David Carnegie Andrew Agnew

“ The names of all the Directors of the hospital for upwards of 170 years are recorded in their book. I have arranged in alphabetical order (giving the English forms of the Christian names) , the Directors of the first fifty years of the existence of the corporation. When a surname is represented by two or more persons, I have connected them by a bracket. The reader may see both the names of worthy Huguenots and also how far they are represented by descendants, for the representatives of these oldest surnames up to the present date are included. ”

“ The Royal Charter was dated 24th July 1718, [1] and is from George the First, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland (a better King of France practically, at least to the refugees, than their native king) . The first Governor of “the Hospital for poor French Protestants and their descendants in Great Britain” was named in the charter, “our right trusty and right well beloved cousin” Henry De Massue, Marquis De Ruvigny, Earl of Galway; also the first Deputy-Governor, Mr. James Baudoin or Boudoin, and thirty-seven Directors. The number of Directors was to be unlimited ”

“ At the present time there are twenty men and forty women. There are some permanent benefactions administered by the Directors. Mr. Stephen Mounier left a Bequest by which boys are apprenticed to trades (one boy every half-year) . Madame Esther Coqueau provided a fund for poor widows or maidens of the age of fifty years and upwards; there are ten recipients of monthly allowances of ten shillings each, for life. ”

“ Etienne as soon as she entered the French Hospital.”
Amidst the decline of enthusiasm outside, the earnestness of the Directors has been unabated. In the preface to their book they say:— “The Directors contemplate with the same interest as heretofore the descendants of those respectable families who suffered so much religious persecution. A charge of great value is entrusted to them ”