A HISTORY OF LONDON open street at midday, even here within your city.' "° In February the priory of Holy Trinity Aldgate had been surrendered by the canons to the king, their founder and patron.^" It was thus the first to fall of the London religious houses, though the tiny hospital of St. James in the Fields had been suppressed the October before. No attempt seems to have been made to save it, in spite of its close connexion with the City."^ The Court of Aldermen proposed in January 1533 to repeal the Act of 1445 concerning the appointment of the rector of St. Peter Cornhill,"' and succeeded in inducing the Common Council to put it aside ' for this time only,' that they might give the benefice when next void to a man nominated by Anne Boleyn."* The question of the divorce was being discussed in the London pulpits early in 1532."^ In August a chaplain of Queen Katherine's named Thomas Abell was sent to the Tower for writing a book in her defence ; Dr. Cooke, Forman's successor at Honey Lane, was also a prisoner there at the time, and apparently there was some connexion between the two. In October a ' secret search ' was made in the City by order of the Council, and some persons were arrested ; but a week later the Londoners were re- ported to be quiet, ' except the simple people, who will not give over their babbling tales.'"" In his sermon on Easter Day 1533 the prior of the Austin Friars recommended his astonished and scandalized congregation to pray for Queen Anne, whose marriage to Henry had taken place secretly in January."^ Among the steps taken to suppress the ' murmuring ' in the City was the silencing of all preachers not licensed by the bishop, who was one of the chief promoters of the divorce, and some London clergymen got into trouble for their connexion with the ' rumour . . . concerning this great matter.' "' Among them was Henry Gold, rector of the important parish of St. Mary Aldermary, who was one of the followers of the Nun of Kent. On 23 No- vember he stood with her on a stage at Paul's Cross while the preacher declared their crafty and superstitious doings, and in April 1534 he was executed at Tyburn."' Anne Boleyn obtained the rectory of Aldermary for Dr. Crome, and marvelled at his hesitation in accepting it, since in her opinion the furtherance of virtue, truth, and godly doctrine would be much increased by his residence there."" In October 1533 images were being taken from their places and cast out of the churches as stocks and stones of no value. Some pricked them with their bodkins ' to see whether they will bleed or no,' and many other "° Gee and Hardy, Documents, &c., 1 74. For ecclesiastical disorder and sacrilege this year cf. L. and P. Hen.Vlll, V, 1454, and Monum. Franc. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 195. '" See article on ' Religious Houses.' For the fate of the priory church see Stow, Surv. (ed. Kingsford), i, 142 ; cf Pari. R. 25 Hen. VIII (10) ; L. and P. Hen. Fill, vii, 147 (15), 419 (28), 587 (10), 923 (i, ix, xii, xxxvii, xxxviii), 1 601 (34-5) ; viii, 962 (26). '"As late as 1525 a serjeant had been punished 'for arresting the prior of Christ Church, being an alderman' ; Rec. Corp. Repert. vii, fol. 33. '" Fide supra, p. 232. '" Rec. Corp. Repert. viii, fol. 268^ ; Journ. xiii, fol. 354. '" L. and P. Hen. Fill, v, 879 ; cf 1 142. ^^ Proc.ofP.C. (Rec. Com.), vii, 343 ; L. and P. Hen.Vlll, v, 1256, 1432, 1458, 1467, 1596. "" Ibid, vi, 391, 541 ; cf vii, 15. '" Ibid, vi, 1 381 (cf 131 1), 1370, 1672 ; vii, 143. '" Ibid, vi, 1460 ; vii, 17, 70, 72, 138, 303, 522, 523 ; Wriothesley, Ciron. i, 23-4 ; Monum. Franc. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 196-7 ; Lond. Ciron. 9, in Camden Misc. iv ; Hall, Chron. ; Songs, Carols, &c. (Early Engl. Text Soc), App. 163, 164. "« L. and P. Hen. Fill, vii, 693. 260
