6. Garden in Leicester, adjoining the master's residence and school, occupied rent free by the master. The expenditure from this account may be stated generally as follows,— The same sum of 267. was paid to Lutterworth, until the year 1834-5, when it was withheld in consequence of the payment being applied to the use of a national school. £. s. d. 220 0 12 0 4 0 10 Leicester. The Cadeby branch comprises a messuage situate in Cadeby, with the yards, garden, and orchard thereto adjoining, containing in the whole 3R. 7P., and also several closes, all in Alderman Newton's the lordship and liberties of Cadeby, containing in the whole 63A. 2R. 11P., and also all the Charities, continued. right of the lessors in and to a lane and garden therein, containing 1A. 1R. 34P., lying ad- £. S. d. 95 0 0 63 10 10 £ 158 10 10 26 0 0 The remainder is applied yearly in putting out from 12 to 15 apprentices, with premiums of 81. each. They are required to be children of parents of the Established Church resident in Leicester, and the master must also be of the Established Church; they are bound by the directions of the committee, after a satisfactory inquiry as to the means of the master, and his character, and capability of teaching the trade; they are nominated in rotation by the whole body of the corporation attending personally at the Common Hall. Boys of Newton's school, if equally eligible, have a preference. The accounts of this charity were kept by Mr. Barnes, now deceased, previous to the year 1825, when he became insolvent, being indebted to the trustees on the general account in the sum of 1881. 3s. 10d., and on account of the Cadeby branch 477. 10s., making in the whole 2351. 13s. 10d. No dividend has been received from his estate. Mr. Burbidge was appointed to succeed Mr. Barnes as treasurer in August 1825, and kept the accounts to 14th April 1836, when the accounts were audited to Lady-day 1835, and Mr. Burbidge was removed from the office. Mr. James Rawson was then appointed treasurer, and kept the accounts until the appointment of new trustees by the Court of Chancery, on the dissolution of the old corporation, when the books of accounts were delivered to them. At the auditing the accounts to Lady-day 1835, there appeared due to Mr. Burbidge, the treasurer, a balance of 225l. 16s. 1d. on the general account, and 201. 9s. 5d. on account of the Cadeby branch. In the above statement of the property of the charity, we have included two sums, of 1,8431. 3s., and 1,5887. 16s. (the former belonging to the general account, and the latter to the Cadeby branch), as stock standing in the Four per Cents., having been converted from Navy Five per Cents. Although the dividends were divided in the above proportion between the two accounts, yet the stock stood in one sum, in the corporate name of the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, and was sold out under the following circumstances : April 16th 1830. At a meeting of Alderman Newtor's committee, being a meeting of the whole Hall-present, the mayor, nine alderman, and seven common councilmen it was ordered that the money belonging to Alderman Newton's charity, then vested in the Four per Cents., should be sold out, and placed in the bank of Messrs. Mansfield and Babington, as a distinct account, in the name of the corporation, until the amount could be placed out on securities. That the mayor and magistrates be a committee to superintend the placing the same out, and that the securities should be approved of by them, and that the mayor should put the common seal to the powers of attorney. It appears by the books of Messrs. Mansfield and Babington, that on April 28th 1830, the sum of 3,2217. 19s. 5d. Four per Cents., were sold at 1013, and the produce, 3,2781, 7s. 2d., carried to an account headed "The Trustees of Alderman Newton's Charities." At another meeting, held 28th September 1830, it was ordered that 3,000l. of Alderman Newton's trust money should be advanced on mortgage of two estates at Peckleton and Desford, lately purchased by Mr. George Bass of Ayleston for 4,500l., besides timber, and that the town clerk be ordered to prepare the proper security, in the name of the magistrates in trust for the corporation, as part of Alderman Newton's charity. Signed by mayor and four magistrates. These minutes were made on loose paper, and neither of them entered in the Minute Book. On 12th October 1830, the sum of 3,000l. is entered as paid "to Bass" in the banker's accounts, leaving a balance of 3217. 14s. 2d. in hand, which has since been reduced to 997. 14s., which remained due to the trustees 31st December 1836. The money was, however, in fact paid to Mr. Burbidge, who prepared the mortgage-deed, which was engrossed 11th October 1830 on the proper stamps, and 1,000l. was actually paid to the mortgagor. There was, however, a prior mortgage on the estate, which was to be paid off, but the mortgagee not having had proper notice, refused to receive his money, and therefore the mortgagor would not take the remainder of the 3,000l., and also returned the 1,000l., which had been advanced to him, and the whole 3,000l. remained in Mr. Burbidge's hands. In the mean time the dividends of the stock were entered regularly in the account, to the same amount as if the stock had not been sold, and Mr. Burbidge, as treasurer and receiver, charged poundage thereon as before, and several of the trustees stated that they were not aware the stock had been sold out, as they saw the dividends regularly entered. The business remained in this state until about April 1836, when Mr. Burbidge, as already stated, was removed from the office of treasurer, and required to pay up the sum of money in his hands, and to render up his accounts, which in fact had been very carelessly kept, and very negligently examined by the trustees. In February 1835, the accounts of three years were audited together, ending at Lady-day 1834, and in April 1836 the accounts to Lady-day 1835 preceding were audited, and from that time the members of the old corporation who were concerned in this charity have turned their attention to obtain a settlement with Mr. Burbidge. At the time of the Inquiry, in December 1836, upwards of 2,000l. had been received by Mr. Rawson (who continued to act as treasurer, although the old corporation was no longer existing) from Mr. Burbidge, on account of his debt due to this charity, which was placed at interest in the bank of Messrs. Mansfield, to be paid over to the new trustees when they should be appointed. Since the expiration of our Commission, Mr. James Rawson has delivered up the accountbooks to the new trustees who have been appointed, and paid the balances appearing to be due from him as treasurer. And in July 1837 a settlement had so far been effected, that only a balance of 2691. 3s. 5d. remained due from Mr. Burbidge, and the new trustees held a second mortgage of property in Leicester, made to Mr. Burbidge for 450l., as security for the balance due from him, so that it was not supposed the charity would sustain any loss. The new trustees were in possession of the estates, and would receive the rents at Michaelmas 1837, and they had appointed a committee to examine the accounts. READ'S CHARITY. Thomas Read, alderman of Leicester, by Will, dated 30th June 1821, directed his trustees to pay the sum of 2007. to the mayor, aldermen, and common council of Leicester, discharged from all legacy duty, upon trust, to place out the same upon parliamentary security, and to pay the dividends or yearly produce thereof, as received, to such young man educated at Alderman Newton's charity-school, and apprenticed by the said charity, who could produce to the committee for the management thereof a testimonial from his master that he had served him faithfully and truly during his apprenticeship, and was never taken before a magistrate during his term of service for any crime whatever; and if there should be two or more candidates for this donation, testator directed that it should be in the power of the said committee at their first meeting after Easter to give the preference to him who should adduce the best character, without any favour or partiality, at which meeting the mayor, for the time being, two aldermen, and three common council, should always be present, and form part of the committee; and he declared the receipt of the mayor should be a sufficient discharge for the legacy; and that when any young man should have received the benefit of this donation, any further application for the same should be rejected; and he directed that a printed copy of that clause of his Will should be annexed to every indenture of apprenticeship under Newton's Charity. This legacy, with a small sum arising from interest, was invested in the purchase of 2007. Stock Four per Cents., in the name of the corporation, since reduced to Three and a Half per Cent. The dividend, 77., is received through the bank of Messrs. Mansfield. The committee appointed for Newton's Charity examine the testimonials of the different candidates, who are generally seven or eight in number, and the one selected is ordered to attend at the school, where the reward is paid him by the mayor, in the presence of the committee and all the other scholars, and an exhortation is given to the boys, recommending them to strive to obtain the like reward. SIR THOMAS WHITE'S CHARITY Leicester. Alderman Newton's continued. Read's Charity. A full account of the foundation and endowment of Sir Thomas White's Charity, which is vested in the corporation of Coventry, and is under their management, has been given in the Twenty-eighth Report, page 172. The several corporations of Coventry, Leicester, Northampton, Warwick, and Nottingham, are entitled in successive years to the benefit of this charity, in the manner and for the purposes stated in the Twenty-eighth Report. The account of the receipt and application by the three last-named corporations, respectively will be found in the Fourteenth Report, page 269; Seventeenth Report, page 514; and Twentieth Report, page 402. Parker's Charity.-John Parker of St. Pancras, Soper-lane, London, by Will, dated 7th May 1639, bequeathed to the mayor and town of Leicester 50l., for the use of the poor of the said town, to be lent out in small sums at the discretion of the mayor, aldermen, and commons, to poor knitters, lacemakers, and weavers, or other poor handicraft men, each sum to be let out for three years, gratis; and if that the mayor, aldermen, and 48, should please to meet in the town-hall to settle the business, that it might continue good for their poor, he further gave them, to be spent in a dinner, 6., and to the clerk for his pains 20s. In the chamberlain's accounts for the year 1641-2, is an entry that "a release was given to Mr. Joseph Parker upon the receipt of the 507. given by his brother Mr. John Parker, to the use of the poor of this corporation." Sir Thomas" White's, Parker's, Heyrick's, and Andrew's Charities. Leicester. Charities for Loans, continued. By an old account, it appears that one bond, dated 5th December 1642, was lost, when the town was taken, and another was lost when the account was stated, 9th October 1763. There were three bonds out in 1726-30%. Heyrick's Charity.-Robert Heyrick's Charity will be stated in a separate Report, giving an account of this and all his other charities. The amount applicable to loans is 107. every third year. See p. 21. Andrew's Charity.-James Andrew, by Will, dated 11th May 1636, gave to the mayor and corporation of Leicester 201. to be yearly lent by parts to several poor people of Leicester, to set them at work on flax or other commodities, taking security for the restitution of the principal at the year's end, so that the same might be lent again to other poor people yearly. And for default of such lending, the principal, or so much thereof as should not be lent, should revert to his heirs, executors, and administrators. In the chamberlain's accounts for the year 1643-4, is entered, "Received of Mr. Seagrave, in part of the 401. given to the town, by an award in satisfaction of the 1007. given to the use of the poor by Mr. James Andrews deceased, once alderman, this being the last payment, 107." No further information relating to this bequest could be obtained. The loan charities of Sir Thomas White, Robert Heyrick, and John Parker, form one account, but there does not appear of late years to be any grant of loans from the two latter charities, which seem to have been absorbed in the former. There is no receipt in respect of Heyrick's triennial 101. brought to account in the present book, commencing in 1820, and it appears to be in arrear for many years. In an answer put in to an Information in Chancery, which will be alluded to hereafter, the corporation admit the receipt of 6807. on account of Heyrick's charity, calculating that 107. had, or ought to have been, received every third year since the death of the donor. The practice in Leicester, as in the other corporations, is to advance sums of 100%. to freemen, on bond for 2001. conditioned for the repayment of 100l. at the end of nine years. Formerly, the loans were 401. and 50l. only, but they are generally now 1007. There are always two sureties, and it is one of the conditions to renew the sureties if the trustees require it. The stamp for the bond is 30s., and the town-clerk's fee for filling it up is 10s. 6d. Freemen requiring loans present petitions according to a printed form to the court of aldermen, who assemble by summons for this particular purpose. The names of the parties, and the responsibility of the sureties, are taken into consideration; and if not approved of, notice is given to the parties, who prepare other sureties if they think fit. All the aldermen present vote by ballot, and the majority of votes decides whether the loan is to be granted or not. When granted, the town-clerk is directed to fill up the bond and advance the money. In the management of this charity the corporation profess to have followed an order, made 5th September 1718, whereby it was ordered that when Sir Thomas White's and Heyrick's bonds are turned over according to order of Hall, what money and bonds shall be in the late mayor's hands shall be paid over to the present mayor, under forfeiture of 201. by the late mayor. In pursuance of this order, the practice has been for the corporation to meet in Common Hall annually in the spring, to settle the accounts for the past year, and at that time the bonds are produced and called over, and such bonds as become due during the following year are delivered to the mayor, to whom, or to the town-clerk in his behalf, payment would be made. If any principal had removed from the town, or the sureties had failed, the bonds were what is called "thrown out," and placed in the hands of the town-clerk to be paid in or renewed, and they were then said to be "on receipt." The accounts were then produced by the town-clerk, and an entry made in the Hall-book of the proceedings of the meeting. The mayor retiring from office delivered over the bonds, as above, to the new mayor, who gave a receipt for the same, and also a receipt for the balance, although in fact, (of late years at least,) no money ever passed at that time from one mayor to the other; the balance being kept by the town-clerk, who allowed interest thereon to the mayor. The account book was kept by the town-clerk, was produced by him, and taken away again after the meeting was over. The accounts were regularly entered every year, and the date and amount of every existing bond, and the names of the principal and sureties transcribed in a book appropriated to that purpose. On settling the accounts in March 1833 for the preceding year, the receipt account stood thus, In the following year the town of Leicester received in its turn the fifth year's produce of the trust estates from the corporation of Coventry, and the account of March 1834 stood thus, Leicester. Charities for Loans. continued. Receipt stamp 0 10 0 2,886 10 10 £16,456 48 This balance of 2,886l. 10s. 10d. ought to have been paid over to the mayor, but it was retained by the town-clerk. None of the 1,500l. ordered to be lent out in bonds was advanced, and therefore that sum also was to be accounted for. The old corporation having been dissolved on the 1st January there was no meeting at Lady-day 1836, and of course no loans were ordered, or accounts entered. As the sum of 1,500l., ordered to be put out in the preceding year, had been very improperly retained by the town-clerk, and some of the bonds due had been repaid and received by the different parties, an endeavour has been made to draw up the account as it ought to have stood if made out in the regular course, at Lady-day 1836. The following is the result,— £. s. d. 130 0 0 24 15 10 1,200 0 0 0 450 0 0 8,500 0 0 £. s. d. 10,304 15 10 £16,031 6 8 |