ST. ALBAN'S,

WOOD STREET.

VERULAM, the Verulamium of ancient writers, which was probably a flourishing town even before the arrival of the Romans in England, is in the county of Hertford, and about twenty miles from London.1 In the reign of

Dioclesian, who, at the end of the third century, endeavoured by all the means in his power to extirpate the christian religion in Britain, Alban a citizen of that place, was converted from paganism by a priest whom he had harboured; and, refusing to recant, was himself the first victim to the wrath of the Emperor, and the first man in this country who lost his life for religion's sake. He was therefore termed the proto-martyr of England, and in the year 793, Offa, King of Mercia, having received pardon from the Pope for a murder of which he had been guilty, on condition that he would be liberal to ecclesiastical estab

1 Some interesting particulars relating to Verulamium are given in Britton's 'History of Cassiobury.'

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lishments, obtained the canonization of Alban, and erected a large and stately monastery near Verulam, to his memory.

The ancient city had been nearly destroyed during the struggles between the Britons and the Saxons, but after the completion of this monastery a new town grew up around it, and was therefrom called St. Alban's; which name it still retains. The monastery was endowed by Offa with many peculiar privileges and a large revenue; and one of the Popes afterwards enjoined, "that as St. Alban is well known to be the protomartyr of the English nation, so the Abbot of his monastery shall in all times be reputed the first in dignity of all the Abbots in England,” 2

In the time of Paul, the fourteenth Abbot of St. Alban's, we find that there were several churches in London which belonged to this monastery,3 and among them was the one of which we have now to speak, namely, St. Alban's, Wood Street: for it is recorded, that in the year 1077, the Abbot exchanged the right of presentation to this church for the patronage of another belonging to the Abbot of Westminster.

Matthew Paris says, that the building here spoken of, was the chapel of King Offa, the founder of St. Alban's Abbey, whose palace was contiguous to it; but this has been questioned by other writers, on the ground, that as the Danes, who were implacable enemies to christianity, burnt and destroyed the city of London about the year 839, it was not likely that they left this church standing: whether, however, it was so or not, it is certain that it

1 Gibson's Camden's "Britannia." p. 298.
2 Camden, ut supra.

3 Newcourt's "Repertorium." p. 236.

4 In Vitis Abb. S. Albani. p. 50. Newcourt, ut supra.

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was an ancient building. Stow writes that it was great antiquity," and in proof mentions, among other things, the peculiar form of the arches in the windows, and the capitals of the columns, and the fact that Roman bricks might be found here and there amongst the stones of the building; 1-probably the debris of some former erection re-used-and Maitland supposes, that it may have been one of the first places of worship built in London by Alfred, after he had driven out its destroyers, the Danes.2

The first rector mentioned is J. Ewell, who had the king's letters of presentation to this church, dated February 5th 1346; and the earliest among the monuments whose memory has been handed down to us, is one to William Linchlade who died in the year 1392.

Stow gives a long list of the monuments that were within this church, with the epitaphs which they bore; one to Sir Richard Illingworth Baron of the Exchequer, a second to John Woodcock, Mayor about 1405, and others; and his successors have added the following singular effusion which appears to have been there ;

1 66

Hic jacet Tom Short-hose,

Sine tombe, sine sheets, sine riches;

Qui vixit sine gowne,

Sine cloake, sine shirt, sine breeches.1

He says,

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Survey," Strype's Edit. B. III. p. 76. very probable it is, that this church is at least, of as antient a standing as King Adelstane, the Saxon;" (Athelstane reigned from 925 to 941,) "who as the tradition says, had his house at the east end of this church. This king's house having a door also into Adel Street in this parish, gave name, as it is thought, unto the said Adel Street: which in all evidences to this day, is written, King Adel Street."

2 66 History of London,” p. 354,

3 Newcourt's " Repertorium," Vol. I. p. 236.

In the Register books it is stated that Cornelius Ihanson was married

In 1633 the church having become much dilapidated, Inigo Jones, Sir Henry Spiller, and other gentlemen were deputed to examine the state of it and report on the means to be adopted to uphold it. It was found however to be so much decayed, and in so dangerous a state, that they were obliged to take it down immediately to prevent accidents.

After some delay arising from the want of funds, the church was rebuilt by Jones, but very shortly afterwards was destroyed by the great fire of 1666. Sir Christopher Wren was then called in, and from his designs the present church was completed in the year 1685.

The right of presentation to the church, after the exchange made by the Abbot of St. Alban's, appears to have been possessed by the Master, brethren, and sisters of St. James' Hospital near Westminster; and continued to be so until some time after the death of King Henry VI. when we find it was vested in the Provost and Fellows of Eton College, near Windsor, (founded by that

here, November 4, 1572; and Malcolm asks (“ Londinium Redivivum,” Vol. II. p. 309,) whether this was an accidental concurrence of names, or whether he was the father of the celebrated painter, who lived in the "Black Friers," and whose first works in England are dated about 1618.

1 St. James' Palace now occupies the site of this hospital, which appears to have been founded for the reception of such as were afflicted with leprosy, at a very remote period, and is mentioned as early as the year 1100. when it was visited by the Abbot of St. Peter's Westminster. It became vested in King Henry VIII, about the year 1532, and he commenced the present palace. Of that which he erected, however, very little now remains excepting the gateway and turrets, facing St. James' Street, known as the Clock Tower.

The buildings destroyed by Henry VIII, judging from the many remains of stone mullions, labels, and other masonry, which were lately found there when taking down some parts of the Chapel Royal, were of the Norman period, and executed with no mean skill.