the proper authorities. These are extant on twelve great skins of
parchment, more wordy and of greater length than those of 4th James I!
They are, however, very similar to those, with technical alterations
and amendments here and there, and provision is made for Lectures on
Surgery, demonstrations of anatomy, and for the better Examination of
Surgeons. Clause 19 provides that any freemen of the mystery who shall
use any arts, trades or sciences other than Surgery “shall be accepted,
reputed, adjudged and taken for Barbars.” Empirics and impostors were
to be rigorously dealt with, and the Court was to have supervision
over _all_ Navy Surgeons, their chests, medicines and instruments. No
Barbers or Surgeons were to be impressed for the Navy without license
of the Court, and numerous regulations were made for the government of
the Company.
The document is signed by Richard Earl of Portland, Lord Treasurer; Sir
Thomas Richardson and Sir Robert Heath, the Lords Chief Justices; the
seals of the first two are still pendant, but that of Sir Robert Heath
is missing.
1636. Spurred into further action for the advancement of the science
of Surgery, which their extended powers under the new By-Laws had
conferred upon them, the Company determined upon building a Theatre
for the delivery of Lectures, and for anatomical purposes, etc. This
they set about in 1636, employing the great Inigo Jones as their
Architect, who about this period also designed and carried out the
present beautiful Court Room or Parlour, one of the best proportioned
and prettiest rooms in London.
[Illustration: INTERIOR OF COURT ROOM.]
11th February, 1636. Upon the moc͠on of o{r} M{r} to this Court
concerneing the want of a publique Theater for Anatomycall exercises
and Sceletons and a lesser roome for private discections, This Court
doth order that if the M{rs} or Governo{rs} upon their petic͠on to
the Lord Maio{r} and Aldrẽn they have the bullwarke & long stripp of
ground lieing betwixt the gould smiths tenement & clothw: tenemtꝭ
& london wall at the one end & the Companies hall & pˀlor & london
wall at the other end, by purchase in fee farme or a long lease from
the Cittie, that then a Theater to the largenes of the upper ground
betwixt the goldsmithes tenem̃t & the clothworkers tenem{t} on the
one side & london wall on the other side shalbe be ovally built for
the Wor̃p[118] and comiditie of this Companie at the Charge of this
house.
[118] Worship.
The piece of ground on which it was proposed to erect the Theatre
was then on lease to the Company from the City. The Lease was dated
29th March, 7 Charles I (1631), and made between the Mayor, &c., of
London, of the one part and the Masters, &c., of the Barber-Surgeons,
of the other part. In consideration of £20 paid by the Company the
City leased to them lwark and the houses Roomes and buildings therein
or thereupon made or erected, And all that ground or garden plott
with thappurtenñces scituat lyinge and beinge in the parish of St
Olave in Silver Street in the Citie of London next unto the Wall of
the same Citie there of the one side, and the landes of the saide
Maisters or Governors and others on the other side late in the tenure
or occupac͠on of the right honoro{ble} Henry late Lord Wyndsor
deceased or of his assignes and now in the tenure or occupac͠on of
the said Maisters,” etc., from the feast of the Annunciation, 1631,
for forty-one years at a rent of £3. The lease contained the usual
covenants of a repairing lease, as also one “that neither they the
saide Masters or Governors their successors nor assigns shall or will
att any time or times during the said Terme suffer any Inmate or
Inmates to dwell in any part of the premises afore demised.”
5th May, 1636. There is an Indenture of Lease of this date made
between the Mayor, &c., of London, and the Masters, &c., of the
Barber-Surgeons, which after reciting the last mentioned lease
proceeds: “And whereas the said Maisters or Governors of the Misterie
and Comonaltie of Barbars and Surgians of London for the better
enhableing of them in the Arte of Surgerie Doe intend to erect and
build a decent Roome or Theatre on part of the premisses for the
keeping therein A learned and constant Lecture in the Theorie and
practiqʒ partꝭ of Surgerie As also to pˀforme their publique operac͠ons
of Anatomies and other exercises thereunto belonging, Which will be
verie chargeable to them Wherein the said Maior and Cominaltie and
Citizens are desirous and willinge to aide and further the saide
Maisters or Governors in the setting forward of soe necessarie
and comendable a worke tendinge to the generall good of the whole
kingdome,” wherefore the Mayor, &c., leased the said premises to the
Company for a further term of 200 years upon the expiry of the lease
then running, at the same rent of £3 per annum, the Lessees covenanting
to build the Theatre within seven years.
16th May, 1636. Upon o{r} M{rs} report to this Court that the Lord
Maio{r} & Aldrẽn have freely graunted to this house a new lease of CC
yeares comenceing from the expirac͠on of o{r} lease now in being It
is ordered with the generall consent of the whole Court here present
that the Theater shalbe proceeded in and built according to the
plotts drawne by his Ma{t}ꝭ Surveigher.
3rd August, 1636. It is ordered by this Court that the Companies
Armes with Helmett Crest supporters and mantlings shalbe sett up in
Portland Stone under the Cantilaver does of the Theater being over
the Windowe next the Granarye.
Alsoe the mottoe viz{t.} SPECIOSUM HOC THEATRUM ANATOMICUM ERECTÑ
FUIT MICHAELE ANDREWS CHIRURGO REGIO AC COMUNIONI BARBITONSOꝜ ET
CHIRURGOꝜ Pˀ TEMPORE PRÆFECTO, GUARDIANIS VERO JOANNE WARDE NICOLAS
HEATH ET WILHELMO HUCKLE ANNO AB EXHIBITO IN CARNE MESSIÆ SUPRA
MILLESIMUM SEXCENTESIMUM TRIGESIMO SEXTO shalbe engraven in the voyde
stone worke over the greate doore into the Theater.
A plan of the Theatre is preserved in a collection of the works of
Inigo Jones, at Worcester College, Oxford, and a short description of
it is found in Hatton’s New View of London, 1708. The curiosities in
the Barber-Surgeons’ museum of those days will excite a smile when
compared with the collection now at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Hatton says
that the Theatre was built in “an elliptical form, and commodiously
fitted up with four degrees of seats of cedar wood, and adorned with
the figures of the seven liberal sciences, and the twelve signs of
the zodiac. Also containing the skeleton of an ostrich, put up by Dr.
Hobbs, 1682, with a busto of King Charles I. Two humane skins on the
wood frames, of a man and a woman, in imitation of Adam and Eve, put
up in 1645; a mummy skull, given by Mr. Loveday, 1655. The sceleton of
Atherton with copper joints (he was executed) given by Mr. Knowles in
1693. The figure of a man flead, where all the muscles appear in due
place and proportion, done after the life. The sceletons of Cambery
Bess and Country Tom (as they then call them), 1638; and three other
sceletons of humane bodies.”
Hogarth has, in ghastly style depicted the dissection of a criminal
in this Theatre, in which the skeletons above referred to are seen in
niches in the wall.
[Illustration: ESTATE IN MONKWELL STREET]
The plan of the Company’s Estate, has been kindly supplied for this
work by Mr. Charles John Shoppee, as surveyed by him in 1869, previous
to the demolition of the old Livery Hall, Kitchen, etc. The Theatre had
been pulled down in 1784, and houses erected on its site; the Theatre
is, however, shewn upon this plan, as being more interesting than the
houses which supplanted it. In 1636 the Company commenced the erection
of the Livery Hall and present Court Room, the work being carried out
from the designs and under the superintendence of the celebrated Inigo
Jones, the Livery Hall was, however, burnt in 1666, and that shown upon
the plan is the one which was erected after the Great Fire.
5th September, 1636. The Plague was again abroad in London, and the
Court, for fear of infection by meeting together, resolved as follows:
In regard of the now greate visitac͠on of the plague This Court
doth deferre the Courts for the daye of Rules the Vew daye & other
publique Courts till it shall please God to cease the Sicknes.
23rd September, 1636. The Lord Mayor having requested the Company to
nominate “twoe Surgians to take care of those that were infected with
the plague in this Cittie & liberties,” the Court thought that two was
a wholly insufficient number and nominated six Surgeons to be presented
to the Court of Aldermen.
2nd October, 1636. £5 was ordered to be paid in to the Chamber of
London towards the relief of the poor, stricken with the Plague.
30th March, 1637. The Company were assessed to pay £10 “ship money,”
whereupon an order was made that they should forbear to pay it, and
a Committee appointed to wait on the Court of Aldermen to petition
against the assessment. The application was, however, unsuccessful, as
by an Order of Court, 29th March, 1638, the money was directed to be
paid.
8th November, 1638. The Court of Aldermen having assessed the Company
to furnish 80 quarters of corn in lieu of 60 as heretofore provided,
it was resolved to petition against it. This would be a very important
matter to the Company as the assessments for all public purposes were
made upon the City Companies _pro rata_ with their corn quarterages,
and if the 80 quarters were allowed to stand, it would raise all the
future assessments 33 per cent. The result however, of the protest does
not appear in the minutes.
28th October, 1640. On receipt of a precept from the Lord Mayor, it was
ordered that three barrels of Gunpowder should be bought and stored.
1640. The Company unwillingly agreed to lend the King £400, and were
put to great inconvenience in raising the money, which was required by
Charles for his campaign in Scotland.
After several skirmishes with the Scots, the English Army was at length
disbanded, and the King went himself to Scotland to negotiate the
difference which had arisen by his attempted interference in Church
matters in that Kingdom; he returned to London in November, 1641, and
the following minute refers to the preparations made by our Company to
meet him.
22nd November, 1641. Upon reading the Lord Maiors precepts for the
Companyes enterteyning the King upon his returne from Scotland It is
ordered that the Ma{r} and Wardens, Mr. Serjeant Clowes, Mr. Richard
Wateson, Mr. Woodall, Mr. Powell, Mr. Burgin, Mr. Heath, Mr. Henry
Wateson, Mr. Bignall, Mr. Dye, Mr. Arris, Henry Boone, and Thomas
Turner, shalbe attendant on Twesday next well mounted on Horseback in
plush or Velvett with Chaines of Gold, and that John Perkins shall
beare the Pendon with our Coate of Armes on Horseback and that these
18 ffree men shalbe Decently cladd in the Companyes Colours of White
and Greene, each of them with a greene flatt Cap with a white Ribbon
about it, a greene Cassock and Drawers of the same Stuffe Whiffler
like laced with a white Lace a white ribaning and a greene Ribbin
athwart theire Brests, and each of them a Truncheon in theire hands
in the forenoone, and in the aftˀnoone each of them 2 Torches, and
these 18 to attend perticulerly one of them to each of the Horsemen,
viz{t.}
(Then follows a list of the freemen chosen.)
The “Riding out” on this occasion must have been a magnificent sight,
if all of the Companies spent proportionately to the outlay of ours,
which was no less than £39 17_s._ 10_d._ upon decorations, etc., for
those taking part in the procession. Strype informs us that--
The Lord Mayor on horesback wearing a gown of crimson velvet & a
collar of SS, and attended by his suite, rode in the front of the
procession to meet the King. Then followed the Aldermen in scarlet
gowns and the City council and chief officers in black gowns. Upon
reaching Moorfields, there waited in a readiness to attend his
Lordship and the service, about five hundred horsemen selected out
of the Liveries of the several Companies, being Masters, Wardens,
and prime men of each Company in velvet or plush coats and suits,
with chains of gold, being well horsed and gallantly furnished, every
Company having a horseman in the front carrying a pendant with that
Company’s arms to which he did belong (for distinction sake), and a
footman to attend each horseman of the Livery with truncheons and
torches as before, both horsemen with the pendants and footmen being
suited cap-a-pee with the Company’s colours on which they waited.
There were also fourteen Trumpeters, with trumpets, banners and
scarfs, who were placed two between every hundred of the horse, and
four at the head of the troop. The procession moved on to Kingsland,
where the Lord Mayor and Aldermen and the Companies awaited the Kings
approach, while the Sheriffs attended by seventy-two men in Scarlet
Cloaks trimmed with silver lace (the colours of the City) with
javelins and feathers and four trumpeters, rode as far as Stamford
Hill, and there met their Majesties and escorted them to Kingsland.
His Majesty was accompanied by the Queen, the Prince, the Duke of
York, the Princess Mary and the Prince Elector Palatine, and after
receiving an address, the Royal party joined the civic procession
to London, entering it at Moorgate, and proceeded through London
Wall, Bishopsgate Street, Cornhill and Cheapside, to the banquet
at Guildhall, amidst the City Companies in their formalities and
stands on each side of the streets, the City conduits running with a
diversity of wines.
1643. The relations between the King and the City having become
estranged in the fearful distractions of these times, Charles
endeavoured to conciliate the citizens with a message, which was
publicly read at Guildhall on the 13th January, and later on he sent
a circular letter to the Masters of the several Companies requiring
them to call their freemen and apprentices together, to read to them a
copy of a letter which he had sent to the City on the 17th January. The
Court of the Barber-Surgeons met on Tuesday, 24th inst., and cautiously
record that they would have summoned their freemen for the next day,
but that it was a fast day and that in the interim an order had come
from the Committee of Safety that the letter, etc., should not be read.
24th January, 1643. The Kings Letter sent to the M{rs} & Wardens of
this Company was read in Court and the printed Letter in it and the
Cittyes Petic͠on and his Ma{ties} gracious answer unto it. And but
that the morrow was fast day being the last Wednesday in this Moneth
the ffreemen and apprentices of this Company could not be summoned
to appeare then, it should have bin read. Soe that in the Interim
an Order of Comand from the Lords and Comõns was directed to this
Company to countermaund the said Letters in these words,
Die Martis 24{to} Januarii, 164-2/3. At the Comittee of Lords and
Comõns for the safety of the Kingdome.
Whereas there are divers Letters pretended to be sent by his Ma{tie}
to the M{rs} and Wardens of the severall Halls in the city of London
with Two litle Bookes therein closed the one intituled The humble
Petic͠on of the Maior, Aldermen and Comõns of the City of London
to his Ma{tie.} And the other intituled his Ma{ties} Letter and
declarac͠on to the Sheriffes and City of London Dated the 17{th}
of January, which evidently tendeth to sedition and setting of the
whole State in a Combustion. These are therefore strictly to charge
& comand the M{rs} and Wardens of every Hall in the City to whome
the said Letters and Bookes inclosed shalbe directed to forbeare to
publish or open any of them till both the Houses of Parliament shall
give further order therein. And the M{rs} and Wardens of every Hall
are required to bring the said Letters with the Messengers thereof to
this Comittee which they will take to be an Argument of theire good
Affection to the Parliament
Pembroke Montgomery Bolingbroke Ed: Manchester
W. Say & Seale Ed: Howard Jo: Evelin Jo: Pym
Antho: Nicoll.
17th January, 1644. It is ordered that in respect of the greate
troubles and distractions of these times there shalbe noe publique
Anatomy this yeare dissected.
1644. The Company seem to have become greatly impoverished by the
venture in Ireland, the rebuilding of their premises, and the forced
loans to the King and the Parliament. In a certificate given by the
Master and Wardens (5th September, 1644) to be produced in a suit in
which they were defendants, they state that their debts are £3,000,
and that they can get no return of any of the money lent for public
purposes, or even the interest of it.
If the Stuarts acted in an unconstitutional manner in their oppressive
demands upon the Companies, the Roundheads were as bad, with just this
difference, that, with all their pretensions to purity, piety and
high-mindedness, they did not hesitate to practise actual dishonesty
in their _modus operandi_ of squeezing the Companies, as the following
painful incident from our books testifies:--The Company had borrowed
from Mr. Richard Wateson, one of the Assistants, £1,200 upon sealed
bonds, for the express purpose of meeting the demands which had been
made upon them by the King and Parliament from time to time. Mr.
Wateson having been declared a “Papist and Delinquent,” his property
was seized, and the Bonds of the Barber-Surgeons, found in his strong
chest, were taken to the Committee for Gloucester and Hereford, sitting
at Grocers’ Hall. These worthies, in conjunction with the Committee
for Sequestrations, came down upon the Company and demanded payment
of the £1,200 for which they had given their bonds to their brother,
Mr. Wateson. The Court deeming this a monstrous piece of injustice,
hesitated to comply, whereupon the Committees threatened to seize
the Company’s entire estate; and then the Court resolved to petition
Parliament, but the House not sitting for some time the petition could
not be prosecuted, and the Committee being urgent, the Company most
reluctantly agreed to pay down £400 and to have the bonds cancelled.
Although these shameful terms were definitely agreed upon, the
Committees a few days later broke faith, demanding £400 cash and the
Company’s bond for another £100, to which the Company, like the lamb
with the wolf at its throat, _nolens volens_, consented. The iniquity
of this business was made apparent to the Committees, who were well
aware that the Company had incurred the debt to Mr. Wateson in order
to meet the previous rapacity of themselves, and yet they hesitated
not to compel the Company to submit to a further fine of £500 for
having complied with their demands in the past, besides manifesting the
dishonesty proposed by them in offering to cancel the debt due by the
Company to Mr. Wateson.
29th April, 1645. By the power and authority to this Court given by
severall Orders of a late Court of Assistants, this Court for and
towards the raiseing of the 400{li} agreed to be paid in part of
the composic͠on for Mr. Watson’s debt unto the the Comittee for the
releife of Gloucester, &c., did pawne all the Companyes plate both
guilt and white, weighing 1,120 oz. 1/3 or thereabouts, unto Mary
Crosse of London Widdow for the Sum̃ of 280{li} by a Writeing of
Bargaine and Sale this day sealed with this Companyes Com̃on Seale
bearing date the 16{th} day of this Instant Aprill with a provisoe of
Redempc͠on. And borrowed of Mr. George Dunn 100{li} more at Interest
at vj{li} 10{s} pˀ annum pˀ centum for w{ch} he tooke the secureity
of our Com̃on Seale.
A few years later on (14th September, 1648), Mr. Edward Arris presented
to the Court a letter from Mr. Wateson, wherein was intimated that he
expected the Company to repay him the money borrowed, the bonds for
which had been seized by Cromwell’s party, and for which the Company
had already compounded, whereupon we read “This Court doth declare
theire acknowledgement of a great respect and esteeme they have and
beare towards him and shalbe ready to doe him all the right they can
without prejudicing the Company”; and again on 30th April, 1650, “Mr.
Richard Wateson an ancient M{r} of this Company Doth this day desire
to know the mind of this Court concerning the 1,200{li} by him lent to
this Company and sequestred in this Company’s hands and compounded ffor
500{li} in full of principall and Interest, The matter being of great
Consequence, this Court doth take time to consider of it and to give
him an answer therein.”
What answer Mr. Wateson got, I do not know; he was held in great esteem
by the Company, and doubtless some honourable compromise was arranged.
In their negotiations with the Committees, the Company seem to have
been able to impress the Chairman favourably on certain occasions,
though there is grave reason to apprehend that this official of the
party of purity was open to a bribe, as the following minutes would
seem to indicate.
27th October, 1645. The Company having been threatened with
sequestration of their entire estate unless an assessment made upon
them was paid on Friday following, a Committee of the Court was ordered
to wait on Mr. Scawin, the Chairman of the Committee for the Army, to
beg his favourable consideration of the Company’s poor estate; the
result is seen in the next entry.
14th September, 1648. This Court takeing notice of the greate Love
and ffavour of Mr. Scawin Chaireman to the Comittee ffor the Army
expressed oftentimes upon severall occasions towards our Company
Doth thinke fitt in gratitude and accordingly doth order That the
present Governours doe present to him a guift of the value of vj{li}
13{s} 4{d} The quality and price of the guift is left to theire
discretions.
1646. To relieve them of their great debts, the Company about this
period raised considerable sums by granting annuities; the following
are examples in point:--
24th March, 1646. This day M{r} Nicholas Heath payd the sum of
200{li} to the use of this Company and is the purchase money for an
Annuity of 26{li} pˀ añn. for 10 yeares to himselfe and Grace his
Wife Whereupon the Deed of Grant of the said Annuity was sealed with
the Com̃on Seale and delivered to theire use.
Alsoe this day M{ris} Elizabeth ffreeman payd the sum of 200{li} the
Purchase money for the like Annuity of 26{li} pˀ añn. for 10 yeares
and the Deed for that purpose was sealed and delivered to her.
On the 30th January, 1649, the King’s troubles were ended by his
murder, and very shortly afterwards we find this significant minute.
19th March, 1649. This Court doth order That the Oath conteyned in
the Rules and Ordinances of this Company be administred unto every
ffreeman upon his admission as before, The ffirst Words which doe
concerne allegiance to the King and his Successors only to be left
out.
The banners of the Company bearing the late King’s arms were destroyed,
and any heraldic insignia at the Hall which contained the Royal Arms
were ordered to be defaced. We may readily believe that this was most
unwillingly done by the Court, who however, had no option in the matter.
1648-9. Fairfax had filled the City with troops, “billetting orders”
being made upon the several Companies for the reception of the soldiers
at their Halls. Herbert (Vol. I, p. 181) states that the Merchant
Taylors were fortunate enough to procure an order of exemption which
cost them £20 10_s._, and further that he believed their case to be
unique, but it seems that the Carpenters by means of “Gratuities ‘to
sevˀall men of qualitie,’” amounting to £13 2_s._ 6_d._, managed to
get free of this imposition, whilst the Barber-Surgeons procured their
immunity at a much cheaper rate, for we read in the Wardens’ accounts
of the period,
Paid fforr the charges expended in procureing a Protecc͠on from the
Lord General from quartering Souldiers in the hall 13{s} 3{d.}
These notices are clear indications that Cromwell and the “men of
qualitie” about him, were accustomed to take bribes.
3rd February, 1654. The City entertained Cromwell at Grocers’ Hall, and
our Company had to go out in procession to receive him, our “standing”
being in St. Paul’s Churchyard.