by Lord Herbert of Cherbury, who served with him in Flanders as an able and active general; but he lost some reputation by the failure of the expedition against Cadiz, in which he commanded. He wrote a short defence of his conduct on this occasion, which is in print, and two short tracts on military affairs, which remain in manuscript in the British Museum. He died in 1638. In the windows of this chapel are coats of arms, indicating the various alliances of Lord Wimbledon's family and upon the walls, and in small niches, are placed several pieces of armour.

In the church-yard, among other tombs, is that of John Hopkins, Esq. better known by the appellation of Vulture Hopkins, who died in 1732. This celebrated miser accumulated an immense fortune, which he bequeathed by his will in such a manner that it might not be enjoyed till the second generation. This dispo sition, however, was set aside by the Court of Chancery, which decreed that his fortune should go immediately to the heir at law.

On the side of Wimbledon Common are several handsome villas, the most conspicuous of which is that belonging to the lady of the late Sir Stephen Lushington, Bart. and now occupied by the Prince of Condé. To this house M. de Calonne, the celebrated French financier, who purchased it of Benjamin Bond Hopkins, Esq. made considerable additions. The pleasure-grounds, which are spacious and beautiful, adjoin to Lord Spencer's park.

Wimbledon Lodge, an elegant modern structure, was erected by the late Gerard de Visme, Esq. during the minority of whose daughter it has been occupied by Earl Bathurst.

Among other villas which skirt the common is that of the late John Horne Tooke, where that well-known political character closed his turbulent career March 18, 1812. In his garden he had prepared a vault for the reception of his remains; but his friends thought fit to dispense with his injunctions on this head, and conveyed them for interment to Ealing in Middlesex.

At the south-west angle of Wimbledon Common is a circular encampment with a double ditch, including an area of about seven

acres.

acres. The inner trench is deep, and still very perfect; and the diameter is about 220 paces. This camp is conjectured by Camden to mark the site of the battle said to have been fought in the year 568, at a place caled Wibandune, between Ceaulin, King of the West Saxons, and the forces of Ethelbert, King of Kent, in which the latter were defeated with the loss of two of their generals, Oslac and Cneben. Bensbury, the appellation given in his time to this encampment, he considered as a corruption of Cnebensbury after the name of the latter.

HUNDRED OF CROYDON.

*

The hundred now universally known by this denomination, was formerly called Waleton, from a place of that name, the modern Wallington, which though now only a hamlet, is said to have been of some note when the Romans were in possession of the island. It is bounded on the north by the hundred of Brixton; on the west by Copthorn and Emley-Bridge; on the east by the county of Kent; on the south by the hundreds of Tanridge and Reigate and embraces the parishes of Addington, Beddington, Carshalton, Chaldon, Cheam, Colesdon, Croydon, Mitcham, Mordon, Sandersted, Sutton, Wallington, and Woodmanston,

The jurisdiction of this hundred was granted by Richard II. in his 20th year, to the prior and convent of Bermondsey, and confirmed to them by Henry VI. in his 23d year. It is situated in the deanery of Ewell.

CROYDON,

the capital of the hundred, to which it gives name, is a large handsome town, consisting chiefly of one well built street, near a mile in length. In 1801, the parish contained 1074 houses, and 5743 inhabitants. This town had a grant of a market and fair, so early as the reign of Edward I. and two other markets and fairs were granted by the two succeeding monarchs. The only market now continued is held on Saturday, and was obtained

9

tained by Archbishop Stratford from Edward III.

Two of the fairs are still kept up, on July 5, and October 2. The latter is remarkable for the immense quantity of walnuts exposed for sale.

The parish of Croydon is very extensive, comprehending near 10,000 acres, and being not less than thirty-six miles in circumference. Eight hamlets are included within its limits. The small river Wandle has its source in this parish, near the church. Its whole course is not many miles, but there are few rivers of the same magnitude, on whose banks a more active and extensive commerce is carried on.

Some antiquaries are of opinion that Croydon was the ancient Noviomagus. The Roman road from Arundel to London is supposed to have passed through, or near the town, and Camden and Gale mention a tradition, that there was in ancient times a royal palace on the west side of it near Haling. But though a place of antiquity, it has not been the scene of many remarkable events. In 126, during the wars between Henry III. and his barons, the Londoners who had espoused the cause of the latter, and who had been driven out of the field at the battle of Lewes, retreated to Croydon, where they were surprised by a body of the king's forces from Tunbridge, who killed many of thein, and took a considerable booty. In May 1551, this town, with some of the neighbouring villages, experienced a violent shock of an earthquake.

The manor was before the Domesday Survey in the possession of the Archbishops of Canterbury, and has been annexed to that see ever since, except for a short period during the time of the commonwealth, in the seventeenth century. The manor-house, or palace, situated near the church, was for several hundred years the occasional residence of those prelates, who had attached to it a park and grounds containing 170 acres. Of this park the famous Sir William Walworth was keeper in the reign of Richard II. In July 1573, Archbishop Parker entertained Queen Elizabeth and her whole court here seven days, and Whitgift received more than

one

one visit from the same princess at this palace. When the pos sessions of the see of Canterbury were seized by the Parliament during the civil war with Charles I. Croydon palace was first leased to the Earl of Nottingham, and afterwards to Sir William Brereton, a notable man at a thanksgiving dinner," says a pamphleteer of the time quoted by Lysons *, "having terrible long teeth, and a prodigious stomach to turn the archbishop's chapel into a kitchen, and to swallow up that palace and lands at a morsel." After the Restoration this edifice was fitted up, and restored to its former state by Archbishop Juxon.

From the various conjectures respecting the dates of the erection of different parts of this palace given by Ducarel †, it may be collected, that the whole was built since the middle of the fourteenth century, before which time it appears to have been of wood. The same writer is of opinion, that the east and west part of the great court were some of the earliest buildings that were constructed entirely of brick. The guard-chamber seems to have been built by Archbishop Arundel, and the hall by Archbishop Stafford; but there is nothing to fix the date of the erection of the chapel, though it appears to have been repaired by Archbishops Laud and Juxon. Large sums of money were expended on this edifice by some of their successors, particularly by Archbishop Wake, who built the great gallery, and Herring, by whom the whole was completely repaired and fitted up. In 1780, this palace not having been inhabited for more than twenty years,' had become much out of repair; in consequence of which an Act of Parliament was obtained for disposing of the buildings and grounds, comprising about fourteen acres, and vesting the produce in the funds towards erecting a new residence for the arch. bishops. It was accordingly put up for sale, and purchased by Sir Abraham Pitches, for 2,5201. The premises are now occupied as a calico-printing manufactory and bleaching-ground. The chapel is used for the Sunday School, and in the week for the School of Industry.

The

Environs I. 128.

Hist. of Croydon 43-68.

1

The Church, dedicated to St. John Baptist, is a large, handsome structure, built of stone and flint, having a lofty square tower adorned with pinnacles, and containing eight bells. It consists of a nave, with north and south aisles, and three chancels. The east end of the north aisle is called Heron's Chancel. The total length is 130 feet, and the breadth 74. From the arms of Archbishop Courtney on each side of the north door, aud those of Archbishop Chichele on each side of the west door, the rebuilding of it was probably begun by the former, and finished by the latter, who, at least contributed largely to the work. The old front at the west end of the south aisle appear to be of the same date it is an octagon, with quatrefoils, having a lion's head in the centre of one, and roses in two others. Here was for+ merly much painted glass, but during the Usurpation a man was hired at 2s. 6d. a day to destroy it.

In the middle chancel, which contains some ancient wooden stalls, is a handsome monument of black marble, supported by Corinthian pillars, for Archbishop Grindall, who died in 1583. He is represented as lying at full length in his robes, with a long black beard, forked and curling, and there is a whiteness in the pupils of his eyes to denote his blindness..

In the south, or as it is sometimes called the Bishops' chancel, is the monument of Archbishop Whitgift, supported by. Corinthian columns of black marble; between which lies his effigy in his robes. He died in 1610, aged 75. Against the south wall of the same chancel is the splendid monument of Archbishop Sheldon, who died in 1677. The figure of that prelate in a recumbent attitude of white marble, is a master-piece of sculpture: the head is particularly admired. The whole was the work of an Englishman, Joseph Latham, mason to the city of London, and was entirely finished by English workmen about the year 1683 *. This circumstance, confirmed by a manuscript discovered by Vertue, deserves to be known, as, from the low state of the arts in this country at that period, the credit of executing this

• Present State of England, 1653. 12mo. p. 152.