The Bankside Consists Of Certain Houses So Called From Their Lying
On The South Bank Of The Thames To The Westward Of The Bridge.
The public buildings in this ward are, St. Thomas's Church and
Hospital, Guy's Hospital for Incurables, the church of St. Saviour,
the church of St. Olave, and that of St. George, the Bridge House,
the King's Bench Prison, the Marshalsea, and the Clink Prison, the
Sessions House, Compter, and New Prison.
The Hospital of St. Thomas consists of four spacious courts, in the
first of which are six wards for women. In the second stands the
church, and another chapel, for the use of the hospital. Here also
are the houses of the treasurer, hospitaller, steward, cook, and
butler. In the third court are seven wards for men, with an
apothecary's shop, store-rooms and laboratory. In the fourth court
are two wards for women, with a surgery, hot and cold baths, &c.
And in the year 1718 another magnificent building was erected by the
governors, containing lodgings and conveniences for a hundred infirm
persons. So that this hospital is capable of containing five
hundred patients and upwards at one time; and there are between four
and five thousand people annually cured and discharged out of it,
many of them being allowed money to bear their charges to their
respective dwellings.
But one of the greatest charities ever attempted by a private
citizen was that of Thomas Guy, Esq., originally a bookseller of
London, and afterwards a Member of Parliament for Tamworth, who,
having acquired an immense fortune, founded a hospital for
incurables, on a spot of ground adjoining to St. Thomas's Hospital,
and saw the noble fabric in a good forwardness in his lifetime,
assigning about two hundred thousand pounds towards the building,
and endowing it, insomuch that it is computed there may be an ample
provision for four hundred unhappy people, who shall be given over
by physicians and surgeons as incurable. This gentleman died in
December, 1724, having first made his will, and appointed trustees
to see his pious design duly executed. He gave also several
thousand pounds to Christ's Hospital, and a thousand pounds a piece
to fifty of his poor relations; but the will being in print, I refer
the reader to it for a more particular account of this noble
charity.
The first church and hospital, dedicated to St. Thomas a Becket, was
erected by the Prior of Bermondsey, so long since as the year 1013;
but the hospital was refounded, and the revenues increased, anno
1215, by Peter de Rupibus, Bishop of Winchester, in whose diocese it
was situated, continuing, however, to be held of the priors of
Bermondsey till the year 1428, when the Abbot of Bermondsey
relinquished his interest to the master of the hospital for a
valuable consideration. In the year 1538 this hospital was
surrendered to King Henry VIII., being then valued at 266 pounds
17s. 6d. per annum. And in the following reign, the City of London
having purchased the buildings of the Crown, continued them a
hospital for sick and wounded people; and King Edward VI. granted
them some of the revenues of the dissolved hospitals and monasteries
towards maintaining it: but these were inconsiderable in comparison
of the large and numerous benefactions that have since been bestowed
upon it by the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and other wealthy citizens and
men of quality, governors of it, who are seldom fewer than two or
three hundred, every one of them looking upon themselves to be under
some obligation of making an addition to the revenues of the
hospital they have the direction of. A committee of the governors
sit every Thursday, to consider what patients are fit to be
discharged, and to admit others.
The government of the City of London, it is observed, resembles that
of the kingdom in general; the Lord Mayor is compared to the king,
the aldermen to the nobility or upper house, and the common
councilmen to the commons of England.
This assembly, consisting of the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and common
councilmen, has obtained the name of The Common Council, and has a
power, by their charters, of making such bye-laws and statutes as
are obligatory to the citizens. It is called and adjourned by the
Lord Mayor at pleasure, and out of it are formed several committees,
viz. - 1. A committee of six aldermen and twelve commoners for
letting the City lands, which usually meets every Wednesday at
Guildhall for that end. 2. A committee of four aldermen and eight
commoners for letting the lands and tenements given by Sir Thomas
Gresham, who meets at Mercers' Hall on a summons from the Lord
Mayor. 3. Commissioners of Sewers and Pavements, elected annually.
And, 4. A governor, deputy-governor and assistants, for the
management of City lands in the province of Ulster in Ireland.
The other principal courts in the City are, 1. The Court of
Aldermen. 2. The Court of Hustings. 3. The Lord Mayor's Court. 4.
The Sheriff's Court. 5. The Chamberlain's Court. 6. The Court of
the City Orphans. 7. The Court of Conscience. 8. The Courts of
Wardmote. And, 9. The Courts of Hallmote.
Besides which, there is a Court of Oyer and Terminer and Jail
Delivery, held eight times a year at Justice Hall in the Old Bailey,
for the trial of criminals.
1. In the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen is lodged the executive
power in a great measure, and by these most of the city officers are
appointed, viz., the recorder, four common pleaders, the comptroller
of the chamber, the two secondaries, the remembrancer, the city
solicitor, the sword-bearer, the common hunt, the water bailiff,
four attorneys of the Lord Mayor's Court, the clerk of the chamber,
three sergeant carvers, three sergeants of the chamber, the sergeant
of the chanel, the two marshals, the hall-keeper, the yeomen of the
chamber, four yeomen of the waterside, the yeoman of the chanel, the
under water-bailiff, two meal weighers, two fruit-meters, the
foreign taker, the clerk of the City works, six young men, two
clerks of the papers, eight attorneys of the Sheriff's Court, eight
clerks fitters, two prothonotaries, the clerk of the Bridge House,
the clerk of the Court of Requests, the beadle of the Court of
Requests, thirty-six sergeants at mace, thirty-six yeomen, the
gauger, the sealers and searchers of leather, the keeper of the
Greenyard, two keepers of the two compters, the keeper of Newgate,
the keeper of Ludgate, the measurer, the steward of Southwark (but
the bailiff of Southwark is appointed by the Common Council) the
bailiff of the hundred of Ossulston, the City artificers, and rent-
gatherer, who hath been put in by Mr. Chamberlain.
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