354 Public Chanties. [OcT. 



things with this foundation ? The endowments consist of 590 acres of 

 arable, meadow, pasture, and wood, besides messuages. By some strange 

 oversight, the value is not recorded by the Commissioners ; but the rents of 

 lands some of them in the very heart of Bristol must be something con- 

 siderable. The number of boys actually educated is FOUR or FIVE not 

 more than ten for many years ; and each of these, too, pay to the master 

 51. 1 (Xs. per annum. What becomes of the income then ? The master and 

 the usher have each 8U/. ; but what becomes of the rest? No answer. 

 But how is it, in so populous a place as Bristol, there are not more than 

 four or five scholars ? The masters reply to the Commissioners is " I 

 must teach nothing but Greek and Latin ; and the Bristolians will have 

 nothing to do with either." Then why do not the corporation bestir them- 

 selves, and open a school to teach what they wish and will learn ? The 

 corporation prefer, we suppose, pocketing the rents. The blame is wholly 

 with them : the masters as all masters will get as much as they can, 

 and work as little as they may. 



RED MAIDS' SCHOOL, 1627. Alderman John Whitson instituted this 

 school for the maintenance of a matron and forty girls, to be taught to 

 read and sew, and do such work as the mayor's wife and matron approve. 

 The girls, now forty-one, are apprenticed to the matron for eight or ten 

 years, who receives 12/. a year each with them for board and clothing, 

 except some few articles furnished by the trustees, and the children's earn- 

 ings, amounting usually to 100/. The girls are clothed in red cloth. The 

 same Alderman John Whitson appropriated other sums : 20,9. for twenty 

 poor married women lying in child-bed, and 20,9. for the distributor no 

 person to have the benefit of this gift more than three times ; 8/. 1@*. 6d. 

 and three bushels and a half of wheat for the master of RedclifF school ; 

 ] 2/. for the poor of Newland and Clowenholl, in Gloucestershire ; 20s. for 

 the poor of Burnett, in Somersetshire; [01. to the schoolmaster of New- 

 land ; 2/. for repairs of St. Nicholas 1 Church, and I/, for two sermons; and 

 500/. for loans to the freemen of the city. With the exception of the last, 

 all these donations are yearly payments, charged on the real estate of the 

 alderman. Two-thirds of the residue were to be applied to such good uses 

 in the city as the mayor and aldermen should approve ; the other third to 

 be given to his relations. The portion left to the disposal of the corpora- 

 tion is chiefly appropriated to the augmentation of the charities of the 

 testator. The estate produces 1,828/. 15s. 3^. The average payments 

 amount to 1,368 4s. \d., leaving a balance of 46 II. Us. 2%d. not con- 

 sumed on these charities. The kind-hearted man for such he must 

 have been directed that the surplus profits should be employed in portion- 

 ing the girls brought up in the Red Maids' School ; but the careful Mal- 

 thusians of Bristol have, in their wisdom, thought proper utterly to disre- 

 gard the founder's wishes in this respect What becomes of the surplus ? 

 Is it better disposed of ? 



COLSTON'S FREE-SCHOOL. In 1798, Edward Colston, of London, by 

 indenture granted certain manors, lands, and messuages for the support of 

 a school established by him in St. Augustin's Back. The nomination to 

 vacancies was given to the company of merchant adventurers and his exe- 

 cutors ; and, after the death of his executors, half to the merchants, and 

 half to persons named by himself. This circumstance seemed to the cautious 

 Commissioners to take the case out of their hands. The establishment is a 

 very important one, and apparently well conducted. What the revenue may 



