COUNTY OF WORCESTER. HUNDRED OF OSWALDSLOW: Parish of Claines: William Norton's charity. William Copley's charity. Charles Evans's charity. Parish of Red Marley D'Abitot: The charities of John Bower, Parish of Welland : Poor's land. HUNDRED OF PERSHORE: Parish of Berrow: Chapelry of Queenhill: Parish of Bransford: Charities of John Worfield, Parish of Bushley : Mrs. Elizabeth Dowdeswell's charity. The Rev. Robert Wriggan's charity. Parish of Chaseley: Thomas Turberville's cha rity. Josiah Scudder's charity. Parish of Eldersfield: William Underhill's charity. The Hanley School. Parish of Leigh: The charities of Edward Parish of Longdon : Henry Toney's charity. The Rev. Henry Smith's William Lyes's charity. Parish of Madresfield: Anne Bull's charity. Thomas Dalley's charity. Parish of Great Malvern : Charities of Daniel Chap man, Edmund Rea, Izett Parish of Great Malvern-conta. Charities of Anna Bull, Wil- James Beavan's charity. John Webb's charity. Edward Winsmore's charity. Chapelry of Newland: Caleb Randall's charity. Parish of Mathon: William Burford's charity. The Rev. Samuel Juice's Parish of Castle Morton: The Church and Poor lands. Charity lands. James Beard's charity. Parish of Upton upon Severn: HUNDRED OF OSWALDSLOW. PARISH OF CLAINES. WILLIAM NORTON'S CHARITY. William Norton, esq. by his Will, dated 19th February 1721, directed that his executors, therein after named, should purchase lands of inheritance by and out of his personal estate, of about the yearly value of 7., and that the same should be settled and conveyed to them, their heirs and assigns,. for ever, in trust, that the rents, issues and profits thereof might be disposed of as follows; viz. 20s. every year, to be paid to the minister of the said parish for preaching a sermon on such day of the month, yearly, as he the testator should be buried on, and 20 s. yearly to be distributed in twopenny household bread, among the Nn 2 poor Claines. William Norton's Charity. Claines. William Norton's Charity, continued. William Swift's poor who should usually attend the service of the church, and should attend such sermon, and the residue thereof to be employed yearly in clothing five poor men, such as should usually attend the service of the church and the sermon that day and he desired, that the minister should give notice thereof in the church the Sunday before; and that the said bread and clothing should be given and distributed yearly, at the discretion of his trustees, and the minister and churchwardens of the said parish for the time being. By an indenture, dated 18th October 1758, between John Frogmere, of the parish of Claines, and William Bryton of the said parish, of the one part, and the Rev. Henry Bate, minister of Claines, Joseph Hughes and James Turner, churchwardens of the same parish, William Smith and William Bond, overseers of the poor of the said parish, and divers other persons therein mentioned, of the other part; reciting, that in consideration of the sum of 801. paid as therein mentioned, Elizabeth Baxter and George Baxter had, by a deed therein also recited, granted, with the consent of Mary Walker therein mentioned, unto certain trustees therein named, an annuity or rent-charge of 71., to be issuing out of a messuage or tenement, with the lands thereunto belonging, then or late in the occupation of John Benbow, lying in the parish of Claines aforesaid, in trust, for the uses and purposes of the said will of the said William Norton, with power of distress for compelling the payment thereof; and reciting, that the said John Frogmere and William Bryton were the only surviving trustees of the said charity: it is witnessed, that they, the said John Frogmere and William Bryton, in pursuance of a covenant to that effect, and for the nominal consideration therein mentioned, did grant and assign unto the said Henry Bate, Joseph Hughes, James Turner, William Smith, William Bond, and eight other persons therein mentioned, the said annuity or rent-charge of 71., which had been so granted by the said Elizabeth Baxter and George Baxter, to hold the same unto the said parties of the second part, their heirs and assigns, for ever, upon the trusts in the said will mentioned. This annuity was afterwards transferred to new trustees by an indenture of assignment, dated 1st January 1791, which appears to have been the last renewal; but none of the trustees under that deed are now living. The annual sum of 71. has been regularly paid to the trustees or the churchwardens of the parish of Claines, and 20 s., part thereof, has been always paid by them to the minister of the parish, for a sermon, preached on the 13th of November yearly, as directed by the will; and on the same day, twopenny loaves to the value of twenty shillings, have been distributed after the said sermon, among the poor of the parish, such persons only being selected as the objects of such distribution as have habitually attended divine service on the Sabbath, and have also attended the said sermon. poor men, The sum of 51., other part thereof, is expended in clothing for five which is given to them on the same day; the objects of relief being selected for their good character and conduct. WILLIAM SWIFT'S CHARITY. On a Benefaction Table in the parish church, is inscribed as follows:"William Swift, esq. has given to this parish one tenement, with three closes adjoining to it, called Leigh's, which he purchased of the executors of Thomas Norris, esq.; also, a little close next adjoining to the same, which he bought of Gilbert Cox, gentleman, the benefit thereof to buy twelve penny loaves of wheaten bread, to be brought into this church every Lord's Day, and also twenty-four more such loaves on Christmas-day, Easter-day and Whitsunday, and then immediately after morning service and sermon, to be given by the churchwardens to 12 such poor aged people as the said Mr. Swift shall, in his life-time, appoint, and after his decease, to be distributed at the discretion of the churchwardens for the time being; and the overplus to be given by the said churchwardens to the minister of this parish for the time being; and that the minister and churchwardens for the time being shall, after the death of the said William Swift, let the said tenement and closes to the best advantage, to the uses aforesaid. "This gift began at Easter 1677." The three closes mentioned in the said table, and the small close bought of Gilbert Cox, lie together next the lane leading to the church, and are distinguished from each other by some vestiges of an ancient boundary; they are all in the parish of Claines, within a quarter of a mile from the church, and consist of about three acres of pasture. Claines. The minister of the parish has usually let and managed this property, and William Swift's received the rent, which for some years has been 87. per annum. Charity, continued. One of the tenements is divided into two dwellings, now occupied by the Widow Turner and the Widow Harris, and Mrs. Harris's son has built a cottage upon the charity land. These persons hold also, together with their houses, a small curtilage, of about half a rood, divided by a fence from the rest of the charity property, and this property so separated, the occupiers of the abovementioned tenements claim as their own, in virtue of an uninterrupted possession without paying any rent for a great number of years. The quantity of loaves directed by the said testator's will, is distributed every Sunday, Chrismas-day, Easter-day and Whitsunday, as directed by the donor, and the residue of the rents and profits is applied by the minister to his own use. MARY WALKER'S CHARITY. Mary Walker, by her Will, proved at Worcester in May 1736, gave and devised her freehold cottage and garden at Dennis Green, in the parish of Claines, with the appurtenances, to her two sons-in-law, Henry Benton and Robert Hopkins, their heirs and assigns, for ever, upon trust, to provide four gowns for four poor widows of the parish of Claines aforesaid, on All Saintsday, yearly, for ever; and she directed, that if there should be any overplus, the same should be distributed in bread amongst the poor of the said parish, the same to be done by her said sons-in-law, and the survivor of them, and afterwards by the minister, churchwardens and overseers of the poor, and principal inhabitants of the said parish for ever. The freehold cottage and garden, given by the said will, is a property well known in the parish, and are now let at 67. per annum. The two sons-in-law of the testatrix have been long since dead, but in the life of the survivor of them the management of this charity was committed to one William Yarnold, who' afterwards died, leaving a son, John Yarnold, by whom the charity property has been since, and still is, let and managed, and the rents applied in providing four gowns for four poor widows of the parish, selected by himself, and what has not been so laid out in gowns has been expended in bread for the poor, which Mr. Yarnold has himself distributed. It has been recommended that Mr. Yarnold, who seems to have exercised a proper discretion in the administration of the bounty, should sign a memorandum in the churchwardens book, admitting himself to be an agent of the parish in respect thereof, so that the management and disposition of the charity may devolve, without dispute, to the minister and churchwardens at his death; to which proposal he has acceded, and has declared himself ready to be directed by the minister, churchwardens, overseers and inhabitants, in vestry assembled, in settling the amount of the rent to be paid in future; which, in the judgment of persons well informed on the subject, appears to have hitherto been too small. CHARITIES OF THE REV. TIMOTHY WOOD, JOHN COX, WALTER THOMAS Mary Walker's Charity. Charities of the and others. On a Table in the church the following gifts are thus inscribed :— "Mr. Timothy Wood, minister of Coulston, in the county of Surrey, gave by Rev. Thomas Wood, his last Will and Testament, bearing date September 6th, 1677, the sum of 50%. to the poor of this parish of Claines, to remain as a stock for ever, the interest thereof to be given yearly, on St. Thomas's-day, at the discretion of the churchwardens for the time being. "John Cox, gentleman, of this parish, who was buried March 10th, 1684, gave, by Will 20%., to remain as a stock for ever, the interest thereof to be given annually to the poor of this parish, at the discretion of the churchwardens for the time being. "Waiter Thomas, gentleman, of this parish, who died November 30th, 1656, gave 30l. to this parish, to remain as a stock for ever, the interest thereof to be employed as the former 501. (vide Rev. T. Wood), both which sums, together with the aforesaid 201. given by Mr. John Cox, amounting in all to 1007., were paid to William Swift, esq. in consideration whereof the said Mr. Swift hath, by a deed of feoffment, bearing date July 1st, 1676, settled a clear annuity of 51. per annum, payable to the churchwardens of this parish for the time being, and Rep. 22. Nn3 to Claines. Charities of the Rev. Thomas Wood, and others, continued. Moses Hyett's Charity. Charity of George and Ann Wingfield. William Copley's to their successors, every Easter, out of an estate adjoining the churchyard, which he purchased of the heirs of John Talbot, gentleman, for the use afore said. "Edward Thomas, gentleman, of this parish, gave by Will, bearing date April 21st, 1656, 50l. to remain as a stock for ever, the interest of the same to be employed yearly for the placing out of poor children of this parish.' The several legacies above mentioned to be given by Timothy Wood, John Cox, Walter Thomas, and Edward Thomas respectively, making together 1501, were invested in the purchase of an annuity of 71. 10s. per annum, granted by William Swift, of the city of Worcester, esquire, by an indenture dated 25th September 1678, to be issuing out of a messuage and lands of the said William Swift, situate near the parish church of Claines, with a power of distress for enforcing payment thereof. This rent-charge of 71. 10s. has been regularly paid to the churchwardens of the parish by the proprietors of the land charged. The present owner thereof is William Wall, esq. of the Old Bank, Worcester. The churchwardens expend the sum of 31., part of the said rent-charge, together with other monies given for the same purpose, in putting out poor children of the said parish apprentices; and the sum of 47. 10s., the remainder thereof, is distributed by the churchwardens among poor housekeepers of the said parish, on Easter Monday. MOSES HYETT'S CHARITY. Moses Hyett, by his Will, dated 30th April 1767, gave to the poor of this parish 80%, to be placed out in the names of the churchwardens for the time being, or laid out in lands, tenements or hereditaments, and directed the produce thereof to be distributed yearly, on Tuesday in the Easter week, among the poor of this parish, in such manner as the minister and churchwardens should think fit. This money appears to have been placed out upon private securities for a considerable time, and remained so till about the beginning of this century, when it was invested in the purchase of five per cents, which stock was afterwards reduced to four per cent; and the sum of 907. 6s. now stands in the new four per cent stock, in the names of the Rev. Tradwell Russell Nash, D.D. (who has been dead some years), Henry Wakeman, esq. (now Sir Henry Wakeman), and William Welch, esq.; the present dividend of which amounts to the sum of 31. 12s. 2 d. These dividends are received by the churchwardens, and distributed by them in small sums of 1s. 6d. each, among poor housekeepers of the said parish. : CHARITY OF GEORGE AND ANN WINGField, Church Table:--" George Wing field, esq. and Ann his wife, of Leppard, Worcestershire, bequeathed to this parish 1007., to be invested in government security, the interest of which to buy gowns for poor women, the minister and churchwardens to be the managers of this charity; the gowns to be always given on St. Thomas's-day every year, and no woman to have a gown two years together." This sum of 100l. was received by the churchwardens, and invested in the purchase of five per cent stock, afterwards reduced to four per cent. The sum of 105 l. is now standing in the names of Henry Wakeman, esq. William Wall, esq., and Thomas Henry Newport, and produces a dividend of 41. 48. per annum, which is received by the minister and churchwardens, and expended by them in the purchase of gowns for poor women of the parish, as directed by the donors. WILLIAM COPLEY'S CHARITY. Church Table:-" William Copley, gentleman, late of this parish, by Will, bearing date March 21st, 1682, gave the sum of 201. to be preserved as a stock for the poor for ever, the interest to be paid to them at Christmas by the churchwardens." This 207. appears, by the churchwardens books, to have been received and to have been placed in the hands of Francis Wythes, who was churchwarden in the year 1685; but it seems by certain entries in an old book, containing the accounts of that period, that the accounts of Mr. Wythes were very defective, and that he was guilty of great misconduct; the probability therefore is, that as there is no trace of any application of this sum of 207. since, it was either embezzled or lost by him. JOHN JOHN NORTON'S CHARITY. Church Table:-" John Norton, gentleman, who was buried March 16th, 1680, gave by Will 107. to remain as a stock for ever, the interest thereof to be distributed by the churchwardens for the time being, to five poor widows, who have no weekly pay, half-yearly; to wit, St. Thomas's-day and Midsummer." This money appears by the churchwardens book for 1729-1730 to have been received; but there is no account of its ever having been invested, and no trace can be found of it since that time. JOHN SAUNDERS'S CHARITY. Claines. John Norton's John Saunders, gentleman, late of this parish, gave by Will, bearing date Saunders's Charity. October 14th, 1774, to the poor annually, out of his house called the Joy House, in the Droitwich-road, 20s. in bread, to be given in twopenny loaves on St. John's-day; and likewise 20s. to buy two gowns for two poor widows of this parish, to be given on All Saints-day for ever, as long as the house should stand. This gift being within the statute of mortmain has never been received. THE REV. THOMAS COOKE'S CHARITY. The Rev. Thomas Cooke, late of Powick, in the county of Worcester, clerk, deceased, gave by his Will, bearing date May 6th, 1786, the sum of 21 l., to be paid within one month after his decease to the churchwardens of the parish of Claines, for the purposes following; that is to say, that the churchwardens and their successors should, immediately after receiving the same, place it out on good land security, such as should be approved of by Henry Bray, in their own names, the interest thereof to be applied on St. Thomas's-day yearly, with the approbation of his niece Frances Dickenson, during her life, in purchasing a coat and gown for a poor man and woman in the said parish of Claines, of the names of Thomas and Mary, and such persons to have the letters TCм marked in some part of such clothes. This sum of 217. remained for some time in the hands of the executor, who paid interest at 5 per cent, till about five years ago, when the sum of 201. was invested in the Worcester Savings Bank, the executor having retained the difference towards satisfying the legacy duty; and this money is and has always been applied in the purchase of cloth for making a coat and gown for a poor man and woman having the names of Thomas and Mary. CHARLES EVANS'S CHARITY. Church Table:-" Charles Evans gave 10l., the interest to be given to old pachelors and old maids, on Saint John's-day, by the churchwardens, or in default of such, to other proper objects. This sum of 107. was paid into the churchwardens hands under the Will of Charles Evans, and expended by them in the parish expenses of the year; the interest thereof, 10s., being left to be answered out of the parish rates, which interest continues to be distributed by the churchwardens among the persons appointed by the bequest. ELIZABETH PORTER, OR ATTWOOD'S CHARITY, The Rev. Thomas Charles Evans's Charity. Church Table:-" Elizabeth, widow of George Porter, gentleman, and late Elizabeth Porter, or wife of Christopher Attwood, gentleman, gave by her last Will, bearing date Attwood's Charity. September 10th, 1720, the sum of 201, to the poor of the parish of Claines, to remain as a stock for ever, the interest thereof to be distributed to 40 poor widows or old maids, in bread, yearly on Saint John's-day, at the discretion of the minister and churchwardens for the time being." This 20. was long ago received by the churchwardens, and expended upon parish purposes; but the parish make good the interest thereof out of the rates, and the sum of 20s. is laid out in bread annually, and distributed among poor women on Saint John's-day. |