Gibson’s Almshouse and School, at Ratcliff, were founded by Nicholas Gibson, Esq; in the year 1537, for fourteen poor widows, seven of whom to be of Stepney parish, and the other seven of the Coopers company. The pensioners to have 1l. 6s. 8d. a year each; the school-master a salary of 10l. and an usher 6l. 13s. 4d. a year. But the estate with which this foundation is endowed being vastly improved, the Coopers company, who are his trustees, have lately increased the pensions to 5l. and 30 bushels of coals per annum, with a bounty of 10s. to each at Christmas; and the schoolmaster’s salary is also advanced to 23l. 6s. 8d. and the usher’s to 9l. 13s. 4d. Maitland.
Gibson’s court, 1. Marybon street.† 2. Narrow wall.†
Giddy Hall, at the farther end of Rumford in Essex, a very fine mansion house erected by the late Sir John Eyles, Lord Mayor of London.
Gilbert’s court, Monkwell street.†
Gilbert’s passage, Clare market.†
Gilbert’s street, Bloomsbury.†
St. Giles’s Cripplegate, at the east end of Redcross street, without the walls of London, is so denominated from its dedication to St. Giles, a Grecian and citizen of Athens, in the year 700, and from the neighbouring gate. A church was built in this place in the year 1030, which was destroyed by the fire of London in the year 1545; but the edifice erected in its room escaping the dreadful conflagration in 1666, is still standing, and is likely to continue so a long time.
This Gothic structure is 114 feet in length, 63 in breadth, 32 in height, and the tower with its turret 122 feet high. This tower is not gross in proportion to its height; and the turret on the top is light and open.
This church is a vicarage, the patronage of which is in the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul’s, and it is constituted a prebend of that cathedral by the name of Mora. The Vicar receives about 360l. a year by tithes.
In this church are many tombs, and here lies the body of the incomparable John Milton, the author of Paradise Lost.