THE OLDER CHARITIES OF PLYMOUTH. 
49 
to the same purpose in any such house erected by other persons 
within the said seven years, four pounds annually out of his lands 
and tenements at Tor for ever. 1 Another 20s. a year was left to 
the Mayor and Commonalty out of Tor towards the maintenance 
of a " preacher of the Word " at Tidneham, Gloucester ; and £20 
to the "stocke to sett y e poor to worke." 
We learn from the will that the testator was a man of means. 
He dwelt in a leased house at Foxhole, now vulgarised into 
Vauxhall, which he left to his wife Margaret Laurence, and after 
her to William Laurence his nephew, son of John Laurence. 
Tor, which he had bought of Christopher Gaye, he left to his wife 
for life, then to his brother Henry Laurence for his life, and 
finally to William Laurence and his heirs. Hundiscombe he held 
under lease from Henry Laurence, and this, with two houses at 
the Church Stile, he left to Nicholas Sherwill, on his paying £100 
to the widow. To Henry Laurence he left the corn standing at 
Hundiscombe, and his quarter part of the "God speede." His 
brother Richard lived in a house at Briton Side, leased to the 
testator by John Amadas ; and to Richard he left the lease of this 
messuage, with "pallace, mast house, masts, dial-boards," &c. 
The other details of the will do not concern us here. 
The Sherwills were faithful to their trust ; and well within the 
seven years the work was done. A memorandum made upon a 
loose piece of paper, which has fortunately been preserved, places 
the cost of endowing and incorporating at £301 9s. 5d. ; and of 
building and walling and planting the orchard at £457 13s. 4d., 
total £759 2s. 9d. William Laurence's £100 had thus borne 
good fruit. A memorandum on another loose scrap of paper 
shows that it had been supplemented up to July, 1616, by the 
following gifts: Abraham Colmer (Mayor 1615-16, 1627-28), 
£100 ; John Clement (Mayor 1614-15), £120 ; Nicholas Sherwill 
(Mayor 1618-19, 1628-29, 1637-38), £120; Thomas Sherwill 
(Mayor 1608-9, 1617-18, 1626-27), £120; Humphry Fownes 
(Mayor 1588-89, 1596-97), £50; — Proctor (a legacy), £20; 
John Bound (Mayor 1621-22, 1630-31), £10; W. Heale (Mayor 
1629-30, 1638-39), £10; W. Hill, £20; William Birch (Mayor 
1640-41), £10. Laurence's £100 was received from Clement, 
who married his widow. 
1 This is the estate of Nether Torr or Oaten Arishes, now forming Sir 
John Gayer's Charity, and still charged with the annuity. 
VOL. IX. E 
