6 Public Chanties. [JULY, 



laid out in land or houses, out of which the company were to pay forty 

 shillings to the poor prisoners in Newgate, and take the remainder ' for 

 their pains.' With this 150/. was purchased No. 8, Poultry, now let for 

 ]06/. net-rent. The company still faithfully pay the forty shillings, and 

 coolly pocket the small remaining )04/. ' for their pains/ 



BRAMLEY'S CHARITY. Leasehold property in St. Bartholomew's-lane, 

 assigned to the company for charitable uses. It was burnt down in 1666, 

 and the company, unable to rebuild, surrendered the lease to the Cloth- 

 worker's company for 15(^. ; for which they pay 51. annually to the poor 

 of Lothbury, in acquittal of all obligations. 



LADY WELD'S BENEFACTION, 1623. This was a bequest of 2,000/. 

 for the purchase of impropriale liviags, to Merchant- taylor's company, or 

 any other company which would accept the trust. The Merchant-taylors, 

 for some unknown reason, declined accepting it; but the Haberdashers, 

 knowing better, we suppose, how to turn a penny, caught at the prize with 

 avidity, instituted a suit in chancery, and eventually got possession of the 

 2,000/. with another 100 for their volunteer trouble. By her will, the 

 good lady directed two-thirds only of the value of the livings to be paid 

 to the incumbents, and the remainder to accumulate for the purchase of 

 more. In this way have been purchased the small tithes or the rectories 

 of Wigston, Bitteswcll, and Diseworth, in Leicestershire ; Albrighton, in 

 Shropshire ; Layston, in Suffolk ; and Chertsey, in Surry : the last so 

 recently as 1819. The governors of Christ's-hospital were, by the will, 

 appointed auditors, and a curious compromise in 1702 took place between 

 these auditors and the company. The Haberdashers, at the time, were 

 indebted to the trust 4,000/., and confessedly insolvent. These honest 

 auditors sanctioned a composition of five shillings in the pound, on con- 

 dition of alternately themselves presenting to the church preferment ; and 

 to this day, the governors of Christ's-hospital, alternately with the Haber- 

 dashers, present to the livings. Here are no slight liberties taken with a 

 trust ; and yet how nervously conscientious these companies are, when 

 any really beneficial change is proposed, particularly as to schools ; then 

 nothing is heard of but the will of the founder. 



HAMONO'S CHARITIES, 1638. 1. Four hundred pounds for the erec- 

 tion of an alms-house for six poor old unmarried freemen of the company, 

 with a rent charge of 80/, on property in Tower-street and Mincing-lane, 

 of which 60/. go to the old men, and 20L to twenty poor men and women 

 of the company. The 400/. were expended on the purchase of ground 

 and the erection of the alms-house on Snow hill ; and the 80/. are still 

 distributed according to the directions of the donor. The company have 

 no control over this, now very valuable property. 2. The same Mr. 

 Hamond left J,0(JO/., like Lady W^eld, for the purchase of impropriate 

 livings, with which were bought the rectory of Aure, and the chapelry of 

 Blakeney, in Gloucestershire, worth in 1806, 600/. a-year. 3. The same 

 Hamond also, left 500/. to the company for loans, gratis silk-men to be 

 preferred. These loans have been discontinued since J678. Have the 

 company ever thought of substituting any analogous appropriation of this 

 and other sums left for similar purposes ? 



HAZLEFOOT'S CHARITY.- In 164(5, this gentleman conveyed to the 

 company a freehold estate and manor, called Pitley Farm, in the parish of 

 Great Bardiield, in Essex, of the yeaily value of 70/. ; and directed * ~ 

 whole 70/. to be applied to specifies uses -20/. to the poor of the comni , , 



