CHARITIES OF WILLIAM PENNANT. wife's brother, has now a singular appearance :one chain of gold and pearle, weighing about 12 ounces and a quarter; one billament of gold and pearl, being 19 pieces; a round salt of silver and a cover thereto, weighing 15 ounces and somewhat more; six white silver spoons; one feather bed, bolster, two pillows, two blankets, one blue rug; a testearn of satten, figured russet and black, and vallance to the same; 5 curtains of taffety sarcenet; one chair, and a stool with a back of satten figured russet; ten black, and six stools covered with black wrought velvet; and also a great chest covered with black leather, with an in-lock and all things in it, excepting certain plate hereafter bequeathed. He left to his nephew Hugh Pennant, of Bychton, Flintshire, the manor of Morhall, in Esser, with a considerable estate; but the fruits of the labors of this industrious tradesman, were all dissipated by a gentleman of the family, who fortunately quitted this life before he had wasted our paternal acres. But the charities of William Pennant, to the poor of Whiteford parish, in the county of Flint, are more permanent: for to this day they completely cloath twenty poor people; and in a few years more the trustees of the bequeathed lands flatter themselves with the hopes of doubling the number. We now reach a great extent of holy ground, consecrated for the purposes of monastic life, or 265 266 LOMEW. PRIORY OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW. for the humane purpose of affording relief to our distressed brethren, in their passage through this world. I have not in view a conventual history of London: but only mean to give a brief account of those foundations which have a clame to pre-emiCHURCH OF nence. The church of St. Bartholomew the Greater ST. BARTHOis at a small distance from Smithfield; it is only the choir of the antient building, and the center on which stood the great tower. In the choir are the remains of the old architecture; massy columns, and round arches: eight arches, part of the cloisters are still preserved in a neighboring stable. Adjacent is a portion of the south transept, now converted into a small burying-ground. This was PRIORY OF a conventual church, belonging to a priory of Black Canons, founded in 1102, by one Rahere, minstrel or jester to Henry I; who, quitting his profligate life, became the first prior of his own foundation. Legend relates, that he had a most horrible dream, out of which he was relieved by St. Bartholomew himself, who directed him to found the house, and to dedicate it to him. Rahere has here a handsome monument, beneath an arch divided by elegant tabernacle-work. His figure is recumbent, with an angel at his feet, and a canon in a great hood kneeling on each side, as if praying over him. It was afterward repaired by William Bolton, the last prior. At the Dissolution its revenues, according to Dugdale, were 653l. 15s. It was granted ST. BARTHO LOMEW. |