BRAUGHING HUNDRED bishop's stortford 



the road to Manewden, 63 a piece of land in ' Moche- 

 halfacres' called Shortland alias Chantry Land alias 

 Walter Blanks and Twyford Mill (given by Richard 

 Wild). 64 



The house called the Chantry situated in the 

 Hadham Road at the end of North Street probably 

 marks the site of the priest's house. 65 It is a two- 

 storied house of plastered timber with a tiled roof built 

 in the latter part of the 1 6th century. It is L-shaped 

 in plan with modern additions. 



There were three gilds in the church of St. Michael, 

 called the gilds of St. John the Baptist, St. Mary, and 

 St. Michael. There are bequests to them in wills of 

 the late 15th and early 16th centuries. 60 The gild 

 of St. John the Baptist was connected with the chantry 

 of Baldwin Victor, the priest celebrating at the altar 

 of the gild chapel 67 (see above). This must have 

 been at the east end either of the north or south 

 aisle, both of which evidently contained altars. 68 In 

 1490 the collectors of the gild of St. Mary contributed 

 a sura of £3 2.s. 6d. towards church bells. 6 * The latter 

 gild was probably dissolved about 1 540, for in the 

 churchwardens' accounts for that year there is an 

 entry for 8^. received for the stock of Our Lady 

 gild.™ 



The Poor's Estate which comprises 



CHARITIES the charities mentioned below is 



regulated by a scheme of the Court 



of Chancery 17 January 1 85 1 : namely, the charities 



of:— 



1. Richard Pilston, founded by deed 1572, con- 

 sisting of five almshouses at New Town, acquired by 

 exchange under the Inclosure Act 1821 for two 

 tenements originally given, an acre of land at Thorley 

 let at £1 a year, and a rent-charge of 15/., portion of 

 a rent-charge of £3 3/. issuing out of ' The Reindeer,' 

 comprised in a decree made by a commissioner for 

 charitable uses 3 June 1692, and secured by deed 

 3 April 1 766 (enrolled). 



2. Robert Adison alias Lustybludd's Charity, 

 founded by will 1554, the bequest to be laid out in 

 land. 



3. Margaret Dane, founded by will of 1579, a 

 legacy of £20 to be laid out in land. 



4. Henry Harvey, LL.D., Master of Trinity Hall, 

 Cambridge, founded by will of 1 5 84, which consisted 

 of a rent-charge of £6 to be divided between the poor 

 of the parishes of Stortford and Littlebury, Essex. 



5. John Dane, founded by deed of 1630, formerly 

 part of workhouse. 



6. Rowland Elliott, founded by will, date unknown, 

 included in the inquisition of charitable uses above 

 referred to and consisting of a rent-charge of £2 out 

 of the manor of Walkers in Farnham, Essex. 



7. William Ellis, founded by will of 1 616, con- 

 sisting of a rent-charge of 20/. out of premises in South 

 Street. 



8. Thomas Hoy, included in inquisition above 

 referred to and consisting of a rent-charge of 6s. 8d. 

 out of a messuage in Windhill. 



9. John Gace and Richard Kirby, founded by wills 



recited in deed 11 April 1634, and now represented 

 by a portion of the stock mentioned below arising 

 from the sale of land in Common Down, awarded on 

 the inclosure in 1820 in respect of original gifts. 



The endowment of the Poor's Estate now consists 

 of the five almshouses and land mentioned under 

 Pilston's Charity, and the several rent-charges, and of 

 a sum of £2,480 4/. $d. consols with the official 

 trustees, producing £6 2 a year in annual dividends, 

 arising mainly from the sales of land from time to 



The income is applied in the upkeep of the alms- 

 houses, which are inhabited by poor aged women in 

 receipt of parochial relief, and in the distribution of 

 coal to the poor. The amount distributed in coal 

 averages about £50 a year. 



The following charities are administered by the 

 vicar and churchwardens, namely : — 



1. The Church Estate, the donors of which are 

 unknown, is regulated by a scheme of the High Court 

 of Chancery 17 January 185 1. The property con- 

 sists of 1 a. zr. 27 p. of land called Little Field at 

 Collins Cross let for £7 ts. yearly ; the site of the 

 old National school let for j^i yearly ; a rent-charge 

 of £3 out of ' Half Acres ' ; a rent-charge of £t 8/. 

 out of 'The Reindeer' at Windhill ; £1,584 Js. 6d. 

 consols in the High Court of Chancery and £2,742 

 4*. %d. consols in the name of the official trustees 

 arising out of sales of land producing in annual divi- 

 dends £108 3*. The income is applied in payment 

 of the salaries of the organist, verger, &c, and insurance 

 premiums. 



2. Elizabeth Jones, who died in 1827 and be- 

 queathed £500, tne interest to be applied for the 

 purpose of ornamenting and repairing the parish 

 church. The endowment is now represented by a 

 sum of stock producing £12 16/. yearly. 



3. The same testatrix bequeathed £250, the 

 interest to be distributed annually on New Year's 

 Day in coals and clothing to the poor. The endow- 

 ment is now represented by a sum of stock producing 

 £6 16s. \d. yearly. 



4. Humphrey Hetherington, by his will without 

 date, gave £100, the interest to be applied in bread 

 for the poor. This sum was laid out in the purchase 

 of land in Bishop's Stortford. The land was sold in 

 I 885 and the proceeds invested in £2 78 19/. $d. consols 

 with the official trustees, producing £6 i<js. ^.d. yearly. 



5. William Gibbs, by will recited in deed 9 April 

 1630, devised a piece of land called Long Hedge 

 Piece, containing about 2 acres, the rent of which, 

 amounting to £9 10/. Sd. yearly, is distributed in 



6. In 1862 John Baynes, by his will proved at 

 London 21 May, gave £300, the yearly income to 

 be applied towards repairing and ornamenting the 

 parish church. The endowment is now represented 

 by a sum of stock producing £j I 8j. yearly in divi- 



7. In 1866 William Wilby, by will proved at 

 London 23 June, gave £300, now represented by a 



65 Salmon, op. cit. 271. 



«* Glasscock, Ric. of St. Michael' 

 Bishofs S tor ford, 68. 



65 The old chantry-house is describi 

 as at North Gate (Rental! and Sur 

 R. 299). 



65 P.C.C.37 Milles, iSMoone, i Bod- 

 felde. 



e! See account of papers relating to the 

 ' chantry and gild of St. John the Baptist ' 

 in Glasscock's Rtc. of St. Michael's, 

 Bishop', Stortford, IiS. 



the 



,s formerly o 



:, but ther 



■Cock, op. Cit. 22. 



70 Ibid. 94. A rental of obit-lands an 

 light-lands belonging to the church : 

 printed, by Mr. Glasscock (ibid. 4.8). 



39 



