JOHN
WALTER
John Walter lived
through what may be considered one of the most tumultuous times in English
history. He was born, in Hereford, in
the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603) when England was a separate entity, and
became a citizen of London. First as a
Girdler, and as he was appointed Clerk to The Drapers Company (The Master
Wardens Brethren and Sisters of the Gild or Fraternity of the Blessed Mary the
Virgin of the Mistery of Drapers of the City of London), on the 24th August
1616, so he was "translated" to them.
His life continued
through what was an uneasy "United Kingdom" under James I (1603-1625)
and Charles I (1625-1649). It is
probable that his ability and discretion obtained the Letters Patent of James I
(1619), despite the errors due, most likely, to his youthful inexperience.
As clerk, he became
familiar with the management of Almshouses with the result that he became
enthusiastic in developing more, in the last ten years of his life (in the now
Commonwealth and Protectorate Council of State of 1649-1653 and Lord Protector
Oliver Cromwell 1953-1658), wishing to be publicly known as a founder, he
arranged such matters through his friends.
By 1650, there were eight almshouses on each site. At Southwark there was a chapel and spacious
garden.
He acquired much
property, owned or built tenements, conveyed houses to the Church and to the
Drapers, as would his descendants. He
became a Founder of Almshouses, "because many had perished by lying abroad
in the cold for want of habitation to the great dishonour of God".
Other property with
which he was associated include Tenements in Beech Street and Beech Lane; The
Cock, Wood Street, Westcheap; Houses in Lombard Street; House in Lime Street;
Goosye Field, Islington; Grange and Chantry Farms. Each of which carry a detailed history, but not relevant to the
present Charity.
In the 11th December
1656, "the Court taking into consideration the painefull diligent &
faythfull service of Mr. John Walter, Clerke of this Company by the space of
forty yeeres, and being therefore willing further to express their love and
respect unto him, did most freely and lovingly (nemine contradicente) order
that the said Mr. Walter should be admytted into the Assistants of this
Company. Thereupon the said Mr. Walter
(being withdrawen) was called into the Courte and made acquainte with the
premisses, who (after much persuasion to undertake the said place) did accept
thereof and was admytted an Assistant of this Company, and having taken his
place as an Assistant did syte and Act in this Court accordingly."
But he did not long
enjoy this honour - seventeen days later, on the 28th December, he died. In the following February, a letter which he
had written just before his death was read to the Court. In this letter he described the alms-houses
he had built at Southwark and at Newington butts with "the meanes and
estate God had entrusted me with as a steward to be disposed of in pious and
charitable uses"; saying that "having byn your clerke for above forty
yeares and knowing your religious faithfull and conscionable performance of all
thinges wherein yee were entrusted and knowing none better to entrust that
yourselves", he had by his will left the Company "divers messuages of
the yeerely rent of neere Twoe hundred pounds for the performance of the
charitable uses in the Will", and begged the Company to accept the
Trust. The will also was read to the Court
- after which they "did most freely and lovingly accept of the said trust
reposed in this Company", and ordered that "the statue of Mr. Walter
shalbe at the charge of this Company made and set up as benefactor in that
place in the parlour (conceaved most fitt for that purpose) over the doore
entring into the Bookehouse or Treasury".
They also ordered that the will should be proved in Chancery, and that
Mrs. Alice Walter, the widow, should be reimbursed of all the money she had
spent on the alms-houses and alms-people since her husband's death. And then "To this Courte was presented
a faire standinge cuppe of silver white of the valew of about Twenty poundes
being the guifte of Mr. John Walter, which was by this Courte lovingly and
thankefully accepted. And it is ordered
that (according to the will and desire of the said Mr. Walter) the same cuppe
towards the end of every pryvate dynner of Assistantes, or like dinner in the
parlour as view dinner etc. the butler or some other shall presente that cuppe
filled to the Master, or the person at the Table wherewith he is entreated to
be pleased to drinke to all the rest of the Table, desiring a long continuance
of Love and charitable performances amongest them to Godes glory and the poores
comforte".
John Walter left a
"lengthy and verbose" Will, in which he included his own description
of what he had done in benefit to those less fortunate than himself. John Walter was a pious man and preferred to
hide his good deeds in his life. In
death "having been blessed with a convenient estate of worldly substance more
than sufficient", he wanted to ensure that he maintained "his charge
and affoord fit meanes and possons for his deare and loving wife and
children",. he disposed of the surplus "for God's glory and the
poore's comfort."
He opens, "IN THE
NAME OF GOD AMEN. The Seventeenth day
of October in the yeere of Our Lord God One thousand six hundred and fifty six
I, John Walter Cittizen and Draper of London being (praised be God) in good and
pfect memory and health and expecting death daily (then which nothing is more
certain) doe make this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following
that is to say Firste and principally I commend my Soul to the most holy and
induvided Trinity, the father the Sone, and the Holy Ghost, and my Body I commi
to the Earthe from whence it came, to be decently buried as please God to
appointe believing that by the power of my blessed Saviour Christ Jesus his
glorious resurreccon my fraile and sinful body shall be raised from the dead
and be reunited to my Soul and by his merits death and passion my hope is to
have free pardon and forgiveness of all my Sins and an inheritance in glory
forever."
As part of his
bequest, John Walters made a gift to The Drapers "And having already and
painefully and faithfully served the sd Company of drapers London as their
Clark above the space of forty years my humble request unto them is to be
pleased to accept the sum of Twenty Pounds t make them a standing Cupp and
Cover if I shall not leave them one ready made Desiring them with all (if the Court
of Assistants think fitt) that the same Cupp towards the end of every private
dynner of Assistants or like synner in the parlour as receive dinner &c the
butler or some other may present that Cupp filled to the Mr or Chiefe person at
the table wherewith my desire is he will be pleased to drink to all the rest of
the table desiring a long continuance of love and Charitable prformances
amongste them to God's Glory and the poore's comfort." This "faire standing cuppe of silver
white of the valew of about twenty poundes" was presented to the Company
and "lovingly and thankefully accepted by the Court, oder being given for
the same to be used at dinners in accordance with the directions of the
Will." This cup bears the donor's
arms and escaped the melting pot of the 17th century. It is one of the most ancient pieces held and is still in regular
use on ceremonial occasions.
His statute has gone -
possibly destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 - but the cup was fortunate enough
to escape when so much of the other plate was sacrificed, and it is the same
cup that was presented to the Court of 1656 that is described above.
John Walter was happy
in his choices of trustees. During his
long service with the Company, he had many opportunities of studying the Records,
and he realised how, for hundreds of years, the Company had carefully and
faithfully administered their trusts, and he was right in thinking that the
descendants of that Court of which he was an honoured member would use their
best endeavour to carry out his wishes.
His alms-houses, though not alas the original structures, are still most
carefully administered. The
"messuages" he left consisted of seventeen in Beech Lane, two in Wood
Street, and two in Lombard Street. The
Company are still trustees of the property in Beech Lane and Wood Street, but
the land in Lombard Street was sold to the City of London for the purposes of
the new London Bridge in 1845 and Grange and Chantry Farms in Bedfordshire
purchased instead with the proceeds.
These farms were sold in 1921.