ee 
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First THIRTY YEARS OF SCHOOLS, &c. 305 
interesting to general readers, as well as to those engaged 
in the work of education :— 
- The Institutions and Schools under this Charity were founded. in 
the year 1834 by the late Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton. The idea was 
to afford the benefit of education and training to the black and 
coloured population of this and the other West India Islands, as well 
as to train out of this populatiot Teachers for their own Schools and 
the Schools of all denominations of Christians. 
Training Institutions were established in Jamaica and Antigua; 
and Schools in Trinidad, Demerara, Bahamas, St. Lucia, Mauritius, 
Seychelle Islands, &c. Of these the two Training Institutions and 
the Schools in St. Lucia only remain. 
The origin of the Charity is as follows := 
Dame Jane Mico, widow of Sir Samuel Mico, Knt., formerly Lord 
Mayor of London, had a kinsman who was engaged to be married to 
his cousin, a favourite niece of the Lady Mico. They were to receive 
two thousand pounds on their wedding day, the marriage, however, did 
not take place. The story runs that the lady preferred an Ensign and 
eloped with him, but whether or not that is the case it is certain that 
Lady Mico’s niece did not receive the £2,000. 
About the time Lady Mico lived, the middle of the 17th century, the 
Christian captives detained in Algiers by the Moors seem to have 
excited general sympathy, and from time to time persons of charitable 
disposition were wont to give or bequeath sums of money for the 
redemption of these captives. Lady Mico did the same and half of the 
£2,000 above mentioned was by her will bequeathed for this purpose, 
The clause of the will dated July 1st, 1670, is as follows: “ Whareas 
I gave Samuel Mico aforesaid two thousand pounde when he had 
married one of my neeces hee not performeng it I give one of the said 
thousand pounde to redeeme poore slaves, which I would have put out 
as my executrix thinke the best fcr a yearly revenew to redeeme some 
yearly.” By direftion of the Court of Chancery in 1680 a certain frees 
hold wharf and premises in London were purchased with the legacy 
and conveyed to Lady Mico’s executors. 
The Suppression of Algerian piracy and the release of all the Christian 
slaves stayed English benevolence and the question arose,—what was to 
be done with Lady Mico’s legacy, which had increased from £1000 to 
over £120,000? 
Various plans were proposed from time to time, but nothing was 
