1827.] Public Chanties. 357 



a week to the whole thirty-two leaving thus a surplus of 33/. 18*. ; and 

 not one thought for the poor maidens of honest fame and their marriage 

 portions. This is the second instance of a disposition on the part of the 

 Bristol corporation to repress matrimony- among the poor. 



CHARITY to Twenty-four Corporations in T&ngland. This was the 

 singular gift of 2,000/., by Sir Thomas White, to the corporation of Bris- 

 tol, to be laid out in land, on condition of lending 50/. each to two persons 

 for ten years of employing 200/. in the purchase and sale of corn to poor 

 people, without profit and of paying, from the year 1577, 104/. to. twenty- 

 four corporations, in rotation, annually for ever. The rental in 1821 

 amounted to 197/. 3s. 3%d. ; and attempts have been made by the corpo- 

 rations to force an augmentation, but the Chancery decided against them. 

 These corporations were directed, by Sir Thomas White, to lend 25/. to 

 each of four persons for ten years, and take the remaining 4/. for their trou- 

 ble. The corporations are York, Canterbury, Reading, Merchant 

 Tailors' Company, Gloucester, Worcester, Exeter, Salisbury, West 

 Chester, Norwich, Southampton. Lincoln, Winchester, Oxford, Hereford 

 East, Cambridge, Shrewsbury, Lynn, Bath, Derby, Ipswich, Colchester, 

 Newcastle. Canterbury received it in 1821. Whether these corporations 

 fulfil the intention of the donor, falls not within the Commissioners' juris- 

 diction, because the College of St. John, Oxford (of which Sir Thomas 

 White was the founder), and the corporation of Bristol, each does or should 

 nominate an honest and discreet person to ride to and view the said corpo- 

 rations, and inquire into the execution of the trusts confided to them who 

 are, therefore, Special Visitors. 



KITCHEN'S CHARITIES, 1594. Alderman Robert Kitchen left, by 

 will, his house in Small-street, Bristol, and a part of his personalty, for the 

 relief of the poor of Bristol, and of the town of Kendal, in the county of 

 Westmoreland* 1000/. was in consequence paid to the corporation by the 

 executors ; they stipulating for a rent-charge of 32,1. on the city lands, in 

 lieu of 600/. out of the l,000/. Of this 32/., was to be given 26/. in 

 weekly payments of 10s. to a poor householder of one of the seventeen 

 parishes in rotation for ever, and the remaining six to poor kindred of the 

 testator. The other 400/. was to be lent gratis to freemen in small sums, 

 which will come among the Loan-money Charities of the corporation. 

 The houses now standing on the site of the alderman's premises (called 

 New Market Estate) produce 501. Us. 6d., of which 40/. 15*. is stated 

 to be distributed in charity. Considerable irregularity appears to have. 

 taken place with respect to this property ; but the Commissioners are of 

 opinion the corporation have, one way or other, more than fulfilled the 

 charitable purposes of the donor. They recommend, however, the corpo r 

 ration to carry the rents and profits of the New Market Estate in future to 

 the account of Alderman Kitchen's Charities that is, to observe the direc- 

 tions of the giver. 



OLD MARKET and TEMPLE ALMSHOUSES, 1679. Alderman Steevens 

 left lands and houses in Breachyate, Wick and Abson, Gloucestershire, for 

 the building and support of two almshouses. One has sixteen rooms, the 

 other twelve, now given wholly to women. The rents, in I82J, amounted 

 to 73 II. 2s. The 28 occupants of the rooms have each 6*. a week, and 

 occasionally coals ; and the same sum is given to thirteen out- pensioners. 

 The funds are wholly spent on the purposes of the institution. The expen- 

 diture, in 1821, was 696/., including 60/. for repairs. 



