The Sun.
London, England, 1822-11-14 00:00:00

BERMONDSEY ABBEY.

The remains of this very ancient Monastery,
which but a few years since presented so vener-
able an appearance, are almost wholly annihilat-
ed. All the part which adjoins Bermondsey
church-yard is formed into a new street, and a
solitary fragment or two of stone wall, in what
is called King John's-court, together with a few
old buildings there, is all that now exists to point
out the site of this once celebrated religious
foundation. As these are likely, from the great
improvement going on, soon to share the same
fate, our antiquarian readers will not be dis-
pleased if we lay before them some local infor-
mation which we have gained during a long ac-
quaintance with the interesting spot, together with
a few historical particulars of the Abbey itself.—
T he name of Bermondsey, or Bermundesey, as it is
spelt in the Doomsday Survey, is of uncertain deri-
vation,but is said to be compounded of Beormund , a
proper name of some early proprietor, and ea or
eye, a termination signifying a place near the water-
side or river. The manor at the Conquest be-
longed to Harold, but on that event was seized
by the Crown, at which period it was valued at
151. per annum. The Monastery was founded
in 1082, by one Ailicomblued, a citizen of Lon-
don, for monks of the Cluniac order, a cargo of
which had just before been imported hither,
through the favour of Lanfranc, Archbishop of
Canterbury, from the priory of La Charite, in
France, to which this establishment was at first a
cell. Edward 111. seized this, among the other
alien Priories, in 1371, but withi❑ a few years, on
the intercession of the then Prior, backed by a fine
of 200 marks, and some other concessions, he re-
stored it to all its rights and privileges. Richard
11., 1380, released the convent from its subjec-
tion as one of the alien Priories, and made it
it denizen, at the same time converting it into a❑
Abbey. It was surrendered, at the general disso-
lution of religious houses in 1539, by Robert
Wharton, then Abbot, who was allowed a pen-
sion at 3331. Gs. Bd. a year for his ready com-
pliance with the King's wishes. The monks had
pensions of 101. and 51. a year, according to their
degrees. From the foundation to the dissolution,
there had presided over this Convent forty-five
Priors and five Abbots. The first Prior, named
Peter, or Petreius, was one of the original monks
who came over from France, and died in 1119;
the last was named John Attelburgh, who was
made the first Abbot, and who resigned in 1399.
There were three Priors between him and the
Robert Wharton just mentioned. We do not
know much of the history attached to this Ab-
bey, but what there is is interesting. That it
was a place of considerable importance is evi-
denced by a number of provincial chapters being
held at it, as also its being made use of occa-
sionally by the Court for their meetings on state
affairs. Thus, at Chrismas, 1154, King Henry
11., immediately after his first coronation, held
his Court here, where he treated with his Nobles
on the state of the kingdom. In the reign of
Henry 111., many of the Nobility having taken
the Cross, met here to deliberate on the order of
their journey. And some years afterwards, Wil-
liam de Eborum, and his fellow Justices itinerant,
held their assizes here. In this Convent Cathe-
rine, the Dowager Queen of Henry V., died
in 1436-7, as did another Queen, Elizabeth Grey,
widow of Edward IV., in 1486. The latter was
confined here by her jealous son-in-law, Henry
VII. Her will, made just before her death, and
which is printed in Nichols's Collection of Royal
Wills, bequeaths only a few trifles, of little value,
which seem to have been all she then possessed,
and is justly characterised by a late writer as a
complete specimen of Royal poverty. The corpse
of Thomas de Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester,
rested here some days, on its way to interment
in Westminster Abbey. And, amongst other
eminent persons buried in the conventual church,
were Leofstane, Provost of London ; Mary, sis-
ter to Maud, Queen of Henry 1., and daughter
to Malcolm 111., King of Scotland ; William de
Moreton, Earl of Cornwall ; Margaret de la Pole
(1473) ; Dame Aime Audley, relict of John Lord
Audley (1497), &c.—On the dissolution, this fine
Monastery was granted to Sir Thomas Pope, who
pulled down the ancient church, highly interest-
ing for the interments there just noticed, and on
a variety of other accounts, and built himself a
magnificent residence on its site. This, with part
of the grounds attached, was conveyed, in 1554-5,
to Sir Robert Southwell, by the description of
"Bermondsey House," with the orchards, edifices,
and gardens, thereto pertaining ; as also a stable,
barn, pasture, and ponds, lying on the backside
of the said orchards, containing all together
twenty acres. The house afterwards, according
to Pennant, was occupied by the Ratcliffs, Earls
of Sussex, one of whom he tells us, Thomas the
great rival of the favourite Earl of Leicester,
breathed his last within these walls. A consider-
able part of the site of the Monastery, or its
precincts, was sold by Sir Thomas Pope to
Wharton, the last Prior, and having passed
through various hands, was some years since the
property of William Richardson, Esq. in whose
garden was an ancient wall, with crosses and
various emblematic devices worked in glazed
brick ; the remainder of the site was lately, for
the most part, if not entirely, the property of
William Smith, Esq. of Chiswick. Some hints,
as to the ancient monastic buildings are given in
the accounts of the Priors here, but they only
mention a part of them. Prior Richard, its 1213,
built an almonry or hospital next the Priory, for
indigent children and necessitous converts, which
was called St. Thomas's Hospital of Bermond-
sey ; and a new cloister and refectory are men-
' tioned as having been erected by another of
the Priors. The church, which the Doomsday
Survey, compiled in 1083, describes as new and
beautiful, had a nave and choir, presbytery, high
alter of St. Saviour, and various minor altars, but it
is not' further described. The remains of buildings
lately standing, consisted of the principal Abbey
gateway, and an ancient building adjoining, and
some arches and fragments of the original pile in
other situations, but only of minor importance,
together with large fragments of the surrounding
walls . The principal of the erections of later
date were the shell of Sir Thomas Pope's house,
or, more properly, Bermondsey House, which

stood next Bermondsey Church-yard, ands°lll:
other old buildings, apparently of the same gin '
in King John's Court. Some of the rooms
these exhibited remains of decayed grandeuer"
and were well worth seeing. All these, hler,„."
as we first stated, are now destroyed.-- -'l-1;
rnondsey-street," Pennant says, " may at preSe
be called the great woolstaple of the kiag"l3l;
as here reside numbers of merchants, who s,u.„PPO5t
Rochdale, Leicester, Dekby, Exeter, and ""d.,,,t
other weaving counties in the kingdom, with `fa
commodity." It is still, perhaps,better known of
the tanners. These are a chartered Cornr3 by
(having been incorporated by Queen Anne, ra.
the name of cc the Master, Wardens, and
the
monalty of the art or mystery of Tanners, 01.0,
parish of St. Mary Magdalen, BermondseY• )bo,
They are very numerous, and carry on their
art.
siness to a greater extent than in any other 113 e,
of the kingdom. From a mutual connexiondji,
tween the several trades, there are also, in a ni
tion to the woolstaplers, fellmongers, curriers,a.„,
leather-dressers, and some parchment-makeV;ri,
The water-side is occupied by rope-0'1,1:0,
anchor-smiths, stave-merchants, boat-buhu" r-
and persons employed in finishing various $O,,
titles of rigging for the navy. There are to,
small docks. The calico-printing and dying this
siness are carried on also in a small degree ;flair
parish, and there are some pin and neenip
makers. In 1641, the parish was said to c°l/lich
514 acres of land, a considerable part of " $
has since been built on. Of the remaindAero'c.
great part, until lately, was grass land, an"hpre,
cupied by cow-keepers. There was no corn "1,- be
but there were 110 acres of garden ground• " ,
parish was assessed at 39541. Os. 9d. to the 'a,,,10
tax, which, in 1792. Mr. Lyssons reclanis
2.5. 9d. in the pound.