Colston Ward, St Barts – 1909
Edward Colston (2 November 1636 – 11 October 1721) was an English merchant, philanthropist, Tory Member of Parliament, and a benefactor and Governor of St Bartholomew’s Hospital, 1683-1721, who was involved in the Atlantic slave trade.
Colston followed his father in the family business becoming a sea merchant, initially trading in wine, fruits and textiles, mainly in Spain, Portugal and other European ports. By 1680, he became involved in the slave trade as a member of the Royal African Company, which held a monopoly on the English trade in enslaved African people. He was Deputy Governor of the company in 1689–90.
Colston was appointed as a Governor of St Bartholomew’s Hospital in 1683 at the request of King Charles II, as Colston was a Royalist sympathiser and the king was determined to promote men who would support his brother James as successor to the throne. Colston gave £500 to the hospital the in 1684 and a further £850 in 1693. The money was used to purchase an estate at Mayland in Essex. When Colston died in 1721 he bequeathed a further £500 to Bart’s, which was used to purchase a property on Giltspur Street, now the site of the medical school library.
A Colston Ward was established in 1752 in the newly built West Wing of the hospital. The ward moved to the King George V Medical Block when it was opened in 1937. It was amongst those demolished for the reconstruction of the building c2005-2010, although there was briefly a ward informally given this name in the new building.
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My wife, bless her tells me that I am rapidly becoming, or perhaps that should read have become a “Grumpy old fart”, so what better forum to spread my doom, gloom and paranoia than WordPress. I also have a love of old pictures, postcards and Edwardian Actresses, in particular Miss Gabrielle Ray which I hope to share at regular intervals. As my collection has grown I have set up another blog which contains only pictures of Miss Ray. Gabrielle Ray Thank you for viewing and comments are welcome.
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