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

PROFESSIONS PROFESSIONS 249profanation of God's house and the scandal to thecongregation.'Sick and wounded soldiers were tended at theSavoy, where there were thirteen Sisters, whosejoint salaries amounted to 952 I 6s. 8d. per annum.'Among the orders for the patients, nurses and widowsin the Savoy and other hospitals in and about Londonoccur the following regulatjons ;--4t'11' " That everysoldier or nurse . . . . that shall profanelysweare " to pay I ad. for the first offence, I zd. for thesecond, and be expelled for the third. gthly " Thatif any souldier shall marye any of the nurses of thesaid houses whilst hee is there for care or (recov)erythey both shall be turned forth of the House. I INo soldier under cure to have their (wiv)es lodgewith them there except by the approbation of thePhisicion. 12~~~5' NO nurse to be dismissed withoutthe approval of 2 of the Treasurers for the relief ofmaimed soldiers at least. Nurses to be chosen fromamong the widows of soldiers if there are amongthem those that be fit, and those to have ss. perweeke as others usually have had for the service.lqth'y soldiers, wounded and sick, outside the hospitalsnot to have more than 4s. per week.Those in St.Thomas's and Bartholomew's hospital 2s. a week,those in their parents', masters' or friends' houses,according to their necessities, but not more than4s. per week. lgthly Soldiers' widows to receiveaccording to their necessities, but not more than4s. a week. lgthly If any of the nurses . . . . .shalbee negligent in their duties or in giving dueattendance to the . . . . sicke souldiers by dayeor night or shall by scoulding, brawlinge or chidingemake any disturbance in the said hospitall, she shallforfeite 12d. for 1st offence, week's pay for second,l S.P.D., cccclv., 87. May foth, 1640.Stow, London I., p. 2x1.be dismissed for the third. 2othlY If any widowafter marriage shall come and receive weekly pensionsas a soldier's widow contrary to the ordinance ofparlt he which hath married her to repay it, & if heis unable she shall be complained of to the nearestJ.P. and be punished as a de(ceiver)."'There was one nurse for every ten patients in theDublin hospitals, and the salary was CIO per annum,out of which she had td find her board.2The opportunity which the hospitals afforded fortraining in the art of nursing was entirely wasted.The idea that the personal tending of the sick andforlorn poor would be a religious service of specialvalue in the sight of God had vanished, and theircare, no longer transformed by the devotion of religiousenthusiasm, appeared a sordid duty, only fit forthe lowest class in the community. Well-to-do menrelieved their consciences by bequeathing money forthe endowment of hospitals, but the sense of socialresponsibility was not fostered in girls, and the expressionof charitable instincts was almost confinedin the case of women to their personal relations.Outside the hospitals employment was given to aconsiderable number of women in the tending ofpersons stricken with small-pox or the plague, andin searching corpses for signs of the plague. Londonconstables and churchwardens were ordered in 1570" to provide to have in readiness Women to be Provyders& Deliverers of necessaries to infected Howses,and to attend the infected Persons, and they to bearreed Wandes, so that the sick maie be kept'from thewhole, as nere as maie be, needful attendance ~ e~ed."~In the town records of Reading it is noted " atthis daye Marye Jerome Wydowe was sworn to beS. P. D., dxxxix, 231. November I g, 1691.a S. P; D., Interreg : 1. 6% p. 633. 17 Aug., 1649.Stow, Lnd.n, V., p. 433.