1 they may be daily remembred in their prayers.

Iordanus Briset Baro tempore regis Hen. primi circa an. Dom. 110. fun∣dauit domum ac Hospitale S. Iohns de Clerkenwel: Hic etiam erat Funda∣tor domus Monialium de Clerkenwel, ac ab eis emit decem acras terre, super quas dictum Hospitale ac domum fundauit: & pro illis decem acris terre, de∣dit illis Monialibus viginti acras terre in Dominico suo de Willinghale in com. Cant. &c.

In ye yere of Criste (as I haue the words out of an old Mss) 1185. ye vj. Ides of Merche,* 1.2 ye dominical lettre being F, ye Chyrche of ye Hospitall of S: Iohns Ierusalem, was dedicatyd to ye honor of S. Iohn Baptiste by ye worschypfull fader Araclius Patriarke, of ye resurrection of Christe, ye sam dey was dedycatyd ye hygh Altr••, and ye Altre of S. Iohn Euangelist by ye sam Patryarke. The said Heraclius in the same yeare, dedicated the Church of the new Temple, as hereafter is spoken.

Within a short time, this Hospitall began to flourish, for infinite were the donations of all sorts of people to this Fraternitie, as in the Beadroul of their benefactors is specified; but aboue all their Benefactors, they held themselues most bound to Roger de Mowbray, whose liberalitie to their order was so great, that by a common consent in their chapiter, they made a decree, that himselfe might remit and pardon any of the Brotherhood whomsoeuer, in case he had trespassed against any of the statutes and ordi∣nances of their order, confessing and acknowledging withall, his offence and errour. And also the knights of this order granted, in token of thanke∣fulnesse to Iohn de Mowbray, Lord of the Isle of Axholme, the successour of the foresaid Roger, that himselfe and his successours, in euery of their couents & assemblies, as well in England, as beyond seas, should be receiued & entertained alwaies in the second place next to the King. Thus through the bounty both of Princes & priuate persons, they rose to so high an estate, and great riches, that after a sort (saith Camden) they wallowed in wealth;* 1.3 for they had about the yeere of our Lord 1240. within christendome, nine¦teene thousand Lordships or Manours: like as the Templars nine thou∣sand (the reuenewes and rents whereof fell afterwards also to these Hospi∣tallers.) And this estate of theirs growne to so great an height, made way for them to as great honours; so as the Priore of this house was reputed the prime Baron of the land, being able with fulnesse & abundance of all things to maintaine an honourable port.* 1.4 And thus they flourished for many yeeres in Lordly pompe, vntill a Parliament begun the 18. of April, 1540. Anno 32. Henry 8. their corporation was vtterly dissolued, the King al∣lowing to euery one of them, onely a certaine annuall pension during their liues; as you may reade in the Annals of England.

The value of this foundation in the Kings bookes, was 3385 l. 19 s. 8 d. of ancient yeerely rent.

This Priory Church and house was preserued from spoile, or downe pulling, so long as Henry the 8 raigned, but in the 3 of King Ed. the sixt, the Church for the most part, with the great Bell-tower (a most curious piece

of workemanship, grauen, gilt and enameld, to the great beautifying of the Citie, saith Stow) was vndermined and blowne vp with Gun-powder; the stone whereof was imployed in building of the Lord Protectors house in in the Strand.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mss. in bib. Cot.
• * 1.2

  In bib Cott.
• * 1.3

  Camd. in A••dl.
• * 1.4

  Robertus Botill Prior, Hospita∣••u Sancti Iohan∣•••• Ierusalem in Anglia: primus Baro regni An∣gliae & consilia∣rius Rog•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Arch Turris London secund•• parspat A••••o 10. Ed 4 ••. 13.