ABSTRACT
John Lydekker was born in the United States of America and at five years of age his family moved to, and settled in Britain. In 1804, he began business on his own as a cane and whalebone merchant at Golden Leg Court, Cheapside and, in 1806, moved to 15 Silver Street, Wood Street, where he resided until 1815. The Seamen’s Hospital Society had been in operation for more than a decade, and had recently taken over HMS Dreadnought as its Hospital-ship, HMS Grampus having served this purpose from 1821 to 31. In order to commemorate his almost unbelievable munificence, a monument was erected on the north staircase of the second Royal Exchange. The petition continued by describing how the Hospital-ship was set up from voluntary funds, and the rules – which included the admission of all seamen without recommendation. Clearly the Society could not rest on its laurels, in the light of the Lydekker beneficence.
