Queen Mary and Westfield College London University PhD Thesis ...

to continue their former occupationR, and neither wealthy nor independent enough to retire.
Both Stewards and Porters normally died in office, not merely because they were expected, and
wanted, to serve out their terms, but because they assumed office rather late in life. The major-
ity perished within 10 years of being appointed 37 . Matthew Benson, Steward 1648-58, was even
better connected than Langley, being himself 'an antient [i.e. long standing] Governo[rJ' of the
hospitals. Yet Benson was apparently finding business difficult and in some need of preferment
by the time he applied for the post. The very year before his election, the Court had solicited
the Custom house (via two letters) 'for some place of creditt and value for Mr Benson', and it
was only after the failure of this entreaty that Benson had, 'at his own instance' been nominated
and elected to the place of Steward 38 . Latterly, the hospital board made efforts to avert the
inevitable confusion of interests entailed in governors holding office. Any governor elected to an
inferior office in either Bethiem or Bridewell was obliged 'To Lay down his Staff' (i.e. forgo all
privileges attached to a governorship)39.
During the eighteenth century, there are signs that Bethlem Stewards were being drawn
from a somewhat better class of candidate than their predecessors and that elections were be-
coming increasingly closed affairs. Both William Birch, Steward 1734-48, and Thomas Hodges,
who succeeded him (1748-65), were Common Councilmen for the ward of Farringdon Within40.
Amongst four or five other competitors, Hodges had beaten John Cooke, a vintner and a gover-
nor of the hospitals for over fourteen years 41 . In the factious political atmosphere of the 1730s
and 40s, hospital elections had also become rather more politicised. While studies by Wilson,
12 out of 13 Stewarde died in office, 1636-1785, and 7 of these served for under 10 years; for Porters, the
proportion during 1633-74 was 10 out of 11, 6 of whom served for under 10 years and 5 of whom lasted less than
5 years.
38 Ibid, 22 Jan. 1647 & 21 July 1648, fols 290 &;352.
As was Benson, see e.g. ibid, 21 July 1648, fol. 352. The privilege of nominating new governors seems to
have been retained by inferior officers, however, until 1743. See 16 Id, 8 July 1743, fol 194.
40 For this info. & following discussion, see LEP, Nos 956, 961-4, 3190, 31 97-8, 3200-1, 3203-5; Read'. Weekly
Jornel or Bril,sh Gazateer, Nos 461-2, & BCGM, 22 Jan. 1734 & 18 May 1748, loIs 324-5 & 365.
41 hodges was related to the Bethlem Governor, Capt. Benjamin Hodges (for mention of whom, see BCGM,
e.g. 14 Sept. 1733 & fl Jan 1734, lola 318 & 324), & James Hodges, 'tory bookseller and Half Moon [Club]
habitué'. Cooke was related to the Governor, George Cooke (for whoee nomination & election see BCGM, 15
Jan. & 25 Feb. 1731, loIs 335 & 338), moderate tory M.P. for Tegony (and latterly, Middlesex) and a Middlesex
landowner. See Cofley, In Defiance of Oligerchp, 40, 158, 164, 173, 258, 260, 270 & 280. While the Court
Minutes name only four candidates, the LEP names 5, adding William Acton to the list. William was probably
the son/brother of the Bridewell Steward (1718-52), Oliver Acton (who had himself succeeded his father Walter
Acton, Bridewefi Steward 1715-18); another measure of the strength of Hodges's opposition.
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