Chamberss Edinburgh Journal, No. 442 | Page 2

spirit of independence for which the modern
Scottish peasantry has been famed, and which even yet survives in
some degree of vigour, notwithstanding the fatally counteractive
influence of poor-laws. The funds contributed by these worthy men
were put into a box, and kept there--for in those days there were no
banks to take a fruitful charge of money--and at certain periods the
contributors would meet, and see what they could spare for the relief of
such poor fellow-countrymen as had in the interval applied to them. We

have still a faint living image of this simple plan in the boxes belonging
to certain trades in our Scottish towns, or rather the survivance of the
phrase, for the money, we must presume, is now everywhere relegated
to the keeping of the banks. The institution in those days was known as
the SCOTTISH BOX, just as a money-dealing company came to be
called a bank, from the table (banco) which it employed in transacting
its business. From a very early period in its history, it seems to have
taken the form of what is now called a Friendly Society, each person
contributing an entrance-fee of 5s., and 6d. per quarter thereafter, so as
to be entitled to certain benefits in the event of poverty or sickness.
Small sums were also lent to the poorer members, without interest, and
burial expenses were paid. We find from the records that, in 1638,
when the company was twenty in number, and met in Lamb's Conduit
Street, it allowed 20s. for a certain class of those of its members who
had died of the plague, and 30s. for others. The whole affair, however,
was then on a limited scale--the quarterly disbursements in 1661
amounting only to L.9, 4s. Nevertheless, upwards of 300 poor
Scotsmen, swept off by the pestilence of 1665-6, were buried at the
expense of the Box, while numbers more were nourished during their
sickness, without subjecting the parishes in which they resided to the
smallest expense. We have not the slightest doubt, that not one of these
people felt the bitterness of a dependence on alms. If not actually
entitled to relief in consideration of previous payments of their own,
they would feel that they were beholden only to their kindly
countrymen. It would be like the members of a family helping each
other. Humiliation could have been felt only, if they had had to accept
of alms from those amongst whom they sojourned as strangers. Such is
the way, at least, in which we read the character of our countrymen.
In the year 1665, the Box was exalted into the character of a
corporation by a royal charter, the expenses attendant on which were
disbursed by gentlemen named Kinnear, Allen, Ewing, Donaldson, &c.
When they met at the Cross Keys in 'Coven Garden,' they found their
receipts to be L.116, 8s. 5d. The character of the times is seen in one of
their regulations, which imposed a fine of 2s. 6d. for every oath used in
the course of their quarterly business. The institution was now
becoming venerable, and, as usual, members began to exhibit their

affection for it by presents. The Mr Kinnear just mentioned, conferred
upon it an elegant silver cup. James Donaldson presented an ivory
mallet or hammer, to be used by the chairman in calling order. Among
the contributors, we find the name of Gilbert Burnet (afterwards Bishop)
as giving L.1 half-yearly. They had an hospital erected in Blackfriars
Street; but experience soon proved that confinement to a charity
workhouse was altogether uncongenial to the feelings and habits of the
Scottish poor, and they speedily returned to the plan of assisting them
by small outdoor pensions, which has ever since been adhered to. In
those days, no effort was made to secure permanency by a sunk fund.
They distributed each quarter-day all that had been collected during the
preceding interval. The consequence of this not very Scotsman-like
proceeding was that, in one of those periods of decay which are apt to
befall all charitable institutions, the Scottish Hospital was threatened
with extinction; and this would undoubtedly have been its fate, but for
the efforts of a few patriotic Scotsmen who came to its aid.
Through the help of these gentlemen, a new charter was obtained
(1775), putting the institution upon a new and more liberal footing, and
at the same time providing for the establishment of a permanent fund.
Since then, through the virtue of the national spirit, considerable sums
have been obtained from the wealthier Scotch living in London, and by
the bequests of charitable individuals of the nation; so that the hospital
now distributes about L.2200 per annum, chiefly in L.10 pensions to
old people.[1] At the same time, a special bequest of large amount
(L.76,495) from William