London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- History -- 18th century
6. That none be admitted but such as are without any probable means of
being provided for otherways; nor without a due certificate from the
minister, churchwardens, and three or four of the principal inhabitants
of the parish whence any children come, certifying the poverty and
inability of the parent to maintain such children, and the true age of
the said child, and engaging to discharge the hospital of them before or
after the age of fifteen years if a boy, or fourteen years if a girl,
which shall be left to the governor’s pleasure to do; so that it shall be
wholly in the power of the hospital to dispose of such child, or return
them to the parent or parish, as to the hospital shall seem good.
7. That no child be admitted that hath a brother or sister in the
hospital already.
8. To the end that no children be admitted contrary to the rules
abovesaid, when the general court shall direct the taking in of any
children, they shall (before taken in) be presented to a committee,
consisting of the president, treasurer, or the almoners, renters,
scrutineers, and auditors, and all other governors to be summoned at the
first time, and so to adjourn from time to time: and that they, or any
thirteen or more of them, whereof the president or treasurer for the time
being to be one, shall strictly examine touching the age, birth, and
quality of such children, and of the truth of the said certificates; and
when such committee shall find cause, they shall forbid or suspend the
taking in of any child, until they receive full satisfaction that such
child or children are duly qualified according to the rules abovesaid.
And that such children as may be presented to be admitted in pursuance of
the will of any benefactor, shall be examined by the said committee, who
are to take care that such children be qualified according to the wills
of the donors or benefactors (as near as may consist with such wills)
agreeing to the qualifications above.
The Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen present each their child yearly, but
the rest of the governors only in their turns, which may happen once in
three or four years.
No child is continued in after fifteen years of age, except the
mathematical scholars, who are sometimes in till they are eighteen, and
who, at the beginning of the seventh year of their service as mariners
are at His Majesty’s disposal; and of these children there is an account
printed yearly, and presented to the king the 1st of January, setting
forth, (1) each boy’s name; (2) the month and year when they were bound
out; (3) their age; (4) the names of their masters; (5) the names of the
ships whereof they are commanders; (6) what country trade they are in;
(7) the month and year when they will be at His Majesty’s disposal. Also
an account of the forty children annually enjoying the benefit of this
mathematical foundation, &c., setting forth their names and age.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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