1718 John Lilly', Esq. ever, was acquired by purchasing seamen's tickets during Queen Anne's wars, and by South-sea stock in the memorable year 1720. To shew what great events spring from trivial causes, it may be observed, that the publick are indebted to a most trifling incident for the greatest part of his immense fortune's being applied to charitable uses. Mr. Guy had a maid-servant, whom he agreed to marry; and, preparatory to his nuptials, he had ordered the pavement before his door to be mended so far as to a particular stone which he marked. The maid, while her master was out, innocently looking on the paviours at work, saw a broken place they had not repaired, and mentioned it to them; but they told her that Mr. Guy had directed them not to go so far. "Well," says she, "do you mend it: tell him I bade you, and I know he will not be angry." It happened, however, that the poor girl presumed too much on her influence over her wary lover, with whom the charge of a few shillings extraordinary turned the scale entirely against her: for Guy, enraged to find his orders exceeded; renounced the matrimonial scheme, and built Hospitals in his old age. In 1707, he built and furnished three wards on the North side of the outer court of St. Thomas's Hospital in Southwark; and gave 100l. to it annually for eleven years preceding the erection of his own Hospital. Some time before his death, he erected the stately iron gate, with the large houses on each side, at the expence of about 3000l. Aug. 5, 1717, he offered to the Stationers Company, through the medium of his friend Mr. Richard Mount, 1000l. "to enable them to add 50l. a year, by quarterly payments, to the poor members and widows, in augmentation of the quarterly charity;" also 1100l. to be paid quarterly to such charitable uses as he should appoint by his will, in writing;" and a further sum of 1500l. to have 751. a year paid quarterly for another charitable purpose, to be appointed in like manner;" in default of such appointments the sum of 1251, to be paid annually by the Company of St. Thomas's Hospital. And, no appointment having been made, the same is now regularly paid by the Hospital. He was 76 years of age when he formed the design of building the Hospital near St. Thomas's which bears his name. The charge of erecting this vast pile amounted to 18,7931. besides 219,499l. which he left to endow it: and he just lived to see it roofed in. He erected an alms-house with a library at Tamworth, in Staffordshire (the place of his mother's nativity, and which he represented in parliament), for 14 poor men and women; and for their pensions, as well as for the putting out of poor children apprentices, bequeathed 1257. a year. To Christ's Hospital he gave 400l. a year for ever: and the residue of his estate, amounting to about 80,000l. among those who could prove themselves in any degree related to him. He died Dec. 17, 1724, in the 81st year of his age, after having dedicated to charitable purposes more than any one private person upon record in this kingdom. Mr. Lilly (see p. 606) gave 201. for a piece of plate, which 1 was 1718 Mr. Theophilus Cater1.. was laid out in a Monteith and collar, to match with one given in 1666. The two weigh 75 ounces 5 dwts. Theophilus Cater, of the parish of Christ Church, London, June 9, 1718, gave 1000l. to the Company, on condition of their paying him an annuity of 50l, for his own life; and, after his death, 40l. to be thus disposed of: To the Minister of St. Martin's Ludgate for a sermon, 17. 10s.; to the Reader, 5s.; to the Clerk and Sexton, 2s. 6d. each, 5s.; to Fourteen poor Freemen of the Company, 147.; to Ten poor men of St. Martin's, 10l.; and to Ten poor men of Christ Church, 17. each; the remainder (being 41.) towards a Dinner for the Master, Wardens, and Assistants. [Mr. Cater received the annuity to Christmas 1719.] May 3, 1726, Mr. Wood, a member of the Company, gave the King's coat of Arms." 2.66 3 A noted Bookseller in Paternoster-row. In 1734, whilst Upper Warden, he gave 20l. to the Company; which was disposed of for the purchase of a branch for illuminating the Hall on public occasions; it was put up at the expence of Mr. William Mount, Master. Mr. Osborne was Master in 1735, and died March 13, 1739. There were at that time three others of the name on the Livery; Mr. Thomas Osborne (who died in 1743); Thomas Osborne, junior, of Gray's-inn (of whom see before, p. 401); and Mr. John Osborne, who died in 1775. 4 William Mount, esq. Treasurer of St. Thomas's Hospital, and eminent for works of charity, died at Clapham, Feb. 22, 1769. He had been Master of the Company three years, 1733-1735. John Mount, esq. died Feb. 12, 1786. 5 A legacy of twenty guineas, by Mr. Bettesworth, was applied to purchase a pair of silver candlesticks. Mr. Brooke had been sheriff of London in 1738. He died Dec. 5, 1750; and gave by his will a legacy of 50l. to the poor, to be distributed at the discretion of the Court. 7 Mr. Midwinter, an eminent bookseller in St. Paul's Churchyard, died June 19, 1757. By will dated June 20, 1750, proved Feb. 7, 1757, he gave to the Company 1000l. after the decease of his wife, on condition of their paying 141. a year to the parish of Hornsey, and the like sum to the parish of St. Faith in London, for the purpose of apprenticing from each two poor children (boys or girls) annually, and to buy them some cloaths when they go out. The remainder (21.) to be applied towards the expence of a dinner on the first of December. This sum was paid (after the death of the widow) April 4, 1770.-See in vol. I. p. 109. a character of Mr. Midwinter's father. 1758 Jonathan Taylor', Esq. 1760 Nathaniel Cole, Esq. 1769 Richard Manby 3, Esq. 1772 Richard Brooke, Esq. 1772 Mrs. Hannah Knaplock 5. 1777 Sir Stephen Theodore Janssen, Bart. 1777 William Fenner, Esq. 'Mr. Taylor had been formerly a Stationer in London; but ́had retired from business to Lyme Regis in Dorsetshire, where he died Dec. 16, 1758. His name is here inserted, as a compliment to his intentions. He left to Christ's, Devon and Exeter, and Bath Hospitals, and to the Society for Propagating the Gospel, 100l. each; the interest of 100l. to be divided every Christmas amongst ten poor widows of the Stationers Company; the interest of 70l. for two boys to be taught navigation at Weymouth; to the Mayor and Corporation of Dover, a silver punch-bowl, of 200 ounces, in commemoration of his recovery from a dangerous fit of sickness gained in France; and if a County Hospital be crected at Dorchester within seven years, 100l. and interest at 4 per cent. But, from some informality in his will, the legacies were set aside by the Lord Chancellor. This respectable gentleman was Solicitor to the East India Company; and in 1726 had been elected Clerk to the Company of Stationers, which office he resigned in Nov. 6, 1759; and was on that day elected into the Court of Assistants; but died on the 4th of December following. He gave to the Company 1007.; out of which 40s. to be annually added to Cater's dinner, and 100%. more to buy silver candlesticks with, for their table on public days." Mr. Manby was a bookseller of great eminence on Ludgatehill. He fined for the office of Sheriff; was Master of the Stationers Company in 1765; and died at Walthamstow, April 13, 1769. He gave 100l. to the poor. Thomas Manby, esq. died there in 1762; and William Manby, esq. in 1790. • Mr. Brooke was Master of the Company in 1764. He died in 1772; and gave 31. a year towards Cater's dinner. 5 Mrs. Knaplock died Nov. 29, 1772; and gave 2001. to the poor. Sir Stephen Theodore Janssen became a Liveryman of the Company in 1723.--He gave 30l. in 1774, as a present to the poor; and 50/. more in 1775. In 1776, he gave 1001. half to the poor, and half to purchase a piece of plate with his arms on it (with which a handsome epergne was purchased). He added in 1779 a legacy of 50l. In 1754, when he was Lord Mayor, the arms now in the Hall were painted; Mr. Samuel Richardson being then Master, John March and Thomas Wotton, Wardens. See Memoirs of him, p. 406. 7 Mr. Fenner's father, who was a Printer in Lombard-street, died young; and his mother was re-married to Mr. James Waugh, an apothecary, but continued to carry on the business of a Printer till her death. The son was for some time her assistant and partner; and afterwards, for a short period, followed the profession of a Bookseller in Paternoster-row; but, marrying early, and 1777 William Bowyer1, Esq. 1778 Mrs. Beata Wilkins 2. 1778 John Nichols 3, Esq. and satisfied with a very moderate competence, he retired from the bustle of trade, in the prime of life; and, for more than 40 years, prolonged a life devoted to acts of kindness and philanthropy. Possessing a strong mind, improved by habits of early industry, and gifted by Nature with a fine manly form, improved by polished manners, his conversation was always pleasing; his friendship was very generally courted; and his advice was frequently requested in cases of difficulty, and always given freely and judiciously. He died Oct. 30, 1809, in his 83d year, at his house in Addington-place, Camberwell. He had been twice married; and the second wife survived him; but he left no child. At the time of his death he was Father of the Company of Stationers, of which he had been Master in 1786; and to whom in 1777 he had given a large silver coffee-urn, with a set of tea-spoons, &c.; and, by his last will, left a Reversionary Legacy of 2500l. Three per cent. Consols to the Company; the interest of which (751.) to be thus applied: 501. in annuities of 50s. each to ten poor freemen, and ten widows; 201. for a dinner for the Court of Assistants, who are to attend divine service, on the 29th of July, at St. Martin's church; 20s. to the Clerk of the Company; 30s. to the Rector, for a Sermon; 20s. to the Curate, for reading Prayers; 5s. each to the Clerk, Organist, and Sexton; and 5s. each to the Beadle, Porter, and Housekeeper of the Company. 'Mr. Bowyer gave to the Company 180l. a year for specific charitable purposes; and 250l. to the Court of Assistants, for their trouble in selecting the Annuitants. He gave also a small See his Will at large, p. 270. silver cup. 2 "Item, I give the Interest and produce of all the money arising for my Forty Pounds share in the Stock in the Stationers Company, which is computed at Three Hundred and Twenty Pounds, to the Master, Wardens, and Court of Assistants of the said Company for the time being, and their successors for ever, in trust that the Interest thereof be by them distributed annually amongst Six poor men and Six poor Widows, not Pensioners to the said Company; which Principal Money I desire may be by them placed at Interest, and such Interest is to be by them paid in the month of December, before Christmas every year, at the time when the Company pay their Pensioners, and equally divided between the said poor Men and poor Widows, as they the said Master, Wardens, and Court of Assistants, shall in their discretion think proper. This Sum was laid out in the purchase of 358/. 11s. 4d. Five per Cent. Navy Annuities, and from the yearly dividends twelve persons receive yearly 30s, each."-See before, p. 584. 3 Mr. Nichols, in 1778, gave the portrait of Robert Nelson, esq. and of the elder Bowyer, with a bust of the younger Bowyer; to which, in 1798, he added those of Abp. Chichley, Sir Richard Steele, and Matthew Prior; with the quarto copper-plate (finely engraved by the Father of the present Mr. Basire), that an im pression 1758 Jonathan Taylor 1, Esq. ' Mr. Taylor had been formerly a Stationer in London; but had retired from business to Lyme Regis in Dorsetshire, where he died Dec. 16, 1758. His name is here inserted, as a com pliment to his intentions. He left to Christ's, Devon and Exeter, and Bath Hospitals, and to the Society for Propagating the Gos pel, 100l. each; the interest of 100l. to be divided every Christ mas amongst ten poor widows of the Stationers Company; the interest of 70l. for two boys to be taught navigation at Weymouth; to the Mayor and Corporation of Dover, a silver punch-bowl, of 200 ounces, in commemoration of his recovery from a dangerous fit of sickness gained in France, and if a County Hospital be crected at Dorchester within seven years, 100l. and interest at 4 per cent. But, from some informality in his will, the legacies were set aside by the Lord Chancellor. This respectable gentleman was Solicitor to the East India Company; and in 1726 had been elected Clerk to the Company of Stationers, which office he resigned in Nov. 6, 1759; and was on that day elected into the Court of Assistants; but died on the 4th of December following. He gave to the Company 1001.; out of which 40s. to be annually added to Cater's dinner, and 100%. more "to buy silver candlesticks with, for their table on public days." 3 Mr. Manby was a bookseller of great eminence on Ludgatehill. He fined for the office of Sheriff; was Master of the Stationers Company in 1765; and died at Walthamstow, April 13, 1769. He gave 100l. to the poor. - Thomas Manby, esq. there in 1762; and William Manby, esq. in 1790. died Mr. Brooke was Master of the Company in 1764. He died in 1772; and gave 31. a year towards Cater's dinner. 5 Mrs. Knaplock died Nov. 29, 1772; and gave 2001. to the poor. • Sir Stephen Theodore Janssen became a Liveryman of the Company in 1723.--He gave 30l. in 1774, as a present to the poor; and 501. more in 1775. In 1776, he gave 1004. half to the poor, and half to purchase a piece of plate with his arms on it (with which a handsome epergne was purchased). He added in 1779 a legacy of 50l. In 1754, when he was Lord Mayor, the arms now in the Hall were painted; Mr. Samuel Richardson being then Master, John March and Thomas Wotton, Wardens. See Memoirs of him, p. 406. 7 Mr. Fenner's father, who was a Printer in Lombard-street, died young; and his mother was re-married to Mr. James Waugh, an apothecary, but continued to carry on the business of a Printer till her death. The son was for some time her assistant and partner; and afterwards, for a short period, followed the profes sion of a Bookseller in Paternoster-row; but, marrying early, and |