Once James VI of Scotland had acceded to the English throne in 1603, the number of Scots living in London began to swell significantly as courtiers, merchants and craftsmen followed their king south. These immigrant Scots were not entitled to local parish relief in times of need and a mutual aid society called the ’Scots Box’ was immediately established to support the new arrivals and their families. The fund later developed into a longer lasting form of charity when it was granted its first royal charter of incorporation as ’ The Scottish Hospital of the Foundation of Charles II’ in 1665 as the Great Plague swept through the city. The Charity then became known as the Royal Scottish Corporation. This book outlines how the charity has evolved alongside the development of London’s poor laws, voluntary hospitals, state welfare and care in the community. |
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