Gresham College.
VI. 2. Letter from the Committee for Gresham College to Lady
Read, (fn. 1) stating that the house in Bishopsgate Street, lately in her
occupation, had come into their possession as part of Gresham
House, (fn. 2) bequeathed by Sir Thomas Gresham, Knight, to such uses
as in his will were expressed. They understood certain goods
of hers were still remaining therein. They trusted she would be
mindful of the arrears of rent due, and of the wainscots anciently
belonging to the house. Order should be taken that her goods should
receive no hurt, but be ready at her command.
Dated in December (probably 1622).
VII. 147. Order of the Privy Council reciting that Sir Maurice
Abbott, (fn. 3) Knight, and Mr. Alderman Backhouse, had attended the
Board with their Counsel to answer the Petition of John Groves, (fn. 4) Professor of Geometry in Gresham College, which Petition had been
referred by the King to the consideration of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Keeper, the Earl Marshal, and Mr. Secretary
Windebanck, and directing that the consideration of the matter be
adjourned until the first day of the ensuing Michaelmas term.
Whitehall, 8th July, 1635.
IX. 47. Letter from the Commissioners for Charitable Uses to
the Lord Mayor and the Gresham Committee, stating that at their
meeting in the City, on the 20th of March last, the Readers of
Gresham College had complained that some part of the house
bequeathed by Sir Thomas Gresham for their use had been detained
from them,—that such other parts as were ordinarily in their possession had been of late frequently applied to uses which occasioned
great disquiet to the Readers in their lodgings,—that their present
allowance of 50l. per annum was not a sufficient income for the
maintenance of fit and competent Readers; and that Sir Thomas
Gresham had intended to augment the salaries according to the
increase in the revenues left for that purpose; and requesting his
Lordship to appoint some fitting persons to meet the Commissioners
in the Hall of the College on the last of July, to confer with them
upon the subject.
21st July, 1662.
Footnotes
| 1 |
Probably the widow of one of the descendants of Lady Gresham by her first marriage
with William Read, Esq., of Beccles, Suffolk. |
| 2 |
This mansion, Sir Thomas Gresham, by his will, dated July 5th, 1575, left to his
widow, Lady Gresham, for life, and at her decease to be a college for the gratuitous instruction of all who chose to attend the lectures. Lady Gresham died November 23rd, 1596.
See a view of the building in 1739, in Burgon's 'Life of Gresham.' |
| 3 |
Draper. The first person knighted by King Charles the First on his accession, 1625;
M. P. for London the same year; elected Alderman of Bridge Without, December 15th, 1626;
chosen Sheriff, 1627; removed to Coleman Street, September 13th, 1631; chosen Lord Mayor,
1638. Samuel Warner elected Alderman of Coleman Street, loco Abbott, deceased, January
10th, 1642. Sir Maurice was the youngest son of Maurice Abbott, Clothworker, of Guildford.
He was educated at the Free-school in that town. He was one of the original Directors of the
East India Company. In 1620 he was sent, with Sir Dudley, Digges, on an embassy to Holland.
In 1623 he was one of the farmers of the Customs; and in the next year was nominated one
of the Council for establishing the Colony of Virginia. His brother George was Archbishop
of Canterbury; see note 3, page 131, and his eldest brother, Robert, was Bishop of Salisbury.
His pageant, entitled 'Porta Pietatis'; or the Port or Harbour of Piety, was written by
Thomas Heywood, and performed at the expense of his Company on his accession to office
as Lord Mayor; a copy is preserved in the Guildhall Library. |
| 4 |
Born at Colmore, near Alresford, Hampshire, in 1602; entered Balliol College,
Oxford, 1617; took B.A., July 6th, 1621; M.A., June 25th, 1628; chosen Gresham Professor, 1635; became a great traveller, removed from his Professorship for non-attendance,
Nov. 15th, 1643, and became Professor of Astronomy at Oxford; died, October 2nd, 1652,
and was buried in St. Bennet, Sherehog, Pancras Lane. |