1827.] Public Charities. 359 



and Mrs. M. Brown, 10/., for employing the prisoners in Bridewell. This 

 prison is wholly supported by the corporation, at an expense of not less than 

 500/. Thomas Finnes also left 100/. for setting the poor to work whe- 

 ther in prison or not, does not appear. 



MERLOTT'S CHARITY for BLIND PERSONS. Alderman Merlott, in 

 1784, Ieft3,000/. on the death of his wife, which happened in 1800, to be 

 vested in government securities, and the income to be applied, as far as it 

 would go, to the relief of blind persons, in sums of 10L each, subject to the 

 same regulations as a similar charity instituted in London by the Rev. Mr. 

 Hetherington. To this sum was added 4,000/., by a Miss Elizabeth Mer- 

 lott, probably the daughter of the founder ; and 3,333/. 6s. Sd. three per 

 cents, by Richard Reynolds. The whole amount of stock belonging to 

 the charity in 1821 was 15,152/. 17*. \d., producing a dividend of 

 454/. 1 1*. $d. Forty-three blind people receive 10/. each. Persons in any 

 part of England are eligible : preference is given to the most aged. 



Mrs. MARY ANN PELOQUIN'S CHARITY. This lady, in J778, left 

 19,000/. to be vested in government securities, or in the chamber of Bristol, 

 under the security of the city seal, at not less than three per cent., on con- 

 dition that the corporation should pay the interest of 300/. to the rector of 

 St. Stephen, 5/. ; the curate, 2/. ; and the remainder, be it what it might, 

 to the clerk and sexton for attendance on St. Stephen's Day ; the interest 

 of 15,200/. to thirty-eight men and thirty-eight women, all free of the city, 

 housekeepers, and not receiving parochial relief that is, 61. each, while 

 the interest is three per cent. ; the interest of 2,500/. to poor lying-in 

 women, wives of freemen, 30s. each ; and the interest of the remaining 

 J,000/., in equal shares, to twenty single or widowed women and ten men 

 of St. Stephen's, not receiving parish relief. The corporation expend 570/. 

 in the manner directed ; but they have at no time, since 1778, be the gene- 

 ral rate of interest what it might, ever dreamt of giving more than three 

 per cent. We shall presently find the Commissioners recommending 

 another company, in a similar case, to allow four instead of three per cent. ; 

 and they might have done the same here. 



Miss ELIZABETH LUDLOW also, in 1812, left 1,000/., three per cents., 

 the dividends to be distributed among five poor widows, who had been the 

 wives or were the daughters of freemen, on the nomination of the mayor 

 and aldermen. This also is done. 



Mr. SAMUEL GIST, in 1815, left 10,000/. three per cents., to be applied 

 to the support of six men and six women, to pay 51. to each of them on 

 St.Thomas's Day, to maintain six boys and six girls in Queen Elizabeth's 

 Hospital, and to provide apprentice-fees of 10/. for the boys. No girls it 

 seems could be received in Queen Elizabeth's Hospital ; and application 

 was accordingly made to the Chancery, where poor Mr. Gist's wishes 

 were treated with very little ceremony. The Chancellor finally directed, 

 that three boys should be placed in the hospital at 30/. each, "-three girls 

 in the Red Maids' School at 241., that three poor men should receive 

 6s. a week, and three poor women 5s. These sums together amount to 

 253/. [6s. We should like to know why 30/. is paid for the boys at 

 Queen Elizabeth's, while 20/. only is paid for the rest ; and why 24/. is 

 thought necessary for the girls, when the other Red Maids require only 



Mrs. THURSTIN, in 1778, left 300/. in trust, the interest of which was 

 to be paid to lying-in women, 20s. each. This produces 12/., and is duly 

 distributed according to the directions of the donor. 



