4 Public Charities. [f' J *-Y, 



repeat, was obvious ; and, in an age and country more equitable and less 

 grasping and exacting, that intent would be binding on the consciences of 

 his successors. With this, however, the company, in the present case, 

 have nothing to do so far. But then, observe, this Thomas Aldersey 

 leased to the governors themselves also, for two thousand years, at the 

 rent of a red rose, the Chantry -house in Banbury, with several other mes- 

 suages, crofts, and meadows in the same parish, expressly " for the better 

 maintenance of the preachers, schoolmaster, and usher of Banbury-school ; 

 and to the intent that they might be sufficiently provided with competent 

 dwelling-houses, and for the better applying themselves to their several 

 offices." Of the disposition of this property, we have a very meagre 

 account. Some of the buildings and lands are occupied, it seems, by the 

 masters and the clergy, and all may possibly be distributed most advan- 

 tageously for the interests of the charity. But if, by this time, we are 

 made a little suspicious, it can occasion no surprise, and still less any 

 censure. 



JETSON'S CHARITIES. Mr. Jetson directs the company to pay 15/. 12s. 

 to six poor or lame of the company ; 31. to the poor of Lambeth ; 51. to 

 the poor of Kinver, in Staffordshire; 20/. to poor scholars of Trinity 

 College, Cambridge; 61. for a divinity lecture in Lambeth; and 51. for 

 the preachers at St. Paul's-cross. The property devised to the company 

 for the support of these charities consisted of eighteen houses in Haber- 

 dasher's-square, and five in Grub-street, St. Giles's, Cripplegate, then in 

 1622 (two hundred years ago) producing 102/. 12*. The whole now, 

 by some unaccountable management a management with which the 

 company is not usually chargeable rents at only 971. ; so that the com- 

 pany seem to be actually losers ; fore even the 5/., payable to the preach- 

 ers of St. Paul's-cross, are paid to poor clergymen, appointed by the 

 master and wardens. 



NEWPORT FREE-SCHOOL. To the Haberdashers, under the descrip- 

 tion of " Governors of the possessions and revenues of the Free Grammar 

 School of Newport, in the county of Salop," were given in trust exten- 

 sive estates, consisting of Knighton Grange, in Staffordshire, and other 

 property for the maintenance of a grammar-school, and other charities 

 established by him, conditioning that they should pay yearly 20/. to a 

 godly and orthodox minister for catechizing the scholars arid others 

 attending Newport church ; 60/. to the masters ; 241. for binding three 

 apprentices (except every seventh year, when the 24/. were to be applied 

 to the expenses of a visitation-committee) ; 24*. to annual examiners of 

 the scholars; 20*. to a poor scholar for ringing the bell ; 20*. to another, 

 or 10*. each to two others, for sweeping the school ; 51. for repairs ; 20/. 

 for four exhibitions from Newport-school to Oxford or Cambridge; 20/. 16*. 

 to four aged poor of Newport ; 20/. to twenty of the company ; and '2/. 

 to the clerk and beadles altogether 170/. If the rents fall short, the 

 deficiency is to be made good out of the sum assigned for apprentice- 

 fees. Therefore, 170/., past all dispute, was the full value of the pro- 

 perty. But the rental now is 9571. 3s. 6d. ; and the payments, as 

 directed by a decree of Chancery, in 1797 for these matters, by the 

 good management of the trustees, often get into that blessed court 

 amount to 69^/. 5*., which sum leaves still a balance in favour of the 

 company of 264 18*. M. But this considerable balance is not all. The 

 company retain in their own hands sixty-six acres of wood-lands, and con- 



