THE OLDER CHARITIES OF PLYMOUTH. 
61 
William Rowe (merchant), by his will April 16th, 1690, left 
Shute Park, consisting of 3 acres 3 roods and 27 perches, under 
trust for the distribution of the rents and profits in clothing yearly 
within ten days after the 25th of December. The rest of his 
property was devised to such charitable uses as his trustees and 
their heirs should approve. The Guardians, beyond the field, only 
obtained £100, the money and the land being handed over by 
John Crabb, trustee, in December, 1713; but it was not until 
1816 that the directions of the testator were followed, the rents 
and profits up to that time being carried to the general fund of the 
workhouse — to the relief, of course, of the ratepayers. This 
property should be most valuable, but has been badly managed. 
The original site of the Free School was alienated for 500 years at 
a rental of £10 a year, and in 1824 the rest of the available 
building land was let on lease for ninety- nine years for the erection 
of the cottage dwellings in Rowe and Glanville Streets; so that 
the annual produce of what was once four acres of land in a 
prominent locality in Plymouth is at the present moment only 
£51 9s. 5d. Some of the property appears to have been lost. 
The residue of the personal property of the testator beyond the 
£100 was invested in Consols. One of the objects specified by 
him for its application was the education and preferment of poor 
children, and part of the interest of this capital amount (now 
£841) is paid to the Free School. 
Joseph Palmer, by his will September 12th, 1723, gave an 
annuity of 40s., to be distributed annually to the poor of both 
parishes for ever at 12d. per head. 
Joseph Maddock, in 1727, bequeathed £1500 to the poor of 
Plymouth, to be laid out in lands of inheritance, and the proceeds 
applied in the yearly distribution of clothing on November 1st, 
one-half to poor in receipt of relief, and one-half to the poor not 
in receipt of relief. January 7th, 1729, £1475 was laid out in 
the purchase of £1400 South Sea Stock until suitable lands could 
be procured. As it remains so invested, the inference is that for 
the past 1 50 years no suitable property has come into the market ! 
The produce of this £1500 is at present only £36 18s. 
Sarah Webber, by her will October 24th, 1778, left 30, Bilbury 
