468 Mr. Charles Welch [Jan. 25, 



Carpenter, the Common Clerk of the City, and well known as the 

 author of ' Liber Albus,' and founder of the Citv of London School ; 

 William Grove, and John White, a cleric. 



In fulfilment of their duties as Whitting'ton's executors, Carpenter 

 and his colleagues, after the good knight's death in 1423, and after 

 duly procuring the necessary official permission, pulled down and 

 rebuilt the gaol of Newgate, contributed largely to the construction 

 of the new Guildhall, established a library at the Grey Friars, and 

 built a library at the Guildhall. In this last work they were joined 

 by the executors of William Bury, of whose history nothing is known. 

 John Stow in his ' Survey of London,' speaking of the Guildhall 

 Library, says, " The arms of Whittington are placed on the one side 

 in the stone work, and two letters, to wit, W and B, for William 

 Burie, on the other side." 



The first official notice of a Library at the Guildhall is contained 

 in the following extract from the records of the Corporation, the 

 original being in Latin : " Item, the same day (to wit the 27th 

 September A^ 4 Henry VI., 1425) it was granted by the said Mayor 

 and Aldermen and Commonalty that the new House or Library, which 

 the said executors (to wit of the testament of Richard Whityngton) 

 and the executors of William Bury made near the Guildhall, and the 

 custody of the same, together with the chambers built underneath the 

 same, should be in the disposition and management of the said execu- 

 tors. In such manner that all and everything, which the same executors 

 should think fit to ordain, touching the placing the books or doings 

 other matters — shall be done and executed as fully and perfectly as if 

 they had been ordained by the said Mayor, Alderman, and Commonalty, 

 by their own authority or by authority of the franchises of the said 

 City without any kind of refusal or contradiction, etc." 



The College, or Chapel, of St. Mary Magdalene and all Saints, to 

 which the new Library was attached, stood on the east side of 

 Guildhall Yard, and adjoined the south side of the Hall itself. It was 

 built about the year 1291) and rebuilt in 1449, the establishment con- 

 sisting of a custos, seven chaplains, three clerks, and four choristers. 



The Library thus erected was a separate structure of two floors, 

 and conveniently approached from Guildhall Yard. It is described in 

 a schedule of the possessions of the Guildhall College taken at the 

 Dissolution, and dated 24th July, 1559, 3 Edward VL, as "a certen 

 house nexte unto the same Chapell apperteyning, called the Library 

 all waies res'ved for studente to resort unto w' three chambres under 

 nithe the saide library, which library being covered w' slate is valued 

 together w* the Chambres at xiij s iiij d " yearly. From the same 

 document we learn, that " the saied library is a house appointed by the 

 saied Maior and cominaltie for resorte of all students for their educa- 

 tion in Divine Scriptures." 



The generous liberality of Richard Whittington and William Bury, 

 the founders of the Library, was well supported by Whittington's 



