| AdminHistory | The Coqueau bequest came to the Hospital through the will of Esther Coqueau , a spinster. Of this benefactress little is known except that she lived in the parish of Christ Church, Spitalfields. As one of her minor bequests was to a cousin in Canterbury, she may well have belonged to a Coqueau or Cocqueau family which figures frequently in the registers of the Canterbury Walloon Church in the 17th century.
Esther Coqueau died apparently in January 1745, or shortly before: her will was proved in the Prerogative Court on 17 January, and she left to the Hospital £2000 in 3 per cent Government Annuities. The interest was to be divided equally among 'ten poor maids or widows aged upwards of 50 years', for life, vacancies to be filled by election by a committee of Hospital Directors. Preference was to be given to the foundress's kin, if any were eligible. A similar bequest was made to the French Church in Threadneedle Street. Among other legacies there was one of £100 to the poor in the Hospital, while a number of relatives and servants received smaller sums.
Additional details on the Coqueau bequest are given in the introduction to Charles F. A. Marmoy (compiler), 'The French Protestant Hospital: extracts from the archives of "La Providence" relating to inmates and applicants for admission, 1718-1957 and to recipients of and applicants for the Coqueau Charity, 1745-1901', Huguenot Society Quarto Series, volume 52 (London, 1977). |