Part 15
Besides this Arundelian or Norfolk library, which takes up a large room, another curious and valuable collection was left the society in the year 1715, by their Secretary Francis Aston, Esq; which together with the numerous benefactions of the works of the learned members, in all faculties, but more especially in natural and experimental philosophy, amount to above 3600, and are placed in glass cases in another room.
The museum belonging to the society, was founded by Daniel Colwall, Esq; in the year 1677, who gave his excellent collection of natural and artificial curiosities, which compose the greatest part of the catalogue published in the year 1681, by Dr. Grew, under the title of _Museum Regalis Societatis_. But these curiosities, by the generous benefactions of other curious persons, are now increased to above six times the number of those mentioned in the catalogue.
Upon the society’s removal from Gresham college to their house in Crane court, Richard Waller, Esq; one of the Secretaries, erected in the year 1711, at his own expence, the repository in the garden for the reception of the above curiosities, which consist of the following species, viz. human, quadrupedes, birds, eggs, nests, fishes, insects, reptiles, woods, stalks and roots; fruits of all sorts; mosses, mushrooms, plants, spunges, &c. animal and vegetable bodies petrified; corals, and other marine productions; fossils, gems, stones, metals, antimony, mercury, and other metallic bodies, salts, sulphurs, oils, and earths; philosophical and mathematical instruments; Indian, American, and other weapons, with a variety of apparel, &c.
In short, by the above Royal and other benefactions, the admission money, and annual contributions of the members, this society was at length in so flourishing a condition, that they applied to his late Majesty King George I. for an additional privilege to purchase in mortmain 1000_l._ instead of 200_l._ _per annum_, which he was pleased to grant by his letters patent, in 1725. Among the Fellows of this society are his Majesty King George II. and many of the greatest Princes in Europe.
This learned body is governed by a President and Council, consisting of twenty-one Fellows, distinguished by their rank and learning.
The officers chosen from among the members, are, the President, who calls and dissolves the meetings, proposes the subjects of consultation, puts questions, calls for experiments, and admits the members that are from time to time received into the society.
The Treasurer, who receives and disburses all the money.
The two Secretaries, who read all letters and informations; reply to all addresses or letters from foreign parts, or at home; register all experiments and conclusions, and publish what is ordered by the society.
The Curators, who have the charge of making experiments, receive the directions of the society, and at another meeting bring all to the test.
Every person to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, must be propounded and recommended at a meeting of the society, by three or more members; who must then deliver to one of the Secretaries a paper signed by themselves with their own names, specifying the name, addition, profession, occupation, and chief qualifications; the inventions, discoveries, works, writings, or other productions of the candidate for election; as also notifying the usual place of his abode, and recommending him on their own personal knowledge. A fair copy of which paper, with the date of the day when delivered, shall be fixed up in the common meeting room of the society, at ten several ordinary meetings, before the said candidate shall be put to the ballot: but it shall be free for every one of his Majesty’s subjects, who is a Peer, or the son of a Peer, of Great Britain or Ireland, and for every one of his Majesty’s Privy Council of either of the said kingdoms, and for every foreign Prince or Ambassador, to be propounded by any single person, and to be put to the ballot for election on the same day, there being present a competent number for making elections. And at every such ballot, unless two thirds at least of the members present give their bills in favour of the candidate, he cannot be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society; nor can any candidate be balloted for, unless twenty-one members at the least be present.
After a candidate has been elected, he may at that, or the next meeting of the society, be introduced, and solemnly admitted by the President, after having previously subscribed the obligation, whereby he promises, “That he will endeavour to promote the good of the Royal Society of London, for the improvement of natural knowledge.”
When any one is admitted, he pays a fee of five guineas, and afterwards 13_s._ a quarter, as long as he continues a member, towards defraying the expences of the society; and for the payment thereof he gives a bond; but most of the members on their first admittance chuse to pay down twenty guineas, which discharges them from any future payments.
Any Fellow may however free himself from these obligations, by only writing to the President, that he desires to withdraw from the society.
When the President takes the chair, the rest of the Fellows take their seats, and those who are not of the society withdraw: except any Baron of England, Scotland, and Ireland, any person of a higher title, or any of his Majesty’s Privy Council of any of his three kingdoms, and any foreigner of eminent repute, may stay, with the allowance of the President, for that time; and upon leave obtained of the President and Fellows present, or the major part of them, any other person may be permitted to stay for that time: but the name of every person thus permitted to stay, that of the person who moved for him, and the allowance, are to be entered in the journal book.
The business of the society in their ordinary meetings, is, to order, take account, consider and discourse of philosophical experiments and observations; to read, hear, and discourse upon letters, reports, and other papers, containing philosophical matters; as also to view and discourse upon the rarities of nature and art, and to consider what may be deduced from them, and how far they may be improved for use or discovery.
No experiment can be made at the charge of the society, but by order of the society or council. And in order to the propounding and making experiments for the society, the importance of such experiment is to be considered with respect to the discovery of any truth, or to the use and benefit of mankind.
The Philosophical Transactions are printed at the charge of the society, and the Clerk delivers _gratis_ one of the copies to every Fellow of the Society who shall demand it, either in person, or by letter under the hand of such Fellow, within one year after the Clerk has begun to deliver such copies.
If any Fellow of the society shall contemptuously or contumaciously disobey the statutes or orders of the society; or shall by speaking, writing, or printing, publicly defame the society, or maliciously do any thing to the detriment thereof, he shall be ejected.
The meetings of the Royal Society are on Thursdays, at five o’clock in the afternoon.
The members of the Council are elected out of the Fellows, upon the feast of St. Andrew in the morning; when after the election they all dine together.
Eleven of the old council are chosen for the ensuing year; and ten are elected out of the other members. Then the President, Treasurer, and Secretary are elected out of these. But the same persons are usually rechosen into these offices.
ROYAL _vineyard_, St. James’s Park.
RUG _row_, Cloth fair, Smithfield.
RUMFORD, a town in Essex, 12 miles from London, and 5 from Burntwood, is a very great thoroughfare, and is governed by a Bailiff and Wardens, who are by patent impowered to hold a weekly court for the trial of treasons, felonies, debts, &c. and to execute offenders. It has a market on Mondays and Tuesdays for hogs and calves, and on Wednesday for corn, all of which are chiefly bought up for the use of London.
RUMMER _court_, Charing Cross.
RUN-HORSE _yard_, David street, Grosvenor square.*
RUPERT _street_, 1. Coventry street. 2. Goodman’s fields.
RUSSEL _court_, 1. Blue Anchor alley, Rosemary lane.† 2. Cleveland row, St. James’s.† 3. Drury lane.† 4. Ratcliff highway.†
RUSSEL’S MILL _stairs_, Rotherhith.†
RUSSEL _street_, Covent Garden; so called from the Duke of Bedford, upon whose estate it is built.
RUSSIA COMPANY, a body of merchants incorporated by letters patent, granted by Queen Mary on the 6th of February 1555, by which they were not only impowered to carry on an exclusive trade to all parts of the Russian empire, but to all such countries as they should discover in those northern parts. In consequence of this charter, they soon after discovered the Cherry Islands, Greenland, Nova Zembla, Newfoundland, Davis’s Streights, and Hudson’s Bay; and their first Governor was that celebrated mariner Sebastian Cabot.
In consideration of these valuable discoveries, their privileges were confirmed by Parliament; and in the year 1614 enlarged by King James I.
In the year 1742, the Russia company obtained leave of the present Czarina Elizabeth, to trade with Persia thro’ Russia, and between the years 1743 and 1749, Mr. Hanway observes, they imported raw silk to the amount of 93,375_l._ value in Persia: but Mr. Elton, one of the company’s agents, being employed by Kouli Khan, who then sat on the Persian throne, to build some ships of force on the Caspian sea, the Russians apprehended they should be disturbed by the Persians in their navigation over that sea, and therefore put an end to the traffic of the British Russia company through Russia to Persia.
This company exports cloth of all sorts, both dressed and dyed; kersies, baize, cottons, fustians, perpetuanoes, Norwich stuffs, lace, thread, lead, tin, pewter, allum, copper, and most other sorts of English commodities: and we import from thence, cordage, tar, tallow, potashes, cable yarn, bees wax, linen cloth, isinglass, hides of several sorts, both tanned and raw; hogs bristles, linseed, several sorts of rich furrs, train oil, flax, hemp, caviare, stock fish, cod fish, salmon, &c.
This company is under the management of a Governor, four Consuls, and twenty-four Assistants, annually chosen on the 1st of March, who keep their courts monthly, or as occasion requires, in a large room in the Old East India house in Leadenhall street: but considered as a company, their trade at present is not very considerable; it being carried on chiefly by private merchants, who are admitted to reap the profit of trading to Russia, on paying 5_l._ each.
RUTLAND _court_, 1. Charterhouse square. 2. Glasshouse yard, Goswell street. 3. Near Puddle dock, Thames street.
RYCAUT’S _court_, Morgan’s lane.†
S.
SACRIST of St. Paul’s cathedral, an officer who is assistant to the Treasurer. He is to keep every thing in order belonging to the altar, and to open the church doors at the first ringing of the bell for morning and evening prayers. This officer when chosen by the Treasurer, must be presented to the Dean for his approbation, by whom he is admitted upon taking an oath to discharge his office with fidelity.
The Sacrist has three servants under him, called Vergers, who also keep servants for cleaning the church, tolling the bell, blowing the organ bellows, and other servile business. _Newc. Rep._
SADLERS, a very ancient company, though it was not incorporated by letters patent till the reign of Edward I. They are governed by a Prime and three other Wardens, with eighteen Assistants, and have a livery of seventy members, whose fine on their admission is 10_l._ They have a very handsome hall in Cheapside. _Maitland._
SADLERS _alley_, Dorset street.
SADLERS _court_, Milford lane.
SAFFRON _hill_, 1. Field lane, at the bottom of Snow hill. 2. Hockley in the Hole.
SALISBURY _alley_, Chiswell street.
SALISBURY _court_, Dorset street, Fleet street; so called from the Bishop of Salisbury’s city mansion there; afterwards the Earl of Dorset’s.
SALISBURY _lane_, Rotherhith Wall.
SALISBURY _stairs_, Salisbury street, in the Strand.
SALISBURY _street_, 1. Marigold street, Rotherhith Wall. 2. In the Strand; so called from the Earl of Salisbury’s house, which formerly stood there.
SALISBURY _walk_, Chelsea road.
SALMON’S _lane_, Ratcliff.†
SALT OFFICE, in York Buildings, is under the government of five Commissioners, each of whom has a salary of 500_l._ _per annum_. Under these Commissioners are the following officers: a Treasurer, who has 430_l._ a year, for himself and three Clerks; he has also a Deputy: two Billmen: a Comptroller, who has 350_l._ a year, with a Deputy and two Clerks: the Comptroller’s Secretary has 200_l._ a year, and an Assistant: an Accomptant General, who has 200_l._ _per annum_, and his Clerk 40_l._ a year: a Correspondent, who has 100_l._ a year, and his Clerk 60_l._ a Chief Accomptant and Clerk of Securities, who has 180_l._ _per annum_: two Accomptants, who have 70_l._ a year each, a Clerk, who has 60_l._ and another 40_l._ _per annum_: a Storekeeper and Clerk of the charities and diaries, who has 60_l._ a year; a Collector of the port of London, who has 60_l._ an Assistant Searcher 60_l._ and two Surveyors who have 40_l._ a year each.
Besides these, there are in this office an housekeeper who has 100_l._ a year, and several other servants.
SALTERS, one of the twelve principal companies, and the ninth in order of precedency, is of considerable antiquity, since they had the grant of a livery from Richard II. in the year 1394; but it does not appear that they were incorporated before the first year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in 1558.
This company has a Master, two Wardens, twenty-seven Assistants, and a livery of 190 members, who upon their being admitted, pay a fine of 20_l._ They have a very considerable estate, out of which they pay 500_l._ _per annum_ to charitable uses. Their hall, which is a plain brick building, is situated in a neat court in Swithin’s lane.
SALTERS _alley_, 1. Green bank, Wapping. 2. Nightingale lane.
SALTERS _court_, Piccadilly.
SALTERS HALL _court_, in Swithin’s lane, where is Salters hall, in which is a handsome presbyterian meeting-house.
SALTPETRE BANK, 1. East Smithfield, by Little Tower hill. 2. By Rosemary lane.
SALUTATION _court_, St. Giles’s Broadway.*
SAMBROOK’S _court_, Old Broad street.†
SAMBRUGH’S _court_, Basinghall street.†
SAMSON’S _rents_, Green Walk.†
SANDWICH _court_, Houndsditch.†
SANDY’S _rents_, Coverley’s fields.†
SANDY’S _street_, Widegate alley, Bishopsgate street without.†
SARAH’S _street_, New Gravel lane.
SARN _alley_, Rotherhith Wall.†
SATCHELL’S _rents_, 1. Shoreditch.† 2. Whitecross street, Cripplegate.†
SAVAGE _gardens_, Tower hill.†
SAVAGE’S _court_, Widegate alley, Bishopsgate street.†
SAVAGE’S _rents_, Black Friars.†
SAVERY’S _alley_, Farmer’s street, Shadwell.†
SAVILE _row_, near New Bond street.†
_St._ SAVIOUR’S _Bermondsey_, a priory, and afterwards an abbey, founded by Alwin Child, a citizen of London, in the year 1082, in the place now denominated St. John’s court Bermondsey.
This priory was not only confirmed by the charter of William Rufus, together with all the benefactions belonging to it; but that Prince also conferred upon the Prior and Monks the manor of Bermondsey, and erected a handsome and spacious conventual church for their accommodation. This priory, however, being an alien and a cell to one in France, it was among other foreign foundations sequestered by Edward III. in the year 1371, who constituted Richard Denton, an Englishman, Prior thereof.
This priory was in 1391 converted into an abbey; and at the general suppression of monasteries in the year 1539 was surrendered to Henry VIII. when being granted to Sir John Pope, he demolished the old abbey, and erected in its room a stately edifice, which some time after came to the Earls of Sussex. _Stow’s Survey._
_St._ SAVIOUR’S _dock_, vulgarly called _Savory dock_, in Rotherhith, took its name from the above abbey, dedicated to the holy Saviour. _Maitland._
_St._ SAVIOUR’S _Mill_, vulgarly called _Savory mill_, also belonged to the above abbey, and was in the year 1536 let by the Abbot and Monks to John Curlew, at the yearly rent of 6_l._ which was then the value of eighteen quarters of good wheat; and he was also bound to grind all the corn used in the abbey.
In the place where this mill stood, is now an engine for raising water to supply the neighbourhood. _Maitland._
_St._ SAVIOUR’S _School_, in St. Saviour’s church yard, Southwark, was founded by the parish, for the education of boys in grammatical learning, and confirmed by letters patent granted by Queen Elizabeth, so early as the year 1562, and the fourth of her reign; by which six of the vestry are for ever appointed Governors.
To this school belong a Master and Usher, the former of whom has a salary of 30_l._ and the latter 20_l._ _per annum_.
_St._ SAVIOUR’S _Southwark_, or _St._ MARY OVERIES, a church of great antiquity, situated to the south west of the bridge foot. In the place where it stands, is said to have been anciently a priory of nuns founded by one Mary a Virgin, the owner of a ferry over the river Thames, before the building of London bridge. Some time after the priory was converted into a college of Priests; but that establishment, as well as the former, proving of no long duration, it was in the year 1106 founded by two Norman Knights, and the Bishop of Winchester, for Canons regular, and from its dedication to the Virgin Mary, and its situation, was called St. Mary Overie, that is, St. Mary over the river.
This edifice was destroyed by fire about the year 1207; but it being soon after rebuilt, Peter de Rupibus, Bishop of Winchester, added to it a spacious chapel, which he dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen; and this being afterwards appointed for the use of the inhabitants, it at last became their parish church.
The monastery and church were rebuilt in the reigns of Richard II. and Henry IV. but at the general suppression of religious houses were surrendered to Henry VIII. in the year 1539; upon which the parishes of St. Mary Magdalen, and St. Margaret, purchased the conventual church of King Henry; and were the next year united by act of Parliament, and the church being then repaired, was called by the new name of St. Saviour’s. _Stowe._
Both the construction and extent of this Gothic structure resemble a cathedral more than a parish church. The length is 260 feet, and that of the cross isle 109: the breadth of the body is 54 feet, and the height of the tower, including the pinacles, is 150 feet. The construction of the windows, entrances, and every other part, is purely in the Gothic style, except a modern door, which is neither Gothic, nor agreeable to the rules of any other architecture. The tower, which is square, and well proportioned, is supported by massy pillars over the meeting of the middle and cross isles; it is crowned with battlements, and has a pinacle at each corner.
In a chapel at the east end of the church is the monument of Bishop Andrews, who was interred there; and in another part of the church is that of the Bishop of Winchester; but the most singular monument is that of the family of the Austins, erected in the last century, and repaired, new painted, and gilt by the relations in 1706.
The first figure is a rock, upon which is written, _Petra erat_ XTS. that is, The rock was Christ. Down this rock runs a stream of water; and out of it glides a serpent, his old skin being stript off by the rock, which is seen hanging on that part of his back that is not yet got thro’. At the foot of the rock there grows standing corn, on which is a label with these words, _Si non moriatur, non reviviscit_, that is, If it dieth not, it liveth not again. Underneath the corn is this motto, _Nos sevit, fovit, lavit, coget, renovabit_, _i.e._ He hath sown, cherished, washed us, and shall gather us together and renew us.
Upon the top of the rock stands an angel, holding a sickle in his left hand, and with his right pointing to the sun, which shines, and on its lower rays is a label, upon which is, _Sol justitiæ_, _i.e._ The Sun of righteousness.
On the sides of the monument are scythes, flails, shepherds crooks, rakes, ploughs, harrows, and other instruments of husbandry hanging by a ribband out of a Death’s head; and above them, _Vos estis agricultura_, _i.e._ Ye are God’s husbandry.
On the outside of these a harvest man with wings is seated on each side, one with a fork behind him, and the other with a rake. They have straw hats, and lean their heads upon their hands, the elbows resting upon their knees, as if fatigued with labour, and under them are these words, _Messores congregabunt_, _i.e._ The reapers shall gather. Under all is a winnowing fan, upon which is stretched a sheet of parchment bearing a long inscription in Latin.
Though the name of this church has been changed from St. Mary Overies to that of St. Saviour, yet the former still prevails. It is a rectory in the gift of the parish, and the profits arising to the two Chaplains, are said to amount to above 300_l._ _per annum_.
SAVORY _dock_. See _St._ SAVIOUR’S _dock_.
SAVORY MILL. See _St._ SAVIOUR’S _mill_.
SAVORY _mill stairs_, corruptly so called, Rotherhith. See _St._ SAVIOUR’S _mill stairs_.
SAVOY, or _Lancaster Palace_, is situated to the westward of Somerset house, between the Strand and the Thames. This place obtained the name of the Savoy, from Peter Earl of Savoy and Richmond, who built it about the year 1245, and afterwards transferred it to the friars of Montjoy, of whom Queen Eleanor, the wife of King Henry III. purchased it for her son Henry Duke of Lancaster. The Duke afterwards enlarged and beautified it, at the expence of 52,000 marks, at that time an immense sum. Here John King of France resided, when a prisoner in England in the year 1357, and upon his return hither in 1363, when it was esteemed one of the finest palaces in England.
This edifice was burnt in 1381 by the Kentish rebels, on account of some pique they had conceived against John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, who was then the proprietor. But the ground afterwards devolving to the Crown, King Henry VII. began to rebuild it as it at present appears, for an hospital, for the reception of an hundred distressed objects; but that Prince not living to see it compleated, Henry VIII. his son, not only granted his manor of the Savoy to the Bishop of Winchester and others, the executors of his father’s will, towards finishing the hospital; but by his charter of the 5th of July 1513, constituted them a body politic and corporate, to consist of a Master, five secular Chaplains, and four Regulars, in honour of Jesus Christ, his Mother, and St. John Baptist; the foundation to be denominated _The hospital of King Henry VII. late King of England, of the Savoy_.
This hospital was suppressed in the reign of Edward VI. when the revenues were found to amount to 530_l._ _per annum_, which that Prince gave to the city of London towards making a provision for the hospitals of Bridewell, Christ-church, and St. Thomas: but Queen Mary converted it into an hospital again, and having endowed it anew, her Ladies and Maids of honour completely furnished it, at their own expence, with all necessaries. However the hospital was again suppressed upon the accession of Queen Elizabeth to the throne, and the revenues applied to the uses intended by her brother.