Strype, Survey of London(1720), [online] (hriOnline, Sheffield). Available from:
http://localhost:8080/strype/TransformServlet?app1_037[Accessed ]

© hriOnline, 2007
The Stuart London Project, Humanities Research Institute, The University of Sheffield,
34 Gell Street, Sheffield, S3 7QY

 

The Order of the Hospitals.37

The Order of the Hospitals.

of the Citie of London, Governours of the Possessions, Revenues, and Goods of the said Hospitalls, have made and constituted certaine Ordinances and Rules, declaring aswell in what Maner your Courtes shal be kept, as alsoe the Charge of every severall Governour, accordinge to his Office and Appointment; with the Charge alsoe of everye Officer to the said Hospitall appertaining, viz.


First, of General Courtes, touching the Government of all the iiij Howses, and what in them is to be done.

 

A Generall Courte is to be understoode, when the greater Parte of the Governours be assembled, that is to say, xxxij at leaste in Number, for Generall Causes appertaining to all the iiij Houses. Of the which Number, at the leaste foure shal be Aldermen, and one of them to be a Graie-Cloke. And whatsoever shal be agreed by such a Number, the same to be taken as Matters agreed by a Generall Courte, and shal not be altered or annihilated, but by a Generall Courte, incident to Matters concerninge the generall Government of all the iiij Houses.

Item, That no Governour, either Alderman or Thresorer of any of the said Hospitalls, be taken into the Place of any such as shal happen to die within the Year, otherwise than by Election at a Generall Courte, to be called in that Behalf, as before. And that the Names of the said Person or Persons soe elected and chosen, be presented unto the Lord Maior and Courte of Aldermen, before they be called unto the said Hospitall, to receive their Charge.

Item, That no Chief Officer, in any of the said Hospitalls, to wit, either Clerke, Hospitaler, or Matrone, be admitted, or removed, without a Generall Courte, or els by Consent of the Lord Maior and Courte of Aldermen.

Item, That no Leases be lett in Reversion, proceeding of the King's Gifte, or otherwise generally graunted to all the Howses, but one Year before the Years of the ould Leases be expired; and that the same Lands or Howses be first surveied, and no suche Graunte to be made but by a Generall Courte: To the Intent, that according to the Covenant with the Prince, the most Profit may be made thereof, and to be onlye employed to the Benefit of the Poore, and not otherwise; except in Wages, and reasonable Consideration to the Officers serving in the said Hospitalls.


Of a full Court in this Hospitall called Christ's Hospitall, for weighty Causes, and what is thereat to be done.

 

A Full Courte shal be when xiij of the Governours of this said Hospitall be assembled at the least, whereof two shal be Aldermen, the one of them to the President, with ten Commoners besides the Thresorer; and what these xiij Persons or vij of them at the leaste, the President being one of the Number, shal decree, ordaine, or agree upon, the same shal stand in Force, and shal not be altered, nor disallowed, except by a like Courte to be called in that behalfe.

Item, That no Governour be taken into this Hospitall in the Place of any that shal happen to die within the Year, except it be at a full Courte, to be holden as afore, for weighty Causes; and the Name of him so admitted, to be presented to the Maior and Courte of Aldermen, before he be called to receive his Charge.

Item, That no Sale of Land, Tymber, or Wood, Lease, Alienation, Buildinge, or Reparation be determined or done, of Lands or Tenements geven to th'onlye Use of Christ's Hospitall, or in any wise belonginge properlie to the same, except at a full Courte, to be holden in the said Hospitall as before.

Item, That no Reward be geven to any Person above the Somme of v Shillings at once; which must be done by the Consent of the Thresorer and one of the Almoners at the least; except first the same be graunted and detemined in a full Courte, as before.

Item, That there be no Leases lett in Reversion but one Year before the ould Lease be expired; and that no such Graunt be made but by a full Courte, as before, or els not; and that all the same Leases be drawn in Paper by a Scryvenor, one of the Governours of the saide Hospitall, before they be engrossed; and he to be allowed for every Draught accordinge to the Quantitie: And the Clerke of the said Hospitall to engrosse them, and to procure the Sealing of all such Leases before the Lord Maior and Courte of Aldermen, in the Chamber of London, where the Comon Seal of the Hospitall doeth remaine.

That noe manner of Bargaines be made for Timber, Tile, or such like, or any other Necessaries for the said Howse, before the same be determined at a full Courte, to be holden as before; and the Persons then and there to be named and appointed which shal be the Doers thereof.


What is to be done at Ordinary Courtes, when two or more of the Governours be assembled, the Thresorer being one.

 

TO examine, order, and punishe any Officers that shal be found to offend at any Time within this saide Hospitall.

To make Provision in convenient Time, for Victualls, Fuell, and other Necessaries, as Cloth, Woll, Flexe, Towe, and Lether, and other such like, whatsoever shal be by them thought needfull for the Furniture of the Houshold and Reliefe of the Children.

To paye the ordinary Fees to all suche as are allowed to be Officers, and all such others, as the Governours of this Howse have graunted any Pension unto.


Touching the Admitting of Children, and Graunting of Pensioners, to be either paid in this House or in Parishes.

 

THere shal be no Childe admitted into this Hospitall, except it be first declared to this Howse, by a Certificate in Writinge from a Vestrie holden in the Parishe by whom the Suite is made, and the same to be subscribed with the Alderman of the Ward, or his Deputy, and vj of the Auncients of the same Parishe at the least, that the said Childe was there borne in lawfull Matrimonie, or els in no wise to be admitted. And that no poore Person be admitted to any Pension, either to be paid in the Parishe or in this Hospitall, without the like Certificate as before: with Declaration, that the said Parties have continued in this Citie by the Space of iij Years, except by Warrant from the Lord Maior and Court of Aldermen. And that this Ordinance touching the admittinge of Children, be not broken, except in Cases of Extremity, where Losse of Life, and Perishing, would presently followe, if they be not received into this said Hospitall; which is to be considered of by

the

© hriOnline, 2007
The Stuart London Project, Humanities Research Institute, The University of Sheffield,
34 Gell Street, Sheffield, S3 7QY