PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
||
 |
|||
|
JOHN WILLIAMS' GIFTS (1870)
Mr John Williams, by his will dated December 5th 1868, proved at Exeter on February 4th 1870, bequeathed £500 to the vicar and churchwardens of Saint Andrew's Church, Plymouth, and another £500 to the vicar and churchwardens of Charles Church, Plymouth. Both were to invest it in Government securities and distribute the income to poor persons within their respective parish. No individual person was to receive more than ten shillings or less than 2s 6d in any one year. The legacy to Saint Andrew's Church was invested in Consols to the value of £538 9s 3d while the sum given to Charles Church was invested in Consols to the value of £540. Although not covered by an Order of the Charity Commissioners, this Gift, in respect of the parish of Saint Andrew's, was combined with Acland's Charity and was distributed to the new parishes of Christ Church, Holy Trinity, Saint Peter's and Saint James the Less. It is not clear if this arrangement commenced in May 1864 when the Charity Commission made an Order covering other charities in the parish of Saint Andrew's. By an Order of the Charity Commissioners dated March 22nd 1878 the Saint Andrew's Church sum was transferred to the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds. A similar Order dated December 6th 1878 covered the money given to Charles Church. In 1908 the Saint Andrew's Gift earned a dividend of £13 9s, which was combined with other charitable gifts and distributed according to a formula between the new parishes that had been created within the ancient parish of Saint Andrew's. The vicar of Saint Andrew's paid out his portion (which totalled £14 18s 8d) in food tickets through the agency of district visitors; the vicar of Christ Church distributed coals, groceries, bread and meat by tickets (£3 3s 5d); in Holy Trinity parish it was given out in the form of food and groceries (£3 3s 5d); while the vicar of Saint Peter's gave his sum (£8 14s 6d) to the St Peter's Mission House to be distributed to the sick and the poor. In the parish of Saint James the Less the money (£2 7s 7d) was administered by a committee. In the same year the Charles Gift earned £13 10s and this was distributed in sums of five shillings or 2s 6d, mainly to the old women of the parish, usually the same ones each year. These Gifts should not be confused with those given by another Mr John Williams in 1846. Principal Source:
|
|||