(Ireland.)
SIXTH REPORT
FROM THE
COMMISSIONERS
of tiie
Board of EDUCATION in Ireland.
ACT 46 G EO. III.
BLUE-COAT HOSPITAL.
Ordered, hi/ The Houfe of Commons, to be printed, 20th March 1809.
To His Grace CHARLES Duke of Richmond and Lenox, &c. &c. &c.
4 Lord Lieutenant General, and General Governor of Ireland.
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR GRACE,
"f^E the underfigned Commiffioners appointed for enquiring into the feverai
** Funds and Revenues granted for the purpofes of Education, and into the
ilate and condition of all Schools in Ireland upon Public or Charitable Foundations;
proceed to lay before your Grace our Report upon the Hofpital and Free School
of King Charles tlie Ild, commonly called the Blue-Coat Hofpital.
The Hofpital and Free School of King Charles the Second in Dublin was
founded by a Charter of the 23d year of his Reign.
The Mayor, Sheriffs, Commons, and Citizens of Dublin, reprefentedby Petition,
that many charitable Perfons were defirous to contribute towards the erecting of
an Hofpital for Maintaining aged and poor People, and a Free School for the
Education of Youth; whereupon his Majefty waspleafed to grant to the Mayor,
Sheriffs, Commons, and Citizens of Dublin his Royal Charter of Incorporation,
conlVitutiug them and their Succeffors for ever Governors of fuch Hofpital and
Free School, and giving them apiece of Ground on Oxmantown Green, upon
-which they had already began to ereA a Building for the purpofe.
It has not appeared to us that at any time an eftabli-fliment was made for the
reception and maintenance of aged reduced People; butwe have reafoa to think,
that from the begining a plan of ufeful EdncaUon was formed which has continued
to the prefent time. No further Royal Grant appears to have been made to the
Funds of this Inftitution.
The Eftablilhment in its prefent ftate is for 130 Boys; they are maintained,
clothed, well inftruftcd in the Holy Scripture, and in the principles of the
Proteftant Religion, in Englilh, Euclid, Navigation, and the various Branches of
practical Mathematics, in which fome Boys now in the School have made a
proficiency uncommon for their years ; this is much to the honour of their prefent
Malter, who was educated in this Inftitution. The Boys are admitted at the age
of 8, and apprenticed at the age of 14 years, fome to Trades, fome to the Sea-
Service, with a fee of £. 5 for each.
For 12 years ended 25 December 1808, the Returns made to us give an
average Income of about ^.3,041 lOf. and an average Expenditure of about
. . .
In this Expenditure are included the annual Payments made in liquidation of
â– aDebtlongfince contratled; For, about the year 1779, the original Hofpita! being
decayed, and infufficient to receive the number of Boys which the Funds were
then equal to maintain, new Buildings were erefted upon an enlarged plan at the
expence of 21,294 ; they are fpacious; and though unfmiflied, an ornament to
the City: but it is to be regretted, that a plan fo expenfive was chofen, lince the
funds were inadequate to the carrying it into effeft. It was intended to psOvide
176. A fo
