26. Bridge Ward Without Contains In Chief The Borough, Or Long
Southwark, St. Margaret's Hill, Blackman Street, Stony Street, St.
Thomas's Street, Counter Street, the Mint Street, Maiden Lane, the
Bankside, Bandy-leg Walk, Bennet's Rents, George Street, Suffolk
Street,
Redcross Street, Whitecross Street, Worcester Street, Castle
Street, Clink Street, Deadman's Place, New Rents, Gravel Lane, Dirty
Lane, St. Olave's Street, Horselydown, Crucifix Lane, Five-foot
Lane, Barnaby Street, Long Lane and Street.
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.
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