e
master, brethren, and sisters of St. James's Leper Hospital (site of St.
James's Palace), and after the death of Henry VI. it was vested in the
Provost and Fellows of Eton College. In the reign of Charles II. the
parish was united to that of St. Olave, Silver Street, and the right of
presentation is now exercised alternately by Eton College and the Dean
and Chapter of St. Paul's. The style of the interior of the church is
late pointed. The windows appear older than the rest of the building.
The ceiling in the nave exhibits bold groining, and the general effect
is not unpleasing.

[Illustration: WOOD STREET COMPTER. _From a View published in 1793._
(_See page 368._)]

"One note of the great antiquity of this church," says Seymour, "is the
name, by which it was first dedicated to St. Alban, the first martyr of
England. Another character of the antiquity of it is to be seen in the
manner of the turning of the arches to the windows, and the heads of the
pillars. A third note appears in the Roman bricks, here and there inlaid
amongst the stones of the building. Very probable it is that this church
is, at least, of as ancient a standing as King Adelstane, the Saxon,
who, as tradition says, had his house at the east end of this church.
This king's house, having a door also into Adel Street, in this parish,
gave name, as 'tis thought, to the said Adel Street, which, in all
evidences, to this day is written King Adel Street. One great square
tower of this king's house seemed, in Stow's time, to be then remaining,
and to be seen at the north corner of Love Lane, as you come from
Aldermanbury, which tower was of the very same stone and manner of
building with St. Alban's Church."

About the commencement of the seventeenth century St. Alban's, being in
a state of great decay, was surveyed by Sir Henry Spiller and Inigo
Jones, and in accordance with their advice, apparently, in 1632 it was
pulled down, and rebuilt _anno_ 1634; but, perishing in the flames of
1666, it was re-erected as it now appears, and finished in the year
1688, from Wren's design.

[Illustration: THE TREE AT THE CORNER OF WOOD STREET.]

In the old church were the following epitaphs:--

"Of William Wilson, Joane his wife,
And Alice, their daughter deare,
These lines were left to give report
These three lye buried here;
And Alice was Henry Decon's wife,
Which Henry lives on earth,
And is the Serjeant Plummer
To Q