282 Dr. J. M. Hobson's Historical and Descriptive 
door unto some iiii foote deepe, and iii foote wide, . . . and finding 
firme grounde, they have filled up that trenche with great flinte and 
small stone, and brickbatts and rubbishe not confusedly, but orderlye 
layed in, and rammed stronglye, course upon course, stronge and 
sure [no mention of cement]. . . . Four loads of fiinte, which 
come to xs. will well save one thousand of bricke at xvis. . . . The 
bearer hereof ys Wm. Tagburne, who had vli [£5] of me this morning 
to bye two horse tomorrow in Smithfeilde. . . . The laborers have 
digged up iiii skulls and the bones of deade persones in the trench 
that they are nowe in digginge, next the highway leadinge to the 
Parke.” [That was in the present George Street. Garrow considers 
that these bones represent a fight that took place in Croydon in 1264 
between the forces of King Henry III. and the Londoners after the 
battle of Lewes. | 
III. ‘‘I thanke God, our groundworke is greatlye commended of 
all that view the same. And I hope well that will like his Grace at 
his comminge ; for yt is not slubbered uppe, but strongely donne. 
Sa. FINCHE.”’ 
He then encloses a copy of the first bond or contract mentioned 
in this connection, namely, to supply the freestone for the door- 
ways and windows, and to work and set up the same. The price 
to be paid was 9d. the foot for the windows, and 10d. the foot 
for the doors. 
In Chapter V. Finche unburdens his soul to Mr. Woormall, the 
Archbishop’s secretary (1 presume), about Blease the bricklayer, 
who had been taking too much:upon himself. Blease gets a 
sound rating from the reverend clerk of the works, for he seems 
to have been doing a little trickery on his own account by mak- 
ing bricklayers who came on the job pay 2d. a day as a sort of 
commission and condition of not being pushed on. 
Letter VI. refers to the dissatisfaction with the bricks made 
by Rednap and stacked in the yard and in the park :— 
‘** Fain he would have excused himselfe, but his handie work spoke 
against him, and we were so round with him, that he burste into tears, 
saying, he was never the like served in anie worke; he was ashamed 
of it, he could not excuse it, yt was the wickednesse and deceitfulnesse 
of the yearth.”’ 
Finche then proceeds to ask for instruction as to where in the 
Hospital gateway, of which a plan from the ‘‘ Freemasons” is 
sent, his Grace’s arms, &c. are to be placed. 
The instructions from Lambeth were as follows:—‘‘ The Armes 
over the doore must be without helmet and mantelling; and 
must be the arms of the See of Canterbury, viz. the Pall in pale 
with the nowe Archbishoppe’s armes, and the yeare of the Lord 
under them, viz. 1597. Over the said armes a free-stone square, 
with theis words in great letters, viz. SANCTAD TRINITATI 
SACR. On the bare places over the gate, called (as I think) the 
a — 
