1 minated CLERKS, or CLERKENWELL, so called from the parish clerks of the city of London, who antiently used to meet there annually, to represent certain parts of scripture in a theatrical manner; to which the lord mayor and citizens of London not only repaired, but likewise the nobi lity, to see their performances: from which well, the late priory, as well as the present church and parish, are denominated. There is a long inscription to that purport on a pump, which now covers the well. The continuation of Ray Street is BACK HILL, formerly called HOCKLEY IN THE HOLE, which was notorious for many years for the resort of low company to witness bull baitings, boxing matches, and other diversions of a similar kind. The whole has long since been disused, and the neighbourhood much reformed. Returning up Clerkenwell Green, a passage by the Charity School leads to ST. JOHN'S SQUARE. Here stood the house, or hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, which was founded by the aforesaid Jordan Briset, who, for that end, purchased of the prioress and nuns of Clerkenwell, ten acres of land (for which he gave them twenty acres in his lordship of Willinghale in Kent) whereon he erected the said hospital about the year 1110. But the church was not dedicated to St. John the Baptist till the year 1185. By the profuse liberality of bigots and enthusiasts, this foundation became the chief seat in England belonging to the Knights Hospitallers; and to such a degree of wealth and honour did they arrive, that their prior was esteemed the first baron in the kingdom, and in state and grandeur vied with the king. Such was the antipathy of the populace to these imperious knights, that the rebels of Kent and Essex, under the conduct of Wat Tyler and his rabble, in the year 1381, consumed this stately edifice by fire. However, it was af terwards rebuilt in a much more magnificent manner, continued upon its former system till it was entirely sup pressed by Henry VIII, in the year 1541. and Soon Soon after its suppression, the building was converted into a repository of martial stores, and the royal hunting equipage; and to these purposes it was applied till the year 1550, when Edward Seymour, duke of Somerset, and protectór of the kingdom, caused the church, with its lofty and beautiful steeple, to be demolished, and the stones used in building his magnificent palace of Somerset House. ST. JOHN'S SQUARE, on which this building was situated, is of an oblong form, and chiefly consists of two rows of good houses. It was entered by two gates, both of which bore evident marks of antiquity; but the largest and most remarkable is that to the south, which is still called St. John's Gate. It has a fine lofty Gothic arch; and on each side, over the gate, are several escutcheons of arms carved, under which were formerly inscriptions, but these, by length of time, are now entirely defaced. The gate on the north Bide has been entirely demolished. At the angle, facing ALBEMARLE STREET, is a mo dernized house, which was formerly the residence of Dr. GILBERT BURNET, bishop of Salisbury. The north-east corner of the square is occupied by the parish church of ST. JOHN, CLERKENWELL. AFTER the demolition of the priory, the choir passed by various deeds to several tenants. James I. granted it to VOL. IV. No. 94. Sir William Cecil, lord Burghley, son and heir of Thomas, earl of Exeter; it passed in marriage, by his daughter Diana, to Robert Bruce, earl of Elgin, whose son Robert was created earl of Ailsbury, from whom the chapel and the adjoining streets had their name. The estate continued in this family till 1706, and was finally sold in 1721 to Simon Michel, Esq. who was then erecting Red Lion Street, and other places in the neighbourhood. This gentleman enlarged and repaired the chapel, the north aisle of which had been converted to a dwelling house, and the upper part of the south aisle used as a library. He also built the west front, and roofed the whole fabric, which he sold in 1723 to the commissioners for building fifty new churches for the sum of 2950l.; on the 27th of December it was consecrated a parish church; but it is in many instances subordinate to that of St. James. The church is plain, and has all the appearance of a chapel of ease. The east end bears some relics of the antient structure. The interior is very plain, and has the appearance of a Doric building; it is convenient and handsome, and has an organ. Here is a monument to the memory of the above SIMON MICHEL, Esq.; and a tablet at the east end informs us, "In 1743 Sir GEORGE FETTIPLAGE, bart. left to poor housekeepers 501." He also left, per annum, 137. to be laid out, at 5s. per week, in ten sixpenny loaves. RECTORS. PARRY, 1769. EDWARD W. WHITRICHARD HARRISON, M. A. 1790, an and worthy pastor. RICHARD LEN Albemarle Street, across St. John's Street, along Sutton Street, and Wilderness Row, lead to OLD STREET. This is a spacious avenue, and undoubtedly received its name on account of being a Roman road, which Dr. Stukeley has named the Via Iceniana, or Trinobantica; whch, he tells us, came from Stanes (the Pontes of Antoninus) through Brentford, "being the common road to Turnham Green, where it turns northward from the present road, 2 passing passing a little bridge, called from it Stanford Bridge, entering the Acton road at a common and a bridge, a little west of Camden House, so along Hyde Park wall, and crosses the WATLING STREET, at Tyburn, then along Oxford Road, continuing to OLD STREET, on the north side of the city; whence it goes to Colchester, in Essex *. OLD STREET furnished a prebend to the cathedral of St. Paul, from an early period; in 1291, it was taxed at fifty shillings. On the north side of the street is situated the parish church of THIS church arose in consequence of the great increase of buildings in the parish of St. Giles, Cripplegate; for notwithstanding there were a chapel of ease, and several meeting houses, the parish church could not contain half the inhabitants. The commissioners for erecting the fifty new churches therefore, purchased a piece of ground, and erected one of those churches upon it; after which the inhabitants applying to parliament had the Middlesex berty of St. Giles appointed for the parish; and by the same act 3500l. was granted to be laid out in fee simple, for the support of a rector, besides the profits of which the churchwardens were to pay him annually 1204. to be raised by burial fees, The church was finished in 1732, and was consecrated the next year on St. Luke's day, when the name of that saint was given as its patron, Though the building is convenient and well enlightened with two rows of windows, it is a very singular structure. In the centre of the west front is the entrance, adorned with coupled Doric pilasters; and to this door is an ascent by a small straight flight of steps. Over the entrance is a round window, and on each side a small tower covered with a dome, and ornamented with two windows in front, one of the usual form, and another over it, answering to that over the door. The tower is carried up square, and behind it the roof of the church forms to the west a kind of pediment, broken by the rise of the tower to which it joins on each side. The uppermost stage of the tower diminishes very considerably, and this, which is the base of an obelisk, supports on each side a dial. From hence rises, as a steeple, a fluted obelisk, reaching to a great height, diminishing slowly, and being of a considerable thickness towards the top; the whole is terminated by a ball and fane. The great arch of the interior is semi-oval, with plain pannels; the side aisles are also arched, and supported by eight Ionic pillars, four pilasters, and entablature. The altar-piece is Doric, under a Venetian window. The pulpit and its sounding board are supported by two Corinthian pillars; the organ, given by Mr. Buckley, an eminent brewer in Old Street, is a spacious, plain instrument. Here are no monuments worthy of particular notice. There is one in the church yard to the memory of Mr. Caslon, letter founder, of whom we have already made mention *. Vol. III. p. 325. The |