Continued Thursday 12th. March 1752

St Brides parish Case stock
Overseers of ye poor for [..]
precinct

Mr Taylor Acquainted this Court that the Clerk of the
Vestry of Saint Brides Parish shewed him a Case (of wch he
had taken a Copy) Slated for the Parish in Order to have overseers of
the poor Appointed for the precinct of this Hospital and Mr Recorder
Adam's Opinion upon it which he read as follows Vizt

The Hospital of Bridewell together with the District of the Ground
thereto Adjoining now called Bridewell Precinct in the City of London was
heretofore one of the Palaces of King John and by him or some of his
Successors Granted to the City of London forever & is part thereof (that
is to say) within the Watts used by sd. City as an Hospital or place for the
Reception of Handicrafts Freemen of the City who have their Habitations
Free on Account of their taking a certain Number of boys Apprentices &
instructing them in the Sevl callings they follow other part thereof is used
for the Reception of Vagrants & other loose & Disorderly People where
they are set to Work & Corrected According to the Crimes they have been
guilty off from whence the place is called Bridewell The Adjacent
Ground which is very Extensive hath been Leased out to Diverse
persons to build thereon and now Doth contain a Great Number of
Houses to the Amount of 100 & upwards & is called the Precinct of Bridewell

The above Hospital & Precinct is & always hath been esteemed
Extra Parochial & no Overseers of the Poor have been ever Appointed
for sd place and the same hath been & now is Managed by a Person
a Persons called Chappelwardens Therefore all Pauper who have
gained Settlements in such place either of Birth or otherwise and
Consequently shoud have been provided for by the Inhabitants of sd.
Precinct when they happened to fall Casual in any other place or
Parish are Obliged to be Maintained by the Parisher or plaide
where they so happen to become Chargeable.

The above Inconvenience is very Great to the Parishes in &
about London and particularly to the Neighbouring Parishes whereof
the Parish of Saint Brides is the Nearest And which is next
Adjoining to the sd. Precinct almost on every side And hath sustained
great Loss [..] been put to Great Expence in Maintaining Paupers
which in Justice ought to have been Provided for & Maintained
by sd. Precinct but they having no Overseers of the Poor as afordsd.
or any proper Officers, that a Pass Warrant can or may be directed
to have been Obliged to Maintain and Support such Paupers as
have fell upon on at a very Great ExpenceTherefore please
to Advise whether the sd. Precinct or place is not liable to have
Overseers Appointed for it and what Steps are Necessary to be
taken to Obtaine some.

I am of Opinion that this Precinct of Bridewell is of Sufficient
Extent and Number of Houses & Inhabitants to be denominated
a Township or Village within the meaning of the Statute
13 & 14, CS 2o. C.12 And Consequently lyable to have Overseers
of the poor Appointed therein which Appointment the Justices
of peace have a power to make, as in other Cases, or if they
refuse that the Court of Kings Bench will grant a Mandamus to
oblige them to it(Signed) R. Adams 27th Febry 1752.