Part 16
Nothing here is now to be seen, but the ruins of the ancient edifice built with free-stone and flints, among which is still remaining part of a great building, in which detachments of the King’s guards lie, and where they have their Marshalsea prison for the confinement of deserters and other offenders, and to lodge their recruits.
A part of the Savoy was assigned by King William III. for the residence of the French refugees, who have still a chapel here, in which they conform to the church of England. _Stowe._ _Dugdale’s Mon. Ang._
SAW _court_, Fore street, Cripplegate.
SAWYER’S _court_, Houndsditch.†
SAWYER’S _yard_, 1. Hosier lane. 2. Tower street, Soho.
SCALDING _alley_, in the Poultry. In this alley was formerly a large house, known by the name of the Scalding-house; for the street called the Poultry containing a number of Poulterers stalls, the fowls they sold there were first scalded in this house. _Maitland._
SCALLOP _court_, Creed lane, Ludgate street.
SCHOOL _alley_, East Smithfield.☐
SCHOOL _lane_, Jamaica street, Rotherhith.☐
SCHOOL _yard_, Ailesbury street, Clerkenwell.☐
SCHOOLHOUSE _alley_, Swan alley.☐
SCHOOLHOUSE _lane_, 1. Ailesbury street.☐ 2. Brooke street, Ratcliff.☐
SCHOOLHOUSE _yard_, 1. Rose street, Shoreditch.☐ 2. Schoolhouse lane, Ratcliff.☐ 3. Sutton street, St. John’s street, Clerkenwell.☐
SCHOOLS. Of these we have given an account under the names of their particular foundations; the most famous and noble of these, are, the Charterhouse, Mercers school, Merchant Taylors school, St. Paul’s school, and Westminster school; and among those for the instruction of the lower class, is Christ-church school, a noble foundation for the education and support of the children of deceased citizens, and a great number of smaller foundations, as, St. Olave’s school, Ratcliff school, Tothill fields school, and several others; all of which the reader may find under their respective articles.
In these schools, exclusive of Christ-church hospital, are educated 2888 boys, and 285 girls; the charge of whose education, &c. exclusive of those which belong to hospitals and almshouses, amounts, according to Maitland, to the annual sum of 1990_l._
Besides these, which are supported by regular funds, there are a great number denominated CHARITY SCHOOLS, that have no other foundation and support, than generous benefactions, annual subscriptions, and the charitable collections made in the several churches in this city and suburbs. Of these we shall give a list, with the number of the boys and girls in each.
_Schools._ _Boys._ _Girls._ Allhallows, Lombard street 40 00 St. Andrew’s, Holborn 80 70 St. Anne’s, Aldersgate 30 20 St. Anne’s, Westminster 52 52 St. Bartholomew the Great 35 16 Bartholomew Close, _Presbyterian_ 50 25 Bethnal Green 00 30 Bevis Marks, _Portuguese Jews_ 12 00 Billingsgate Ward 40 00 St. Botolph’s, Aldersgate 50 50 St. Botolph’s, Aldgate 50 40 St. Botolph’s, Bishopsgate 30 20 Bridge and Candlewick Wards 60 40 Bridewell Walk, Clerkenwell, _Quakers_ 40 20 St. Bride’s 50 50 Broad street Ward 50 30 Castle Baynard Ward 30 20 St. Catherine Creechurch 40 00 St. Catherine’s, Tower 35 15 Christ-church, Spitalfields 30 30 Christ-church, Surry 30 10 St. Clement’s Danes 85 55 Corbet’s court, Spitalfields, _French_ 50 50 Cordwainer and Bread street Wards 50 30 Cornhill and Lime street Wards 50 30 Cripplegate Ward within 50 20 Dowgate Ward 30 20 St. Dunstan’s in the West 50 20 East Smithfield Liberty 40 30 St. Ethelburg’s 20 00 Faringdon Ward within 60 40 Fry’s court, Tower hill, _Presbyterian_ 30 10 St. George’s, Hanover square 50 40 St. George’s, Queen square 50 50 St. George’s, Ratcliff Highway 50 50 St. George’s, Southwark 50 00 St. Giles’s, Cripplegate 130 00 St. Giles’s in the Fields 101 101 Grey Eagle street, Spitalfields, _French_ 50 50 St. James’s, Clerkenwell 60 40 St. James’s, Westminster 102 80 St. John’s, Hackney 30 20 St. John’s, Wapping 38 23 Keat’s street, Spitalfields, _Independent_ 30 00 King’s head court, Spitalfields, _Independent_ 00 30 Knightsbridge chapel 6 6 St. Laurence, Poultney 16 00 St. Leonard’s, Shoreditch 50 50 St. Luke’s, Old street 40 00 St. Margaret’s, Westminster 52 34 St. Martin’s in the Fields 101 51 St. Mary’s, Islington 26 18 St. Mary’s, Lambeth 28 00 St. Mary la Bonne 12 00 St. Mary le Strand 16 00 St. Mary Magdalen’s, Bermondsey 50 20 St. Mary’s, Newington Butts 32 00 St. Mary’s Rotherhith 45 00 Mile-end, Old Town 22 10 Nortonfalgate 60 00 St. Olave’s, Jewry 30 00 St. Olave’s, Southwark 00 60 St. Paul’s, Covent Garden 30 20 St. Paul’s, Shadwell 50 50 Poplar Hamlet 30 20 Portpool lane, _Welch_ 50 00 Queenhithe Ward 36 24 Ratcliff Hamlet 35 25 Ratcliff Highway, _Presbyterian_ 30 00 St. Saviour’s, Southwark 80 50 St. Sepulchre’s 84 76 Shakespear’s walk, Shadwell, _Presbyterian_ 30 00 St. Stephen’s, Wallbrook 30 00 St. Thomas’s, Southwark 30 00 Tower street Ward 60 60 Vintry Ward 50 00 Unicorn yard, Horselydown, _Independent_ 50 00 Zoar street, Southwark, _Presbyterian_ 137 00
Thus in these charity schools are educated 3458 boys, and 1901 girls, in all 5359. Mr. Maitland has been at some pains in endeavouring to learn the respective charges of the above schools; but not being able to obtain an account of each, he has endeavoured to settle as near as possible the expence of maintaining the whole, and that by a method equally plain and satisfactory: for having found that the parish school of St. Andrew’s, Holborn, which contains eighty boys, cost in one year 272_l._ 2_s._ 9_d._ and seventy girls in the same school 139_l._ 14_s._ 6_d._ he computed, that as the charge of eighty boys amounts to 272_l._ 2_s._ 9_d._ so that of 3458 boys must amount to 11,763_l._ 2_s._ 10¼_d._ and so, by the same method of calculation, as the expence of seventy girls amounts to 139_l._ 14_s._ 6_d._ that of 1901 girls must amount to 3794_l._ 10_s._ 7½_d. per annum_; whence it appears, that the whole expence of all the said charity children amounts to 15,557_l._ 13_s._ 5¾_d._ _per annum_.
The same author adds, that the annual expence of the above free-schools, exclusive of those belonging to the hospitals and almshouses, amounting to 1990_l._ it appears that the expence of these schools, added to that of the charity schools, amount in all to 17,547_l._ 13_s._ 3¾_d._
As to the number of private schools in this metropolis and its suburbs, for educating youth in all kinds of literature, they are supposed to amount to above three thousand. _Maitland._
SCORE’S _alley_, East Smithfield.†
SCOTLAND _yard_, Whitehall; so named from a palace which formerly stood there for the reception of the Kings of Scotland, when they came to do homage for the county of Cumberland, and other fiefs held by them of the Crown of England. _Stow’s Survey._
SCOTS CORPORATION, for the relief of poor and necessitous people of that country. This corporation owes its origin to James Kinnier, a Scotsman, and merchant of this city; who on his recovery from a long and dangerous illness, resolved to give part of his estate towards the relief of the aged and necessitous of his country, within the cities of London and Westminster: and having prevailed with a society of his countrymen, who composed a box club, to join their stock, applied for a charter, by which he and his co-adjutors were, in the year 1665, constituted a body politic and corporate, with several privileges, which King Charles II. confirmed the following year by letters patent, wherein are recited the privileges granted in the former charter, with the addition of several new ones, viz.
That they might erect an hospital within the city or liberties of London and Westminster, to be called, _The Scots hospital of King Charles II._ to be governed by eight Scotsmen, who were to chuse from among themselves a Master, who, together with these Governors, were declared to be a body politic and corporate, and to have a common seal. They were also impowered to elect thirty-three Assistants, and to purchase in mortmain 400_l._ _per annum_, over and above an annual sum mentioned in the first charter; the profits arising from these purchases to be employed in relieving poor old Scots men and women, and instructing and employing poor Scottish orphans, the descendants of Scotsmen within this city.
This humane foundation had however like to have been crushed in its bud by two very dreadful events, the plague, and the fire of London; which happened in the very years when the charters were granted. However, those who had the direction of the work began in the year 1670 to prosecute it with vigour; and found themselves not only in a condition to provide for their poor, but took a lease of a piece of ground in Black Friars, to build upon, for the term of a thousand years, at a ground-rent of 40_l._ and by charitable contributions were enabled to erect their hall, with two houses at Fleetditch, and four in Black Friars, which were soon after finished at the expence of 4450_l._
All matters relating to the corporation are managed by the Governors without fee or reward; for they not only, upon all such occasions, spend their own money, but contribute quarterly for the support of the society, and the relief of the poor; they provide for the sick; to the reduced and aged they grant pensions; they bury the dead, and give money to such as are disposed to return to Scotland. The sums disbursed by the society amount to about 600_l._ _per annum_.
The officers belonging to this corporation are, a Treasurer, a Register, two Stewards, and a Beadle.
SCOT’S _wharf_, White Friars, Fleet street.†
SCOT’S _yard_, 1. Bush lane.† 2. Mill bank, Westminster.† 3. Montague street, Spitalfields.† 4. Stony lane, Southwark.† 5. Whitecross street.†
SCRIVENERS, a fraternity anciently denominated The Writers of the court letter of the city of London, was incorporated by letters patent granted by King James I. in the year 1616, by the name of _The Master, Wardens, and Assistants of the Society of Writers of the city of London_.
This company is governed by a Master, two Wardens, and twenty-four Assistants, with fifty-three livery-men, who upon their admission pay a fine of 5_l._
The company of Scriveners being reduced to low circumstances, thought proper to sell their hall in Noble street to the Coachmakers company.
SCROOP’S _court_, Holborn. In this court anciently stood one of the Inns of court called Scroop’s Inn.
SCRUB’S _square_, Upper Ground, Southwark.
SEA _alley_, King street, Westminster.
_The Office for the relief of_ SEA OFFICERS WIDOWS. The Lords of the Admiralty having taken into consideration, the unhappy condition to which the widows of many of the officers of the navy were reduced by the death of their husbands, proposed both to the commissioned and half-pay officers of the navy, to enter into a voluntary agreement, to grant three pence in the pound out of their pay, towards establishing a fund for allowing pensions to such of their widows as are left in mean circumstances.
To this the officers readily consenting, the Lords Commissioners laid the affair before his present Majesty, who, to promote so good a work, granted his letters patent in the year 1732, directing that three pence in the pound be deducted from the pay and half-pay of all commission and warrant officers of the navy; and to appoint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the Treasurer, Commissioners, Paymaster, and Cashier of the navy, for the time being, twenty Captains, ten Lieutenants, five Masters, five Boatswains, five Gunners, five Carpenters, five Pursers, and five Surgeons of the navy, the eldest of their respective stations, to be Governors of this corporation: out of whom are appointed a President, two Vice Presidents, a Treasurer, and fifteen Assistants, as a committee for the management of all the affairs belonging to this charity.
The first Commissioner of the Admiralty is to be always President; and the Treasurer of the navy to be always the Treasurer; but the two Vice Presidents, and fifteen Assistants, are to be elected annually.
By the orders of this generous corporation, no officer or servant employed therein, is to receive any salary, reward, or gratuity; the whole business being transacted _gratis_.
The first step taken by the Governors was providing for the widows whose husbands died after the date of the above letters patent; who, in the first year amounted to twenty-four, to whom pensions were allowed, according to the following regulations, viz. To the widow of a Captain, 45_l._ _per annum_; to the widow of a Lieutenant or Master, 30_l._ and to the widow of a Boatswain, Gunner, Carpenter, Purser, Surgeon, second Master of a yacht, or Master of a naval vessel appointed by the navy board, 20_l._ _per annum_.
The Lords Commissioners afterwards commiserating the unhappy circumstances of many poor widows, whose husbands died before this corporation was established, and therefore could receive no benefit from the fund which was justly appropriated to the relief of the widows of those officers who had paid to its support, renewed their application to his Majesty, who recommended their case to the Parliament; upon which it was enacted, that one seaman should be allowed upon the books of every ship of war, in the sea-pay in every hundred men that its complement should consist of, and that the produce of the wages of such seamen, and the value of their victuals should be given and applied towards the relief of poor widows of commission and warrant officers of the royal navy.
SEACOAL _lane_, extends from Snow hill to Fleet lane. Stowe thinks it was originally called Limeburners lane, and that it took its present name from the burning of lime there with sea coal.
SEAHORSE _alley_, Durham yard, in the Strand.*
SEARLE’S _square_, Lincoln’s Inn.†
SEARLE’S _street_, Carey street, Lincoln’s Inn.†
SEARLE’S _wharf_, near White Friars.†
_Office of sick and hurt_ SEAMEN, _and for taking care of_ PRISONERS OF WAR, on Tower hill, is under the government of four Commissioners, the first of whom has 400_l._ _per annum_, and 65_l._ for house rent; and the other three 300_l._ a year. The officers under these Commissioners are, a Secretary, who has 200_l._ _per annum_; a first Clerk, who has 100_l._ a year; and three inferior Clerks, who have 60_l._ a year.
_Office for sick and maimed_ SEAMEN IN THE MERCHANTS SERVICE, in the Royal Exchange. The corporation who provide for these objects of distress, consists of a number of merchants, who were incorporated on the 24th of June 1747, and are governed by a President, and a Council of twenty-one.
SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE, Whitehall. The Kings of England had anciently no more than one Secretary of state, till about the end of the reign of Henry VIII. when it was thought proper that this important office should be discharged by two persons of equal authority, both stiled _Principal Secretaries of state_.
At that time they did not sit at the council board; but having prepared their business in a room adjoining to the council chamber, they came in, and stood on either hand of the King; when nothing was done till they had gone through with their proposals. But Queen Elizabeth seldom coming to council, that method was laid aside, and the Secretaries took their places as Privy Counsellors, which dignity they have enjoyed ever since, and a Council is seldom, or never, held without the presence of, at least, one of them.
Their employment rendering their office a place of extraordinary trust, this, together with the multiplicity of their business, places them in a distinguished light, both in respect to the King and the people: for they attend almost every day upon his Majesty, as occasion requires; the petitions of the people are for the most part lodged in their hands, to be presented to the King; and, in return, they make the dispatches, according to his Majesty’s answers and determinations.
The correspondence to all parts of Great Britain without distinction, relating to the church, the army, the militia, grants, pardons, dispensations, &c. is managed by either of the Secretaries. But as to foreign affairs, all the nations that have any intercourse with Great Britain, are divided by them into two provinces, the northern and southern, each being under one of the Secretaries, as his separate department. They have this special honour, that if either of them be a Baron, he takes place, and has the precedence of all other persons of the same degree, tho’ by creation they might have a right to precede him: but if he is above the degree of a Baron, he then takes place only according to the seniority of his creation.
Each of the Secretaries have lodgings appointed for them in all the King’s houses; both for their own accommodation, for their office, and for those that attend upon it. They have each a salary of 3000_l._ a year; which, added to their lawful perquisites, is said to make their places worth 8000_l._ _per annum_ each.
The Secretaries and Clerks they employ under them are wholly at their own choice, and have no dependence upon any other person. These are,
In the northern department, two Under Secretaries and Keepers of state papers, a first Clerk, and ten other Clerks, a Gazette writer, who has 300_l._ _per annum_; and a Secretary for the Latin tongue, whose salary is 200_l._ a year.
In the southern department are, two Under Secretaries, a first Clerk, seven other Clerks; and a Law Clerk to both, who has a salary of 400_l._ _per annum_.
The Secretaries of state have also the custody of the King’s seal, called the signet; the use and application of which gives denomination to another office, called the Signet office. See the article SIGNET OFFICE.
There is also another office depending on the Secretaries of state, called the Paper office; for which see that article.
SEDGWICK’S _rents_, London Wall.†
SEDGWICK’S _yard_, London Wall.†
SEETHING _lane_, Tower street.
_St._ SEPULCHRE’S, on the north side of the top of Snow hill near Newgate, and in the ward of Faringdon without, owes its name to its being dedicated in commemoration of Christ’s sepulchre at Jerusalem. It is of great antiquity, and was probably founded during the time, when all Europe were employed in crusades to the holy land; however, about the beginning of the twelfth century, it was given by the Bishop of Salisbury to the Prior and Canons of St. Bartholomew in Smithfield, who, in virtue of that grant, had the right of advowson till the dissolution of their monastery, when coming to the Crown, it continued therein till King James I. in the year 1610, granted the rectory and its appurtenances, with the advowson of the vicarage, to Francis Philips and others; after which the rectory with its appurtenances were purchased by the parishioners, to be held in fee-farm of the Crown, while the advowson was obtained by the President and Fellows of St. John Baptist’s college in Oxford, in whom the patronage still continues. _Dugd. Mon. Ang._
The present structure was much damaged, though not destroyed by the fire of London; after which it was thoroughly repaired in 1670, when nothing of the old building, except the walls, was suffered to remain, and not those entirely.
This is a very spacious church, it being 126 feet long, besides a broad passage through at the west end; the breadth is fifty-eight feet, exclusive of the north chapel; the height of the roof in the middle isle is thirty-five feet, and the height of the steeple to the top of the pinacles, is 146 feet. The whole length of the side is in a manner taken up by a row of very large Gothic windows, with buttresses between, over which runs a slight cornice, and on the top a plain and substantial battlement work. The steeple is a plain square tower crowned with four pinacles.
The wall of this church yard, till very lately, extended so far into the street all along the south side of the church, as to render the passage narrow and dangerous; but after the church yard on that side had been shut up about fourteen years, it was levelled, and laid open to the street in the beginning of the present year 1760.
The Vicar of this church, besides other advantages, receives 200_l._ in money in lieu of tithes.
Munday, in his edition of Stow’s Survey, mentions the following monumental inscription in this church.