Bridewell Royal Hospital:
Minutes of the Court of Governors
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26th April 1781 - 12th July 1792

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APPENDIX.

STANDING RULES AND ORDERS FOR THE GOVERNMENTS OF
THE ROYAL HOSPITALS OF BRIDEWELL AND BETHLEM.

I. THAT, conformable to ancient practice, these Hospitals be conducted
by General Courts and Committees, a President, Treasurer, Clerk,
Stewards, and such other Officers and Servants as may time of time be
found necessary.

II. That Four stated General Courts be held in every year, viz. in January,
April, July, and October; and others as often as the President shall think
proper, or as the same may be required in writting by any of the Committees,
or by Nine Governors: that no Court be held on the Feast-day in July-
The chair to be always taken at 12 o'clock.

III. That notice of every motion intended to be made be given at a pre-
ceding Court; and that due notices of every Court, and of the business or
motion then to be considered, be always inserted in the summons; and that
all summonses be issued at least one week before every Court-day.

IV. That, at the April Court, the state of the accompts and affairs of the
Hospitals be reported by the Committee of Auditors, and first considered;
the titles and totals of the year's accompt up to Christmas preceding, with
the names of the Auditors who have signed the same, and that of all tenants
nine months in arrear, be produced and read; and that the annual election
of all Committees and Officers be made at the same Court, and from the
Governors and Candidates then present; such election, and all others, to be
by ballot, and on each person separately; if so required by any Three Gover-
nors present; and if there be not a sufficient number of Governors present
for the Committee, the deficiency only to be chosen out of Absentees.

V. That, for the better management of the affairs of the Hospitals, there
be the Four following Committees appointed, and annually compleated:

34 APPENDIX.

First, A BETHLEM Committee, to consist of 42 Governors, 14 to go off,
and 14 other Governors to be chosen every year. This Committee to subdi-
vide and class themselves in such manner, that 7 be summoned and attend
every Saturday, to admit and discharge patients, and inspect those in the
house; to examine provisions, audit weekly bills, and dispatch ordinary and
casual business. All such Committees to be open to any Governor who may
chuse to attend; but that the whole number of 42 be summoned for Con-
tracts and other extraordinary business, on which occasions the Committee
only to have voices.

Secondly, A BRIDEWELL or HOUSE Committee; to consist of 24 Gover-
nors, 5 to be a quorum; 8 Governors to go off annually, and be replaced by
the same number of other Governors. This Committee to be regularly sum-
moned, and to meet the first Wednesday in every month at 9 o'clock in the
morning, and not to be an Open Committee. That it be their peculiar pro-
vince to deliberate and report upon all matters referred to them by the General
Court; to advertise for contracts for Bridewell, and for letting houses and
estates belonging to both Hospitals, so that the same be done for the most
advantage; to consider of, and direct, necessary repairs and alterations, not
exceeding £.200. in the whole, and to see that such others be properly done
as the Court may have ordered; to attend all views in Town; to examine the
cash balances at every meeting, and to direct and fee that all monies exceed-
ing a general resting balance of £.500. be immediately and properly invested
in the public funds; to appoint the workmen and tradesmen; to examine all
accompts and vouchers very particularly, to see that the charges are proper
and reasonable; to direct the payment thereof, and see that they are paid
accordingly; to see that all rents, arrears, legacies, and revenues of both
Hospitals, be duly applied for and received, and, if not, to direct the same to
be done; and in all other respects to enforce a due observance of the standing
rules and orders,and report from time to time to the Court if any of them
prove ineffectual or are infringed upon, with their opinion as to the same:
to guard against, and abolish, as much as possible, all allowances, perquisites,
and other petty advantages, over and above the liberal stated salaries paid by
the Charities to the Officers, Servants, and others; and generally to attend
to, and promote the interests of the Hospitals. To keep minutes of all pro-
ceedings, and take care that the substance and true sense thereof be reported
to every General Court.

Thirdly, A Committee of AUDITORS; to consist of the President, 7 Go-
vernors who have contributed to either Charity, and who are not of any other
Committee (and the present Auditor General), 4 to be a quorum; 3 Gover-
nors to go off annually, and be replaced by 3 other Governors. This Com-
mittee to meet the last Wednesday in every two months, in order to inspect
and audit the Items and totals of all such accompts as have been paid; and
particularly to see that they have been directed by a proper authority, con-
formable to the spirit of the General Rules; and once in every year, in the
month of March, to audit and sign the general accompts, and to prepare a
clear

APPENDIX. 35

clear and comprehensive state of the affairs and accompts of both Hospitals up
to the preceding Christmas, and lay the same before the General Court in
April. They are also at every meeting to inspect the general cash balances,
and see that all sums exceeding a resting balance of £.500. are from time to
time invested in the public funds for the benefit of the Hospitals; and in
case of negligence therein, or in any other matters, to report the same to the
next General Court.

Fourthly, a PRISON Committee: to consist of 8 Governors, 3 to be a
quorum; 4 Governors to go off, and to be replaced by 4 other Governors,
every year; to meet the second Wednesday in every month; and a Sub-
committee once a week in order to visit the prisons.

Their first business is, to carry into immediate effect, in the best manner
possible, the proposed reform respecting Artsmasters, Apprentices, and Bride-
well: with all new arrangements as to the prisons and prisoners, and to form
regulations adapted thereto; and generally, from time to time, afterwards, to
inspect and regulate all matters appertaining to the prisons and prisoners, in
such a manner as to render the charity of BRIDEWELL. as respectable, and as
extensively useful, as possible, conformable to the beneficent intentions of the
Royal Founder and our ancestors.

VI. That, at the April Court, the Clerk do report, previous to the elec-
tions, the names of those Governors who have not attended their respective
Committees four times during the last year; and that such Governors be not
eligible to be elected on any future Committee, unless a satisfactory excuse be
made for the same to the Court: that no Governor be appointed a second
time upon any Committee, untill he has been out of that Committee two years,
nor nay Governor (but the Presiding Office) be a member of two Committees
at the same time, the Prison Committee excepted.

VII. That no Officer, except the President, be of the Committee of Audi-
tors; or of the House Committee, but the President and Treasurer; the
latter to withdraw when any matter relating to his own situation is discussed.

VIII. That, agreeable to the first orders established in 1557, immediately
after the charter, and the present usage at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, the
President "be held and taken as the Chief Ruler and Governor next to the
"Lord Mayor;" that he summon Courts, be of all Committees, and
preside wherever he attends: and that it be his peculiar province generally to
preserve strict decorum and a due observance of the orders of the two
Hospitals.

IX. That the Treasurer be considered as the responsible and chief acting
Officer next to the President; and his office, being, by the constitution, a
station of honour and dignity, not of profit or emolument, that he have no
salary or house to reside in at the expence of the Hospitals; that he receive
and pay money when directed by a proper authority, and in every respect
guard and promote the interests of the Charities to the utmost of his power;
and that he strictly and conscientiously perform the several duties herein after
set forth as appertaining to the office of Treasurer.

36 APPENDIX.

X. That no person interested in any contract with, or in serving wines,
provisions, or goods, to either of the Hospitals, be competent to become, or
to remain, a Governor; and that no person receiving any salary or emolument
from either of the Hospitals be competent to become or remain a Governor;
except the Treasurer and the present Officers now Governors.

XI. That the President have the privilege of appointing two Governors
annually, the Treasurer one, and the present Auditor General one: and
that every Governor who shall have served as Steward have the right of
nominating one person and no more for a Governor; but that all persons,
whether so nominated, or whether proposed for any other reason, be ap-
proved, first, by the House Committee, and afterwards by the Court, before
they be chosen.

XII. That a copy of the Standing Rules and Orders, with the Duties of the
Officers and Servants, be given to each Governor on his election; and his
Charge be read to him on his admission, with all imaginable solemnity, by
the Clergyman, in open Court.

XIII. That, upon the vacancy of a Treasurer, Chaplain, Physician, Sur-
geon, Apothecary, Surveyor, Clerk, Steward, Matron, or Barber, the House
Committee be immediately summoned, in order to deliberate upon and Pre-
pare a report as to the future necessity of any such office (the Treasurer's
excepted); and what has been, or ought to be, its duties and salary;
and that a General Court be convened within 14 days of such vacancy,
for the purpose of declaring the same, and taking the report of the House
Committee into consideration; and if the office be found necessary, that
the duties, Etc. thereof be communicated forthwith to such persons as
may become candidates for the same: and that no election shall take place
until the ensuing Court; prior to which, proper summonses shall be issued at
least 14 days; and no election shall then, or at any other time, be proceeded
on, until all the other business of that Court is finished.

XIV. That no officer or servant of either Hospital be permitted to perform
the duties of the office by deputy (except on a case of extreme urgency) with-
out the express permission of the House or Bethlem Committee: and that no
one office be on any account held by or divided between two persons as joint
officers.

XV. That every officer and servant, when elected, have his duty read,
and a copy thereof delivered to him, in open Court.

XVI. That the Treasurer, Clerk, Stewards, and all other officers of trust,
shall and do upon their respective elections, and, is need be, from time to
time afterwards, give ample and satisfactory security for the faithful per-
formance of the various trusts confided to them, fully adequate to the value
of those trusts, and to the utmost extent of the sums of money belonging to
these Hospitals which may or can at any one time remain in their hands so
that the Hospitals may not incurany risk of sustaining a loss: such securities
to be given to the President and two other Governors, to be approved by the
Court, for the use of the Hospitals; and produced at the first General
Court




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