The rebuilding of the hospital in the eighteenth century : part 1 / by Sir D'Arcy Power, K.B.E.

  • Power, D'Arcy, Sir, 1855-1941
Date:
[1926]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The rebuilding of the hospital in the eighteenth century : part 1 / by Sir D'Arcy Power, K.B.E. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/28 (page 26)
    “ Sir, “ By the Letter which you sent to me the 31st of the last month I perceive that the Governours of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital are come to a Resolution to carry on the building with all expedition and with the same materials that the other parts are built, therefore have ordered you to write to me to send up with all convenient speed a sufficient quantity of Bath Stone for this purpose with that which is already there, and that my chief work¬ men may attend the next Committee to receive instruc¬ tions &c. “ These express directions without any regard to the great difficultys and heavy charges which I have already labour’d under in my endeavours to supply the Hospital, or the least overture to ease me in any part of the remaining expense, causes me to presume that these orders must be issued from Gentlemen new in the Government of the Hospital, and in a great measure unacquainted with what have passed between the former Governours and me through your Father and yourself on this subject, and is my motive for takeing the liberty to transmit to you and to desire that you will lay before those Gentlemen, the following recital of the whole transaction. “ In the year 1730 I being desirous by some publique work to introduce my Stone in London made my proposals to the Governours of that Hospital to build the first Wing of that Building for the low price incerted in our Articles, . . . I need not now take any notice of ye different sorts of oppositions which was then made to all kinds of tryal of my Stone, but Sir Richard Brocas who was then Pre¬ sident of the Hospital with several other of the Governours who thought well of it, being desirous that not only that Pile but likewise the rest of the Hospital should be built with it, asked me whether I had any objection to build the remainder of the Hospital on the same terms that I proposed to build the first Pile, if my proposals shou’d be accepted of ; my answer was that I choose a Charitable Work to introduce my Stone that from the beginning I might be a contributer to so laudable a work, and therefore if they designed to carry on their other Buildings without any considerable interruption, I was willing to agree to it; and upon their assuring of me that this was their intention