17th February, 1727. The Navy Board having, on the 16th inst., written to the Master and Wardens enclosing a copy of an anonymous letter which had been received, charging the Examiners in Surgery with partiality, and with qualifying incompetent persons as Navy Surgeons, the Court seem to have taken the matter up in a high spirited manner, and returned a long letter setting forth their practice in conducting the Examinations, referring in detail to the particular case alleged against them, and indeed made a most excellent and satisfactory defence. The correspondence is very lengthy and full of detail, much reference being made to the work carried on by the Company for the public service without fee or reward.
7th March, 1727. It is ordered That for ye future when any apprentices are to be bound to Surgeons they shall be called in & be examined by themselves touching their skil in ye Latin tongue.
7th April, 1727. James Ripoult a Frenchman was called in but not speaking English nor being naturalized the Court did not think it proper to examine him.
5th October, 1727. John Jacob Sax being a Prussian by birth & not naturalized nor understanding English The Court did not think it proper to examine him.
William Miles recomended by Lord Torrington & examined but seeming to know nothing of Surgery was rejected.
16th January, 1729. A Petition was drawn up by the Court for presentation to the King, setting forth the Company’s right to four dead bodies of felons yearly to be obtained at Tyburn, and that of late divers riotous persons had wrested the bodies from the Company’s Beadles at the place of execution. The Court declared that these proceedings were greatly to the detriment of the study of Surgery, and also set forth the services which the Company rendered to the State, by examining Surgeons and their Mates for the Royal Navy, viewing their medicine chests and instruments, viewing all such officers as are wounded in fight at Sea and for superannuation, and they conclude—
Your petitioners do therefore humbly pray that your Majesty will be graciously pleased to permitt and direct That a ffyle or Two of yr Majesty’s ffoot Guards shall upon applicac͠on to the Commanding Officer attend the publick executions from time to time to guard and assist your Petic͠oners Beadles in the taking away so many dead bodys yearly as are granted unto your Petic͠oners by the said Act of Parliament or otherwise to releive your Petic͠oners in such manner as your Majesty in your Majesty’s most gracious wisdom and condescension shall think fitt.
The Company seem also to have applied to the Court of Aldermen again for assistance in this matter, for, on the 7th March following, it was ordered that 2,000 copies of two orders of the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, dated respectively 4th February and 4th March, should be printed, and copies fixed up at Newgate and other public places on the road to Tyburn, some time before any execution, and also that the said orders should be inserted in the London Gazette and other papers.
4th April, 1729. Peregrine Compton Rejected being fuddled & not answering a question.
1st February, 1732. It was ordered that any extraordinary cases of Surgery appearing in the journals of the Sea Surgeons should be copied out into a book, as well as any others which might be reported to the Governors, and the same be laid before the Court of Examiners, from time to time, for their direction as to whether the same should be published. This book, if it ever existed, is not now in the Company’s possession.