Founded in 1123, St Bartholomew's Hospital survived the Reformation, its oldest existing structure being St Bartholomew-the-Less, a parish church since 1546-7, which was remodelled by Dance in 1789. In 1723 a decision was made to rebuild the Hospital and James Gibbs (1682-1754) was appointed as architect. Four stone-faced blocks of 11 bays were erected to his freely given designs, 1728-68; three of the blocks survive.

Dance was Surveyor to St Bartholomew's Hospital from December 1778 to July 1796 and his first addition to the Hospital was the Surgeons Theatre, the construction and cost (£875) of which were agreed in June 1791. It was a rectangular building with a semicircular projection shown on [SM D4/8/2], [SM D4/8/4] and [SM D4/8/3], and was certainly in use by 1795. It was rebuilt in 1835. Dance's design for minor additions including a laboratory seems to have been carried out, two houses for the Matron and Steward surviving until after World War II.

LITERATURE. Stroud pp.157-8; N. Moore, M.D., History of St Bartholomew's Hospital, 1918, pp.378-80; V. C. Medevi & J. L. Thornton (eds), The Royal Hospital of St Bartholomew, 1123-1973, 1974, ch.12

OTHER SOURCES. Archives of St Bartholomew's Hospital