Barbers -- England -- London -- History -- Sources; Barbers' Company (London, England) -- History; Surgery -- England -- London -- History -- Sources
A plan of the Theatre is preserved in a collection of the works of
Inigo Jones, at Worcester College, Oxford, and a short description of
it is found in Hatton’s New View of London, 1708. The curiosities in
the Barber-Surgeons’ museum of those days will excite a smile when
compared with the collection now at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Hatton says
that the Theatre was built in “an elliptical form, and commodiously
fitted up with four degrees of seats of cedar wood, and adorned with
the figures of the seven liberal sciences, and the twelve signs of
the zodiac. Also containing the skeleton of an ostrich, put up by Dr.
Hobbs, 1682, with a busto of King Charles I. Two humane skins on the
wood frames, of a man and a woman, in imitation of Adam and Eve, put
up in 1645; a mummy skull, given by Mr. Loveday, 1655. The sceleton of
Atherton with copper joints (he was executed) given by Mr. Knowles in
1693. The figure of a man flead, where all the muscles appear in due
place and proportion, done after the life. The sceletons of Cambery
Bess and Country Tom (as they then call them), 1638; and three other
sceletons of humane bodies.”
Hogarth has, in ghastly style depicted the dissection of a criminal
in this Theatre, in which the skeletons above referred to are seen in
niches in the wall.
[Illustration: ESTATE IN MONKWELL STREET]
The plan of the Company’s Estate, has been kindly supplied for this
work by Mr. Charles John Shoppee, as surveyed by him in 1869, previous
to the demolition of the old Livery Hall, Kitchen, etc. The Theatre had
been pulled down in 1784, and houses erected on its site; the Theatre
is, however, shewn upon this plan, as being more interesting than the
houses which supplanted it. In 1636 the Company commenced the erection
of the Livery Hall and present Court Room, the work being carried out
from the designs and under the superintendence of the celebrated Inigo
Jones, the Livery Hall was, however, burnt in 1666, and that shown upon
the plan is the one which was erected after the Great Fire.
5th September, 1636. The Plague was again abroad in London, and the
Court, for fear of infection by meeting together, resolved as follows:
In regard of the now greate visitac͠on of the plague This Court
doth deferre the Courts for the daye of Rules the Vew daye & other
publique Courts till it shall please God to cease the Sicknes.
23rd September, 1636. The Lord Mayor having requested the Company to
nominate “twoe Surgians to take care of those that were infected with
the plague in this Cittie & liberties,” the Court thought that two was
a wholly insufficient number and nominated six Surgeons to be presented
to the Court of Aldermen.
2nd October, 1636. £5 was ordered to be paid in to the Chamber of
London towards the relief of the poor, stricken with the Plague.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account