The Sun.
London, England, 1822-10-19 00:00:00

CROSBY-HOUSE, BISHOPSGATE STREET.

—" Presently repair to ChosßY-HousE,
Where, after I have solemnly inter'd
At Chertsey monastery, this injur'd King,
—I will with all convenient duty see you."

Rich. 111.
Few places in the metropolis more claim the
notice of the antiquary and historia❑ than
Crosby-House. Besides its mention by Shaks-
peare, as one of the remarkable scenes in the
drama we have quoted, it possesses, at a build-
ing, the highest interest, being at this moment.
notwithstanding all the mutilations it has suffer-
ed, one of the finest specimens of Gothic archi-
tectufe, as well as examples of domestic resi-
dence, of its kind, any where to be met with.
Stowe's account of this house and its founder
is short, but has been enlarged on by his com-
mentators. He tells us, "It was built by Sir
John Crosby, grocer and woolman, in the time
of King Edward the Fourth, in place of certain
tenements demised to him by Alice Ashfield,
Prioress, and the convent of St. Helen, for ninety
nine years, viz. from 1466 to 1565, and was
finished in 1471, being at that time esteemed the
highest in London. Sir John died in 1475, so
short a space," he adds, " enjoyed he that large
and sumptuous building."
Strype, and other writers, add to the above
• information, that besides being the residence,
after Crosby's decease, of Richard, Duke of
Gloucester, afterwards Richard 111. this splen-
did mansion was inhabited by a number of dis-

tinguished persons ; and particularly that two
Lord Mayors of London, Sir John Spencer and
Sir James Longhorn, kept their Mayoralty here.
In the reign of James I. and Charles I. Fo-
reign Ambassadors were occasionally lodged at
Crosby House ; and the Parliament, during the
civil wars (as it did by several other great man-
sions in London) converted it into a prison for
loyalists. The celebrated Sir Kenelm Digby,
was one of those, and is here said to have com-
posed some of his pieces. The greater part of it
was, soon after the Restoration, pulled down to
erect the present Crosby-square, and the great
hall (one of the finest parts still remaining) was,
about the middle of the, last century, occupied

as a Dissenting Meeting-house. This latter, to-
gether with some other of the premises, has for
several years been held on lease by Messrs. Holmes
and Hall, packers ; the rest is differently ap-
propriated, as we shall presently describe, in giv-
ing a further account of the building itself.
The will of Sir John Crosby acquaints us with
several curious particulars of this House, as well
as some of himself, which are rendered, by re-
moteness of time, and the little known of either,
particularly interesting. From that and other
authorities we learn that this eminent citizen
stood first among the great commercial men of
his day, both for the extensiveness of his deal-
ings and his wealth. Stowe mentions a vulgar
tradition respecting him current in his time,
" that he was named Cros-bi of being found by
a cross," which he treats as a fable ; and from
different documents it appears that he was re-
spectably descended, his ancestor, Johan de
Crosseby, or Crosby, having been one of the
King's Clerks in Chancery, in the reign of Ed-
ward 11., and another of them mentioned in the
reign of Henry IV. Successful in trade, he early
rose to civic and other honours. lie was elected
an Alderman of London, and subsequently one
of the City Representatives in Parliament; served
the office of Sheriff of London, in conjunction
with John Ward (Mayor i❑ 1484), and was
afterwards promoted to the important post of
Mayor of the Staple at Calais.
In 1470, he attained the honour of Knight-
hood, which was conferred on himself, and eleven
others, in the field, by King Edward IV., for
their fidelity in resisting the attempts of the
Bastard Falconbridge to surprise the city. He
had previously served the office of Warden of the
Grocers' Company, of which he was a member,
and to whom he left the direction of some noble
charities ; and it is probable filled at different
times many other respectable situations.
His great wealth is apparent from the number
and amount of the legacies he left, and other pro-
perty ; among which are the following :-661. to
his parish-church of St. Helen's, Bishopsgate-
street, in lieu of his tithes-forgotten ; 500 marks
towards the repair of the same church, and 400
marks more to find a priest there to say mass for
his soul ; 401. to the prioress and convent of St.
Helen, of whom he held the lease of his house in
Bishopsgate-street ; 100 marks to celebrate his
anniversary obit ; 401. to the parish-church of
Hanewot th, Middlesex (of which, and the manor,
he was owner) ; 1001. towards the repair of Bis-
hopsgate ; 1001. towards building the tower on
London Bridge, called " Hulpes ;" and in vari-
ous bequests to prisons, convents, &c. upwards of
1001. more ; besides private gifts to relations,
friends, and servants, to the amount of 3301. and
240 marks. In all upwards of 2,0001; a great
sum for that age !
To his widow, in lieu of her dower or thirds,
2,0001. in money, and all her clothes and jewels ;
his own clothes, armour, and jewels ; all his
household (furniture), whole as it was, in the
mansion of St. Helen's ; all his plate of gold,
and of silver gilt, and of parcel gilt, and of silver
white ; all his ware and merchandize in the same
house at St.:Helen's, (his merchandize in other
places excepted) ; all the remainder of the term
and estate in the mansion at St. Helen's, &c. His
manor of Hatieworth, and estates in Feltham,
Middlesex, and other places, he leaves to the
child of whom he supposes his wife to be then
enciente, or, in failure of issue, to be otherwise
disposed of. The servants, &c. at Bishopsgate-
street, to whom he leaves legacies, amount to
twelve, exclusively of John, his man-cook, and
John Bee, his kitchen-boy. The meaner assis-
tants in his business (of which there were pro-
bably a considerable number), are not named.
He was twice married. By his first wife,
Annys, he had several children, who are men-
in his will as being dead,, and buried with her
in St. Helen's church. His then only surviving
child is stated to be a natural daughter, of the
name of Johanne Crosby, or Talbott; his second
wife, (who survived him) was Ann Ched‘worth;
by the tenor of his will he supposes her preg-
nant, bat the issue, if any, probably died young,
and the family seems to ['aye become immediate-

ly extinct, and the house, together With bate
manor of Haneworth and other estates, t° ";f,
terwards,
been vestebutd in
in what way we the Crown with
are not told• in a few years "sir
b
John lies himself buried in St. Helen's clinrcPt'
by the side of his first wife, With au eleb°gaot
monument to his memory, on which are
their effigies in marble, the size of life.
Such are the notices we have been able t:
gather of the distinguished character, Of wh°lll/00.
mentioned in no biographical work whatever,
yet so eminent, we have been rather
It remains to give a description of Crosby gal,
itself. The remains of this once large and n3l;
nificent mansion stand in the court or entrance
Crosby-square from Bishopsgate-street, and rid
sists of the great ball (of which various views' 8.4;t.
accounts have been given), and some infer.lo
parts of the superstructure, and various exLenstly
vaults or crypts, on which other parts foll'ea
stood. The most attractive of these, and ille,gt
all that is generally known to exist, is the r -re
hall, the side, and elegant windows Of vibicj:
all that can be seen by the casual passen7ne,
This building within is truly impressive, bel..je•
upwards of sixty feet long, and of a prof with
height, roofed in the most beautiful manner '"lre..
timber, and enlightened by rows of Ns lndews' if
markable for the lightness and elegance of thectt
by
shape. The roof forms a flat pointed arch) sud
as was in fashion at the time it was built, anith
divided into compartments, ornamented of
pendants or drops, similar in style to those.do
Henry Vllth's Chapel at Westminster. Beside,
the windows mentioned, which are on each ;lot
and considerably elevated, it has a most beau the
centre, or bay window, which extends t.ror,"ll
floor to the roof, and the recess of whlcrois
now fitted up as a counting-house'
,„ the
grand apartment leads to two others '"
SUP-
north wing, the lowermost of which is
1.
posed to have been a kitchen, and the tlfripe
state or withdrawing-room. Both exhibttter
ut t
specimens of architectural merit, bhe 'jos -
particularly. This is traditionally said Lt!niber•
been the Protector Richard's Council Cu '1.,.00-
The ceiling is of timber, arched, differinsd •
the hall, but formed with equal taste °IA and
gance, and appears to have been once raiuteiP we
gilt. Views of both these rooms (restorec9the
believe, were some years since introduced lert,
scenery of Richard 111., at Drury-lane would
The other parts of this residence, which :1:001
highly gratify the antiquary to view,_, I,ribef
they are not particularly interesting to oe'-piug
consist, as we have observed,
under the hall and north and south wingshne of
which are of stone, and strongly built. ";;lisr)
these (late Sir Robert Wigram's wine—tone
extends southwards all the way from the e.lin-toloo
of vaults, r°llo of
of Crosby-square to the new City of ace,
Tavern. Remains of gateways, and other pa
are also to be traced in St. Helen's churcl;b4o ugh
and at the back of Crosby-square, which,,o self
not of much interest in themselves, serve hicby
the great extent of this once splendid pile, "Trthe
when perfect, must have been not only or of
most magnificent domestic residences in '°llo,o/01
but worthy of being made, as it was; a
Palace.

10
A Special Vestry was held on Wednesdtheal„;
mony of the beautiful ring of bells in
Bow Church, to consider of the propriety of reviving,Pf OPIF"
the over 0 or
church. The Churchwardens and Overseers strenact;Ae
posed the proposition, on the ground of the vibration eny-acir
mg the tower. There is said to be a crack
arch which sustains the spire, and the vibration a tt►e ,;,;i cs:
by many, believed to enlarge, it. Others, h°weret;oll; tf
different opinion, and, after a very animated, difol,f tae,
lovers of bell-ringing carried the point by a maoritY of or:
against sixteen.—Very shortly' after this decision thaeou; eVP
put in motion, and the peal was kept up till near 61ev •
in the PL,"-pii!

Price:o.oa
Ships at Market. Ships sold 415 61°40 v 7
59i Newcastle - 383 Od
26 Sunderland - 21 -

COAL-MARKET, OcT• 18•

8• ....
COURSE OF EXCHANGE, ,C/ctober 1.
Is 4 P.,
Artiste, dam
14
Ditto, at Sight le 5
Rotterdam io 4 oei
Antwerp
•37 9 e.
liamburgh
7 10 oup
Altona
Paris, 3 Day's sight ...................... 075 0 es•
Ditto .................................. ~, 5 75 aireiel
Bourdeaux, ditto ....................... : 15'7 gsfiroti.r,O.
Frank forton the Main . • ... ''' Soi ffeevrc
Madrid
_eel .
Cadiz .................................. °361 0
Gilboa ................................. • ss+
Barcelona .............. •.. ........... 35i
Seville
Gibraltar .............................. 47 ~..
Leghorn
-.. 27 Dv
Genoa 431 —Venice, Ital. Liw. 3.9 i
_, 0"
-
Malta 46 ---Naples .........• . '
",ed. pc,
Palermo ............................... • 0
.Lisbon .. ................................ 521
Oporto .............................46
Rio Janeiro .......................... . . 'cot.
Dublin .... 9i...... ..Corli ...... Vi Pe'
BULLION.

0 0"
Portugal Gold, i n Coin .................. (3) IT,
Foreign Gold, in Bars ................... 0 0 u
t
New Doubloons ............. •• • a 4 9_4
New Dollars ............................ n 0 u
Silver in Bars, Standard ...........•

tiss
•
BIRTHS• teriage'
Pigti 17"
On Wednesday last, at Kent-House, ~,11 boo. fi.
Lady Augusta Fitzclarence, of a daugtiter, ott;
On the 7th inst. at Mace-y-porth, Wales,
Lloyd, Esq. of Llwyidarth, of a son•

MARRIED-
st Largigete'
On the 11th inst., at Ferney Castle, ne _
Mack, of the Sheriff's Office, Edinburgh, te 4- to 0147
ter of Lieutenant-Colonel Logan. flop 4_4
FA. _of 1;
On the 14th ult. at Sprinfield, Philip M°. „.00101‘1,0
Anne, second daughter of 14Iorough 0'1...ar Te;v,tl,o"r"
sagh, in the county Tipperary, Esq.
late Lord Duaboyne.
of Olin,
Whitby,
ebly7Ell
siqn.st., at Bishop's Tratfield,ll,er,„isPrio.
of Tolmer, Esq., to Elizabeth, third dAug'`
_name,

..--.:.--- ....:-----------
DIED. Vor:;;;;114
, ,„, Arg).„„-air
On the 17th instant, in her 22d year, 143;1. Trili'ls
ff,
eldest daughter of Thomas Usborne, of J,'o of.
and only niece of the Rev. 11. Kitson, ",...,,040. . . _ iL.iet
deservedly regretted by her disconsolate pi.-
ss 0014
young friends. of bisselpe, qt ._.,
On Friday morning, in the 78th Year -'s PI • lig;
in Tyndall-place, Islington illr. Frye .."
,
Pattl's Church-yard.
Isalbnellßa,edyloorudn-gpeslatced,auognhteWr
oefdn:isrd.asel,rctilepi:ll::e. e: -1
. ; :
of
On. On the 16th inst. in York-street! oter r
, 011
aged 79. '
On the 14th inst., Mrs. Welch, agol 74
late Sir, R. Welch, of Eltham, .Kent.

P;iPted, and Published for the J. v`""-
/011164
Office, No. 112, Strad: by

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