Mayor being named first in the Charters of the Foundations of this and the other
Great Hospitals in and about London He was Advised That upon the Death of the
president of any of those Hospitalls a respect was to be had to the Chair And
that the Mayor for the time being ought be Consulted as to the time for Holding a Court to
Choose a New President To the end that he may be present at it if he please
And this happening to be session Week he could not attend a Court on Thursday
That Evening and the next Morning his Lordship was attended by Mr. Trear
Mr. Raper and Mr. Lockwood And Mr. Treasurer shewed his Lordp. and some of
the Aldermen an Extract from the Reportory of our General Courts beginning
1 o. March 1649. Whereby it appeares that upon the Choosing of every Presiden [..]
since that time. Mr. Treasurer for the time being was in the Chair and Hold the Court
and that there is not the least mention made of any Application to my Lord May [..]
for the Appointing of those Courts And therefore the Appointing of a Court by the
Grand Committee for Thursday next was done as they apprehended in pursuance
of Antient practise used in the said Hospital And not out of any Disrespect to
the Chaire Whereupon his Lordp. said the practise had been otherwise at the
other Hospitals and more particularly at Christs Hospital which was Founded
and Incorporated together with this Hospital and Bridewell But however
tho' he could not attend himselfe on Thursday next at this Hospital the
Governors should not be Dissappointed of the Court Summoned for that Day And
gave a Letter under his hand dated the 27th. February to Mr. Trear whereby he
desired Mr. Treasurer to Hold the said Court (he being engaged that Day at the
Sessions in the Old Baily ) a Coppy of which Letter is as followeth Vizt.

Guildhall
27 o. Feb: 1721.}

To Wm. Cole< no role > Esqr. Trear of St. Thomas's Hospital . Sr. I being Engaged on
Thursday next at the Sessions in the Old Bailey Do desire you to Hold a Court
that Day at St. Thomas's Hospital for the Election of a president in the
Room of Sr. Thomas Abney< no role > Deced.

Will: Stewart< no role > Mayor

Mr. Treasurer by Direction of the Court took the Chair

The Orders and Proceedings of the Three last General Courts held the 10d. of May
and the 10th. and Nineteenth of January last were read and Approved.

Mr. Treasurer Acquainted the Court That the Two last General Courts were
called particularly on Occasion of the Bill then Depending in the House of Comons
for a New Bridge between Lanebeth and Westminster near Peter borough House
and therefore no Report was made from the Grand Committee to those Courts
or any other Business done therein.

That pursuant to the Direction of the last Court their petition had been
presented to the House of Common and Council were Ordered to be Hoard for
the Hospital That Mr. Reeves and Mr Peer Williams< no role > were Imployed as Council who
Attended the House Two Days with Dr. Jurin Mr. Machin and many others as Witnesses
on the part of the Hospital to have made out the Allegations of your Peticon But the
House upon Hearing only some Part of the Witnesses for the City of London (whose
petition came first on) thought fit to Drop their further Proceeding on the said Bill
And Mr. Trear particularly informed the Court That Dr. Jurin had been very
diligent and Spent much time in making Observations himselfe and causing others
to be made at London Bridge and at the Place Designed for the New Bridge in order
to shew the Prejudicial Consequences of such New Bridge.