Of the Letters
Patent of 5th
Charles 1st.

Which confirmed to such

AND WHEREAS, in and by certain Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of England, bearing Date the 15th Day of August, in the 5th Year of the Reign of His late Majesty, King Charles I., reciting that the Men of the same Companies enjoyed divers Liberties and Franchises within the City of London, the Suburbs and Liberties thereof, by virtue of divers

Acts of Parliament, and divers Charters, and Letters Patent, His said

united Com- Majesty did grant and confirm unto the said Masters and Governors of the pany all the possessions, fran- Mystery and Commonalty aforesaid, and their Successors, all and singular chises and liber- the Manors, Messuages, Lands, Tenements, Customs, Liberties, Franchises, said Company Immunities, Jurisdictions, and Hereditaments, whatsoever, which the Men

ties which the

then held and

enjoyed,

of the said Companies then held, used, and enjoyed, by any lawful Means with power to or Title whatsoever: And his said late Majesty did thereby give power to make annual Elec- the said Corporation, to make annual Elections of Masters or Governors

tions of Masters

or

whereof two to be Professors in Sur

Governors of the said Commonalty, whereof two to be Professors in the Art and gery; and to elect Science of Surgery; and also to elect and constitute ten of the Freemen

ten Freemen to be Examiners.

Recital of the Act of 18th of George 2d.

of the said Society to be Examiners of Surgeons in London.

AND WHEREAS, by an Act of Parliament, made and passed in the 18th Year of the Reign of our late Royal Grandfather, King George II., intitled

"An Act for making the Surgeons of London, and the Barbers of London, by which the two separate and distinct Corporations," It was enacted, that the said Union of the Union and Incorporation of the Barbers and Surgeons of London, made two Companies was dissolved ; and effected by the aforesaid Act of the 32d Year of King Henry VIII.

stituted a dis

the Name of

should, from and after the 24th Day of June, 1745, be dissolved and declared void and of no effect; and that such of the Members of the said united Company who were Freemen of the said Company, and admitted

and approved Surgeons, within the Rules of the said Company, and their

and which con- Successors, should from thenceforth be made, and they were thereby made tinct Company and constituted, a separate and distinct Body Corporate and Commonalty of Surgeons, by Perpetual, which at all times thereafter were to be called by the Name "The Master, of Master, Governors and Commonalty of the Art and Science of Surgeons Governors, and of London, and by the same Name might implead and be impleaded before the Art and all manner of Justices, in all Courts, and in all manner of Actions and geons of Lon- Suits, and take to them and their Successors, Lands, Tenements, Rents, or Hereditaments, not exceeding the yearly Value of £200 in the whole.

Commonalty of

Science of Sur

don."

Recitar that such Corporation was dissolved.

AND WHEREAS, we are informed that the said Corporation of Master, Governors, and Commonalty of the Art and Science of Surgeons of Lon

consequence

courageme

Members of

andallsuch P the Dissoluti tained Lett

sons who sin

thereofhave c

don, hath become and now is dissolved: AND WHEREAS, it is of great con- That it is of & sequence to the Commonweal of this Kingdom, that the Art and Science the Science of gery should of Surgery should be duly promoted: AND WHEREAS, it appears to us, that duly promo the Establishment of a College of Surgeons will be expedient for the due and that a Col will be exped promotion and encouragement of the Study and Practice of the said Art for the due and Science, Now WE, of our special Grace and mere Motion, and at the thereof. humble Petition of JAMES EARLE, Esquire, the late Master, and divers other Members of the aforesaid late Corporation of Surgeons; have willed, Therefore Majesty ordained, constituted, declared, given and granted, and by these Presents, pleased to for Us, Our Heirs, and Successors, do will, ordain, constitute, and declare, corporate give and grant; unto the aforesaid JAMES EARLE, and unto all the Members late Compa of the said late Company or Corporation of Master, Governors, and Commonalty of the Art and Science of Surgeons of London; having been admitted and approved Surgeons, within the Rules of the said Company; and also unto all such Persons, who upon, or since, the dissolution of the Testimoniale said Corporation, shall have obtained Letters Testimonial, under a Seal purporting to be the Seal of the said late dissolved Corporation, authorizing them to practise the Art and Science of Surgery; and they, from henceforth for ever hereafter, shall be and remain by virtue of these Presents, one Body Corporate and Politic; by the Name of THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS IN LONDON, and by the same Name shall and may have perpetual. Succession, and a Common Seal; with power to break, alter, and make anew the said Seal, from time to time at their will and pleasure; and by the same Name shall and may implead, and be impleaded, before all manner of Justices, in all Courts, and in all manner of Actions and Suits; and shall be at all times for ever hereafter persons able and capable in Law to take, purchase, possess, hold, and enjoy, and shall and may take, purchase, possess, hold and enjoy, a Hall or Council-house, with its Appurtenances, situate within the Cities of London or Westminster, or within one Mile of either of them, for the use and purposes of the said College; and also any other Lands, Tenements, Rents, or Hereditaments, wheresoever situate, lying and being; not exceeding, together with the aforesaid Hall or Council-house, and its appurtenances, the yearly value of one thousand Pounds in the whole; without incurring any of the Penalties in any Statute of Mortmain, or any Thing, in any Statute of Mortmain, to the contrary notwithstanding.

By the name lege of Surgec With perpetu

"The Royal C

succession an a common sea

and power hold and enjo Council-hou within Londo

orWestminste or one mile c

either of them and to posses lands and tene ments, incluc ing such Cour cil-Houseof th early value

main.

in mort

Proviso, That

And it is Our further Will and Pleasure, that nothing in these Presents the City of Lon

have any juris

College.

don shall not shall be construed to give the Corporation of the City of London any Power diction over the or Jurisdiction over the said College hereby established and incorporated; Northe Members and that no Person, by virtue of these our Letters Patent, constituted or joy any franchise ordained, or hereafter to be admitted a Member of the said College, shall Freemen of the be thereby entitled to any Franchise belonging to the Freemen of the City

of the College en

belonging to the

City of London.

any former

of London.

The College to enjoy all other And it is Our further Will and Pleasure, and we do hereby, so far as We privileges and lawfully can or may, grant and ordain, that the said Royal College of possessions by Surgeons hereby incorporated, shall and may exercise and enjoy all and Acts or Letters singular other the Gifts, Grants, Liberties, Privileges and Immunities, Patent, given Possessions, real and personal, whatsoever and wheresoever, hereinbefore wise acquired mentioned, or by any Act or Acts of Parliament, or by any Letters Patent, by, the late Company, not of Our Royal Predecessors, Kings and Queens of England given, granted, hereby altered, and confirmed unto, or otherwise lawfully acquired by, and belonging to

to, or other

The College liable to perform

the said late Master, Governors, and Commonalty of the Art and Science of Surgeons; or any of them, and not hereby altered, taken away, changed, or abridged, made void, or annulled.

And it is Our further Will and Pleasure, that the College of Surgeons the late the coms hereby established, shall be liable to, and shall perform, such Duties as the

such Duties as

bundid pero

by the Act of 25th George 2d, "For the better preventing the hor

late dissolved Corporation of Surgeons was at any time heretofore liable to, and did perform, by virtue of an Act made in the 25th Year of the Reign rid Crime of of Our Royal Grandfather, King George II., intituled, "An Act for the Murder." better preventing the horrid Crime of Murder."

To provide a proper place And further We Will, that the said College shall, and by these Presents within four they are required to purchase or provide a proper Room, House, or Building, hundred yards with suitable Conveniences, within four hundred Yards, at the farthest, of execution from the usual Place of Execution for the County of Middlesex, or the City the Bissecting of London, and the Suburbs thereof; for the purpose of more conveniently

from the place

Murderers.

of

Power to elect twenty

one

Dissecting and Anatomizing the Bodies of such Murderers as shall at any time hereafter be delivered to them, by virtue of the last mentioned Act.

And it is Our further Will and Pleasure, that it shall and may be lawful, persons to be to and for the said College, hereby established and incorporated, from the Court of time to time in the Manner hereinafter mentioned, to elect, choose and the College; appoint twenty-one Persons to be the Court of Assistants of the said Col

Assistants of

ten shall be

miners, an shall be P two others

such ten,

pal Master

vernors.

Governors, ten other M

of Assist

to treat and

Government

lege: of which Court of Assistants ten Persons shall at all times be consti- of which Nu tuted and appointed Examiners of Surgeons for the said College; and of such ten Persons one shall be Principal Master, and two others shall be Governors; to be respectively qualified and admitted in such manner, and to continue in the said Offices respectively, for such time or times as by these Our Letters Patent is hereinafter ordered and appointed. And it The Mastershall and may be lawful for the Master and Governors of the said College, one of them or for one of them, together with ten or more of the Members of the said bers of the C Court of Assistants for the time being, when and as often as to any one of may hold Co the Master or Governors shall seem meet, to hold Courts and Assemblies, sult about in order to treat and consult about, and concerning, the Rule, Order, State, the College; and Government of the said College. And also that it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Master and Governors, and Court of Assistants, so assembled, or the major part of them, to make, ordain, confirm, annul, and make or revoke, from time to time, such Bye-Laws, Ordinances, Rules, and Constitutions, as to them shall seem requisite and convenient, for the Regulation, Government, and Advantage of the said College: so as such ByeLaws, Ordinances, Rules, and Constitutions be not contrary to Law: and in all such cases as shall be necessary, be examined, approved of, and allowed, as by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm is provided and required: and also to transact and ordain all such other Matters and Things and transact as the Master, Governors and Court of Assistants, of the late dissolved siness Company or Corporation, of the Master, Governors, and Commonalty of the ants of the 1 Art and Science of Surgeons of London, might heretofore lawfully do, and transact, or ordain.

annul Laws,

such other

as

B

Court of Ass

dissolved Co pany might

and Geor

Esqs., the fir Governors.

And further We Will, that CHARLES HAWKINS, Esquire, one of Our Charles Ha kins, Esq., t Principal Serjeant-Surgeons, shall be and he is hereby constituted and first Master. appointed the first Master of the said College of Surgeons: and that William Lo WILLIAM LONG and GEORGE CHANDLER, Esquires, shall be, and they are Chandler, hereby constituted and appointed the first Governors of the same: And that the said CHARLES HAWKINS, WILLIAM LONG, and GEORGE CHANDLER, together with JOSEPH WARNER, WILLIAM LUCAS, SAMUEL HOWARD, and WILLIAM COOPER, Esquires, the said JAMES EARLE, THOMAS KEATE, Esquire, the Surgeon-General to our Forces, and CHARLES BLICKE, Esquire, shall be, and they are hereby constituted and appointed the first Examiners of The first Cou Surgeons for the said College. And also that the said CHARLES HAWKINS, WILLIAM LONG, GEORGE CHANDLER, and JOSEPH WARNER, JONATHAN

WATHEN, Esquire; the said WILLIAM LUCAS, SAMUEL HOWARD, WILLIAM COOPER, JAMES EARLE, and CHARLES BLICKE, THOMPSON FORSTER, Esquire; JOHN BIRCH, Esquire; the said THOMAS KEATE, JOHN HEAVISIDE, JOHN HOWARD, WILLIAM BLIZARD, and HENRY CLINE, Esquires; DAVID DUNDAS, Esquire; the other of our Principal Serjeant-Surgeons; and such three other Persons as shall be elected to that Office on the day whereon the Court of Assistants of the said College, hereby incorporated, shall first meet, after the Date of these our Letters Patent, or at a Court of AssistThe first Court ants to be holden within one Month then next after: shall be and they are hereby constituted the first Court of Assistants of the said College of Surgeons, hereby incorporated and established.

of Assistants.

The Master and Governors to

ces until the first

And it is Our further Will, that the said Master and Governors shall enjoy their Offi- respectively hold and enjoy their said Offices of Master and Governors from Thursday in July henceforth until the first Thursday in July next after the Day of the Date new Election of of these Presents; and from thenceforth until a new Election of a Master

until a Master and Go

vernors.

The Examiners and

and Governors of the said Corporation shall take place, as is hereinafter expressed.

And We also Will, that the said Persons, so before named and constıtuted Examiners of Surgeons of the said College, and their Successors in

that Office, duly chosen, nominated, or appointed, and that the said PerAssistants and sons so before named and constituted Assistants of the said College, their Succes- established by these our Letters Patent, and their Successors in that to enjoy their Office, duly chosen, nominated or appointed, shall respectively hold and Offices for enjoy their said Offices during their natural lives, or until they shall be

sors

their natural

lives, or until lawfully removed out of the said Offices for any reasonable cause.

removed.

pal Serjeant

The two princi- And it is Our further Will and Pleasure, that the two Principal SerjeantSurgeons and the Surgeons to Us, and to Our Heirs and Successors, and the Surgeon-General

Surgeon-Gene

to be always ad

ral to the Forces to our Forces, and to the Forces of Our Heirs and Successors, if they, or mitted into the any of them, at the times of their Appointments respectively, shall not be

ners when any

ants and Exami- Members of the Courts of Assistants and Examiners of the said College, vacancy shall shall be from time to time admitted Members of the said Court of Assisthappen in those Courts in preference to all other

ther ants, and also Examiners of the said College hereby incorporated, when and so soon as any Vacancy shall happen, from time to time, after the Appointment of every such Serjeant-Surgeon, or Surgeon-General respectively, in preference to all other Persons.