Pauperum Parens,
Literatorum Patronus,

Ecclesiæ Stator.

De Tanto Viro
Pauca dicere non expedit, Multa non opus est ;
Norunt Præsentes, Posteri vix credent:

Octogenarius
Animam Piam et Cælo Maturam

Deo Reddidit
v Id. Novembris, MDCLXVII,

To the english reader we offer the following

version ;

Here lieth

In repose,

GILBERT SHELDON,

Born of
The Ancient Family of the Sheldons

In the County of Stafford,

Educated at Oxford;

A learned Doctor in Divinity,
A disereet and faithful Warden of All Souls College,
A most Munificent Chancellor of the University,

Clerk of the Royal Closet,
Held in utmost esteem by the Blessed Martyr Charles I.

Under His Majesty Charles II.
In the Year Mdclx, the great year of the Restoration,

Dean of the Chapel Royal,

Bishop of London ; In the year MDCLXII. chosen a Member of the Privy Council, In MDCLXIII, advanced to the summit of Archiepiscopal Honor.

A Man

Equal to every Station, to every Title Superior.
Constant in Adversity, Virtuous in Prosperity,

In either event Invincible,

Father of the Poor,
Patron of the Learned,
Guardian of the Church.

Of so great a Man
To say little is not meet, to say much is useless ;

Contemporaries knew his excellence,
Posterity will scarcely believe it:

At fourscore years,

He surrendered to God
His pious Spirit, mature for Heaven,

On the v November, MDCLXVII.

The reader will find in the appendix, a selection of the most remarkable epitaphs placed in the church, and church-yard.

Several Bishops have been consecrated in the church of Croydon, of whom we subjoin the following short list :

1534. April 19, Thomas Goodrick, D. D. Bishop of Ely*. 1534. April 19, John Capon, alias Salcot, L.L.D. late abbot

of Hyde, Bishop of Bangor. 1541, Sept. 25, John Wakeman, the last abbot of Tewks

bury, and the first Bishop of Glocester f. 1551. Augt. 30, John Scory, D. D. Bishop of Rochester

* Archbishop Cranmer's Register, fol. 162. A.
† Ibid. fol. 171. A.
# Ibid. fol. 334. A.

M

1551. Augt. 30, Miles Coverdale, D. D. Bishop of Exeter. 1591. Augt, 29, Gervase Babyngton, D. D. Bishop of

Landaff *.

In the appendix is inserted a list of the Rectors and Vicars, whose names we have been able to discover.

The Chauntry of St. Mary.

There were formerly two Chauntries in the church of Croydon ; that of St. Mary, and that of St. Nicholas; of both which we give a short and separate account.

The first, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was founded before the year 1402, by Sir Reginald Cobham, sire de Sterresburgh; and it appears that the foundation was completed in his life time ; for in his will, bearing date September 8, 1400, and proved at Canterbury before Archbishop Arundel, on the 8th July, 1403, no mention is made of it. The iucumbentt was to pray for the repose of the soul of the said Sir Reginald, of his wife Joan, and

• Strype's Life of Archbishop Whitgift, p. 382. † See the names of incumbents in the appendix.

those of his children, and of all faithful christian people. The founder vested the presentation of his chauntry priest in twelve of the principal inhabitants of Croydon.-The particulars of the endowment of this chauntry are as follow:

The endowment of Lady Mary's Chauntry

at Croydon, taken from the minutes, or bailiff's accounts of the colleges, chauntries, free chapels, &c. in the county of Surrey, in the third year of King Edward VI. remaining in the Augmentation Office at Westminster,

.

£. $. d. One tenement near the church-gate with its appurtenances, valued at

1 0 0 The mansion house of the Chauntry Priest, with its appurtenances

0 6 8 One tenement lying in Pickelake, with its appurtenances

06 0 One tenement with its appurtenances in the occupation of John Curts

0 16 0 One ditto in the tenure of Richard Alford

0 80 Three cottages, with their appartenances in the occupation of Thomas Thornetonne

1 0 0 One garden in the North part of the town of Croydon near the tenement of Richard Draps

0 1 0 One tenement near it in the occupation of Thomas Edwards

. 0 6 8

.

.

.

Carried forward £4 4 4

Brought forward £4 4 4 One tenement in the occupation of Thomas Parker.

0 8 0 One cottage between the tenement called le Crowne 0 2 0 One tenement lying between the shop belonging to

the church of Croydon in le Bocherrowe 0 4 0 Three tenements in le Bocherrowe

0 15 0 One tenement in the market in the occupation of Francis Resivid

0 10 0 One tenement in the occupation of John Baldwin 0 13 4 One croft, containing five acres near Croydon

park, in the occupation of John Hatcher 0 10 0 One barn, in the occupation of Robert Comports 0 6 8 One garden near Stake Crosse, in the occupation of John Reade

0 2 0 One acre of land lying near Addiscombe, late in

the possession of Elizabeth Herne, widow. 0 1 0 One acre of land lying in a certain field, called

Teyntefold, in the occupation of John
Hatcher

. 0 1 0 Four acres of land in a field called Brechefield, in

the occupation of the said John Hatcher 0 0 One acre of land lying in a field called 'Teynte

feld aforesaid, in the occupation of the said
John Hatcher

0 0 6 One garden lying in le Olde Town :

0 1 0 Three acres of land lying together in Waddon

Marshe, in the occupation of Robert Cros-
tinge

0 13 4 One acre of land lying in Northstakefied, in the tenure of William Tomson

0 2 0 Two tenements in London, in the parish of St. Michael in Cornehyll, in the occupation of Dummer