A HISTORY OF LONDON the annual expenditure of the house exceeded its revenues by ;^ 1 1 7 4^- 2(/. Some of the credit of this fortunate result is undoubtedly due to the Mercers' Company, whose relations with the hospital had long been of the most cordial kind,'" and became even closer in 15 14, when the master and brethren accepted the company as their defenders and advocates." Under this arrangement the master of St. Thomas had to give an account of his ad- ministration every year before the wardens and assistants of the society, and when the mastership was vacant the company chose two or three of the convent, from whom the brethren had to elect a master within eight days. Rights such as these doubtless implied responsibilities, and the Divine Providence to which the writer of the account attributes the payment of the debt " probably took the form of the Mercers' Company. It is evident that the convent acquiesced quietly in the religious changes : they acknow- ledged the king's supremacy in 1534," and though objection was taken to the windows of their church where the story of St. Thomas of Canterbury was displayed," nothing was said against the brothers. The difficulties of which the master, Laurence Copferler, complained to Cromwell" in 1535, seem to have been caused by some business quite unconnected with the house, apparently his employment on a commis- sion 'de walliis et fossatis,' such as preceding masters had served on.'^ The house was surrendered 20 October, 1538, and Sir Richard Gresham's petition that the work done there in aid of the poor and sick might continue under the rule of the City Cor- poration was unheeded, the place being let to Thomas Mildmay.'^ The brothers, who had
- ' Since 1407 the company had had for their use
a room in the hospital, and a chapel in the church (Watney, op. cit. 36), and from 1442 they had made yearly payments to the hospital for masses for deceased brothers and sisters (ibid. 43). The hospital received from the mercers £66 13;. ^d. in 1502, ^^loo in 1 51 1, and loans of ^^40 and ;^loo in 1513 and I 5 14 (ibid. 66, 67). " The bishop of London's confirmation is dated 1 5 14, but the hospital had obt.iined the assent of Pope Leo X before. Lond. Epis. Reg. Fitz James, fol. 118. " Misc. of Exch. bdle. 24, No. 8, preface. '^L. and P. Hen. nil, vii, 921. " Ibid, viii, 626. These were removed. Ibid, xiii (2), 523. " Ibid, vii, 1636. He says that the people cessed for payment of the labourers will not p.iy, and that he goes in fear of his life from the unpaid men. " C<j/. of Pat. 1476-85, pp. 215, 466, and L. and P. Hen. VIII, i, 1972. " Ibid, xiii (2), 648. " Ibid, xiii (2), 492. "Ibid. XV, 282 (36). The church, cloister, vestry, chapter-house, sexton's chamber, and churchyard were sold by the king to the Mercers' Company, April, 1542. Ibid, xvii, 283 (55). numbered twelve in 1444,^ and nine in 1463,*' seem in 1534 to have been reduced to six.*' The deed of surrender was signed by two only, both of whom received pensions, the master ^66 135. 4^.,*' and Brother Thomas Lynne ;^6." The revenue, in 1 291 estimated at ^^46 i6j.," was in 1535 reckoned to be ;^332 6i. gross, and j^277 35. 6d. net.** Of this the greater part was derived from lands and rents and the rectory of St. Mary Colechurch in London,^' and the rest from the manor of Harrow-on-Hill, and lands in Stepney, Wapping, and Bromley, co. Middlesex, the manor of Hulcott, and tenements in Buckingham, co. Bucks, the manor of Plumstead in Kent, the manor of ' Tawnton ' in Coulsdon, CO. Surrey, lands in West Ham in Essex, and rent in Northampton.** The hospital of St. Thomas also held a hospital at Berkhamp- stead.**^ Masters of St. Thomas of Acon John *9 Vincent, no date '" Henry de Neville, occurs 1243-4 '"• Ralph Waleys, occurs 1244-5, 1248""' Ralph, occurs 1249 ^^ Adam, occurs 1253 ^' " Par!. R. (Rec. Com.), v, 7^3.
- ' At least nine were engaged in the election of a
master at that date. Lond. Epis. Reg. Kemp, ii, fol. I. In I 5 10 there were eight brothers exclusive of Adams, the deposed master. Ibid. Fitz James, fol. 18. " The acknowledgement of the king's supremacy was signed by the master and six others. Dtp. Keeper's Rep. vii, App. ii, 293. "Aug. Off. Bk. 233, fol. z6b. Watney, op. cit. 121. «*Aug. Off. Bk. 233, fol. 26b. "Harl.MS. 6o,fol. 9, 39, 78. came from property in London. ^ Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), i, 391, 392. The net income as declared by Copferler 23 Oct. 1538 was j^2 75 7/. ^d. Watney, op. cit. 1 2 5.
- ' In the parishes of St. Thomas the Apostle and
Allhallows the Less, L. and P. Hen. VIII, xiv (i), 1 3 5 5 ; St. Pancras Westcheap, ibid, xiv (2), 113 (23) ; St. Stephen Walbrook, ibid. (2), 619 (47) ; St. John Walbrook, ibid, xv, 1032, p. 557 ; St. Olave Old Jewry, ibid. p. 561 ; St. Mary le Bow, ibid. p. 562 ; St. Martin Ludgate, ibid, xv, 942 (77); St. Martin Ironmonger Lane, ibid, xvi, p. 715 ; and St. Bride, ibid, xviii (2), 241 (32). See also Watney, op. cit. 122-3. ^ Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), i, 391. ^^ Watney, op. cit. 124. It appears to have been the hospital of St. John Baptist. Ibid. 47-8. Cott. MS. Tib. C.v, fol. 270. ™Ibid. fol. 2703. "* Watney, op. cit. 276. " Cott. MS. Tib. C. v, fol. 2703. " Jbbrev. Pkc. (Rec. Com.), 130 ' warden.' He died in 1 557. Of this ^3 1 7/. %d. '«* Ibid. 275. He is called 494
