Sun Tavern fields lane, Ratcliff.*

Sun yard, 1. Bishopsgate street within.* 2. Blackman street, Southwark.* 3. Bread street, London wall.* 4. Brown street, Bunhill fields.* 5. Ivy lane, Newgate street.* 6. Nightingale lane, East Smithfield.* 7. Stepney rents, Shoreditch.* 8. Swan alley Golden lane.*

Supersedeas Office, in the Poultry Compter. See the article Compter.

Surgeons, a company incorporated with the barbers by Edward IV. in the year 1461, by the name of Barbers, who were then the only surgeons; but afterwards others practising surgery, who were not barbers, soon erected themselves into a separate company commonly called the surgeons of London; but were not incorporated, which the parliament taking into consideration, united them, with the barbers in the thirty-second year of the reign of Henry VIII. exempting those practising surgery from bearing arms, or serving ward and parish offices: by the same act those who practised shaving were enjoined not to meddle with the art of surgery, except drawing of teeth; and those who practised surgery forbid to shave.

In the fifth year of the reign of King Charles I. the surgeons were by letters patent authorised to elect ten of the freemen of that society to be examiners of the surgeons of London during life; and it was ordered, that no person whether a freeman of London, or a foreigner, should practise surgery within the cities of London and Westminster, or within the distance of seven miles of the city of London, without being first examined by two or more of the above examiners, and having authority from the company of barber surgeons to practise the art of surgery: allowing all who were thus approved, to practise surgery in any part of England. It was likewise ordained that no one whether a freeman of the barber surgeons company, or a foreigner, a native, or alien, should undertake the office of surgeon of any ship, whether in the service of the crown, or of any merchant or others, unless they, and their medicines, instruments and chests, were first examined, inspected and allowed by two such masters or governors of this company.

The surgeons continued thus incorporated with the barbers, under the denomination of barber surgeons, till the year 1745; having the same hall, a very noble structure erected by Inigo Jones, in which is a theatre, wherein dissections were performed and lectures read. At that period the surgeons applying to parliament, observed, that since the two companies had been united, those who had practised surgery have from their constant application to the study of that science, rendered it of great benefit to the nation; while the barbers have been long, and still are employed in a business foreign to, and independent of the practice of surgery, and therefore finding their union with the barbers in many respects inconvenient, and that their separation would greatly contribute to the improvement of surgery, desired that they might be made distinct and separate companies; upon which an act was passed accordingly, and the surgeons incorporated by the name of the master, governors and commonalty of the art and science of surgery of London.

By the above act they were confirmed in the possession of all their former privileges, impowered to chuse a principal, master, or governor, two other governors, or wardens, ten examiners of surgeons, and to have a court of assistants consisting of twenty-one persons. See the article Barbers.

But their fine hall was however by the same act given to the barbers, on which they erected a theatre in the Old Bailey, which is an elegant, though not an expensive structure. It has a basement story, with square windows. The principal floor is however raised considerably above the level of the street, and there is an ascent to it by a double flight of steps, under which is a door, level with the ground, for the convenience of bringing in dead bodies executed at Tyburn, for dissection. The face of this part is Rustic work. At the height of the steps is a range of Ionic pilasters, within the height of which there are two series of windows, a row of large ones, with square ones above. The entablature of the Ionic pilasters supports a plain Attic course, crowned with vases.

Surry street, in the strand.

Sutton’s court, 1. Bishopsgate street within.† 2. Bishopsgate street without.† 3. Holbourn hill.† 4. Lincoln’s Inn Fields.†