a Near to Peckwater Inn was Vine Hall, fituated in St. Edward's Street, near and E. of Peckwater Quadrangle which now is, fo called from H. Juvine or Juvenis, the Owner of it, Reg. R. I. and Job. and in H. IIId's Time demised by Simon, Prior of St. Frid, for 2 s. per Ann. Rent. Before which Difmiffion Charter, which is in one of their Register Books, is this Title in Red Letters—Dimissio Prioris de Tenemento, quodam vocat. Hen. Juvenis, modo Vine Hall, pro Annuo reditu, 2 s. Several Owners thereof occur in Records by the fame Name .: At its Decay of Students therein, it was united with Peckwater Inn; fo that both being under one Principal, for the moft Part it was called Vine Hall, alias Peckwater's Inn, by which Name it was given by King H. VIII. in the 38th Year of his Reign, to his new-erected College of Christ Church; on which afterwards, and on the Room where other Halls alfo ftood, the prefent Quadrangle of Christ Church, known by the Name of Peckwater Quadrangle, was erected. Dr. Fell, Dean, of Christ Church, patched and mended Canterbury Gollege, by making new Windows therein uniformly, and rough cafted it; then built the E. Part, and Half the N. Part of Peckwater's Inn, which was fometimes an Orchard belonging to one of the Canons; then he built to the W. Part, and made the Fourth Part, which was Vine Hall, uniform with the other, in Windows, and rough Caft; then he finished the S. Side of Peekwater, by taking out of his own Garden Room next to his Back Gate there, and built it uniform as the Reft; and whereas the Way that leads from Peckwater to the Great Building was ftrait along from Peckwater to the Middle of the N. Side of the Great Quadrangle, on the Ruins of the Cathedral of Cardinal Wolfey, he made a fhorter Cut, as now is, by cutting a Piece through his Garden; then as for the Place where we go up into the Hall, which was open on the Top, and a confufed Way in Building, and fcarce any Steps, he made it, as it is now, by the Help of Smith an Artificer from London, and built the most exquifite Arch, that now is; then did he alter, re-edify the Cloister, by making it uniform, which lay like the Cloifters of Ofney. し From the N. Side, or End of Vine Hall, we had a Street leading thence,and alfo from St. Edward's Lane to Schydiard Street, being now on the N. Side of Peckwater Quadrangle. It is in feveral Records called St. Edward's Street, as leading from St. Edward's Church and Lane before-mentioned, and fometimes by the Name of Vine Hall Lane; by the former I find Mention thereof in Godstow's Book, in a Difmiffion of Ship Hall to the Warden and Scholars of Canterbury Hall; and the other in the Chart. of Sale of a Tenement, fituat. inter Aulam vocat. Glaffen Hall, ex Parte d Reg. Godftow. f. 125. 70. id. I 352. with a Stable, by G. Owen, Efq; to IV. Dewe, 3 Ed. VI. In this Street or Lane was Brid Hall and Maiden Hall, of which is Mention in the Charter of Donation, or Release of R. Altafpole to Nic. de Shoreditch, Clerk,.20 Ed. III. whereby conveying St. Thomas Hall before-mentioned to him, he conveyed alfo the Great Gate in St. Edward's Parish, with Two Shops annexed, as Appurtenances belonging thereto. Brid Hall belonged to Godfrow Nunnery. d The W, of which, Maiden Hall, belonged to Rob. de Appleby, a Beadle of the University, Reg. Ed. III. De Tenemento vocat. Maiden Hall, quod Rob. de Appleby, Bedellus tenuit, et quod quondam fuit Bonivalet, &c. 16d. So a Rental for feveral Quit Rents, which belonged to the Kitchen of Abendon Abbey, 23 Ed. III. He in his Will 1349 left it by the fame Name to his Executors for the Payment of his Debts; but the chief Lords thereof were the Proctors and Brethren of the Chantry of St. Thomas in St. Mary's Church, who, with divers other Halls, Tenements, and Lands in and about Oxone, conveyed it 16 R. II. by the fame Name to the Provoft and Scholars of Oriel College, who to this Day are Lords of its Soil. Near to Vine Hall before-mentioned, and toward the upper End of this Street or Lane, was Soller Hall-Tenementum Rogeri Winter Soller Hall, &c. So a Rental of Ofney 1421 f. It was for Legifts; fo the Table of Rous. The Name of fuch an Hall Chaucer tells us, in his Tale of the Reue, to have been at Camb. All the Mention befides I find of it was, that it belonged to J. Docklington, a Burgess of Oxon, fpoken of in St. Aldate's Church, and that in his Will 1348, he left it by the Name of Solter Hall in St. Edward's Parish to Alice his Wife. Hereabouts alfo ftood Glaffen Hall-Tenementum Kepehare, viz. Glaffen Hall, in Parochia S. Edwardi, &c. So a Rental of Ofney Abbey, 5 R. II. but though it was ftiled, à Tenement at that Time, yet, as it elsewhere appears, was, 1 R. II. a void Plot of Ground. For in the Difmiffion then of Mr. W. Mydleworth, Clerk to Sir Jeffry Lucy, Knt. of Vine Hall, it is faid the fame Hall was fituated between a void Spot of Ground fometimes called Glaffen Hall on the N. and Ship Hall on the S. I have now done with the Halls that stood on the Place where Peckwater Quadrangle is; as alfo on other Places adjacent on the N. W. and Part of the S. Side thereof. My next Purpose must be to proceed to Canterbury College, containing fome time fome Part of the faid Quadrangle, and fome of the Ground included in the Dean's Gardens... Taking my Courfe from hence, we go crofs Scbydiard Street (Part of which on our Left Hand is included C. C. C. Limits) and are conducted to St. John Baptift Street, fo called from the Parish Church therein, dedicated to that Saint. It ftretched itself from Canterbury College Gate at the W. End, by a up by C. C. C. Merton College, and St. Alban Hall, to the End of Nightingale Hall Lane, at the E. End thereof, to a Postern that was anciently in the Wall, and in St, Peter's Parish in the E. Divers very ancient Records not only testify this Street to be fo called, but also that elegant Effigy of St. John Preaching in the Wilderness cut in Stone over Merton College Gate; as alfo his other with the Sacred Writ in his Hand over the Church Door, fet Dr. Fitzjames, Warden of Merton College. In this Street it was, when that excellent Art of Printing, invented at Mogunce in Germany, circ. 1459, received its first Printer and Prefs; divers Notes at the Ends of old printed Books do fo teftify. Among which were, Frederick's Expofition of ferom, impreffed at Oxford 1468. Again, Alex. de Anima, 1481. The Questions of J. Dedicus, a Scholar of Oxon, on Ariftotle's Ethicks, printed by John Scholar, in Viculo S. Joh. Bapt. 1518, cum Privilegio. It was prohibited by the Chancellor of Oxon, under the Seal, that nobody fhould print this famous Work for Seven Years Space, or caufe it to be fold by others within this Univerfity, or its Precincts, under the Punishment of all his Copies, and 57. for every Book that then was fold; the Reason of which I find no where given. SE ST. JOHN's CHURCH, or CHAPEL, e EATED at the W. End of the First Court of the College of Merton, belonged of old to the Abbey of Reading, Berks, who, for the great Respect they bore to Walter de Merton, Bishop of Rochester, and Founder of Merton College (R. being then Abbot, Anno 1265.) gave the fame to him and his Affigns, together with a void Plot of Ground lying at the W. End hereof, whereon before was an ancient Edifice, and to which the Advowson of the faid Church did belong; fo that the fame being given to his College, was confirmed by the Charter of K. H. III. to the faid Society, ratified also by the Bishop of Lincoln. Afterwards, when the Incumbent or Rector William de Chetyndon died, it was appropriated by Oliver, Bishop of Lincoln, to the Scholars of Merton; and alfo made a Collegiate or Parish Church, as it is this Day, being from that Time ftiled in ancient Evidences, Ecclefia Paroch. S. Johannis de Merton f. In others, Ecclefia S. Johannis de Merton, et de Merton Hall, The Church of St. John of Merton, and of Merton Hall. So that the Parishioners occupied it as their Parish Church on Festival and the Lord's Day, they having a Chapel on the S. Side of their College dedicated to the Virgin Mary (where the Kitchen now is) to celebrate on Weekly Days, all the Parochial Care that before lay on the Rector thereof, was now tranflated to the College, who, according to the Injunctions fpecified at the Time of Donor of it to Reading, but his Mark is unin- d Ex Arch. Coll. Merton. in Pix. A. 19 17. its Appropriation, were to find a Chaplain to perform all thofe Church Offices to the Parish, as the Rector before used to do, viz. in Baptizing, Marrying, Burying the Dead, &c. for the Chantries founded in this Church have been divers; of which, because there is but slender Record remaining, I fhall infert but Two; the First by R. Hunfingore, Clerk Official to the Archdeacon of Oxon, and Founder or Reftorer of an Hall in Schydiard Street, called Hunfingore Inn, or Broadgates, who, in 11 of Ed. II. gave feveral Revenues for the Maintenance of a Prieft, who fhould celebrate and fing Divine Service for his and his Parents Souls. He died 1337, and was buried in S. Newington, in this County, of which he was Rector, and to which he gave Money for a Prieft that fhould celebrate the fame there alfo for him. Rob. de Trenge, Warden of Merton College, by the Favour of R. Melton, Rector of St. Ebb's Church, inftituted another in Our Lady's Chapel, which was then adjoining, in the old Church. This was in 1349, as appears by the Charter itfelf; wherein he appointed Maintenance for a Chaplain that fhould celebrate for him while living, and afterwards, when dead, for R. Hunfingore, R. Melton, and others. The faid Rob. de Trenge died, Anno 1356, and was buried in this Church. This Church in Procefs of Time being ruinous, and befides too little to contain the Number of Students and Parishioners, was by the College pulled down to the Ground, Anno 1424, and by them on the Place was erected this comely and stately Church now standing, confifting of a fair Choir or Chancel 30 Yards long, 9 Yards 10 Inches broad, with an Area or Anti-Chapel 32 Yards and Half long, by 14 and Half broad. Over the W. End is a lofty and magnificent Tower, its Top adorned around with Pinnacles, and holding Eight tuneable Bells. It was intended this Church should reach to C. C. C. Quadrangle Sir Walter Hungerford gave 100l. to build the Tower, which was erected fome time after the Church, for whom a Mafs was appointed, Temp. Elias Holcot, Warden, a circ. 1440. The Campani le, it is faid, was not built or finished in 1451 b. In 1489 an Organ was fet up in it, which cost 28%. but was pulled down in 1677. The Poftmasters were Chorifters, having a Salary each 6s. 4d. per Annum, yet without any regular Institution for Choir Service, before the prefent Stalls and Wainscot were put up. The AntiChapel was originally much larger, as appears by examining the Outfide of the Church towards the W. End, the Arches filled up, which once stood. within, and made Part of the Nave. The Half of this Church, containing the N. Ifle, was allotted to the Parish for their Sepulture. After the Church's total Erection, it was re-dedicated to the fame Saint, and in the fame Year as before; and the Dedication-Day, which in ancient Times was used to be folemnly kept on the Morrow after Epiphany, in the Month of January, was, by the Command of H. Arch a Not. in Wood. MS. b Sched. 4. P. I. c Pointer's Hift. Oxf. p. 27. bishop bishop of Canterbury, by his Writing, dated Jan. 28, the fame Year tranflated to St. Leonard's Day. Mr. Alex. Fifter, Fellow of Merton College, paved the Chapel with black and white Marble, and wainfcotted and feated it with Oak. In 1671, and when he died in the above Year, he left Money for an East Window (with painted Glafs) in the Chapel, making Dr. Lydal, the Warden, one of his Executors, who was not only a faithful Executor, but also a generous Contributor to the fame. The faid painted Glafs in the Window coft 260l. a. The Pictures of Prophets, Apoftles, Saints, &c. that had been painted on the Backfide of the Stalls in the Choir, in various and antique Shapes, about the Beginning of the Reign of H. VII. were daubed over with Paint by the Command of the Ufurpers, about 1651, to the Sorrow of curious Men, Admirers of ancient Painting: But this Daubing wearing away in Two or Three Years after, they were all painted over in Oil Colours this Year, and the ancient Pictures quite obliterated. While the Workmen were performing this Work, feveral of the Brafs Plates, with Infcriptions on GraveStones, were moft facrilegioufly torn up and taken away, either by fome of the Painters, or other Workmen then working in the Chapel; and this with Impunity from the Fellows, notwithstanding Mr. Wood's remonftrating to then against fuch Sacrilegifts. The Infcriptions he has tranfcribed. Vid. Hift. Univ. L. 2. p. 91. 1656, Jan. 10. Mr. A. Wood, his Mother, and his Two Brothers, gave 51. to Merton College towards cafting of their Five Bells into Eight. Thefe Five were ancient Bells, and had been put up in the Tower at the First Building thereof, in the Time of Dr. H. Abendon, Warden of the College. In 1421, the Tenor or Great Bell (on which was the Name of Abendon inscribed) was fupposed to be the best or richest Bell in England, being of fine Metal Silver found. The Generality of the People were much against altering of that Bell, and were for adding a Treble to thefe Five; and Serjeant Holloway would have given Money to have faved it, and added a Sixth. But by the Knavery of T. Jones, the Subwarden (the Warden being then abfent) and Michael Derby the Bell-Founder, they were made Eight. Dr. 7. Wilson, Doctor of Musick, had a Fee from the College to take Order about their Tuning . 1681, Feb. 2. The Eight Bells newly caft by Chriftopher Hudfon, of London, rang to the Content of the Society; for his Work and Metal he had 300l. Derby, who had caft them before, had fpoiled them. The Belfry wherein the Ringers ftood (which was a little below the Arches of the Tower, for while the Five hanged the Ringers ftood on the Ground) being built of bad Timber, was plucked alfo; and after the Bells were put up again, this Belfry that now is above the Arches was new made, and a Window broke through the Tower next to C. C. C. was made to give Light", a Id. b Wood, c Sic Wood. Diar. and Life, 95, 96. |
