| The issuer is mentioned in the St Olave's parish accounts as overseer of the land side as early as 1630. He was afterwards a soldier and captain of train bands; rose to be colonel in Cromwell's army, and was one of the commissioners for the sale of king's lands. After the Restoration he seems to have been settled down as landlord of the Bear. In 1641 he was a churchwarden of St Olave's, and was concerned with others in pulling down the altar rails, for which they were ordered to the pillory and heavily fined. The curate said they insisted on his giving the Sacrament to them sitting after about 500 had it kneeling, and told him if he did not they would drag him about the church by the ears. These very cool churchwardens give this as their version: "Many hundreds of the parishioners refused to come to Sacrament on account of the rails, and they having asked in vain of Dr Turner to remove them quickly, removed them themselves and sold them for the benefit of the parish." The Bear Inn is mentioned as early as 1319 (twelfth Edward II), when it belonged to Thomas Drynkewatre, taverner of London. In 1429 it is termed a "brewhouse with a tavern thereto, belonging in the parishes of St Mary Maudleyn and Seynt Oulupte." It was pulled down on the widening of the Bridge in 1761. In 1513-14 there is a rent paid for it to the prior of St Mary Overy. For many centuries it was a most famous inn and visited by most people of note, and is alluded to by Pepys upon several occasions, and also mentioned by Wycherley and Shirley in "The Lady of Pleasure," 1637. [R. and N. 302-315.] |
