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Christ's Church, Bridewel, &c. | 178 |
Christ's Church, Bridewel, &c.
ans, Vagabonds, and idle Persons. This Gift of the King was computed to the
Yearly
Value of 450l.
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And moreover, out of his mere Grace and Christian Charity, he gave out of the
Hospital
of the Savoy, now supprest, for the aforesaid charitable Use, a great Part of
the
Revenue thereof, which was 700 Mark Land, together with the Bedding and
Furniture;
though dying soon after, the Grant seemed not to be fully finished. But for
fear it
should not take place, (so much it ran in the King's Mind) that in his last Will
he caused
this Clause to be inserted;
"The Grant made to the Maior and City of London,
touching the Savoy and Lands thereof, to be performed."
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This Hospital near 100 Years ago is said to have maintained 700 Persons; that
is, poor
Children with Officers. The Charge reckoned at 4000l. per Annum.
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Syn. Papison.
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This Hospital of Christ's Church, as also those others founded for the Relief of
poor
Children, and other sick and diseased People of the City, gave Occasion, not
long after
the founding of them, to Numbers of Poor, and Lame, and Sick People, and many of
them idle Persons, Rogues, and Vagabonds, to flock into the City from all Parts,
expecting present Relief and Entertainment here; which caused the Lord Maior,
Anno
1569, to issue out a strict Order to forbid all such Resort, and such Persons to
be taken
up and brought to Ward; and Warning to be given, that none should give them
Harbour:
Which Order was as followeth:
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Idle Persons resort to the City to be harboured
in these Hospitals.
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An Order by the Lord Maior, against Rogues, Vagabonds, and Masterless
Men,
resorting now in great Numbers to the City; upon pretence to be relieved by the
Alms of
Christ's Church and Bridewell.
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"Forasmuch as Experience of late hath shewed, That the charitable Relief,
given as
well by the Queen Majesties noble Progenitors, as also the charitable Alms from
time to
time collected within this City, and bestowed by the Citizens, as well upon the
Poor and
Needy Citizens, being Sick, Impotent, and Lame, as the poor Orphans and
Fatherless
Children, born, or being within the said City, not having wherewith to relieve
themselves, as well in Christs Church, and Bridewell, as in other the Hospitals
founded
for the Relief of the Poor within the City of London; hath drawn unto the said
City great
Numbers of Vagabonds, Rogues, Masterless Men, and Idle Persons, and also Poor,
Lame, and Sick Persons, dwelling in the outmost Parts of the Realm, so as the
said
City is thereby opprest, to the great Prejudice of the said City, and of the
needy Poor,
inhabiting in the same; and that these needy Beggars, and impotent Persons
coming out
of Foreign Parts of the Realm, and also the Rogues and Vagabonds greatly
disliked the
Queen, &c. the Maior, and his Brethren the Aldermen in her Majesties Behalf,
straitly
charge and command, all and every Person and Persons whatsoever, dwelling or
inhabiting within the said City and Liberties and Suburbs thereof, that they do
not at
any time hereafter, give any Relief, Lodging, Alms, or Maintenance, to any
Vagabonds, Rogues, &c. or to any common or valiant Beggar; but contrariwise,
to
cause such Beggars, Rogues, Vagabonds, and Masterless Men, to be apprehended and
brought to Ward, to the end, that they might be examined and punished by such as
have
Authority in that Behalf, according to the Queens Law, &c.
"
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"
And further, the said Maior and Aldermen, straitly charge and command, for the
better
avoiding the said common Beggars, &c. that no manner of Person whatsoever,
shall let
any Tenement, Cottage, Chamber, or Room, to Farm, either by the Day, by the
Week,
by the Month, by the Quarter, or by the Year, or any other time, to any common
Beggar, or Vagabond, &c. Imprinted by John Day over Aldersgate."
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Besides this first Royal Founder King Edward, Christ Church Hospital hath of
late
enjoyed another Royal Founder, viz. King Charles II. who founded a Mathematical
School and Ward, lying on the West Part of the Hospital, for the Instruction of
40 Boys
in the Mathematicks, especially in that Part of it that respects Navigation; and
liberally
endowed it with one Thousand Pounds a Year, paid out of the Exchequer for Seven
Years for the founding thereof.
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A Mathematick School founded here by K. Char.
II.
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The Mathematical Master at Christs Hospital, by the Constitution of the House,
must be
thus qualified; he must be a Sober, Discreet, and Diligent Person, of good Life,
a good
Scholar, very well understanding the Latin and Greek Languages, a very good
Mathematician, well knowing and ready in the Theory and Practice of all its
Parts; to the
end Boys may be furthered in the Latin Tongue, and the Master able to answer
Strangers, if need be; and that they and others may find his Abilities to
Satisfaction.
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The Qualification of the Mathematick
Master.
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And by the Constitution, Ten are to be put forth Yearly Apprentices to Masters
of
Ships: to the End they may be fit in time to do Service in the Navy Royal, and
Ten more
to be received into their Rooms. These Youths who are chosen out of the rest of
the
Blewcoat Boys, are to be the most acute, and of the readiest Wits, that they may
be fit
for Mathematical Studies. These as a Badge of Distinction, wear on their
Breasts
fastened to their Coats a Plate of Silver, with some Figures engraven, the Dye
whereof
is kept in the Tower, where they are all stamped. The chief Figures are three
of the
Liberal Sciences, viz. Arithmetick, with a Scroll of Accounts in one Hand, and
laying
her other Hand upon a Blew Coat Boys Head, having his Cap under his Arm. The
next
Figure representeth Geometry, with a Triangle in her Hand. The Third,
Astronomy,
with a Quadrant in one Hand, and a Sphere in the other. There is also the
Figure of a
Ship or two under Sail, with a Wind from Heaven, blowing as it were upon it a
prosperous Gale. There be also in the Clouds two Angels, one of them a Mercury;
and
these Words wrote round declaring the Royal Founder, and the Year when this
School
commenced, viz. Auspicio Caroli Secundi Regis, 1673. This Badge they wear
constantly, not only in the Hospital, and about the Town, but when they are put
forth;
which when seen secureth them from being pressed. But they will sometimes put
it
into their Pockets, as not caring to own the Place of their Education; for which
when it
is discovered, they are reprimanded.
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The Scholars to be put forth to Masters of
Ships.
Badge of these Boys.
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And here it must not be omitted, for perpetual Memory, to remark the first
Occasion of
instituting this most useful Mathematick School, Founded in this Hospital. It
was
accidental, and owing in a great measure to Sir Robert Clayton, Knt. and
Alderman,
and sometime Lord Maior of the City, who as the setting up of such a Discipline
in this
Hospital first came into his Mind, so he was very instrumental and active, in
bringing it
to that Success it afterwards came to, by his moving it so seasonably to the
Lord
Clifford, then Lord High Treasurer: who as effectually propounded it to the
King. I
shall relate the Substance of it, as I had it from his own Mouth in his own
House, Apr.
16. 1706.
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The beginning and occasion of this Mathematick
School.
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He had been occasionally reading (according to his Custom at leisure Times to
divert
himself
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Sir Robert Clayton, Knt. the first
Contriver.
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The Stuart London Project, Humanities Research Institute, The University of Sheffield,
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