The GLIO Site

THE HAMPSHIRE CHARITIES.
BY THE AUTHOR OF "SKETCHES OF HAMPSHIRE."
No. XIX.

     PARISH OF BLENDWORTH.— William Appleford, by will dated 1695, gave 200l. to the churchwardens and overseers of the parish of Blendworth, to the intent that the interest and profits thereof should be laid out by them and their successors for ever in putting poor children to school and buying books for them. In 1703 this sum was laid out in the purchase of a cottage, barn, and three fields, situate at Love Dean, in the parish of Catherington, containing about 18 acres, and which at the period of the late inquiry produced an annual rental of 13l. In addition to this sum the charity receives an annual payment of 3l. from the overseers, being the interest of accumulated monies and dividends, amounting to 3l. 8s 2d on 44l. 14s 2d stock new 4 per cents. making together an annual income of 19l. 8s 2d, in respect of which five boys are sent to a schoolmaster of the adjoining parish of Catherington, who are taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, at the rate of 6d per week, and twelve girls, or little boys, are instructed by a schoolmistress in Blendworth, the latter are taught to read and the girls to work at threepence per week each. 

     Church Land.—There is a small piece of land in this parish called Church Acre, the rent of which has been from time immemorial received by the churchwardens and applied towards the repair of the church. In extent it is somewhat less than an acre, and its rent at the time of the inquiry was 30s.

     PARISH OF CATHERINGTON.—The above-mentioned William Appleford, by his will dated 1695, gave to the churchwardens and overseers four closes of land lying at Drayton, in the parish of Barton Stacey, to the intent that the rents and profits of the same should be for ever laid out in putting to school of, and buying books for, poor children. The property of the charity consists of about 11 acres of land at Drayton, let at the period of the inquiry at 16l. per annum. The rent is received by one of the churchwardens, and is equally divided amongst three schoolmistresses, each of whom undertakes to instruct in reading fourteen poor people of the parish. The schoolmistresses reside in different parts of the parish—one at Catherington, one at Lovedean, and one at Horndean; and the division of the rent is made for the purpose of providing in the most of the rent is made for the purpose of providing in the most convenient mode for the education of the poor children of the several portions of the parish. 

     PARISH OF BURITON.— The Right Reverend Benjamin Lanney, D.D. Bishop of Ely, and some time rector of this parish, gave the sum of 130l. in trust, to be placed out at interest or to be applied to the purchase of lands, and directed that the interest or rent thereof should be applied in apprenticing the children of such poor people of the parish of Buriton and the borough of Petersfield as should not at that time receive relief from the overseers of the poor; and that at that time receive relief from the overseers of the poor; and that the whole benefit of the said money or land for one year be for apprenticing one such child of the parish of Buriton and the next year one for the borough of Petersfield, and so alternately for ever. This donation was laid out in the purchase of certain premises and about 18 acres of land in the parish of Bramshot, producing at the period of the late inquiry an annual rental of 16l., which was applied to  apprenticing of children. The apprentices, it is stated in the report, were not in all instances the children of persons not receiving relief, in consequence of the difficulty of finding proper objects of that description, nor was the premium given with each apprentice regulated by the precise amount of the year's rent. 

     BOROUGH OF PETERSFIELD.—Thomas Antrobus, of Heath House in this county, esq. by his will dated 1622, directed that his daughter Elizabeth should allow 100l., which he gave for the building of an hospital or alms-house for the poor people of Petersfield, for the habitation of so many lone men and lone women as the money would provide to be placed there by the owners or dwellers in Heath House and the churchwardens of Petersfield for the time being. It appears that only 80l. was expended in 1624 in the purchase of land and the erection of alms-houses in the borough. These, which are now repaired out of the poor-rates, consist of four tenements, each containing a room above and a room below. Two of the tenements are inhabited by unmarried women, and the other two by men who are appointed by the churchwardens with the consent of the owner of Heath House.

     Churcher's College.—Richard Churcher, of Petersfield, East India, by his will dated 1722, gave to trustees the sum of 3000l., which he had in the Bank of England, with all the interest that should be due thereon on the day of his death, for establishing a College in the borough of Petersfield, consisting of a master and ten or twelve boys as the trustees should deem most convenient, according - or twelve boys as the trustees should deem most convenient, according to the annual income, the boys to be taken out of and belonging to the borough of Petersfield, of any age from 9 to 14, that should be healthful boys, and whose parents would give security to the trustees to oblige their sons to be bound apprentices to masters of ships making their voyages to the East Indies after they should have been educated in the arts of writing, arithmetic, and mathematics, chiefly such parts as relate to navigation, and they should have had their diet, clothing, and tutorage free at the bounty of the founder of this College, which should be called Churcher's College ; and in order to purchase an edifice ready built or to build one of new materials, and for the encouragement of the pupils when under tutorage or when bound apprentices, he gave his trustees 500l., and directed that the following articles and rules should be observed :— First, that upon the death of any of the trustees, those remaining should appoint another that the number of seven trustees might be always full. Secondly, that the trustees should appoint a person being a layman to be master and also ten or twelve boys. Thirdly, that the 3000l. Bank Stock should remain in that Company and should never be changed for other security but upon the greatest reason and with the consent of all the trustees. Fourthly, that out of the annual interest arising from from this fund, 40l. per annum should be paid half-yearly to the master, 10l. per annum for each boy's board, and 40s per annum for each boy's clothing, viz. waistcoats and breeches of such colour as the trustees should please, but the upper garment to be a blue gown, having on each a badge of metal with the arms of the East India Company upon it, with the addition of shoes, stockings, shirts, and blue caps. Fifthly, that his silver tankard and the picture of the founder should remain as standards in the same College for ever. And sixthly, that 20s should be allowed for the entertainment of the trustees at their annual meeting. By an Act of Parliament, passed in 1755, for the regulation of this charity, and reciting that soon after the death of the testator a proper building was erected in the borough of Petersfield, for the reception and entertainment of the master and scholars, according to the directions of the will, and that the sum of 500l. bequeathed to the trustees for that purpose, and so much of the dividends arising from the Bank Stock as were requisite, and that the remainder of the dividends, until the College was finished, was from time to time invested in the purchase of South Sea annuities, making in the whole 800l. stock; and after the College was built a master was appointed, and twelve boys were received into the College, and that the growing dividends of the Bank Stock and South Sea annuities were applied to the maintenance of the College; and reciting that as the borough of Petersfield was not a sea-port, few of the inhabitants of that place were inclined to consent to have their children instructed in mathematics and navigation only; and in case the said children were so taught and educated, their parents were not able, or if they were, the yearly revenue of the charitable fund could not be applied to place them out as apprentices on board East India ships ; and that the yearly produce of the fund was greatly deficient to answer all the purposes mentioned in the testator's will, so that although the said charitable donation was intended for the benefit of the town and borough of Petersfield, yet the trustees had found some of the rules and articles to be impracticable and could not be literally observed; and that under these circumstances the trustees proposed and desired that instead of the rules and directions proscribed by the will, that other rules and directions might be made. And it was enacted by Parliament that the proposed alterations should be observed, which, among other things, declared that the boys taken into the College shall be instructed in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and such of them as the trustees should think fit in that branch of mathematics which relates to navigation, and that no such boy shall be taken into the College until his parent or some person in his behalf should give security to the trustees to oblige, as far as in him or her laid, such boy to be bound apprentice to a mariner or the master of a ship; that once in every year the trustees should put out as apprentices to mariners or masters of ships such boys as they shall think proper and qualified for that purpose and as they can oblige to serve in that capacity, and should place out the rest to such trades as they should think proper and suitable, and that there should be paid out of the yearly income of the charity 40l. to the master, 3l. for the clothing of each boy, and for the placing out any of the boys apprentices to mariners or masters of ships 20l. each, and to other trades 10l. each, to each of the boys so put out apprentice any sum not exceeding 3l. a-year to buy them clothes and other necessaries, and to each of the boys at the termination of their servitude, on proof of their good behaviour, 30l. to those put to mariners or masters of ships, and 20l. each to those put out to other trades. In 1818 an information was filed in the Court of Chancery at the relation of Nathaniel Atcheson and twelve others of Petersfield, against the then trustees, which came under the consideration of the Court under the following heads :— 1st : That the trustees had permitted a clergyman to act as schoolmaster from 1784 to 1797, while the person who had been appointed master, and who was (as directed by the will of the donor) a layman, resided at a distance from Petersfield. 2nd : That the appointment of some of the then trustees was invalid. 3rd : That two of the trustees had not attended the meetings for many years. 4th : That William Jolliffe deceased, who was the principal acting trustee from 1770 to 1802, had yearly balances in his hands, and had also suffered part of the dividends to remain unproductive in the Bank of England and in the South Sea House, for the interest of which it was contended his executor ought to account. 5th: That from the time of the transfer of the trust funds to the Accountant-General from 1806 to 1818, the trustees had neglected to inquire into the state of the stock and the dividends thereon, and permitted part of the dividends to remain in the hands of the accountant general unproductive; and 6th, That the schoolmasters for the time being had been permitted to take boys as boarders for their own private emolument to the exclusion of the boys who were the real objects of the charity, and that boys had been admitted to and apprenticed out of the college not being children of persons of or belonging to the borough of Petersfield. The first of the matters complained of in the information was considered by the Vice-Chancellor on the hearing of the case to be an Irregularity, but not a ground of serious charge against the trustees. The second was made a subject of inquiry before the Master in Chancery, who had not made his answer at the period of the late inquiry. The third matter complained of was removed by the two trustees retiring; and the fourth, relative to the liability of Mr. Hylton Jolliffe, the executor of Mr. W. Jolliffe, and in what sum, was referred to one of the masters in Chancery, as was also the fifth point in complaint; and with regard to the sixth, the trustees admitted that the schoolmaster had been permitted to take boys as boarders, which had been done in consequence of the master's salary being so small, and that it was impossible to find a person properly qualified to undertake the situation of schoolmaster unless allowed to take boarders for his private emolument, but they denied that boarders had been taken in exclusion of boys who were the real objects of the charity and also the admission into the college, and the apprenticing of boys not being children of or belonging to the borough or Petersfield. The premises belonging to the college consist of a house for a schoolmaster and school-room, and the income arising from dividends of stock in the Bank of England and other public funds amount to 568l. The number of boys on the foundation was in 1814 raised from twelve to fourteen, but, in consequence of the proceedings in Chancery, were again reduced to twelve, being the number specified in the above-mentioned act of Parliament. The boys at the time of the general investigation of the charities consisted of sons of inhabitants of the borough of Petersfield nominated by the trustees from a list of candidates for admission, who were taught reading, writing, and arithmetic by the schoolmaster or under his inspection by his assistant, and a few of them In mathematics. The boys were considered eligible at six years of age, but were usually a year or two older at the time of their respective nominations, and were permitted to remain at school till they were fourteen, when they were apprenticed with a premium of 10l. with each. Each boy during his stay at school received annually a suit of clothes, two shirts, two pairs of stockings, a pair of shoes, and a hat, and from the time of his being apprenticed an annual allowance of 3l. for clothing till he attained the age of twenty-one, when upon the production of a certificate from the master to whom he was bound of his good behaviour he received the sum of 20l.,  but it did not appear that any instance had occurred of a boy's being apprenticed to the sea service since the passing of the Act in 1745 for the regulation of the charity. In addition to the boys on the foundation the master was permitted to take both boarders and day scholars, which at the time of the inquiry was thirty of the former and fifteen of the latter, all of whom were taught in the school-room with the charity boys.

     Lock's Gift.—John Lock, by his will dated 1674, gave to the tything of Sheet, in the parish of Petersfield, for the maintenance of a sufficient person to teach the poor children of the said tything to read the English tongue a yearly rent of 50s, issuing out of certain lands in the tything. This rent-charge is still paid by the owner of a farm called Westmark, to which is added 3l. 18s 3d, dividend arising from 130l. 10s stock three per cent consolidated annuities purchased with several years' arrears of the rent-charge and the accumulation in consequence of its not having been applied for the space of ten years. At the period of the late inquiry, two trustees, had been recently appointed, but no permanent school had at that time been established. 

TYTHING OF WESTON.—John Goodyer, by his will dated 1664 gave to his executors his messuage, with out-houses, gardens, and orchards belonging, situate at Weston, in the parish of Buriton, and the lands at Weston called " Halfpenny land ;" together with free liberty to water the same,—to the intent that they should convey all the premises to six honest and sufficient persons, and their heirs, on trust, that the yearly rents of the said premises should be employed in putting forth abroad of poor children of the tything of Weston, and that the overplus should be distributed to the poorest inhabitants of the said tything. The property belonging to this charity consists of a house, garden, and out-buildings, in the town of Petersfield, at the annual value of 25l.; sixteen acres of meadow-land, near the town, producing a rental of 45l.; and the sum of 300l. stock in the three per cent reduced annuities, arising from a balance in hand, part of which had been derived from the sale of timber—the rents and dividends amounting in the whole to 97l., after making the necessary reduction for repairs, as were expended in the education of all the poor children of the tything of Weston. The girls and younger boys are placed with a schoolmistress, at the rate of 6d a week for each; and the boys, having attained the age of 9 or 10, were removed to a school in the town of Petersfield, kept by a schoolmaster, who was paid at the rate of 10s a quarter for each boy. Under the schoolmistress are taught reading and needle-work, and the boys reading; and under the schoolmaster the latter are instructed in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and some few are also apprenticed by the trustees; and with the remainder of the income distributions of money are made amongst all the poor persons belonging to the tything of Weston, in proportion to their numbers in family.

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     PARISH OF FROXFIELD—Robert Love, by will dated 1721, gave 1000l. to be settled two years after his decease on four trustees, the bishop's copyhold tenant of Basing for the time being to be one, for the foundation of a free school at Froxfield, in which he was born, for teaching of twenty of the poorest boys, if so many, or else the number to be made up of girls, to read and write the English tongue only. And he directed that no person in holy orders should be the schoolmaster, who should employ his whole time in teaching the children to read, write, and cast accounts well, and instructing them in the principles of religion by teaching them the Catechism appointed by authority; that he should have 25l. a-year, and that the surplus money should be yearly paid out in coarse clothes for the poor children. Francis Beckford, by his will dated 1767, gave 300l. to be applied to the use of the charity. The property arising from these two gifts consists of 1844l. 16s stock in the three per cent consols, producing dividends amounting to 55l. 6s 10d per annum. A school-master who is appointed by the trustees occupies a house and garden in the village, supposed to have been purchased with part of the original gift of 1000l., and who receives a salary of 30l. for instructing twenty-two boys in reading, writing, arithmetic, and the Church Catechism. The residue of the income is applied in the purchase of books and repairs, and in the occasional clothing of the poor children.