The Sun.
London, England, 1823-01-24 00:00:00

CONVENTS.

ON THE NUMBER OF CONVENTS FORMERLY
IN LONDON.
" It may be worth our consideration,!' says the
antiquary BAGSTER, in a letter prefixed to Le-
land's Collectanea, " to observe how this city, in

the ancient map or survly thereof, bath been
formerly divided into monasteries, convents,
churches, &c." To illustrate this remark, and
afford the reader an idtta of the number and na-
ture of these venerable structures at the period

alluded to, it need only be stated-that there were
in London and its suburbs, before the suppression
of religious houses, according to Tanner's Notitia,
three principal abbeys, and one priory, for
monks ; four priories for nuns • five friaries, for
the different orders of Black, White, Grey, Aus-
tin, and Crossed Friars ; three colleges, and two
priories, for canons; the Temple, and priory of
St. John of Jerusalem, for the two military or-
ders of Templars and Knights Hospitalers ; eleven
colleges or guilds, for fraternities of priests and
other religious ; five hermitages, or cells, for an-
chorites and dependent religious on larger houses ;

and eight hospitals and priories, for lepers and
infirm; making together forty-four religious esta-

blishments, all of -which had distinct convents or
residences; besides almost innumerable guilds,
chantries, and minor foundations dedicated to re-
ligious purposes. Of these the following is some
little account :
WEsTmpis'rva ABBET.—This, as it was the
first, so was it the principal of all the monas-
teries in the metropolis, for grandeur, dignity,
and interest. An uncertainty exists as to the
actual date of the original foundation of this
magnificent pile, but it may with certainty be

referred to the commencement of the Salon

times. Edward the Confessor wholly rebuilt
this abbey, but little of his work is now re-
maining. The church, as finished by him, is thus
described :—" The principle area, or nave, stood
on lofty arches of hewn stone, joined together in

the nicest manner, and the vault was covered with
a double strong arched roof of stone on both sides.

The cross which embraced the choir, and by its i
transept supported a high tower in the middle,
rose first with a low strong ach, and then swelled
put with several winding staircases to the single
wall up to the wooden roof, which was carefully
covered with lead." Henry 111. and others
caused the whole to be new erected as we now
see it. It was for monks of the Benedictine
order.

EASTMINSTER, sometimes called New Abbey,
and the Abbey of the Graces, stood on Tower
Hill on the spot where the new Mint is now Walt,
and was founded by Edward 111., in pursuance
of a vow which he is said to have made while in
danger of shipwreck at sea. The site of this
structure having been early occupied by the
late Victualling Office, we know little or no-
thing of its magnitude or the nature of its build-
ings, but may presume they were such as be-
came a Royal foundation. Its Abbot, who seems
to have held a distinguished rank amongst the
heads of religious houses, is generally called the
Abbot of Tower Hill.
The CILLRTBEUSE, or Charter House, was for
Monks of the Carthusian Order, and was founded
by Sir Walter Manny, a French knight, in the
reign of Edward 111. The extent of this fine
convent is accurately to be judged of, as it was
enclosed within the walls of the present Charter
House, and its precincts ; only a small part of the
buildings now standing however belonged to the
Monks, the conventual church having been de-
molished, and most of the ancient structure, at the
Dissolution. The gardens of this noble charity are
large, and remarkable for their lofty and vene.
rable growth of trees.
BERMONDSEY ABBEY has been described in a
former paper. It was for Cluniac Monks, and
a foundation of considerable magnitude and an.
tiquity.
CLERKENWELL, HALLIWELL, and ST. HELENS,
Bishopsgate-street, were nunneries for females of
the Benedictine Order, and all three of great
antiquity. Considerable remains of these struc-
tures were standing until of late years, particu-
larly of St. Helens. The former church*of St.
James, Clerkenwell, was the conventual church
of the first-named priory, and retained at its
demolition numerous marks of the original Nor-
man building, and there were also other remains
in the same style of architecture incorporated in
the neighbouring houses. Part of itsgne cloister
is shewn in a print in the Gentleman's Magazine.
This convent was founded by Jordan Brisset,
who built the adjoining hospital of St. John of
Jerusalem, in the reign of Henry I. Of Haiti-
well Nunnery there is said now only to exist a
crypt or vault, some account of which is given in
the European Magazine, but the gateway or prin-
cipal entrance from Halliwel-lane was standing
within memory. Sir Thomas Lovel, in the reign
of Henry VII., was the refounder of this convent,
and was buried in its chapel, in which Weever
(Funeral Monuments) says was this distich,
painted on the windows,
" All ye Nuns of
Pray for the soul of lair Thomas Lovel."
St. Helen's Nunnery was, in great part, destroy.
ad only so recently as the buffing of the present
St. Helen's-place ; and the parish caturch of the
same name, which was also the conventual
church, is still standing. Large remains of the
cloisters, the Fratry, Nuns' Hall, &c. were dis-
covered in pulling down this interesting place,
together with great quantities of skulls and other
human bones, to describe which, with the name.
rous ancient monuments in its church, would re-
quire a lengthened separate account.
The five Orders of Friars had their several
convents at Blackfri.ars,tr
e; e
tG; r
Austin-friars,
yuf
sr
ti
ni
r
a-roiarrsC,hTrilisrVosgimloors--
Ludgate-hill ; White-
fpriitaaris,,
NFel ewegt -ustter.eset
ton-street ; and Crutched-friars, by Tower-hill.
All these houses were large and magnificent, and
had fine churches. Those of the Black, Grey,
and Austin-friars, resembled cathedrals,
and
abounded in monuments of Royal and
noble per.
sonages. In that of Blackfrtars several Parlia-
ments were held.
Of the colleges for canons, these of St. Ste.
phen's, Westminster, and St. Mary °very, South-
wark, were the most magnificent, and have been
both fully described in dill* tpublications.
eren The

others were Bartholomew the Great, Smithfie
St. Martin-le-grand, and the Holy Trinity Pric
at Aldgate. The Paor of the latter redo
grand city processions as an Alderman of L
don. Duke's-place now occupies the site of
monastery, of which 'the great gateway
other fragments are still existing. The cln
of St. Stephen is the present House of Comm'
Its cloisters, now undergoing a thorough ref
is of most exquisite workmanship. Bartholon
the Great's Priory has still the choir of its
ginal Norman Church (incorporated itt
present parish Church), its cloisters, dor
tory, hall, and various other parts remain'
and which are well worth investigating. it
founded by Rayhere, jester or minstrel to
Ile
1. who became its first Prior, and lays WO
the present Church. St. Martin-le-grand `raj
establishment of great consequence, and en.l°,
extensive privileges. Remains of the cryPt°'
Church were latterly discovered; but we kr
nothing further of the nature of its building'
This foundation was as ancient as the SI
times.
Next to Westminister Abbey, perhaps
Temple, and the Monastery of St. John of Ji
salem may be ranked principal as to wealth
fine buidings. Both were nearly of the same
—viz. reign of Henry I. Of the Temple, well
well judge the magnitude from its present est
We know little, however, of its buildings,'
the exception of its fine Church yet remainiel
vent occupied by the lawyers,
This Order was early dissolved, and their
mains. The first house of the Order, coiled
Old Temple, was situated in Chancery-10e'
Southatnpton-builditigs. A part of its Chino
discovered a century ago, which was circulate
the present one. St. John's Monastery,Cler.
well, is shown in a state of considerable
Lion, in Holler's print of it in the lqpn,ati
Its Church, remarkable for its lofty anu
fat spire, was in great part destroyed at t''"ot
formation, the present parish Church of St"
being only the choir of the original buildil'egb.
extent, however, may be ascertained fro'
crypt, which still exist nearly entire, and ;'.;
as a depository for the dead. St. Johns
the paincipal entrance to this convent i$
known. ah
Of the different Colleges for priests, &c,%
we have mentioned to have been eleven just:
with whom tjt
bee) little or nothing is known in an arc
they
point of view, their buildings, or such of
is
remained, having been mostly destroledll chol
fire of London. Leadenhall, t
and the Holy Trinity ; Aldersgate-strelew
several interesting remains existing:unni
destroyed ; the others were Allhallows P"oti
Tower-street ; St. Peter's Cornhill 'Ovirer.
was a great school and library ;)
Crooked-lane, founded by Sir Will'an„ferl
worth, Lord Mayor, and afterwards c°7l.
I L
In part, into the celebrated Boar's J.'ll,I
14s,
immortalized by Shakspeare ; Jesus (-'''too C
s
joining St. Paul's Cathedral ; \Vhittia cat
hreaepet,
sdone
S 1 t .
fine
ememryasp
crypts
sf
ofA c °sits t. 11:01t
ceirl'es- Chapel
lege, Tower-Royal ; St. Augustine ?*:
m
Poultney, Thames-street ; one of these"-
we believe, is still in existence.
The hospitals for Lepers were the*Nlia
James, Westminster, (now St. Jameesi.vd
and St. Giles in the Fields. The follonl
for infirm, lodging and relieving of PIP: .03
but all of them were subject to mops,,
and governed by Priors, or Masters. ,Vlo.ll'
Hospital, Strand ; St. Katherine, by 'lgttarthi
St. Anthony, Threadneedle-street; vore
mew's Hospital, West Smithfield ; St'roore
Hospital, Southwark; and the Doillusc,
rum, or Home for Converts, now
Chapel, Chancery-lane. Of these the :100
of the Savoy, St. Katherine, and St. 13erb'celel
we know from late existing remains, 1-
large and imposing. the
It will be barely sufficient to name -
hermitages, &c. They were St. lgerY.tiel
val, Charing-cross, (where North fro
House now stands;) St. Katherine's bs,eveo
Wapping ; Our Lady of the View,
ster ; St. Katherine's Hermitage, bY,51,14
lospital ; and Monkwellilertnitage,t'f'

The unforttinate young man SioT
along with Robertson, is at present I
fence of death for the robbery at 1t)
the porter of the Caledonian coach, 15
of that name who was in Dunaj°
time when David lia„ tn
mart urdereu,,
key and who, upon Haggart's tri3
princpal witness for the prosecution.--(
Mercury.)