had died by the pestilence; and founded the priory for Carthusian monks*, in 1371; Sir Walter dying soon after, was buried within the precincts of his own foundation.

It was at first intended to remain for ever only a burial place for the poor, strangers, and diseased people; and to avoid contention between the parsons and this house the corps were first to be conveyed to their churches, and then to this place to be buried. This ground before mentioned, together with three acres more, called Pardon Church-yard, Sir Walter gave to the prior and monks; and the house at the suppression, 29 Henry VIII. was valued at 6421. 4 d. yearly.

The monastery having been bestowed by the king on Sir Edward North, afterwards lord North, it was sold by his son to Thomas duke of Norfolk, from whom it descended to Thomas earl of Suffolk, and was afterward called Howard House, by which name it was purchased of the earl of Suffolk, by Thomas Sutton, Esq. where he founded this hospital. It consisted of four or five courts, a wilderness, gardens, orchards, and walks, &c. This hospital was first founded by act of parliament for erecting and endowing an hospital at Hallingbury Bouchers, in the county of Essex, March 10, 1609, by the name of the Hospital of King James, founded in Hallingbury, in the county of Essex, at the humble petition and at the only cost and charge of Thomas Sutton, Esq.

But Mr. Sutton having altered his mind respecting the situation, removed the foundation to Howard House, for which he had the king's letters patent, dated June 1611; for the house, &c. he paid down 13,000l. May the 9th, 1611; and the charter of king James was confirmed by an act of parliament in the third of king Charles I.

The following are the principal heads of the patent for erecting Sutton's Hospital:

* So called from Carthuse, near Grenoble. The order was founded by a person named Bruno, in 1083, and came into England about the year 1181.

Governors

Governors were incorporated with full authority to purchase, receive, &c. They were sixteen governors in all' appointed by rame, and upon the death of any, the said Mr. Sutton to name others for his life to keep up the number, and afterward the new governors to be (as any vacancy happened) nominated by the majority of the governors then living.

The master of the Charterhouse to be one of the governors, who were to have a common seal.

They were not to let longer leases than for twenty-one years, nor to transfer the land (settled for this purpose] to any other use. The election of a new governor to be within two months after a vacancy, or in default, the king to appoint a governor.

The number of the old gentlemen and boys to encrease according to the revenues.

The governors impowered to make statutes under the common seal, and to visit or displace the master or any officer of the house; the ministers freed from the visitation of the ordinary of the diocese.

There are these ecclesiástical preferments in the gift of the go vernors of the hospital, viz.

But by the letters patent the governors are charged to bestow the same upon those scholars only who have been bred in this house.

The benovolent founder lived not to see the hospital finally settled; but in 1614, three years after Mr. Sutton's death, it was opened by the executors, by the entry of the gentlemen, scholars, and others. And anno 1627, these orders were made at an assembly, June 21, signed by king Charles the First's own hand.

"The hospital of king James, founded in Charterhouse, in the county of Middlesex, at the humble petition and only cost and charges of Thomas Sutton, Esq." shall be the style to be inviolably observed and expressed in the same formal words upon all evidences, conveyances, leases, and writings of records.

There shall be an anniversary commemoration of the founder, kept every 12th of December with solemn service, á sermon, and VOL. III. No. 75.

4 G

spek

such increase of commons as we allow upon other festival days by our establishment."

The governors jointly taken, make the head of this body corporate, the brothers and scholars, and such others as are menpoor tioned only in the king's letters patents, shall be stiled Members of the Foundation, and shall be chosen within two months after the vacancy, according to the express words of the letters pa

tents.

All other officers of the revenue or houshold not particularly mentioned in the letters patents, shall be reputed and taken as Members of Arbitrary Election, and it shall be in the governors power to make their number more or less, and to choose them sooner or later, as to their wisdom shall seem best for the good of the hospital.

No member of the foundation or of arbitrary election shall be a married man, either at the time of his admission or after, upon penalty of being deprived of his place; but there is an exception for the then present physician, receiver and auditor.

The improper titles for an hospital of attorney general, surveyor general, steward of the houshold, shall be abolished.

All possible diligence shall be used to obtain the next sessions an act of parliament for confirmation of the foundation.

The common seal shall be kept in the evidence house under four keys, the master of the house always to keep one.

The statutes and ordinances of the hospital, under the common seal shall be twice engrossed, the originals to be kept in the evidence house, the other in the custody of the master, to be brought to the table at every assembly.

The master shall always keep one of the keys of the evidence house, and no writing to be delivered to the solicitor but with a note of particulars registered in a book under the master's hand, and a note taken under his hand that receives them, for the redelivery.

A true copy of the deeds, evidences, survey, leases, orders, and other writings touching the hospital lands, shall be fairly writ ten in a parchment ledger book.

An iron chest shall be in the receiver's custody for the keeping of the hospital revenues, whereof he shall give an account quarterly to the master; and another with three several locks and keys (two to be kept by the master and receiver, and the third by whom the governors please) to be in the evidence house for

keeping

keeping the surplus remaining at the year's end, whereof the receiver shall be accountant by a fair declaration engroffed in parchment by the auditor, and signed with their three hands, and then safely laid up in the evidence-house.

Two other copies of the said declaration, signed by the Master, Receiver and Auditor, whereof the Auditor shall keep one to justify the account, the Receiver another for his full discharge.

In cafe of plague, the master, with consent of four or more governors shall dissolve the house, the officers, servants and poor brothers shall be dismissed for a time, not exceeding half a year, with their full allowance for diet and wages paid in hand, and the impotent shall be left under the care of the Manciple with two elder grooms and three old women. And such scholars as have able friends shall be sent to them, and those that have none shall be sent out, and all at the charge of the hospital. For all which disbursement the Receiver shall impress money to the Manciple by warrant from the Master under his hand.

The hospital shall be sufficiently furnished with buckets, fire hooks, ladders, ropes, and other necessaries against fire.

What other orders soever the major part of the governors shall make at an assembly for the good of the hospital, and sign them with their own hands in the assembly book, shall stand in as full force and power as if they had been inserted with these and ratified with the common seal.

All other things ordered and enacted by the king's letters patents for the confirmation of this hospital, as also all other orders and decrees of this instrument ratified by their common seal shall be inevitably kept and observed.

THE MASTER

ís to be a grave discreet person, unmarried, aged about forty years, one that shall neither have nor accept of any preferment either in church or state, whereby he may be drawn from his residence and care of the hospital.

He has the economical government of the house during the governors pleasure, and power to set a fine or mulct on any officer, not exceeding a fortnight's commons; and the poor brothers at 4s. 4d. or 8s. 8d. he may fine as they deserve. He has been usually a layman.

All other inferior servants the master has power to put in or out. He shall not increase or lessen the diets, stipends, fees, or wages" in the house or school.

4 G 2

The

The PREACHER to be Master of Arts seven years, aged about thirty, and to have been four years a preaching minister.

He is to take care that the poor brothers, boys and servants frequent the Prayers, Sermon, and Holy Sacrament. And the master and preacher have superintendency over the chapel clerk, organist and sexton, to see that each perform the duties of his place.

The PHYSICIAN to have 201. per annum, to choose his own apothecary, and his bills for physic not to exceed 201. but it is at the governors choice whether there shall be a physician certain or occasional.

The REGISTER shall be of a good conversation, well practised in law causes that follow, a good penman, ready to do what the governors or master shall put him upon.

His business is to sit on all assemblies, to register their orders and decrees in the assembly-book; to draw and make ready for the common seal all patents and leases, and enroll them in the book of entries: to wait on the governors for their signing any instrument: to attend the hospital council and take their direction.

The RECEIVER'S business is first to give good security by ten several bonds of 2001. each bond, himself and two sufficient sureties to stand in every bond to the governors for the faithful execution of his office; and shall deliver out no money unless to the Manciple for diet, without order and warrant from the master.

He shall by virtue of proper letters of attorney make public demand of rents due to the hospital, that such farther course may be taken as shall seem good to the governors.

At Michaelmas, yearly, when his accounts are given up, he shall have 2001. impressed to him by the master out of the surplus remaining that year, or out of the house-stock, which shall be for expence for diet and other charges till Michaelmas rent comes in, repaying the said money into the iron chest of the hospital stock at or before the end of November then next ensuing.

The MANCIPLE is the last officer observable of the house. He gives 100. security for the due discharge of all money. impressed unto him by the Receiver upon the Master's warrant, for the affairs of the hospital.

He is to attend his service in the kitchen till all the tables be served and taken away, and then to take his meals with the inferior officers and grooms,

He