25. VINTRY WARD.
Vintry Ward comprises the parishes of St. James
Garlickhithe and St. Martin Vintry and parts of
the parishes of St. Michael Paternoster Royal,
St. Thomas the Apostle and St. John the Baptist
on Walbrook. The principal monuments are the
churches of St. Michael Paternoster Royal and St.
James Garlickhithe and the Vintners' Hall.
Ecclesiastical
(1) Parish Church of St. Michael Paternoster
Royal (Plate 222) stands on the E. side of College
Hill at the northern angle of College Street. It is
a Renaissance church of the simple apartment
type. The W. and S. walls, together with the
tower, are faced with Portland stone, but the E.
and N. walls with the vestry and churchyard-walls
are of red brick with Portland-stone dressings.
Church of St Michael Paternoster Royal
The old church was destroyed in the Great Fire,
1666, and re-built by Sir Christopher Wren in
1686–94 at the cost of £7,455 7s. 9d., the tower not
being completed till 1713. The stone lantern is
the most elaborate of the three designed by Wren.
Architectural Description—The church forms a
slightly oblong apartment (54 ft. 3 in. by 45 ft.
6 in.), with a vestibule and tower at the W. end
and a projecting vestry on the E.
The E. Elevation has three round-headed
windows with moulded architraves, that in the
centre being blocked and having a carved cartouchekeystone. The keystones to the side windows
bear cherub-heads. The wall is finished with a
stone cornice and a plain parapet of the same
material panelled at the angles. The middle bay
is carried up above the sides, with which it is
connected by carved scrolls, and is pierced with a
round window, opening into the roof and surmounted by a pediment. Below the S. window is
a blocked doorway to the churchyard with architrave and cornice. The Vestry has a stone plinth
and modern parapet. It is lit by windows with
moulded architraves.
The N. Elevation has three round-headed
windows and a doorway, the remainder of this
front being concealed by houses. The S. Elevation
is finished with a cornice and balustraded parapet
and contains five windows uniform with the side
windows in the E. wall. Below the last of these
is a blocked segmental-headed doorway with
cherub-head keystone and cornice resting on
carved consoles. The W. Elevation of the Vestibule has two windows and a doorway below the
southern, uniform with those in the S. wall, the
doorway being the main entrance. This wall has
a plinth, cornice and a modern parapet. The
Tower stands within the S.W. angle and is three
stages high, externally, with a stone lantern. In
the E. and N. walls of the ground-stage are square-headed doorways with architraves and cornices
on the inner side; that in the N. wall is now
blocked. The other two sides are pierced by
windows uniform with those in the S. wall. Above
these, in the second stage, are circular windows
with architraves and round-headed recesses in the
E. and N. walls; the bell-chamber is lit by a
square-headed louvred opening, with an architrave, in each face; the openings are of two lights
surmounted by a cornice. The stages are marked
externally by a cornice and string-course, and the
tower is finished with a modillioned cornice
supporting a pierced parapet with pedestals at the
angles and square stone vases. The octagonal
lantern is of three diminishing stages, the first
having Ionic columns at the angles with projecting entablature above supporting eight stone
vases. Each face is pierced by two super-imposed
square-headed openings. The second stage is
sub-divided, the upper part with pilasters at the
angles. Each face has two super-imposed openings,
the upper being round-headed; above each angle
is a vase. The top stage is circular on plan with
eight sinkings and is finished with a moulded
terminal, ball and vane.
Interior—In the E. wall below the N. window
is a doorway with architrave and cornice, to the
vestry. The vestry has an enriched plaster cornice
with the City-arms, those of the three kingdoms,
the cypher of William and Mary, etc. N. of the
vestry is a colonnade of the Doric order and of
two bays; it was formerly open, but is now masked
externally by a modern wall; the columns support
a cornice which is returned along the E. wall of the
church and the N. wall of the vestry. In the two
western bays of the N. wall of the church are
blocked windows corresponding with those in the
other bays. The vestibule is separated from the
church by a wood screen, the cornice of which
rests on a bracket against the N. wall and on two
Doric columns, one standing free and one attached
to the N.E. angle of the tower. The main ceiling
is flat and coved at the sides, springing from an
enriched cornice with a second cornice or enriched
band round the flat centre. The vestibule has a
flat panelled ceiling with an oval domed panel
in the middle.
Fittings—All of late 17th-century date, unless
otherwise described. Benefactors' tablets: On E.
face of tower, two round-headed panels in square
frames, with enriched borders and moulded
cornices. On N. face of tower, with round-headed
panel in square moulded frame eared at top and
bottom and moulded cornice. In chapel—on N.
wall, with enriched frame shouldered at angles
supporting scrolls and surmounted by segmental
pediment; repainted and inscribed with the text
Rev. xii. 7–9. Bread-shelves: In vestry—on E.
wall, enclosed in casing with ornamental edges and
surmounted by carved cornice, from All Hallows
the Great. Candelabrum: hung from middle of
ceiling, of brass with three brass spheres with
mouldings between supporting three rows of scrollbranches, from All Hallows the Great. Chairs
(Plate 5): within enclosure by font, two, of
oak with carved backs and arms, turned and
twisted posts and rails and carved front stretcher,
from All Hallows the Great. Chest: made up of
plain panelling from All Hallows the Great.
Communion Rails: with enriched rail, moulded
plinth, twisted balusters and plain standards,
except two inner which have applied carving of
flowers and fruit. Communion Table: of oak,
with moulded top carried on carved scroll-shaped
supports, carved plinth rails and ball-feet. Cupboards: two, made up of old panelling from All
Hallows the Great. In tower, tall cupboard with
two four-panelled doors. Doorcases and Doors:
To doorway at N. end of E. wall, door-case with
fluted Corinthian pilasters at either side with
enriched entablature projected round top of raised
tablet, with double four-panelled inner and twopanelled outer doors. Door between lobby and
vestry, two-panelled. In W. doorway, door in
two leaves each of four panels. Doorcase in
W. lobby modern except, on E. face, two fluted
Corinthian pilasters with enriched entablature,
carved cornice and raised tablet, all late 17th-century. To blocked doorway from vestibule to
S.W. tower, door in two leaves, each of two panels,
with moulded architrave and cornice. To doorway between vestibule and N. chapel, door in three
panels with upper panel filled with wrought-iron
scroll-work. To doorway between vestibule and
body of church, door in two leaves, each of four
panels with two upper panels glazed. To two
doorways between N. chapel and body of church,
doors each in three panels with pierced carvings
in uppermost panel. To doorway between S.W.
tower and church, door in two leaves each of three
panels. To S.W. tower-staircase, three doors each
of two panels. Font-cover: to modern font, of
oak, octagonal, lower part of ovolo-section with
enriched base and upper part of eight carved and
vertical panels surmounted by top of concave
section finished with moulded terminal and
wrought-iron finial. Lectern: made up of old
materials and of oak, with square base with
enriched mouldings, sloped back in four panelled
sides to square panelled post supporting desk with
enriched base and panelled sides; against front
of post, carved figure of Charity (Plate 47) suckling
an infant with two others at her feet, all standing
on back of crouching and grotesque figure of Envy,
group formerly on front of W. gallery of All Hallows
the Great. Monuments and Floor-slabs: Monuments: On N. wall—(1) to Thomas Coulson, 1713,
marble monument of segmental projection with
scalloped shelf supported on scrolled brackets and,
above, flanking fluted Corinthian pilasters supporting entablature and broken segmental pediment
enclosing achievement-of-arms and, below apron,
cartouche-of-arms. On W. wall, (2) to Jacob
Jacobson, 1680, marble tablet with drapery and
cherub-head at sides, winged skull at foot and
cartouche-of-arms at top, removed from All
Hallows the Great. Floor-slabs: (1) belonging to
vault of William Fellowes of Lincoln's Inn and John
Fellowes, 1712, with achievement-of-arms. In
vestibule, (2) to William White, 1682, plaisterer,
and John Edmondson, 1715–6, with obliterated
shield-of-arms; (3) to Elizabeth Whit(e), 1681.
Panelling: round walls of body of church—with
panels in two heights with moulded cornice. In
vestry—in two heights, with bolection-moulded
panels and moulded dado-rail. On W. wall of
tower, in three heights. Paving: black marble
steps to altar, probably original though re-arranged.
At W. end and under tower, paving of old flagstones. Plate (Plate 31): includes a beaker
inscribed "S. Martin Vintry, 1689"; two flagons
of 1681, inscribed and dated 1682; two inscribed
and dated cups of 1712; one large and two small
patens and one large dish, all of same date and with
inscriptions as on cup, and two small inscribed and
dated dishes of 1713; stand-paten of 1675, inscribed 1676; dish of 1608 and with the same date,
inscribed. Also from All Hallows the Great—
a cup of 1595 (Plate 29) and cover-paten of 1608;
stand-patens of 1608 and one flagon of 1608, both
inscribed and dated 1608; an alms-dish (Plate 33)
of 1608, with repoussé ornament, inscribed and
dated 1631, and an inscribed and dated alms-dish,
similarly ornamented, of 1708. Pulpit: of oak
hexagonal with enriched base and capping, raised
panels on sides inlaid with geometrical patterns surrounded by enriched borders with swags over and
at angles, cherub-heads with festoons; under-side
of cavetto-section with ogee below supported on
plain hexagonal stem with cap, probably later
work; rectangular desk with pierced and carved
sides placed above one of the angles of the pulpit;
sounding-board hexagonal, modern, with re-used
upper part of cornice and supported on massive
square column with three sides panelled and, on
face next to pulpit, fluted Corinthian pilaster.
Rainwater-heads: three, of lead, on S. side of
church, two dated 1690. Reredos: of oak, divided
into three bays by attached and fluted Corinthian
columns standing on panelled pedestals with
mouldings of capping and bases continued across
bays to form panelled dado; entablature projected over end columns and middle bay with
cartouche carved with I.H.S. on latter and former
surmounted by flaming vases; in middle bay, two
round-headed panels with carved borders and
spandrels carved with cherub-heads and acanthus
and, below, long panel carved with two cherub-heads, fruit and flowers; side bays with enriched
square-headed panels with carved panels below and
cherub-heads and swags above; the upper panels
are inscribed respectively with the Lord's Prayer,
the Decalogue and the Creed. On either side of
reredos, two stone figures of Moses and Aaron,
standing upon modern stone corbels, from the
reredos of All Hallows the Great. Royal Arms:
over W. door, carved, coloured and gilded, William
and Mary, from All Hallows the Great. Screens:
on N. and S. sides of sanctuary, three panels high,
uppermost carved and pierced, raised panels on
inner sides and W. ends, modern except for re-used
scalloped and moulded vases with flower-terminals.
At W. end of church, enclosing vestibule and chapel,
in two bays between columns, N. bay with raised
panels in three heights, the topmost with attached
carving; modern glazed panels above. The door
in the S. bay is flanked by fluted Corinthian
pilasters with enriched entablature. Screen-partition between chapel and vestibule panelled in
two heights and reaching to ceiling of vestibule.
Seating: pews formed out of old seating cut down
and re-arranged with raised and moulded panelling
at ends. Churchwardens' pew, towards W. end,
with panelled back in three heights with enriched
capping, carved and pierced frieze-panelling and
carved scrolls at ends. Stalls: inner stalls on both
sides of chancel, made up of old work with fronts
two panels high with upper pierced and carved
(Plate 37) and surmounted by enriched capping;
outer stalls have benches and reading-pews with
carved upper panels and, at ends of backs, carved
vases. Tables: in vestry—(1) with turned legs,
shaped brackets and plain foot-rail; (2) in tower—
square similar table from All Hallows the Great.
Miscellanea: In various parts of church, long
forms with turned legs with rails at lower ends,
three large and three rather shorter. Against E.
wall of vestry, narrow seating with turned legs.
Against S. wall of vestry, seating, panelled to form
lockers. Ironwork: at backs of stalls, two iron
crestings with scroll-work at top. Hat-stand on S.
stalls of wrought-ironwork with two rows of pegs,
scroll-work, etc. Faldstool: in chapel, made up
of old work with twisted balusters and moulded
top and base-framing. Enclosure to font: made
up of turned balusters with carved rails. In
second stage of tower—balustrading with turned
balusters.
Condition—Good.
(2) Parish Church of St. James Garlickhithe stands on the E. side of Garlick Hill,
between Maiden Lane and Upper Thames Street.
It is a Renaissance building, following the mediæval
plan, and is built of brick rendered in cement with
stone dressings. The tower is of coursed ragstone with Portland-stone dressings, and the roof
is lead-covered. The church was destroyed in the
Great Fire of 1666, and re-built by Sir Christopher
Wren in 1674–87 at a cost of £5,357 12s. 10d.
Architectural Description—The church is rectangular on plan (73¼ ft. by 51½ ft.) with a projecting, square-ended Sanctuary and a tower, also
projecting at the W. end.
The E. Elevation of the sanctuary stands on a
low plinth and is finished with a modillioned
cornice of wood, which is continued along the
clearstorey-walls on both sides of the church.
The blocked E. window is round-headed and has
an eared architrave and plain keystone. At the
springing-level on each side is a stone cornice
continued along the side walls of the church and
broken only for the central window on each side.
To the N. and S. of the sanctuary are smaller
round-headed windows with simple architraves.
The sanctuary is flanked by a pair of windows,
similar in form, on either side, and below the
northernmost is a square-headed doorway to the
churchyard. The N. Elevation has five bays with
windows in the first two and last two, uniform with
those last described. The centre bay, which is
wider than the others forming a pseudo-transept,
contains a large round-headed window, formerly
of three lights, with eared architrave and plain
key, now partly blocked and altered to a circular
window: below, is a blocked square-headed doorway surmounted by a frieze and cornice and having
a panel carved with a cherub-head in the centre of
the lintel. The transept, like the sanctuary, is
finished with a wooden cornice. The clearstorey
has a segmental-headed window in each bay.
The S. Elevation is hidden by buildings except at
the W. end. The W. Elevation has the tower in
the centre and flanking it are two windows, on
each side, similar to those on the N., but with
cherub-head keystones. Below the outer pair
are square-headed doorways. The W. wall of
the clearstorey is finished with a stone cornice,
curved upwards and scrolled, against the
sides of the tower. The Tower is three stages
high, surmounted by a stone lantern. In the W.
wall of the ground-stage is a round-headed doorway, with moulded imposts and a cherub-head
keystone. On either side is an engaged Corinthian
column, with a half-pilaster against it, supporting
an entablature and pediment with a carved
scallop in the tympanum. In the W. wall of the
second stage is a segmental-headed window with
eared architrave and surmounted by a cornice
and pediment. Immediately above it is a raised
circular panel. The bell-chamber has a round-headed, louvred opening in each face, with
eared architraves and shaped keystones. The
stages are divided by stone bands and the tower is
finished with a cornice and pierced stone parapet,
with pedestals at the angles, supporting square
vases. The stone lantern forms three diminishing
stages, the lowest being square with diagonal
projections at the angles, formed of coupled Ionic
columns supporting an entablature, continued
round the lantern. Above each column is a stone
vase, and each face of this stage has a square-headed louvred opening. The second stage, with
similar openings, is much smaller in scale and has
plain pilasters, set diagonally, at the angles and
resting on scrolled bases. Above each is a stone
vase, with acanthus-enrichment. The top stage
forms a square pinnacle with chamfered angles
and concave sides, each with a small opening set
in a sunk panel. It is finished with a gilt ball and
vane.
Church of St James Garlickhithe.
Interior (Plate 162). On each side of the body
of the church is a colonnade of five bays, the
columns being of the Ionic order with half-columns as responds, and all standing on high
octagonal, wainscoted bases. They support an
entablature consisting of architrave and cornice,
the latter with egg and dart enrichment. The
middle bay on each side is wider than the
others, and here the entablature is returned back
to the outer walls, forming pseudo-transepts.
It is carried also round the sanctuary walls,
where it rests on Ionic square pilasters at the
four angles. The W. wall is similarly treated,
but here the recess is quite shallow. The main
ceiling is flat in the centre and coved at the
sides, the coves springing from the entablature.
The central portion is surrounded by an enriched
cornice and cut up into five rectangular panels,
the end ones being narrow and filled with modelled
foliage and the rest having foliated borders. The
ceilings of the sanctuary and pseudo-transepts
are round plaster vaults groined into the cove,
which is also groined back over each clearstorey-window. The aisle-ceilings are flat with transverse
trabeations opposite each column.
The ground-stage of the tower has a round-headed doorway in the E. wall and a recess of similar
form on the N. and S. It is roofed with a dome
pierced by a round bell-way and springing from
a circular cornice resting on plain pendentives.
The circular stairway is in the S.E. angle.
Fittings—The fittings, unless otherwise stated,
are of late 17th or early 18th-century date. Bells:
two, 1st by James Bartlett, 1682; 2nd by Philip
Wightman, 1700, from St. Michael Queenhithe.
Clock: projecting from W. face of tower, round
dial in square framing with scrolled key-block
carved with cherubs, cornice, pediment and modern
figure of St. James; apron below with date
1682; clock supported on beam with shaped and
carved bracket; in vestry, upper part of original
painted figure of St. James. Communion Table
and Rails. Table: with carved edge and cherub-heads at angles, end-standards with carved scrolls
and doves and middle rail also with carved scrolls
against standards. Rails: with two ranges of
twisted balusters, modern capping and base.
Doors: At E. end of N. and S. aisles—each of two
panelled leaves and flanked by fluted Corinthian
pilasters supporting an entablature. At W. end of
church—three doors and screen, each door panelled
and with moulded architrave; above middle door,
a carved cherub-head on E. face and over each side
door a carved scallop-shell on W. face. In W.
wall—three, each of two leaves and flanked
internally by fluted Corinthian pilasters supporting an entablature, over middle door a shaped
key-block. In W. wall of tower—of two panelled
leaves. Font (Plate 10): of white marble, octagonal moulded bowl with four cherub-heads and
gadrooned under-side, baluster-stem with moulded
cap and base and fluted sides. Cover, of oak, ogee-shaped, with enriched angles and carved pineapple as finial, moulded and carved base. Gallery:
At W. end of church—panelled front with panelled
pilasters, moulded capping and moulded entablature on bressummer, front supported on two square
piers of wrought open ironwork, the lower parts
fluted and the upper with scroll-work finished
with wooden Corinthian capitals. Staircase to
gallery, branching two ways, with twisted balusters,
cut strings with carved brackets, upper newels as
fluted Doric columns, panelled dado, possibly
early 18th-century. Monuments and Floor-slabs.
Monuments: In N. aisle—on N. wall, (1) to Peter
Jones, 1694, marble tablet with moulded frame,
rounded head and pediment, drapery and cherubs,
urn and achievement-of-arms above; (2) to
Seagrave Chamberlain, 1675, marble tablet, flanked
by scrolls and finished with a cornice, broken
curved pediment and cartouche-of-arms, apron
with cherub-head and swags. Floor-slabs: In
middle aisle—(1) to Thomas Nixon, 1712, with
shield-of-arms. In N. aisle—(2) to Peter Jones,
1694. Organ: built by Bernard Schmidt in
1697; the case has a panelled base with carved
scrolls and an entablature; the cornice has half-round projections supporting four 'towers' of pipes
with carved cresting and individual entablatures
running from front to back; the bays between the
towers are each of two tiers with carved heads to
the lower panels; in upper part of middle bay
is a round panel, the side bays are capped by scrolls,
the middle towers are bridged by an entablature
which is finished with a segmental pediment
enclosing a scallop-shell and surmounted by a
crown and two mitres; the side-towers are finished
with panelled pedestals on which are cherubs
holding palms and trumpets. Panelling: N. and
S. walls of church, panelled in three tiers with
moulded cornice; similar panelling under gallery,
forming screen between lobby and church, and on
pedestals to columns. Plate: includes cup and
paten of 1549; cup of 1552; cover-paten of 1574;
cover paten of 1605; two flagons of 1636; cup of
1638, given by Leonard Hamond; cover-paten of
1702; cup of 1641 and cover-paten of 1648, both
with shield-of-arms; flagon of 1661; a wooden cup
with deep bowl and silver rim, date 1670 and
names of Queenhithe Ward inquest, balusterstem; paten of 1680, given by John Oliver; spoon
of 1683. Pulpit (Plate 221): from St. Michael
Queenhithe, hexagonal, panelled faces with enriched mouldings, festoons at sides, cherub-heads
and swags above, carved cornice, ogee-shaped basemould with modern stem; stairs with twisted
balusters, straight string and carved rail; sounding-board with carved cornice and pendants at angles,
inlaid soffit and carved frame; panelled support
with carved scrolls and festoons and a peg between
the panels. Reredos: mostly modern, of three
bays incorporating fluted Corinthian columns,
three carved frieze-panels, two cherubs-heads and
two urns. Royal Arms: On S. wall—Stuart arms
in carved and painted wood, said to have been
formerly on the reredos. Surmounting fronts of
pews, carved figures (Plate 16) of lions and unicorns
holding cartouches with painted devices. Screens:
At backs of N. and S. quire-stalls, two incorporating
five pilasters carved with festoons and brackets
carrying entablatures with pulvinated friezes;
from St. Michael's Queenhithe: panels modern.
Seating: panelled pews, cut down and re-arranged;
at W. end of church—churchwardens' pews, with
carved and pierced upper panels to fronts; on
churchwarden's pew a wrought-iron standard with
gilt cartouche and figure of St. James, two others
on chancel-stalls, probably later copies. Stalls:
backs with upper range of carved and pierced
panels; front enclosures with twisted balusters
and heavy moulded capping, all re-arranged.
Miscellanea: On back of westernmost pews—
wrought-iron hat-stands (Plate 18) with pegs; on
W. wall, shelves, probably bread-shelves, rearranged and with two pieces of enriched moulding
at base. On N. wall of lobby a tablet recording
rebuilding of church, begun 1676, finished 1683.
Condition—Good.
(3) Churchyard of St. Thomas Apostle, at
the N. angle of Queen Street and Great St. Thomas
Apostle, has set in the boundary-wall, at the S.E.
angle, a stone recording the extent of the parish
in this direction with the names of the churchwardens, John Cockrill and George Cock, and the
date 1714.
Secular
(4) Vintners' Hall, standing on the S. side of
Upper Thames Street, is of one storey with a basement to the hall, and of two storeys with attics
to the court-room block. The walls are built of
brick with some Portland-stone dressings, and the
roofs are covered with slates and lead. The hall
was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and re-built
in 1671. It was remodelled externally in the 18th-century, and in 1909–10 the court-room block was
refaced, the N.E. wing taken down and its side with
the courtyard built over.
The staircase is an ornate example of the period,
and the woodwork of the court-room is also noteworthy.
The buildings originally formed three sides of a
courtyard, open on the N. to the street. Only the
S. and W. sides now remain, the Hall being on the
S. with the Kitchen under, and the Court Room on
the W. with the drawing-room above it and the
staircase interposed between it and the hall.
The N. Elevation of the hall and all the elevations of the court-room block have been refaced. The S. Elevation of the hall is rendered in
cement and has a modern parapet; in it are five
round-headed windows, of which the middle three
are larger than the others; all have Portlandstone architraves with plain key and impost
blocks. The W. Elevation of the hall retains its
original brick facing and is finished with a low
modern gable. In the centre is a blocked window
of two round-headed lights with Portland-stone
reveals, beaded on the edge. In the W. wall of the
staircase is an original round-headed window.
Interior:—The Hall (622/3 ft. by 29¾ ft.) has a
flat ceiling coved at the sides; the trabeation is
probably original, but the decoration is modern.
The doorway in the N. wall has a moulded and
enriched architrave; above it is a panel surrounded
by carved festoons and having a female face at the
top. The walls (Plate 225) are panelled to the level
of the window-sills and finished with a moulded and
carved capping; much of the work is apparently
modern, but below the windows are fixed five
original panels each carved with a female face,
ribands and festoons of fruit and foliage. On the
W. wall the panelling is carried up higher and
finished with an enriched entablature with a carved
and pulvinated frieze; in the middle is a large
recess or buffet (for the display of plate), flanked
by coupled and fluted Corinthian pilasters and
surmounted by a broken pediment; the back of
the recess has carved festoons of foliage, fruit, etc.,
and a cartouche of the Company's arms; the side
bays at this end have each a smaller recess, square-headed, with carved panels and broken pediments
above and scrolls with carved foliage and fruit
at the sides; on these pediments are cartouches of
the City and Company. The screen has apparently
been moved back against the E. wall; it is of three
bays, with fluted Corinthian columns on either
side the centre bay, and pilasters of the same order
against the side walls, supporting an enriched
entablature with pulvinated and carved frieze
extending over the side bays; the doorway in
the middle has a round head with scrolled key-block and carved spandrels, and the side bays have
each a round-headed mirror frame, flanked by
carved and panelled pilasters and carved scrolls
and surmounted by segmental pediments. Against
the N. wall at the dais end is a wooden sword-rest,
carved with vine-ornament and bearing the arms
of the City, the Company and Sir Thomas Rawlinson (Lord Mayor in 1687 and 1696). The Court
Room has a flat ceiling with panelled trabeations of wood. The doorway at the S. end has
externally an eared architrave, cornice and broken
pediment in which is set a carved fruit-basket;
internally it is flanked by Ionic half-pilasters
and surmounted by a broken curved pediment
on carved brackets with a carved cartouche
repainted with the arms of the Clothworkers'
Company; the door is of eight panels. The
fireplace, at the N. end, has a broad architrave,
with carved bay and oak-leaf ornament and
overmantel of five narrow panels with frames
carved with vine-ornament and surrounding a
plain middle panel all flanked by carved festoons.
The walls are panelled to the ceiling, the panels at
the N. and S. ends having carved bolectionmouldings, and are finished with an enriched
cornice. In the E. wall are four windows, and
opposite are four blocked windows forming recesses,
three of them lined with the original shutters; the
windows are flanked by narrow carved festoons,
and round the room at the cornice-level are fixed
carved cartouches with swags and festoons
attached; they are repainted with the arms of
the twelve great companies (that over the doorway being one of these), the royal arms and
those of the City. A small Vestibule adjoins the
stair-hall on the E., separated by a modern archway; on the N. wall of this room is a sham doorway and door refixed here and uniform with the
exterior of the court-room door. On the S. wall
is a fireplace, with moulded and enriched architrave
and overmantel with a bolection-moulded middle
panel surrounded by narrow panels and, below, a
frieze-panel carved with cross-palms and vineornament and flanked by cornucopiæ. The
Staircase (Plate 228), which rises to the second
floor, has a square well with moulded and enriched
string, heavy hand-rail, turned and carved balusters
and square newels, with half-balusters against
them; the newels are surmounted by carved
baskets of fruit except the lowest and that at the
first-floor landing, which have taller vases of fruit,
etc., and carvings of a lion and unicorn probably
added later. The walls are panelled and have a
dado with half-newels and fruit-baskets corresponding to the staircase. At the first-floor level
are two doorways with enriched eared architraves.
In the modern corridor to the S. of the hall is
preserved a funeral-pall of c. 1520, with brocaded
centre and embroidered flaps; each of the long
flaps bear a shield of the company and another—
barry ermine and gules a crescent or for difference,
two figures of Death with a spade and coffin, above
them scrolls with inscriptions, a Pieta and vineornament; the end flaps have St. Martin dividing
his cloak with a beggar and an archbishop and
beggar. Here is also a piece of 15th-century
tapestry in two divisions, representing St. Martin
as above and St. Dunstan saying mass, and below
an inscription requesting prayers for the souls of
John Bate, Joan his wife and Walter Hertford,
monk of this church (Christ Church, Canterbury),
with the date 1466. By the Kitchen door in the
basement is a lead tank with the arms of the
Company and the date 1704. The brick-vaulted
wine-cellar is perhaps of early 17th-century date,
and under the Smoking Room is a second vaulted
cellar.
Re-set in the modern Committee Room are fragments of glass brought from a farmhouse near
Maidstone:—a shield with a hand pointing to a
skull and inscription "knowe thy selfe," all with
the rays in a circular wreath—four quarries with
hand and skull and inscription "Nosce te ipsum,"
the arms of the Company and a shipping mark—
large quarry with shield of the arms of the Company, and a quarry with letters S. and M. (reversed),
for Stephen Mason, joined with a true lover's knot,
17th-century.
Condition—Good.
(5) No. 3 Joiners' Hall Buildings is a modern
building on the site of Joiners' Hall. In the wall
of a small forecourt is a late 17th-century round-headed doorway of wood with carved spandrels
and a large grotesque head as key; carved consoles
at the sides formerly supported a hood or cornice,
now destroyed; on the side piers are carved wooden
figures of mermen.
Condition—Good.
(6) House, etc., Nos. 21, 22 and 22a, on the E.
side of College Hill. The House, standing back
from the road, is of three storeys with cellars and
attics. The walls are of brick and the roofs are
tiled. It was built probably late in the 17th
century. The W. front has a plastered and
rusticated lower storey and moulded brick bands
between the upper storeys. The doorway has a
wooden case with columns and pediment, probably
of early 18th-century date. Inside the building
there are two original staircases (Plate 39) with
twisted balusters, panelled newels and straight
strings; the front staircase has a modern handrail.
The "Gatehouse" (Plate 159) fronting the
street is, perhaps, of rather earlier date and is
faced with Portland stone. At each end is an
archway with a round head, moulded architrave
and keystone carved with a grotesque head;
flanking the head are brackets with fruit and
flower-pendants; they support a cornice from
which springs a moulded segmental hood; below
the hood is carved enrichment of swags and a
grotesque head; above the hood is a round
window with an enriched architrave; between
the archways is a modern shop-front with a round-headed window above. On the E. side of the
building the S. archway is flanked by panelled
pilasters and has a panelled archivolt; the N.
archway has been re-built. The elevation is finished
with a wooden modillioned cornice.
Condition—Good.
(7) Houses, Nos. 24 and 26, on the S. side of
College Street, S. of St. Michael's Church, are of
three storeys with attics and cellars; the walls
are of brick. They were built probably late in
the 17th century, but have been considerably
altered. There are brick bands between the
storeys. Inside No. 26 is an original staircase with
twisted balusters, square newels with moulded
pendants and straight strings. Some of the
rooms have original bolection-moulded panelling.
The staircase of No. 24 is original above the first
floor and is uniform with that in No. 26.
Condition—Good.