| Description | Jean Lebailly, a 62 year old silkweaver, requests to be admitted to the Hospital. He was born in London but his grandfather was a Huguenot refugee from Lower Normandy. He is a member of the French Church of London. Jean has not been able to work for the past 18 years due to his poor eyesight. A long note in a different hand, signed by Louis Mercier, states that he has known the petitioner for 24 years and has seen the papers confirming his Huguenot ancestry. He describes Jean as very kind, and honest but also simple, which according to Mercier, is the real reason why he has not been able to work for all these years. He used to be a soldier but now sleeps in a watchman's box and sells shrimps at a loss. |