It was in September following that the order from the Council
commanded the destruction of images in churches and the discontinuance
of all processions. The Bishop, Bonner, protested against the
alterations and was sent to the Fleet for contumacy, made submission,
and was released after eight days, during which the alterations were
made. The images were all pulled down, as were the rood, the crucifix,
and its attendants, St. Mary and St. John.
The "Grey Friars Chronicle"[1] (published by the Camden Society),
describes all this, and takes care to note that two of the men engaged
in the sacrilegious work were killed. The almsboxes shared the general
confiscation, and doubtless not only the services of the church, but
the poor who came for food, suffered thereby.
Protector Somerset had wide ideas. He aspired to build himself a
magnificent palace and to attach a park to it along the banks of the
Thames. The palace was on the site of the present Somerset House; the
park was to extend from it to St. Paul's. The cloister and chapel in
Pardon Churchyard were destroyed, and five hundred tons of bones were
carted away to Finsbury Fields (it is said there were more than a
thousand cartloads) and piled up into a mound, which got the name of
the "Bone Hill," and this has come in our day to "Bunhill." On this
hill three windmills were erected. The mound has long since been
trodden down, and the windmills are gone, but the name "Windmill
Street" remains. The chapter house and the small cloister round it, of
which we have already spoken, were also destroyed, and the materials
were used for the new Somerset House. Within the last few years the
bases of parts of this cloister have been uncovered under the skilful
supervision of Mr. Penrose, and may be seen on the south side of the
present cathedral.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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