This Yeare fourth Edward York’s farre fam’d renowne
Circled his temples with great Albion’s crowne;
When over reading the memoriale
Of Salop’s Draper’s Ancient Hospitale,
Founded in honour of the sacred Deity,
He own’d and stiled them then, the blest Society;
And with his Parliament’s sage approbation
Deigned them his Charter for a Corporation,
Which to confirme Himself was pleas’d to be
The Royal Founder of their Companie,
Granting immunities of large extent,
Which stand his bounties gratefull monument.Edwardo 4º regi Anglorum
Gloriosissimo monumentum
Hoc posuit Pannariorum
Salopiensium grata Societas.
Returning from this hall, which is the only one appropriated to its original purpose, to the left is Dogpole (from Doke or Duck, to decline, and Poll, the head or summit); the street having an abrupt descent towards the river, to which there was formerly a communication.
To the right is St. Mary’s Street and the Almshouses. This street was very narrow until the year 1824, when several old buildings were taken down. Pursuing our course along Church Street, we pass the site and remnant of a half-timbered house, distinguished by gables, which formed a portion of
JONES’S MANSION,
in which the Duke of York resided when he accompanied his royal father to this town in 1642. It was also the abode of “Prince Rupert, when he joined his uncle after the brilliant action of Worcester.” This house was built by Thos. Jones, Esq. whose burial is noticed in the account of the adjoining church of St. Alkmond. Leaving that sacred edifice to the left, and turning a few yards to the right, we arrive at the Double Butcher Row, a street chiefly occupied by butcher’s shambles, and where is an
ANCIENT TIMBER HOUSE,
considered to be one of the oldest and largest of this kind of buildings of which our town displays so many specimens.
The projecting stories are sustained by elegant brackets, and the angle uprights enriched with small pointed arches, carved with trefoil and other decorations. Along the front basement is a cloister of wooden arches obtusely pointed.—This building, 60 feet in length, is now divided into smaller habitations. History is silent as to the time, or by whom this edifice was erected, nor have we any decided information of its primary occupancy.
From the appearance of the cloister, it has been conjectured that it was a religious house, inhabited by the chauntry priests of the fraternity of the Holy Cross in St. Alkmund’s church. But from its extent it is more likely to have been the town mansion of the Abbot of Lilleshull, who had a residence in this part of the parish, and to which monastery the patronage of the church belonged.
