Hee departed the 5. day of August, An. Dom. 1576. And she then living, did also decease the, &c.

On the North side of this Church and Church-yard, is one faire and large builded house,Prior of Tortington his Inne. sometime pertaining to the Prior of Tortington in Sussex, since to the Earles of Oxford, lately to Sir Iohn Hart, Oxford Place by London ſtone. Alderman, and now to Ma ster Humphrey Smith, Alderman of this Citie: which house hath a faire Garden belonging thereunto, lying on the West side therof. On the backeside of two other houses in Walbrooke, in the reigne of King Henry the seventh, Sir Richard Empson, Empson and Dudley. Knight, Chan cellour of the Dutchie of Lancaster, dwelled Walbrooke Ward. dwelled in one of them, and Edmond Dudley, Esquire, in the other: either of them had a doore of entercourse into this Garden, wherin they met, and con sulted on matters at their pleasures. In this Oxford Place Sir Ambrose Nicholas kept his Maioraltie: since him, the said Sir Iohn Hart; and now the said Master Humphrey Smith dwelleth in it.

On the South side of this high street, London stone. neere unto the channell, is pitched up right a great stone, called London-stone, fixed in the ground very deepe, fastned with barres of Iron, and otherwise so strongly set, that if Carts doe runne a gainst it through negligence, the wheeles be broken, and the stone it selfe unshaken.

The cause why this stone was there set, the time when, or other memory thereof is none; but that the same hath long continued there, is manifest, name ly, since (or rather before) the Conquest. For in the end of a faire written Gospell booke,Lib. Trint. given to Christs Church in Canturbury, Antiquity of London stone. by Ethelstane, King of the West Saxons, I finde noted of Lands or Rents inLondon belonging to the said Church, whereof one parcell is described to lye neere unto London-stone. Of later time we reade, that in the yeere of Christ, 1135. the first of King Stephen, a fire, which began in the house of one Ali ward, neere unto London-stone, consu med all East to Ealdgate, in which fire the Priory of the holy Trinity was burnt, and West to S. Erkenwalds shrine in Pauls Church: and these be the eldest notes that I reade thereof.

Some have said,Read Mr. Iohn Speed, what he saith ther of, and of the like stones. this stone to be set there, as a marke in the middle of the Citie within the wall: but in truth it standeth farre neerer to the River of Thames, than to the wall of the Citie.

Some others have said, the same to be set, for the tendering and making of payment by debtors to their creditors, at their appointed dayes and times, till of later time, payments were more usually made at the Font in Ponts Church, and now most commonly at the Royall Exchange. Some againe have imagined, the same to be set up by one Iohn or Thomas London-stone, dwelling there against it; but more likely it is, that such men have taken name of the Stone, than the Stone of them; as did Iohn at Noke, Thomas at Stile, William at Wall, or at Well, &c.

Down west from this Parish Church, and from London-stone, VValbrooke street. have yee VValbrooke corner: from whence runneth up a street, North to the Stocks, called Walbrooke, because it standeth on the East side of the same Brooke, by the Banke thereof, and the whole Ward taketh name of that street. On the East side of this street, and at the North corner therof, is the Stockes Market, which had this beginning:

About the yeere of Christ, Stockes Market. 1282. Henry Wallis, Maior, caused divers houses in this Citie to be builded towards the maintenance ofLondon Bridge; namely, in one void place, neere unto the Parish Church, called Wooll-church, on the North side thereof, where sometime (the way being very large & broad) had stood a paire of stocks, for punishment of offenders. This building tooke name of those stocks, and was appointed (by him) to be a Market-place for fish and flesh in the midst of the Citie.The midst of the Citie. Other houses be builded in other places, as by Patent of Edward the first it doth appeare, dated the tenth of his reigne.

After this, in the yeere 1322. the 17. of Edw. 2. a decree was made by Hamond Chickwell, Maior, that none should sell fish or flesh out of the markets appointed, to wit, Bridge-street, East-cheap, Old fish-street, S. Nicholas shambles, and the said Stocks, on paine to forfeit such fish or flesh as were there sold, for the first time, and the second time to lose their freedome: which Act was made by commandement of the King, under his Letters Patents, dated at the Tower the 17. of his reigne: and then was this Stocks let to farme for 46. l. 13. s. 4. d. by yeere.Ro. Fabian. This Stockes Market was againe begun to be builded, in the yeere 1410. in the 11. of Henry the 4. and was finished in the yeere next following. In the yeere 1507. the same was rented 56. l. 19. s. 10. d. And in the yeere 1543. Iohn Cotes being Maior, there was in this Stockes Market for Fishmongers, 25. boords or stalles, rented yeerely to thirty foure pounds, thirteene shillings, foure pence: there was for Butchers 18. boords or stalles, rented at one and Y2forty Walbrooke Ward. forty pounds, sixteene shillings, foure pence; and there were also Chambers above, sixteene, rented at five pounds thirteene shillings foure pence, in all, 82. l. 3. s.

Next unto this Stockes is the Parish Church of S. Mary Wooll-Church, Parish Church of S. Mary Wooll Church. so called of a Beame placed in the Churchyard, which was thereof called Wooll-Church Haw, of the Tronage or weighing of Wooll there used.Tronage or weighing of wooll, caused the Church to be called VVooll-Church Haw. And to verifie this, I finde amongst the Customes ofLondon, written in French, in the reign of Edward the second, a Chapter intituled, Les Customes de VVooll-Church Haw, wherein is set downe, what was there to bee paid for every parcell of Wooll weighed. This Tronage, or weighing of Wooll, till the sixth of Richard the second, was there continued: Iohn Churchman then builded the Custome-house upon VVooll Key, to serve for the said Tronage, as is before shewed in Tower-street Ward.

This Church is reasonable faire and large, and was lately new builded, by Licence granted in the 20. of Henry the sixth, with condition to be builded 15. foot from the Stockes Market, for sparing of light to the said Stocks. The Parson of this Church is to have 4. markes the yeere, for tythe of the said Stockes, paid him by the Masters of the Bridge-house, by a speciall decree made the second of Henry the seventh.

Iohn VVingar, Grocer, Maior 1504. was a great helper to the building of this Church, and was there buried, 1505. Hee gave unto it by his Testament, two large Basons of Silver, and 20. pounds in money.

Also Richard Shore, Draper, one of the Sheriffes, 1505. was a great Benefactor in his life, and by his Testament, gave twenty pounds, to make a Porch at the West end thereof, and was there buried.

Richard Hatfield of Steplemorden in Cambridge-shire, lyeth entombed there, 1467.

Edward Deoly, Esquire, 1467.

Iohn Hanford, Grocer, made the Font of that Church, very curiously wrought, painted and guilded, and was there buried.

Iohn Archer, Fishmonger, 487.

Anne Cawood founded a Chauntrie there, &c.

From the Stockes Market, and this Parish Church, East up into Lombard street, some foure or five houses on a side, and also on the South side of Wool-Church, Beare-binder lane. have ye Beare-binder lane, a part whereof is of this VValbrooke Ward.

Then downe lower in the street called VValbrooke, Parish Church of S. Stephen by VValbrooke. is one other faire Church of S. Stephen, lately builded on the East side thereof: for the old Church stood on the West side, in place where now standeth the Parsonage House, and therfore so much neerer to the Brooke, even on the banke.

Robert Chichly, Maior in the yeere 1428. the sixth of Henry the sixth, gave to this Parish of S. Stephen one plot of ground, containing 208. foot and a halfe in length, and 66. foot in breadth, thereupon to build their new Church, and for their Churchyard. And in the seventh of Henry the sixth, the said Robert (one of the Founders) said the first stone for himselfe, the second for VVilliam Stondon, Maior, with whose goods the ground that the Church standeth on, and the housing, with the ground of the Church-yard, was bought by the said Chichley for two hundred markes from the Grocers, which had been letten before for 26. markes the yeere. Robert Whittingham, Draper, laid the third stone. Henry Barton then Maior, &c.

The said Chichler gave more 100. l. to the said Worke, and bare the charges of all the Timber-worke on the Procession way, and laid the Lead upon it of his owne cost. He also gave all the timber for the roofing of the two side Iles, and paid for the carriage thereof.

Walbrooke Ward. This Church was finished in the yeere 1439. The breadth thereof is 67. foot, and length 125. foot; the Churchyard 90. foot in length, and 37. in breadth, and more. Robert Whittingham (made Knight of the Bath) in the yeere 1432. purchased the patronage of this Church from Iohn, Duke of Bedford, Vncle to Henry the sixth, and Edward the fourth, in the second of his reigne, and gave it to Richard Lee, then Maior.

There be Monuments in this Church of Thomas Southwell, first Parson of this new Church, who lyeth buried in the Quire.

Iohn Dunstable, Master of Astronomie and Musicke, in the yeere 1453.

Sir Richard Lee, Maior twice, who gave the said Parsonage to the Grocers.

Rowland Hill, Maior, 1549.

Sir Thomas Pope, first Treasurer of the Augmentations, with his Wife Dame Margaret.

Sir Iohn Cootes, Maior, 1542.

Sir Iohn Yorke, Knight, Merchant-Taylor, 1549.

Edward Iackman, Sheriffe, 1564.

Richard Acheley, Grocer.

Doctor Owen, Physician to King Henry the 8.

Iohn Kirkbie, Grocer, 1578. and others.

Lower downe from this Parish Church, be divers faire houses, namely one, wherein of late Sir Richard Baker, a Knight of Kent, was lodged, and wherin also dwelled Mr. Thomas Gore, a Merchant famous for Hospitality.

On the West side of this Walbrooke street, over against the Stockes Market, is a part of the high street, called the Poultry, on the South-side west, till over against S. Mildreds Church, and the Scalding wike, is of this Ward.

Then downe againe Walbrooke street, Buckles Bury. some small distance, is Buckles Bury, a street so called of Buckle, that sometime was owner thereof; part of which street on both sides, three or foure houses, to the course of the Brook, is of this ward, and so downe Walbrooke street, to the South corner: from whence, West, downe Budge Row, some small distance, to an Alley, and thorow that Alley, South,S. Iohn upō VValbrooke by the West end of Saint Iohns Church upon Walbrooke, by the South side and East end of the same, againe to Walbrooke corner. This Parish Church is called S. Iohn upon Walbrooke, because the West end thereof is on the very banke of Walbrooke, Horshooe Bridge in Horshooe Bridge street. by Horshooe Bridge, in Horshooe-Bridge street.

This Church was also lately new builded: for about the yeere 1412. licence was granted by the Maior and Communalty, to the Parson and Parish, for the inlarging thereof, with a piece of ground on the North part of the Quire, one and twenty foot in length, seventeene foot in breadth, and three inches; and on the South side of the Quire, one foot of the common soyle.

There bee no Monuments in this Church of any account, onely these:

William Combarton, Skinner, who gave Lands to that Church, was there buried 1410.

Iohn Stone, Taylor, one of the Sheriffes, 1464. was likewise buried there.

On the South side of Walbrook Ward, from Candlewicke street, in the mid-way betwixt London-stone and Walbrooke corner, is a little Lane, with a turnepike in the middest thereof, and in the same a proper Parish Church,Parish Church of S. Mary Bothaw. called S. Mary Bothaw, or Boat-haw, by the Erbar. This Church being neere unto Downegate, on the River of Thames, hath the addition of Bothaw, or Boat-haw, of neere adjoyning to an Haw, or Yard, wherein (of old time) Boats were made, and landed from Downegate, to be mended, as may be supposed: for other reason I finde none, why it should be so called.

Within this Church and the small Cloystrie adjoyning, divers Noblemen and persons of Worship have been buried, as appeareth by Armes in the windowes, the defaced Tombes, and print of plates, torne up and carried away: There remaine onely of Iohn West, Esquire, buried in the yeere 1408.

Thomas Huytley, Esquire, 1539. but his Monumeut is defaced since.

Lancelot Bathurst, &c.

But the most memorable Monument of all other there, was that of Sir Henry Fitz Walbrooke Ward. Fitz-Alwine, The first Lord Maior of London, Sir Henry Fitz-Alwine, buried there. Draper, the first Lord Maior ofLondon that ever was, and continued (by several elections) in the Maioraltie above 24. yeeres. His dwelling house remaineth yet in the Parish, divided now into two or three houses. His Monument can be proved to bee in that Church, as his Armes in the glasse windowes and Grave-stones doe sufficiently shew. Besides, those houses were his gift to the Drapers, and they pay a quit-rent in his name yeerely for ever. All which are sufficient to testifie that he was not buried in the Priorie of the holy Trinity within Ealdgate, (now called the Dukes Place) as formerly hath beene avowched by Mr. Stowe; but that there his body resteth, in undoubted hope of a joyfull resurrection. Such as make any doubt hereof, may be further satisfied in the Drapers Hall.

The Erbar is an ancient place so called, but not of Walbrooke Ward, and therefore out of that Lane, to Walbrooke corner, and then downe, till over against the South corner of Saint Iohns Church upon Walbrooke.

And this is all that I can say of VValbrooke Ward. It hath an Alderman, and his Deputy; Common-Counsellours, 11. Constables, 9. Scavengers, 6. for the Wardmote Inquest, 13. and a Beadle. It is taxed to the Fifteene in London, at 33. pounds, 5. shillings.