This church is a rectory, in the gift of the Principal and Scholars of King’s Hall and Brazen Nose College, Oxford. The Incumbent’s profits, according to Mr. Maitland, amount to about 350l. per annum.
St. Mary Woolchurch-Haw, stood on the east side of Stocks market, in Walbrook ward, and received its additional appellation from a beam in the church yard for the weighing of wool; for in that church yard was anciently kept the wool staple: but this church being destroyed by the fire of London, and not rebuilt, the parish was annexed to the church of St. Mary Woolnoth. Maitland.
St. Mary Woolnoth, at the corner of Sherborne lane, and adjoining to the Post Office in Lombard street, is supposed to derive its additional epithet of Woolnoth from its being almost contiguous to the above wool staple, whence it might be called Woolneah or Woolnigh, which, by an easy transition, might pass into Woolnoth.
We read of a church with the same addition in 1355. The last suffered by the fire in 1666, when every thing within it was destroyed but the walls; however, being soon after repaired, it continued in a very crazy condition, till it was appointed to be one of the fifty new churches to be erected within the bills of mortality.
In digging a foundation for the present church in 1716, there were discovered, at the depth of fifteen, and twenty-two feet, a great variety of Roman earthen vessels, both for sacred and profane uses; but all broken, together with a considerable number of the tusks and bones of boars and goats, with several medals and pieces of metal; some tesselated work, a part of an aqueduct, and at the bottom of all a well full of dirt, which was no sooner removed, than a fine spring arose, in which is placed a pump with an iron bason. By the great quantity of pot-sheards, &c. found in this place, Mr. Maitland is of opinion, that here was a pottery; and from the tusks and bones he imagines, that near this place stood the temple of Concord, mentioned by the Romans.
The new church was finished in the year 1719, and is a very handsome structure built with stone. On the north side which fronts Lombard street, instead of windows there are three very large and lofty niches adorned with Ionic columns, and surrounded with a bold rustic. Over these is a large cornice, upon which is placed a balustrade. The entrance is at the well end by a lofty rustic arch, over which rises an oblong tower, ornamented with six Composite columns in the front, and two on the sides; upon this is raised a lesser tower of the same form crowned with a balustrade, from the center of which rises a flag staff with a fane. The windows are on the south side, where the edifice is intirely surrounded with houses.
It would be impossible, perhaps, to find a place in the whole city where the principal ornaments of a building could be more completely concealed. The tower can no where be seen to advantage, and can scarce any where be seen at all, except on the roofs of the neighbouring houses and the opposite garret windows: a great deal of expence has therefore been here thrown away in ornaments, to very little purpose.
The advowson of this church was in the Prioress and Convent of St. Helen’s in Bishopsgate street, till at their dissolution they fell to the Crown; when King Henry VIII. granted it to Sir Martin Bowes, in whose family it has ever since continued. The Rector, besides casualties, receives about 22l. a year in glebe, and 160l. per annum, in lieu of tithes.
Masons. This company had their arms granted by Clarencieux, King at arms, in the year 1477, though the members were not incorporated by letters patent, till they obtained them from King Charles II. in 1677. This fraternity is governed by a Master, two Wardens, twenty-two Assistants, and seventy Liverymen, whose fine on admission is 5l. They have a small convenient hall in Masons alley, Basinghall street. Maitland.
Masons alley, Basinghall street; so called from Masons hall within it.