‘The Acompte of Willyam Galle and Hery Bumpsted, Wardeyns of London Bredge, from Mychelmasse Anno xxij. Edw. iiij. into Mychelmasse after, and ij yeres folowynge. The Charge. First the areragis of the last acompte, ij. C. lxvij. li. xiiij. s. ob.’—£267. 14s. 0½. ‘Item, all maner resaytis the same yere, vij. C. xlvi. li. xvi. s. ob. Somma, M. xiiij. li. x. s. i. d.’—£1014. 10s. 1d. ‘Allowans and paymentis the same yere, vij. C. xliiij. li. x. s. ij. d. ob. Rest that is owyng ij. C. lxx. li. xix. s. x. d. ob.—Wherof is dew by Edward Stone and odur, of ther arrearagis in ther tyme, liij. li. vj. s. vj. d. ob. Item, ther is diew by the sayd Wyllyam Galle and Hery Bumpstede, Somma, ij. C. xvij. li. xiij. s. iiij. d.’
‘The acompte the next yere suyng, from Mychelmasse in the first yere of the reign of King Rycharde the iij. vnto Mychelmasse next folowyng, the space of an hole yere. The Charge.
| Li. | s. | d. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ‘First the Areragis of the last acompte | ij.C.xvij. | xiij. | iiij. | |
| Item, proper rentis | v.C.lxviij. | xij. | iiij. | |
| Item, foreine rente | lix. | xi. | v. | ob. |
| Item, ferme of the Stockis | lix. | ix. | xi. | |
| Item, quite rente | xxxi. | xij. | vj. | |
| Item, passage of cartis | xx. | xij. | vij. | |
| Item, incrementis of rentis | — | vj. | vj. | |
| Item, casuell ressaitis | vi. | — | — |
“‘Somma of all their charge, ix.C.lxiij. li. vii. s. ix. d. ob.
“Allouaunce and Dischargis the same yere. Fyrst, in quyt rentis, xxx. li. xiiij. s. vj. d. To Saint Mary Spytell, wt annuities, l. s. viij. d. Item, decay of quyt rente, ix. li. iij. s. viij. d. ob. Item, allowaunce for store-houses, xxxv. s. iiij. d. Item, in vacacions, xxxiiij. li. xvij. s. iij. d. Item, in decrements, iij. li. vij. s. i. d. Item, allowaunce for money delyuerd to the Mayre, xl. li. Item, for buying of stone, xvij. li. xiij. s. iiij. d. Item, for buying of tymbre, lath, and bord, li. li. xi. s. v. d. Item, for buying of tyle and brik, xiij. li. ix. s. iij. d. Item, for buying of chalke, lime, and sond, xxiiij. li. xi. s. xi. d. Item, for yren werke, xxxij. li. viij. s. iij. d. q. Item, requisites bought, xviij. li. viij. s. iiij. d. Item, in expencis, viij. li. xviij. s. xi. d. Item, costis of cariage, xij. li. xix. s. vj. d. Item, led and sowder, xiij. li. viij. s. Item, for glasyng, xxxvij. s. i. d. Item, costis of the rame, xxxiij. li. vj. s. ix. d. Item, masons wagis, xlviij. li. xviij. s. iiij. d. ob. Item, Carpenters wages, C. xiiij. li. v. s. Item, laborers wages, xxij. li. x. s. ix. d. ob. Item, Costis of the Chapel, xxxiij. li. v. s. iij. d. Item, the wagis of the tylers, xij. li. xij. s. vi. d. Item, for wagis of the dawbir, xij. li. vi. s. Item, for sawiars, xij. li. xv. s. vi. d. Item, for wagis of paviours, xviij. s. viij. d. Item, to the Baker at the Cok, l. s. Item, for fees and wagis of Officers, lxix. li. vi. s. viij. d. Rewardis of Officers, xxiij. li. vi. s. viij. d. Item, expencis vpon the auditours, xlij. s. viij. d. Somme of all the paymentis and allowaunce, vij. C. xx. li. ix. s. iiij. d. qu.:’ or £720. 9s. 4¼d. ‘Reste, CC. xlij. li. xviij. s. vi. d. qu. Wherof is owynge and dieu by Edward Stone, for arereage in his tyme, Somma liiij. li. vi. s. vi. d. Item, by W. Galle and H. Bumpsted, C. lxxxix. li. xi. s. xi. d. ob. qu.’
“The last document of this nature recorded in ‘Arnold’s Chronicle,’ is for the year 1484, and it contains the following particulars.—‘Ther Acompte, Anno ij. Ric. Tercij. The Charge. First, the arreragis of ther last acompte, C. lxxxix. li. xi. s. xi. d. ob. qu. Item, all maner ressaitis, vii. C. xliiij. li. x. s. v. d. qu. Somma of the Charge, ix. C. xxxiiij. li. ij. s. iiij. d. Discharge. Fyrst, allowaunce of paymentis the same yere, vi. C. xxiij. li. iiij. s. x. d. Soo there remayneth the somme CCC. x. li. xvij. s. v. d. ob. Wherof is dieu by Edward Stone and other of their arrerage in their tyme, liij. li. vi. s. vi. d. ob. And soo remayneth clerly dieu by William Gale and Herry Bounsted CC. lvij. li. x. s. xi. d.’ I must not omit to notice, before quitting these particulars of the ancient expenses of London Bridge, that they are to be found also printed in Maitland’s ‘History,’ volume i., pages 48, 49.
“We have frequently, in the course of these fragmenta, mentioned various officers set over the affairs of London Bridge, and some of the instruments which I have quoted, have shewn that several of them were anciently appointed by the King’s Writ or Patent. The principal of these Officers are two Bridge-Masters, having certain fees and profits, yearly elected, or continued, by the Livery at the Common Hall, held upon Midsummer day, after the Sheriffs and Chamberlain. Strype, the continuator of Stow’s ‘Survey,’ whose signature is J. S., states, in volume ii., page 25, that the Bridge-Master is some freeman elected by the City and set over the Bridge-House, ‘to look after the reparations of the Bridge;’ he adds, too, that ‘he hath a liberal salary allowed him; and that the place hath sometimes been a good relief for some honest citizens fallen to decay.’ We are also farther told by the same author, on page 472 of the same work and volume, that at a Court of Common Council, held on Friday, April 15th, 1491, in the 6th year of King Henry VII., it was enacted that at the election of Bridge-Master, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen should annually present four men to the Commonalty, from whom they were to elect two to be Bridge-Masters. This act appears to have been in force until Thursday, April the 15th, 1643, when it was repealed, and the whole election has since remained in the Livery. Of the names and ancient fees of these Bridge-Masters I have already given you some specimens, and shall cite you several others in the future years of our history.
“We must again be indebted to ‘Arnold’s Chronicle’ for a fragment illustrative of the property, persons, and houses, in the Parish of St. Magnus, and on London Bridge, in the year 1494; for on page 224 of that mass of singular information, we find an article entitled ‘The Valew and stynt of the Benefyce of St. Magnus at London Brydge yerly to the Person. The Rekenyng of the same the fyrst day of Decembre, Anno Domini M. CCCC. lxxxxiiij.’ I am not going to give you the long bead-roll of names, rents, and rates which follow; but I shall observe that, at this period, the rents amounted to £434. 12s. 8d., and the offerings paid to the Parson came to £75. 8s. 8½d. The rent of ‘the Shoppis in Brig-strett,’ amounted to £70. 3s. 4d., and their offerings to £12. 3s. 3d.; but the only building that is mentioned as immediately connected with our present subject is ‘the Ymage of our Lady on the Brydge, valet iiij marke,’ or £2. 13s. 4d. You may, perhaps, remember that this very article from ‘Arnold’s Chronicle,’ was afterwards printed in a small volume commonly supposed to have been compiled by the learned Dr. Brian Walton, Bishop of Chester, and Editor of the famous London Polyglot Bible, in 1657. This tract is entitled ‘A Treatise concerning the payment of Tythes and Oblations in London. By B. W., D. D.;’ 1641, 4to., and the original manuscript, written in an ancient hand on folio paper, is, to our delight, yet remaining in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth Palace, No. 273. Whilst I am speaking of this collection, I may observe that it contains another manuscript in which are some few curious particulars concerning the buildings on London Bridge. This is marked No. 272; was written in 1638, on folio paper; and is entitled ‘A Catalogue of inhabitants of the several Parishes in London, with the rent of houses and tythes paid out of them; in order to a new settlement of Tythes.’ The contents of this manuscript set forth not only the names of the dwellers in the various houses, but also ‘a moderate valuacion’ of them, ‘and other things tithable;’ wherein, however, it is added, of St. Magnus, that ‘the Parish would not ioyne.’ This district forms article 48 of the volume, and we find mentioned in it the following buildings ‘on London Bridge.’ ‘One great house, shop, warehouse, cellars, &c. clear value £50., Tithes, £1. 16s.; it hath bin letten for above £8.’—‘One faire house and shop, part of the Little Nonesuch,’ value £40., Tythes, £1. 7s. 6d.; and the same for the other part. ‘One Ale-cellar, Tythes, 3s.’ On the South side of Great Thames Street, the following buildings are mentioned connected with the Bridge: ‘One house, wharf, and Engines to carry water, valued at £500. cleere profitt.’—‘One great house divided into divers tenements, Bridge-House Rents, over them, value £20.’
“In giving you these particulars, I must own that I have considerably anticipated the period to which they belong, but as it is my wish to say something of the history of St. Magnus’ Parish, it could scarcely be more properly introduced than when we were noticing the ancient amount of its tythes, &c. The earliest mention of the Church of St. Magnus is said by Pennant to be in 1433, though Stow speaks of several monuments considerably older; and if you will turn to Newcourt’s ‘Repertorium Ecclesiasticum,’ volume i., page 396, you will find that Hugh Pourt, one of the Sheriffs of London, in 1302, and Margaret his wife, founded a perpetual Chantry in this edifice: and further, that the list of Rectors commences with Robert de Sancto Albano, who resigned his office on the 31st of August, 1323. There was also a Guild, or Fraternity, called ‘Le Salve Regina,’ held in this Church, as Stow shows you in his ‘Survey,’ volume i., page 495, which was flourishing in the 17th year of Edward III.,—1343.—The intent of that convention will best be shewn by an extract from Stow’s translation of the certificate of this species of religious Benefit Society, which is as follows:—‘Be it remembered that Rauf Capeleyn, du Bailiff; William Double, Fishmonger; Roger Lowher, Chancellor; Henry Boseworth, Vintener; Stephen Lucas, Stock-Fishmonger; and other of the better sort of the Parish of St. Magnus, near the Bridge of London, of their great devotion, and to the honour of God and his glorious Mother, our Lady Mary the Virgin, began, and caused to be made a Chantry, to sing an Anthem of our Lady called ‘Salve Regina,’ every evening: and thereupon ordained five burning wax lights at the time of the said anthem, in the honour and reverence of the five principal joys of our Lady aforesaid, and for exciting the people to devotion at such an hour, the more to merit to their souls. And thereupon many other good people of the same Parish, seeing the great honesty of the said service and devotion, proferred to be aiders and parteners to support the said lights and the said anthem to be continually sung; paying to every person every week an halfpenny. And so that hereafter, with the gift that the people shall give to the sustentation of the said light and anthem, there shall be to find a Chaplain singing in the said Church for all the benefactors of the said light and anthem.’
“I do not find that the Patron Saint of this edifice is at all mentioned by Alban Butler; nor are all writers perfectly agreed as to who he actually was; seeing that there were two Saints named Magnus, whose festival day was kept on the 19th of August. One of these was Bishop of Anagnia in Italy, and was martyred in the persecution raised by the Emperors Decius and Valerian, about the middle of the third century after the Birth of Christ. The other St. Magnus; was the person to whom Newcourt supposes this Church was dedicated, though he erroneously calls his feast August the 18th. He is named, by way of distinction, St. Magnus the Martyr of Cæsarea, in Cappadocia, because he suffered at that City, under Alexander the Governor, in the time of the Emperor Aurelian, A. D. 276. Having vainly endeavoured to make him do sacrifice, he caused him to be twice exposed to the flames of a furnace, and thrice to be thrown to wild beasts; but none of these things moving him, he was at length stoned, and when all imagined that he was dead, he suddenly prayed that his soul might have a peaceful exit, and presently gave up the ghost. An extended history of these famous men, you will find in that wonderful work the ‘Acta Sanctorum,’ which I have before quoted, in the third volume for August, pages 701-719: though there is a much longer account of the Swedish St. Magnus, the Abbot, whose festival is September the 6th, and whom I pray you never to mistake for the Martyr of London Bridge. The Rectory of St. Magnus, says the tract which I last quoted from the Lambeth Library, is rated higher in his Majesty’s books than any living in, or about, London, being valued at £69. and 40s. more in pensions, but is without any glebe attached to it. Before I close these spicilegia of the rents, &c. of St. Magnus and London Bridge, I must observe to you that when Arnold is speaking in his ‘Chronicle’ of the fifteenths raised by every Ward in London, he states, at page 48, that the quarter of the Bridge itself, at a fifteenth, amounted to £14. 3s. 4d.; and that the Bridge-street quarter produced £11. 5s. 8d. So much then for a few particulars of the history of this Church and Parish, the North-East boundary of London Bridge, to the Chronicles of which we shall now return, taking them up again with the year 1497.