EDWARD ARRIS, Alderman.
Few names are held in greater veneration at Barbers’ Hall than that of Edward Arris. His father, Jasper Arris, was apprenticed to Thomas Burston or Burstowe, a Surgeon and Master of the Company in 1576. Jasper Arris (probably born 1560–2), was admitted to the freedom, 3rd April, 1583, chosen a Liveryman, 22nd January, 1606, an Assistant, 3rd August, 1614, served as Warden in the years 1617 and 1622, and was reported on 8th January, 1623, as then recently deceased. There are few notices of Jasper in our books, and one of them on 21st October, 1606, is perhaps not much to his credit, as it records his fine for working on the Sabbath day; from which we may gather that he was one of those who, contrary to the Ordinances and the Statute, worked both as a Barber and Surgeon,—a practice often winked at by the Governors. His son Edward, was born in London in 1591, and was admitted to the freedom by patrimony on 21st January, 1617, having learnt his art with his father; he was admitted to the Livery 9th October, 1627, and on 30th April, 1629, granted his diploma to practise Surgery. In 1632, he was chosen Steward, and the next year Master of the Anatomy. On the 23rd April, 1640, he was elected an Assistant and served the office of Warden in 1642. On 10th February, 1648, he was appointed one of the Examiners of Surgeons, and elected Master of the Company 1651. On 3rd July, 1663, Mr. Arris was nominated by the Court of Aldermen, Alderman of the Ward of Bridge Without (loco Richard Evans) and was sworn in on the 28th July following, but this civic office was probably an uncongenial one to him, for he very shortly afterwards applied to be discharged from it, and thereupon paid a fine of £300 to the City.
In 1645 Mr. Arris founded an Anatomy Lecture, and with a characteristic modesty endeavoured to conceal the founder’s name, though his intention in this respect was necessarily frustrated when the deed of settlement had to be drawn. This, the Arrisian Lecture, still survives at the Royal College of Surgeons. (Particulars of the foundation will be found on pp. 368, 369.) In 1649, when our plate was sold, Mr. Arris re-purchased King Henry VIII’s cup, and “freely gave it againe to this Company,” for which all Barber-Surgeons and Barbers have ever after been profoundly grateful to him. He also, in 1651, gave us four silver cups. Mr. Arris’ granddaughter, Henrietta Maria Langford, seems to have got into straitened circumstances, as on 5th August, 1718, we read “It is ordered that Henrietta Maria Langford daughter of Robert Arris son of Alderman Arris Members of this Company, shall be made free without charge, in Gratitude to the Memory of Alderman Arris, in order that she may be admitted one of the Company’s Pentioners.”
The Alderman died 28th May, 1676, at the good old age of eighty-five and is buried in St. Sepulchre’s Church, where there is a quaint tablet with this inscription—
Edward Arris Esqr. gave to
the Company of Chirurgeons 30l
for an Anatomy Lecture & to
the Hospital of St. Bartholomew
24l both yeerly for ever
to Christ’s Church Hospital
100l & 50l towards rebuilding
of this Church and several
large gifts to the poor of this
parish wherein he was born.
And all these in his life time
Hee deceased the 28th of May
1676 aged 85
& lyeth buried
by his wife.
Near this place lyeth inter’d
the body of Mary Arris ye
wife of Edward Arris Esqr.
& sometime Alderman of this
City. They were married 60
years and had issue 23 Childre
whereof only Thomas Arris
(Dr. in Physick fellow of the
College in London Justice
of ye peace in the County of
Hartford and a member of
the Honble. house of Commons) her
survived. Shee died ye ijth
of Decr. 1674 aged 76 years.
By his Will, dated 20th May, 1676, he directs his body to be buried in the grave of his father, mother and wife in St. Sepulchre’s, and he bequeathed his property to his then only surviving son Thomas Arris, M.D., M.P., and his children, and to the children of his deceased son Robert. He gave five legacies of £400 each and some smaller ones amongst his grandchildren and an annuity of £30 a year to his grandson Robert. He also bequeathed messuages, lands, &c., at Hatfield, two messuages in Well Yard, St. Bartholomew’s the Less, a messuage near Pye Corner, ten acres of Copyhold land in the manor of Bedwell near Hatfield and four freehold houses in the parish of St. Paul, Covent Garden, to his son and grandchildren. “I give Ten shillings a peece to soe many Antient men as I shall be yeares old att the tyme of my death to mourne in decent Gownes att my Burial whereof Tenn to be of the parish of Little St. Bartholomews Tenn of the Company of Barber Chirurgeons and the rest of the Parish of St. Sepulchres.” He also left £8 to the poor of St. Sepulchre’s to be given to 160 poor at his burial; £5 to the poor of St. Bartholomew the Less; £5 to Christ’s Hospital among 100 children to attend his burial; 20s. each to the two Beadles of the Barber-Surgeons, and 5s. each to the four Beadles of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital; also £5 to Dr. Bell to preach a sermon at his burial.
Arms. Ar. on a cross gu. five fleur de lys or.
| Jasper Arris | == | |||||||||||||||||||||
| of St. Sepulchre’s, London, died 1622–3. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alderman Edward Arris | == | Mary . . . . | ||||||||||||||||||||
| b. 1591. d. 28 May, 1676. | b. 1598 d. 11 Dec., 1674. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Robert Arris, Surgeon | == | Elizabeth d. of | Thomas Arris | == | Olivia . . . . | and 21 other children | ||||||||||||||||
| adt to Freedom 21 Jan., 1651.; died before 17 April, 1662. | Henry Boone. | of St. Alban’s Herts, M.D., M.P. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Edward Arris apprenticed to Thos. Ryton Surgeon 3 Sep.,1674. | Henrietta Maria admitted to Freedom 5 Aug., 1718. | == . . . . . Langford. | Susan | |||||||||||||||||||
| Edward Arris apptd to Thomas Hobbs, Surgeon, 13 Feb., 1677. admitted to Freedom 4 March, 1684. | Thomas. | Robert. | Jasper. | Elizabeth. | Mary. | Agnes. | Margaret. | |||||||||||||||