Emery Hill

On a pillar at the west end of St Margaret's church is a marble cartouche to Emery Hill who founded almshouses in Westminster and is buried in the church. The sculptor is said to be Jasper Latham. The arms shows "vert, three talbots [dogs] passant argent, two and one". He was a Churchwarden and also a member of the Worshipful Company of Brewers, making his fortune in property. In 1879 his almshouses, with those founded by Palmer and Butler, were all amalgamated into the United Westminster Almshouses, in Rochester Row. The inscription reads:

Sacred to ye memory of that great example of pietie and true Christianity Mr Emery Hill, late inhabitant of ys [this] parish & a worthy benefactor to ye same, who departed ys life upon ye 27 day of June, A.Dm. 1677 in ye 68 yeare of his age & lyes here interred. A person accomplished with all Christian graces & vertues & most eminent for his charity besides wt. [which] hee gave in his life time hee left by his will at his death 1st: the revenue of several howses in Westminster forever for ye use of the poor children of ye King's hospital in tuttle [Tothill] fields, of wch. hee was one of ye Governors. 2ly: ye sume of 100 li [pounds] for ye building of three almes houses in Petty France, 3ly: 71 li p.ann. in fee for ye teaching of ye poor children of ye parish. 4ly: 100 li for a stock of coales for ever for ye use of ye poor of ye parish, 5ly: 50 li to ye children of Christ Church hospital in London, 6ly: a bountifull gift for ye setting upp of poor decayed tradesmen hee left a plentifull provision for ye building of twelve alms howses, a chapell & school for six poor men & their wives, six poor widows & teaching of 20 poor children with sufficient maintenance for ye same for ever. Mor 50 li for the use of the poore of ye Company of Brewers. Besides severall other charitable bequests which we have not roome to mention.

Further reading

"A brief account of the United Westminster Almshouses" by Gerald R. Shutt