THE OLDER CHARITIES OF PLYMOUTH. 
S9 
When the Poor's Portion was founded it was endowed with the 
Hospital Building; five messuages at the Southside — the Berry- 
bequest ; a messuage in Market Street (Whimple Street) ; a garden 
in High Street; other premises in Whimple Street; the "Moore 
Splatt " north of Crosse Downe ; and two messuages between the 
Hospital of Poor's Portion and the Hospital of Orphans' Aid. 
Of these a portion only now remain. The Hospital and adjoin- 
ing premises were sold, and their sites form part of that of the 
Guildhall. The "Moore Splatt" was utilized as a site for the 
erection of the New Workhouse. All that is left of the five 
tenements at the Southside now forms the site of Messrs. King 
and Pinkham's warehouse in New Street. The remainder was 
sold to the Commissioners of Improvement in 1853 for £400. 
The Commissioners likewise bought the first house named in 
Market Street in 1835. It was at the corner of Whimple and 
Buckwell Streets, and the price paid for the fee was £350. The 
garden in High Street has long ceased to be part of the Corporate 
estate. It forms the site of the house now occupied by Mr. 
Colwill, the grocer, at the corner of Catte Street — in whole or in 
part; and so early as 1641 Mr. Philip Francis (Mayor 1642-43, 
1651-52) is said to have built a house thereon. Francis by his 
will, dated August 6th, 1658, left an annuity of 40s. a year out of 
his house in " Foxhole," and this may represent the garden rental. 
Moreover, Francis left all his lands of inheritance not otherwise 
disposed of, after failure of his right heirs, to the Mayor and 
Commonalty, for the use of the poor of the parishes of St. 
Andrew and Charles equally. The will was proved in 1668 ; but 
the poor have never been anything the better for this reversion. 
The remaining item of the original endowment is now represented 
by the Guildhall Wine Vaults in Whimple Street. I say repre- 
sented, because originally it extended from Market or Whimple 
Street to Higher Lane, but had ceased to do so as far back as a 
lease to Thomas Redding in 1673; and it is probable that it has 
been further limited since. The portion next Higher Lane was 
made the subject of a distinct lease, to one Thomas Durant, some- 
thing before this date. 
Other endowments in the hands of the Guardians include : 
A house in North Street, occupying the site of three tenements 
which were mentioned among the lands of the Hospital in 1641 
