French Almshouse, in Black Eagle street, Spitalfields, contains convenient apartments for forty-five poor men and women, who are every week allowed 2s. 3d. a bushel of coals each, and apparel every other year.
This house belongs to the French church in Threadneedle street, near the Royal Exchange, and to that in Black Eagle street. The society by which it is supported, Mr. Maitland observes, appears to be the most charitable and generous, from an inscription round a large pewter dish in the possession of Mr. Henry Guinand, an eminent French merchant in Little St. Helen’s, (when deacon of the church) who collected the under-mentioned sum in gold, bank notes, &c. The inscription is as follows: La collecte qui s’est faite a l’eglise Françoise de Londres, & à celle de l’hopital dans Black Eagle street, pour les pouvre de la dite eglise, le 10 Mars, 1727–28. a produit £1248 7 6. That is: The collection made in the French church of London, and that of the hospital in Black Eagle street, for the poor of the said churches, amounted to 1248l. 7s. 6d.
French Hospital, contiguous to the Pesthouse on the south side of St. Luke’s parish, was erected in the year 1717, and the Governors by letters patent of the 4th of King George I. in 1718, were constituted a body politic and corporate, by the name of The Governor and Directors of the hospital for the poor French Protestants, and their defendants, residing in Great Britain.
This hospital at present contains 220 poor helpless men and women, 146 of whom are upon the foundation, and are plentifully supplied with all the necessaries of life, at the expence of the hospital; but the other seventy-four are paid for by their friends, at the rate of 9l. a year each. This charity also extends to lunatics, for whose accommodation a large infirmary is provided.
To this foundation belong a Chaplain, Physician, Surgeon, and other proper officers, who carefully attend the pensioners, and administer to their several necessities. Stow, last edit.
French House of Charity, in Spitalfields, commonly called the Soup, was erected about sixty years ago, for the relief of necessitous families, whose number in the year 1733 amounted to two hundred and ninety-six. This house, which is supported by the charitable benefactions and contributions of well-disposed persons, is under the direction of a certain number of Governors and Governesses, who at first supplied the poor under their care with money; but many of them, without the least regard to their distressed families, wickedly disposing of the money in spirituous liquors, tobacco, &c. the managers agreed for the future to allow these poor families provisions instead of money, according to their several necessities; some therefore are allowed two portions a week, others three or four, and the most necessitous, six: each portion consisting of a pan of good soup, mixed with six ounces of bread, half a pound of meat, and the same weight of dry bread. The expence of this charity amounts to 500l. per annum. Maitland.
French Episcopal Church, in Threadneedle street, near the Royal Exchange. In this place was formerly a synagogue built by the Jews about the year 1231, but in the reign of King Henry III. the Christians obtained it of that Prince, who granted it to the brotherhood of St. Anthony of Vienna, and it was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Afterwards an hospital was added, called St. Anthony’s of London, with a large free-school; and this hospital which was allowed by Edward IV. to have priests, clerks, scholars, poor men and brethren, with choristers, proctors, messengers, servitors, &c. like the convent of St. Anthony of Vienna, was about the year 1485, appropriated to the collegiate church of St. George at Windsor. This school in the reign of Henry VI. was one of the most celebrated in England, and the scholars used at a certain time in the year to go in procession; particularly on the 15th of September 1562, there set out from Mile end two hundred children of St. Anthony’s school, who marched through Aldgate down Cornhill, to the Augustine Friars, with flags and streamers flying, and drums beating. But at length Johnson, one of the schoolmasters, becoming a Prebendary of Windsor, ruined the hospital; spoilt the choir of the church; conveyed away the plate and ornaments; then the bells; and lastly turned the almsmen out of their houses, allowing only 12d. a week to each. These houses were afterwards let out for the sake of the rent, and the church at length became a place of worship for the use of the French, who hold it of the church of Windsor.
This church being destroyed by the fire of London, was rebuilt, and is still possessed by the French and Walloons, who here perform divine service, after the manner of the church of England, in the French tongue; but though it is a pretty large and commodious edifice, it is not sufficient to accommodate all the communicants; they therefore make an exchange with the Dutch church in Austin Friars every first Sunday in the month, where the Lord’s supper is constantly administered in French, the Dutch preaching on that day in the French church in Threadneedle street.
French Episcopal Church, on the east side of St. Martin’s lane. Here originally stood the parish church of St. Martin’s Ongar; that edifice was almost destroyed by the fire of London, but part of the steeple of the old church remains; this has a dial which hangs over into the street, and the parish is united to St. Clement’s East Cheap. However, as part of the tower and nave remained, and was found capable of repairs, after the above dreadful conflagration, a body of the French protestants of the church of England, obtained a lease of them of the Minister and Churchwardens, which was confirmed by an act of parliament; and a church was erected for their use, in which divine service is still performed after the manner of the church of England. Maitland.
French court, 1. Artillery lane, Spitalfields. 2. Cock lane. 3. Harrow alley. 4. Little Broad street. 5. Pig street. 6. Wentworth street.