140 THE LANDED INTEREST. 



CHARITY ESTATES. 

 Charity The value and extent of land held in trust 



Estates : 



for charities, in England alone, are very consider- 

 able. Inclusive of rent-charges and fixed annual 

 payments, the gross annual rental exceeds 

 1,558,000, derived from 524,000 acres of land, 

 and the houses built thereon. Besides this, the 

 Charity Trusts possess in Government Stock 

 and other personalty nearly 20,000,000, yield- 

 theirvalue. ing an annual income of 640,000. Their total 

 income from real and personal property is thus 

 close upon 2,200,000. 



This great property is held in separate en- 

 dowments in all parts of England, in number 

 estimated at about 50,000, which are adminis- 

 tered by various bodies of trustees, such as 

 Municipal Trustees, Ministers, and Parish 

 Officers, and in many cases by persons who may 

 be termed private trustees, or such as are not 

 trustees in virtue of holding any especial office. 

 These have been placed by Parliament under 

 the general superintendence of a Government 

 Department, the Charity Commission, which 

 reports annually to Parliament upon the 



