Pages 225-229
The Grey Friars of London. Originally published by Aberdeen University Press, Aberdeen, 1915.
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XVI. GRANTS OF TENEMENTS IN GREYFRIARS.
1539–45.
The following grants are recorded in the Letters and Papers, Henry VIII.
1539. June 30. William Bolton, (fn. 1) a tenement at the West end of the Church (xv., p. 540).
1539. July 16. Thomas Soulemont, buildings within the site (xv., p. 557).
1540. March 17. John Wyseman, three tenements (xv., p. 564).
1541. September 1. Anne Lythego, widow, and Thomas Ayer, ironmonger, two tenements at the Gate (xvi., p. 723).
1541. December 8. Jerome and Francis Benall, mansion and garden at the west end (xvii., p. 693).
1542. June 22. Richard Tredery, (fn. 2) three tenements (id.).
1543. February. Sir John Williams and Sir Edward North, site (described in detail), value £3 13s. 4d. (fn. 3) (xviii., (i) p. 132).
1543. June 27. Sir Roger Cholmeley, garden on south of church (xviii., (i) p. 550).
1544. January 18. Hugh Willoughby, a tenement called Dr. Vaughan's lodging, lately held by Lady Rose Wallope, deceased (xix., i., p. 644).
1544. April 14. John Duffield, foyster, lands in St. Ewen's (xix., i., p. 649).
1544. July. Hugh Losse, messuages in St. Ewen's and St. Sepulchre's (xix., i., p. 615).
1544. July. John Gates and Thomas Thorogod, tenement and void ground at the Gate, Anne Lethego, tenant; and a messuage, John Wyseman and Thomas Yare, tenants (xix., i., p. 623).
1544. September 11. Thomas Persse, reversion of tenements granted to Jerome and Francis Benall (xix., ii., p. 181).
1544. September 23. Thomas Bocher; garden, tenant, John Baynton; messuage, tenant, Elizabeth Westborne; gardens, tenants, Peter Casanova and John Clarke; a curtelage called a backesyde, tenants, John Baynton and Edward Lacke (xix., ii., p. 186).
The grant to Willoughby was the subject of a lawsuit. In 1545 he made a petition in chancery showing that in the 35th year of his reign the King had granted him for life "a tenement late in the tenure of the ladye Rose Walloppe, wydow, dyssesyd, situatyd next the mansion callyd Doctur Vaughan's Lodgyng withyn the precynct of the late house of the late fryers mynores commenly callyd the gray ffreres withyn the cyte of London with the Hall, Chambyr, Kychen and dyvers other houses &c.," and that on 14th January last John Vandernot "physyssyon" had without just cause entered thereon and kept possession. Vandernot in his answer alleged that Jerome and Francis Benall on 8th December, 1541, had a grant "by the name of the Tenement and Mansion and oon garden lying in the West end of the Churche of the house of the late ffryers Mynors, between the said Churche of the East parte and the Kynges hyghe wey there leadyng from the grete gate to the second cloyster of the said house on the west parte, and the second cloyster on the north parte, and the Kynges hygh wey there ledyng from the grete gate into the Churche on the south parte, together with the conduyt of water"; this he alleged that William Vaughan, clerk, deceased, held. Further that Thomas Persse [Percy] had on 11th September, 1544, a grant of the reversion after the Benalls died; of which he, the defendant, had a conveyance; he denied that he had entered on any premises not covered by this grant. In his Replication Willoughby denied that Vaughan had occupied the houses in question, or that they were part of the grants alleged. Vandernot rejoined that Vaughan took the rents, and that Lady Wallop was his tenant (Augmentation Office, Misc. Books, 12/35, P.R.O.). In subsequent interrogatories in the suit the deponents were asked whether they knew "the kychyn, entre, parlar, with the aulter there, the old garett above the said parlar, a Chamber called a study with the lead above, and the stayers lying within the precincte of the Grey frieres agaynst the second cloyster"; whether they were parcell of Vaughan's lodging; whether he occupied them; and whether he did not let them to Lady Wallop, etc. Amongst the deponents were two former friars of the house, Edmund Tomson of St. Clement without Temple Bar, chaplain, aged forty-three years—on 11th November, 1544—who answered all questions in the affirmative; and George Hovy, of St. Botolph without Aldersgate, chaplain, aged thirty-six years, who answered the first question yes; of the others he had no knowledge (Augm. Office, Misc. Books, 37/18, P.R.O.). Doctor Vaughan's Lodging may from this description very probably have been the Guardian's Lodging. In 1547 Willoughby held the Hall and Little Cloister (see p. 230 below).
Since Dr. Vaughan and Lady Wallop were dead in 1544, the Extent, which is printed below, must be of earlier date. Most of the grantees appear in it; Thomas Soulemont as Master Solyman; Doctor Vaughan presumably as Doctor Vasium; Anne Lythego may be the same as Johanna Lego, and the Anne Legoe of the St. Bartholomew's plan (she died in 1544, see p. 114 above); Thomas Yare is no doubt Thomas Ayer; John Baynton appears as Caynton in the Extent, and is apparently the John Clynton of the grant of 1543 (see p. 224 above), whose garden was in the north-east part of the site. The plan of 1617, preserved at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, is apparently based on material seventy years older; it marks a tenement at right angles to the Gatehouse, "Ann Legoe," and a piece of ground in the north-west corner, "Bolton's Garden now Mallowes"; this last was against the Wall to the West of the first bastion, I am not sure that the Friars' ground extended so far.
The Extent is contained in Rentals and Surveys, 11/17, P.R.O.
Grey Fryers.