The Charterhouse historic archives, or the Sutton’s Hospital in Charterhouse archives as they are officially called, are deposited with The London Archives. There are 123 linear meters of records, so it is a substantial collection.
Earlier this year, a group of residents, volunteers and staff were kindly invited to see some of these fascinating records, which shine a light on the day-to-day life of the Charterhouse from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
The team at The London Archives (TLA) chose a range of documents from different periods to display for us to view, catering to everybody’s interests. They ranged from letters and documents from past residents to copies of the Charterhouse Magazine, and views of the site throughout the centuries. Particularly interesting was the chance to see Thomas Sutton’s signature and original seal on a lending bond dating from 1598, more than a decade before he founded the Charterhouse.
Food, so important in the daily rhythm of the Charterhouse to this day, is also a recurrent theme in the archives. A Diet Book from the 1640s showed, among other things, the extensive amount of mutton consumed by the Brothers, while also providing an insight into the diet of Elizabethan Londoners. In 1714, the pensioners wrote a petition against the manciple who would have been responsible for buying and storing food. It declared that the mutton had been “as bad as can be said of it & many times not fit to be eaten”. We hope the quality of mutton improved as a result of their petition. Another document from 1832 recounted that each Poor Brother “receive[d] daily one pound loaf of wheaten bread, one quart of table beer, [and] two ounces of fresh butter” – plus the customary share of ever-present mutton.
Staff found the post-war photographs of the site particularly interesting, as they revealed the extent of the restoration carried out in the 1950s, including the upper floor of the building where the office is currently situated which was completely destroyed during the Blitz. It was also interesting to see a list of duties of some of the employees from the early 19th century, such as the Beadle and the Watchmen. The Beadle’s duties included “attending the western avenue to keep the gates shut on the days of Smithfield Cattle Market to prevent cattle in the Square”. That is certainly not a problem in central London anymore! Emily, from our Garden team, enjoyed the opportunity to see an 1858 plan of the gardens and the scholars’ playground that showed the earlier extent of the Charterhouse’s green spaces. Drawn twenty years before Clerkenwell Road was built, the plan depicts Wilderness Row, as the pre-existing narrow road was known. The name references the type of landscape that had dominated the area before it became increasingly urbanised over the centuries. It also showed the full length of the Norfolk Cloister before part of it was demolished in the late nineteenth century. This might have triggered a few nostalgic sighs, but it also underlined the Charterhouse’s particular character as a place that has been constantly inhabited and modified throughout many centuries.
This visit was an excellent opportunity to strengthen our ties with The London Archives and to gain insight into the lives of past residents and employees of the Charterhouse, highlighting how many things have changed but, most importantly, how the ethos of the Charterhouse remains the same.
Maria Lopez-Monis, Development Manager