Scroop’s court, Holborn. In this court anciently stood one of the Inns of court called Scroop’s Inn.
Scrub’s square, Upper Ground, Southwark.
Sea alley, King street, Westminster.
The Office for the relief of Sea Officers Widows. The Lords of the Admiralty having taken into consideration, the unhappy condition to which the widows of many of the officers of the navy were reduced by the death of their husbands, proposed both to the commissioned and half-pay officers of the navy, to enter into a voluntary agreement, to grant three pence in the pound out of their pay, towards establishing a fund for allowing pensions to such of their widows as are left in mean circumstances.
To this the officers readily consenting, the Lords Commissioners laid the affair before his present Majesty, who, to promote so good a work, granted his letters patent in the year 1732, directing that three pence in the pound be deducted from the pay and half-pay of all commission and warrant officers of the navy; and to appoint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the Treasurer, Commissioners, Paymaster, and Cashier of the navy, for the time being, twenty Captains, ten Lieutenants, five Masters, five Boatswains, five Gunners, five Carpenters, five Pursers, and five Surgeons of the navy, the eldest of their respective stations, to be Governors of this corporation: out of whom are appointed a President, two Vice Presidents, a Treasurer, and fifteen Assistants, as a committee for the management of all the affairs belonging to this charity.
The first Commissioner of the Admiralty is to be always President; and the Treasurer of the navy to be always the Treasurer; but the two Vice Presidents, and fifteen Assistants, are to be elected annually.
By the orders of this generous corporation, no officer or servant employed therein, is to receive any salary, reward, or gratuity; the whole business being transacted gratis.
The first step taken by the Governors was providing for the widows whose husbands died after the date of the above letters patent; who, in the first year amounted to twenty-four, to whom pensions were allowed, according to the following regulations, viz. To the widow of a Captain, 45l. per annum; to the widow of a Lieutenant or Master, 30l. and to the widow of a Boatswain, Gunner, Carpenter, Purser, Surgeon, second Master of a yacht, or Master of a naval vessel appointed by the navy board, 20l. per annum.
The Lords Commissioners afterwards commiserating the unhappy circumstances of many poor widows, whose husbands died before this corporation was established, and therefore could receive no benefit from the fund which was justly appropriated to the relief of the widows of those officers who had paid to its support, renewed their application to his Majesty, who recommended their case to the Parliament; upon which it was enacted, that one seaman should be allowed upon the books of every ship of war, in the sea-pay in every hundred men that its complement should consist of, and that the produce of the wages of such seamen, and the value of their victuals should be given and applied towards the relief of poor widows of commission and warrant officers of the royal navy.
Seacoal lane, extends from Snow hill to Fleet lane. Stowe thinks it was originally called Limeburners lane, and that it took its present name from the burning of lime there with sea coal.