52 
JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
the mayoress a box on the ear. " It made great disturbance, at 
length it was composed, and s r Rich d gave y e town a house, some- 
where in y e market street for satisfaction." How far this is true 
one can hardly venture to say ; but it is a fact that two houses in 
Market Street, or Whimple Street, formed part of the endowment 
of the Poor's Portion. 
Mathewe's gift may seem to have had some connection with 
the lease of the site already noticed, but it is clear on considera- 
tion that it had not ; and there is little doubt that it is included 
among the properties already named. The Corporation seem to 
have concentrated divers gifts and bequests applicable to a common 
purpose. We have direct evidence that this was so with the 
Poor's Portion. 
Robert Rawlyn (Mayor 1620-21, a captain in Parker's last 
expedition), whose will is dated February 15th, 1626, was a liberal 
benefactor to the town generally, but to the orphans in particular. 
He left £10 to the poor; £10 to the poor stock; £125 to be lent 
to poor seafaring men in sums of £10 and £5, at 4 per cent. ; and 
£125 to be lent to poor tradesmen and young beginners. Two 
houses in Batter Street and the residue of his property was be- 
queathed to the " Orffantes Ayd," with the expression of a wish 
that one of the children therein should belong to Compton Gifford. 
Of the interest of the first £125, £3 was to be spent in providing 
butter for the Almshouse people on fast-days ; £2 was to be paid 
for the poor of the tithing of Compton Gifford. Of the interest 
of the other £125, 10s. each were to be paid to the poor of 
Plymouth, Stonehouse, St. Budeaux, Stoke, Egg Buckland, 
Western Peverell, and Saltash; and the remaining 30s. at 
Christmas to the poor of Plymouth. 
That the remainder given to the Orphans' Aid was a substantial 
amount is shown in his recognition by the " twelve and twenty- 
four," in 1647, as the chief founder of that Charity, of which he 
was certainly the chief supporter. The greater part of his gift 
had been applied in the purchase of the moiety of the Drake lease 
of the mills, which then produced £150 a year; and the Mayor 
and Commonalty at this date resolved that only eight orphans 
should be maintained out of the mill income ; and that as much 
money should be saved as possible, "to raise some considerable 
sum for the future support of that house, and keepe in memory 
