Governors in their turns,
a list of whom is printed yearly and set up at the counting-house,
and a letter is sent to each of the said governors, some days before
the admission, reminding him of the day of choosing, and how those
he presents should be qualified, wherein is enclosed a blank
certificate from the minister and churchwardens, a blank petition to
the president and governors, and a paper of the rules and
qualifications of the child to be presented. Upon this the
governor, having made choice of a child to present, the friends of
the said child come to the counting-house on the admission-day,
bringing the said petition and certificates, rules, and letter along
with him, and on the back side of the said petition the governor who
presents endorseth words to this effect.
"I present the child mentioned in the certificate on the other side,
and believe the same to be a true certificate.
"Witness my hand . . . the day . . . of 17." Which the said
governor signeth, and the child is admitted.
The said rules and qualifications are as follows:
1. That no child be taken in but such as are the children of
freemen of London.
2. That none be taken in under seven years old.
3. That none be taken in but orphans, wanting either father or
mother, or both.
4. That no foundlings, or that are maintained at the parish charge,
be taken in.
5. That none who are lame, crooked, or deformed, or that have the
evil, rupture, or any infectious disease, be taken in.
6. That none be admitted but such as are without any probable means
of being provided for otherways; nor without a due certificate from
the minister, churchwardens, and three or four of the principal
inhabitants of the parish whence any children come, certifying the
poverty and inability of the parent to maintain such children, and
the true age of the said child, and engaging to discharge the
hospital of them before or after the age of fifteen years if a boy,
or fourteen years if a girl, which shall be left to the governor's
pleasure to do; so that it shall be wholly in the power of the
hospital to dispose of such child, or return them to the parent or
parish, as to the hospital shall seem good.
7. That no child be admitted that hath a brother or sister in the
hospital already.
8. To the end that no children be admitted contrary to the rules
abovesaid, when the general court shall direct the taking in of any
children, they shall (before taken in) be presented to a committee,
consisting of the president, treasurer, or the almoners, renters,
scrutineers, and auditors, and all other governors to be summoned at
the first time, and so to adjourn from time to time: and that they,
or any thirteen or more of them, whereof the president or treasurer
for the time being to be one, shall strictly examine touching the
age, birth, and quality of such children, and of the truth of the
said certificates; and when such committee shall find cause, they
shall forbid or suspend the taking in of any child, until they
receive full satisfaction that such child or children are duly
qualified according to the rules abovesaid.
And that such children as may be presented to be admitted in
pursuance of the will of any benefactor, shall be examined by the
said committee, who are to take care that such children be qualified
according to the wills of the donors or benefactors (as near as may
consist with such wills) agreeing to the qualifications above.
The Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen present each their child
yearly, but the rest of the governors only in their turns, which may
happen once in three or four years.
No child is continued in after fifteen years of age, except the
mathematical scholars, who are sometimes in till they are eighteen,
and who, at the beginning of the seventh year of their service as
mariners are at His Majesty's disposal; and of these children there
is an account printed yearly, and presented to the king the 1st of
January, setting forth, (1) each boy's name; (2) the month and year
when they were bound out; (3) their age; (4) the names of their
masters; (5) the names of the ships whereof they are commanders; (6)
what country trade they are in; (7) the month and year when they
will be at His Majesty's disposal. Also an account of the forty
children annually enjoying the benefit of this mathematical
foundation, &c., setting forth their names and age.
The governors, besides the Lord Mayor and aldermen, are many, and
commonly persons that have been masters or wardens of their
companies, or men of estates, from whom there is some expectation of
additional charities. Out of these one is made president, who is
usually some ancient alderman that hath passed the chair; another is
appointed treasurer, to whom the care of the house and of the
revenues are committed, who is therefore usually resident, and has a
good house within the limits of the hospital. There are two
governors also, who are called almoners, whose business it is to buy
provisions for the house and send them in, who are attended by the
steward.
The children are dieted in the following manner: They have every
morning for their breakfast bread and beer, at half an hour past six
in the morning in the summer time, and at half an hour past seven in
the winter. On Sundays they have boiled beef and broth for their
dinners, and for their suppers legs and shoulders of mutton.
