A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



gave the Bell Close, containing about 4 acres, for the 

 benefit of the poor. This produces £zj tos. yearly. 



3. James Birch's Almshouses.— The benefaction 

 table also records that James Birch gave two alras- 

 houies rear the north gate of the churchyard for the 

 dwelling of two poor widows. The inmates are in 

 receipt of parochial relief. 



4. Charity of Eilen Bridge, founded by deed 

 dated in 1628, consists of a garden formerly known 

 as Pope's or Doulton's Pightle situate in Walton 

 Road and producing £10 yearly. 



5. John Burr's Charity, founded by will dated in 

 1814, whereby testator' gave £400 3 per cent. 

 Bank annuities, now a like sum of consols, pro- 

 ducing £10 yearly, the interest to be distributed to 

 poor widows in suras not exceeding zs. 6d. each. 



6. Corpus Christi Barn.— The indenture of 

 feoffment of 1 6 1 z above referred to also recites 

 that a donor unknown gave to the poor a piece of 

 ground whereon formerly stood a barn called Corpus 

 Christi Barn. 



7. Helium or Elm Green Almshouses.— A deed 

 of feoffment dated in 1 78S recites that two alms- 

 houses were given by a donor unknown. These are 

 inhabited by four widows who receive parochial relief. 



8. Paul Hogge'* Charity.— The origin of this 

 charity is unknown, but a rent-charge of 6s. 8J. is 

 paid out of a close oiled Hogg'; Close in Great 

 Amwell. 



9. Mill Lane Almshouses.— The indenture of 

 1612 further recites that a donor unknown gave two 

 almshouses in Mill Lane. The property now consists 

 of eight almshouse: in Mill Lane with garden ground 

 in the rear let for £z 1 5/. yearly. 



10. Sir William Roberts's Charity.-By a feoff- 

 ment daied 8 April 1788 it appears that Sir William 

 Roberts gave three almshouses in Mill Lane and 

 pasture land known as Widow's Mead and Mill 

 Mead containing 8 a. 3 r. 3 p. and producing {i! 

 yearly. The rents are divided among the inmates. 



11. The 'Saracen's Head.'— The indenture of 

 161 a further recites that a donor unknown gave a 

 messuage or inn called the ' Saracen's Head' together 

 with a piece of land called the Netherhoc to the 

 poor. The land was sold in 1891 and the proceeds 

 invested in £247 6s. Sd. consols. The stock has 

 since been increased to £276 21. lod. by the invest- 

 ment of balance of premium on lease of the ' Saracen's 

 Head.' The 'Saracen's Head ' is let for £130 per 

 annum and the s;ock produces £6 18;. yearly. 



1:. Charity of Humphrey Sp.ncer, founded by 

 will dated 26 June 1630, consists of a cottage in 

 Kibes Lane producing £q is. yearly. 



13. The White Hart Estate.— The indenture of 

 1612 further recites that a donor unknown gave a 

 messuage or inn called the 'White Hart' with 

 appurtenances. The 'White Hart' was pulled down 

 many years ago, and the property now consists of two 

 shops in High Street, Ware, producing £88 yearly 

 and a slaughter-house producing £zo yearly. 



14. Charity of Frederick Harrison, founded by 

 will proved in London 8 June 1907. — The property 

 consists of two almshouses erected on a part of the 

 bell Close called the Harrison Almshouses and 

 £9\ *P- $<*■ New South Wales 3^ per cent, stock 

 ( l02 4)- .£4°° Gre " Northern Railway 3 per cent, 

 preference stock, 1898, and £200 London and South 

 Western Railway 3^ per cent, preference stock, pro- 



ducing alto-ether j early £iz 6s. id. and called the 

 Harrison Fund. 



It appears there are founccn almshouses in Crib 

 Street under the control of the trustees of the com- 

 bined charities, including the almshouses of Laurence 

 Armatridingc and James Birch. 



The scheme directs that the Harrison almspeople 

 shall be two married couples and each couple shall 

 receive a stipend of not less than 7/. 6d. or more 

 than ior. weekly. In the case of a couple possessing 

 a properly secured income from other sources the 

 trustees may pay a smaller stipend, provided that the 

 total income shall not be less than 7/. 6d. a week. 



The remaining income of the charities is directed 

 to be applied in the payment of pensions of not leu 

 than ;r. weekly and for the general benefit of the 

 poor, subject, howeier, to the continuance for ten 

 years after the date of the scheme of certain accus- 

 tomed payments which have been made for a period 

 of at least three years next before the date of the 

 scheme. 



For the year ended 3 I March 1911 the widows 

 in the almshouses received £24. I Jr. 6d., eighty 

 widows received 2s. 6d. each (John Burr's Charity), 

 211 recipients received £121 amongst them, two 

 pensions at 2/. a week for thirty-five weeks, and 

 £z$ 5/. was paid in stipends in respect of the 

 Harrison bequest. 



In 1619 George Mead, M.D., by hia will gave £% 

 yearly issuing out of the George Inn, Ware, to the 

 poor. This payment is now received out of a house 

 in High Street, Ware, called Riverslea, and there 

 is a sum of £133 16s. pi. consols, representing 

 accumulitions and producing £3 6s. 8d. yearly. The 

 income is distributed to poor housekeepers, £6 10/. 

 being distributed among five recipients in 1908. 



In 1622 John Elmer by his will gave a house 

 afterwards called Baldock House for the benefit or the 

 poor of Ware and Stevenage. The property was sold 

 in 1906, and the part of the proceeds applicable to 

 Ware invested in £414 7s, ^d. consols, producing 

 £10 ys. yearly, which is distributed among the poor 

 of St. Mary's parish, Christ Church parish, and Ware- 

 side, In 1908 the sums of £$ tr., £3 ioj. and 

 £1 15/. were distributed in the respective parishes. 



In 1722 Dame Margaret Tufton by her will gave 

 £260, the interest to be applied in coats to six poor 

 men and gowns to six poor women once every two 

 years and in teaching four boys and four girls to read 

 and write and say the catechism. 



In 1749 Anne Ball by her will gave £40 to be 

 applied to the same purposes as Dame Margaret 

 Tufton's bequest. 



These legacies were invested in £286 8/. 3 per 

 cent. Bank annuities, now a like sum of consols. 



Under an Order of the Charity Commissioner! 

 dated 26 July 1904 a sum of £160 consols was 

 placed to a separate account to form Tufton and 

 Ball's Educational Foundation. The dividends on 

 this sum, amounting to £4 yearly, are paid to the 

 managers of the Ware National Schools. 



The residue of £126 Bs. consols forms the 

 endowment of Tufton and Ball's Eleemosynary 

 Charity, and the income, amounting to £3 p. yearly, 

 is applied every two years in overcoats for six old men 

 and material for dresses to six old women. 



In 1739 Mary Evans by her will gave £100, now 

 representedby^nog/.i id. consols, producing^ IJJ. 



