the £40 is paid to the Alms-people. 
By the Rev. W. H. Jones. 347 
farm called Paxcroft, for the maintenance of four poor men in the Alms-house, 
which he had then lately founded at Bradford, for whom such gowns should be 
provided as, and as often, as his Trustees should appoint, out of the said yearly 
sum; and after such gowns provided, and the said Alms-house from time to 
time repaired, the residue of the said £40 should be equally divided between the 
four Almsmen, and paid unto them monthly;—it is witnessed, that, Evelyn, 
Duke of Kingston, conveyed to certain Trustees the capital messuage or mansion 
house of Paxcroft, and the. closes or parcels of land therein particularly de- 
scribed, lying in the parish of Steeple Ashton, to the use, intent, and purpose, 
that the said Trustees therein named, and their heirs, should for ever pay the 
annual sum of £40, according to the will of the said John Hall, free of all de- 
ductions, to be paid equally at Lady-day and Michaelmas, with power to 
distrain, in case the rent charge should be in arrear 21 days, and in case of 
need, of re-entry. The deed further provides that the government, regulation 
and management of the Alms-house should at all times hereafter be vested in, 
and the poor men be placed in the Alms-house, from time to time, as any 
vacancy should happen, by the owner of the capital Messuage or Mansion 
House, late of the said John Hall, in or near Bradford aforesaid, for the time 
being, for ever. It is provided further, that when the trustees are by death 
reduced to five, the survivors or majority of them should choose other persons of 
good repute, residing in the county of Wilts, whereof the Vicar of Bradford to 
be always one, to act along with them in the trusts. 
‘The property, subject to the rent charge of £40, now belongs to Earl Man- 
vers, and consists of a farm of about 100 acres, a small part of which is in the 
parish of Steeple Ashton, and the remainder in the parishes of Semington and 
Hilperton, in the county of Wilts. The £40 has been regularly paid out of the 
_ rent for the benefit of the Charity.” 
The Alms-houses are in good repair. They consist of four tene- 
ments, each containing a room below, and a room above, with a small 
garden at the back, divided into four plots. There are four poor 
men in the Alms-houses: each of them receives a weekly allow- 
ance: each man also receives a coat every two years, and a pair of 
shoes yearly. 
The right of patronage and nomination of and to the Alms- 
house, was specially reserved to Lord Manvers when he disposed 
of the Mansion House, (in 1802,) in the owner whereof, for the 
time being, the government and management of the Alms-house 
had been previously vested, in strict accordance with the Founder’s 
will. Since that time, the Alms-men have been usually nomi- 
nated by the agent of Lord Manvers. 
After providing for the repairs of the Alms-house, and clothing, 
as directed in the deed above stated, the whole of the surplus of 
Kase 
