244 



Terumber's Chantry at Trowbridge . 



from the years 1766 to 1777, £4 was received of one Carey, and that | 

 the said sum was distributed in sums of 16s. each, to four women ; j 

 and that the remaining 16s. was also distributed, as the money 

 of the empty house, in small sums amongst about eight persons. 



" Mr. Stevens, the executor of Mr. Carey, is stated, in the copy of 

 a letter believed to have been written by Miss Carey, to have paid 

 £4 to the poor of the alms-house at Trowbridge ; but it is also 

 stated in the same letter, that Mr. Stevens was wrong in making 

 the payments, as they then went upon the estate for payment. 



" No entries can be found in the parish books of the rent-charge, 

 or sum of £4, having been paid since 1777. 



" In the Parliamentary Returns of 1786, the account of this 

 charity is as follows ; — ' Founded by James Terumbre, — at what date, 

 uncertain, — founded by will for the endowment of an alms-house, — 

 land given which was at that time vested in Henry Stevens, yielding 

 £4 per annum/ — The rent of £4 has never been paid since 1786. 



" After the payment of the rent ceased, the old alms-house was 

 used by the parish as a poor house till about the year 1811. The 

 building was then taken down for the purpose of enlarging the 

 church-yard, with the consent of the inhabitants of the parish, at 

 a public vestry called for the purpose, on 21st April, 1811." 1 



It is a satisfaction to feel, that, through the generosity of other 

 " rich clothiers " of Trowbridge, some reparation was made in the 

 middle of the 17th century for this spoliation of the poor, which, 

 though involuntary on the part of the parishioners, is still to be 

 deplored. A new alms-house was erected in another part of 

 Trowbridge, by the brothers William, John, and Richard Yerbury. 

 It was subsequently endowed with donations or bequests, from no 

 less than five other members of the same family, and its income 

 now amounts to more than £120 per annum. Esto perpetua ! 



Nor is this quite all the reparation that has been made. Within 

 the last few years, through the efforts of the present Rector, some 

 new alms-houses have been erected by public subscription, hard by 

 the site of Terumber's, for the benefit of clothiers and others, 

 who, having known better days, may, in their old age, or through 



1 Reports of Charity Commisioners, (Wilts,) p. 492. 



