Page:VCH London 1.djvu/378

 A HISTORY OF LONDON impoverished the London parish churches. The certificates show that when the chantry expenses had been paid the churchwardens had * remaining clear' varying amounts up to nearly ^^50. Many obits for instance were paid for out of property which was regarded as belonging to the Church, and the value of which was much larger than the expenditure required.'^ It was found very difficult to separate the chantry property from that of the Church, and unless the evidence was very clear all had to be surrendered. Lawsuits for the recovery or defence of Church property began at once, and were numerous during the next few years.^' Later, until a special Act of Parliament was passed in the 17th century to protect them, the parishes and companies were frequently accused of holding 'concealed lands.' ^^ Various means were adopted to augment the diminished parochial funds. Church plate and ornaments were sold in large quantities, and in spite of prohibitions from the Council,'^ these sales continued until the confiscation of Church goods in 1552.'' The land immediately surrounding the churches was leased for building purposes,^' and the attempt to convert Church property into money was carried to an unjustifiable extent ; brasses were torn up, monuments destroyed, tombs opened and desecrated, and churches pulled down.'* Throughout the autumn and winter of 1548 the subject of the mass was discussed with great freedom and much bitterness on both sides.'° Occa- sional acts of violence took place in London. In September a boy was sentenced to be whipped in the church of St. Mary Woolnoth for having thrown his cap at the blessed Sacrament at the time of the elevation ; and in October two persons were committed to ward for throwing down altars in St. Leonard's Eastcheap.'* On 23 September a proclamation was issued forbidding all preaching ; " but it does not appear to have been long in force, as on St. Martin's Day (i i November) the Bishop of St. David's preached a controversial sermon at Paul's Cross.^' On 21 January 1548-9 the First Prayer Book of Edward VI was issued, together with the Act of Uniformity, which enjoined its use in every parish church by the following Whitsuntide.'' The old Church books were to be sold. There is evidence that in several churches this latter part of the order was carried out ; *° but whilst every church bought some English books, it does not appear from the churchwardens' accounts " that the Prayer Book " For examples see St. Andrew Hubbard Accts. 15th & l6th cents, and Stow,Suit>. (ed. Kingsford), i, 197. " St. Andrew Holborn (Bentley's Reg.) ; Par. Rec. passim. '" St. Stephen Walbrook Accts. 1563 ; Milbourne, Hist, of St. Mildred Poultry, 8 ; Over.,11, Anal. Index to Rememb. 1 12-16. " Lond. Epis. Reg. Bonner, fol. 269^. " Par. Rec. gen. ; Ch. Gds. (Exch. Y^.^.), passim. " Stow, op. cit. i, 196 ; cf. Cobb, i^otes on the Ch. of St. Ethelburga, 23. " Par Rec; Monum. Franc. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 215-19 ; Stow, op. cit. i, 204, 207, 243, 322, &c. ; Stow, Annals; Chant. Cert. 34, no. 159. " See Monum. Franc. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 216-18 ; Wilkins, Concilia, iv, 28 ; De Selve, Corresp. 397, 453, 473 ; Wrlothesley, Chron. ii, 4 ; Gasquet and Bishop, Edzvard VI and the Bk. of Com. Prayer, App. v ; Orig. Letters (Parker Soc), passim — see Chronological Index. ^ Corp. Rec. Letter Bk. Q, fol. z^ob ; Repert. xi, fol. 47 3^. " Corp. Rec. Letter Bk. Q, fol. 25 23. ^ Monum. Franc. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 218. " Stat. 2 & 3 Edw. W, cap. I. See First Prayer Bk. ofEdw. VI (Parker Soc), Preface. ^° Chwdns'. Accts. 1549-50, St. Laurence Jewr)', St. Mar>- Colechurch, St. Mary Magdalen Milk Street, St. Martin in the Fields, St. Olave Southwark, St. Andrew Hubbard, St. Margaret Pattens, St. Alphage London Wall, St. Botolph Aldersgate. " See Accts. ut sup. and Accts. of St. Stephen Walbrook, St. Andrew Holborn, St. Margaret Westminster, St. Faith, St. Helen Bishopsgate, St. Ethelburga, St. Saviour Southwark, St. Pancras Soper Lane, St. Peter Cheap, All Hallows Staining, St. Martin Orgar. 292