Part 50

Among the numerous epistles, etc., laudatory of Gerard, prefixed to the Herbal are some exceedingly quaint verses dedicated by “Thomas Thorney[353] Master in Chirurgerie, to his learned friend and loving brother in Art, M. John Gerard.” There is also an epistle by “George Baker, one of hir Maiesties chiefe Chirurgions in ordinarie, and M. of the Chirurgions of the Citie of London.” Besides his garden in Holborn, Gerard seems also to have had one in the Strand by Somerset House, and to have held the appointment of “Herbarist” to James I, for among the Domestic State papers at the Record Office, is a grant dated 10th October, 1603, by Anne, Queen of James I to Sir Robert Cecil, Lord Cecil of Essingdon, of the Keepership of Somerset House with all the orchards, walks, gardens, &c., thereto belonging “except and alwaies reserved to John Gerrard of London Surgeon and herbarist to his Ma{tie} all that garden plott or peece of ground w{th} all and singular pˀfittꝭ comodities and other the app̃tencꝭ therew{th} graunted and demised unto him by one lease given under o{r} hand and seale at”[354] . . .

[353] See p. 538.

[354] The lease was dated 14th August, 1603, and was for 2 acres of land for Gerard’s life at a yearly rent of four pence, with a tribute of herbs, &c., if demanded.

In 1639 the Company purchased a copy of Gerard’s work for the Library. “Paid for M{r} John Gerrardꝭ herball for the library for Claspes & settinge on the chaine . . . . . xxv{s} vj{d.}”

John Gerard died in February, 1612, and was buried at St. Andrew’s, Holborn, on the 18th of that month. There is a fine portrait of Gerard facing page 1 of the Herbal, in which he is represented holding a potato plant in his hand; below are the arms of the Barber-Surgeons and his own coat, viz., quarterly 1st and 4th ar. a lyon rampant erm. crowned or, a crescent for difference (Gerard), 2nd and 3rd ar. three torteaux in bend between two bendlets sa. (Ince). Crest, A lyon’s jamb era. inverted holding a hawk’s lure. Motto, D’assenti buone.

The best account of Gerard may be seen in a privately-printed “Catalogue of Plants cultivated in the Garden of John Gerard and a life of the Author,” by Benjamin D. Jackson, F.L.S. London, 1876.

SIR THOMAS BLUDDER.

Sir THOMAS was the son of Sir Thomas Bludder, of Flanchford, in the parish of Reigate (who died 1st November, 1618). He was knighted at Whitehall, 22nd April, 1618, and married three times, his third wife being Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Brett, of Rotherby, Lancashire.

9th August, 1621. At this Court upon the request of Sir Thomas Bludder Knyght who was desierous to be made a freman of this Company It was ordered he shold be made free & so tooke his oath accordingly.

Sir Thomas, who was a Justice of the Peace for Surrey, represented Reigate in the several Parliaments of 21 James I, and 1, 3 and 16 Charles I. He was a Royalist and imprisoned for his adherence to that cause, and died on 29th September, 1655.

A pedigree of the Bludders will be found in Aubrey’s Antiquities of Surrey, IV, 210.

Arms. Gu. a dexter arm embowed or, the hand ppr.

MARTIN BROWNE.

MARTIN BROWNE was born about 1590, probably in Lincolnshire; he was apprenticed to Thomas Clemence, a surgeon free of the Company, and on 13th July, 1613, was admitted to the freedom. He seems to have had an extensive practice, and in 1648 was living in Creed Lane. There are numerous references to him in our Minutes, from which may be gathered that he was a man of great experience, and well able to hold his own in some cases where his professional skill had been called in question by jealous brethren of the craft. He served as Warden in 1640 and 1645, and was Master in 1653, when he presented the Company with a loving cup (_see_ p. 502). He died 16th April, 1655, and in his will dated 20th August, 1654, and proved 24th April, 1655, he describes himself as of the parish of St. Gregory, “full of yeares,” and requests to be buried in his parish church near his dead children “which was partly under my owne pewe where now of late I satt.” To the poor of that parish he leaves £10. To the poor of East Tilbury 40_s._ To the poor of Louth, in Lincolnshire, £10. To his cousin Richard Mason, of Leeyborne, Lincolnshire, £5, and to his son, Richard Mason, testator’s apprentice, £5 and his case of silver instruments, “with fower books of phisick and of Chirurgery namelie Ambrose Parrey and Rondeletius and Aqua Sendens his mannuall operations and Tangaltius and others Authers all bound up in one volumne.” He gives several legacies of money to cousins, nieces, servants, and apprentices, makes his wife Margaret his executrix, and leaves all his lands and houses in the counties of Essex and Lincoln and the City of London to her for life, with remainder to his only child Rebecca, the wife of Humphry Winch, Esquire. “To my cousen Henery Barker all my Instruments of yron for Chirurgerie excepte my Lancetts and incision knives. I likewise give [him] theise bookes namely the workes of Hypocrates, Galen, Celsus, Paulus Agenta, ffernebens Senertus his Chirurgery.”

Arms (as engraved on the loving cup). Quarterly, 1st and 4th three mullets, 2nd and 3rd a hunting horn stringed between three escallops.

EDWARD ARRIS, ALDERMAN.

Few names are held in greater veneration at Barbers’ Hall than that of Edward Arris. His father, Jasper Arris, was apprenticed to Thomas Burston or Burstowe, a Surgeon and Master of the Company in 1576. Jasper Arris (probably born 1560-2), was admitted to the freedom, 3rd April, 1583, chosen a Liveryman, 22nd January, 1606, an Assistant, 3rd August, 1614, served as Warden in the years 1617 and 1622, and was reported on 8th January, 1623, as then recently deceased. There are few notices of Jasper in our books, and one of them on 21st October, 1606, is perhaps not much to his credit, as it records his fine for working on the Sabbath day; from which we may gather that he was one of those who, contrary to the Ordinances and the Statute, worked both as a Barber and Surgeon,--a practice often winked at by the Governors. His son Edward, was born in London in 1591, and was admitted to the freedom by patrimony on 21st January, 1617, having learnt his art with his father; he was admitted to the Livery 9th October, 1627, and on 30th April, 1629, granted his diploma to practise Surgery. In 1632, he was chosen Steward, and the next year Master of the Anatomy. On the 23rd April, 1640, he was elected an Assistant and served the office of Warden in 1642. On 10th February, 1648, he was appointed one of the Examiners of Surgeons, and elected Master of the Company 1651. On 3rd July, 1663, Mr. Arris was nominated by the Court of Aldermen, Alderman of the Ward of Bridge Without (_loco_ Richard Evans) and was sworn in on the 28th July following, but this civic office was probably an uncongenial one to him, for he very shortly afterwards applied to be discharged from it, and thereupon paid a fine of £300 to the City.

In 1645 Mr. Arris founded an Anatomy Lecture, and with a characteristic modesty endeavoured to conceal the founder’s name, though his intention in this respect was necessarily frustrated when the deed of settlement had to be drawn. This, the Arrisian Lecture, still survives at the Royal College of Surgeons. (Particulars of the foundation will be found on pp. 368, 369.) In 1649, when our plate was sold, Mr. Arris re-purchased King Henry VIII’s cup, and “freely gave it againe to this Company,” for which all Barber-Surgeons and Barbers have ever after been profoundly grateful to him. He also, in 1651, gave us four silver cups. Mr. Arris’ granddaughter, Henrietta Maria Langford, seems to have got into straitened circumstances, as on 5th August, 1718, we read “It is ordered that Henrietta Maria Langford daughter of Robert Arris son of Alderman Arris Members of this Company, shall be made free without charge, in Gratitude to the Memory of Alderman Arris, in order that she may be admitted one of the Company’s Pentioners.”

The Alderman died 28th May, 1676, at the good old age of eighty-five and is buried in St. Sepulchre’s Church, where there is a quaint tablet with this inscription--

EDWARD ARRIS ESQR. GAVE TO | NEAR THIS PLACE LYETH INTER’D THE COMPANY OF CHIRURGEONS 30L | THE BODY OF MARY ARRIS YE FOR AN ANATOMY LECTURE & TO | WIFE OF EDWARD ARRIS ESQR. THE HOSPITAL OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW | & SOMETIME ALDERMAN OF THIS 24L BOTH YEERLY FOR EVER | CITY. THEY WERE MARRIED 60 TO CHRIST’S CHURCH HOSPITAL | YEARS AND HAD ISSUE 23 CHILDRE 100L & 50L TOWARDS REBUILDING | WHEREOF ONLY THOMAS ARRIS OF THIS CHURCH AND SEVERAL | (DR. IN PHYSICK FELLOW OF THE LARGE GIFTS TO THE POOR OF THIS | COLLEGE IN LONDON JUSTICE PARISH WHEREIN HE WAS BORN. | OF YE PEACE IN THE COUNTY OF AND ALL THESE IN HIS LIFE TIME | HARTFORD AND A MEMBER OF HEE DECEASED THE 28TH OF MAY | THE HON{BLE.} HOUSE OF COMMONS) HER 1676 AGED 85 | SURVIVED. SHEE DIED Y{E} IJTH & LYETH BURIED | OF DEC{R.} 1674 AGED 76 YEARS. BY HIS WIFE. |

By his Will, dated 20th May, 1676, he directs his body to be buried in the grave of his father, mother and wife in St. Sepulchre’s, and he bequeathed his property to his then only surviving son Thomas Arris, M.D., M.P., and his children, and to the children of his deceased son Robert. He gave five legacies of £400 each and some smaller ones amongst his grandchildren and an annuity of £30 a year to his grandson Robert. He also bequeathed messuages, lands, &c., at Hatfield, two messuages in Well Yard, St. Bartholomew’s the Less, a messuage near Pye Corner, ten acres of Copyhold land in the manor of Bedwell near Hatfield and four freehold houses in the parish of St. Paul, Covent Garden, to his son and grandchildren. “I give Ten shillings a peece to soe many Antient men as I shall be yeares old att the tyme of my death to mourne in decent Gownes att my Burial whereof Tenn to be of the parish of Little St. Bartholomews Tenn of the Company of Barber Chirurgeons and the rest of the Parish of St. Sepulchres.” He also left £8 to the poor of St. Sepulchre’s to be given to 160 poor at his burial; £5 to the poor of St. Bartholomew the Less; £5 to Christ’s Hospital among 100 children to attend his burial; 20_s._ each to the two Beadles of the Barber-Surgeons, and 5_s._ each to the four Beadles of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital; also £5 to Dr. Bell to preach a sermon at his burial.

Arms. Ar. on a cross gu. five fleur de lys or.

JASPER ARRIS= of St. Sepulchre’s, | London, died 1622-3. | +----------------+ | Alderman Edward Arris = Mary ... b. 1591. d. 28 May, 1676. | b. 1598 d. 11 Dec., 1674. | +----------------------------+---+---------------------+ | | | Robert Arris, Surgeon = Elizabeth d. Thomas Arris = Olivia ... and ad{t} to Freedom 21 | Henry Boone. of St. Alban’s| 21 other Jan., 1651.; died be- | Herts, M.D., | children fore 17 April, 1662. | M.P. | | | +----------------+-+--------------------+ | | | | | Edward Arris Henrietta = ... Susan | apprenticed to Maria Langford. | Thos. Ryton admitted to | Surgeon Freedom | 3 Sep., 1674. 5 Aug., 1718. | | +------------+-------+-------+--------+--------+------+-------+ | | | | | | | | Edward Arris Thomas. Robert. Jasper. Elizabeth. Mary. Agnes. Margaret. appt{d} to Thomas Hobbs, Surgeon, 13 Feb., 1677. admitted to Freedom 4 March, 1684.

SIR JOHN FREDERICK.

JOHN FREDERICK was a son of Christopher Frederick, Barber-Surgeon. A minute of the 9th June, 1595, states that “the said Xpõfer ffrederick being a strainger borne had his ffreedom geven him of the Cittie of London by vertue of her Mat{ies} most gracious Lrẽs to the Lord maior and Corte of Aldrem̃e directed and was made fre of this Companie and after chosen of the lyvery and then one of Thassistance.”

Christopher Frederick was on more than one occasion at serious variance with the Court, as also with some of its members, and a resolution was passed, evidently with pointed allusion to him, viz., that in future aliens should be ineligible for the Court. He was Serjeant-Surgeon to James I, and probably to Elizabeth also; Master in 1609 and again in 1616. His son William was admitted to the freedom by service 27th October, 1607. Christopher Frederick was buried 10th October, 1623, in the church of St. Olave, Jewry, where also Mary, his widow, was interred on 6th June, 1636. They had issue six sons and six daughters.

John Frederick, the fourth son, was baptized 25th October, 1601, and educated at Christ’s Hospital. On 17th July, 1632 he was admitted to the freedom by patrimony, on the 13th November, 1635 elected to the Livery, and on 30th January, 1645 made an Assistant. He was a successful merchant and resided in a large mansion on the site of what is now Frederick’s Place, Old Jewry (which he rebuilt after the Great Fire in 1666). This house was afterwards used as the Excise Office, upon the removal of which to Broad Street, the building was taken down and the present houses erected. He was elected Alderman of Vintry September, 1653, and in 1660 removed to Coleman Street Ward. He was Master of the Barber-Surgeons in 1654 and again in 1658; he served as Sheriff, 1655-6, and was then knighted. The Barber-Surgeons attended Sir John in their barge to Westminster when he went to be sworn in as Sheriff, and ordered his portrait to be painted at a cost of £15. This fine picture representing the Sheriff in his robes and with a flowing wig, is preserved at Barbers’ Hall. In 1661 Sir John was translated to the Grocers’ Company to enable him to take upon him the office of Lord Mayor, which he served 1661-2. The pageant performed at the expense of the Grocers upon his accession to the Mayoralty was entitled “Londons Tryumphs presented in several delightfull Scænes,” and was composed by John Tatham; a copy of this very rare tract is preserved in the Guildhall Library. Pepys, under date 29th October, 1661, writes--

This day I put on my half cloth black stockings and my new coate of the fashion, which pleases me well, and with my bever I was (after office was done) ready to go to my Lord Mayor’s feast, as we are all invited; but the Sir Williams were both loth to go, because of the crowd, and so none of us went. My mind not pleased because I had proposed a great deal of pleasure to myself this day at Guildhall. This Lord Mayor, it seems, brings up again the custom of Lord Mayors going the day of their instalment to Paul’s and walking round about the Crosse, and offering something at the Altar.

In 1662 Sir John was elected Master of the Grocers’ Company and also President of Christ’s Hospital, which latter office he held until 1683. In the Parliament of 1660 he represented Dartmouth; on the 10th March, 1663, he was elected one of the Members for the City and so continued until the dissolution in January, 1679. In 1674 he gave £100 towards rebuilding Barber-Surgeons’ Hall; he also repaired and fitted up the Great Hall at Christ’s Hospital at a cost of £5,000. In 1664 he bore the expense of bringing the Conduit Water from Gray’s Inn Fields to the Hospital. In 1667 he gave £50 and twenty chaldrons of sea coal, and by his Will bequeathed £500 to the Hospital. In 1654 he gave a handsome silver loving cup and cover weighing about 38 oz. to the Barber-Surgeons; this cup is still used on festive occasions. There is a portrait of Sir John at Christ’s Hospital, which represents him as seated in an arm chair, in his civic robes, with an open letter in his hand, on his head is a full bottomed wig and a black cap, he has white whiskers and a tuft of white hair on his under lip.

In the “Gentleman’s Magazine” for November, 1769, is a copy of a document prepared for Charles II, giving the characters of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, which says of Sir John Frederick that--

by reason of his age, he is apt to be ledd by others, especially by Sir John Lawrence, a man of little dispatch, very readie to run into mistakes; he hates a souldier, and cannot endure to see any of the King’s guards.

Sir John married Mary Rous by whom he had issue four sons and nine daughters. Judith, his eldest daughter, married Sir Nathaniel Herne (Alderman and Sheriff 1674 and Master of the Barber-Surgeons 1674), who, dying in August, 1679, she married secondly, Robert Hooker, of Hatton Garden. Her Will, dated in 1688, was proved 30th June, 1691.

Sir John Frederick was buried in the Church of St. Olave Jewry 19th March, 1685, where his widow was also interred 19th December, 1689; she bequeathed £300 to Christ’s Hospital. His eldest son Thomas was the father of John Frederick who was created a baronet 10th June, 1723. Sir John gave marriage portions of £3,000 apiece to his daughters Judith and Elizabeth, who married respectively Sir Nathaniel Herne and Sir Joseph Herne, and he covenanted to give £2,000 apiece more either in his lifetime or by will; it seems that he did this by will, which led to litigation, his relict (to whom he left about £10,000) laying claim to some portion of these legacies by the custom of London.

_Arms_ (granted by Sir Ed. Walker, Garter, 22nd October, 1661). Or on a chief gu. three doves ar. beaked gu. legged or.

_Crest._ On a cap of dignity az. turned up ermine, a dove ppr. holding a laurel branch vert.

SIR NATHANIEL HERNE.

Sir NATHANIEL HERNE was the son of Nicholas and grandson of Richard Herne (Alderman and Sheriff in 1618). He was born in 1629 and in 1646 apprenticed at Barber-Surgeons’ Hall to Sir John Frederick, one of the merchant-princes of London at that time. Herne was admitted to the freedom on 7th May, 1655, and, like the typical industrious apprentice, he married his master’s daughter, Judith Frederick, by whom he had (among others) a daughter Judith who married William, second Earl of Jersey, and thereby was one of the ancestors of the present Earl. Sir Nathaniel Herne was a most successful merchant and amassed a large fortune. In 1674 he was Sheriff of London (being knighted at Windsor on the 9th August) and Master of this Company. On the 11th April, 1676, he was elected Alderman of the Ward of Billingsgate. He was sometime M.P. for Dartmouth, and a Governor of the East India Company. He died 16th August, 1679, being then fifty years of age and was buried at St. Olave Jewry, where there is a monument to his memory, with his arms impaling Frederick, and this inscription:--

M S.

Here lyeth in hopes of a Glorious Resurrection the body of S{r} Nathaniel Herne Knight late Sherife And at his death Alderman of this Famous Citty and Governour of the Honourable East India Company, Son to Nicholas and Grandson to Richard Herne sometimes Alderman allso of this Citty A Person of great Prudence and Indefatigable Industry in the Management of all Publick Affairs, of Exemplary Piety, Spotless Integrity and Diffusive Charity having with his owne hand dispenced very considerable summes to many Charitable uses Particularly to the reliefe of poore Seamen & Educating of their Children. He tooke to wife Judith Eldest Daughter of S{r} John Frederick Knight Alderman and sometimes Lord Mayor of London, his now sorrowfull Widdow by whome he had divers Children and left three hopefull Sons surviving viz{t} Frederick, Nathaniel, and Thomas, to whose and to this Cittyes & Nations great loss as allso to y{e} griefe of all them that knew him He departed this Life y{e} 16{th} August, 1679 Ætat 50.

Sir Nathaniel by his Will dated 12th April, 1677, left a large property between his wife and children, and legacies to Sir John and Lady Frederick, Ephraim Skinner and numerous other friends and relatives.

Arms. Sa. a chev. erm. between three Herons ar.