and the residue of the rents for sustaining the poor of the Company.

By counterpart of a deed made in the year 1713, it appears that the estate bequeathed by this testator was conveyed to the trustees of the Broad Street Ward Schools in consideration of 450l., and of a rentcharge of 21. a year to be paid to the Company.

Subsequently to the report of the Commissioners of Inquiry (November 1833), an information was filed by the Attorney General, at the relation of Thomas Spencer Hall and John Edwards, against the Company, praying that the charitable trusts of the said R. Ferbras might be established, and that, subject to the payment of the several small specific yearly payments, the due application of the residue of the rents for the relief of the poor of the Company might be enforced, and that, if necessary, it might be referred to the master to settle a scheme, and that it might be declared that the Company, by not keeping separate accounts of the yearly rents of said charitable estates of the application of the residue, had made default, and that the messuages, &c., constituting said charitable estates derived under the will of R. Ferbras might be distinguished by bounds, and that to that end all necessary inquiries might be made, and that it might be referred to the master to take an account of the rents of said estates received or which might have been received for 50 years then past, or for such time as the Court might think proper, and that, if it should appear that the said Company should have applied any part of the said charitable

estates, either as to the site of the hall or other buildings of the said Company, or otherwise to their own use, and not for the purposes of the charity, then that the master might fix an adequate yearly sum with which the Company ought to be charged in that behalf in the said accounts, and that what should be found due should be paid by the said Company out of their corporate funds.

On the 25th July 1835 a decree was made by the then Master of the Rolls, whereby it was ordered that it be referred to the master to enquire and state which of the estates and property in the information mentioned were subject to the charitable trusts created by the will of Robert Ferbras, and also to enquire of what the estates subject to such trusts consisted, and how the same were let. And also to take an account of the rents of the said estates found to be subjected to the said charitable trusts which had been received by the defendants since the filing of the said information, and for the better taking of the said accounts the parties were to produce before him all deeds and papers in their custody relating thereto.

The solicitors of the Leathersellers' Company have been instructed to search for the subsequent proceedings in this suit, and, as I am informed by the clerk of the Company, have done so without success. It appears by a note entered in the minute book of the Company that the result of the suit (which was probably effected by a compromise) was that the defendants were to be charged with interest at 4 per cent. per annum upon the 4501. from the filing of the information in November 1833, and out of such 4501. and interest the relators' costs were to be paid. The defendants' costs were to be paid out of their own funds on the ground that they had never kept a distinct account of this charity, but had blended it with their own property, although the master had reported that 40s. a year had always been regularly applied by the Company, and that they had annually given to poor persons of the Company ever since 1713 more than the interest of 4501.

The payment of the relators' costs would seem to have reduced the capital of the fund to the sum of 4301., 31. per cent. consols, which now stands in the corporate name of the Company, as part of a larger sum of stock, and produces an income of£ s. d. 12 18 0

The rentcharge received from the trustees of the Broad Street ward schools

200

14 18 0

The annual sum of 40s. is paid, 20s. a year to the keeper of the Queen's Bench Prison for that prison, and the Marshalsea and Fleet, and 20s. a year to Mr. Temple, the Corporation Officer of the Prisons of Newgate Street, Ludgate Street, and Wood Street.

The payment to the Queen's Bench has not been made for the last year, there having for some time been no governor.

The distribution to the poor of the Company is made annually on the 30th and 31st January in addition to the quarterly payments to the pensioners and the fortnightly payments to the inmates of the almshouses.

The distribution on the 31st January is made to five classes :

1. To poor freemen, as donations not of the character of pensioners, of whom at the last distribution there were nine who received 21. a piece, and one 31.

2. To poor widows of freemen, pensioners of the Company, in addition to their pensions, of whom at the same distribution there were 21 who received generally 21. each and a few a larger sum.

3. To widows of freemen not old enough to be entitled to pensions; of these there were five who received 21. each, and one woman 47.

4.

The daughters of freemen, who received 107. amongst six persons.

5. The children of freemen, who received a sum of 41. which was paid to a sister.

The whole distribution in January of the present year (1863) was 1027.

The income of Ferbras' Charity, 127. 188., is a part of this sum.*

John Hasilwood, by his will of the 16th January 1544, gave to the company 300l. and certain plate and lead to purchase the site of the late Monastery of St. Helen's, to make therein a common hall, and to purchase lands and tenements for the payment to four almsmen and three almswomen weekly of 8d. each and two sacks of coal over and besides the dwelling-houses to be provided for them by the Company.

The almshouses are in Clarke's Place, St. Helen's, and consist of a house with two outer entrances, with rooms for seven almspeople, four freemen and three widows of freemen. The men may be married. They have two rooms for each person. The approaches to the rooms are very narrow and through wooden partitions, which in the absence of any other outlet would render these dwellings very dangerous to life in case of fire. It is contemplated to remove these almshouses and form another wing to the aimshouses at Barnet, adding at the same time to the income of the estate by the appropriation of their present site with adjoining property, if it can be acquired, to other purposes.

The seven almspeople receive the following payment and allowances in addition to occasional gifts on public occasions:

10s.

2 tons of coals each per year, 14 tons 17. a year each at the two livery dinners

£ S. d. 182 0 0 17 10 0 700

206 10 0

In the accounts rendered by the Company to the Charity Commission the surplus payments for the benefit of the almspeople, commencing in the year 1857, beyond the trust funds applicable for such purpose, are carried on yearly and exhibit a balance due to the Company in 1862 of 1,3327. 13s. 9d.*

ROGERS' GIFT.

Robert Rogers gave 21. a year, part of the interest of 2007., to be employed in the purchase of coals for the almspeople, and also 1,000 billets of wood and 7s. in money to them, to be supplied and paid by each of five persons to whom 100l. was to be lent.

This was a part of the subject of the suit respecting the loans to be made by the Company. The Company give annually 2 tons of coals to each of the people in the almshouses, as stated in the report of the Hazlewood Gift.

ELLIOTT'S GIFT.

Anne Elliott by will in 1605 gave 2001. to be laid out in land of the yearly value of 101. for the almspeople. The benefit of this gift is appropriated to the inmates of the Barnet almshouses (of the foundation of the Leathersellers' Company; see my report thereon).

See also my preceding report on Moseley's and other charities, comprising the Sydenhain estate.

MOSELEY'S GIFT.

William Moseley by will in 1617 gave 100l. to the Company to pay 5l. to the poorest people of the Company. The benefit of the gift is appropriated to the present Barnet almspeople. (See my report on Moseley's and other charities, the investment of which forms the Sydenham estate.)

HOLT'S GIFT.

Alexander Holt by his will in 1659 gave to the Company 107., the interest to be given to the almsfolk. No specific record of this sum remains, but it will appear that the payments to the almspeople far exceed what this sum could produce.

And in 1695 Samuel Baker gave 2001. to be lent to freemen at one per cent. interest.

Since the report of the Commissioners of Inquiry an information was filed by the Attorney General at the relation of Thomas Spencer Hall and George Smith, stating the above gifts, and praying,

That an account might be taken of the several sums given to the Company upon the trusts before-mentioned, and of the interest reserved thereon by the said Company from the time of such bequests, and in case it should appear that during any number of years the said sums had been applied by the said Company to their own use or contrary to the trusts thereof, then that an account might be taken of what was due in respect of interest on the monies so misapplied, and that rests might be made in taking suck accounts, and that it might be declared that both the said original sums and also what should appear due in respect of interest were applicable to the trusts upon which the said sums respectively were originally given to the Company, and that the same might be applied accordingly, and it might be referred to the Master to settle a proper scheme for such application, and that all accounts might likewise be taken, if necessary, of all other sums received by the said Company for loans for poor members of the said Company, and that such other monies might be duly applied under the direction of the Court.

On the 25th July 1835 a decree was made by the Master of the Rolls, whereby it was ordered that the defendants be charged with the several sums amounting together to 4601. And that it be referred to the Master to settle and approve of a scheme for the lending out of the monies and for the application of the interest to arise therefrom, regard being had to the intentions of the respective donors in making the said gifts.

*ST. HELEN'S ALMSHOUSES.

HASILWOOD'S GIFTS.

The proposed additions to the almshouses at Barnet have been made, and the inmates of the almshouses in Clarke's Place, Bishopsgate, have been removed thereto.

The Master made his report, and a scheme was settled by him in 1835, of which the printed paper annexed is a copy. Under this scheme the Company, having paid the costs of the relators, and those of the Company and the Attorney General, amounting together to 2071. 15s. 4d., retained a balance of 2521. 4s. 8d. applicable to loans, of which 150l. only has been lent, and that sum has been subsequently repaid.

SCHEME for the future administration of the BENEFACTIONS under the wills of Mr. HUGH OFFLEY, Mr. JOHN ELLIOTT, Mr. WILLIAM SMITH, Mr GEORGE GOODWYN, and Mr. SAMUEL BAKER, as settled by the Court of Chancery, 1835.

1st. That so much of the said four hundred and sixty pounds as shall remain after payment of the costs of this suit be lent out in loans in manner following:-That is to say, the sum of thirty pounds to a poor young freeman of the Bowyers' Company, on bond, at interest, after the rate of two pounds ten shillings per cent. per annum; and the sum of twenty pounds to a young freeman of the Fletchers' Company, on bond, at interest, after the like rate of two pounds ten shillings per cent. per annum. And the residue thereof to a young freeman of the said Leathersellers' Company, who shall be in business, and require the same in sums not exceeding one hundred pounds to each freeman, for a period of three years, bearing interest at or after the rate of two pounds ten shillings per cent. per annum, upon bond, with two good sureties for the repayment, to be approved of by the court of assistants of the said Leathersellers' Company for the time being. But in case no application for the said respective loans of thirty pounds and twenty pounds should be made by or on behalf of a freeman of the said Bowyers' Company and Fletchers' Company respectively, within three calendar months after notice to them respectively, that such sums are ready to be lent ont in loans as aforesaid; then it shall be lawful for the said Leathersellers' Company to lend out the same to young freemen of their own Company. And the same course to be pursued as often as the said two sums shall be called in or required, on the occasion of again lending out the same.

2nd. That each applicant for such loans shall, at the respective times of the same being made, give a bond with two sureties as may be required, whereby they shall become jointly and severally bound to the said Leathersellers' Company in a penalty of double the amount of the sum borrowed, conditioned for the repayment of the said principal sum within three calendar months from the lending thereof; but the calling in of the said loans is not to be made, nor the said bonds put in force, until the expiration of three years from the date thereof, unless it shall be manifest to the said Leathersellers' Company, upon good grounds, that any of the obligors are not responsible, or are unable to satisfy the same, in which case it shall be lawful for the said Leathersellers' Company to call in the money, and in case of non-payment to put the said bonds in force, unless the borrower, being or continuing solvent, can procure another surety or other sureties of substance, as the case may require, and the said company shall judge necessary; and in the event of the borrower becoming insolvent or in distressed circumstances, or in the opinion of the said court of assistants unable to discharge the said loans, that then it shall be lawful for the said Leathersellers' Company immediately thenceforth to put the said bonds in force against the said borrower and his sureties, or such of them as the said Company shall think fit.

3rd.--That on the death of any borrower before the said three years shall expire the said Leathersellers' Company shall call in the money, and in case of non-payment put the bond in force against his representatives and sureties, and all persons liable thereon.

4th. That the respective borrowers shall bear and pay all proper and necessary charges and expenses of and attending the making and executing the bonds, and all other matters relative thereto.

5th. That out of the interest to be paid by the borrowers the several specific sums stipulated to be paid by the donors as hereinbefore mentioned, amounting to the yearly sum of five pounds and five shillings, be paid by the said Leathersellers' Company accordingly. And the residue of such interest, after payment of any incidental expenses, be paid, and applied to, and for the benefit of, poor freemen of the said Leathersellers' Company.

6th. That a bock shall be provided by the said Leathersellers' Company and kept by their clerk, in which shall be entered the names and residences of the respective borrowers and their sureties, their business, the sums lent, the times of making the loans, and when payable, and any other particulars that may be thought material or necessary, and that such book shall be open to the inspection of any of the members of the said Leathersellers' Company at all reasonable times, without expense.

7th. That from and immediately after any of the monies called in shall be received notice shall be posted up in some conspicuous place in the common hall of the said Leathersellers' Company that such monies are ready to be advanced as loans to young freemen in manner aforesaid.

8th. That notice of the said fund, or such part thereof as is now in hand, shall be immediately in like manner posted up as ready to be advanced on ioans to young freemen of the said Company, in business, at or after such rate of interest as aforesaid.

9th. That the articles of this scheme shall be printed, and put up in the common hall of the said Company of Leathersellers.

The Payments referred to in the 5th clause.

Elizabeth Gravener by her will of the 30th November, 1555 gave certain lands at Shabcombe, Devon, on failure of estates tail, to the Company, on trust to sell the same and distribute the money in alms, as well towards the reparation of highways, and also towards the marriage of certain poor maids, and relief of prisoners and other poor people in and about the city of London.

This Charity was the subject of an information of the Attorney General ex officio, filed in August 1825 against the Company, praying that one moiety of the estate in Chipping Barnet therein-before mentioned, and purchased with the sum of 4127. 10s., part of the produce of the Shabcombe Estate, might be declared to be applicable to the trusts in the said will, and that an account might be taken of the rents of said estates received by the Company in respect of said Charity; and what should appear upon such account to have been received, after deductions, what they should have expended in support of the objects of said founder's bounty, and what they had paid in redemption of the land tax upon one moiety of said estate might be paid into Court upon the trusts to which same were applicable, and that it might be referred to the Master to settle a scheme for the future application of the funds of said Charity, and that a receiver might be appointed of one moiety of said rents of said trust estate, and that the defendants might be restrained by the direction of the Court from any further receipt of the rents.

By the decree made on the hearing of the 6th May 1830 it was declared that the Charity was entitled to one moiety of the rents of the estate situate at Barnet, Herts, and it was ordered that it should be referred to the Master to whom the suit between the same parties respecting Robert Rogers' Charity had been referred to take an account of the rents of said moiety from 1813 received by the defendants, or for their use, and it was ordered that the Master should inquire in what manner such moiety had been applied since that time, and it was ordered that the said Master should approve of a scheme for the future application of the funds of said Charity.

The Master made his Report, dated the 23rd May 1845 (confirmed by Order of the 8th July 1845), and the following scheme was framed.

SCHEME.

1st. That the Leathersellers' Company, as trustees of the several Charities shall provide a book, in which they shall

cause to be entered an account of what the Charity property now consists; and also an account of the persons to whom the same and every part thereof is from time to time let, and at what rents, and under what terms and conditions, and whether by lease or otherwise; and also the particulars of every fresh letting which may hereafter take place, and of all proceedings relating to such property.

2nd. That the said Company shall, from time to time, let the Charity property, reserving the best improved rent which the same is reasonably worth, without taking any fine or foregift.

3rd. That the said Company shall keep a separate account of their receipts and disbursements in respect of the Charity, and shall once or oftener in every year make up such account and audit the same.

4th. That the said Company shall, out of the clear income of the Charity, be at liberty to apply at their discretion not exceeding one-third part thereof in relieving poor prisoners, imprisoned in the prisons of London, in such proportions and at such times as the said Company shall consider proper, or to place the same, or any part thereof, at the disposal of the Lord Mayor for the time being of the city of London, to be applied by him in relieving such destitute poor persons as he may think deserving of relief.

5th. That the said Company shall apply the remainder of the clear income of the Charity for the benefit of such poor, aged, and deserving almsmen and almswomen, in such manner, as they in their discretion shall think right.

6th. That the Company shall be at liberty to visit the property every year, and upon such visitation to apply not exceeding five pounds from the rents towards the expense of such visitation.

7th. That this scheme shall be printed, and a printed copy sent to the Lord Mayor for the time being within one week after his coming into office.

The present state of the Charity is as follows:

1. A blacksmith's shop and garden, in the town of Barnet, nearly opposite the "Red Lion," let to Wm. Cripps on lease for seven years from Michaelmas 1858 at 247. a year (one moiety) 2. A farm at Under Hill, in the county of Hertford, house and farm buildings and land, 71a. 2r. 11p., let to Charles Bryant from Lady Day 1850 for 21 years at 1501., determinable at the end of seven or 14 years (one moiety) 3. Three houses (adjoining the house let to Cripps), and a garden and a field, 2a. Or. 23p., let to John Shirley from Michaelmas 1824 for 61 years on a building lease at 207. (one moiety)

£ s. d.

1200

750 0

10 0 0

2 0 0 £99 0 0

1 13 8

£100 13 8

The disbursements on account of the Charity are :£ s. d.

The payment for prisoners in the Queen's Bench, Fleet, and Marshalsea, has been made up to Midsummer 1862 at the rate of 2s. each. The same sum being apportioned to the King's Bench, Marshalsea, Newgate, Fleet, Poultry, and Wood Street, the Company having exercised the discretion given them, under the scheme, of adhering to the old rates. The three City prisons have received the payments up to the present time through Mr. Temple

280

The remainder has been applied to the general charity account of the Company.

The general charity account of the Company comprises the payments for :

The Barnet Almshouses. (See my report thereon.)
The January distribution (mentioned in my report of
Ferbras' Gift).

The payments to quarterly pensioners who are widows
of freemen.

Occasional gifts to charitable objects and to disappointed candidates for almshouses.

The expenditure in respect of the Barnet Almshouses and their inmates amounts to about 4501. a year.

The payments to quarterly pensioners are at the rate of 41. a year. The number of recipients vary from 21 to 25. £84. There are at present but 21 The occasional gifts in special applications and emergencies amount to about 201. or 251. a year.*

£ s. d.

4 0 0

To the master and wardens To the clerk and beadle And he gave 1007., to be lent to five young men, 207. a piece, each to pay 1,000 good Kentish billet, and 7s. in money to the poor almspeople.

This Charity was the subject of an information against the Company, under which a decree was made, bearing date the 6th May 1830. Whereby it was ordered that it should be referred to the master to take an account of one moiety of the rents of the estate at Barnet, Herts, from 1813, received by the defendants, or for their use, and that he should inquire in what manner such moiety of the rents had been applied since that time, and the master was to state any special circumstances relating thereto. And it was ordered that the master should approve of a scheme for the future application of the funds and the regulation of the said Charity.

The master made his report, and a scheme was accordingly settled in 1845, of which the printed paper annexed is a copy.

The estate of the Charity is as follows:

- 10 0 0

The outgoings of the estate are the same as those in the Grasvenor Charity, excepting that the scheme in this case allows 21. for the use of the Company in the place of 51. for the expenses of visitation in the former cases, reducing their outgoings in this case to 97. 17s. Od. a year, which, being deducted from 1007. 13s. 8d., leaves an annual net income of 907. 16s. 8d.

The court of assistants of the Company elect four exhibitioners, two for Oxford, and two for Cambridge, which are held for four years of bonâ fide residence. The Company have lately adopted the course of appointing an examiner at the Universities, opening the exhibitions to competition for all undergraduates on the occasion of a vacancy.

The report of the examiner, accompanying a statement of the parentage and pecuniary means of every candidate, is laid before the court of assistants, and the election is made upon the facts thus furnished by the majority of the Court voting according to the discretion of the individual members. The residue is divided equally amongst them. The exhibitions average about 201. a year each. SCHEME for the future administration of the BENEFACTION under the Will of Mr. ROBERT ROGERS, dated 11th September 1601, as settled by the COURT OF CHANCERY, 1845.

1st. That the Leathersellers' Company, as trustees of the Charity, shall provide a book, in which they shall cause to be entered an account of what the charity property now consists, and to whom the same and every part thereof is from time to time let, and at what rent or rents, and under what terms and conditions, and whether by lease or otherwise; and also the particulars of every letting which may hereafter take place, and of all proceedings relating to such property.

2nd. That the said Company shall from time to time let the said charity property, reserving the best improved rent which the same is reasonably worth, without taking any fine or foregift.

3rd. That the said Company shall keep a separate account of their receipts and disbursements in respect of the Charity property, and shall once or oftener in every year make up such account and audit the same.

4th. That the said Company shall, out of the clear annual income of the said Charity property, be at liberty to apply 40s. for their own use, and the residue of such clear annual income, after deducting such sum of 40s., shall be applied in maintaining four poor scholars, students of Divinity, two at Cambridge and two at Oxford, such poor scholars to be chosen by the Leathersellers' Company, according to such rules as the Company shall from time to time lay down, it being always one of such rules that from among the candidates who, from their want of means, shall be considered eligible, those shall be selected without favour or partiality who, according to the testimonials which they shall produce and the examination (if any), which they shall have undergone, shall appear to be most distinguished in respect of piety, morals, learning, and talents.

5th. That the said residue shall be distributed to such four poor scholars in four equal parts, one of such parts to each person, who shall continue to receive the same for a period of four years, provided they continue resident at the University which they shall have entered, unless either of them shall before the expiration of such term receive any ecclesiastical preferment.

6th. That before any payment is made the recipient shall furnish a certificate of residence, signed by the tutor of the college or hall to which he shall belong.

7th. That two months before the expiration of such period of four years the said Company shall choose and elect a person to succeed each scholar whose term of enjoyment of the said annual payment shall be about to expire; and in case such term shall be put an end to by his acceptance of any ecclesiastical preferment, or ceasing to reside, shall proceed, subject to the following rules, to elect a successor with all due expedition.

* CHARITY OF ROBERT ROGERS.

(See footnote as to Charities for Poor Prisoners.)

8th. That the said Company shall cause notice to be given at a court of assistants of the said Company for the period of one month before any election shall take place of such poor students to receive such annual payments, and shall give notice thereof to the vice-chancellor of the university where each vacancy as it arises shall occur, and request a list of candidates to be furnished to them from such university, with testimonials as to their respective qualifications in respect of piety, morals, learning, and talents, and shall transmit with such request a copy of their rules.

9th. That the said Company shall make and preserve a list containing the names of the several persons elected scholars, and shall also obtain and preserve receipts for the amount of payments which may be made by them to such persons respectively.

10th. That this scheme shall be printed, and a copy given to each member of the court of the Company.

11th. That a copy shall also be sent to the ViceChancellor of the University of Oxford, and to the ViceChancellor of the University of Cambridge, and to the heads of colleges and halls of the said universities respectively.*

TAYLOR'S GIFT.

Edward Taylor, by his will of the 10th March 1565, gave to the Company two messuages in St. Olave, Jewry, to distribute amongst the poorest people in the Poultry Compter a kilderkin of beer and 12 pennyworth of bread, and the same to the Wood St. Compter, Newgate, the Fleet, King's Bench, and the Marshalsea.

The Company have paid 17. 1s. a quarter each to the Queen's Bench Prison, Marshalsea, and Fleet, to Midsummer 1862. The sum of 41. 4s. a year has been paid for each of the prisons of Newgate, Poultry, and Giltspur St., to Mr. Temple to the present time, and continues to be paid.

The Company still hold the property in the Old Jewry on which the rent-charge is imposed, and they also hold a sum of stock arising from an investment of the property tax returned, as it would seem inaccurately, on the entire estate, which is the property of the Company, only subject to the charge.*

Wm. Moseley, by his will of the 5th September 1617, gave to the Company 2001. to purchase lands and tenements, and deduct from the rents 20s. a year for the use of the Company, and pay two-thirds of the residue for a weekly sermon at Kinver, and the other third to the free school at Kinver.

And he also gave 1007. to the Company to purchase lands and deduct from the rents 10s. a year for the use of the Company, and pay the residue for some poor scholar at Oxford or Cambridge.

There is also a clause in the will not set forth in the report of the Commissioners of Inquiry (vol. 10, p. 248), whereby the testator gave to the Company a legacy of 100%. in trust for Richard Moseley for his life, with remainder to his children, with a proviso that, in case the said Richard Moseley should die without children living at his decease, or they should die under 21, then he gave the 100%. to the Company, to the intent that they should, out of the benefit and profit which should arise therefrom, distribute 51. yearly amongst the most needing and poorest people of the Company for ever.

*CHARITY OF EDWARD TAYLOR. (See footnote as to Charities for Poor Prisoners.)