fourteen Acres of Land, lying in the Field next adjoining the said Clarks Well, thereupon to build an House of Religious Persons, which he builded to the Honour of God, and the Assumption of our Lady; and placed therein black Nuns. This Jorden Briset, gave also to that House one Piece of Ground, thereby to build a Windmil upon, &c. Upon the Dissolution of this Priory, it became a Parish Church, called St. James Clerkenwel. About the Year 1623 the Steeple fell down, having stood time out of Mind without any Reparation; nor among the Records of that Church could any Mention be found of any such Thing. This Steeple in the rebuilding thereof, and being near finishing, fell again, upon the Undertakers Neglect in not looking into the Strength of that upon which he was to rear such a Burthen. With the Steeple fell the Bells, their Carriages and Frames, beating a great Part of the Roof down before them, the Weight of all these together, bearing to the Ground two large Pillars of the South Ile, a fair Gallery over against the Pulpit, the Pulpit , all the Pews, and whatsoever was under, or near it.

But all these Decays and Ruins were recovered and made whole again, the Walls firm and fair; and a new Door made in the South Wall. And the Church furnished with all things new, and without and within beautified. And moreover the Steple begun from the Ground, and raised as high as the Roof of the Church. And all this thus far finished in the Year 1627. cost 1400l. or much upon that Sum. Notwithstanding there was then much to do.]

The East Part of this Church with the Communion Table, was repaired and beautify'd about the Year 1638. As appeareth by what is writ upon the Wainscot there; viz. This Wainscoting, Railing and Pewing of this Communion Table, was done Novemb. 20. Ann. Dom. 1638. at the sole Charge of Richard Cook, Innkeeper, dwelling at the Red Lyon in Grays Inn Lane: Who married with Suan the third Daughter of John Goodcote, of this Parish, Grazier, who was Churchwarden, An. 1588. And the Commandments finished, Ann. Dom. 1639.

This Church was beautifyed and repaired again, at the Cost of the Inhabitants of this Parish, 1696.

The Living of Clerkenwel is a Curacy. The Parish are the Impropriators: Who pay the Minister 11l. 15s. per An. 5l. for reading Prayers, and the rest for a Monthly Preparation Sermon, being the Gift of some body deceased. But besides, there is a Yearly voluntary Subscription made amounting to an 100l. He hath also five Shillings for every Burial in the Church; and half as much for Burial in the Churchyard. But the Ground in the Church belongeth to the Parish.]

There were buried antiently in the Priory, Briset, the Founder, and Muriel his Wife, in the Chapter House there. And there lie also buried in this Church John Wykes, Esq; and Isabel, his Wife, Dame Agnes Clifford, Ralph Thimbleby, * Esq; Dame Jahan †, Baroness of Greystock, Dame Jahan Lady Ferrars, [Dame Katharine Grene, Agnes Wife of Thomas Batman.] &c.

And of later Time in the Parish Church, Constantius Bennet, a Greek born, he gave two Houses, the one in St. Johns street, the other in Turnmil street, the Rents of them to be distributed in Coals every Year against Christmas, to the Poor of that Parish.

Here under lieth buried buried Francis White, the fourteenth Son of Sir Thomas White of Southwerborne, Knight, deceased, and of Lady Anne, his Wife: Who dyed at his Age of sixreen, the last Day of February, Ann. Dom. 1566. he being their nineteenth Child.

Hic jacet Isabella Sackuil, quæ fuit Priorissa nuper Prioratus de Clerkenwel, tempore dissolutionis ejusdem Prioratus. Quæ obiit 21. Octobris, Anno Domini, Millesimo Quingentesimo Septuagesimo, & Anno Reginæ Elizabethæ Dei gratia, &c. Duodecimo.

Under this Stone lieth the Body of the good charitable, and vertuous Gentlewoman, Mrs. Anne Blunt, Daughter unto Walter Blunt, of Blunt Hall in the County of Stafford, Esq; and Sister unto the Right Worshipful, the Lady Paulet, deceased, and to the Lady Sidenham, now living. Which Anne died the 24th Day of April, Ann. Dom. 1504.

Contegit hoc marmor Doctorem nomine Bellum,
Qui bene tum rexit Præsulis officium.
Moribus, ingenio, vitæ pietate vigebat,
Laudatus cunctis, cultus & eloquio.
Anno Domini, 1556. die August. 11.

There is an ancient Marble Tomb in the North Wall of the Chancel, with the Figure of a dead Man by, in his Shrowd: and all the Plates are Stolen away, only one Piece remaining, containing these Words:

Hospitalitate inclytus, genere præclarus: There an Arms, Hanc urna officii causa.

The Effigies on this Tomb, which was supported with Pillars, is the Sceleton of a Man most artificially wrought. It was intended to represent Sir William Weston, the last Lord Prior of St. Johns of Jerusalem, who dyed Ann. 1540. The Inscription is fuller in Wevers Monuments. This was of late broken and sunk. Mr. Howard in the Year 1704. being Churchwarden was minded to repair and make up this Tomb, and bade the Labourers dig where it was, in order thereunto. And near the Surface they met with a leaden Coffin with the Figure of a Cross on the Top; the Lead was all firm, only a small Hole on the Top towards the Feet. He strictly commanded them to interr the said Corps as they found it. But the Workmen among themselves opened it, and found nothing (as they were ready to swear) but all decayed to Bones and Dust; only they found a Liquid Matter at the bottom of the Coffin. Wever hath given a larger Account of this Religious Knight and his Monument.

On a Brass Plate fastned to this Monument, were these Words inscribed;

Spes me non fallat, quam in te semper habebam,
Virgo, da facilem votis natum, &c.

And on another Plate.

Ecce, quem cernis, semper tuo nomini devotum,
Suscipe in sinum, Virgo Maria, tuum.]

Here lieth the Body of the Lady Elizabeth Ascough, sometime the Wife of William Dallyson, one of the Justices of the Kings Bench: And afterward Wife to Sir Francis Ascough, Knight. The which Lady departed this Life the six Day of December, Ann. Dom. 1570.

And here also lieth William Dallison, Esq; Eldest Son to the said William and Elizabeth. Which William the Son deceased the ninth Day of Nov. Ann. Dom. 1585.

Here lieth the Body of Francis Butler, fourth Son of Sir John Butler, of Hatfield Woodhall in the County of Kent, Knight. Ob. 4. Martii, 1615.