Yesterdays blog about our London walks began the history of one of the bombed out City Churches, Christchurch, Greyfriars. We let it with the Dissolution of the Monasteries having reduced it to the inglorious usage of being turned into a store house for the spoils of war, with the King’s Printer setting up his presses in the nave of the old church.
As our London walks make their way along Newgate Street they pass two blue plaques on the wall of what is now the office building of Merrill Lynch. One blue plaque commemorates the Greyfriars Monastery which stood on the site until Henry V111 dissolved it. The other commemorates Christ’s Hospital School and it is with that institution that we shall deal in today’s blog.
In the mid 1540’s the church had been renamed Christchurch. In the 1550’s Edward V1 allowed the City of London to convert the old monastic buildings for use as Christ’s Hospital School for the welfare and education of poor, fatherless children. Famous pupils at the school included the 18th century essayist Charles Lamb and the early 19th century poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
The school left the site in the early 1900’s and moved to its current location at Horsham in Sussex where it still is a thriving charitable boarding school that caters for children from all walks of life.
However, it was decided that the children should return to their City of London routes once a year and to this day the pupils return to London annually on St Mathews day (September 21st) to march through the streets and meet with the Lord Mayor at Guildhall. The Lord mayor still presents the pupils with largess or sum of money.
Historically it was on St Mathews day that the school governors were elected which is why this day was chosen for the march.
The pupils dress up in their famous uniform that consist of a blue coat with silver buttons(hence the school also being known as the Bluecoat School). In Tudor times blue was the favourite color for the attire of charity children since it was the cheapest dye. The children also wear bright yellow stockings, reputedly as these were died in saffron and, since it was believed that rats didn’t like saffron, this would deter the rats from nipping at the ankles of the pupils.
Our London walks are full of intrigiong anecdotes such as this so why not check out one of our tours?
Tags: Blue Coat School, Charles Lamb, Christ's Hospital School, Greyfriars Monastery, London walks, Newgate Street, Samuel Taylor Coleridge
