Continued Wednesday 13th. Feb. 1765

In Pursuance of an Order made at the last General Court
held at this Hospital on the 14th. of November last we have
considered the Institution & Utility of the Artsmasters and
their Apprentices. the Expediency of their Continuation
and what Reformation may be immediately necessary in
respect to such Apprentices to remove their Enormous
Misbehavior

And first as to the Institution

We find that after the Dissolution of Monastrys & other Religious
. Houses and the Statute made in 1547 for the Regulation & Punishment
. of Paupers and Vagrants great Numbers of Poor came up and resorted in this
. Great City for Protection and Relief and thereupon in or about 1552 a
. Supplication was made by the Assent of the governors of such Poor in
. the Name of the same Poor to the Kings Majesty Edward the Sixth of Blessed
. Memory Praying his Graces House called Bridewell in Christs Name for their
. Harbour and Lodging and to the Delivery of such Supplication Sir Martin
. Bower< no role > and four other Aldermen and Seven Citizens were Appointed And it was
. Ordered that the Lord Bishop of London should be required to go with them who
. went accordingly and did himself deliver the said Supplication with his own
. Hands unto the Kings Highness in his Inner Closet on his Rnees and there made
. a long and learned Oration to the Commendation of the Citizens in the Travail of
. this good Work and greatly Shrred by wonderful Persavations the Kings Majesty
. to be the Patron and Founderthereof and to further all their Sutes

And We also find that about the same Time the Citizens of London
. Presented a Memorial to the Kings most Honourable Council Declaring to
. what End they sued for his Highness's House of Bridewell How the same
. should be used on what Ground & Stock their Mallers should be Elected who
. should be the governors thereof. How they should be Elected, what Ordinary Officers
. should be there & how the same House might have Continuance and not be Converted
. to any other Use. And further Declared that they had first thought fit to
. begin with the Poor Child that he might be harboured Cloathed fed Taught and
. Virtuously Trained up which they had already begun and that next they
. had thought fit to take out of the Streets the Miserable Aged Sore and Sick
. Persons them to Harbour and by Physie and Surgery to make whole which
. they had also done And that it then rested for an House of Occupations to be
. Erected wherein as well the Child when he should be brought up and grown to
. Riper Years and found unapt to Learning neither any Persons should desire
. or would have his Service might there be Exercised and Occupied as also the
. Sore & Sick when they should be lived should not be suffered to Wander as
. Vagabonds but should there be Exercized and that the Sturdy and Idle should
. be brought there and such Prisoners as are quit at the Sessions the they might
. be set to Labour and for that the Number would be Great, the place where
. they should be Exercised must also be Great. And also Declared this being
. the Perfection of their whole former Fravail was yet undone and Moved them
. to one for his Majesty House of Bridewell And Declared that in this
. House (if Granted) there should be Erected Sundry Occupations wherein should
. be Trained such People for the making of Caps Featherbed Ticks Wool Cards
. Drawing of Wire Spinning, Carding, Knitting, and Winding of Silk making