The Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals were two charitable foundations that were independently put into the charge of the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

. They were brought under joint administration in 1557.

Bethlehem Hospital

The Bethlem Royal Hospital was founded in 1247 as the Priory of the New Order of our Lady of Bethlehem in the

city of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

during the reign of Henry III. It was established by the Bishop-elect of Bethlehem, the Italian Goffredo de Prefetti, following a donation of personal property by the London alderman and former sheriff, Simon FitzMary. The original location was in the parish of St Botolph, Bishopsgate's ward. In 1546 the Lord Mayor of London, Sir John Gresham, petitioned the crown to grant Bethlem to the city. This petition was partially successful and Henry VIII reluctantly ceded to the City of London "the custody, order and governance" of the hospital and of its "occupants and revenues". This charter came into effect in 1547. The crown retained possession of the hospital while its administration fell to the city authorities. Following a brief interval when it was placed under the management of the governors of

Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex. The school was founded in 1552 and received its first royal charter in 1553. ...

, from 1557 Bethlem was administered by the governors of

Bridewell Bridewell Palace in London was built as a residence of King Henry VIII and was one of his homes early in his reign for eight years. Given to the City of London Corporation by his son King Edward VI for use as an orphanage and place of corre ...

Bridewell Hospital

In 1553,

Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...

gave

Bridewell Palace Bridewell Palace in London was built as a residence of King Henry VIII and was one of his homes early in his reign for eight years. Given to the City of London Corporation by his son King Edward VI for use as an orphanage and place of corre ...

to the

for the housing of homeless children and for the punishment of "disorderly women". The City took full possession in 1556 and turned the site into a prison, hospital and workrooms.

Joint administration

In 1557 the administration of Bethlem Royal Hospital became the responsibility of the Bridewell Governors. The post of President was established, with first occupant being

Sir Rowland Hill Sir Rowland Hill, KCB, FRS (3 December 1795 – 27 August 1879) was an English teacher, inventor and social reformer. He campaigned for a comprehensive reform of the postal system, based on the concept of Uniform Penny Post and his soluti ...

in 1557.

List of presidents of the Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals

1557–1558 * Sir William Garrett 1558 *

1559 * Sir Roland Haywood 1561 *Edward Gilbart 1563 * Sir William Chester 1564 * Sir John White 1568 * Sir Lionel Duckett 1568–73 *Sir Alexander Avenon 1573 * Sir Lionel Duckett 1580–86 * Sir William Rowe 1592 * Sir William Webbe 1594 * Sir Stephen Slaney 1599 * Sir William Ryder 1600 * Sir Leonard Halliday 1605 *Sir Thomas Middleton 1613 *Sir Roland Hayter 1631 *George Whitman 1631 * Sir John Wollaston 1643 * Christopher Packe 1649 * Sir Richard Brown Bt 1661 *Sir James Smith 1668 *

Sir William Turner Sir William Turner (7 January 1832, in Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster – 15 February 1916, in Edinburgh) was an English anatomist and was the Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1903 to 1916. Life Turner was born in Lancaster ...

1669 *Sir Robert Jeffries 1689 *

1690 *Sir Robert Jeffries 1693- *

Sir Samuel Dashwood Sir Samuel Dashwood JP ( – 12 August 1705) was an English merchant and Tory politician. He was Lord Mayor of London in 1702. Early life The son of Francis Dashwood, a London merchant, by his wife Alice Sleigh, he was a brother of Sir Francis ...

1703 * Sir Thomas Rawlinson1705 * Sir William Withers 1708 * Sir Samuel Garrard 1721 *

Sir William Humfreys, 1st Baronet Sir William Humfreys, 1st Baronet (also spelled Humphreys; died 26 October 1735), was a British ironmonger and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1715 to 1722. He was Lord Mayor of London for 1714–15 and a Director of the Bank of En ...

(died 1735) * Humphrey Parsons 1725–1741 * Robert Willimot 1741 * William Benn1746 * Sir Richard Glyn 1755 * Sir Walter Rawlinson 1773 * Brackley Kennett 1777 *

Brass Crosby Brass Crosby (8 May 17251793) was an English radical lawyer, Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of the City of London. Life Brass Crosby was born in 1725 the son of Hercules Crosby, a respectable burgess of Stockton-on-Tees and his wife Mary Br ...

1782 * Sir James Sanderson 1789 * Sir Richard Carr Glyn 1793 * Sir Peter Laurie 1833 *

William Taylor Copeland William Taylor Copeland, MP, Alderman (1797 – 12 April 1868) was a British businessman and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London and a Member of Parliament. Family and business The family traces its descent back to John of Copeland ...

1861 *J E Johnson 1868 *

Sir James Lawrence, 1st Baronet Sir James Clarke Lawrence, 1st Baronet (1820 - 21 May 1897) was Lord Mayor of London and a Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1885. Lawrence was the son of William Lawrence, an alderman of the City of London, and his ...

1868

References

{{authority control 1557 establishments in England

Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals The Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals were two charitable foundations that were independently put into the charge of the City of London. They were brought under joint administration in 1557. Bethlehem Hospital The Bethlem Royal Hospital was foun ...