Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 9.djvu/471

 9<s. ix. JUNE H, 1902.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

463

ST. MARGARET'S CHURCH AND WEST- MINSTER BENEFACTORS. (Concluded from p. 3S3.)

UNDER date 10 April, 1677, 100/. was given to the church wardens and vestrymen of St. Margaret's for the purpose of building three other alinshouses, "all upon a ground floor," in Petty France, " to make the court or walks before the said houses quite through, and to plant elms before them." This legacy was received in due course, and the vestry ordered, on 21 January, 1677, the erection of the three almshouses at the west end of Cornelius van Dun's Almshouses (the Red Lion). They were pulled down in 1848, and the multi-angular building of the Petty France Workhouse erected on the site. This building is now known as Wellington House, and utilized as the Guards' married quarters. To the King's Hospital (Green Coat School) or St. Margaret's Hospital, the site of which is now occupied by the Stores of the Army and Navy Auxiliary Supply, Emery Hill proved a good friend, and, among other things, provided that

"the said Governors doe allow Ten shillings ayeare for ever to some able minister of the parish to examine the poore Hospitall Boys on that Day the Treasurer delivers up his accompts how the poore children growes and thrives in their duties to God and Man and in theire Learnings, and also keepe a checke on their Scholemaster."

So far for the mental, now for a glance at the bodily aspect of the case. He also provided for five chaldron of sea coals to be laid in " for the King's Hospital " every year,

"and that the poore children there have Rostmeate and Plumporridge every Christmas-day for ever to put the poore Creatures in mind of that extra- ordinary Good provided for their Soules on that Day, and that they may have green Mittens every time they have new Cloths, and that the School- master may have a new Gowne every Two years, And that care be taken to supply the poore Boys with Bookes fitt for their learning, especially with Catechisms and Bibles, And that every Boy that is putt forth may carry his Bible with him as his own proper goods." I always feel a keen regard for this old school, for within its walls my own father received his early education, and many were the quaint stories he used to tell of his school- days and the life that was lived there Emery Hill left by deed dated 8 March, 1674 certain premises in Villiers Street, Duk Street, Office Alley, Buckingham Street, anc the Strand, to establish in addition to < almshouses a " free School to teach 20 poor town-born children born in Westminster, and a Chapel over the sal School and a territt at one end of the chapel t<

ang a bell in, to ring the poor people to prayers, rith a house for the school master to dwelfin.

The children were to be taught free, both n English and Latin, to write and keep iccounts, but further were to be catechized ind grounded in all that appertained to eligious knowledge. The school and master's louse were built in 1708, and thirty years ater, 1738, the Rev. Wiseman Holt was appointed schoolmaster, and for twenty-nine fears had the destinies of this school in his lands, with the strange result that during hose years until his death in 1767 he never educated a single boy. As a matter of fact,

no boys appear to have been educated upon this oundation until 1817, when, the funds having got nto a better state, a school was really estab- ished, and 20 boys taught in the School house of Palmer's Charity' (The Black Coat School) by the ame schoolmaster. For fifty-six years this arrange- iient worked harmoniously, but after 1873 the oundation had, for a short time, a separate xistence."

Among the other benefactions of this large- icarted man was one under a deed dated [ January, 1668, by which he transferred to }he vestrymen the college lease of a tenement n the Almery of the value of ll. a year, so ihat a school begun in 1666 for the poor parish children put out to nurse by the over- seers might be continued and kept up. A Denny a week was allowed the nurses for ivery child able to attend, which, with 5s. a nonth from the overseers, 'did well satisfie the Schoolemistress for teaching ihe poore Children, what nomber soever they caused x> be sent. By which meanes the Seeds and Nur- sery of Idleness, Vice and Beggary was destroyed.'

Later on the same deed states that the school was neglected, and goes on :

' By which meanes the sayd children were not only deprived of the meanes of their welfare for Bodies and Soules, but are exposed as heretofore to lye in the streets and at men's dorea without any government or controll."

Under his will he devised a further tenement in the Great Almery, of like value, to aid in this good work, in which it is found that Dr. Busby, the eminent head master of West- minster School, was a coadjutor. Hatton, under date 1708, mentions this school, where a schoolmistress had "6/. per annum, a house, and a Chalder of Coal." A very exhaustive search and inquiry have been made, but no light can be thrown upon the causes which led to the extinction of this old charity school. Some of Emery Hill's benefactions have to our ears a very quaint and peculiar sound, of which some must be chronicled as lost. First may be noted his gift of 50/., in trust, to be given to