O.S.J.J. Annual Report, 1875

REPOR1~

OF THE CHAPTER OF

1Cbe ®rl.ler of

~t. ~obn

in <tnglanb

of 1eru£lalem t

ON ST. JOI-IN BAPTI8T'S DAY, 1875.

LONDON: IIARRISON AND

SO~

, ST. MARTIN'S LA TE,

187:>.

REPORT.

rUE Chapter submits the following' Report to the General Assembly : -

A just tribute is dUG to the memory of the e11el'able 'ir John Philipp art, K.G. V., K.P.S., who was the survivor, ·with one exceptio11 (that of the aged Chevalier Philippe de Chastelain), of those members of the Order who contributed to the revival of the English Langue, Although for some time past, from increasing age, he had ceased to fulfil the active duties of the officc of Chancellor, which (with only a short interval) he had held for forty-three years, he retained his interest in all connected with the Order; and his energetic and sueces .ful efforts to estabbsh the 'Vest London Ho pital afforded the best proof that, amidst his literary labours, he never lost sight of his obligation as a member of the Hospitaller fraternity.

1\11'. Holden's death, at a comparatively early age, has also removed an active and valuable member from OlU' ranks. Ever keenly alive to his duty to the sick poor, his practical mind recognised, in the diet system of the Order, an effectual mean' of administering assistallce during illness, which was free from the bad resultR of well-intentioned but indiscriminate charity; and until his health failed he constantly in his turn vi,'itecl those patients of the \V Ol'cester Dispellsary who were relieved by the Hanley Castle Commandery.

Lieut.-General Sir John St. George, K.C.B., who for some years has I'tctecl a.' Vice-Chancellor of the Langue, has oeon elected to the office of Chancellor, vacant by the clenth of 'il' .J ohn Philippnrt.

5

4 The period of three years, for whieh the remaining exeeuti e officers were appojnted, having expired, the whole of them have been re-elected by the Council and Chapter, with the exception of the Almoner, who, to the regret of the Chat tel', has felt himself compelled, in consequence of the state of his health and pressure of other engagements, to resign the office held by him for so many years, and in the discharge of whi<.;h he has rendered valuable services to the Order, for which he has received the especial thanks of the Chapter.

The Almonership is at present vacant, but the Chapter have in view a gentleman who is in every respect suited for the po 't, -Captain Edward Knottesford-Fortescue, the recently appointed Secretary of the National Association for Providing Trained Nurses for the Sick Poor, founded by the Order.

Captain Fortescue is a candidate foJ' admission as a Chevalier of Justice at the next Chapter in July. III the meantime the duties of the office will be discharged by the AssistalltSecretary, Captain Blair.

The following Members of the Or'der have been elected Ly the Chapter to serve with the Executive Officers as the Coullcil for the ensuing t.hree years :The Earl of Glasgow.

The Earl of Dudley.

Sir Edward Perrott, Bent. eir Brook Kay, Bart.

Lieut.-Col. 'Yeston.

Major Burgess.

Surgeon-Major Manley, ~J.<C. The designation of the Prior has been augmented in accordance with ancient precedents, and in future the holder of the chief office will be termed L01'd P1'io1', the title invariably borne by the head of the English Langue beforq its abeyance.

The only material change made in the Statutes during the past year has been the addition of a class of Ladies of Grace, in accordance with the custom of other branches of t.he Oreler, corresponding to the Chevaliers of Grace in our own Lallgne.

Ladies who are not wives of Chevaliers of .Justice can only enter that class npon making the genealogical proo£c; reql.lin:cl hy the 8tatutcs.

The Receiver has the satisfJ1ction of reporting mor e favourably of the financial position of the Order. He has been able to place to a capital fund the whole of the amount which has been paid for Foundations and Compositions; and, with the approval of the Chapter, has invested £100 in Queensland 4 per cents., leaving £200 for the present at deposit in the London and 'Yestminster Bank. He has a cash balance of £78, making a total amount of £666.

The Chapter has thought it necessary to have some special organisation by means of which greater publicity may be given to the St. John Ambulances, and by which the whole correspondence, connecteu with their sale in Collieries, &c., may be carried out. At present the work is managed by a small Committee, with the aid of 1\1r. Manley as the Superintendent; but it is beyond his power to undertake more than the medical charge of the equipment, and the constant attention of all Gnergetie mind and facile pen is essential to complete success. Colollel ,Veston has, at the request of the Chapter, undertaken the office, conj ointly with Mr. Manley, of Superintendent of the Ambulance Department; and the general control alFl correspondence on the subject will hereafter devolve upon him; 1\11'. Manley devoting himself to the Meclieal directorship.

Since the last Annual Assembly an arrangement ltclS been made with lUes rs. N euss, of Berlin, by which it is stipulated that none of the ambulances invented by lIerr Joseph Neuss, and made by his finn, shall be supplied in the United Kingdom, except through the Order of St. John; and Messrs. Teu. 'S promise to refer to the Order any applIeations they may receive. They undertake to supply ambulances at the S:lme price as charged to large Colliery Companies in Germany; ancl the Cbapter think that, after paying freight l:tnd the agent's commission, they can supply the ambulances without loss to the Order at £14 each. An arrangement has been made through the Registrar with Messrs. JU' [D,ught 8:; Smith, of ,V Ol'cester and Park Lalll~, London, by which they undert.ake to act as the ambulance agents of the Order, receiving n. commission for their services.

The aml)ulance at Burslclll ha .. been workiug

l1lUt:>t

11.~ (·.

6

7

fully and successfully, and is regarded in that wl:jtrict as a local institution in which the people take much pride and int.erest. This satisfactory commencement is dne in a great measure to the great interest which Colonel Shaw has bestowed upon the work of the Order. He has been requested to prucure testimonials from medical men and others as to their views and experience of the value of the litter, and severa] have been received. Some of these have been printed in the separate statement relative to the ambulances A photograph of the ambulance has been made, with the Serving-Brother Syson on duty; and copies can be obtained on application to the Assistant-Secretary of the Order, St. John's Gate) Clerkenwell. This Serving-Brother, who is at present voluntarily receiving instruction in the use of splints and tOlU'niquets, has proved himself most zea.lous and efficient: and has much pride in his connection with the Order as one of its Serving-Brethren and AmbuIanciers. As a mark of approval and encouragement to further exertion, the Chapter has recently awarded him a small gratuity. The following Report has been received from him:-

The AImoneI' reports that during the past year 93' diet orders have been issued fm' the Order by the Sisters of St. John's House, Norfolk Street, Strand: These wet orders have been granted to poor convalescent patients discharged from King's College Hospital, and to out-patients as well as convalescents from Charing Cross Hospital. The diet orders have provided n01uishing food for 49 men and 44 women; 50 have been issued from Charing Cross and 43 from Kllig's College Hospital; 57 being granted for a fortnight, 6 for eight days, and 30 for seven days.

REPORT OF A:UB1; LANCE STATIONED AT

TmVN

IL\'LL, BURSLE1\[,

From 1st June, 1874, to 31st May, 1875.

Pati ents.

Date.

.

~

~

1814.

June 9 1 22 1 " 5 1 ov.

22 -

"

Dec.10 1

.,

17 1 1875.

Fcb.19 1 May 22 -

"

gi

Conveyed

0

~

--

22 1

c;j

I" ~

~

To

From

E::

~

-

Bethel ClJapel

13, Albert St.

~

iii

i:; .... ::s

D:1

:::l

:a 8'

1

-

- -

H 1

Town Hall Lyndhurst St. 1i H J Sand Street, B urslem Hart's Dill In- 4 S 5 firmary Union St., Burslem 4 H 5

~

"

"

~1axi-

Patients .

Quarter endJing

A

Ry. Station,BLU'~lem Smallthorn Commercial St. 4s n 12 Albert Street " " 1 Clarence St.,Longporl Hart's Hall In· 4 H 5 " " firmary Town Hall ana .t2 H .l.2 Play Ground . " " Chapel Lane Newcastle Stl;eet BrindleyStreet 1 H; 1 Crnsbed .A.1Jcle.

-

The work of the Commandery of Hanley Castle, in connection with the HospitaJ, called the 'V Ol'cester Dispensary, has steadily proceeded i the following being a return of the Diets (li tributed during the ypar since St. John's Day, 1874:-

Nature of Hu·rts.

~

Severely shaken by a fall fmm Scaffold H H It Broken Leg. L

The Annual Report of the St. John's House speaks of the diets issued in the following terms :-" rrhe ancient Hospital Order of St. John of Jerusalem continues to supply the cost of diets for some of the convalescent patients of King's College and Charing Cross Hospitals, the food being cooked at St. .J ohn's House, and given out under the direction of the Sisters, who also visit the recipients at their ()wll ' homes. The cases relieyed are selected by the medical officers, and the aid is administered in a form most conducive to the recovery of the patients dUTing the stage of convalescence."

Brokcn Leg. Dropsical after Confinement.

Broken Leg.

Thc time given in this Statemcnt includes the whole interval occupied, not only ill the conveyance of thc Patient, but also in going from and retul'J1ing to Lhe Town Hall, and in somc cascs in waiting for a mcdical man.

II. Sr soN.

~I Females. \ Total.

mum Weeks' R elief.

Total :\0. of Diets.

Cost pel' Diet.

--

Sept.

29

16

12

28

6

546

s. d.

1 0;\-

Dec.

25

8

8

16

8

357

1

0

March 25

8

16

24

5

347

1

ot

19

]3

32

11

700

o 1I}

June

24

The governing body of the ,Yorce tel' Di pensHry have again, in their printed Annual Report, expres cd their thallks to the Order for continuing the supply of diets, ::t,t the same time l:jt,ating that "the bencficial results cannot be ovcref:)till1ctLNl 01' too highly nppreeiated.'

8 The usefulness of St. John's House, Ashford, Kent, as a Cottage Hospital and Dispensary still continues, and is found to confer a great benefit on the town of Ashford and the neighbourhood. Miss Martin, an Hon. Associate of the Order of St. John, who has had charge of the Hospital since its foundation, has been compelled to resign her duties, which were entirely voluntary. In recognition of her valuable services, the friends of the Institution and many of her former patients presented her with a hundred guineas on leaving.

She has been succeeded by Miss Richards, as Lady Superintendent, who was trained at the Westminster Hospital, and afterwards as a volunteer took charge of a temporary hospital at Nottingham dlu'ing an epidemic.

The sum of £1,000 was placed by the late Virgil Pomfret, Esq., of Tenterden, shortly before his death, to the credit of this Institution, to form an endowment fund. The interest, however, from this sum will be absorbed in payment of the Superintendent.

During the year 1874 there were 77 in-patients at the Hospital~ and 278 members of the Dispensary.

The ambulance which was sent by the Order to 'Volverhampton, at the request of the Chevalier R. A. Kettle, has been placed in charge of a competent attendant at the General Hospital. It has been thought better that it should be at once put into use and offered for inspection; but its formal presentation has not yet been made, owing to the probability of a meeting being held at 'Volverhampton on the subject of rewards for saving life, and the other general o~jects of the Order. A dietary system has been established at rooms kindly lent by the Rector of the Collegiate Church, in the Old Church House, St. John's Lane, 'Yolverhampton. The diningroom has been papered and suitably furnished; Messrs. N eave & Co. prescnting a kitchen range in aid of the object, and other residents contributing the necessaries for table use. On two clays in each week dinner for twelve persons is provided, of meat and milk puddings; the meat consisting of roast legs of nlutton and chine of beef on alternate days. The tickets for the dinners are distributed by the HOllorary 1Hedical Staff of the General IIospit8.1, to those out-patients requiring nutritiye dictr-; aR part of thcir treatmC'nt, "who, 'e mean, ' at the time do

l'lOt permit of their providing such diets for themselves. As much more is ordinarily provided than is consumed, the sluplus (with necebsary a.dditions) is used up in making meat soups, which are distributed amongst the very poor by the Nurse of St. Peter's pariAh, 'Volverhampton (a trained person .provided by the parish authorities for giving assistance to the slCk poor), and her assistants. :7fz.~ cA~Ydlz~r J1ejLl:j'~ J.l-dL-~S, f 1/ The dietary system was commenced only on the 16th 0 II April last, and I am a.t present lmable to give a distin~tly II favourable report of its success. In a prosperous manufaciunng II town like W olverhampton, the artisan population, when ahle to 'I be in full work. have the means of living in a more expensive ~ manner than persons of the same position in other places; and rr they att:.tin a sense of independence and to some extent pride, 1/ which induces them, notwithstanding the comparative poverty rr caused by the period of sickness, to hesitate in accepting the I(' aid which the dietary. ystem offers; and it -has been reported .,. to me, by the :Medical Staff, that they have to give much /1 explanation of the source of this aid before it is accepted by the Ir patients.

At present, it is not exceptional that onJy half the Ir nnrober for whom the diets are provided attend t.o partake of <'t'them. I nevel'thelesR continue the system, in the belief that it I, will yet be better \.lndel'stood and duly appreciated, as, during " the last fortnight the dinners have been given to greater numI( bel'S, and the tickets are bec0ming much more desired by the tr poorest amongst the out-patients. If, however, I should be ~ mi taken ns to the most acceptable mooe of administering rt rehef, I shall propose to vary it In some way which may seem ir more suited to the requirements of the locality./i Since our la.st Assembly, the long expected Report of the ub-Committee of the National Association for Providing r'rrained Nurses for the Sick Poor has appeared, and the g 11era1 conclus10ns of that Report have been accepted by the Council of the Association. Anangement.' for amalgmnation with the East London Association, and an offer from Mi, s Nightingale of aid from 1he "Nightingale Fund," and most liberal offers from Ml'. Rar.hbone and 1\11'. 'Vigram, have be 11 made and accepted.

The Duke of \Y (Btmil1r-;t

l'

has undcrtakcn the offic

of

10

11

President of the Association, and efforts are to be made ai. onC8 to raise sufficient capital and promises of annual subscriptions to enable the Association to establish new homes in addition to the present East London Institution) each home to contain six nurses under a Superintendent, with a General Superintendent to organise and control the whole. It is further hoped that the Association may be able to establish a Training School for district nm'ses, in connection with one of the large metropolitan Hospitals. The process of amalgamation and the conditions requiTed by those who have offered such important aid have neces itated some changes in the Executive; but the Council, which comprised several members of the Order, still retains its position, and it is hoped that the Order will in no way relax its interest in an Association which it initiated and has carefully fostered thTough the first difficulties inseparabl from the organiza tion of a scheme of such magnitude and importance.

"\Ve have to acknowledge the fluther ervices rendered by our Registrar, in the preparation of a new Roll of lUembers, which was also much needed. It is now in the pre, s, and will shortly be issued.

The design of the die of the Medals to be made by l\Iessl'Fl. "\\Tyon, and presented to the Order by Sir E. Lechmere, has been carefully re-considered) the Donor desiring that the Medal of the Order should be as perfect as possible, both in design and execution. It has now been finally approved, and will be at once carried out. Forms for the proper attestation of applications for Rewards of the Order have been adopted, and the Chapter are now prepared to consider any cases that may prrsent themselves. They have already had under then: consideration the case of Deputy-Commissary John Smith Young, of the British Army, who, during the Franco-PruSBian "\\T aI', gallantly saved the life of a wounded Prussian soldier under most difficult circumstances, but for which noble act lUl'.

YOlmg has never yet received any r ecognition.

The "Brief Statement" of the position of the Order-for which we are indebted, as we already have been ill so many other similar respects, to our Registrar - has been issued, and will be found to supply a want long experienced by our Members, of some concise an d ready means of satisf;yilJ g tbe inql.lirieR made as to our real constitution and objects, which, in spite of the great publicity of our proecec1ings, are ·till apparently so little known. Copies of the Brief Statement may be had on application to the Assistant-Secretary.

The Library has been thoroughly examined, compared with the Catalogue and Report prepared some years since by the Registrar, and re-arranged by Captain Blair; and Captain Blair has been now appointed Librarian.

The Chapter has received a communication from the General Renard, the originator and principal promoter of the forthcoming Exhibition of Mean of Saving aud Preserving Life, at Brn, sels next year, asking' for the aid and co -opera tion of the Order of St. John. It is hoped that the Council and other l\Iembers of t.he Order will join the English Committee, of which Major Blu'gess is the Secretary; and that some effort will be made by which the Order should be formally represented at the Exhibition, 01' at least that proof should be given of its hearty approval of, and wish to co-operate with, an undertaking which is so completely in accordance with, its own objects.

III conclusion, the Chapter on';e more ask the hearty support and aiel of ~Iembers of all classes of the Order. Al though it i,' incumbent upon the Chapter to initiate and mainly to . upport those work. -on the progre sand contiuued succe, s of which the pre. ent position and the fuhu'e prospccts of the Orrler ,0 much dcpend-still, it can only be by the united and h earty co-operation of our Members and Associates generally that W G can achieve a realization of our hopes of making the influence of the Order felt as one of the not lea ,t active and valuaLle thongh perhaps not most C'xtcllsiYely InlO'Y11, of our ~ationaJ Ill .,titution.·.

lL\R"l~n" A:\D ~""'S, PR'''TI 'RS IN ORDI~An'l. TO HEll \I.\JE~T1· ,

T

~l \l.TI:-' "

[A:\E.

l]rn ijttilitate

~nlninltln+

HOSPITALLER WORK. TIlE ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS ON TIlE FEAST OF ST. JOHN BAPTIST, DELIVERED HKJo'OllE

THI~ ~UDIBEn ,'

OF TIlE ORDER OF I'T . •Jon

OF .JERU-' ALEM,

IX 'l'llE

BY

THE ItEV. ALBERT A. WOOD, W W'l'Olt

1)1<'

:-)UUTlf

n~; :-; 'l'ON,

LIN CO LN,

.\.

(mAPLAIN

OF

THE

ORD~R.

LO:NDON: HARRISON

A~D

SOXS, 4J;

~1rintcrs

OT

46,. ST. MARTIN'S LA0iE,

in (()rbinnfg to ' )rr

IHajr~tD.

IIOSPITALLER WORI{.

My

L ORD PRIOR,

ST.

ira 'Q[tilitaie Jaminum.

CUEVALIER.',

AND BREl'IIRE~ OF TIIE ORDER

J OHN,

I purpose this morning to baRo tho address which I have bcon invited to c1eliyor OIl the following verses from the book of J esus, the Son of Siraeh :" Let us

lIOW

praise famo11R

lllcn

and om fathol's tbat begat us .

"The Lord hath wrongl] ( gl'f?at. glory by them, through llis great power fl'0111 tho bcgin JJillg.

Pnblished by Request of th e Clwpte1' 0/ the Ol'deT of St. J ohn of J e1'llsalem.

" All those ,vere hOlluuretl in their generat iOl1B, and were the glory of thoir Limcs. " There be of thom tll::lt l1 [['yO left a lH1111e 11ehind thc.ll1 that th eir prai 'os might be reported. " And somo there be which h:lYe ]10 memorial) w110 arc pe rished as though they had lJOyel' been born, and i hell' children after them.

But 1,1108e were lllerciful meu ",110.,,0 J'ig lttennsne ',' bath not been forgotten.

"Theil' bodios are buried ill peaco: bnt 1hl'ir llamo liroth Jor evermore.

"Tho peoplo will t.01l of thoir wisdom, and the cong'l'ogarioD will Rhew forth their llrniRe."- Eccu~ rA STICr'S xli", 1-7.

4

',Let Thoughts of the past,

1[,"; 110\Y

l>l'ai:-;c f(\lllou~

lllt'll

ilnd

OUt'

fathel'/') that Lpg-at u:-;.,r

In speaking to brethren of the EngliHh Langue of the Ordm' of St. John of Jerusalem, I lllay assume that no one of us can be without a deep interest in all that is conn cted ,vith 0111' hi tory in the g'enerations gone by, To us it 111U. t be delightful to ,. remember the time past," and to muse upon all God' works in the olden time; and tIllS day in particular, which is to u, very much what" Commemoration Day" i in the ancient Colleges and Universities of the land, especially invites us to call to our minch; these ancient memories.

But we would not do thi in the malJ.ner of those antiquaries, who are content to store up in a museum or cabinet , ome weapon or je,Yel, vessel 01' book, to which may be a"t.;igned a <late or an owner's name, whilst they care little to knnw the merits or demerits of that OIVne1', or the part that he playecl a. a living man among livUlg men, and the marks ancl footstep' he left upon the sands of time.

'Ye tllink of the generations of OlU' fathers not in this spirit, but with the ,yi. 'h to know -w hat were their services to their brethren Ul the world, and to the Faith of the Holy Church; to know by what act~ they became fam_ous; by what self-sacrinee they left a long-abiding name for us theu' remote descendants to cheri!:lh and to transmit. It is with no morbid Rpirit, again, that we would turn OlU' gaze back upon those distant. ages of faith, as though we had fanen upon days hopelessly degenerate, aBll in wlllch it ,,,Tere impok !:lible to revive the best chivalry of mecliffiyal times; we do anything but despair even of tlus extreme of the iron age upon which we have fl.Lllen; but we look bnek to the elevotion of onr predecesRors, in order to learn of them ho'iv tn quit ourselves as men in the battle field of tho world; we hnve the interest in them of a deep affeetion, and we long to provo our love by being -w orthy to bear their name, hy imitating it (IJn afar their zeal "for tlw good of mell" (pro utilitate homimllll), their bold cOllte. t "for the Fait.h" (rl1'o fidp) as onr;e deli n,['('d Ullto the Saint. '.

As we try to pierce the veil of antiquity, there 1S to be 'een Our foundcr", that piouR and venerable UOl1l_pany of Merchants of l-'unalfi fonnding in the Holy City of Jerusalem that famous Hospitium -wherein poor pilgrims to the ~ epulch1'e of our deal' Lon1, and others of the sick anclneedy, might at all times find shelter and food, and the still morc gracion' stay of sweet anrl loying mini8trations; and having in m1nd possibly tho 1101)le example of Probable J'ca"on of declie/\el, saUlt whose praiHe ,,·as ill the Em;t three c:ellturies before-I Lion. lllean John the \Jmoner -they at fir.'t cler1icated thi:;;; Home for PilgrimH in the far off hmd, and afterwards to that of his patroll aDd namesttke, St. J olm the Baptist. \Yhat a Lleb!:ling must that Hostel hav been to thollsauc1H who Imving started from the ports of Europe full of health, cUlc1 t::Itrellgth, and hope, reached the shore. of Palestine, broken by the ,n'ary length of a journey then ,'0 full of toil and hard hip; ur who. emc'rging like the tra 'Teller from Jericho, in the pal'al)le of the goo(l Samaritan, .orely wounded and half dead from Rome dire eouilict ,,~th ::\Ioslem foe, and thieves by the ,yay, NOl1ght t.;11Olter of the friendly walls witllln which to make their laNt Rhrift and prepare them for their ::;oul's last dark pcu;kage.

And still nfter some 700 years a like work remains to HR, TILe pt'l' cnl. dcal' brethren, and our Order shrinks not from it, The recent ~ational Fund for the Relief of the bick and \Younclecl in the cruel Franeo-Prllssian \ \' ar was COlluneD ced by 0111' Orde]'. a :Xntiomd ~ . o· cil'ty, , 'ick and fad not generally known or Hcknowledged, and caniecl com - \\To~l1lclcc1, oJ'i. cel by furt, both material and . piritnal, to thousands of 0111' helple ... ginal Order of ~1. fellow-creatures "vho were Rheddulg their blood for fatherland, J olm undcr the Lord 01' at the call of an ambition tel'l'ibly to be avenged.

Prior.

Not only uuder eu'cul11stances of so exceptional a character, Prc cnt ,York in conncd ion Lut day by clay, and week by ,YeeIc, in two at least of the "ith LOll(lOll llO.pitals of this great metropolis. the first prulCiple of onr Order no pital -, is maintaincd; and when all that the l-'kill of s11ch hm;pital, can do in lllitigntion of human suffcring has been dOlle, and patients are c1ischarg d as conyaloscent, then come the nourishing dictR for the needy sick, provided by the charitahle contributions of tho Brethren of the Order of St. J olm.

Ah! who know. the value of the,'e at 'uch a time bettC'r On'aL 'illtH' 10 th::.tn those who, after some fell fever, hn'iTe risen from the I)ed the poor. of siclow.'H, alld hc.we learncd OlJly too well what .'uch a f>iekneRH mealiN, <tlll1 what it iN to ha,·e 10yillg f1'1( '1](1:-; HIl(l ~, l1nlc-il'llt

Gradual exten ion to pl'OYin('A~.

G

7

means at hand as aids to recruit the wasted frame! Think what it must be to the poor retm'ning to their impovcrishcd homes-impoverished while the bread-·win.ner has been in the hospital, anxious to retrieve the past, their very anxil'ty and premature exertions causing them to break do·wn and relapse, ·were it not for the timely aiel affol'Clec1 to not a few during past years by our Order.

Nor is this all. This good work, which those most competent to lJear witnes/:) tell ns, has becn a great benefit to the poor patients of these two London hospitals, has ali:lo betm extended to the provinces. It has been the means, through a few of its members, of establishing on a most satisfactory basis a cottage hospital in Kent, and also of canyrug on a similar work to our London arrangement in the Commandery of ,y Ol·cester. In both cases private individuals as well as local authorities have testified to the good work done by the Order, and have come forward liberally to its support.

But ought we to rest content ·with this mea ure of success 1 Surely not. It is not for me in this place to anticipate the Report that will presently be read in General Chapter, but frOID the last paragraph of the historical notice for 1874, I "\you:ld quote a few words;

a few days, in a religious spirit, in a small hospice, if such could be provided, with an oratory or nlodest chapel attached, and this presided over by a brother or chaplain) aided by a serving sister. Here the many clergy of our Chureh who visit the Holy Land might find a resting-place for a short tillie, and afford to others the ministrations of our Church, lectures and guidance to sacred places, aided by the recent labours of the Palestine Exploration Society; and this, after the first expense, might be for a few months in the year almost self-supporting.

For it is not to be supposed that those who could afford so long a journey would need our alms, but they might be glad to accept the hospitality afforded, and the religious privileges to be met with, in a similar manner to the retlU'n made for like privileges to the famous hospice on Mount St. Bernard.

I remember being much struck some time since by the taunt of one * no longer with us, that the English Churchman might learn a lesson in the Holy Sepulchre, of his insularity; that while the Greek Church and the Roman Chlu'ch, nay, even Eastern sects, were represented in the Holy Sepulcm:e, and each communion had its altar, the English Churchman could lay claim to no such privilege; his communion was wholly unrepresented in the spot sacred to all Christians, as that wherein our Blessed Lord's Body rested in death. So the English Order of St. John should not forget that while Prussia and others clairnll1g connection with the Order of St. John, are represented in the Holy City, we are still without an habitation there.

I was deeply thankful to read that a noble lady t had made a munificent offer for the initiation of some such work in Damascus; OlU' difficulty would be how to maintain it, except in some such way as I have indicctted.

It may be said indeed by the utilitarian man of the world, that th~ Order of St. John hav-ing been overturned and virtually suppressed, and only a remnant left to "Praise famous men and our fathers that begat us," why seek to revive it? You cannot revive the past, men say. True, the old times give place to the necessities and changes of a modern period, and" God fulfils Himself in many ways." But as some of you, BrethreJl,

" ,Yith ever increasing accession to its roll of persons of rank and influence, the Order of St. John ill England is advancing in tbE' power and means of doing good, and its unobtrusive and persevering efforts in the cau::$e of humanity, as well as its opportlUlities of appl'yiug these efforts, are happily becoming enlarged."

New ,york opening.

Holy Land.

I may, I trust, now briefly venture to call the attention of the Brethren to work which appears to be opening to us, and ·which seems inviting our aid. And first, our thoughts revert once agajn to the Holy Land. DO"llbtless there will be an increasing nmnber of persons who-not in the spirit of the mere roving excursionist, but from religious motives-will desire to visit " TllOse huly fields Over whose acres wa.lked those blessed feet \Vhich eighteen hUllClred years ago were uail'cl For our advantage on the bitter cross."* ~ 'uch

woutll esteem it a privilege, and greatly desire, to spend

*

Shakespeare':) "Henry IV," Part 1.

* Lady Herbert, of Lea, "Travels in the EaRL" particular. t Down,gcl' ViSCoulltC::;S SLl'H,ngfol'd.

Untl'ue, except in this

9

8

Our hospitals greatly improved of late years.

doubtless remember, and I may be permittcd to remind othcrs, it was forcibly and eloquently pointed out some year. since by one of our brothel' chaplains* in anothcr Housc of God neal' tbis that it is not the custom of right-minded Engli,'hmen to cut themselves off from the pa t, but rather like Isaac (not to dig new wel1s) but to dig again the wens our fa,thers (ligged, and to call them by the nanles by which OUI' fathers calleel them-to build on the old foundations and raise again the old waste places; not in a mere slavish cop~rjng nnel reproduction of the pa t, but. drinking deeply of its spirit, to ac1npt our. elves to the wants and needs of the time present.

Less than a quarter of a century 'ince, it was the remark of an eminent French physician, that while the working anangements of our English hospitals were admirable ill many respects, yet he sorely mis. ed, and there ,vas ,,,holly wantillg, the religious element about them. This has, witbin our memory, in London, and S011'1e few county hospital, been nlet by ,,- digging again the wens our father lligged," and tbis want supplied by a noble band of nlinistering women, who render such loving services as are "not to be gotten for gold." A prelate of our Churcht has lately pointed out the vast (lifferellce there is, as he has found by his own experience in hi own diocese, between institutions so worked, and those colcllooking sCIuare country buildings where there is an absence of such religious help, skilled nursing, and fostering carc. Here there is another work lying at hancl ready for the Order of St. J olm, to supply to many a hospital and dispensary throughout the land. I do not mean that the Order of St. .John can contribute the funds for t'lis, but I do mean that as we widen our ~Iission, we should aim that one here and one there wearing our badge, and seni.lJ g on the council or committee of infirmary or dispensary, shall nlake the influence of our Order for the" good of man" felt in such institutions; and this by mastering such works as have already been put. forth by members of om' Order, or by the honoured Florence Nightingale, or by taking coun~il with some of the very flower of the medical profession, happily a 'sociated with the Order of St . .John. In tbis way many may be the favoured means of introducing help such as I have lwforc indicated i OIl competent tcstimony, to be as yet lacking.

Uev. Thomas IIllgO, '1.t ,'t. IIarLi:l'::;-iu-Lho-Fieldr:L t (,Jl(1,l'g~ of Bp. of OxfoJ'd, 16i.i. oJ<.

II

Again, from time to tin1.e ,ve are startled by sickellillg and ghastlyacrounts of the deplorable sta.te of the sick wards of our PO Ol' Law Union "\Vorkhouses. It has been suggested, and in many cases proved, I believe, that much might be clOlle to soften and to humanise and alleviate SOrTOW in these plac~s if ladies would visit them. I believe there are few unions that might not be thus aided, if jealousy of interference were avoided by prudent suggestions in this dD:ection £:om those ctssociated in our Order.

And how luuch an earnest layman can do Dl this way we may learn from the example of that true Cm·i ·tian Knight the late ~ir Henl'y Lambert, * who as Chairman ot' his district POOl' Law Union made it a very model of such institutions.

To be of any use in this Wl:;\,y needs a certain amount of training and information. :l\1embers of OlU' Order would naturally be ex-officio members of Local Boards of Guardians, and ladies lnight thus be introduced under their infiuence; leadership (01' championship) and dil'ection; of COlU' e having fil'st made themselves acquainted with the necessary details; and it would thus make all the difference between what would be regarded as mere unskilled f11SSY interference and intelligent ameliorating aid-in a word, whether the \Vhite Cross of St . .J oIm should be the emblem of sweetness and light, whether the sight of it should be blessed and welcomed, 01' whether it should be shunned and avoided.

A Cm'istian nobleman,t in an able article ju t published, after fully considering the whole matter, has come to the conclusion (it may, or may not be a right one) that we are fast coming to this; that the only hdp gj_ven in future under the POOl' Law, must be given only to inmates of the lillion. and outdoor relief left more and more to voluntary aid.

If the exigencies of political economy require this, which will, I fear, prove a hard measure to many, an enlarged and noble work will remain that the Order of St . .John lnight direct both within and without the walls of our unions. 'Ve may soon have more of political economy in the disposal of the rates, but there will ren1.ain a larger field for the exercise of the good old Gospel Oharity.

*

Sir H. E. Lambert, Bart., of Malvern, Won.:estel'shiJ'e. t Lord Lyttleton, "Contemporary Revif'w," ,J Hue, 1875.

Workhouse infirmaries.

n 10 1>1'0 hnblc reVlyul of almshouses

iJollnty again flow· in thlS channel.

Enc1<.Hycd village schools now rendered obsolete.

Many an old almshouse or hospital foundation dedicated in honour of Ollr patron, St. John, the common dedication of such institutions. has doubtlcss been abused and become a bye-word, chiefly, I bcliC'Ye, through falling into unworthy and mercenary hands, utterly alien to the spirit ·which founded it, and in great measure through a defect in the law which once made it so costly a process to appoint new trustees as othcrs passed away.

But some experience on tIllS subject lean.s me now to think that, with the kindly aid of the Charity Commissioners, who at a very trifling expense, would afford means of avoiding tills pitfall in fl1tlu'e: trust eleeds may be obtained which will for the futlU'e confine such charities to the guidance of proper hands. 'Vhy, then, sholllel not the cl ergy, whom we may expect 'will in increasing numbers join OlU' ranks, link such parochial trusts with trustees who shall IJe members of the Order of St, .John? Many a parish has a considerable sum yearly to bestow in alms. 'Yhy Rhould not the widows and aged be gathered in St. John's homes neal' OlU' churches, and the major part of the poor's alms, now sometimes confessedly not oyer ·w isely cli.Jtributed by district visitors, be thus given in providing homes and shelters where objects of charity might find comfort, sympathy, and religious help? It was my privilege and happiness, a few years since, thus to rescue an old foundation and place it again, tln'ough the Charity Commissioners, under Christian gentlemen.

I should have been slU'prised at the comfort which a not very large endowment could afford to Rome twelve poor creatures, whose lot would otherwise have been the clistant workhouse, entn:ely cut off from niends and home associations, had I not learned before how far such a sum as is at the disposal of our Order for diets can effect when well and wisely spent.

A reference to the Reports of the Charity Commissioners will show that bounty again begins to flow in this channel, which for a time, in consequence of abuses, was almost dried up.

Memorials often took the form during the last half century of small enelo·w cd schools for a few village children, but these are now no longer necessary by reason of recent legislation; and, I shoulel suppo~e, there arc now few old parish churches neal' the seats of our landed gentry which have not been already restored, and in mallY cases adorned as memorials of

11 loved ones gone to rest.* "But the pOOl' ye have always ,yjth you." :l\Iany things point to tIllS, that in the future, memorials and thank offerings may again take tbis form. 'V e may, if attcntion is given to this channel of doing "good to man," ha vo such ho pita18 bearing our badge and motto, placed under our carc in trust, ~, \\Tbose pOOl' twice a-day Rhall their withered bands hold up to heaven "t for blessings on their benefactors.

The Order of St. John is prepared to supply information 1\Iilitary phase of the as to plans for such hospital" holding from four to twelve, Order of t.

John passed th ir cost, management, trust deeds, and simple rules·t a\\"ay, but we There i~ one more work I must mention: As time went on still keep up our connecthe brothcrhood of J eru~;ale)n developed from a simple chari- tion with army work by tendtable association-practising uch works as we, at this distance ing ick and of time, are ,till striving to pursue-into one o( the greatest wounded. military conn'a tcrnitics of the middle age, and establi hed themselvcs in many of the chiefest cities of Europe: this phase has doubtless for ever pas. cd away. Here, in England, our brethrcn well know their hcad-quarters were in Clerkenwell, to the old Gatehouse of ,vhieh we .'hall pre ently adjouTn : There, in the Church of St. John close by, the early pointed crYl)t only remanls of their old Priory Church, in all the perfect sharpnest:) of its pri tine beauty, to suggest what were the glori s of the old superstructurc. 'Yolllc1 that the way wel'C open for the restoration of this our ancicnt religious hom .--that Gocrt:) servimts would think upon her stones, and feel pity at seeing them in the dust: 'Vonld t.hat the piety of its wortlq founder, .J urdan de B1'i~ct, might be rivalled in the. e day, alld hjs sons assist again to bujlcl tlw ohl waste place.. This clay rcvcrently do we mention hi, namc, and praisillg this his Fil' , t founder of Ell!1lish famuus memory, we givc thanks to God who gave such a Langue. spirit of self-sacrifice to His scrvant.

You sce, dear brethren, how at the vcry foundation of our Chiyalry noL pa. ed away. work lie these two great principles -lovc and chivalry; and men sometimes talk as though cm vahy wcrc a virtue lost to

"* An examination of recent diocesan returns, obt.aincd by Lord Hampton for the House of Lords, would show an average of about t\yu-thinls all'eady l'estored in tIl ese diol:eses. t Sh:1kespeare, "Henry V," ad iv, ::;CClle 1. l Vic1(' N otc, page 15, A ppellt1ix.

1 ·)

12

N-tU'inp: Sisters.

Pensions and retiring places fur nul' es.

the earth. Indeed, it never can be lost so long as Christianity itself remains. Knight errantry may be gone, but that was only the manifestation of chivalry at a particular epoch.

Chivalry itself ,,-ill ever remain where Christian men and women and children live together in the bonds of Holy Church. It may be seen daily in ,¥ est End streets and squares, and in ragged London's wann-hearted centre,that samc old Clerkenwell region where the Hospitallers of St. John abode, and in Eastend alleys and highways; wherever there is any tenderness shown for chilcu-en, wherever innocence is protected, wherever there is any shadow of honolu· given unto women a. to the weaker vessel, wherever a woman's fame is respected and prized, there is the germ of that genuine chivalry, which polish might indeed in some cases enhance, but which of itself shows its own unalloyed worth even under the roughest exterior.

Time warns me I must draw to a dose, or I would fain have dwelt at greater length upon that work upon whieh ,ve have lately entered, I mean the fostering of a body of Nm'ses for the sick poor. * And here, my reverend brethren, I am sure you can bear witness how often is the physician's skill thrown away among the poor throL1gh the disinclination, ignorance, or want of care in followjng his directions. ,Yhat a blessing could such nurses become if supported mainly by local contributions in districts where they work, but trained under our care!

These could gradually be planted in our towns and amid groups of country parishes throughout the lalld.

You arc aware that it is part of the plan for fostering and training an Order of Nurses that there shall be mutual help: in order that, with other aid, a pension may be secured in old age or failing health. N ow, if I am right in supposing that memorials and thank-offerings in years to come may in all likelihood, now that village ehurches are already restored and adorned, and education for the poor secured, take the form of hostels or almshouses, might not, with guichnce, one or two rooms in such be secured as needed, an d be held out as a promised place of retirement in old age, whither the local nurse might, with her pension and her badge, find a resting-place and an honourable position as a sort of matron or mother supcrintendent? For in many cases, for some time after such ,x. See Note on

Ul'SCS

for Si(;k

POOl',

page 17, Appendix.

.)

f.;UpenUllll~,ute(lllUrSCf:l had ue<..;ollle unfit for snstaincd and active Sanatory teachers.

Bcn'ice, they might be availa,l)le for light duty and occasional help, and certainly would bc most valuable with their great experiClwe as sanatory instructors in our villages.

Aim and prinIn conclusion, I trust I have said enough to show thc ciples of the elasticity of the principles of our Order, as \Veil as its constitu- Order of 't.

John. tion, which, with obvious modifications, m.akes it practically as uscful a body, though of 00U1'80 not so powerful, as it was fivc centuries ago. It includes men of all ranks in diffcrent degrees of mcmbership, and as of olel (at JUynchin Buckland in ~omersctshire), * so in these modern tunes, ladie::; also. :r ecd of assoIt includes all who are ready to defend the Cross of ciation for CIll'ist. to carry out IIis commands by attempting to alleviate work of Order. human suffering. In these chtys, when therc are so many <u:lsocintiom; and combinations for all sorts of purposes, masters for their interests, mell for thCU·8-poor selfish parodies of the Christittn merchant guilds of olel, bu iness, pleasure, art, sport, science-it seems nahual we should band in another for philanthropy. .L\.nel what better forlll of association for such a purpose cOLlld 'i'iTe follow than that of OlU' Order, where ,ye can combine men of wealth, power, and family, men of high position, but of no less influcnce for good; clergymen who can assist with their parochial aid; medical men \Vho can giye us their professional experience; ladies ,yho can help Ul, and guide hospital and nursing work; and last, not least, the workulg classes, who as servulg brothers can aid us in yarious ways. ,Ye know how eSl:lcntial combination and ass9ciation is for such work, whether alllong ourselves, or the nurses, 01' ambulanciers.t The soillier in his troop, as the gcntleman in the huntulg-fielcl, feels himself twice the man when acting with others than hc would if pursuing the sallle work ill isolation. ,Ve have the framcwork of a great systematic philanthropic work, whidl only 'wants time, men, alld money to develop it.

My Lord Prior, dear Brethren, Sons of St. John, what CvUclUSlOll opportunity have we of manifesting the spirit of our fathcrs ill the Faith! Oh, let us not boast an idle lineage. Let the ,,\Yhite Cross be a reality, not a merc ornament, a gilc1cd fossil.

And

* A very circumstantial history of this interesting community is to be fouud in tbe Rev. Thomas lIngo's "Met1ixval N LlnUel'tOs of the COUilty of ,'omerset."

Lrmdoll: 1867.

t

See Appentlix) page 17.

]:3

14 now, whilst we think with reverence of tIle pious devoLion of our predecessors in the Order, let us show that we are tread. ing in their steps, and are worthy to be callec1 their children.

L et us remember, as our fathers did, the yoice from. the Throne ,Vhich -hall one day be heard by those ·who have a<1ministered, as for J esus, to the wants of otherB. " Iuasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these 1\Iy brethren, ye have done it unto JUe." Should not that voice trengthen everyone of us to deeper ympathy with human Ruifering, and to a desire to do more, and to be more, in order to vincli<.;ate the N arne of Him we bear, and " 'hose Cross of tho beatitudes we adopt as our emblem? So that at last, when the shac1o·ws of evening chaw around us. we may heal' the voice of extremC' sweetness, shedding over our poor efforts to n'linister to HiI-J lowly members an ineffable dignity, "I was Flick aud ye vi itec1l\Ie: naked and ye clothedl\Ie." " For the Faith, and for the good of man." There is hut one nobler motto than the e, and which through them we hope to proclai.m: It is thj .. --the end and aim of all ,,·e dO-FOR TIlE GREATER GLORY OF GOD.

APPEJ-JDIX.

Page 5.

ST. J OII~ TilE

AL:)IONER.

That the example a.nd fame of St. John the Almoner determined the dedication of the first famous Ho 'pitium by the merchants of Amaln, I should gather from what is told of his cleed.~ . St. John the Almoner received his surname from his profuse almsgiving; he was nobly descended, very rich, and a wiclower, at Arnathus, in Cypnv ; where having buried all his children he employed the \ovhole income of his estate in the relief of the poor, and was no Ie ::l remarka.ble for his great piety. In 608, when about 50 years of age, he ,>ya.s mi. ell to the Patriarchal Chair of Alexandria. He used to call the poor his rna tel's, in consequence of hi. belief in their great interest in the Court of IIea.\'en on behalf of their benefactors (St. Luke xvi, verse 9).

When the Persian had plundered the Ea 't, and sacked J eru alem, St. John entertained all that fled from their swords into Egypt, and sent to Jerusalem for the use of tbe poor there, money, corn, fish, wine, and workmen to assi t in rebuilding their churches, adcling in his letter to Modestu. , the bishop, that he wished it ha.d been in his power to luwe gone in person. He also sent tllO bishops awl an abbot to ransom captives. A certain merchant who had been thrice ruined hy .'hipwreck, had as often found relief from the good PatriaJ.'ch, who the third time ga,ve him a. 'hip belonging to the church, laden with L vellty lllea n1'e8 or corn; the vessel was driven on the British Islands, and a : ~m3.lle l'n.P.:lng there, the OWller sold the cal'go to great advantage, and bronght back a cOllsiderable gain, one half in money, and the other half in pewter.

John wa.s a.dmoni heel of bis death on his way to Rhodes; he sailed for Cyprus, and soon after died happily at Amathus.

Tbe help he gave a.t Jerusalem before clescribed, amI the aid he gave the poor merchants, I believe, incited them to follow his good example, and emulate his deeds in simila.r works, and determined their choice of St. John for patron of the first HURpitiulll at ,Jerusalem.

Page 10,

.A LMS

HOUSRS.

The fOlluding an almshouse, or as formerly called hospitn.l, need not co 't 0 much as is commonly supposed. A row of say from four to . ix rooms, ·w ith small kitchens to each, need not co ,t more than from £:300 to .£400, supposing site a.llcl ma.terial were a.vailable at an average co't, It woulll he cle, i1'al)1e to f;ecure a. patch of garden to each room, 'UppOSillg these were oct:llpieJ 11,Y the pOOl'. pa:t ,,·ol'k, \\"110 would othenyisc h.w(' to go tt) th e

17

16 distant workhouse, or feel they were an incumbrance 011 a son or danghter "'ith a young family. Aged people shrink from the noise anel broken 1 est incident to living in a crowded cottage with young children; a lodging is not to be had generally under Gel. or gel. a-week, and this out of the parish pitt:Lnce IS a considerable item, so that even H. quiet free lodging is a great boon If a lcl. a-week were charged for each room antI patch of garden, a repail fund would be secured, and the poor would Le weekly tenants, and only holll during good behaviour. A little occa,sional aid from the chmch almR, or half a ton of coals each winter, would make all the difference to many a poor hotly between (to them) rest and comparative comfort, and the pinching penury of old age. I indicate this as one of the hLllllblest waYR of conferring a boon in a village where the choice is between rent of a cottage or cost of lodging beyond their means, and the parish workhouse. Often in small towns or In.rge villages, there is an old house converted into two or three tenementI->, this can generally be rented for from £5 to £10 a-yem·. A little outlay would he necessary at first, to ensure comfort, and this at once developes habits of thrift and cleanliness. Could a landlord or parish priest perform a more merciful act, or better dispose of a portion of the" Sacrament Alms," than in having a home, or settling it in trust for the poor 1 As before mentionecl, a pelllly a-week for each room would form a repair fund; a trifle added to the parochial relief, and poor creatmes who before had existed on the usual allowallce, 28. Gel. a-week, would find this aid, in addition, comparative luxury. 1 can give the p.xperience of those who ha\'e hied it, one for thirty years, with extreme satisfaction. To endow an almshouse with say half-a-crown or more for each inmate per week, would, as Lord Chancellor Hales said, he simply to save tllC ratepayers, and endow the rich and not the poor; none but the poor, answering t.o the present worn out amI beyond work labouring poor, aided by 1)001' rates, would accept such a small pension, and the known acceptance of such would debar them from parochial aid from the union. To ~ndow upon a much more liberal scale of allowance is beyond the scope of these remarks.

Many an ~ncient foundation of this nature, on a small scale, from the reason I indicated before in this address, the great cost of appointillg trustees, came at last into the hands of parish officers, who, instead of appointing the pious and aged poor to be inmates, quartered the hopeless, thoughtless, ne'er-do-well upon them, and thus saved themselves so much poor rate. They became ill fact a. nuisance as an ill-conducted village workhouse of the worst possible t}T'e. vVhen the ullion of parishes ulltl<?r new Poor-Law was created by Lonl John Russell's Act, many of .them founded as almshouses were actually sohl, to the great injury of the poor, and the produce of sale was clevoted to the share of the Parish rates in building the new workhonse of each union. A great outcry was made, and an Act was passed in the pl'esent reign of Victoria,* condoning and covering up past misdeeds, but preventing future sales, unless it could be shown they belonged to the parish, and were not left by 1enefactors for the benefit of the poor. \Vhat seems to be our present need, and one easily attainable at no great cost, is decent homes near to the church for the widows and aged ont-doOl' POOl',

'*' 5 Yict. c. 18. Au Act to e-x:plain anrl amend tbe Acts )'C'gulnting f:inlc of parish property, sec. 2, 13th 1[:lY, 1812, anll'llcling 5 [1.11(1 G \Villiam IV, cap. GO, s('c. l.

Lo whom the little extra gift of lodging, fuel, and an occasional alms, would he a great help, and would Lless and make easy their old age and declining days. .

The Order of St. John might unclertake to appomt trustees on the cooptative plan, and thus insure that their new foun~ations sho~ud never sink into the state so much to be deprecated. Of course It c01.ud eaSIly be arranged that the founder's heir and kin should be represented amongst tlle trustees of such trusts.

It will thus be gathered that £300 or £400 spent in building, and £100 endowment, yielding £4 or £5 interest as a fuel fund, is not beyond a sum now often spent on funeral arrangements and church memorials, or yards of bla(;i silk and costly piles of stone. If to this could be added one or two somewhat better rooms, where the pensioned nurse hereafter might retire to an hOIJ.ourable position when past work, a small oratory for the clergyman to assemble the inmates once a week or so, which might also contain a cupboard with a few medical necessaries and appliances for the sick of the village, or for an occasional feast, great good might be done, and much sorrow and -penury alleviated. The Secretary of the Order, Sir Edmund Lechmere, Bart., will be happy to correspond with and place intending friends in communication with members of the Order who have given mnch attention to the subject.

Page 12.

NURSES FOR THE SICK POOR.

Two papers were read at the General Assembly of the Order on St. John's Day, 1873,-one on the" Training of Nurses," by Dr. Rumsey; the other entitled "Thoughts on Nursillg," by Dr. Sieveking. The attention of the Members of the Order was particularly callell to the subject of the provision of nurses for the sick poor, with a view to the suggestions being further discussed, and, if possible, practically carried out. The organisation of a body of tra,ined mm:;es who would deyote themselves to supply so great a want, was deemed to be one of the pecial objects of the Order. A committee was appointed to consider the subject, and, after eel,reful deliberation and inquiry, a Report was issued, which suggestetl that the scheme should be more prominently laid before the public. This was accordingly done H,t a public meeting, held at Willis's Rooms, 011 June 25th, 1874, uuder the presidency of Sir Rutherford Alcock, K.C. B., \"hen the National Association for Providing Trained Nmses for the Sick Poor was founded. It was decided to appoint a. sub-committee of inquiry to report upon the state and need of district nursing.

The issue of this Report conviuced the promoters that the supply of trained nurses for the sick poor, at their own homes, is quite inadequate to the demand, and steps were at once takeD to secure the co-opemtion of ladies and gentlemen likely to take an interest in the movement. In deference to the wishes of some of its supporters, the Society has been re-named "The Metropolitan and National AssociR.tion for Providing Trained Nurses for the 'ick Poor," His Grace the Duke of Westminster, K.G., President. A cent!'al home has been established, under the superintendence of Miss FIOl'ence LeeR, ;),nu a branch has beeD opened in the Enst of London. Ot11ers \yill be !'>et (lJl foot n>; soon as tbe fllndR ]1E'rmit.

18 Pa,ge 13.

Tm: S'r. J UrIN

AMBULANCE.

TheBe Ambulances are the invention of Mr. N euss, of Berlin, and were largely used during the Franco-Prnssia,n War. Those issuecl by the Order of St. John have been supplemented with various improvements by SurgeonMajor 1:anley, V.c. The "Want of some simple means of conveying injured per ons has often been felt, and the 1:embers of the Order have supplied the want by the introduction of these Ambulance Litters into England. They are of light construction, easily propelled on wheels (or they may be removed from the wheels and carried), do not readily get out of order, and convey the patient with the least possible discomfort. In mining and colliery districts, where accidents are of frequent occurrence, they are invaluable. Further particulars may be obtained of Sir Edmund Lechmere, Bart., St. John's Gate, Clerkenwell, London, E.C., or from Smgeon- £ajor Manley, v. c., R.A., Woolwich, the Superintendent of the Ambulance Department of the Order.

~T.

JOHN'S GATE, CLERKENWELL. A PAPER READ BRFORF.

TIlE KNIGHT. OF ST. JOHN OF JERU 'ALEU IN lL GLAND, AT THEIR

GENERA.L ASSElVIBLY, HELD AT ST. JOHN'S GATE, CLERKENWELL, ON

ST. JOHN'S DAY, 1875.

By THOMAS HUGO, M .A., F.R.S.L., F.S.A., &0., HECTOR OF WEST HACKNEY, N ., A~D A TIR01'llER CHAPLAI' OF THE ORDER.

LONDON: HARRISON AND SONS, 45 & 46, ST. MARTIN'S LANK l;1rintrrs in <Drtrrl1R't1l' to'

lR75.

~tr

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ST. JOHN'S GATE.

I HAVE been honoured by an invitation to contribute to the proceedings of the day by selecting as the subject of a Paper some topic connected with the ancient glories of our Order. It was, a8 most of us are aware, an Institution of world-wide celebrity, and its chief house in England was a home not unworthy of its wealth and reputation. Hence, the main difficulty is the choice of subject. Where the points of interest are so many and varied, and the scene of its olden glories was so full of curious details and suggestive memories, the very greatness of the field becomes an embarrassment, and the abundance of the topics more or less intimately connected with it hinders rather than facilitates the <:1election which is desired.

I presume that the ancient renown of the Knights Hospitallers cannot but be a matter of delightful interest to the noble and gentle auditory which I have now the honour of addressing. Few of us at least can recall without emotion, and that of the best and holiest kind, the grandeur of that long-continued series of heroic deeds which availed more than once to roll back the wave of infidel aggression, and to preserve Christendom from the Moslem grip and the horrors that such a calamity included. It seemed. more than once as if all would be over, if the devoted soldiers of the Temple and the Hospital, brothers alike in faith and in glory, should fail in their most noble mission. It is not, however, of these that I must speak to-day. The story has been already and well told by some of our own body. And as for the life of the Order in more peaceful times, a,na the vicissitudes of some nf the

5 Brethren and of the single House of Sisters ,,,hich \ye pO"sessed in England, the writer of these pages has given to the worM all, a it would appear, that can now be recovered from the MSS. records of times so long passed away.

There is, however, one department of the subject, and that by no means the least interesting, to which we have not as yet had our attention directed. I refer to the splendid home of the Order in England-the House of St. John of Jerusalem, at Clerkenwell at the entrance of which we are now assembled. It was here that, the great officer ordinarily resided, in whose hands were the directing reins of the vast organization which in most counties of England had a more or less vigorous representative in the person of the Preceptor or Commander of a cOllventual estate. It was here that the returns were made, which indicated the successful zeal and careful regimen of each of those sometimes powerful, but always subordinate, officials. Here rolled in the treasure which such care and zeal accumulated, either for the necessary maintenance of this great establishment, or for transmission to the head-quarters of the Order at Jerusalem) at Cyprus, or at Rhodes.

Here sat the assessors of the Lord Prior, and in and from their cc Assembly" regulated the affairs of their estates throughout the country, leased their farms, built their granges, and, as circumstances arose which demanded such interference, adjusted the difficulties which the possession of large properties then as now originated and brought to the surface. And here, too, was the scene of that ungrudging and boundless hospitality, which was the characteristic of such places in mediGeval England, before the arrival of the day when some godless grantee was allowed to absorb for himself what had been sacredly offered- PTO utilitate h01nin'u1n - for the welfare of mankind at large. On the stately gate below us might have been inscribed that most noble motto) the glory of other magnificentportals-" JANUA PATET. COR MAGIs."-indicating that, wide as was the gate, the heart of its masters was wider still.

But times have 0hanged. The House to which that portal gave access i& gOlle so completely, tbat some, and those best able to

judge of such matters, are undecided as to the very site of many of its most important portions. Apart from discoveries made at rare intervals among the foundations of neighbouring hou~es) it is only by excavations undertaken for other purposes that we have been able to identify, as we suppose, some of the now uncovered spaces with those of the buildings which would necessarily form parts of a religious house, and on which such edifices might have been erected. All that is easily visible above ground is the Church of St. John) still used for its sacred purpose, and this right noble Gatehouse, which, after a long alienation from its original use, is now, thanks to the liberality of ODe of us here present,* in some measure restored to the same, and happily again identified with the Order and its beneficent works.

The endeavolu to recreate on paper the a. pect of the House in its days of greatness would, notwithstanding-perhaps, indeed, on account of-the clifficulties to which I have just adverted, be a very tempting work. Dut the time which such an endeavour would occupy, and) perhaps, the degree of attention which it would demand from many, from whom a writer on a subject so entirely al'chGeological has no right to expect such a favour, are more than sufficient reasons to induce me to forego what no doubt to some of us would be a pleasure. N either shall I occupy your time with a description of the Chluch, well known as it must be to most of the present company. But I have thought that so much of a history of the building in which we are assembled as is connected with the Order, without pursuing it-on the present occasion at leastthrough the subsequent ages of more or less degradation, would be interesting to those of us who are glad to find ourselves in one of our own ancient buildings-to find oluselves, in a word, once more at home.

St. John's Gate was built by Prior Thomas Docwra in th.l;'. year 1504. The date is given by Stowe) (( as appeareth," he adds, (( by the inscription over the gatehouse yet remaining." The 'if

Sir E . .1.. H. Ledlm el'C, Bart" I 'ccl'ctary-Gencral ~If t hc Ordcl' of

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attribution of the structure to the Prior thus put forward as its founder is in accordance with the period of the work itself. It is of the Perpendicular style of English architecture, but at the time of its decay. We shall presently have before us additional proof of the correctness of this date. And it must be admitted that its principal element of excellence is the grandeur of its proportions, and not the beauty of its details. Its interest, however, is very great, both from its connexion with the wealthy establishment of which it formed the entrance, and from the fact that it is the only one of the ancient gatehouses yet remaining in London, which were at once the ornaments of our metropolis, and of the Houses to which they severally belonged.

Before I proceed with its history, it may be well to offer you some details of its architectural peculiarities; and we will then trace its fortunes during that portion of its subsequent existence to which I propose to give attention.

It was built, together with the House itself, about the year 1100, partly rebuilt after its destruction by the rebels in 1381, and again, as already stated, by Prior Thomas Docwra, the last but one of those Officers, in the year 1504.

The walls are about three feet in thickness, of brick, faced with Ryegate stone.

In the centre is the arched entrance, with a room on both sides. On the north and south fronts, on either side of the archway, are projecting towers, two of which, those on the north side, contained the staircases. These were spiral, and composed of 80lid stone to tlle first floor, and thence of solid oak to the top of the towers. The Tudor-headed doorways leading to the floors still remain.

In each angle of the gateway is a slender shaft attached to the wall, with a well-moulded base and capital. From these spring the ribs which support the grained vault, and are ornamented with sculptured bosses and shields.

The dimensions of the chambers are as follow: that over the gateway js twenty by twenty-one feeL, and those in each of the side towers twenty-five uy fifteen feet.

Throughout the building are various arched doorways, with the original hook-and-eye hinge8. Two of the chimney-pieces yet remain, of similar stone to that of the Gate, and the ceilings of most of the rooms are divided into compartments by oak ribmouldings of bold and well-marked character.

A very interesting addition to the ornaments of the Gate is the variety of heraldic memorials with which it is decorated. These are deserving of minute description.

On the south front-that towards the Oity-are five shields in foliated panels. In the middle are the arms of France and England, surmounted by a crown. On each side is the Oross, the arms of the Priory. On the outside panels are a chevron engrailed between three roundels, and a cross in chief, for DOCWRA; and the same, impaling a bugle-horn between tl1Tee griffins' heads erased, for Greene, the 8,rms of the Lord Prior's father and mother.* On the north front are three shields in cinquefoil-headed panele-.

The central one has the Oross, the left bears the arms of DOC\"iTa, and the right the same impaled with Greene.

In the groining of the vault are, as already described, sculptured bosses, ornamented with shields. On the central boss, the keystone, is the Holy Lamb; two bear the Priory Oross, and two the arms of Docwra.

During the course of some excavations in the north-\vesLern tower a door was discovered, with the arms of the Priory and Docwra on the spandrels, magnificently carved in oak.

The spandrels of the door-head to the same tower have the Priory Oross, « with a cock and a hawk," and the arms of Docwra, (( with a hen and a lion."

I must not omit to state that we are indebted to the \"e11known and accomplished architect, my friend, the late fr. VV. Pettit Griffith, F.S.A.-in whose agreeable company most of tll(~ armorial ornaments already described were carefully examined-for the continued existence of this interesting structure. His zeal and activity in 1845, when it was threatened with destruction undcr

* Dingley's" IIi ' Lory frOID J

Marble" (Ca,mden oe., 1868) p. 142.

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the operdtion of the :Metropolitan Building Act, were beyond all praise. He formed a Committee to restore it, and, ill1Cler his able superintendence, in opposition to a monstrous proposition, as I have heard from his own mouth, to cover it with compo, it assumed for the most part its present appearance. Through lack of the necessary funds, he was unable fully to cany out his design, but was the main if not the only obstacle, for a considerable period, to the wishes of those who voted either for its entire destruction, or for treatment, if possible, more unpardonable still.

I should also be sorry to omit mention of the care and judicious restorations of its late proprietor and tenant, Mr. Benjamin Foster, in whom it found for a number of years a most intelligent and generous friend.

To resume. Of the gate which occupied the same site dill'ing the long ages which intervened from the fcmndation of the Housefor we may be sure that such an edifice existed-I have no means of offering you a description. The earliest view of the structure with which I am acquainted is that by Hollar in Dugdale's (( Monasticon," which is indisputably a representation of the present edifice. Whether the more ancient portal was in a dilapidated e ondition, we have also no means of deciding. It is well known that during an interval of fifty years before the final catastrophe, large additions were made to their buildings by many of the wealthier Houses. It would appear that the aspect of the times ,vas sufficient to warn their inmates that great changes were imminent, and that the greedy rapacity of one monarch, and the extravagant prodigality of another, would be sure sooner or later to lead to the compulsory surrender, under some pretext or other, of all the ready money in their coffers. Accordingly, they spent large sums on the improvement of their buildings, and in this, as in not a few other instances up and down the country, a stately gatehouse was added to the rest. It did not strike them that the tyranny which would relieve t.h em of their money would not hesitate to dispossess them of their buildings also. But the day of the spoiler came at last, and instead of our 101'cliy portal affording

ingress to thousands of all ranks and degrees, Englishmen and foreigners, on business of every conceivable kind, including multitudes to whom the gate of a monastery was another word for the means of daily existence, a solitary gloom was the character of the place, all the more heavy and oppressive from the aspect of activity which it had previously and for long exhibited.

The Priory of St. John was dissolved 7th J\1ay, 1540. The particulars of this event are scarcely within the scope of my present subject, but a few words may be necessary. It did not immediately leave the King's hands. A Request to Purchase, dated 5th April, 37 Hem7 VIII, was made by Lord Viscount Lisle, Lord Admiral of England. Mention is herein made of the Gatehouse, which is described as covered with lead, of gardens, and one orchard, with "a ffisshe poole in the same orchard lying upon the Easte and northe parte of the said mansyon." (( Itern, one house lately buyldid by John Mableston, clerke, [who had been the subprior of the House] called the suppriors lodgyng, and one garden called the suppriors garden, w eh house and garden be grauntyd to the said John for terme of hys lyffe by acte of Parlyament,* wtoute anythyng therefore paying." :( Itm, one other house adionyng to the said house called the scholehouse. Itm, two Courtes, whereof the one is called the great Courte, and the other the lyttle Courte, lying upon the southe parte of t.he said Mansion as they be inclosed. Itm, the garden called the Turcoplyers garden, adionyng t,o the forsaid garden called the suppriors garden." Further on, the same document enumerates the woodyard, the slaughter-house tlnd yard, the plumber'S house and buildings adjoining, the woodhouse; the launder's house and garden, the cOlmting-house, and the porter's garden on its south side. In the return made by the Crown officers at the end of the Request, it is stated that (( the said Lorde Admyrall muste be bounde to permytte and suffer one J olm J\1ableston, clerke, peasablye and quyetlie to occupy and enioye one house within the said scite called the suppriours lodginge, and a garden there called the suppriors garden, during his life,

* .Act of

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ParI. 32 lIell, VIII., c. xxiv, ". ,iij .

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accordinge to a graunte and assuraunce made to hym of the same

by Acte of Parliament." * These introductory matters arranged, the grant soon followed.

On the 1st of 1ay, 38 Hen. viij., 1546, the King granted to this John Viscount Lisle and J a all his wife all the house, close, site, and a.mbit of the Priory of St. John of Jerusalem, nigh Clerkenwell, and also the three gardens and orchard, and the pond in the orchard, together with the church and burial-ground of the Priory; also, the sub-prior's lodging, the sub-prior's garden, the schoolhouse, the great court, the little court, the Turcoplyers garden, the woodyard, the slaughterhouse, the plumber't3 house, the wood-house, the launder's house, the counting-house, the porter's aarden and the baate-house. Also all other buildings, &c., within b' ~ the said precincts. Also all the walls which include and bound the said premises, with a reservation to the Crown of the bells, and of the lead, and timber, and materials of the Church. Also all conduits, and water-pipes, and springs lately belonging to the Priory. To be held of the said John and Joan, with remainder to the said Viscount in fee.

The Priory Church and House of the Hospitallers had been preserved, according to Stowe, from spoil or down-pulling so long as King Henry the Eighth reigned, and were employed as a storehouse of the King's "toyles and tents, for hunting and for the wars," &c. So it remained until, in the second year of Edward VI, 1548, an almost inconceivable piece of atrocity was perpetrated.

There were in London, among others of consummate excellence, two buildings which, from their altitude, were conspicuous at long distances One of them was the steeple of the Church of the Augustin Friars, which Stowe calls « a most fine, spired steeple, small, high, and straight-I have not seen the like;" and quotes a petition for its repair to the Marquis of Winchester by the Mayor (lud Aldermen, dated 4th August, 1600, where it is s~oken of as

"being, for architecture, one of the beautifullest and rarest spectacles of the City." This petition was unheeded, and a later edition of the Survey adds that « that goocUy steeple and all the east part of the church have lately been taken down, and houses for one man's commodity raised in the place, whereby London hath lost so goodly an ornament, and times hereafter may more talk of it."* The other was the Great . Bell Tower of the Church of the Hospitallers. According to the same authority, who was an eyewitness of its beauty, it was "a most curious piece of workmanship, graven, gilt, and enamelled, to the great beautifying of the City, and passing all others that I have seen." For this lovely structure a still worse fate was reserved. It will hardly be credited, even among the varied horrors of that most horrible time, that it was (( barbarously," as Howel says, (( undermined and blown up with gunpowder, and the stone thereof was employed in buildinab the Lord Protector's house in the Strand." t The part of the choir which remained in Queen Mary's reign was by Cardinal Pole closed up at the west end, and otherwise repaired, and Sir Thomas Tresham, Knight, was then made Lord Prior there, with restitution of some lands. In the grant of Queen Mary to Sir Thoma.s Tresham and his brethren-witness, the Queen at Greenwich, 2nd April, 4 & 5 Phil. and Mary, 1558, particular mention is made of the present building, (( Dedi?n~{'s g·c. totarn illa?n dO?n~{,?n et portarn

t

* Parts. for Grants, Vic. Lisle. 37 Hen. VIII. MS. ITarl. 4316, p. 21. MS. Add. 7389, p. 12. Act of ParI. 32 Hen. VIII. c. xxiv. s. viii. t Pat. 38 ITen. VIII. p. 1. mm. 9-11.

nostram vocatarn le Gatehm{,se eJusdern nuper Hospitalis."

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The House was again suppressed in the first year of Queen Elizabeth, 1559.

I believe that Sir Henry Seckford, Knt., and William Stirrell, Gentleman, were the tenants soon, if not immediately, after the second dissolution of the House. But in the second year of his reign, King James I. granted to Sir Roger ,Vilbraham, Knt., the (( South Gatehouse," called (( Sainte John's Gatehouse," with a

'" Stowe by Strype, VoL 1. pp. 442-4/1, 1. t to we by Strype, Vol. II. p. 62. t Pat. 4 al,J 5 Ph. and Mar., p.11.

12 kitchen) pantry) hospice) a small garden) a stable) stable-loft) and other buildings) for the term of his life) with repairs when necessary at the tenant's cost) for the yearly rent of sixty shillings and ten pence) payable at Easter and J\1ichaelmas in equal portions.

The grant was dated) witness the King, at Westminster) 4th December) 1604.* From tbis point the bistory des.cends as that of a private estate) which, although including such names as Cave) Johnson) Goldsmith) Garrick) and others of varied celebrity) I must reserve for some other occasion. I prefer to take you back to the earlier life of the Gate, and to notice some particulars connected with its use in the great monastery of which it was a part.

There can be little doubt that the Gatehouse served another purpose than that of a. portal. The substantial nature of the edifice, at a time when attacks from without we~e no longer to be expected) would seem disproportionate to the requirements of a mere house for the conventual janitor. But it was here) no doubt, that many of the guests of the Lord Prior were entertained during the short period between their arrival and departuTe. It will be remembered that by the rule of St. Belledict strangers were to be received to the rights of conventual hospitality) but were to be detained in the gatehouse) so that the community might not be disturbed either at their prayers or during the intervening hours of rest. This 'wise and prudent arrangement was of the utmost value to a body of men whose time was so exactly and methodically arrangecl, and to whom any interruption of the hours of sacred service or of other duties hardly less important-for, according to their truthful maxim) pleasant alike in sound and sense) (( laboTCl1'e est orare)"would soon be productive of the worst consequence::;. Witbin these walls, therefore) it may be presumed, many a gay company found entertainment while business or pleasure called them to the Priory. In these spacious chambers the Preceptor from some distant estate) the tenant negotiating for a renewal of his Jease, the 'ii:

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bearer of some communicatioll frolll places otherwise entirely beyond knowledge and consequent control, to say ~othing of visitors from parts beyond sea) factors) merchants, soldIers) statesmen, all and each bringing their quota of that wonderful whole which made the Prior of the Hospital one of the best informed personages in the wor] d, here disported themselves in accordance with their several manners) tastes) and fancies. Hither the news came quickly of the penurious exactions of one unworthy sO"vereig~l, and sympathy was duly expres ed for the victims who figUI'edIn his lists of fined and pillaged subjects. Alld hither) too, borne by messenaers that trembled as they told their ominous tidings) were b carried the accounts of many a scene and hardly-,vhispered word, which augured of aggression on the Church's peace, and were the first hot drops of the rising storm. It does not require much exercise of the imaginative faculty to pictuTe tIle company that then occupied these lofty rooms) or to enter into the anxious deliberations on which they were oftentimes engaged. The company and the deliberations were alike those of men on the eve of the greatest revolution that England has ever witnessed-a revolution which) when rightly understood) will be acknowledged to be the cause of and the key to all subsequent troubles) and the reverberations of whose thlu1ders) even after the lapse of three busy centuries) can by no means be said to have resolyed themselves into empty air.

Such) so far as I can give it) and so far as the period extends which I professed to review) is the bistory of St. John's Gate) an 1 such are some at least of the reflections which the sight and examination of it may suggest. After centuries of misappropriation, the old walls are re 'm vmg again the veritable successors of those who once bare rule within them) but were unjustly and mercilessly dispossessed. Dr. Johnson looked at the Gate with (( reverence)" as the quondam abode of a learned journalist. To us it has infinitely higher claims to respect and regard. For the intellect that planned) the authority that commanded, and the h["1.11(18 that gave it a material form) were inspired by that worlll-

14: wide beneficence which saw in every Christian man a brother and a friend" 111 their intellect already shone The Light Eternal, which to view alone Ne'er fA.ils to kindle love." *

And it addressed itself not to a small body only of literary coadjutors, but to all who by the needs of a common humanity had a sacred claim upon their help. That brethren for whom Christ had died were in need, was enough to elicit their sympathy, kindle their enthusiasm, and inspire their love.

Be it ours, who have entered into their possession, to enter also into their temper-their undaunted courage-their manly gentleness-their truthfulness, meekness, forbearance, unselfishness, and supreme devotion to the Religion that they adorec1, the Order that they venerated, and the Land that they loved.

THOMAS HUGO.

'" Dant e, Parnd . V.

B ARRISON AND SONS, PRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO TIER MAJESTY, ST. MARTIN'S LASE.