,
5 tweets,
1 min read
Read on Twitter
MSPs are currently debating the Hutchesons' Hospital Transfer and Dissolution (Scotland) Bill - another private bill with quite a fun history. It's not quite the Pow of Inchaffray Drainage Commission Bill, but it's not bad...
The legislation dates back to a bequest from George Hutcheson in 1639, which was used to support old men from Glasgow who had been merchants or tradesmen, but fell on hard times
A “hospital” was initially built for the old men to live in - hence the name. The first hospital was built in Trongate in 1641, and a successor was Hutcheson’s Hall - a Category A listed building owned by the National Trust, which is now a steak and seafood restaurant
An extra legacy from George’s brother Thomas made provision for the support of orphans, which established a school – which became today’s Hutcheson’s Grammar School, which still gets grants from the fund
Technically a huge list of people are “patrons” who can help run the fund – there were 95 of them in 2017 – so the Bill sets up a simplified charitable organisation of 15 trustees to do the job
