but (how long I know not, they took a long Lease and rebuilt it, but pay a Ground Rent to William Russel of Stubbers in Essex, Esq; Son of Sir William Russel, Knt. sometime Alderman of London, deceased. This House hath been lately burnt down again; but is now by the said Brotherhood built up fairly a second time.

This Corporation, one of the considerablest in the Kingdom, is governed by a Master, four Wardens, eight Assistants, and the eldest Brothers of the Company, as they are called, one and thirty in all. The rest of their Company are called Younger Brothers, without any fixed Number: For any Seafaring Men that will, are admitted into the Society under that Name: But they are not in the Government.

They meet to chuse their Master commonly at Deptford Strond, but are not obliged to to do it, there; but the House there being their ancient House, they meet there by old Custom.

Their Meetings are commonly on Wednesdays and Saturdays here at their House in Water Lane, but their Courts are not fixed constantly to a set time, but as Occasion and Business requires. Their Coat of Arms is, Between a Cross Gules, four ships under Sail. The Crest, a Demy Lion crowned, Or, with a Sword in his right Paw. The Motto is, Trinitas in Unitate.

They are established by many Charters of the Princes of this Land.

Their Service and Use is, that they appoint all Pilots: They set and place the Buoys and Sea-Marks for the safe Direction of Ships in their Sailing. For which they have certain Duties payable by Merchant-Men. They can Licence poor Seamen, ancient and past going to Sea, to exercise the Calling of a Waterman upon the Thames, and take in Fares, tho' they have not been bound to any one Free of the Watermans Company. They do maintain in Pensions at this time two thousand poor Seamen, or their Widows; every one of which have at least Half a Crown paid them every first Monday in the Month, and some more, besides accidental distressed Seamen.

They have three fair Hospitals, built by themselves,; two at Deptford, and one at Mile End, near London. That at Mile End is a very handsome Structure with a fair Chapel, and is peculiar for decayed Sea-Commanders, Masters of Vessels, or such as have been Pilots, and their Widows.

And thus as they do a great deal of good, so they have large Revenues to do it with. Which arise partly, from Sums of Money given and bequeathed unto them from charitable Uses, partly from Houses and Lands also given them, and particularly and chiefly from Ballast. For they only have, by Act of Parliament, the benefit of providing Ballast for Ships in the Thames; and all Ships that take in Ballast pay them 12d. a Tun: For which it is brought to their Ship's side, which the Seamen find a good Convenience in, and are very well contented to pay it. They have also certain Light Houses as at Scilly and Dungeness in the West. To which Houses all Ships pay one Half Penny a Tun.

In their Hall there is an old Flag hanging up, which they say was taken from the Spaniards by Sir Fancis Drake, whose Picture hangeth up there. There is also the exact Model of a Ship of a great size rigged, enclosed in a Frame glazed round; the Gift of Sir Jeremy Smith: Likewise two large Globes enclosed, as was the Model of the Ship; the Gift of Sir Thomas Allen: Both Admirals of the Navy under K. Charles II. Divers Tables also hang up round this Hall, containing the Names of their Benefactors with the mention of their respective Gifts; and in their Parlour five large Plats drawn curiously and exactly by a Pen, describing certain Sea Fights in King Charles II's Time. Much more is shewn of them in the Fifth Book. Chap. xvi.]

Then is there Hart Lane, or Harp Lane, which likewise runneth down into Thames Street.

In this Hart Lane is the Bakers Hall, sometime the dwelling House of John Chichley, Chamberlain of London, who * was Son to William Chichley, Alderman of London, Brother to William Chichley, Arch Deacon of Canterbury, Nephew to Robert Chichley, Maior of London, and to Henry Chichley Archbishop of Canterbury.

This John Chichley (saith our Leyland) had four and twenty Children. Sir Tho. Kirrial of Kent, after he had been long Prisoner in France, married Elizabeth, one of the Daughters of this Chichley, by whom he had this Chichley's House.

This Elizabeth was secondly married to Sir Ralph Ashton, Knight Marshal: And thirdly, to Sir John Bourchier, Uncle to the late Bourchier, Earl of Essex, but she never had Child. Edward Poynings made part with Bourchier, and Elizabeth, to have Offenhanger in Kent, after their death, and entred into it, they living.

In Tower Street, between Hart Lane, and Church Lane, was a Quadrant, called Galley Row, because Gally Men dwelled there. Then have ye two Lanes out of Tower Street, both called Church Lanes, because one runneth down by the East End of St. Dunstan's Church, and the other by the West End of the same: Out of the West Lane, turneth another Lane, West toward Saint Mary Hill, and is called Fowl Lane, which is for the most part of Tower Street Ward.

This Church of St. Dunstan is called in the East, for difference from one other of the same Name in the West: It is a fair and large Church of an ancient Building, and within a large Church Yard: It hath a great Parish of many rich Merchants, and other Occupiers of divers Trades; namely Salters and Ironmongers.

This Church began to be repaired in the Year of our Lord God 1631. And was fully repaired, richly and very worthily beautified in the Year of our Lord 1633.

      Church Wardens.
Christopher Vincent,
John Dines,

I might here dilate and enlarge my self, by spreading this General into its Particulars: But for that, this shall suffice. The Decays of it were many and great, and consequently the Repairs. The many and great parts of it almost making up the whole, which may easily be believed by the Sum of this sumptuous Repair; the Charge of it amounting to 2400l. and upwards.

To the making up of which, many of the worthy Parishioners have lent to the Lord, in giving to this poor decayed Church very large Sums. And of such Givers thus the Lord saith, He that giveth to the Poor, lendeth to the Lord.

Concerning this Church of St. Dunstan's in the East, there is this remakable Passage recorded, that the Lord L'Estrange and his Wife, did publick Penance, after the manner of Penitents, from St. Paul's to this Church; because they gave a Cause of Murder in the same Church, and polluted it.]

In the Choir, John Kennington, Parson, there buried, 1374.