Leicester. Ive's Charities, continued. 20s. more, being the gift of Jane Ive his wife, to be equally distributed, and 8s. yearly in the same week, to the poor people of Wigston's Hospital, to be equally distributed amongst them. And that they should also distribute yearly, every Friday in every week in clean Lent, in St. William and Jane Martin's parish church, after morning prayer, 13s. 4d. in bread to four-score poor people, a two-penny loaf to each, for the making up of which number of four-score there should be weekly out of each of the parishes of St. Martin, St. Margaret, and St. Mary, 20, out of All Saints 12, and St. Nicholas 8, to be nominated and appointed by the overseers in each of the said parishes, so that weekly in every parish new persons should be appointed who had not received alms before; and, lastly, that the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses should yearly buy and provide eight black cloth gowns, of the value of 41., every gown worth 10s., to be given away in the first week in clean Lent to eight poor widows dwelling within the borough, being also the request of the said wife of the said William Ive; four of the said poor women, after the death of said William Ive, to be nominated by the mayor and justices of the borough, and the other four by the heirs of the said William Ive. And it was provided that if the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses should fail in the payment of the said money, and not perform the trusts for the space of ten days after the time limited for payment and performance, that the said William Ive and his heirs might enter into the said several premises and repossess the same. And the said William Ive covenanted to warrant and defend the said premises unto the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, to the intent and purposes and under the condition therein expressed, against him, his heirs and assigns. Thomas Nurse, by deed, 26th July 1638, conveyed the above premises to William Ive, in fee, in consideration of 300Z. In respect of this charity the following expenditure has been made for some years. The chamberlain pays 4l. a-year to a baker, who in respect thereof supplies 13s. 4d. worth of bread amongst the five parishes of the borough, in the proportions given above on each of the six Fridays in Lent. He also expends 47. in gowns for eight widows, at 10s. each. The mayor orders the gowns, and selects the widows at his own discretion. The sum of 57. 12s. is paid yearly to the master, &c. of Trinity Hospital, and Ss. to Wigston's Hospital. And on account of Mrs. Ive's gift, 20s. is paid yearly to Trinity Hospital. The corporation have hitherto paid these surns as a rent-charge, issuing out of the meadows still in their possession, HAYNE'S CHARITY. Thomas Hayne, of Christ Church, London, by Will, dated 28th September 1640, gave Hayne's Charity. to the corporation of Leicester all his study of books, (except some few which he gave to the library at Westminster), to be kept and reserved for ever in the public library at Leicester, and also 41. towards bringing them down. He also gave 400l. to be bestowed in the purchase of lands or houses in or near Leicester, of the annual value of 241. or thereabouts, for the uses following; viz., to a schoolmaster in Thrussington or some near town thereunto, being nominated by the vicar and four of the eldest of freeholders in Thrussington, or the greater part of them, to teach ten poor children of the said town of Thrussington, to be by them nominated under their hands, in writing, 67. yearly, payable at Michaelmas and Lady-day. To two scholars living and studying in Lincoln College Oxford, 67. yearly, on the same days; the said scholars to be chosen for sufficiency of learning, and towardly dispositions, by the mayor, recorder, and three senior aldermen of Leicester, or the greater part of them; such as should be lineally descended from his father Robert Hayne, or his uncle John Mussen, wherever educated, to be most capable to be elected to the said exhibitions; and he directed that every vacancy should continue three months, that they might have time to make their claim; and in case the said kindred should fail or not claim, the scholars should be chosen out of the free school of Leicester, or of Melton Mowbray, if Leicester school should fail by the space of two whole years before their choice. Also 20s. to buy three Bibles yearly, to be given in Leicester two years, and in Thrussington one year, in turn for ever, as a minister, appointed in Leicester by the mayor, and as the vicar in Thrussington should dispose of them yearly to three youths or maids of the age of 18, born in the said towns and able to read well. And 20s. yearly for a preacher in Leicester, for a sermon to be preached in some church near the midst of Leicester, by the appointment of the mayor, near the time of the year in which the Spanish Armada was defeated in 1588, for a thanksgiving to God for that great mercy to this land; and the remainder of the said revenue and rent yearly to the poor of Leicester, to be disposed of as the mayor, aldermen, and recorder should think most meet, fit, and needful. And he directed that the said 4001. should be bestowed by his said executors in buying houses or lands, or both, in or near Leicester, with the approbation of the said mayor, recorder, and aldermen, and that the same should be settled by counsel for the uses above mentioned, upon the mayor, aldermen, and corporation of Leicester, or on Lincoln College Oxford, or some other corporation or feoffees as should seem best to his executor, and the overseers of his Will, and the recorder of Leicester, and the counsellor who should be employed about the same, and appointed John Hayne sole executor, and Abraham Hayne Clerk and Williamı Garrett overseers of his Will. By indenture, dated 17th November 1652, between Thomas Dolman, John Prettyman, Robert Abbott, and John Morris, of the first part, and the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses of Leicester, of the second part, William Stanley and five others, all aldermen of Leicester, and six others, freemen and common council of the said town (of whom Philip Abney was one), of the third part, the said John Hayne, executor, and the said John Garrett, surviving overseer Rep. 32-Part V. F Leicester. Hayne's Charity, continued. of the said Will, of the fourth part, reciting the Will of Thomas Hayne above abstracted,— it is witnessed that the said parties of the first part, in consideration of the sum of 400. paid to them by the executor, with the approbation and consent of the said mayor, &c., and of the other parties of the third part, and Thomas Chapman, serjeant-at-law, recorder of the said borough, and also by the consent of Edward Campion, counsel-at-law, chosen by the said executor, testified as therein mentioned, granted and confirmed unto the said William Stanley and others, parties of the third part, and their heirs, a messuage, with the croft thereto adjoining, situate within the town-fields of Allexton in the county of Leicester; also a close there, containing by estimation three acres, called Bridge Close, adjoining a field called Belton Field; also another close, adjoining to a certain meadow called the Church Meadow, the said Church Meadow lying on one side, and a lane on the other side thereof, containing by estimation six acres; also a close called the Stockinges, theretofore divided into three parts, but then lying in one close, reputed to be twelve acres, all in Allexton aforesaid; also a close containing two acres in Allexton aforesaid, the wood lying on the one side thereof, and the Parson's Close on the other side thereof,-to the use of the said William Stanley and other grantees, and their heirs, upon trust, to employ the issues and rents of the premises according to the true intent and meaning of the said Will of Thomas Hayne. It appears from a covenant in the deed above abstracted, that the premises were then demised from the Lady-day preceding for the term of ten years at the rent of 241. per annum. By indenture, dated 22nd May 1696, Philip Abney (the survivor of the grantees named in the deed above abstracted), at the special request of the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, granted unto John Brooksby and five others, aldermen, and to James Annis, chamberlain, and eleven others, being all common councilmen of Leicester, and their heirs, all the premises above described, to hold upon trust, to employ the rents and profits according to the Will of the said Thomas Hayne. The property at Allexton consists of five closes of pasture land, containing 22 acres, let to Mr. William Ward, of Belton, Rutlandshire, as yearly tenant, at 327. per annum. There is no timber of any consequence, nor any buildings on the estate. The tenant is unfit to continne in the occupation of the land, and would have had notice to quit, but owing to the dissolution of the late corporation there was no person to give him notice. There was a year due at Michaelmas 1836. The rent from 1811 to 1822 was 40/. The rent has been hitherto received by the steward of the corporation, and accounted for to the chamberlain, by whom the several payments are made to the different branches of the charity, viz.— The remainder is carried to the general funds of the corporation, from which a sum of 251. 8s. 2d. per annum for some years past has been distributed in coals to the poor of the town, and which distribution may be supposed to comprise the surplus rent of this and several other charities. We have stated that the sum of 67. per annum payable to exhibitioners in Lincoln College, Oxford, has not been paid for some years. It has been considered as payable to one scholar only. In 1757 it was paid to Thomas Ilife, a scholar from Leicester school. In 1780 a vacancy having existed for four years, the sum of 24/., being the arrears, was paid to Henry Brown, then at Lincoln College, Oxford, and who had been brought up in the free school at Leicester. In the year 1804 a vacancy having existed for 14 years, whereby the sum of 841. had accumulated, the same was ordered to be paid to Edward Griffin, then a scholar in Lincoln College, Oxford, who had been brought up in the free school at Leicester, and he also received the 67. a-year to the year 1810. From 1810 to 1824 no scholar claimed the exhibition, so that another accumulation of 847. remained in the hands of the corporation. In that year Benjamin Sutton, brought up in the free school of Leicester, became a scholar in Lincoln College, Oxford, and seems to have applied for the arrears of the exhibition. By an entry of the date 4th May 1830, at a meeting of the then mayor and two senior aldermen, it was declared not to be consistent with the true intent and meaning of the Will, that the said accumulation of 84/., or any future arrears which might arise from vacancies, should be paid to the party who might afterwards become entitled to receive the exhibition, but that the same should remain in the hands of the trustees and be added to the principal, by way of augmentation; and they accordingly directed that interest at 51. per Cent., upon the said 84. should be added to the said 67., whereby the sum of 41. 4s. would be due from the corporation for the then arrears, which would increase the exhibition to 10l. 4s.; and they directed that Benjamin Sutton should receive the said exhibition of 10l. 4s. per annum for the years 1825, 1826, 1827, and 1828, and that the same should be paid to him as long as he continued a student of Lincoln College, Oxford. Leicester. continued. Mr. Sutton received the exhibition of 10%. 4s. to 1828, from which year it has not been claimed. From the year 1829 to 1836, both inclusive, there would be a further accumulation of Hayne's Charity, 817. 12s. due to this branch of the charity; viz., 67. a-year from the original bequest, and four guineas yearly from the funds of the corporation; and if this latter accumulation is made to bear interest at 57. per cent, as in the former case, the annual exhibition will from 1836 amount to 147. 5s., subject to further increase by future accumulations. WHATTON'S CHARITY. John Whatton, of the Newark, by Will, dated 13th January 1653, gave and devised to Whatton's Charity. be issuing out of his close or garden, called the Shire Hall Close, in Leicester, 77. yearly, to be paid to the hands of the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses of Leicester on the 25th of March and 29th of September, to be by the said mayor and justices of the said borough distributed yearly in the following manner, viz., 67. yearly for ever, for the maintenance of one poor widow placed in one of the two houses in Leicester, in the new hospital in Leicester called Wigston's Hospital, which two houses Elizabeth, testator's late wife, built there with the consent of the master of the said hospital; and he desired the other house might be for her to lay fuel in or other necessaries, the money to be paid to the said widow 2s. 6d. a-week, or 10s. every fourth week, at the discretion of the mayor; and of the other 10s., residue of the said 77., he desired that half might be given to the master of the said hospital, desiring his countenance that the said poor widow be not wronged, and the other half of the 10s. for the mayor and justices to drink in wine together; the widow to be placed in the said house when it should be void, to be chosen by testator's wife, Catherine, for her life, and afterwards by the mayor and justices within two months after a vacancy; and, during such vacancy, he directed that the 2s. 6d. a-week should be given to the other women in the said hospital; and if it should happen that default should be made in payment of the said 77. for one year, he gave the same close to the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses for the uses aforesaid; and if it should happen that such a widow could not be allowed or suffered to remain in the said house, then he directed that 67. of the said 77. should be by the said mayor and justices bestowed upon the maintenance of a widow in some other place, and the other 20s. given to poor widows in the said borough on the 20th of September yearly. The Shire Hall Orchard is situate in the parish of All Saints, Leicester, in Causeway-lane, and is now the property of Mr. Robert Birkley, Brewer, High Cross-street, Leicester, from whom 77. per annum was received by the steward of the corporation, who paid thereout to the mace-bearer, for the nurse of Wigston's Hospital, 2s. 6d. a-week; the sum of 5s. is retained by the mayor, and the remaining 5s. is paid to the master of Wigston's Hospital. BOTHAM'S CHARITY. An entry in the old charity book states that Hugh Botham, by Will (year not mentioned), Botham's Charity. gave an annuity of 40s., to be paid yearly, out of a house in Loseby-lane, formerly in the occupation of Christopher Rogers, to be distributed in three equal shares between the poor of the parishes of St. Martin, St. Margaret, and St. Mary, one half on the Friday before Christmas, and the other half on the Friday before Easter. This is an ancient bequest. In 1712, the house out of which it was paid was called the Parrot, and, in 1779, it was a public-house, and in the occupation of Mr. Pares. The premises charged with this payment are now a dwelling-house, &c., in St. Martin'splace, the property of Mr. Peter Colson, the occupier, who pays 40s. annually on St. Thomas'sday to the steward of the corporation, who pays it over to the chamberlain, by whom it is divided equally between the three parishes on the same day, 13s. 4d. to each. WILLIAM BILLERS'S CHARITY. William Billers, alderman of Leicester, by Will, dated August 1657, and proved 15th of December 1658, gave to the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses of the said borough a rent-charge of 127. by the year, issuing out of a parcel of meadow ground called the Lerow, and the closes thereunto adjoining, situate in the parish of St. Margaret, Leicester, with a power of distress in case the said rent-charge should be in arrear for 14 days, upon trust that, as there were in the hospital of the Newark, called the Old or Trinity Hospital, two roomths called the King's Houses, where none of the poor of the foundation had used to dwell, but of late years two poor women had dwelt therein, to whom the testator had given some weekly allowance, testator desired that, for ever thereafter, there should be two poor women continued in the said roomths over and above the number appointed to be in the said hospital by the foundation, which two women should be placed in the said two roomths, and, for just cause, displaced by the governor of the said hospital and his assistants for the time being, and vacancies by death or otherwise to be filled up by them within 30 days, so that two poor women might be continued therein for ever, the said poor women submitting to the government, orders, and rules of the rest of the poor of the hospital; the name and kindred of the founder to be preferred. And the testator directed that the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses should, out of the said annuity, pay weekly, every Friday, 12d. to each of the said poor women, and, yearly, a gown of some grey-coloured cloth of the value of 20s., on the 1st of November for ever, to one of them one year, and to the other the next year, and so to continue for ever, no allowance to be given to the hospital during any vacancy; and also 57. 10s. to the governor of the hospital and his assistants on the 1st of May and 1st of November, in equal portions, to be by them divided the Friday after amongst the poor of the foundation of the said hospital, being 110 persons, 6d. to each on either of the said days; and that the remainder of the said rent-charge, and all William Billers's Leicester. William Billers's Charity, continued. Blunt's Charity. penalties and forfeitures for nonpayment, should be employed towards buying oatmeal for the general relief of all the poor as well as of the said two poor women. The land subject to this rent-charge is still known by the name of the Lerows, and is situate on the bank of the Leicester canal, and is now covered with lime-kilns and other works, and is the property of the proprietors of the Leicester navigation, by whose clerk, Mr. Adcock, the sum of 127. is paid to the corporation steward, and forms part of his general account. The sums of 51. 4s. and 57. 16s. are paid over to the account of Trinity Hospital, as hereafter stated, and the remaining 20s. is added to the general distribution of gowns. BLUNT'S CHARITY. Thomas Blunt, by Will, dated 13th January 1663, gave a rent-charge of 101. per annum to the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses of Leicester, out of the lands and tenements thereinafter named, viz., he gave Crabtree Close, with a messuage or tenement and barns standing thereon, to John Blunt and Thomas Blunt, paying to the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses the yearly sum of 47., at Michaelmas, for ever. Also, he gave to Mr. Richard Palmer, and his heirs, a messuage or inn called the Crane, paying therefor to the said mayor, &c., yearly, 4l. at Michaelmas. Also, to George Blunt, and his heirs, a messuage situate in Belgrave-gate, and another tenement thereunto adjoining, paying yearly to the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses the yearly rent of 40s. on Michaelmas-day. All which several rents, amounting in the whole to 107., he gave to the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses upon the following trusts, viz., every year to buy and provide 40 pairs of shoes, and to distribute the same among the poor people of the hospital of the Holy Trinity, being 112 in number, and the six poor widows called the widows of St. John's, and two poor men of the Bishop's Fee, in manner following, viz., "to four of the wards of the said hospital consisting of 40 poor people, in the first year after his decease, each of them a pair of shoes, likewise 40 more in the second year after his decease; and to the other two wards, consisting of 20 poor people, to the remaining 12 poor people and the six widows of St. John's, and the two poor men in the Bishop's Fee, to be named and chosen by the occupier or possessor for the time being of the inn called the Crane, which in all makes 40 more poor people, each a pair of shoes." And he directed that the said 40 pairs of shoes should be yearly given to the poor at the said hospital on the feast day of St. Thomas the Apostle, or within two days after; and he allowed 10s. to be spent at the distribution thereof, and 2s. 6d. to the town-clerk, 2s. 6d. to the mace-bearer, 12d. a-piece to the four serjeants, and 6d. a-piece to the crier and beadle, to be paid at the same time. And further that the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses should pay yearly to the minister, churchwardens, and overseers of the poor of Walton-upon-the-Wolds, 18s. on St. Thomas'sday, to be distributed amongst the poor there; 5s. to the mayor for the time being, to buy a pair of gloves; 20s. to the vicar of St. Margaret's; to the clerk and sexton of the said parish church, 5s. between them; and to the poor people of the Spital House, 2s. yearly, for ever. The first-named rent-charge is received from Mr. Cooper, a bricklayer, the owner of the Crabtree Close (now built on), situate between Barkby-lane and Belgrave-gate. The other sum of 47. is paid by Mr. Towndrow, the owner of a dwelling-house formerly part of the Crane inn, situate on the east side of the Gallow-tree-gate, Leicester. The third rent-charge of 21. is paid by John Nedham, esq., as a charge on the mansionhouse in which he resides, on the east side of Belgrave-gate, Leicester. These three rent-charges have been collected annually, on the 21st of December, by the steward, and immediately paid over by him to the chamberlain for distribution, and expended on St. Thomas's-day in manner following: £. s. d. 6 10 0 £10 0 0 The number in the hospital being reduced since the testator's death to 90, shoes are given to each poor person in the hospital every other year, viz. 45 pair each year. William Stanley's gift of 20s., which is also paid on this day, is supposed to supply five pairs of shoes, amounting, at 3s. 3d. a pair, to 16s. 3d., to five poor people, making 45 pair in each year; the remaining 3s. 9d. is given to the foreman for his trouble. The shoes are ordered by the corporation, and are brought to the Exchange on St. Thomas'sday, marked with the name of each person who has been previously measured. The corporation pays 3s. 3d. towards each pair, and the parties receiving pay the shoemaker the remainder of the costs. The sum of 18s. is paid annually to the parish officers of Walton-on-the-Wolds, and 11. 7s. is paid to the sexton of St. Margaret's for the minister, &c., and including the 2s. for the spital-house poor. The last payment is entered as far back as the year 1779. In the distribution of the wood and coal money we have stated that there is 8s. yearly given to the widows of St. John's, and the 5s. a-year to two poor in Bishop's Fee. This distribution seems to be in lieu of the shoes directed to be given to the six widows and two poor every third year under Blunt's Will, making, at 13s. a-year, 39s. for eight pair of shoes, at nearly 5s. a pair. MRS. WARD'S CHARITY. By indenture, dated 18th June 4th Car. 1628, between Elizabeth Ward, widow, and the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses of Leicester, the said Elizabeth Ward, for the better maintenance of the six poor widows placed in the house called St. John's by the master and governors of the hospital of the Holy Trinity, and for the performance of the charitable gifts thereinafter expressed, granted, assigned, and set unto the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, all that annuity or yearly rent of 31. issuing out of a close in Brumkingsthorpe, called the Meadow Close, late parcel of the possession of Richard Rudings, situate betwixt a lane called Marylane on the west or south-west and the highway called Braunston-gate on the south or southeast, which said annuity the said Elizabeth lately purchased from William Cotton, and was theretofore granted by the said Richard Rudings to Thomas Cotton, 14th of November, 16th Elizabeth, payable, yearly, at Michaelmas, with a power of distress; and by the said Thomas Cotton bequeathed to the said William Cotton, to hold the said annuity of 31. to the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, to pay after the decease of the said Elizabeth Ward and Dorothy Orton her daughter, on trust to pay, one year, to three of the poor widows of St. John's, placed there by the master and governor of Trinity Hospital, 10s. each to buy a gown, and 10s. more to buy coals for the general use of all the widows, and the next year, to the other three widows so placed, the like sum of 10s. each to buy a gown, and 10s. more to buy coals for the benefit of all the said widows, and so to be paid yearly, for ever, at Michaelmas; and the other 20s. to the one of those two women in the said hospital of the Holy Trinity, Leicester, who had no weekly pay, called " Almswomen," 10s. one year to buy her a gown, and the next year the like sum of 10s. to the other almswomen for the like purpose; and the other 10s., residue of the said annuity of 3l., to be yearly put into the common box for the of the said hospital of the Holy Trinity. And the said Elizabeth, in consideration of her confidence and trust in the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, that they would see her charitable gift duly performed, and the annuity paid according to her intent, gave and delivered to the said mayor, &c., and their successors, for ever, a pair of great iron racks, to retain to their use for ever. poor The meadow charged with this payment is now known by the name of the Duck Holmes. It is situate in the hamlet of Bromkingsthorpe, at the end of Braunston-gate, on the north side of the Hinckley-road, and is now the property of the executors of the late Thomas Mitchell, of Leicester, but at present in possession of Messrs. Clarke and Phillips, bankers, by whom the rent-charge of 37. is paid at Michaelmas to the steward of the corporation, and accounted for. In respect of this charity, the chamberlain pays 30s. to the mayor, who buys therewith three gowns, which are given to three widows of St. John's Hospital every year, and also pays 10s. for coals. Mrs. Twickten having left a similar bequest, the six widows all get a gown once a-year. The remaining 20s. is given yearly to two widows of Trinity Hospital. MRS. TWICKTEN'S CHARITY. By indenture, dated 18th August 1665, Elizabeth Twickten and Samuel Twickten her son, with intent to assure 40s. yearly, after the death of the said Elizabeth, for the benefit of Dorothy Orton, widow, during her life, and after her decease for the benefit of the six poor widows in St. John's Hospital, placed and appointed by the master and governors of the hospital of the Holy Trinity as thereinafter expressed, granted to the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses of the borough of Leicester, an annuity of 40s., issuing out of a close lying near a place called Braunston-gate, in the parish of St. Mary, Leicester, commonly called Rowlat's Close, payable yearly, on Michaelmas-day, with power of distress if the same should be unpaid for 14 days; on trust to pay the same to Dorothy Orton for life, and, after her death, to dispose of the same for the benefit of the six poor widows of the hospital of St. Johannes,' placed there by the master and governors of the Holy Trinity, viz., 10s. a-piece the first year to three of the said poor widows towards buying each of them a gown, and the other 10s. towards buying fuel for all of them; and the next year, 10s. each to the other three for the like purpose, and the remainder for fuel. Rowlatt's Close is situate on the Hinckley-road, beyond Braunston-gate, and adjoining the cherry orchard, and is now the property of the Rev. Gerard Andrews, by whose agent, Mr. Jesse Berridge, solicitor, Leicester, the sum of 17. 12s. is paid annually (8s. being deducted for land-tax) to the steward of the corporation, and is accounted for in his general account, and forms part of the revenues of St. John's Hospital. The town chamberlain, although only 17. 12s. is received, pays the mayor 40s. annually, in the latter end of November. With this sum he pays the widows of St. John's 10s. for coals, and lays out the 30s. in three gowns, which, being given with Mrs. Ward's Charity before mentioned, the six widows have a gown each yearly. If the women do not want a gown, they sometimes have 10s. worth of warm clothing. HICKLING'S CHARITY. See Loughborough, post. Leicester. Blunt's Charity, continued. Mrs. Ward's Mrs. Twickten's Hickling's Charity. |