Leicester.

Countess of Devonshire's Charity, continued.

The Gentlemen of the Lottery,

The property consists of an orchard containing 3R. 18p., with two dwelling-houses and outbuildings, in a very dilapidated state. One of the houses and part of the orchard is let to the widow Mann, and the other house and part of the orchard to Charles Mann, both as yearly tenants, at the rent of 16. per annum each, which is the full value. At the last receipt an abatement was made to the widow, on account of the dilapidated state of the buildings; C. Mann's rent was raised from 67. about three years ago. The land, if it could be sold, would sell well for building, but in Leicester there is an objection to build on leasehold property. The whole rent has been carried to the general corporation account, out of which there has been paid only 37. as a rent-charge, which has been distributed in the proportions above stated on the Thursday before Easter, to the churchwardens of the several parishes.

The new corporation considering this property as their own proposed to sell it, as it was very advantageously situated for building. On examining into the title, the original purchase deed above abstracted was discovered, from which it appears that the whole produce of the property should be applied to the purposes of the charity, and the corporation are willing to consider it as so applicable. It appears, however, desirable that the case should be certified to the Attorney-general, in order to ascertain what amount of arrears, if any, should be paid by the corporation, and what measures may be adopted for the improvement of the charity property.

THE GENTLEMEN of the LottERY, SIR WILLIAM COURTEEN, And Evington.
It is recorded in the old charity-book that

"The gentlemen of the Lottery who were here in the time of the mayoralty of Mr. Roland Sir Wm. Courteen, Pusey, (in 1717,) at their going away gave 201. to the corporation of Leicester, to the use of the poor thereof."

and Evington.

"Sir William Curteen gave 107. to the same use."

"Mr. Elkington (Evington ?) gave 487. to the same use; all which sums of money, together with and amongst other money taken out of the chamber of the town, were bestowed in and about the purchasing of certain closes of pasture grounds which the corporation bought of Mr. John Freake. So that it was ordered in the time of the mayoralty of Mr. Francis Churchman, (1627,) that there should be given yearly out of the rents of the said grounds the sum of 47. 16s. to the use of the poor, in manner following, viz., that the said sum of 47. 16s. should be bestowed yearly in fourpenny bread, at two several days or times in the year, viz., the one half at or before New Year's-day, and the other half upon the Thursday before Whitsunday, and to be distributed to the several parishes in manner and form following, viz.

£. s. d.

0 10 8

The sum of 41. 16s. is six per cent. upon 802.

£4 16 0"

The corporation purchased Freake's grounds, out of which this payment is said to issue, for 4801., as appears by indenture dated 7th February 1624, whereby John Freake, Francis Freake his son, and others, in consideration of 4807. paid by the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, granted and released to them and their successors a barn and storehouse, and four several closes therein described, in the parish of St. Leonard, in the county of Leicester, containing by estimation 55 acres, to hold unto and to the use of the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, and their successors, for ever.

By the above indenture, after reciting that a certain yearly rent of 101. was formerly reserved to Henry Earl of Huntingdon, and his heirs, out of the bargained premises and other lands of the said John Freake thereunto adjoining which were purchased by Philip, father of the said John, from the said Earl, in fee, which rent the said Earl afterwards gave to the chaplains and poor of the hospital of William Wigston, for certain charitable uses, payable yearly on Michaelmas and Lady-day. By deed remaining with the said chaplains and poor, dated 11th October, 18th Elizabeth, the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses covenanted with the said John Freake, and his heirs, that they would from Lady-day then next ensuing pay to the said

chaplains and poor the said annuity of 101. as the same should become due by virtue of the said grant, and that they would discharge and save harmless the said John Freake, and his heirs, and all their estate, and all the rest of the lands of the said John Freake which the said Philip bought of the said Earl, from all suits which should happen in consequence of the nonpayment of the said annuity.

The first payment of 47. 16s. entered in the chamberlain's accounts is in 1627-8, but is more fully entered in the accounts of 1641-2, in the following terms, which has been continued in substance to the present day.

"Item-Paid to the poor of the several parishes of Leicester in iiii dy bread, in lieu of the several sums of money given by Sir William Curteyne, kt., Mr. Evington, and the Lottery Men, being in the whole lxxviii li., by agreement of a common hall, paid yearly forth of the said lands lately purchased of Mr. Freake iiij li.-xvi s.”

From the authority of the preceding, and many similar ancient entries, it seems that the name of Elkington, who is the donor of another charity, has been substituted for Evington in the modern entries of this donation.

The sum of 41. 16s. has been regularly paid every year by the chamberlains to a baker, by whom a quantity of bread is supplied to the five parishes in the proportions above mentioned, on New Year's-day, and Thursday before Whitsunday, and distributed by the parish

officers.

MRS. HOBBIE'S GIFT.

Leicester.

The Gentlemen of the Lottery, Sir Wm. Courteen,

and Evington, continued.

By indenture dated 15th May 1629, between James Andrew, son and heir of James Mrs. Hobbie's Gift. Andrew, late alderman of Leicester, deceased, of the one part, and John Angell, clerk, John Bonnett, clerk, Paul Abney, and five others, of Leicester, of the other part,-it is witnessed that the said James Andrew, in discharge of the trust reposed by Margaret Hobbie, deceased, in the said James Andrew, deceased, and Thomas Sacheverell, clerk, deceased, and Robert Pilkington and William Stanley, also deceased, whom the said James Andrew survived, granted unto the said John Angell and others, and their heirs, two messuages, sometime used as three dwelling-houses, then in the occupation of Robert Owen, alias Raynsford, and Mary Shingleton, widow, and Robert Messenger, situate in the parish of St. Mary's, on the east side of the street there commonly called the South Gate, between the land of the said James Andrew on the north part, and land in the tenure of William Somerfield on the south, which premises the said Thomas Sacheverell and others had of the gift and grant of Jarvise Wilde, of Nettleworth, in the county of Nottingham, to hold the same messuages, &c., unto and to the use of the said John Angell and others, their heirs and assigns, upon trust, to bestow the rents of the premises as follows, viz., 12s. of the rent of the said tenement wherein Robert Owen dwelt to be paid to the under usher of the free-school, by equal quarterly payments, and 12d. yearly residue of the said rent to be given to the poor in bread; and that the rent of the other tenement in the occupation of Robert Messenger should be yearly distributed in manner following, viz., to the poor of Trinity Hospital 2s. 6d. ; to the poor of the New or Wigston's Hospital 2s.; to the widows of St. John's 6d. yearly; and 4s. more of the same rent to be yearly given amongst the poor widows of the parishes of St. Martin and St. Mary, in twopenny loaves of bread; and the residue of the said rent to be employed yearly for the payment of such chief rent as should be payable for the same.

"Item-There is two chief rents payable yearly out of the said Messenger's house, viz., 2s. 10d. to the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, as heretofore belonging to the college of St. Mary, over against the castle of Leicester, and 9d. to the auditor, which is collected by the bailiff of Leicester at Michaelmas only." (Old charity-book.)

There does not appear to have been any subsequent trust-deed, and the rent has been for a long period received by the corporation.

Although it is clear that the whole rents were intended to be given by the above deed, we do not find that any more was ever received than the sum of 17. 1s. 8d. The houses were probably destroyed in the time of the civil wars, and not rebuilt.

In 1728-9, in the chamberlain's rental, there is entered a receipt of Thomas Hartshorn "for a certain ground in the South Gates belonging to two tenements theretofore in the occupation of Messenger and Owen, being the gift of Margaret Hobbie to charitable uses, per annum, paid by Samuel Ball, 17. 1s. 8d.'

Before 1779 the property was probably severed, as we find in that year the sum of 11. 1s. 8d. paid by four persons in four distinct payments.

The corporation do not appear ever to have received more than 17. 1s. 8d., which they seem to have, for a great length of time, considered as arising from fee-farm rents. They now receive from Mr. Thomas Coleman 6s., Mr. Tilley 7s. 2d., and John Hurst 2s. 6d., and the rent of 6s., which was payable by Thomas Gregory, has been sold at 20 years' purchase. In respect of this charity the chamberlain pays annually 12s. to the schoolmaster, included in the sum of 167. 5s. 4d. He also pays the following sums:

Leicester.

Tamworth's
Charity.

Julius Billers's
Charity.

TAMWORTH'S CHARITY.

Christopher Tamworth, of Gray's Inn, esq., by Will, dated 28th April 1624, directed his executors, within three weeks after his death, to deliver 200 marks into the hands of the dean and prebends of St. Peter's, Westminster, to the intent that they should deliver the same to the mayor and burgesses of Leicester, to purchase, within two years, lands of inheritance of the annual value of 6l. 13s. 4d., not in the name of their corporation, or to the use of their corporation, but in feoffees' names, either of the borough or county of Leicester, and continually to be 10 feoffees at the least for the maintenance and finding of one within holy orders to say Divine service according to the church of England, every working day in the week twice throughout the whole year, in the parish church of St. Martin's, in Leicester, daily, duly, orderly, and reverently, viz., at nine o'clock in the morning, and three o'clock in the afternoon. And he directed that the land so to be purchased should not be at any time annexed to the vicarage, or that the vicar of St. Martin's should claim any interest in it more than any other vicar in the town of Leicester, or should be the man to be appointed to read the service unless he should be appointed by the said mayor, aldermen, and burgesses, and so long as he should say it daily, duly, orderly, and reverently, and if he would not so say it, that then the mayor and burgesses, with the consent of the residue of the town, should appoint a fit man for that purpose; and he declared his meaning to be that all the inhabitants of the town of Leicester should have equal benefit of this institution, and should of right claim to have Divine service according to the church of England every work-day twice continually throughout the year, at the hours and times before prefixed, at the parish church of St. Martin's; and if default should be made, he declared his meaning to be, upon complaint of the inhabitants of the town of Leicester, that the Lord Chancellor, or Keeper, should take order that a convenient person should be appointed to say Divine service continually as before mentioned.

By indenture made the 16th December 1625, between John Baker of the first part, the mayor, &c., of Leicester, of the second part, and John Pare, and 19 others, all of Leicester, of the third part, reciting the Will of Christopher Tamworth, but not so fully as in the abstract above given, and that the said mayor, &c., had received the said money, and contracted for the purchase of land of the yearly value of 77.,-it is witnessed, that the said John Baker, in consideration of 1201., part of the said 200 marks, granted to the said John Pare and James Ellis, and others, and their heirs, a messuage in Whetstone, and one yard land, arable, meadow, and pasture, lying in the fields of Whetstone, to hold the same upon trust, that they should yearly pay unto such person in holy orders as should be appointed or allowed of, by the said mayor and burgesses, (or by any other authorized by the Will of Christopher Tamworth to appoint,) to say Divine service according to the church of England, every work-day in the week twice through the whole year, perpetually, in the parish church of St. Martin's, in Leicester, at the times mentioned in the said Will, the sum of 67. 13s. 4d., to be paid at Midsummer and St. Thomas's-day, in equal portions; and upon further trust to bestow the surplus of the rents of the said premises towards the furtherance of the said charitable work, either in providing of books for the saying of the said Divine service, or procuring a sexton or other person to attend upon the minister daily and duly while saying Divine service, and to open and shut the church doors, or otherwise, as by the said mayor, &c. should be limited or appointed.

We do not find any subsequent trust-deed. The corporation have always acted in the character of trustees.

By an award dated 6th April 1765, the Commissioners, under the Act of Parliament of 4th George III. for inclosing the open and commonable fields of Whetstone, awarded to the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses of Leicester, in trust for the vicar of St. Martin's for the time being, a parcel of land in the Hell Hole, bounded on the east by the lordship of Great Peatling, and on the north by the lordship of Countessthorpe, and containing 40 acres and 2 perches.

This property now consists of seven closes of arable and pasture, and a garden near the village, containing in the whole 40 acres, let to William Hall, of Countessthorpe, as yearly tenant, at the rent of 52l. It was reduced at Michaelmas 1835 from 607. on a valuation made by order of the hall by Mr. N. C. Stone, a land valuer.

There is no timber of any value, nor any buildings now on the premises. The house was probably near the village where the garden now is. The whole of this rent is paid over by the steward of the corporation to the Honourable and Rev. D. Erskine, vicar of St. Martin's, who is appointed by the corporation to receive the benefit of this bequest, and in whose church prayers are read every morning when there is a congregation.

JULIUS BILLERS'S CHARITY.

Julius Billers, by Will, in 1634, gave 100l. to the corporation of Leicester, in trust, that they should yearly, on Thursday before Easter, pay to the hospital of the Holy Trinity, for the use of the poor therein, 57. 12s., to be distributed equally amongst them.

By bond signed by the mayor, and having the corporation seal, dated 20th July 1635, the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses of Leicester became bound in the penalty of 2001. to William Billers, sen., and William Billers, jun., their executors, &c., reciting that Julius Billers, by Will, gave to the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses 100.; to the use and benefit of the poor of the old hospital of the Newarke, in or near Leicester, and that the said sum of 100%. had been delivered by the above-named William Billers the younger, to the said mayor, &c.; the said mayor, &c., thereby undertook that they and their successors would yearly (until some other order should be thereon had and settled) well and truly pay unto the poor then being, or that thereafter should be in the said hospital, the sum of 51. 12s., to be equally

divided amongst them according to the said Will of the said Julius Billers, the same payment and distribution to be made yearly upon Thursday before Easter at the said hospital. This sum of 57. 12s. is regularly paid to the account of Trinity hospital.

POULTNEY'S CHARITY.

Leicester.

Julius Billers's
Charity,

continued.

John Poultney, esq., who died 15th May 1637, gave, by Will, to the corporation of Lei- Poultney's Charity. cester an annuity of 107., to be distributed to the poor of the several parishes in the borough

out of the manor of Cotes Deville, in the county of Leicester, with a power of entry and distress in case of nonpayment.

The receipt of this charity is entered in the chamberlain's account for the year 1639-40, thus,

"Received of the bequest of Mr. Poultney 101."

In the charity-book from which the above is taken is added a memorandum that this charity paid no land-tax till the year 1741, when Mr. Ashby purchased the estate, and refused to pay the annuity unless the land-tax was deducted. This distribution was then described to be made as follows:

The manor of Cotes Duval or Deville, near Lutterworth, is now the property of Thomas Pares, esq., of Hopwell Hall, Derbyshire, by whose agent the sum of 81. Ils. is paid annually at Michaelmas to the steward of the corporation, by whom it is paid over to the chamberlain, and by him divided in the proportions before mentioned to the several parishes for distribution on St. Thomas's-day.

ACHAM'S CHARITY.

Anthony Acham, of Holborn, London, by Will, dated 27th June 1638, and proved in the Acham's Charity. Prerogative Court of Canterbury 1641, reciting that he had purchased of Adrian Scrope and others, in fee, the manor of Assarby, alias Asterby, and divers messuages and hereditaments therein particularly mentioned, lying in Assarby, Goulceby, Ranby, and Stanygott, in the county of Lincoln, gave and devised a yearly rent of 67., payable yearly out of the said manor lands and hereditaments, unto the parson, churchwardens, and overseers of the parish of St. Andrew, Holborn.

Also a yearly rent of 31. payable out of the same manors, &c., to the parson, churchwardens, and overseers, of the parish of St. Bride's, London.

Also two yearly rents of 50s. each, payable out of the same manor, &c., to the churchwardens, and overseers of the several parishes of Assarby and Goulceby.

parson,

Also a further yearly rent of 10l. to the parson of Assarby, and the vicar of Goulceby, and the churchwardens and overseers of both the said parishes, for and towards the perpetual yearly maintenance of a schoolmaster.

Also several yearly rents of 67. to the vicar, churchwardens, and overseers of the parish of Knaresborough; of 127. to the mayor, sheriffs, citizens, and commonalty of the city of Lincoln; of 51. to the alderman, first twelve, and commonalty of the town of Stamford, in the county of Lincoln. Also of 5. to the warden, assistants, and commonalty of the town of Louth; 57. to the mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of Great Grimsby; 57. to the mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the town of Nottingham; 81. to the mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the town of Northampton, to be disposed of as in the said Will is directed.

Also 97. to the mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the town of Leicester, for the benefit of the poor there, to be distributed at six several times in the year, viz., on the last Sunday in the months of March, May, July, September, November, and January, in wheaten bread. And he directed that the said several yearly rents should be paid at Michaelmas yearly, with power of distress in case the same should be unpaid for 30 days, and entry at the end of 40 days.

The application of the donations to the other parishes will be found under their several heads.

By indenture, dated 28th July 1718, between Jane Dymock (widow and relict of Charles Dymock, only daughter and heir of Robert Snowden, and Dorothy his wife, which said Dorothy was the widow of George Acham), of the one part; the Rev. Henry Sacheverell, D.D., of St. Andrew's Holborn, and the churchwardens and overseers of the said parish; the minister, churchwardens, and overseers of the parish of St. Bride's; the minister, churchwardens, and overseers of the several parishes of Assarby, Goulceby, and Knaresborough, and the mayor, aldermen, and sheriffs of the city of Lincoln, and the several corporations of Stamford, Louth, Great Grimsby, Nottingham, Northampton, and Leicester, of the other part; reciting the above abstracted Will of the said Anthony Acham, as far as relates to the said several rent-charges; and further reciting, that the said Anthony Acham, after making his said Will, purchased other lands in the said parishes of Assarby and Goulceby, by two several

Leicester.

continued.

indentures, the one dated 20th September, 4th Charles I., in consideration of 100%., and the other bearing date 28th October, 16th Car. I., in consideration of 2207.; and further reciting, Acham's Charity that the said Anthony Acham died without making any disposition of the said several lands subject to the several rentcharges and charities, so that the same, subject thereto, descended to George Acham his brother and heir, and the lands purchased since the making the said Will descended to the said George Acham free from all incumbrances, who enjoyed the same for his life, and by his Will devised the said manor and premises to Dorothy his wife, in fee, who afterwards married the said Robert Snowden, and entered into possession of the said manor and premises, paying the said charities during her life, and after her decease the said Jane her only daughter and heir entered upon the said manor and premises, paying the charities, and afterwards married the said Charles Dymock; and further reciting, that after the said marriage the said charities were neglected to be paid, and that a suit was commenced against the said Charles Dymock, for payment thereof, who about the year 1698 consented that the said several persons entitled to the charities, should enter upon the said manor and lands charged with the payment of the same, and should pay themselves out of the rents thereof; and further, that the said devisees of the charities, or some of them, had entered not only into the premises subjected to the said payments, but also on the lands after purchased, and remained in possession thereof, and the said Jane Dymock had applied to the said several legatees, and proposed that if they would consent to deliver up the said manor and premises, as well those charged as also the other purchased lands, that she would agree to satisfy the Will of the said Anthony Acham, and also charge the said after purchased lands with the same payments, and give powers of distress for nonpayment thereof, to which proposals the trustees of the several charities had agreed :—it was witnessed that for establishing the said charities the said Jane Dymock granted and confirmed the said several yearly rents, given by the Will of the said Anthony Acham to the several legatees upon the several trusts before mentioned, and also subjected and charged all the messuages and lands thereinbefore mentioned to have been purchased by the said Anthony Acham after the making of his Will, with the payment of the said several yearly rents so given as aforesaid; and with a proviso, that if the same should be unpaid for 30 days, the said several legatees might distrain; and if the same should be in arrear for 60 days, that it should be lawful for the said several rectors, churchwardens, and overseers of the several parishes, for the time being, and also for the said several corporations, to enter upon the said manor and all the other premises.

To the deed is appended a schedule of the lands purchased by the two indentures within mentioned.

The manor and lands of Asterby charged with these payments are now the property of Sigismund Trafford, esq., whose agent, Mr. John Calthorpe, of West Ashby near Horncastle, remits annually to the town clerk of Leicester the sum of 97.

This sum is paid to a baker for supplying bread to the five parishes of Leicester lying within the bounds of the old borough as directed. The sum of 30s. is distributed on the last Sunday in the months of March, May, July, September, November, and January, in each of the parishes in the following proportions :

St. Martin's

St. Margaret's

St. Mary's

All Saints'

St. Nicholas'

William and Jane
Ive's Charities.

By indenture, dated 27th July, 14th Car. I. 1638, William Ive, of his pious and charitable disposition and care for the better provision of the poor people within the borough of Leicester, upon his trust and confidence in the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, and to the intent and purpose, and under the condition thereinafter expressed, gave, granted, and enfeoffed to the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, and their successors, a messuage, barn, backside, and orchard and garden, thereunto belonging, on the west side of Southgate-street, in Leicester, in the parish of St. Mary, abutting upon a lane called the Mill-lane, on the south part thereof, and on the wall called the Newark Wall, on the west, then late in the occupation of Dannett Abney; also a meadow, called Mill Meadow, containing five acres or thereabouts, next to the mills called the Newark Mills; also another meadow, called Great Goose Holme, containing four acres or thereabouts, abutting upon the river called the Old Soar, both which meadows were between the New Soar and the Old Soar, and late in the occupation of Thomas Nurse, (all which premises the said William Ive had lately purchased from Thomas Nurse and Elizabeth Nurse his mother); to hold all the said premises to the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, upon the trusts, and to the intents and purposes, and under the condition hereinafter expressed, viz., that they should yearly pay unto the poor people of the hospital of the Holy Trinity in the first week of clean Lent, 5l. 12s.; viz., to every poor man and woman there 12d.; and if there should at any time of payment be wanting any of the number of 112, that then whatever money should remain should be put into the common box for the poor there.

And also should yearly for ever in the same week pay unto the poor of the said hospital