working life of women seventeenth century - School of Economics ...

246 PROFESSIONSsame Sister to remain no longer with the same sickPerson then needful Cause shall require. Also atsuch times as the Sisters shall not be occupied aboutthe Poor, ye shall set them to spinning or doing someother Manner of Work, that may avoid Idleness, andbe profitable to the Poor of this House. Also yeshall receive the Flax . . . . the same beingspun by the Sisters, ye shall commit to the said Governors. . . . You shall also . . . . havespecial Regard to the good ordering & keeping of allthe Sheets, Coverlets, Blankets, Beds, and otherImplements committed to your Charge, . . . .Also ye shall suffer no poor Person of this House tosit and drink within your House at no Time, neithershall ye so send them drink into their Wards, thatthereby Drunkenness might be used and continuedamong them."'In Christ's Hospital there were two Matronswith salaries of L2 13s. 4d. per annum and forty-twowomen keepers with salaries of 40s. per annum.Board wages were allowed at the rate of IS. qd.per week for the " keepers " and IS. 6d. for theMatrons. There was one keeper for fifteen persons.2The Matron was advised " Your office is an office ofgreat charge and credite. For to yow is committedthe Governance and oversight of all the women andchildren within this Hospital. And also to yow isgiven Authoritie to commaunde, reprove, and rebukethem or any of them . . . . Your charge isalso to searche and enquire whether the women dotheir Dutie, in washing of the children's sheets andshirts, and in kepeing clean and sweet those that arecommitted to their Charge ; and also in the Beddes,Sheets, Coverlets, and Apparails (with kepeing cleanWards and Chambers) mending of such as shall bel Stow, London, App. pp. 57-58.a Ibzd, I. pp. 175 6.PROFESSIONSbroken from Time to Time. And specially yow shallgive diligent Hede, that the said Washers and Nursesof this Howse be alwaies well occupied and not idle ;. . . . you shal also once every Quarter of theYear examine the Inventorie."'The nurses were instructed that they must " carefullyand diligently oversee, kepe, and qoverne allthose tender Babes & yonglings that shal be committedto your Charge, and the same holesomely, cleanelyand swetely nourishe and bring up . . . . kepeyour Wardes and every Part thereof swete and cleane. . . . avoid all Idleness when your Charge andCare of keping the Children is past, occupie yourselvesin Spinning, Sewing, mending of Sheets andShirts, or some other vertuous Exercise, such as youshal be appointed unto. Ye shal not resort or sufferany Man to resort to you, before ye have declaredthe same to the almoners or Matron of this Howseand obtained their Lycense and Favour, so to do. . . . see that all your children, before they bebrought to Bed, be washed and cleane, and immediatelyafter, every one of yow quietly shal go to yourBed, and not to sit up any longer ; and once everynight arise, and see that the Children be covered, fortaking of C01de."~Some idea of the class of women who actuallyundertook the important duties of Matron for theLondon Hospitals may be gathered from a petitionpresented by Joane Darvole, Matron of St. Thomas'sHospital, Southwark, to Laud. She alleged " thatshe was dragged out of the Chapel of the Hospitalat service and dragged along the streets to prison fordebt, to the hazard of her life, " she being a " very weaksickly and aged woman," clothes torn from her backand cast into a swoon. She petitions against the' Stow, London, app., p. 42.a Stow London, app., p. 4;.