St. Sepulchre

St. Sepulchre

On the north side of Holborn Viaduct, at its junction with Giltspur Street and Snow Hill (P.O. Directory). In Farringdon Ward Without.

First mention: "St. Sepulchre in the bailey without Neuwegate," 27 H. III. (Anc. Deeds, A. 2581).

An earlier record, 16 H. III., mentions "Fratres hospitalis Sancti Sepulchri Londoniensis" (Cal. P.R. H. III. 1225–32, p. 499), but it does not appear whether the entry relates to this parish.

Strype says the Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulchre was instituted 1103 (ed. 1720, I. iii. 241).

Other forms: "St. Sepulchre without Newegate," 49 II. III, (Anc. Deeds, A. 2610 and 2630). "S. Edmund without Newgate," 1278–9 (Ct. H.W. I. 38). "Sci Sepulcri extra Chamb'leingate," 1285 (MS. D. and C. St. Paul's, Lib. L. f. 93). "St. Sepulchre outside the bar of West Smethefeud," 31 Ed. I. (Ch. I. p.m. No. 129). "St. Sepulchre in Smethefeld," 1300–1 (Ct. H.W. I. 151). "St. Sepulchre within Neugate," 1308 (ib. 199). "St. Sepulchre de Smithefeld," 1349 (ib. 597). "St. Sepulchre within the liberty of the City," 1338 (ib. 427). "St. Sepulchre within Newgate in ward of Faryndon Within," 1 H. IV. (Cal. P.R. H. IV. 1399–1401, p. 240). "St. Edmond Sepulcher without Newgate," 1578 (Ct. H.W. II. 696). "St. Poulchers," 1594 (ib. 721).

It is evident from these records that at one period St. Sepulchre's parish extended within Newgate, and in 1547 the tithes of the inhabitants of the buildings in the gate called Newgate and of that part of St. Sepulchre's parish lying within and in the said gate were granted to the mayor and citizens of London (L. and P. H. VIII. XXI. (2), p. 416).

In the time of H. VIII., 1547, this portion of the parish within the gate was taken to constitute, with the parishes of St. Audoen and St. Nicholas, the new parish of Christ Church, Newgate Street.

Rebuilt temp. H. VI. or Ed. IV. (S. 387). Repaired 1624–7 and 1632–3 (Strype, ed. 1720, I. iii. 241).

Nave destroyed in Fire, rebuilt 1670.

Repaired 1728, 1837, 1863, 1875–8, 1880.

The churchyard until the 18th century extended into the street, but has been curtailed in size and the outlying portions laid into the street, 1760 and 1871.

A Vicarage. Patrons: the Canons of St. Bartholomew Smithfield, 31 Ed. I. (Lib. Cost. I. 237). Now St. John's College, Oxford.

St. Sepulchres Church

Is situate on the N. side of the E. end of Snow hill, within the Liberty of the City of London, but without the Walls, it being in the Ward of Farendon without.

II. It is so called, in memory of the Holy Sepulchre of our Blessed Saviour, as is most reasonable to suppose.

III. When this Church was first founded, I find not; but it was re-erected about the Year 1440, to which one Popham, Treasurer of the Kings Houshold, contributed. From the Year 1624, to 1634, there was laid out in repairing the Roof, new building the Battlements, the 4 Pinacles of the Tower, &c. the Sum of 1110 l. and being almost demolished (except part of the Wall and Steeple) by the fury of the devouring Flames in 1666, it was again re-erected and finished Anno 1670.

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XI. The Extent and Bounds of this Parish, is as follows:

Beginning at Newgate, it extends to Holbourn bridge, i.e. takes in all Hart str. and Snow hill, all Little old Bayley, and the Old bayley, Sd to the House of Mr. Day, Watch Casemaker; on the W. side, including 2 Houses in Prugens court, and to Mr. Ayliffs a Tallow Chandler on the E. side; all Fleet lane to the Ditch, and on the E. side Fleet ditch, from Fleet lane to Holbour bridge all Cow lane, and W. and N. sides of Smithfield, and from Long lane to St. John str. on the Ely side, thence Nd to Turnmill str. and in that str. to the Gate on the Nly side, and to Jacobs court on the Sly; 4 Houses on the N. side of St. Johns lane, one on the S. next Hixes hall; and in Chick lane Wd to the Post and Chain, St. John str. to Pissing alley on that side, and to Mr. Cooper's at the Mitre inclusive on the other side; Charter house lane, and part of the Yard; Cow cross on one side to Sharps alley, and of the other to Mr. Fuller a Distiller; Long lane to within one House of the Red lyon inn on the N. side, and betn Long land end and Duck lane 2 Houses, the Key and Holly bush, and about 6 Houses betn Pye corner, and within 4 Houses of St. Bartholomews Hospital gate, and to the Brewhosue in Rosemary lane from Pye corner; also Pye corner and Gilt spur street, containing in this Compass (including the Lanes, Alleys, Courts, &c.) about 1400 Houses within the Freedom, and 359 without; 1759 in all the Parish.

The Admonition said by the Sexton of this Parish, to the condemned Criminals the Night Before Execution, and as they are drawn by the Church the next day, see Justic hall, Sect. 5. Almses-Houses, &c. in this Parish, vide Sect. 6.

St. Sepulchres Church, or St. Sepulchres in the Baily, seated on the top of Snow hill; a very large and spacious Church, with a lofty Towered Steeple, Spires at each corner, and Weathercocks on the tops. In which Steeple is a gallant ring of eight Bells; and in the Church is a pair of Organs. To this Church there is a large Churchyard both before and behind it; although not so large as of old time, good part being taken away, and converted into Buildings; so that now it is not enough for the burial of their Dead; and the Inhabitants are forced to make use of another large piece of Ground in Chick lane. Robert Lewis, Leather-seller, gave to this Parish 30l. a Year for Coals to the Poor.

Robert Dove, Merchant Taylor, gave 50l. for the Prisoners Bell. The Meaning is, that when the Condemned Prisoners are drawn to their Execution at Tyburn, there is a Man with a Bell, who stands in the Churchyard, by the Wall next the Street, and so tinkles his Bell, and repeats some Verses, to put them in mind of their Death approaching.

This Church was very much ruined in the late dreadful Fire; but by the Money raised from the Imposition on Coals, and the Charges of the Parishioners, and Benefactors, it is Rebuilt, and beautified both within and without.

St. Sepulchre's, on the north side of the top of Snow hill near Newgate, and in the ward of Faringdon without, owes its name to its being dedicated in commemoration of Christ's sepulchre at Jerusalem. It is of great antiquity, and was probably founded during the time, when all Europe were employed in crusades to the holy land; however, about the beginning of the twelfth century, it was given by the Bishop of Salisbury to the Prior and Canons of St. Bartholomew in Smithfield, who, in virtue of that grant, had the right of advowson till the dissolution of their monastery, when coming to the Crown, it continued therein till King James I. in the year 1610, granted the rectory and its appurtenances, with the advowson of the vicarage, to Francis Philips and others; after which the rectory with its appurtenances were purchased by the parishioners, to be held in fee-farm of the Crown, while the advowson was obtained by the President and Fellows of St. John Baptist's college in Oxford, in whom the patronage still continues. Dugd. Mon. Ang.

The present structure was much damaged, though not destroyed by the fire of London; after which it was thoroughly repaired in 1670, when nothing of the old building, except the walls, was suffered to remain, and not those entirely.

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The wall of this church yard, till very lately, extended so far into the street all along the south side of the church, as to render the passage narrow and dangerous; but after the church yard on that side had been shut up about fourteen years, it was levelled, and laid open to the street in the beginning of the present year 1760.

The Vicar of this church, besides other advantages, receives 200l. in money in lieu of tithes.

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Before we conclude this article, it may be proper to observe, that in the year 1605, Mr. Robert Dew gave by deed of gift, fifty pounds to this parish, on condition that for ever after, a person should go to Newgate, in the still of the night before every execution day, and standing as near the cells of the condemned prisoners as possible, should, with a hand bell, (which he also gave for that purpose) give twelve solemn tolls with double strokes, and then after a proper pause, deliver with an audible voice the following words:

.    You prisoners that are within,
     Who for wickedness and sin,
After many mercies shewn you, are now appointed to die to-morrow in the forenoon, give ear and understand, that to-morrow morning the greatest bell of St. Sepulchre's shall toll for you in form and manner of a passing bell, as used to be tolled for those at the point of death: to the end that all godly people hearing that bell, and knowing it is for your going to your deaths, may be stirred up heartily to pray to God to besotw his grace and mercy upon you whilst you live.
     I beseech you, for Jeus Christ's sake, to keep this night in watching and prayer, for the salvation of your own souls, while there is yet time and place for mercy; as knowing to-morrow you must appear before the judgment seat of your Creator, there to give an account of all things done in this life, and to suffer eternal torments for your sins committed against hime, unless upon your hearty and unfeigned repentance, you find mercy through the merits, death, and passion of your only mediator and advocate Jesus Christ, who now sits at the right hand of God to make incercession for as many of you as penitently return to him.

He likewise ordered that St. Sepulchre's great bell should toll, till it was supposed these unhappy prisoners were executed; and that as the criminals passed by the wall of St. Sepulchre's church yard, to execution, the sam bellman should look over it, and say: "All good people, pray heartily unto God for thse poor sinners, who are now going to their death, for whom this great bell doth toll.

You that are condemned to die, repent with lamentable tears: ask mercy of the Lord for the salvation of your own souls, through the merits, death, and passion of Jesus Christ, who now sits at the right hand of God, to make intercession fro as many of you as penitently return unto him.

Lord, have mercy upon you,
Christ, have mercy upon you,
Lord, have mercy upon you,
Christ, have mercy upon you.

For this service the bellman or sexton receives 1l. 6s. 8d. a year; but upon these occasions there is generally so much noise, that nobody can hear one word that the bellman says.

St. Sepulchre's Church, Snow-Hill,— on the N. side, at the corner of Giltspur-street.

St. Sepulchre's, the church of, is situated on Snow-hill, at the corner of Giltspur-street, and is so named in commemoration of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. This church is supposed to have been founded about 1100, at which time a particular devotion was paid to the Holy Sepulchre. It was so decayed in the reign of Edward IV. as to require re-building. In the reign of Henry I. it was given by the Bishop of Salisbury to the Prior and Canons of St. Bartolomew, in Smithfield. At the dissolution of that ministry it came to the crown, till it was granted by James I. toFrancis Phipps and others. After which the rectory, with its appurtenances, was purchased by the parishioners, and the advowson of the vicarage, by the President and Fellows of St. John's College, Oxford.

The church was much damaged by the great fire of 1666, when it was repaired, and the present ugly and inappropriate arched ceiling introduced, which it will be well to remove, and restore to its former beautiful construction whenever another repair be necessary. It is a vicarage, in the city, archdeaconry and diocese of London, and in the patronage of St. John's College, Oxford. The present rector is the Rev. John Natt, who was instituted in 1830.

Sepulchre (St.) in the BAILEY (occasionally written St. 'Pulcher's), a church at the western end of Newgate Street, and in the ward of Farringdon Without. About a fifth of the parish of St. Sepulchre lies "without the liberties" of the City of London, and the church is in consequence in the anomalous position of having two sets of church- wardens. A church existed here in the 12th century; but the oldest part of the present edifice, the tower and south-west porch, is of the middle of the 15th century. The body of the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, and was rebuilt and the tower repaired, it is said, by Sir C. Wren, the works being completed in 1670. The fire itself was stopped at Pie Corner, a few yards north of the church. In 1338 William of Newcastle-under-Lyme bequeathed an estate to the parish for the maintenance of the fabric. With the process of time the estate has increased in value, and now yields, it is said, nearly £2000 a year. The consequence has been frequent repairs and restorations, by the last of which the church has been thoroughly transformed. Large repairs were done in 1738. The body of the church was in a great measure rebuilt and a new roof put on in 1837. In 1863 and following years considerable alterations were made; but the most material were effected in 1875 and 1878. In 1875 tne tower and porch a separate building of three floors, projecting from the tower on the south had new window tracery inserted, pinnacles to the tower rebuilt, a new oriel on the south front of the porch, where Popham's statue stood, and the whole refaced and completely restored, the architect being Mr. W. P. Griffith. In 1878–1880 the body of the church was restored under Mr. Robert Billing, architect. New windows filled with tracery of a very florid type were inserted, new buttresses, battlements, and pinnacles added, and the interior made conformable. The church is now Gothic throughout, but Gothic of the last quarter of the 19th century. The tower was 152 feet 9 inches to the cap of the pinnacles; as restored it is 149 feet 11 inches. The organ, a very fine instrument, originally built by Renatus Harris in 1670, was repaired and enlarged by the elder Byfield about 1730. Subsequently improvements have been made, and new stops added by Hancock, and by Gray and Davison in the present century. The case is attributed to Grinling Gibbons. It is now entirely remodelled and placed in St. Stephen's Chapel. For many years past it has been the custom for the organist to give a recital after the Sunday evening service. The church is 150 feet long by 62 wide, and with St. Stephen's Chapel 81 feet.

A tablet is preserved in the church with a list of charitable donations and gifts, containing the following item:—

1605.&mdasahMr. Robert Dowe gave for ringing the greatest bell in this church on the day the condemned prisoners are executed, and for other services for ever, concerning such condemned prisoners, for which services the sexton is paid £1 : 6 : 8 . . . £50 0 0

This has now been appropriated by the Charity Commissioners.

It was the custom formerly for the clerk or bellman of St. Sepulchre's to go under Newgate on the night preceding the execution of a criminal, and ringing his bell to repeat the following verses:—

All you that in the condemned hold do lie,
Prepare you, for to-morrow you shall die;
Watch all and pray, the hour is drawing near,
That you before the Almighty must appear;
Examine well yourselves, in time repent,
That you may not to eternall flames be sent.
And when St. Sepulchre's bell to-morrow tolls,
The Lord above have mercy on your souls.
           Past twelve o'clock!

This is further explained by a passage in Munday's edition of Stow:—

Robert Dowe, citizen and merchant taylor of London, gave to the parish church of St. Sepulchre's, the somme of £50, that after the several sessions of London, when the prisoners remain in the gaol as condemned men to death, expecting execution on the morning following: the clarke of the church should come in the night time, and likewise early in the morning to the window of the prison where they lye, and there ringing certain tolls with a hand-bell, appointed for the purpose, he doth afterwards (in most Christian manner) put them in mind of their present condition, and ensuing execution, desiring them to be prepared therefore as they ought to be. When they are in the cart, and brought before the wall of the church, there he standeth ready with the same bell, and after certain tolls, rehearseth an appointed prayer, desiring all the people there present to pray for them. The Beadle also of Merchant Tailors' Hall hath an honest stipend allowed him to see that this is duly done.—Munday's Stow, ed. 1618, p. 25.

Hatton has printed (New View, p. 707) the "Exhortation" and "Admonition" used on this occasion. The former he calls "The Words said in the Gateway of the Prison the night before Execution;" the latter, "The Words said in St. Sepulchre's Churchyard as the prisoners are drawn by [to Tyburn] to be executed." Dowe is buried in the church of St. Botolph, Aldgate, where there is a portrait-monument to his memory. Another curious custom observed at this church was that of presenting a nosegay to every criminal on his way to Tyburn. One of the last given was presented from the steps of St. Sepulchre's to Sixteen-stringed Jack, alias John Rann, executed in 1774 for robbing the Rev. Dr. Bell in Gunnersbury Lane, on the road to Brentford. He wore it in his button-hole. The clock of St. Sepulchre's still regulates the execution of criminals in Newgate.

John Rogers, the Marian protomartyr, was vicar of this church. On April 11, 1600, William Dodington, a brother-in-law of Sir Francis Walsingham, and an officer in the Exchequer, threw himself from the tower and was killed. "If I do break my neck," said Bacon to Queen Elizabeth, "I shall do it in a manner as Mr. Dodington did it, which walked on the battlements of the church many days, and took a view and survey where he should fall."¹

Saturday, April 12, 1600.—Dorrington, rich Dorrington, yesterday morning, went up to St. Sepulchre's steeple, and threw himself over the battlement, and broke his neck. There was found a paper sealed, with this superscription, "Lord save my soule, and I will praise thy name."—Rowland Whyte to Sir Robert Sydney, vol. ii. p. 187.

It was that William Dodington that wilfully brake his neck by casting himself down headlong from the battlements of St. Sepulchre's steeple, upon the sight of certain depositions touching a cause in controversy between him and one Brunker in Chancery.—Marginal Note to a letter from Dodington to Nation, p. 362.

Eminent Persons buried in St. Sepulchre's.—Roger Ascham (d. December 30, 1568), author of Toxophilus (1545) and The Schoolmaster (1570); William Gravet, vicar of St. Sepulchre's, watched over him as he was dying. When Elizabeth was told of his death she said she would rather have lost ten thousand pounds than her old tutor. Captain John Smith, author of the General History of Virginia (fol. 1626), (d. 1631); his epitaph in doggrel verse is no longer legible: it is printed in Strype and elsewhere. Sir Robert Peake, the engraver, Faithorne's master, and Governor of Basing House for the King during the Civil War under Charles I. (d. 1667). Fleetwood, the Recorder of London, writes to inform Lord Burghley, July 1585, that when Awfield was executed at Tyburn for "sparcinge abrood certen lewd sedicious and traytorous bookes," his body "was brought to St. 'Pulchers to be buryed, but the parishioners would not suffer a traytor's corpes to be layed in the earthe where theire parents, wyeffs, chyldren, kynred, maisters, and old neighbours did rest," and so "his carcase was retourned to the buryall grounde neere Tyborne."² A century and a half later the parishioners, less scrupulous, permitted the body of Sarah Malcolm, the murderess, to be buried, 1733, in their churchyard. Thomas Lord Dacre was beheaded at the Tower and his body buried in this church.

The churchyard, till the middle of the 18th century, extended on the south side far into the street, and was bounded by a high wall, leaving no footway for passengers. In 1760 the wall was removed and a portion of the churchyard levelled. When the Holborn Viaduct was formed, 1871, a further portion was laid into the street, the bodies exhumed being reinterred in the City Cemetery at Ilford, where a monument was erected to their memory. Since then the churchyard has been levelled and planted as a flower-garden. In Johnson's Highwaymen (fol. 1736) is a characteristic view of St. Sepulchre's; it is entitled "Jonathan Wild going to the place of Execution."

Payne Fisher, "Paganus Piscator," 1616–1693, was buried in the churchyard.

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¹ Cooper, Ath. Cant., vol. ii. p. 164.

² Ellis's Letters, vol. ii. p. 298.