PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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In the 1600s Sir John Acland and Messrs William and John Hill left annuities to provide for the distribution of bread to the poor of St Andrew's parish. In 1626 Mr Robert Rawling left £250 in trust to pay yearly £3 for the poor in the almshouses; £2 for the poor of Compton Gifford; £1 10s for poor burgesses; and ten shillings each to seven other parishes towards their poor. He also left two tenements in Batter Street, and other property, to the Orphan's Aid Hospital. At an early period, Sir John Gayer left an estate at Torr, in the parish of Pennycross, in the keeping of Plymouth Corporation. In 1849 it was being let for £44 18s a year, out of which £8 was being paid to the vicar of Charles' Church 'for preaching sermons preparatory to the administration of the sacrament', £1 4s was going to the clerk and sexton, and £4 to the Orphan's Aid. The remainder of this charity was, in 1850, being distributed to the poor of the Borough in shirts, shifts, petticoats and other clothing, jointly with contributions from Mr John White (left 1584); Messrs John and Thomas Bounds (left 1642 as proceeds of Thistle Park); Robert Hewer; and gifts by Baron, Collins, Hill and Ackerman. In 1690 Mr William Rowe left 3 acres 3 roods 27 perches of land called Shute Park in trust to distribute the rent among the poor of Plymouth. In 1850 this land was let for £52 per year, which was distributed by the Guardians of the Poor. Mr Rowe also left the dividends on £841 three per cent consols to be used for the support of the Free Public School in Cobourg Street. Rowe Street was so named as a memorial to him. In 1727 Mr James Maddock left £1500 in trust with the Guardians for the provision of clothing to the poor. It was to be shared equally between those receiving parochial relief and those not so fortunate. By 1849 the capital sum seems to have been reduced to £1406 old South Sea Annuities. In 1732 Mr Henry Kelway left £1900 of bank stock in trust for his relations, or in default of such, for the poor. By 1850 bouses had increased this sum to £4,860 17s 3d and the dividends being received were equal to about ten per cent. As a result, some £43 was annually being distributed to his relations and the remainder of the annual income was being applied to the education of their children. The vicars of St Andrew's and Charles plus the headmaster of the Grammar School acted as trustees. In 1750 Mr John Morshead left an annuity to provide for the distribution of bread to the poor of the parish of St Andrew's. Also in 1750 the poor of Charles parish had £5 10s annually, as the interest on £102 10s left by (Mrs/Miss) Mary Collins and Mr John Morshead. Again this was for the distribution of bread. In 1796 (Mrs/Miss) Eleanor Huxham left £660 three per cent stock in trust with the vicar of Charles Church to pay £15 yearly to ten poor women of Plymouth, in equal shares, and to distribute the remainder of the dividend in bread at the parish churches of Charles and St Andrew's. On April 12th and December 12th each year the dividends received on £500 three per cent stock left by Mrs Mary Glanville Hodson in 1829 was to be distributed in bread within the parish of Charles. Bread was to be distributed amongst the poor of Charles parish as the result of the dividends received on £100 of three per cent stock left in 1830 by Mr John Morris. The bread was to be distributed on January 1st each year. Mr J Bruce left £150 in 1841, the interest of which was to be divided among three poor trademen's families. By 1850 there were also 50 shillings left by Captain Ackerman and £2 2s left by (Mrs/Miss) Eleanor Huxham, which also provided the poor of St Andrew's parish with bread. In all the above cases the bread was distributed by the churchwardens. By 1850 the poor of the tything of Pennycross had £4 a year from Mr John Harris, (Mrs/Miss) Johannah Knight and Mr Robert Rawling (presumably this was his 10s left in 1626). The vicar of Charles' Church distributed seven pounds worth of clothing annually, the gift of (Mrs/Miss) Elizabeth Chapman and Mrs Sutton. By 1850 (Mrs/Miss) Rebecca Shaw and (Mrs/Miss) Sarah Hancock had left the interest on £200 to the poor of Compton Gifford. Mrs Joan Bennett's Trust provided support to two exhibitioners from Plymouth at one of the Universities. About £40 of the income came from the rents of properties in Southside Street and about £60 from the interest on £1841 three per cent consols. Two town corporals and the governor of the Barbican were the lucky recipients clothing to the value of £14 8s annually from the tithes of Eggbuckland and St Budeaux, left to the Corporation by Mr John Burrough.
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