F. Litchfield.
A. Albemarle.
F. Biron.
A. Trevor.
A. Torrington.
E. Onslow.
A. King.
Mr. Coram having, to the everlasting honour of the above Ladies, obtained so many names to this recommendation, procured another to the same purpose, signed by a great number of noblemen and gentlemen, and annexed both these to his petition to the King. Upon this his Majesty was graciously pleased to grant his royal charter for establishing this hospital, which was dated the 17th of October, 1739.
In pursuance of this patent, the Duke of Bedford, who was appointed the first President, summoned the several members of the society to meet him at Somerset House on the 20th of Nov. when most of the noblemen and gentlemen mentioned in the charter being assembled, Thomas Coram, Esq; thanked his Grace, and the rest of the noblemen and gentlemen, for their protection and assistance in promoting the patent. A committee of fifteen noblemen and gentlemen were chosen to manage the estate and effects of the hospital; and it was ordered, that accounts of several hospitals of this nature in other countries should be obtained as soon as possible; for which purpose application was made to his Majesty’s Ambassadors and Ministers abroad, and the Governors soon after received authentic accounts of the institutions and regulations of the hospitals of Amsterdam, Paris, and Lisbon, for the reception of infants; and have since also been favoured with that of Venice; and, tho’ these institutions were all accommodated to the laws and governments of their respective countries, and were therefore unfit or impracticable to be wholly executed in this kingdom, yet they afforded useful instructions towards forming a plan for the government of this hospital. Books were now opened, and the Governors obtained large subscriptions; the work went on with great spirit; an act of parliament was obtained to confirm and enlarge the powers granted by his Majesty to the Governors and Guardians of the hospital. A piece of ground was purchased in Lamb’s Conduit fields, of the Earl of Salisbury, which his Lordship not only sold at a very reasonable price, but promoted the charity by a noble benefaction.
As the building an hospital would necessarily take up much time, and the Governors were extremely desirous of beginning to take in children, they hired a large house in Hatton Garden, nurses were provided, and it was resolved that sixty children should be admitted. As the funds increased, more and more were received; and it was soon thought impracticable to provide a sufficient number of healthy wet nurses, therefore the children were intrusted to the care of dry nurses: but the ill consequences of this regulation soon appeared; much fewer dying in proportion to their number, among those that sucked, than among those that were weaned; and it was also found by experience, that of the young children sent into the country, fewer dyed in proportion to their numbers, than those who remained in the hospital. These observations determined the committee to come to a resolution to send all the children that should be taken in, as soon as possible into the country, and to allow them to remain there till three years old; and that all such as would suck, should have wet nurses only. Some time after the children were ordered to be inoculated, which was attended with great success.