The French Hospital In England
By Tessa Murdoch & Randolph Vigne
"This richly illustrated account will appeal to a wide audience including social and art historians and all who are interested in Huguenot heritage".
[From The Book]
"...not just a memorial to a past endeavour but also a testament to a noble work in progress"
[Country Life]
"Beautifully illustrated throughout. If you are researching your Huguenot ancestors, this book will make a brilliant addition to your library"
[Practical Family History]
The French Hospital in England
[ ISBN: 13:978-0-9524322-7-2 ]
This first account of the history of The French Hospital and its collections takes the reader through the days of the refuge in the first La Providence, off Old Street, London, through its near-century in the green fields of Hackney, two World Wars, and its expropriation in the overcrowded post-war borough, then an interlude in rural Sussex and the move to Rochester in 1965. The personalities, achievements and the contemporary social scene are brought to life in this 292-year story.
More than a hundred new photographs of the hospital’s collections of paintings, engravings, silver, furniture and memorabilia provide a unique visual record. Portraits featured include the eighteenth-century Huguenot merchants Jean-Henri Guinand and Pierre Ogier. The early hospital records held at the Huguenot Library include tradesmen’s bills, portraits of inmates and hospital staff. An eighteenth-century steward’s diary records that one inmate hid over half a hundredweight of the hospital’s coal supply under her bed. Heraldic shields and book-plates record some of the principal Huguenot families who have served as directors, and a transcription of the 1742 inventory compiled in French lends historical colour. This richly illustrated account will appeal to a wide audience including social and art historians and all who are interested in Huguenot heritage.
Sponsored by the Idlewild Trust, the Marc Fitch Fund and the Paul Mellon Centre for the Study of British Art & published in memory of Jacob, 8th Earl of Radnor, who was elected a director of the French Hospital in 1960 and served as its governor from 1971 to 2008.
Alternatively to save postage costs just bring cash or a cheque payable to: 'The French Hospital' and collect your book in person from us at The French Hospital.
Our address and map can be found here.
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