Philanthropy

Money grubbers in the City of London have been getting a deservedly bad press over the last few years. So here's an exhibition to redress the balance: Philanthropy: The City Story. Today, for one month, historic The Charterhouse is opening its doors to the public (CLICK). The exhibition is curated by the Museum of London and funded by the City of London Corporation’s charity, City Bridge Trust. The Charterhouse began life as a Carthusian monastery in the 14th Century. The Dissolution of the Monasteries saw it closed in 1537 and its Prior was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn. Various Tudor bigwigs turned it into a mansion and both King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I visited it. In 1611 it was further altered and extended to become a school for poor boys and an almshouse for gentlemen pensioners, all of which was generously endowed by Thomas Sutton, who had made a fortune from coal. The school has since moved away, but the almshouse for gentlemen pensioners, known as The Brothers, remains, called Sutton's Hospital in Charterhouse (CLICK).