May 16 1772.

R. Godfrey Sc.

ELY HOUSE, LONDON.

ELY HOUSE, or, as it was formerly called, ELY'S INN, is the city manion of the bishops of Ely. Bishop John de Kirkeby, who died in the year 1290, bequeathed to his successors a meffuage and nine cottages, situated in Holbourne; which meffuage became thenceforth the capital manion of the bishops of Ely. William de Luda, his immediate successor, purchased several other houses and some lands adjoining; and at his death, which happened in the year 1298, left them to the bishops of that fee, on condition that the person succeeding him, should, within three months after his confirmation, pay to his executor, one thousand marks; he also gave, by his will, two hundred marks, to purchase twenty marks a year, for the maintenance of three chaplains, to pray for his soul, and the fouls of the future bishops of Ely, for ever, in their chapel of this house; he likewise left three houses for their habitation.

THIS estate was afterwards greatly encreased by different purchases, so much that, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the whole confiding of buildings, gardens, paftures and enclosures, contained above twenty (Maitland fays, forty) acres of land, enclosed within a wall.

BISHOP RICHARD COX, at the preffing instances of Queen Elizabeth, leafed the western part of the house, and all the great garden and closes thereunto belonging, at a very small rent, to Christopher Hatton, Esq; afterwards high-chancellor, and Lord Hatton, for the term of twenty-one years.

HATTON being in possession, laid out a considerable sum of money in planting, building, and other improvements, and made this a pretence for moving the queen to oblige the bishop to alienate it to him; this he requesited, both

May 16 1772

R. Godfrey Sc.

ELY HOUSE, LONDON.

ELY HOUSE, or, as it was formerly called, ELY'S INN, is the city manion of the bishops of Ely. Bifhop John de Kirkeby, who died in the year 1290, bequeathed to his succeffors a meffuage and nine cottages, situated in Holbourne; which meffuage became thenceforth the capital manion of the bishops of Ely. William de Luda, his immediate succeffor, purchased feveral other houſes and ſome lands adjoining; and at his death, which happened in the year 1298, left them to the bifhops of that fee, on condition that the perſon succeeding him, ſhould, within three months after his confirmation, pay to his executor, one thouſand marks; he alſo gave, by his will, two hundred marks, to purchase twenty marks a year, for the maintenance of three chaplains, to pray for his foul, and the fouls of the future bifhops of Ely, for ever, in their chapel of this houſe; he likewife left three houſes for their habitation.

THIS eſtate was afterwards greatly encreafed by different purchasers, ſo much that, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the whole confitting of buildings, gardens, paſtures and encloſures, contained above twenty (Maitland fays, forty) acres of land, encloſed within a wall.

BISHOP RICHARD COX, at the preſing inſtances of Queen Elizabeth, leaſed the westerne part of the houſe, and all the great garden and cloſes thereunto belonging, at a very ſmall rent, to Chriſtopher Hatton, Eſq; afterwards high-chancellor, and Lord Hatton, for the term of twenty-one years.

HATTON being in poſſeſſion, laid out a confiderable ſum of money in planting, building, and other improvements, and made this a pretence for moving the queen to oblige the bifhop to alienate it to him; this ſhe requeſted, both

B1977.14.17076 ba- obj- 34627 -0001

OPCARD 101 '3

Yale Center for British Art, 2016