Evening star., 1903-08-18
Administer Rugs.
LLoYD'S PATRIOTIC FUND.
British Naval and Military Fund
Founded in 1903.

From the London Globe.
It Is Just 100 years ago that the patriotic
fund, the oldest naval and military 1uno
of the kind in existence in Great Br1tain'
now known as Lloyd's Patriotic fund' was
founded by the subscribers to Lloyd g. On
July 90 1903, a meeting was held OF the
merchants and underwriters for the pur-
pose Of raising a fund for the beneht OF
the sufferers by the war which was then
raging between this country and Napoleon
Bonaparte. The meeting was presided over
hv MT. Brook Watson, and the intention
of the founders Is best explained by the
following resolution which was passed on
that casion: Resolved. That to animate
the efforts Of our defenders by sea and
land. it is expedient to raise by the pa
trotism of the community at large suit
able fund for their comfort and relief; Tor
the purpose of assuagfng the angu:sh OF
their wounds, or paliiating in some degree
the more weiRhty misfortune of the loss Of
limbs; of alleviating the d.stresses OF the
widow and orphan, OF soothing the prov
of sorrow for the fall of dearest relatives,
the props OF unhappy Indulgence or helpless
age: the granting pecuniary rewards or
honorable badges of distinction for sue
cessful exertions Of valor or merit
In an interesting little history of the fund
published by Lloyds 1t is recorded that by
March, 1S05 f15S, ,343 had been subscribed.
and by 1925, when the subscriptions prac-
tically ceased. the total amounted TO f4aO.
800. This sum. by Judlcious management
in the way Of Investment, by the peration
of long annuities, and sale Of securft es at
greatly enhanced prices, was eventually
Increased in value to fSS3, COZ. The list was
headed by Lloyd,s with tSUo consols' 10
be supplemented later by f1o,O0O. while the
subscribers to LlOyds contributed over
f7O.OO0 within fortnight. The lord mayor
and corporation of London, the Bank Of
England the East India Company. the
city companies the bankers and the arch
bishops, bishops. Judges, ministers and
other public men subscribed. as did also
numberless humble contributors. who sent
half-crowns and shill'ngs- Even Quaker
gave thirty guineas for blankets.
1t will ,e noticed that the fund was not
only for the relief of those in d stress, but
also for the granting of rewards; and the
first occasion on which the fund was used
was when. in February. 1904. a squadron of
French ships of war were repulsed by some
East India merchantmen. Swords Of honor
were presented to the commodore and his
captains, while the families of those who
had fallen were granted assistance. After
Trafalgar vase with 900 was presented
to Lady Nelson and f61. 900 consols were
given to the Royal Naval Asylum The
trustees have still on Their books for relief
aged ladies, whose fathers or relatives
fought under Nelson at Trafalgar or under
Wellington in Spain. The fund continued
it's patriotic work in the many wars which
took place after the great struggle with
Napoleon was concluded. and particulars
are given in the little history, but it must
suffice to say here that the general work
of the fund was continued throughout the
remaining years of the last century. In the
year 1875 the committee decided to place
the balance Of the capital funds. about
Els 600. under the charity commissioners in
whose name they are now invested, and
under a scheme approved by whom the
trustees are elected and the funds admin
istered In recent years by a new depart
ure, one officer from the army and one
from the navy has been elected, much to
the sattsfa ction of their colleagues
But 1t should not be imagined that there
is no more need for help ON the part of the
public. The payments from the fund are
very large, and the resources extremely
limited, so that the trustees viii always
welcome further subscriptions to this ex-
cellent and patriotic Institution.