Very soon it was seen that this was not enough, because, even if the disabled beggars were licensed, they were not always sufficiently relieved. In 1533, therefore, the Aldermen were ordered to depute persons to gather "the devotions of parishioners for the poor folk weekly and to distribute them to the poor folk at the church doors[51]." Thus the municipality began to make itself responsible for the collection of funds but, at the same time, the system of licensed beggars was continued, and more brooches were made for the Aldermen to distribute to such impotent beggars as they allowed. [51] _Repertories_, VIII. f. 274 _b_. So far, therefore, the authorities of London had taken measures to limit relief to the deserving poor, but they had not attempted much organisation of funds, or attempted to forbid beggars altogether. [Sidenote: 4. Refoundation of St Bartholomew's Hospital and imposition of compulsory poor rates in London, 1536-1547.] But the dissolution of the monasteries made the relief of the poor by public authority a much more urgent matter. Stow gives a list of 15 hospitals and four lazar houses which existed within the City walls in 1536[52]. Eight of these were in danger, including some of the richest and largest foundations. St Mary's Spittle provided 180 beds for the poor, while St Thomas's and St Bartholomew's each maintained places for 40 patients. In 1538, therefore, the City authorities made an effort to save these hospitals. The mayor, Sir Richard Gresham, the aldermen and the commonalty of the City of London, presented a petition to Henry VIII., and asked that these three foundations and the new Abbey on Tower Hill might be preserved, "so that all impotent persones, not hable to labor shalbe releved by reason of the sayd hospitalls & abbey, and all sturdy beggers not wylling to lab^r shalbe punisshed, so that w^t Godd's grace fewe or no persones shalbe seene abrode to begge or aske almesse." [52] Stow mentions 20 hospitals altogether. Two, Christ's and Bridewell, were later foundations, and three other foundations had already been suppressed by Hen. V. The purpose and fate of the remaining fifteen, as stated by Stow, are given below. No. 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 14 were the eight threatened by Hen. VIII., and also No. 13, until rescued by the Mercers. Stow's _Survey of London_, pp. 183-184, ed. Thoms, 1876.