Account of the Whitgift Hospital, Croydon. 281 
‘Upon these I have builded my Hospital, School-house, and 
school master’s house, and therefore are not rented.” 
Then he goes on to state what other properties he bought, 
evidently to serve as a source of revenue to the Hospital :— 
‘* One piece of ground called Clotmead, in Croydon, cost £14; 
rent 10s. The Swan, in Croydon, cum pertinentibus, £80; rent of 
this, with certain parcels belonging to the Checker, is £13 6s. 8d. 
One piece of woodland and some pasture, cohtaining in the 
whole seventy-seven acres, in Croydon, cost £375; rent £20. 
One other piece of woodland and pasture in Croydon cost £410; 
rent £23. Three other several farms in Croydon cost £1400: 
rent £48.” * 
Samuel Finch, vicar of Croydon, was the Archbishop’s agent 
and a sort of clerk of the works combined. ‘There are six letters 
from Finch at this time in the Lambeth MS. Library bearing on 
the building of the Hospital, which Garrow, following Ducarel, 
transcribes in his book. From these I give a few extracts, as 
they throw a most interesting light on the method adopted at 
that time of carrying out an important structural work, on the 
wages paid, and on the behaviour of workmen, which latter seems 
to remind one of the ways of people even at the present day :— 
I. ‘‘To the moste reverende Father in God my verie good Lorde 
the Archbishop of Canterburie, his grace at Lambeth, with speed... . 
Yesterday, being Thursday, Wolmer was here to view your worke. 
And he sayeth that he cannot be here himself: but he will appoint one 
from Westminster to be here, who will not come under xviiid. the day, 
and his laborer xijd. Hilarie sayeth he canne bring one presently 
whome he knoweth, and will warrant to take the charge and discharge 
it with credit, for xvid. a day; and laborers we can have enow: thers 
vli. a yeare, saved in ijd. a day wages, and beside the master worke- 
man muste be here still [continuously] to conferre with the carpenter. 
[Hilarie, I take it, was made ‘ master workeman’ instead of the absent 
Wolmer.| . . . The yarde ys all defenced in, strong and saffe. 
This day we make an ende in pulling downe as yet. Nowe we take 
mortar-makinge in hande, clensinge and levellinge of the grounde; 
and by Monday come sevennighte, Hillarie saith, we shall be readie 
for the foundacon and bricklayer. Weeks the bricklayer hath bene at 
your brick-clamps, and commendes them for very good. We have our 
sande from Dubbers Hill: for the Parke [Park Hill, I believe] fayleth. 
. . + From Croydon, this Friday the viiith of Februarie, Anno 1596, 
R. R. E. 39. 
SAMUEL FincuHeE, Vycar.” 
II. ‘‘By Hillarie’s choyce one Henry Blease and John Greene, 
bricklayers, and my parishioners, have joyntlye taken the charge of 
the bricklayinge worke, and have xvd. apeece the day. Blease hath 
begune the groundworke nexte the highway leadinge to London; and 
finding that grounde made and false, digged the trenche alonge the 
* Garrow’s ‘ Hist. of Croydon.’ 
BQ 
