This being reported to the King, his Majesty voluntarily incorporated the Governors of these houses by the title of _The Mayor, Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, Governors of the possessions, revenues and goods of the hospitals of Edward VI., King of England_, &c. as his Majesty desired to be esteemed their chief founder and patron. To promote and continue this work, he granted the city certain lands that had been given to the house of the Savoy, founded by King Henry VII. for the lodging of pilgrims and strangers, but which was now only used by vagabonds and strumpets. These lands amount to the yearly value of 600_l._ He also commanded, that after reserving a sufficient quantity of the linen, which had been used in the times of popish superstition, to each church within the city and suburbs of London, the remaining superfluous great quantities should be delivered to the Governors of this hospital, for the use of the poor children under their care. And one of the last actions of that good Prince’s life, was signing a licence for this corporation to purchase lands in mortmain.
In 1552 the house of the Gray Friars was prepared for the poor fatherless children, and the same year 340 were admitted. Soon after, several considerable private benefactions were left to this hospital, and at length Charles II. by a well judged liberality, founded and endowed a mathematical school for the instruction of forty boys in that study, in order to fit them for the sea, and for this purpose he ordered 1000_l._ a year to be paid out of the Exchequer for seven years. This institution is executed in a manner suitable to the intention of the founder. Every year ten of these boys are put out apprentices to masters of ships, and ten more are received in their room. The master is not only expected to be a good mathematician, but to understand the learned languages. Afterwards the Governors appointed forty other boys to be taught mathematics in the same manner. The other schools are a grammar school, a writing school, and a school for the girls who learn reading and needle work, and there have been lately added a master to teach the boys drawing, an art of the greatest use in many mechanical arts.