Covent Garden & Sir John Baber, the Plague and a vanished monument

 

Fig. 1. Covent Garden in 1737 by Balthazar Nebot 

[Please click on image for larger version.]

The following blog is written in the hope that it might attract the attention of somebody with a deeper knowledge of events in Covent Garden during the period between 1650 and 1700 than I currently have, or who may have had access to records or accounts that I have yet to find. My interest in Covent Garden stems from the discovery that one of my great x 8 grandfathers, Sir John Baber was a physician living in Covent Garden at the time of the 1665 Plague and the 1660 Great Fire of London.

At the time he was one of three physician's to King Charles II, and it is clear that he played a leading role in events during the plague of 1665.

That his role had been very important is demonstrated by the gratitude of the local community expressed by the erection of a stone column that once stood in the centre of the Plaza at Covent Garden, and which can clearly been seen in Balthazar Nebot's painting and several other paintings from the period. The column was erected in 1668-9 and stood there in the square until about 1750. It was erected by a Mr. Tomlinson, a churchwarden using funds raised by the parishioners of Covent Garden.

Fig. 2. Extract from Nebot's painting showing the column.

“The churchwardens of St Paul's Church accounts record that "Upon due consideration of those many signall services, that the Honorable Sir John Baber hath don this Parish from Time to Time Wee thought it good to affix his Coate of Armes, in one of the Sheilds belonging to the Colume, as a Perpetuall acknowledgement of our gratitude, and to Refuse any present from him that should be tendered Towards the Charge thereof.”

 

                                Fig 3. Photo of a miniature of Sir John Baber by Gibson.

By 1665 Sir John Baber had been physician to King Charles II for about four years.  He was one of three physicians who took it in turn to attend at court on the King, for which he was promised payment for 112 days per year.

During October 1667, Sir John petitioned "for a warrant for payment from the Exchequer of 954l 4s. arrears of his pension of 12s a day, from 1st December 1662 to 16th April 1667, there being no fund at the Green Cloth from which it can be paid."

He annexed a  "Note of monies due to Sir John Baber; for 1597 days, total., 958l 4s." [2]

It is thought that Sir John had obtained this post through the recommendation of a near neighbour, Dr. Manton, rector of St. Paul's Covent Garden, who with other Presbyterian divines, had taken prominent part in the restoration Charles II. He had however had the honour of Knighthood being also bestowed on him 19 March 1660 at the Restoration, immediately after the King had returned from exile, which suggests that he had played some part in those events.

I have no detailed knowledge of what this role during the period up to the Restoration had been.  Can anybody point me in the direction of any accounts that cover his involvement in these events, or which might have clues in them?

However, a fascinating clue survives in the following extracts from the Journal of the House of Common’s records a debate that took place on: -

"Saturday, March 10th, 1659; Afternoon.

London Militia.

A BILL for settling the Militia for the City of London; and Liberties thereof, was this Day read the First and Second time; and, upon the Question, committed unto Major-General Alderman Browne, Sir Wm. Wheeler, Mr. Attorney Lechmere, Mr. Pryn, Sir Walter Earle, Mr. Weaver: And that they do presently withdraw; and amend this Bill.

Resolved, That Alderman Major-General Browne's Name be placed in this Bill, next after Alderman Vyner.

Resolved, That the same Qualifications be inserted in this Bill, as are in the general Bill for settling the Militia.

Resolved, That this Bill shall continue for One Year, or until the Parliament take other Order.

 A Rider was tendered to this Bill, That Colonel Thomas Lister, John Baber Esquire, Thomas Bayles, Alexander Pym, Charles Pym, Ralph Halsell, Robert Payton, and Captain Thomas Wytham, be added Commissioners for the Militia for the City of Westminster, and Liberties thereof: Which was read; and agreed unto; and ordered to be Part of the Bill."

A role within the London Militia would have provided John Baber a very useful position from which to provide information to Royalist spies. The London Trained Bands who had made up the militia were the core of England's standing army.

It is a great pity that no accounts seems to have survived of Sir John’s role during the Great Plague. That he had played a significant role is however clear from the following document, which describes arrangements that were made so that the Court could return to London, from it’s self imposed exile to Oxford made to avoid becoming caught up in the epidemic.

December 19^th 1665. Westminster.

Edm Godfrey to Fras. Lann.  Memoranda to be imparted to Mountjoy Earl of Newport.

            The workhouse in the New Churchyard is finished, and the vault made the largest burying place in England.  The Lords Chamberlain’s letter, published by the King’s order in all churches near Whitehall, has been of great use to prevent the swarming of rascally lodgers, who, if they have not occasioned, have greatly spread the plague there, and brought more charge on the inhabitants than they are able to support.

            All the common Sewers and watercourses have been cleaned against the return of the King and Court.  Has paid Dr. Innard at the pest house 200l, for services till All Hallow’s Day.

            Since which he pretends to higher terms, on some agreement with Sir John Baber.  He and all his regiment are to be dismissed the pesthouse, except three warders and a nurse or two, to prevent its being pulled down as formerly.

            Has met Mr. Warcupp twice a week in Convent Garden Vestry Meetings; they have agreed well, and the people seem satisfied with there government, except some poor, who cry out through dearness of fuel, and want of employment because King & Court are away, and some of the nobility and gentry forget their debts as well as their charity.  They have ordered all churchyards where many have been buried to be filled up with fresh mould, and earth a yard high laid on the graves etc. etc.[4]

From the above text it would appear that Sir John must have been one of those people in authority, who had remained in London to battle with the disease amongst those who could not flee.

He is listed as one of only 27 doctors and physicians out of about 200 who had been resident in London who had remained in London throughout the plague. 

As both one of the local doctors and also a Justice of the Peace, I expect that he must have been amongst those who attended the meetings of the St. Paul’s Vestry which took twice a week. I expect that Sir John had had to promise Dr. Innard and his brave staff a great deal, in order to get them to remain at their post in the Pesthouse.

Sir John who had been born in 1625, had married during the early 1650’s, probably shortly before 1653 to Elizabeth Richards, who was the daughter of Sir John Richards, of Yaverland on the Isle of Wight.

Their first child Martha had been born in 1656.  John was born on 27th December 1656, followed by Francis on September 11th 1657, and William on or about October 1658. Sadly his wife had died the following year on 28^th April 1659, and was buried in Saint Paul’s Covent Garden.

As a widower Sir John must have been bringing up his children alone, probably with the aid of servants.  With plague breaking out so close to his home, he must have decided to send his children out to the countryside. Lady Richards who may have been the children's grandmother, took the children to their home at Yaverland on the Isle of Wight.

The islanders, by late August were very aware of the plague in London, and must have been terrified that people arriving from the mainland would bring the plague to the island.  They tried to prevent Lady Richard's crossing the island to her home in Yaverland.

Inhabitants of Yaverland to Sir W. Oglander.

The Humble desire of ye Inhabitants of yaverland August the 30th (65)

Sr
These few lines are to entreate yo^r wor^pp for to send to Bradinge yt they might sett a watch & ward to keepe out all newport people out of the towne wee are resolved to keepe a gard day & night att yarbridge & wee have beene with Major Holmes att the fort & he hath promise that none shall come that way & we doe understand that the Lady Richards is minded to come to Yaverland too morrow but we are resolved for to stop her & not to lett her come in & wee are fearfull if she might come in thorough Brading & soe to come over the wall by ye sluce therefore we thought fitt to acquainte your worshipp with it hopeinge that yo^r worshipp will send to Bradinge that they might secure that way 

[5]

This effort to stop Lady Richard cannot have been successful. 

Over much of Europe there was a tradition of building ornamental columns to celebrate a city or towns deliverance from the Plague.  The Piazza at Covent Garden when it was originally laid out had an empty square.  At some point in the 1630’s a single solitary tree was planted in the centre of the Piazza surrounded by some wooden railings.  In 1668 it was decided by the parishioners that a column be erected to replace the tree which was not growing very well.  A Mr. Tomlinson, who was probably Richard Tomlinson, a churchwarden, proposed the erection of the column.  In 1668 he informed the vestry: -

“that he and his gentlemen had a desire to erect a Doricke columne of polished marble, for the support of a quadrangular dyall in the midst of the railes where now the trees are, it being very improbable that they should ever come to any maturity.” [6]

The Churchwarden’s accounts for 1668-9 record the receipts of gifts “towards the Erecting of the Columne - £20 from the fifth Earl of Bedford, and £10 each from Sir Charles Cotterell, master of ceremonies, and Lord Denzil Holles. 

£90 was paid to “Mr Keizar at the Sculpture of the Pallas for the Columne”, 8s. 6d. to Mr Wainwright for the four gnomons, and £2to Mr. Browne, “the mathematician, for his paines about the dial.”

10s. was paid for “ Drawing A Modell of the Columne to be presented to the Vestry.”

Then the churchwardens accounts go on to record that “Upon due consideration of those many signall services, that the Honorable Sir John Baber hath don this Parish from Time to Time Wee thought it good to affix his Coate of Armes, in one of the Heilds belonging to the Columne, as a Perpetual acknowledgement of our gratitude, and to Refuse any present from him that should be tendered Towards the Charge thereof.” [7]

John Baber had lived in the area from at least 1655.

The following entries in the cover page of the Overseers of the poor record that he was paying contributions for the poor, along with his neighbours.

Handberrye Overseers

For the Poore of the Parrish

Of Convent Garden [8]

Anno Dm

1655

Page 1

Poore of the Parrishe of Convent

Garden Anno Dm 1655.

West Division

Henretta Street

Imprimis
Right Honoble Earles of Bedford	03:00:00	02:10:00	0:10:0
Jerfox Braves	00:17:04	0:17:4
Honoble Lady Wootton	02:00:00	2:0:0
Will Lord Munson	02:00:00	2:0:0
Samuel Cooper	01:00:00	1:0:0
Mary Norfolk	00:10:10	0:10:10
John Jerman	00:10:10	0:10:10
Richard Doe	00:10:10	0:10:10
Abr Soaudebrug	01:00:00	1:0:0
Ralph Snillorke	00:08:08	0:8:0
Hugh Sharpington	00:10:10	0:10:10
John Baber	00:16:00	00:16:00
John Bradshaw	00:10:10	0:10:10
John Share	00:10:10	0:10:10
Edward Wallinger	00:10:10	0:10:10
Solloman Moore	00:06:06	0:6:6
John Staley	00:08:08	0:8:8

Fig. 4. An engraving dating from 1690 showing a bonfire next to the column in the Piazza at Covent Garden [9]

As Sir John did not die until 1704, it is very possible that he saw the events portrayed above in 1690.

He was buried in the St Paul's Church and the family erected a large monument to his memory. Sadly the church was burned out in the 19th Century destroying the interior and the monument.

Fig. 5. John Rocque drew the Piazza in 1742 when

 the monument can still be clearly seen.

Fig. 6. Covent Garden by Samuel Scott showing . Scott lived on the east side

of the piazza until about 1758 when he moved to Twickenham. 

[Click on image for a larger version] 

It is not known when the column finally came down, or what became of it. I don't suppose that anything survives, but it would be fun to find it hidden away like Temple Bar.

If you can add any thing to the information above, I would love to hear from you. I can be contacted at balmer.nicholas@gmail.com

[1] Survey of London, page 79, Covent Garden Churchwarden's Accounts
[2] C.S.P.D. Volume CXCVII paragraph 93
[3] C.S.P.D. Volume CXXXIX 1665-1666 paragraph 68
[4] Source: (OG/89/11) from http://www.btinternet.com/~rob.martin1/bem/plag.htm
[5] See “Survey of London, Volume XXXVI, page 79, and 331, originally from British Library scrapbook
[6] See “Survey of London, Volume XXXVI, page 79, and 331, originally from British Library scrapbook entitled “Gleanings relating to the Parish of Covent Garden Westminster” pressmark 1889 a 20
[7] Covent Garden Churchwardens Accounts, Westminster Records Office.
[8] House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 10 March 1660', Journal of the House of Commons: volume 7: 1651-1660 (1802), pp. 868-71
[9] See Survey of London, volume XXXVI, page xv.  Original is part of the Crace Collection in the British Museum, Views portfolio xviii.
[10]  entitled “Gleanings relating to the Parish of Covent Garden Westminster” pressmark 1889 a 20.