THOUGH it cannot be ascertained at what time a church was first situated on this spot, yet it is mentioned as early as the year 1281. However, part of the old church falling down in 1736, and the rest being in a ruinous condition, the parishioners applied to parliament for a power to rebuild it, which being granted, the remains of the old building were taken down in the year 1737, and the present structure finished in 1739.

It consists of a plain body, strengthened with rustic quoins; the door is well proportioned without ornament, and the windows are placed in three series; the lowest upright, but very broad; those above them circular, and others on the roof large and semicircular. The tower, inwhich are eight bells, consists of three stages, the uppermost of which is greatly diminished: in this stage is the clock, and in those below are large windows. The top of the tower is surrounded by a substantial balustrade; and there is a plain uniform simplicity throughout the whole building. The interior is very grand; and in the west gallery is a good organ.

This church is a rectory, the patronage of which is in the gift of the crown.

Stow

Stow informs us that over against this church, on the south side the street, had been "a great house built of stone, with arched gates, which pertained to the prior of Lewes, in Susser, and was his lodging when he came to London. It was afterwards a common inn for travellers, and hath the sign of the Walnut Tree."

St. Olave's frec-school is called, "The Free School of Queen Elizabeth, in the parish of St. Olave's, Southwark;" that queen having incorporated sixteen parishioners to be governors. The lands and revenues for the endowment of this foundation were purchased by the parish, and consist chiefly of ground rents in and about Horsleydown, augmented by various pious donations and benefactions. Here are a chief, a second, and other masters, to teach the youth belonging to this parish. Forty girls are also educated and clothed in the charity school.

Eastward from the church is a key, which, in the year 1330, by the licence of Simon Swanland, mayor of London, was built by Isabel, widow to Hamond Goodcheape. Adjoining to which was "a great house of stone and timber, belonging to the abbots of St. Augustine, without the walls of Canterbury, which was an antient piece of work, and seemeth to be one of the finest built houses on that side the river over against the city." This structure was held of the earls of Warren and Surrey, as appears by a deed made 1281: the translated purport of which is as follows:

"To all to whom this present writing shall come John earl Warren sendeth greeting, Know ye that we have altogether remised and quit claimed for us and our heirs for ever to Nicholas abbot of St. Augustines of Canterbury and the convent of the same and their successors suit to our court of Southwark which they owe unto us for all that mes suage and houses built thereon and all their appurtenances which they have of our fee in Southwark situate upon the Thames between the Bridge House and church of St. Olave's And the said messuage with the buildings thereon built and all their appurtenances to them and their successors we have

granted

granted in perpetual alms to hold of us and our heirs for the same, saving the service due to other persons if any such be, then to us And for this remit and grant, the said abbot and convent have given unto us five shillings of rent yearly, in Southwark, and have received us and our heirs in all benefices, which shall be in their church for ever.

"This suit of court one William Graspeis was bound to do to the said earl for the said messuage And heretofore to acquit in all things the church of St. Augustine against the said earl" *

This mansion afterwards belonged to Sir Anthony St. Legar, and his descendants. In Stow's time it was called St. Legar House, and divided into tenements.

BRIDGE HOUSE.

This foundation seems to have been cocral with London Bridge, and was appointed as a storehouse for stone, timber, and other materials for its reparation. The Bridge House was also a granary for corn in times of scarcity, and had ovens to bake bread for the poor. It was also the city brewhouse. The government is by officers, appointed by the city, denominated BRIDGEMASTERS. The keepers of the Bridge House had antiently an interest in mills upon the river Lea, and were accustomed to repair the bridges at Stratford, for which reason the Bridge House arms are still cut on some of those bridges.

"At a common council, July 14, anno 53. Henry VIII. it was ordered that the seal of the Bridge House should be changed, because the image of Thomas Becket, some time archbishop of Canterbury, was graven therein, and a new seal to be made, devised by Mr. HALL, to whom the old seal was delivered."

This was occasioned by a proclamation, commanding the names of the Pope, and Thomas à Becket, to be put out of all books and inonuments; which is the reason that they are so often seen blotted out in all old chronicles, legends, primers, and service books, printed before those times..

VOL. IV. No. 96.

Stow.
3 0

Below

Below the Bridge House, on the banks of the Thames, stood the abbot of Battle's Inn. The walks and gardens belonging to the abbot, on the other side of the way before the gate of that house, was called THE MAZE.

There was also an inn called the Flower de Lis, on the site of which was afterwards built several small tenements, for the accommodation of strangers and poor people.

BATTLE BRIDGE was so called, because situated on the ground and over a watercourse flowing out of the Thames, pertaining to BATTLE ABBEY; and was both built and repaired by the abbots of Battle, on account of its contingency to the abbot's lodging.

Farther to the east is the parish of Horslydown, cor. ruptly so called from Horse-down, as having been originally a grazing ground for horses. The great increase of the parish of St. Olave, occasioned this spot of ground to be constituted a parish, which, from the saint to whom the church is dedicated, is called

THIS church was finished in the year 1732, and is one of the fifty new churches ordered to be built by act of parliament; and an act was also passed for making a provision

for