profession, and that he hath led me during all the course of my life, having preserved me from many dangers wherein I have been exposed. I beseech him that he will extend more and more his mercy upon me, forgiving me all my sins through Jesus Christ, and doing me the grace to end my life in his fear and in his love, and to die in his grace, to be received in his eternal glory. When it shall please God to take me out of this world, I order that my body be interred in the nearest churchyard where I shall die, desiring that my burial shall not cost above £20. As to the goods which God hath given me, and of what shall be found at the time of my death to belong unto me, I dispose thereof as followeth:—
“First, I give £500 to the Pest-house, for to build there some apartments, there to lodge some poor, infirm or sick French Protestants above the age of fifty years, and the woman or maiden the same. My will is that there should be lodgings for twelve poor at least. Moreover, I give the fund of £500 which shall be placed to get thereout the annual revenue, which revenue shall be employed to furnish beds, linen, and clothes, and other necessities of the said poor French Protestants who shall be in the said place; and the said two £500, making in all £1000, shall be put in the hands of the committee settled for the distribution of the Queen’s charity and of the nation, which French Committee shall employ the said sums as it is here above mentioned, and shall give an account thereof to the Messieurs the English Commissaries who are, or shall be, settled to receive the other accounts of the said French Committee. And the Executor of this my testament shall take care that the whole be executed according to my intention, as I will explain it. I give to the two houses of charity, each £100; to that of Westminster the £,100 to Madame Temple, who takes care of the kitchen, and the other £100 shall be given to Mr Reneu, father in-law of Mr Dutry, who takes care thereof. Moreover, I give to the French Committee, to distribute to the poor of the nation, two hundred pieces or pounds sterling.
“Moreover, I give to Messieurs Mesnard £120, which they shall share between them by half; to Mrs Gilbert, £30; to Mrs Assere, sister of Mr De Marmande, £100; to Mrs de Hogerie, £100, and to Madame, his sister, who is at the Hague, lodged at Mr Dumare’s, £100; to Mrs de Hogerie, cousin of the above, lodged at Mrs Dangeon at the Hague, £100; to Mrs Treufont, whose name is now Pousse, being married, £30; to Mr de Gachon, my friend, £200, to help his nieces and his cousins, to maintain them or to distribute unto them as he shall think good; to Mr de Richosse, £100, for the friendship which he always showed me, being Master of the Horse of the deceased king, my master. I give to Caesar, my valet-de-chambre, to Susanna, and to his little daughter, £200, and all my clothes and all my shirts and other small linen, and the three silver mugs and six spoons and six forks, which are in the ancient mode; to my coachman, whose name is John, £30; to Hesperance, £20, his wages and those of the others being paid the first of the year. I desire that all my servants be clothed in mourning who are here above named, and Kate and her daughter.
“I name for executor and administrator of this my present testament Philippe Mesnard, minister of the Word of God, whom I desire that he will execute it punctually, and I do declare that this is my last will, and that no other testament which I might hereafter make shall have any force or virtue unless it be found that it begins with these words, ‘Our days do pass as a shadow,’ declaring that every testament which I might heretofore have made shall be null and of no force unless it begins with the above said words. Willing that this shall have its full and whole effect, therefore I have signed and sealed this present writing in presence of the witnesses who have signed with me at London. Besides the dispositions here above contained, I give to the Society settled in England for the Propagation of the Holy Gospel the sum of £100, for to be employed by the said society to such pious uses as they shall think good, according to their institution. I give to Jacob, son of Hesperance’s wife, who was named for me in baptism, £50. Moreover, I pray Mr Philip Mesnard that he will cause [to be distributed] £200, which I give for twenty ministers who may have need of it, at the choice of the said Mr Mesnard, executor of my will. Moreover, I bequeath and give to Mr Philip Mesnard all the goods which may belong unto me after the payments here above mentioned of my last will. — Done at London, the tenth August 1708.
“James De Gastigny.
“Witnesses — F. Mariette. Paul Dufour.
“Proved by the Executor, Philip Mesnard, at London, 1st Dec. 1708.
The French Hospital is a home for aged persons in poor or reduced circumstances, who can prove their descent from the French Protestant Refugees. The credit of the beneficent project (as already stated) was due to Gastigny. He bequeathed £500 for building, and another £500 as a capital fund for maintaining, an Hospital (or Hospice) for the use of French Protestants, Refugees for religion’s sake into Great Britain. The distributors of the Royal Bounty received this total sum of £1000, and allowed it to lie at compound interest for eight years. In 1716, the amount of accumulated funds having been announced, a subscription was cheerfully and rapidly made, the contributors to which were the principal families among the refugees, and the prosperous French merchants of London, and also several English people. The provisional managers were thus enabled to buy a piece of ground in Old Street, St. Luke’s, from the Ironmonger’s Company of London; and a building was erected “for the reception for eighty poor persons.”
