A pedigree of the Bludders will be found in Aubrey’s Antiquities of Surrey, IV, 210.
Arms. Gu. a dexter arm embowed or, the hand ppr.
MARTIN BROWNE.
Martin Browne was born about 1590, probably in Lincolnshire; he was apprenticed to Thomas Clemence, a surgeon free of the Company, and on 13th July, 1613, was admitted to the freedom. He seems to have had an extensive practice, and in 1648 was living in Creed Lane. There are numerous references to him in our Minutes, from which may be gathered that he was a man of great experience, and well able to hold his own in some cases where his professional skill had been called in question by jealous brethren of the craft. He served as Warden in 1640 and 1645, and was Master in 1653, when he presented the Company with a loving cup (see [p. 502]). He died 16th April, 1655, and in his will dated 20th August, 1654, and proved 24th April, 1655, he describes himself as of the parish of St. Gregory, “full of yeares,” and requests to be buried in his parish church near his dead children “which was partly under my owne pewe where now of late I satt.” To the poor of that parish he leaves £10. To the poor of East Tilbury 40s. To the poor of Louth, in Lincolnshire, £10. To his cousin Richard Mason, of Leeyborne, Lincolnshire, £5, and to his son, Richard Mason, testator’s apprentice, £5 and his case of silver instruments, “with fower books of phisick and of Chirurgery namelie Ambrose Parrey and Rondeletius and Aqua Sendens his mannuall operations and Tangaltius and others Authers all bound up in one volumne.” He gives several legacies of money to cousins, nieces, servants, and apprentices, makes his wife Margaret his executrix, and leaves all his lands and houses in the counties of Essex and Lincoln and the City of London to her for life, with remainder to his only child Rebecca, the wife of Humphry Winch, Esquire. “To my cousen Henery Barker all my Instruments of yron for Chirurgerie excepte my Lancetts and incision knives. I likewise give [him] theise bookes namely the workes of Hypocrates, Galen, Celsus, Paulus Agenta, ffernebens Senertus his Chirurgery.”
Arms (as engraved on the loving cup). Quarterly, 1st and 4th three mullets, 2nd and 3rd a hunting horn stringed between three escallops.
EDWARD ARRIS, Alderman.
Few names are held in greater veneration at Barbers’ Hall than that of Edward Arris. His father, Jasper Arris, was apprenticed to Thomas Burston or Burstowe, a Surgeon and Master of the Company in 1576. Jasper Arris (probably born 1560–2), was admitted to the freedom, 3rd April, 1583, chosen a Liveryman, 22nd January, 1606, an Assistant, 3rd August, 1614, served as Warden in the years 1617 and 1622, and was reported on 8th January, 1623, as then recently deceased. There are few notices of Jasper in our books, and one of them on 21st October, 1606, is perhaps not much to his credit, as it records his fine for working on the Sabbath day; from which we may gather that he was one of those who, contrary to the Ordinances and the Statute, worked both as a Barber and Surgeon,—a practice often winked at by the Governors. His son Edward, was born in London in 1591, and was admitted to the freedom by patrimony on 21st January, 1617, having learnt his art with his father; he was admitted to the Livery 9th October, 1627, and on 30th April, 1629, granted his diploma to practise Surgery. In 1632, he was chosen Steward, and the next year Master of the Anatomy. On the 23rd April, 1640, he was elected an Assistant and served the office of Warden in 1642. On 10th February, 1648, he was appointed one of the Examiners of Surgeons, and elected Master of the Company 1651. On 3rd July, 1663, Mr. Arris was nominated by the Court of Aldermen, Alderman of the Ward of Bridge Without (loco Richard Evans) and was sworn in on the 28th July following, but this civic office was probably an uncongenial one to him, for he very shortly afterwards applied to be discharged from it, and thereupon paid a fine of £300 to the City.
In 1645 Mr. Arris founded an Anatomy Lecture, and with a characteristic modesty endeavoured to conceal the founder’s name, though his intention in this respect was necessarily frustrated when the deed of settlement had to be drawn. This, the Arrisian Lecture, still survives at the Royal College of Surgeons. (Particulars of the foundation will be found on pp. 368, 369.) In 1649, when our plate was sold, Mr. Arris re-purchased King Henry VIII’s cup, and “freely gave it againe to this Company,” for which all Barber-Surgeons and Barbers have ever after been profoundly grateful to him. He also, in 1651, gave us four silver cups. Mr. Arris’ granddaughter, Henrietta Maria Langford, seems to have got into straitened circumstances, as on 5th August, 1718, we read “It is ordered that Henrietta Maria Langford daughter of Robert Arris son of Alderman Arris Members of this Company, shall be made free without charge, in Gratitude to the Memory of Alderman Arris, in order that she may be admitted one of the Company’s Pentioners.”