should have a common seal, and should plead and be impleaded in all suits, &c., by the said corporate name; and it was ordered that when the chaplain should die or be removed, that the crown should appoint a sufficient and proper person, under the seal of the duchy of Lancaster, to the vacant office of chaplain for life, unless for some reasonable cause he should be removed by the said king and his successors; and that whenever any of the poor of the said hospital should die or be removed therefrom, it should be lawful for the crown, within three months, under the seal of the duchy of Laneaster, to elect another poor and needy person into his place, and that, in default of such nomination, the master of the hospital should choose one; and it was ordered that the Chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, the King's AttorneyGeneral, and the Attorney-General of the duchy of Lancaster for the time being, should review and re-examine the ancient statutes and ordinances of the said hospital, and ratify such as should be thought good and profitable, and make other fit and wholesome ordinances in writing, as well concerning divine service to be celebrated within the said hospital, as for the government, election, expulsion, punishment, and direction of the said master, assistants chaplain, and poor, as also concerning the stipend of the said chaplain and poor, and all other things concerning the said hospital, or the said master, &c., and the ordering and disposition of the possessions, goods, and chattels of the same; and the said king granted to the said master, assistants, chaplain, and poor, the messuage or house called the hospital, and the site thereof, and all buildings, lands, and hereditaments to the same belonging, containing by estimation four acres, being parcel of the duchy of Lancaster; and also granted license to the said master, &c., to take and hold lands and other hereditaments, not exceeding in value the clear sum of 350l. a-year, and also the like licence to all persons to give, grant, and sell lands, &c., to him for the purposes aforesaid, the rents and profits of such lands, &c., to be disposed of for the maintainance of the chaplain and poor, and other officers and ministers of the same, according to the ordinances to be made as aforesaid, and also towards the reparation of the houses and possessions thereof.

The following is the substance of the ordinances made in pursuance of the provisions of the preceding charter. They are copied at length on a parchment roll in the custody of the foreman, which is referred to when necessary, and used to be read, probably once in the year, to all the almspeople assembled for that purpose.

The ancient orders for the government of the hospital exemplified under the duchy seal 1619, 4th December, 17th James.

1. Orders and directions for placing the people therein.

The master and assistants not to place in the said house any person till there has been a vacancy for full three months, and the pay for that time to go into the box for the poor; one weeks pay being first taken out for the burial of the dead person.

All persons, men or women, that shall be placed in the said house by the master and assistants, shall be three score years old when they come in, and unmarried, as many as may be, unless there should be special reason for a married person, or one that lacketh three or four years of three score, being lame or impotent, or unable by work to sustain themselves. All persons placed in the hospital, as well keepers as others, shall be persons of honest life and of good name, and not with any infectious or loathsome disease.

The master and assistants shall place at least one born and dwelling within the county and without the town, for one born in the town, if any fit person should offer.

The keepers shall be strong and sound of body, and able to perform the office of keeper, the most aged women that are strong and able to be preferred.

No keeper shall challenge any title of right unto the places of freewomen when any shall fall vacant, but whosoever falleth first to be unable to do the service of the poor, by blindness, lameness, or weakness, through age or otherwise, shall have reason to be first placed before any other keeper or stranger.

2. Touching the duty of keepers.

To attend the poor, make their beds, wash their clothes, dress their meat, light the fires in the common kitchen, sweep their rooms, and do all other things necessary to render the place clean and wholesome, and take care that no waste be made of the fuel or oatmeal.

If any of the poor be wronged by their keeper, the foremen, upon complaint, to see them righted without delay. The keepers to attend the sick in the night, and if there appear any likelihood of death, shall give notice thereof to the foreman, that they may take order for preserving the goods, that the poor to whom they belong, if the sick person dies, should not be defrauded of them.

The keepers to be absent from the hospital as little as possible, without the knowledge and consent of some of the foremen.

3. Orders to be observed by all the poor folk.

This part contains directions as to the articles of clothing, bedding, and other furniture, to be brought into the hospital by each person placed there, among which is 10s. in money, to be put in the common box.

All the poor of the hospital, after they are in it, shall at all times be diligent in coming to their own prayers and sermons, and to the Sacrament when administered, which shall be every quarter at least; and whenever a sermon was to be had within the house, and their prayers thrice a-day, as before had been accustomed, and such as were well should resort to the public sermons in the town.

That there should be 10 of the said poor overseers of the rest; every one of the said 10 to take care of his own ward, and observe who should be absent, and give notice to the foreman that they should be punished, according to such penalties as theretofore used.

Leicester.

Trinity Hospital. continued.

Every poor man and woman to have a decent gown of freize or better cloth, with the badge of the house upon the breast or sleeve, and to wear it on all special occasions, namely, on good days and holy days, and when they go to sermon or to burial.

Every person of the hospital to be in his own lodgings there every night, and not to lie anywhere else without leave of the foremen or the master. If any be found faulty in that point they shall be punished by the foremen or the master. No almsman or almswoman to enjoy any place in the hospital unless they ordinarily abide and live in it, but each may have a month allowed when they will, to be abroad without fines, so that they make known to the foremen when they begin their month. Any person committing the offences therein named to be removed. If any person should misbehave, he should be admonished or punished, according to equity, by the master and assistants. All penalties to go to the common box; and if any, after admonition and punishment, shall again offend, they shall be displaced and removed from the hospital. The poor of the house may provide their own bread, either from country or town bakers. No fire to be made in any of the apartments but with charcoal; nor any flax or hemp to be brought into the house to be dressed or spun for fear of fire. None of the poor folk to make any will of their goods in the hospital, or give any of them away before their death, but to leave them all to the house for the benefit of the poor folk, according to ancient

custom.

4. Of the officers.

Four of the poor men to be chosen overseers of the whole house, that order may be kept by their brethren and sisters, and to amerce them for their defaults, according to ancient custom. They shall also receive the rents, and see that all money received shall be laid out properly, both that which is to be divided and that which is to be bestowed in wood and coals, and any other necessary use. The said foremen to be chosen by the master and assistants, with the consent of 10 of the poor men: two of them to be new every year, about Michaelmas, to serve for two years; the former year with the two chosen the year before. The foremen to make a true account at the end of every year to the master, assistants, and 10 of the poor men at least, how what they have received has been laid out, especially that which is allowed for fuel and for repairs. Also two storemen to be chosen of the foremen, each to stay two years; one to be chosen every year, who should keep the stores and the goods of the dead, and, with the help of the foremen, to sell the goods for the profit of the house, and the money to be faithfully distributed equally by the foremen and storemen, in the presence of 10 others of the house at the least. The master and assistants to redress in any case of unjust dealing. That there shall be a clerk amongst them, able to write sufficiently for the necessary uses of the house, who shall, by his writing, help the foremen to keep a true remembrance of what they receive and lay out. The paymasters to pay the weekly pay for the poor on Friday afternoon, and all other payments on the days accustomed; the master and assistants to oversee the foremen; and in case of any controversy between the foremen themselves or between them and any of the house, which the foremen are not able to redress, then the master and assistants shall hear the cause and take such order as shall be most fit.

5. Common seal and writings.

The letters-patent and common seal to be kept within the house, in a chest, with two locks at least; the master to keep the key of the one, and the house the other; and all other deeds to be safely kept within the house. No lease to be let of any of the lands without the consent of 16 of the poor men. All the ancient customs of the house not taken away by these statutes to be kept still.

The following ordinances have been added from time to time by the master and assistants :— 28th September 1733.-It was ordered by the master and assistants that no keeper of the house should sell ale or strong beer within the hospital above the rate of one penny a-quart, and that no person should be permitted to sit and drink in any of the parlours after the bell rung at eight o'clock at night, on pain of forfeiting a week's pay.

If any poor man should be proved to have been drunk he should forfeit fourpence.

22d April 1740.-It was ordered that no repairs should be done at the hospital without the consent of the master and assistants, or the greater part of them.

24th September 1802.-Ordered that every poor person neglecting to attend, without lawful excnse, to hear the orders and regulations read, when the master and assistants should appoint, shall forfeit threepence to the common box.

That, on the death of any person, the room shall be lime-washed, and the expense paid out of the weekly pay belonging to the successor.

By letters-patent under the seal of the duchy of Lancaster, dated 4th July, 1 Charles I. (1625), the king granted to the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses of Leicester, the office of bailiff and collector of the rents within the precincts of the close of the late college of St. Mary the Virgin, of the New-work of Leicester, lately dissolved; and also of certain lands called Knighton, with the close called Provost Close, and of certain other lands and tenements, given for the support of divers obits and lights in certain churches in the said county of Leicester, parcel of the possessions of the aforesaid college, parcel of the duchy of Lancaster; and he also granted to the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, the office of master of the hospital and house of poor, built and standing within the precincts of the said college of the New-work, called the Duke of Lancaster's Almshouse, parcel of the said duchy, to hold the same during the king's pleasure, which offices were granted by King James, by letters-patent, dated 27th February, 7th of his reign, to the said mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, during pleasure (and which said offices were vacant, having come to the said king's hands by the death of the said King James), to hold and exercise the said offices at the king's pleasure, with the wages of 23s. 4d. yearly for the office of bailiff and collector, and the fee of 137. 6s. 8d. for the said office of master of the said hospital, and all other advantages, emoluments, &c., belonging to

Leicester.

continued.

the said hospital, to be paid by the receiver-general of the duchy, or the particular receiver there, and that they should render a true and faithful account of all their receipts, &c., of the office of bailiff and collector, in which respect if they should fail, the said letters-patent should Trinity Hospital, be void as to the grant of the said office, but should remain, nevertheless, in full force as to the grant of master of the said hospital.

the

We have not any accounts of the receipts and payments in respect of this hospital before year 1643, at which time, it is stated in an account-book commencing at that period, that the ancient allowance from the Crown to the hospital was originally 2137. 16s. 8d., and to six widows at St. John's 27. 15s., and that there was since added from the king, for a chaplain 5l., for repairs 4., and for fuel 4/., making in the whole 229. 11s. 8d., which was paid until the time of the rebellion, when, the Parliament having seized the revenues of the Crown, the corporation received little of the former allowance of the hospital, but paid the poor mostly out of their town stock till 1650, and the accounts show a debt at this time of upwards of 6731. due to the corporation. In this year the Parliament vested in certain trustees, for the pay of the poor, the usher of the school, and the vicar of St. Mary,

£. s. d.

4 3 4

113 7 9

154 8 5

£271 19 64

By letters-patent under the seal of the duchy of Lancaster, dated 11th March 1651, the keepers of the liberties of England, by authority of Parliament, reciting a former grant of Charles 1., dated 14th February, the second of his reign, to John Angel, clerk, of a yearly pension of 10., in consideration of his preaching the word of God, purely and sincerely, as well in the chapel or oratory within the close of the late college of the Newark, as within the town or borough of Leicester, to hold during the king's pleasure; and reciting that the same grant was then void, and at their disposal, granted the said yearly pension of 107. to William Simmes, clerk, in consideration of his preaching the word of God, purely and sincerely, as well in the said chapel or oratory as within the said town or borough of Leicester, parcel of the said duchy of Lancaster, to hold the same for the term of his life, and receive the same out of the profits and revenues of the said college of the Newark by the hands of the particular receiver there.

This is the only grant we could find in the time of the Commonwealth, but the payments above mentioned seem to have been continued until the Restoration, when the old payment of 2297. 11s. 8d. was restored, besides the master's salary of 137. 6s. 8d., which was received and paid separately, and at this period the substituted fee farm rents, which had been received from Shulton, &c., were no longer paid. It is probable that the circumstance of the hospital having been known to have once received rents from the places above named may have given occasion of complaints when they were withdrawn, the almspeople conceiving they were deprived of their right, although the old payments were then restored.

These payments were continued till about 1678, when a fee-farm rent of 247., issuing out of the rectory of Duffield, which had been theretofore allowed to the hospital, having been sold, the income from the duchy was reduced to 2057. 13s. 114d., whereupon the corporation petitioned Charles II. and James II., but without success, for increase of allowance, but leave was then given to reduce the number of the poor.

The usual entry of expenditure by the chamberlain, before 1686, was in the following form :

"mayor, as master

13 6 8

In 1697 and 1698 the above sum of 267. 16s. (being taken at 261. 9s. 6d. only) is divided as follows:

:

In the year 1698 a petition was presented to King William from the master and assistants,

These are sometimes called the Founder's Gift, sometimes St. Andrew's payments.

Leicester.

Trinity Hospital,

continued.

&c., on behalf of the poor people of the said hospital, in which, after reciting the foundation and dissolution, and that the same was incorporated by James I., and certain fee farm rents, to the yearly value of 230l. 10s. 7d., reserved upon the grants of land of the late college, had been yearly paid out of the revenues of the duchy of Lancaster for the support of the said hospital, and also 20 marks yearly for the salary of the master, which had been constantly paid till about eight years last past, when the trustees for the sale of fee farm rents, under 22d Charles II., granted away part of the rents, so that the rents then unsold were not sufficient to answer the allowance and other payments wherewith they were charged, but fell short thereof 247. a-year, besides the master's fee, whereby the weekly allowance to the hospital was greatly injured. The petitioners requested His Majesty to order the usual allowance to be continued, and that the remaining rents then unsold, with others amounting to the value aforesaid, should be settled for the perpetual continuance of the said hospital.

This petition was, on 11th April 1698, 10 Will. III., referred to the Earl of Stamford, chancellor of the duchy, who made a report, of which we give the latter part at length, as it contains an authentic summary of the history and condition of the hospital.

After reciting the foundation, &c., the chancellor stated that the said hospital had been continued by the royal bounty of several fee-farm rents (not appropriated), but passed yearly in an account by themselves, for the support of this hospital and the payments of the salaries to the vicar of St. Mary's, near the Castle, and to a minister to preach within the town of Leicester, and the payment of rents resolute to the town of Leicester; all which yearly payments, by the accounts passed in 1684, were as follows:—

£. S. d. 204 0 8

16 0 11
4 0 0
600

£230 1 7
800
10 0 0
617

£254 3 2

And that, from 1684 to the then time (1698), by reason of the sale of small fee farm rents, theretofore contained within the said accompt, the revenues falling short, the allowance of the poor was reduced, and, instead of 2041. Os. 8d., there was yearly allowed for the support of the poor 1797. 11s. 51d., besides the other payments to the chaplain, minister, and rents to the town, which had been regularly paid, and that there wanted 241. 9s. 23d. to make up the ancient allowance; and further, that since the incorporation up to 1684 there had been paid by the receiver of the duchy to the mayor and master 137. 6s. 8d., which had been discontinued since that time, and that there remained only the following revenue, which used to be applied to the payments aforesaid :

Whereupon the said chancellor humbly represented to His Majesty that the said fee-farm rents should be set apart and applied to the payments of the said hospital, &c., for ever, not to be altered or disposed of to any other use, and that such other fee-farm rents as His Majesty should think fit should be set apart to make good what fell short of the said payments to the hospital and fee to the master, but that the same should still remain under the jurisdiction and survey of the duchy, and the accompt be yearly passed there as hitherto, for the good government and well management thereof.

With the old paper writing, from which the petition and report are taken, is the draft o copy of an order, dated at Kensington, in the tenth year of Will. III., directed to Thomas, Earl of Stamford, chancellor of the duchy and county palatine of Lancaster, directing that a bill should be preferred, containing a grant to pass the seal of the duchy to Henry Pate, mayor of Leicester, master of the hospital and four of the most ancient aldermen and the two chamberlains, assistants of the said hospital, in trust, for the use of the hospital, and the maintenance of the poor men of the fee-farm rents of 1137. 13s. 113d., payable in right of the said duchy by the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses, out of the said borough of Leicester, and of the fee-farm of 497. 1s. 8d., payable out of the manor of Wollaston, in the county of Northampton, and also of 5s., payable out of three cottages in Preston, in the county of Lancaster, and of 667. 13s. 4d., payable out of the honor of Tutbury, in the county of Derby and Stafford, but subject to the survey and jurisdiction of the chancellor and council of the duchy; and further, that the said bill should contain a grant to the said hospital, for the uses aforesaid of the fee-farm rent of 177. 5s., payable yearly for the horse-mill, and peccage, and stallage, within

the borough of Leicester, and also the fee-farm rent of 231. 10s. 5d., yearly issuing out of Steeping, in the county of Lincoln, to hold after the death of Catherine, Queen Dowager,

Leicester.

subject to the survey and jurisdiction of the chancellor and council of the duchy as before, and Trinity Hospital, yearly to be passed in account.

continued.

As the same sum of 2057. 13s. 43d. only was paid to the master and assistants for the use of the hospital, until the year 1776, it is probable that this order was not carried into effect, but the salaries of 67., 8., and 107., payable respectively to the chaplain, the vicar of St. Mary, and the minister, to preach within the town, were paid to the parties themselves by the receiver of the duchy by separate debentures. The payment of 13/. 6s. 8d. to the mayor as master of the hospital has not been issued separately since 1683, but it has been regularly paid out of the allowance received for the use of the hospital.

By an order made in the Duchy Court, 17th February 1776, complaints having been made of the ruinous condition of the building, the same was ordered to be rebuilt at the expense of the duchy, and it was rebuilt accordingly.

It appears from the same order that the sum of 2297. 13s. 11d. had been allowed for 80 years preceding of the duchy revenues, which had been appropriated as follows:

And it was ordered that, in future the sum of 2067. should be paid by half-yearly payments by the receiver-general of the duchy, into the hands of the chamberlains, for the use of the said hospital, and that the same should be paid free from all charges, which it was calculated would be a saving of 14l. 15s. 9d. per annum, for the benefit of the poor, and that the particular receiver of the county of Leicester should pay the three last-mentioned stipends, amounting to 247. per annum, as before accustomed, which were likewise to be paid without

deduction.

At this period there were in the hospital 90 persons, viz., 54 men, and 28 women, exclusive of 8 nurses, of whom the 8 nurses, 17 men, and 15 women, resided in the hospital, and the residue at their own houses.

In 1780, the management of the hospital was altered, by direction of the chancellor and council of the duchy by the following order, which is still acted upon.

Rules and orders by the chancellor and council for augmenting the revenues of the hospital, and for varying the time and mode of distributing the revenues thereof, bearing date 26th January, 20th Geo. III, 1780, after reciting that the Michaelmas rents and gifts, amounting to 1167. 18s. 4d., were distributed to the poor at Michaelmas, and that the Lady-day rents and gifts, amounting to 791. 15s. 4d., were distributed at Lady-day, and that Lady Moyer's gift of 201. a-year, and Mr. Holmes's donation of 45%. were distributed once a-year, altogether amounting to 2611. 13s. 8d., and that there was annually allowed by the duchy revenues 2067. towards the support of the said hospital, and that 1727. 1s. 7d., part of the said sum of 2067., was appropriated as follows, viz., under the titles of Drover's-money, Livery-money, Lamp-money, Halfpenny-money, and Sixpenny-money, the sum of 23/. 6s. 6d, which was distributed amongst the poor once a-year-to the eight keepers or nurses 8d. per week each, amounting to 13. 17s. 4d., and to each of the other 80 poor people 7d. a week, amounting to 1217. 6s. 8d., towards the expenses of repairing the hospital 47., fuel for the common use of the hospital 97. 11s. 1d., making together the said sum of 1727. 1s. 7d.; and that part of the residue of the said 2067. was subject to several specific sums to the chaplain of the said hospital and others, and after payment thereof there remained an annual balance unappropriated to any particular use; and reciting that it appeared to the Chancellor and council that the mode of distributing the said sum, amounting to 2617. 13s. 8d. per annum, and the said annual sum of 1727. 1s. 7d. was not so beneficial as if they were made one common fund and applied in the first place in making certain regular weekly payments to the nurses and poor, and then to such other purposes as after mentioned, and that there remained in the hands of the chamberlains a considerable sum unapplied, and that the King, for increasing the pay of the nurses and providing the poor with assistance in time of sickness, and the better to enable the master and assistants to discharge the expense of repairing the said hospital and of laying in fuel, had been pleased to order the allowance of 2067. to be augmented and to be applied as the chancellor and council should direct,

The said chancellor and council ordered, that all the monies called rents and gifts should be collected by the foremen as usual, and when collected, instead of being divided by the foremen, be paid into the hands of such of the assistants of the hospital as should be chamberlains of the corporation of Leicester,

That the allowance of 2067. should be augmented to 2467., and be paid from Lady-day 1780, quarterly, by the receiver-general of the duchy clear of all deductions,—