DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70267#0469
SIR WILX1AM STAINES. 421.
habitants is a peruke-maker, whom we are also informed
had shaved his worthy friend and patron during a period
of forty-two years. ,
It is now about six months since Sir William Staines
entirely left his town residence at Barbican, to go- and
reside at his country-house at Clapham Common; how-
ever* though he has removed from- bis poorer neighbours,
he does not forget them. Sir "William still occasional! v
visits and enquires after the health and circumstances of
each of them individually* and with the same good hu-
mour and affability which has ever distinguished him both
before and after his elevation in life. It should have been
observed* th&t Sir William is the proprietor of the ground
on which Mr. Towers’s dwelling-house and chapel now
stands* which forms a part of the revenue of these alms-
houses.—He also built the New Jacob’s Well up the pas-
sage in Barbican.
It must have have been a singular source of happiness
to Sir William, that in all his pious and humane efforts, he
was never opposed by any of his family. Hi's late lady* in
particular* ever shewed a high degree of alacrity in second-
ing his views. In order to distinguish who were the pro-
per objects of his bounty, she has not been averse to
visiting some of the poorest habitations in and about
Golden Lane and other places. And in the distribution of
soup, &c. in winter* which Sir William was in the habit
of bestowing four or five years before it became common,
it was not his general rule to compel those who received it
to fetch it from his house, and thus proclaim their humi-
liation to the censorious* and the world at large; but, to
prevent this, his servants have been sent with his alms to
the habitations of those who received them.—Still in this
unusual flow of the purest benevolence, it is not pretended
that the donor has met with no abuse in the conduct of
those who received it; this, notwithstanding, never altered
'his character; his conduct still seemed to speak the lan-
iii . guage
habitants is a peruke-maker, whom we are also informed
had shaved his worthy friend and patron during a period
of forty-two years. ,
It is now about six months since Sir William Staines
entirely left his town residence at Barbican, to go- and
reside at his country-house at Clapham Common; how-
ever* though he has removed from- bis poorer neighbours,
he does not forget them. Sir "William still occasional! v
visits and enquires after the health and circumstances of
each of them individually* and with the same good hu-
mour and affability which has ever distinguished him both
before and after his elevation in life. It should have been
observed* th&t Sir William is the proprietor of the ground
on which Mr. Towers’s dwelling-house and chapel now
stands* which forms a part of the revenue of these alms-
houses.—He also built the New Jacob’s Well up the pas-
sage in Barbican.
It must have have been a singular source of happiness
to Sir William, that in all his pious and humane efforts, he
was never opposed by any of his family. Hi's late lady* in
particular* ever shewed a high degree of alacrity in second-
ing his views. In order to distinguish who were the pro-
per objects of his bounty, she has not been averse to
visiting some of the poorest habitations in and about
Golden Lane and other places. And in the distribution of
soup, &c. in winter* which Sir William was in the habit
of bestowing four or five years before it became common,
it was not his general rule to compel those who received it
to fetch it from his house, and thus proclaim their humi-
liation to the censorious* and the world at large; but, to
prevent this, his servants have been sent with his alms to
the habitations of those who received them.—Still in this
unusual flow of the purest benevolence, it is not pretended
that the donor has met with no abuse in the conduct of
those who received it; this, notwithstanding, never altered
'his character; his conduct still seemed to speak the lan-
iii . guage