CHARTERHOUSE. This edifice was originally a religious foundation. In the year 1349 a terrible pestilence swept off more than half the inhabitants of London; and the church yards being unable to contain the dead, Sir Walter Manny, Bart. a foreign gentleman, who had been honoured with the order of the Garter by King Edward III. for his bravery in the field, purchased for a burial ground a spot of thirteen acres, where the Charterhouse now stands, and 50,000 persons are said to have been buried there in the space of that year. The following year that public benefactor built a chapel upon the spot, according to the religion of those times, for prayers to be said for the souls of all who had been interred there, and afterwards founded a monastery of the Carthusians in the same place. This monastery, by the corruption of the word _Cartreux_, by which the French mean a Carthusian house, obtained the name of Charterhouse. This monastery being dissolved at the reformation, at length fell to the Earl of Suffolk, who disposed of it to Thomas Sutton, Esq; a citizen of London, for 13,000_l._ The latter then applied to King James I. for a patent for his intended charitable foundation, which was readily granted in the year 1611, and confirmed by parliament in 1628. The expence of fitting up the house for the reception of his pensioners and scholars amounted to 7000_l._ which added to the purchase money, made 20,000_l._ But this was not all, he endowed his hospital and school with fifteen manors, and other lands, to the value of above 4490_l._ _per annum_. And the estate is at present improved to above 6000_l._ a year. In this house are maintained eighty pensioners, who, according to the institution are gentlemen, merchants, or soldiers, who are fallen into misfortunes. These are provided with handsome apartments, and all the necessaries of life, except cloaths, instead of which each of them is allowed a gown, and 7_l._ _per annum_. There are also forty-four boys supported in the house, where they have handsome lodgings, and are instructed in classical learning, &c. Besides these, there are twenty-nine students at the universities, who have each an allowance of 20_l._ _per annum_ for the term of eight years. Others who are judged more fit for trades, are put out apprentices, and the sum of 40_l._ is given with each of them. As a farther encouragement to the scholars brought up on this foundation, there are nine ecclesiastical preferments in the patronage of the Governors, who, according to the constitution of the hospital, are to confer them upon those who were educated there. The pensioners and youths are taken in at the recommendation of the Governors, who appoint in rotation. _Maitland._