Valor Ecclesiasticus, tempore Henry VIII., the house of the prior and convent of Lewes in Southwark is stated to have been in Carter Lane, the arched gateway whereof (mentioned by Stowe) stood across Carter Lane; and of which gateway there was remaining, until the removal of the surrounding buildings in 1831, the foot of one of the piers on the east side of Carter Lane.
Richard Panell, John Clerke, John Lovekyn, and Adam Byston were, I presume, the master and wardens of, or the then feoffees for, the Brotherhood of Jesus; and they doubtless conveyed the premises to the rector, in pursuance of the licence obtained from King Henry VIII. and Edward VI. After the house came into the possession of the parish, I find it frequently called "Jesus House" in the parish books; for instance:—
Anno 1552 to 1554.
"Itm. p'd in Jesus hows for fyer and drynk at a vestrie . . iiijd.
"Itm. p'd in Jesus hows at a vestry, and for auditing of accounts . iiijd ob."
And in the minutes of a vestry held on the 5th September, Ao 1 and 2 Philip and Mary, I find the following entry:—
"Imprimis.—That where there is a monyc̃on and a requeste made by the wardens and brotherhood of Jesus unto the churchwardens and assistants of this parish of Saint Olave's, to have a lease of all there rents in Church yarde Alley, yt ys agreed that the sayd churchwardens shall make a dyreet answer unto the sayd Brotherhood of Jesus, att the next vestrye, whether they shall have the sayd lease or no, and also at that tyme to bring in a rental of the same."
At the next vestry, held on the 17th December, it was agreed that the rents of the tenements in Churchyard Alley should remain as they were, to the use of the parish; and that there should be no lease let of them. But at a subsequent vestry, held on the 27th December, 1557, it was agreed that "the wardens and assistance of Jesus' Brotherhood should have a day between that and hallowtyde, to make answer what they will give towards the building of the church hows, for a fyne, and what yearly rent they will give for the same to serve them their feasts and quarter days."
The church house here mentioned was the vestry hall, which was rebuilt about that time; but, although there are entries of various contributions towards the building, it does not appear that the fraternity of Jesus were contributors. From their application to the vestry for a lease it would seem, however, that the restoration of the Roman Catholic religion, on the accession of Queen Mary, had
