The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-01-19
A p1zoE OF OLD LONDON.
just Opened to the Public-A History
of Eight Hundred Years.


unity of INDUCING their weakness
recently, when the ancient crypt OF
st. Johns Church, Clerkenwell, 800
years old, was thrown open to the
public between the hours of 2 and
4:30 o'clock. The entrance is effect
ed from John street.
The Priory and Paris Church of
st Johns, Clerkenwell, with its fine
crypt, is, with exception of the
ancient gateway on the opposite side
of st. Johns square, all that now
remains OF the "Grand Priory of st.
Johns at Clerken WE'LL" the chief
home in England OF the Knights of
st. John of Jerusalem, which,
after the Templars, was the greatest
military monastic order of the Middle
Ages.
This order Of Knights Hospitalers
came to Clerkonwell about the year
100. Here they built their Priory,
the church OF which was con-
secrated by Heracilus of Jerusalem,
on March 4, 1855. Until the time
of Henry VIII the Prior of st.
Johns reigned here in great
splendor, he ranking among his
peers as the First Baron of England;
but at the dissolution Of the
monasteries this grand establish
ment was utterly broken up, the
property being seized by the King,
and soon nothing was remaining but
the choir OF the old church, with
the crypt beneath and the ancient
principal gateway.
The next we learn of the church
is that it was bought in 172l by
Simon Mitchell, who had built Red
Lien street close by, and who
restored aud reftted the church
with galleries, and afterwards sold
it to the Commissioners appointed
under an act OF Queen Anne for
building fifty new churches in
London.
1t remained 10 its then condition
until 1889, when the Rev. William
Dawson, who was the rector, CON.
pletely restored it, the architect
being Mr.. John Oldrid Scott. The
chief work was the replacing of the
old pews, with the great handsome
benches aud choir stalls and the
restoration OF the east windows
these had been the work OF Prior
Docwra about 1500-as they had be.
come very ruinous, the tracery in
the side windows having entirely
disappeared. The church still con-
tains many traces OF the ancient
work. The east and South walls
are walls of the original church, and
the bases of the columns can yet be
seen between the seats.
The crypt, which recently has
been cleared of large quantity of
OF human remains accumulation of
earth and debris, can now be seen
in almost its original condition. 1t
is, with the exception OF the White
Tower OF London and the Con-
fessor's work at Westminster, prob
ably the earliest specimen Of
architectural work in London. Here
may be seen the spot where lay the
coffin Of Scratching Fanny" the
well-known Cock lane ghost Of
1853.
Up to 1858 the crypt was used for
burials, and in this manner the
whole OF the north aisle and south
transept were filed with human re-
mains. These, in the course of years,
became most offensive and dangerous
to health. In 1898 the Rev. T. w.
Wood, rector, and the church
wardens obtained an order in
council for their removal. After
considerable difficulty and opposi-
ton the work was carried out, and
the remains reverently reinterred in
consecrated ground at Woking
Cemetery. There were about 1876
bodies, which hsS been inferred be-
tween the years 1873 and 1858, The
great gateway across st. Johns lane