St. Paule's." Norden's account implies that where the church is situated was then one of the least frequented and desolate spots in the vicinity of the metropolis.

A writer in the Gentleman's Magazine, for July, 1749, in the lines quoted as a motto to this chapter, states that

and in that of burials 1668. The earlier registers have long since perished.

In the table of benefactions to the parish it is stated that certain lands, fee-simple, copyhold of inheritance, held of the manors of Tottenhall Court and of Cantelows, "were given by some person or persons unknown, for and to the use and benefit of this parish, for the needful and necessary repair of Other antiquaries inform us that the original the parish church and the chapel, as the said parish

"Christ's sacred altar here first Britain saw."

establishment of a church on this site was in early Saxon times; and Maximilian Misson, in writing of St. John Lateran at Rome, says, "This is the head and mother of all Christian churches, if you except that of St. Pancras under Highgate, near London."

In the last century Divine service was performed in St. Pancras Church only on the first Sunday in every month, and at all other times in the chapel of ease at Kentish Town, it being thought that the few people who lived near the church could go up to London to pray, while that at Kentish Town was more suited for the country folk, and this custom continued down to within the present century. The earliest date that we meet with in the registry of marriages and baptisms is 1660,

in vestry should from time to time direct; and that these lands were, by custom of the said manors, and for the form of law, to be held in the names of eight trustees who were elected by the inhabitants of the said parish in vestry assembled."

There are four parcels of land, the rents and profits of which have been immemorially applied towards the repair of the parish church and the chapel at Kentish Town. By reason of this application a church-rate in former times was considered unnecessary, and whenever the disbursements of the churchwardens exceeded their receipts, the parishioners always preferred to reimburse them out of the poor-rate rather than make a church.

rate.

From the survey of church livings taken by order

Thomas Ive in the time of Edward IV. enjoyed the same office. In the old parish church is an altar-tomb of Purbeck marble with a canopy, being an elliptical arch ornamented with quatrefoils, which in better days had small brasses at the back, with three figures or groups, with labels from each, and the figure of the Trinity, and three shields of arms above them. This monument was to the memory of Robert Eve, and Lawrentia his sister, son and daughter of Francis and Thomas Eve, Clerk of the Crown in the reign of Edward IV. Weever, in his work on "Funeral Monuments," informs us that when he saw it the "portraitures" and the following words remained :

of Parliament in 1650, it appears that these lands were disposed of as follows, by Sir Robert Payne, Knight, Peter Benson, and others, feoffees in trust, by licence granted them from the lord of the manors of Tottenhall and Cantlows Court :-" To wit, in consideration of fifty-four pounds to them in hand, paid by Mr. Richard Gwalter, they did, by lease dated the 1st June, 9th Charles I. (A.D. 1633), demise unto the said Richard Gwalter four acres of the said land for twenty-one years, at twopence a year rent. And in consideration of £27 in hand, paid by the said Richard Gwalter, they did, by another lease, dated 2nd August in the year aforesaid, demise unto the said Richard Gwalter two acres of the said land for the term aforesaid for the Holy Trinitie, one God, have mercy on us. like rent. There was also (A.D. 1650), a lease Hic jacent Robertus Eve et Lawrentia soror eius, filia Frandated 20th June, 9th Charles I., unto Thomas Ive (deceased), of seventeen acres of the said land for twenty-one years at £17 a year rent; the remainder of which was assigned unto Peter Benson, and was then in his possession."

The money received by way of premium on the granting of the before-mentioned leases to Richard Gwalter in the year 1633, was expended in the rebuilding of Kentish Town Chapel, of which we have spoken in the preceding chapter. The site seems to have been originally the property of Sir William Hewitt, who was a landowner in this parish in the reign of Charles I. It appears by a statement of Randolph Yearwood, vicar of St. Pancras, dated 1673, that the parish did not buy the site, nor take a lease of it, but that they paid a noble per annum to the Hewitts for permission to have the use of it.

In 1656, Colonel Gower, Mr. George Pryer, and Major John Bill were feoffees of the revenue belonging to the parish church of St. Pancras. The land belonging to the rectory was subsequently leased by various persons, when, in 1794, it was vested in a Mr. Swinnerton, of the "White Hart" Inn, Colebrook, and then passed into the hands of Mr. Agar, who, as we have already stated, gave a notoriety to the spot by granting short building leases, which created Agar Town and its miserable surroundings, till the whole was cleared by the Midland Railway Company, who are now the owners of a large part of this once prebendal manor.

The family of Eve or Ive, mentioned above, is of great antiquity in the parish of St. Pancras. In 1457 Henry VI. granted permission to Thomas Ive to enclose a portion of the highway adjoining to his mansion at Kentish Town. In 1483 Richard Ive was appointed Clerk of the Crown in Chancery in as full a manner as John de Tamworth and Geoffrey Martyn in the time of Edward III., and

cisci Eve filii

Thome Eve clerici corone cancellarie Anglie
Quorum

When Mr. J. T. Smith, as a boy, made an expedition to this church as one of a sketching party, in 1777, he describes it as quite a rural place, in some parts entirely covered with docks and nettles, enclosed only by a low hand-rail, and commanding extensive views of open country in every direction, not only to Hampstead, Highgate, and Islington, but also to Holborn and St. Giles's, almost the only building which met the eye in that direction being Whitefield's Chapel in Tottenham Court Road, and old Montagu House.

The first mention, apparently, that has been found to be made of the church of St. Pancras occurs in the year 1183, but it does not appear whether it then was or was not a recent erection. William de Belmeis, who had been possessed of the prebend of Pancras, within which the church stood, had conveyed the tithes thereof to the canons of St. Paul's; which conveyance was, in that year, confirmed by Gilbert, Bishop of London. The church tithes, &c., were, not long after, granted by the dean and chapter to the hospital within their cathedral, founded by Henry de Northampton, they reserving to themselves one mark per annum. In 1327 the rectory was valued at thirteen marks per annum. In 1441 the advowson, tenths, rents, and profits of the church were demised to Walter Sherington, canon residentiary, for ten marks per annum; and in like manner the rectory continued to be from time to time leased, chiefly to canons of the church. At the Reformation, the dean and chapter became re-possessed of the rectory, which has from that period been demised in the manner customary with church property, subject to a reserved rent of £13 6s. 8d.

St. Pancras.]

THE OLD CHURCH.

333

The old church formerly consisted of a nave and A Norman altar-stone, in which appeared the usual chancel, built of stones and flint, and a low tower decoration, namely, five crosses, typical of the five with a bell-shaped roof. It has been several times wounds of our Lord. The key-stone of the south repaired, and the most recent of the restorations porch, containing the letters H.R.T.P.C. incised, has taken away-externally, at least-all traces of arranged one within the members of the other, its antiquity. In 1847-8 it was enlarged by taking after the manner of a monogram; these letters are the space occupied by the old square tower into the apparently contemporary with the Norman mouldbody of the church, and a spire was placed on the ing beneath. Part of a series of niches in chiselled south side. The west end, which was lengthened, brick was likewise discovered. These had been has an enriched Norman porch, and a wheel concealed by a sufficient coating of plaster, but window in the gable above, which, together with were discovered in the first instance on the removal the chancel windows, is filled with stained glass. of some of the stonework in the exterior of the The old monuments have been restored and placed chancel. That operation being suspended, and as nearly as possible in their original positions. the interior plastering being removed, the upper On the north wall, opposite the baptistery, is niche was discovered perfect, with mouldings and the early Tudor Purbeck marble memorial which spandrils sharply chiselled in brick, but the impost Weever, in his "Funeral Monuments," ascribes being of stone, coloured so as to resemble the to the ancient family of Gray, of Gray's Inn. former. The back of the niche was in plaster The recesses for brasses are there, but neither likewise tinted, and lined so as to correspond with arms nor date are remaining. A marble tablet, the brick. Below this had been a double niche with palette and pencils, the memorial of Samuel divided by a mullion, the principal part of which, Cooper, a celebrated miniature-painter, who died however, was destroyed by the above-mentioned in 1672, is placed on the south-east interior wall. removal of the materials from without. The church still consists only of a nave and decorations were on the south side of the east chancel, without side aisles. Heavy beams sup- window in the chancel, and had probably contained port the roof, and upon those over the chancel | effigies. There was no corresponding appearance and the western gallery are written in illuminated on the north side. scrolls various sentences from Scripture, such as "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life"; "Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out," &c. There is a very elegant stained-glass window over the altar, and on either side of the nave are pointed windows of plain glass. The walls are exceedingly thick, and will, no doubt, last for ages. A narrow strip of oaken gallery runs above the nave, affording accommodation for only two rows of seats. It is approached by a single circular staircase in the southern tower, and its diminutive size is in keeping with the other parts of the building.

We may state here that, after his execution at Tyburn, the body of Lawrence Earl Ferrers was taken down and carried to this church, where it was laid under the belfry tower in a grave fourteen feet deep, no doubt for fear lest the popular indignation should violate his place of burial.

During the removal of parts of the church, while the additions and alterations were being made, several relics of antiquity connected with the old structure were discovered. Among others were the following:-An Early-English piscina and some sedilia, found on the removal of some heavy wainscoting on the south side of the chancel, the mouldings of the sedilia retaining vestiges of red colouring, with which they had formerly been tinted.

These

A curious view of the old church, somewhat idealised, representing it as a cruciform structure with a central bell-turret or campanile, was pub lished in 1800, by Messrs. Laurie and Whittle, of Fleet Street; but if it represents any real structure, it must be that of a much earlier date. In this print there are near it three rural and isolated cottages, and a few young elm or plane trees complete the view.

There is a tradition that this church was the last in or about London in which mass was said at the time of the Reformation, and that this was the cause of the singular fondness which the old Roman Catholic families had for burying their dead in the adjoining churchyard, where the cross and every variety of Catholic inscriptions may be seen on the tombs. It is, however, mentioned in "Windham's Diary," that while Dr. Johnson was airing one day with Dr. Brocklesby, in passing and returning by St. Pancras Church, he fell into prayer, and mentioned, upon Dr. Brocklesby inquiring why the Catholics selected that spot for their burial place, that some Catholics in Queen Elizabeth's time had been burnt there. This would, of course, give additional interest to the sacred spot.

In this churchyard were buried, amongst many others, Abraham Woodhead, a Roman Catholic