Part 59

Under the will of Samuel Higginson, an almshouse was built consisting of six tenements, and also a schoolhouse. These premises, with small gardens attached to the almshouses, comprise the whole of the property devised by him in Whitchurch, except a small parcel which was sold to the parish for £10, for the purpose of building other almhouses thereon. The Whixall estate consists of about 22 acres of land, producing a yearly rental of £42. The property devised by Mrs. Higginson consists of a messuage and land containing 110A. 2R. 20P. let at a rent of £140. Certain lands and a house at Milton Green, comprising in the whole 40A. 3R. 30P., producing a yearly rental of £40. The trustees took no estate at Ash in the county of Chester, and the yearly sum of £12 left as payable out of the Ash estate to the almspeople is considered as payable out of her other estates. The rents above mentioned amounts to £252 per annum, out of which each of the almspeople receive £4. 4s. yearly at Midsummer, and £2. 2s. on each of the other quarter days. The sum of £6 is transmitted every fifth year to Hanmer; and a yearly stipend of £10 and an allowance of £2 for coal is paid to the master of the national school, who teaches the boys in a school erected by subscriptions for that purpose; the girls are taught in the school adjoining the almshouse, built according to the directions of Mrs. Higginson. Out of the residue £15. 15s. is distributed among the poor of Great Ash, Little Ash, and Tilstock, and a considerable amount is given in small sums to the poor of Whitchurch and the vicinity.

_Thomas Benyon_, in 1707, charged certain premises in the township of Alkington with the payment of 40s. per annum, for the benefit of the preaching minister of the then new erected Presbyterian meeting house in Dodington, to continue so long as such minister should officiate there and no longer, and that the residue of the yearly rents should be applied in educating so many poor children of the parish of Whitchurch as could be conveniently taught therein; and he directed that if preaching at the said meeting house should cease, or none be there by a Presbyterian minister, the said payment of 40s. should cease, and be applied for educating the said poor children. The property devised by Mr. Benyon contains 22A. 1R. 14P., and is let for £50 per annum. The nomination of the free scholars is left to the members of the Presbyterian congregation, instead of being appointed by the trustees, as directed by the testator.

_Mary Whetton_, by her will, bearing date March, 1811, gave to the rector of Whitchurch £100, navy five per cents., in trust, to pay the interest half yearly among the widows of Higginson’s almshouses. A portion of this stock having been sold for the payment of the legacy duty, and the navy five per cents. having been converted into new four per cents., there is now in respect of this charity £94. 10s. new four per cents., standing in the name of certain trustees. The dividends, amounting to £3. 15s. 6d., are distributed as directed by the donor.

_Phillip’s Charity_.—The particulars of James Phillip’s charity for the providing a lecture every Thursday in the parish church of Whitchurch, and for the supplying the poor with flannel, will be found in the account of the charities for the town of Shrewsbury.

_John Gossage_, by will, 1671, gave to the poor of the parish of Whitchurch the sum of £2. 12s. per annum, to provide twelve pennyworth of bread every Lord’s day. He also gave a similar bequest to the poor of the parish of Plumstead, in Kent, and for the payment of the same he charged his lands in Plumstead and Erith, and gave the residue of the proceeds to St. Thomas’s Hospital. This rent charge is received from the treasurer of St. Thomas’s Hospital, and distributed to the poor in bread.

_Ralph Brereton_, haberdasher, of London, by his will, date May 1st, 1630, among other charities bequeathed £250 to purchase a yearly dole for ever for the poor of Whitchurch. In 1635 this bequest was laid out in the purchase of 21 acres of land in Edgeley, and this land was sold in the year 1804 for the sum of £1,230. This sale was supposed to have been authorized by an act of parliament, passed 32nd George III., for building a house of industry at Whitchurch, whereby it was enacted that all lands, rents, hereditaments, and sums of money, and all charitable gifts, legacies, and benefactions belonging to the parish of Whitchurch, and applicable to the relief of the poor, not being directed by the donors to be applied to any private person, or for the relief of any particular poor, should be invested in the directors who were thereby incorporated. And it was thereby declared that it should be lawful for them to dispose of the same, and apply the money for carrying on the purposes of the act, or otherwise in aid of the poor’s rate. At the time the property was sold it was let for £17 a year, and this sum has been paid annually by the directors of the house of industry to the churchwardens, to be disposed of as the charity of Ralph Brereton. The amount is added to the yearly sums of £2 12s. paid from Gossages charity, £1 from Griffith’s charity, and £8 from the church rate, probably in respect of some benefactions which were applied many years ago in rebuilding the church. From this fund eleven dozen penny loaves are distributed every Sunday, ten penny loaves in Tilstock chapel, and the remainder in the parish church.

A yearly sum of £1, left by Morris Griffith, is charged on land called the Green Field, an estate belonging to Mrs. Ann Brown, whose tenants pay the amount, which is added to the produce of Brereton’s charity. Several sums of money left at different periods and by various donors, amounting in the whole to £340, were held by the church-wardens and overseers for the use of the poor; of this sum £300 was laid out in the purchase of a rent charge issuing out of certain land in Alkington. The yearly sum of £15 is paid to the treasurer of the house of industry, and it is applied for the general purposes of that establishment in pursuance of the provisions contained in the act of 32nd George III., already noticed in the account of Brereton’s charity. Of the above sum £55 was the gift of John Taylor, in consideration of which one dozen of penny loaves are distributed every Sunday, according to the intentions of the donor. The residue of the sum of £340 was probably laid out with other money, as hereafter mentioned.

The churchwardens and overseers of the poor, in the year 1699, purchased an estate in Broughall, with the sum of £100, the gift of _Edward Williams_, and a further sum of £110, part of the poors’ money. It does not appear what specific benefactions were comprised in the sum of £110 above mentioned. There are, however, a great number of gifts and legacies recorded in the church, to the amount of £492; and in the purchase of the Broughall and Alkington estates, before mentioned, £410 is accounted for. It is probable that the residue, with some other money, was laid out in re-building the church, and was the origin of the payment of the sum of £8 from the church rates, which is distributed in bread, as already mentioned under the head of Brereton’s charity. The estate at Broughall consists of 14 acres, and is let at a rent of £21 per annum, one-fourth of which has always been paid to the master of the grammar school, and three-fourths to the account of the directors of the house of industry, under the provisions of an act to which we have before alluded.

At a court held for the manor of Whitchurch, 26th January, 1630, John Rawlinson D.D., and Catherine his wife, surrendered certain lands to the use of Richard Alport, and Joyce his wife, in tail, and for want of issue, to the use of Richard Alport and his heirs, they paying £12 yearly out of the said lands to the churchwardens of Whitchurch, to the use of the poor of the said parish. The estate thus charged with the yearly payment of £12 lies near the town of Whitchurch, and is now called Alport’s land. It was in the possession of the assignees of Samuel Fowles, when the charity commissioners published their report. The amount is distributed among the poor of the parish on St. Thomas’s day. It is stated in the parliamentary returns of 1786, that a Mr. Cotton left a rent charge of £4 yearly to the poor of Whitchurch. The sum of £4 is now paid in respect of this charity from the Alkington hall estate. The churchwardens receive £9 annually, about November, from the Company of Drapers in London, as the amount of the gifts of _Roger Cotton_, _William Cotton_, and _Sir Allen Cotton_. Thirty-two sixpenny loaves are given away to poor persons as the charity of Mr. Evans, on Good Friday.

_Clement Sankey_, _D.D._, rector of Whitchurch, by his will bearing date 27th September, 1706, gave to the poor of this parish the sum of £100, to continue under the care of the overseers of the poor and their successors; half the interest to be disposed of in bread every Lord’s day, at their discretion, and the remainder to be distributed on St. Thomas’s day. The amount of this legacy was paid to the churchwardens in 1714, and applied towards the building of the church; half the interest is paid from the church rate, and the other half from the poors’ rate.

_Elizabeth Turton_, in 1794, bequeathed £500 in trust, to be laid out in government or other securities, as her trustees should think fit, the profits thereof to be distributed among poor persons belonging to the parish of Whitchurch. By a codicil to her will, dated 1796, the testatrix directed that the residue of her estate and effects, subject to the payment of her debts and legacies, should be converted into money, and the produce paid to the same trustees, for the benefit of the poor. John Hand, one of the trustees named in her will, gave £200 upon the same trusts, and in augmentation of the charity. From the legacy of £500 bequeathed, £30 was deducted as legacy duty, and the residue was invested in 1801, in the purchase of £839. 8s. 4d. three per cent. consols. The following stock has been subsequently purchased, with the produce of the residuary estate, viz., November, 1801, £200; January, 1805, £800; July, 1816, £100; November, 1816, £200; and in 1818, in order to make £2,200, £60. 11s. 8d. was purchased. For the distribution of these charities, the trustees meet annually, three weeks or a month before the 19th of January, and select such poor widows, poor housekeepers, and other poor persons belonging to the parish of Whitchurch, and not receiving parochial relief, as they think the most fit objects of charity. Each poor person receives from 5s. to 20s., according to the necessities of the case.

_Richard Woollam_, by his will, bearing date June 23rd, 1801, bequeathed £500 in trust, to place the same out on real or personal security, and to dispose of the produce weekly in threepenny loaves, to be distributed by the churchwardens every Sunday morning, after divine service, in the parish church. When the trustees, by death or removal from the parish, should be reduced to two, the testator directed the survivors to assign the trust money to three other persons resident in the parish of Whitchurch. This legacy has been invested in the funds, and the dividends are disposed of as directed by the donor.

_Brereton Grafton_, in 1811, bequeathed £300 stock in the three per cent. consols, upon trust, to apply the produce weekly in the purchase of threepenny loaves, to be disposed of in like manner with Woollam’s charity. In respect of this and Woollam’s gift, there is £1,120. 2s, 7d. three per cent. consols standing in the name of trustees, and the dividends, amounting to £33. 12s. per annum, are disposed of in the purchase of bread, which is given away every Sunday.

_Francis Henry Egerton_, _Earl of Bridgewater_, by his will, bearing date 29th August, 1828, bequeathed to the overseers and churchwardens of Whitchurch-cum-Marbury, £2,000, to be by them laid out in the public funds, and the dividends thereof to be expended by the rector for the time being, according to his sole will and pleasure, without being subject to any control whatsoever, for the use, benefit and relief of the poor of the said parish.

POST OFFICE, St. Mary’s street. _Mr. Richard Crosse_, postmaster. Letters arrive from London and various parts of England at 5.30 A.M., and are despatched at 7 P.M.; letters from Chester and the west of England arrive at 7 A.M., and are despatched at 7.30 P.M.

Ackers Ann, shopkeeper, Watergate street

Allen Benjamin, builder, Newtown

Allen Charles, butcher, Watergate street

Allenson William, shoemaker, Claypit street

Allwood and Andrews, drapers and silk mercers, High street

Amson John, blacksmith, Grindley brook

Arden Edwin, coach proprietor, High street

Arrowsmith Thomas, cabinet maker, Green-end street

Baker Thomas, straw-bonnet dealer, High st

Barber William, hosier, Watergate street

Bass Charles, draper, High street

Bate John, flour dealer, High street

Bather John, beerhouse, Watergate street

Batho George, shopkeeper, Bargates street

Baxter William, shopkeeper, Green-end st

Beacall Mrs., Watergate street

Bebbington John, shopkeeper, Newtown st

Beck Edward, chemist, Watergate street

Bolas Susannah, milliner, Back street

Bottwood William, hairdresser, Watergate st

Boughey Elizabeth, dressmaker, Castle hill

Boughey William, cabinet maker, Newtown

Bradbury Thomas, cattle dealer, Claypit st

Bradbury Francis, victualler, Coach and Horses, High street

Bradshaw George, victualler, Swan Hotel and Commercial House, Watergate street

Bradshaw John, watchmaker, High street

Bradshaw John, shopkeeper, High street

Breeze William, shopkeeper, Newtown

Brereton George, currier, Watergate street

Bright William, confectioner, High street

Brookes and Lee, solicitors, Dodington

Brookes Miss, Green-end street

Bromfield John, surgeon, Green-end street

Broster John, shopkeeper, Green-end

Brown John, surgeon, Claypit street

Brown Sml., victualler, Eight Bells, High st

Brown William, grocer, High street

Burgess Ralph W., factor, Newtown

Burgess and Son, corn and cheese factors

Burgess Thomas, Esq., Small-brook Lodge

Caldecott Thomas, seedsman, High street

Cartwright Mary, stay-maker, Sherrunans, High street

Cartwright William Andrew, registrar and veterinary surgeon, Watergate street

Carver William, fish & game dealer, High st

Churton George, timber merchant, High st

Churton John, cabinet maker, High street

Churton William Parker, auctioneer, High st

Clay Charles, Esq., Newtown

Clay Charles, jun., solicitor, Newtown

Clay Mrs. Broughton, Claypit street

Clutton Mrs., Missionary Bible Repository

Clutton Thomas, whitesmith, Green-end st

Colclough Sarah, pot dealer, High street

Cooke George, Josh., and Henry, coopers, High street

Cooke Miss, boarding-school, St. Mary’s st

Cooper Edward, shopkeeper, High street

Corser George, Esq., St. Mary’s street

Corser Henry, gentleman, High street

Corser Miss Letitia, St. Mary’s street

Corser, the Misses, St. Mary’s street

Corser The Misses, Green end

Cotgreave Richard, saddler, High street

Cotton Captain, R.N., Allport Cottage

Cox John, wheelwright, Mill street

Crosse George, tailor & draper, St. Mary’s st

Crosse Richard, postmaster, St. Mary’s street

Crosse Thos., tailor and draper, Claypit st

Crosse Thomas, painter, Bargates street

Davy The Misses Mary & Betsey, St. Mary’s street

Davies William, shopkeeper, Newtown

Dawson Thomas, victualler, Fox and Goose, Green-end street

Dimmock The Misses, Bargates

Dodd George, plumber, High street

Done James, draper, High street

Dunning John, shopkeeper, Watergate street

Eastham Rev. Theophilus, M.A., St. Mary’s street

Edge John, woodturner, Green end

Edge John, clog and patten maker, Pepper st

Edge William, beerhouse, Newtown

Edwards John, Brick-kiln lane farm

Edwards Thomas, plumber, High street

Egerton Rev. William Henry, M.A., The Rectory

Elliott James, Allport farm

Elliott Thomas, cheese factor, Tarporley road

Etches James Goulburn, solicitor, St. Mary’s street

Evans William, currier, Green-end street

Evans Thomas, blacksmith, Carlow’s yard

Evanson late, (Simms John, manager,) chemist and druggist, High street

Farrell Edward, fishmonger, Pepper street

Fenna Thomas, Wickstead farm

Foulkes Charles, clerk, County Court

France William, The Moss farm

Gaskin Miss Ann, Chester road

Godsal P. L., Esq., Iscoid Park

Goodall Mr. John, Belvedere house

Gorse James, grocer, High street

Grafton John, shoemaker, Castle hill

Green Charles, victualler, Victoria Hotel, High street

Green Thomas Fallows, shoemaker, High st

Griffiths Samuel, confectioner, Newtown

Griffiths Thomas, baker, Green-end street

Griffiths William, beerhouse, Yardington

Groom Samuel, surveyor, Claypit street

Groom Thomas, surgeon, St. Mary’s street

Hanmer Sir John, M.A., Bettisfield Hall

Hales Philip, Denston’s farm

Harper George, grocer and glover, Watergate street

Harper and Parry Jones, solicitors, St. Mary’s street

Harris Thomas, victualler, Bull’s Head, Watergate street

Harrison Robert, inland revenue officer, Green end

Hassall John and William, High street

Hassall Thomas, Hadley farm

Hassall William, maltster, Castle hill

Henshall Robert, victualler, Greyhound, Bargates street

Hesketh John, shoemaker, Green-end street

Hesketh William, patten maker, Green-end st

Hewitt Ann, shopkeeper, Claypit street

Hewitt Ann, school, St. John’s street

Hewlett Richard, shoemaker, High street

Hinton Catherine, Watergate street

Hinton Elizabeth, milliner, Green-end street

Hogan John, fruiterer, Claypit street

Hort Edward, horse-breaker, Claypit street

Howell Edward, brazier, High street

Hughes Richard, gentleman, Beech cottage

Humpstone John, canal clerk, Wharf

Huxley Thomas, Deer-moss house

Jackson Lucy, seminary, Dodington street

Jarvis James, victualler, George and Dragon, Green-end street

Jarvis John, clockmaker, Green-end street

Jarvis William, victualler, Golden Ball, Pepper street

Jebb Thomas, Corn miller, Wrexham road

Jenkins George, architect, Green-end street

Johnson Robert, china and glass dealer, High street

Joinson John, coach builder, Green-end

Jones Barrow, wine merchant, Pepper street

Jones Edward, wine merchant, St. Mary’s st

Jones Edward, shopkeeper, Green-end street

Jones John, gunmaker, Watergate street

Jones John, victualler, Star Inn, Watergate street

Jones Miss Ann, Watergate street

Jones Mrs. Honor, hotel-keeper, Watergate street

Jones Robert Barrow, gentleman, Pepper st

Jones Robert Barrow, printer, High street

Jones Richard Parry, Esq., Church street

Jones Thomas, butcher, High street

Jones William, shoemaker, Yardington

Joyce Thomas and Son, jeweller, High street

Keable Wm. Clarke, commercial academy, Chester road

Keay Samuel, veterinary surgeon, Green-end street

Kempster Benjamin, hairdresser, Watergate street

Kempster Mr. Thomas, Claypit street

Kent Martha, victualler, Red Cow, Pepper st

Kent William, gentleman, Green-end street

Kent William Corbet, Esq., Green-end street

Kenyon Lord, Gredington Hall

Lakin Benjamin, solicitor, St. Mary’s street

Lakin William, auctioneer, High street

Large James, victualler, Black Bear, High st

Lee Joseph, Esq., Red-brook house

Lee John, Clap-gates farm

Lee John, victualler, Black Lion, High street

Lee Thomas Wood, Esq., Oak bank

Lewis Edward, shoemaker, High street

Lewis William, chandler, Watergate street

Lomax John, Laurel-bank house

Lowe John, Esq., bank, High street

Lowe John, draper, High street

Lowe Thomas, bone and coal dealer, Pepper street

Maddocks John, plumber, Green-end street

Maddocks Thomas, The Lodge farm

Mellor Thomas, flour dealer, High street

Milnes Joseph, butcher, Bull ring

Miller Mrs., Girls’ Free School

Morris Henry, bank accountant, High street

Morris John Harper, High street

Moyle Richard, draper, High street

Nash Rev. John, St. John’s street

Newling Henry, printer, Bull ring

Nokes Thomas, clothier, High street

Nunnerley Thomas, The Fields farm

Ormiston William, bank clerk, High street

Oulston Eliza, milliner, Bargates

Oulton Samuel, builder, Bargates

Overton Charles Griffiths, grocer, High street

Overton Thomas, Mill-bank farm

Parker Samuel H., bank manager, St. Mary’s street

Parton Jeremiah and William, wire workers, Pepper street

Peake Rev. James Roome, M.A., Grammar School

Pearson Mr. Henry, St. Mary’s street

Peak Thomas, shoemaker, High street

Peters John, marble and stone mason, Old Wharf

Phillips Ann, confectioner, Bull ring

Piggott Mrs., Chester road

Poole Mary, flour dealer, Watergate street

Poole William, Esq., county magistrate, Jerrick Hall

Porter George, saddler, Green-end street

Porter Richard, shopkeeper, Green-end street

Poston John, whitesmith, Watergate street

Price Ann, vict., Lord Hill Hotel, Mill street

Price John, farmer, Watergate street

Price Robert, grocer, High street

Purcell John, tailor, Bargates

Rawson Robert Wm., schoolmaster, Bargates

Read Thomas, tailor, Bargates

Reddrop Mrs., Claypit street

Roberts John, bone merchant, Canal Wharf

Roberts Thos., steam corn mill, Canal Wharf

Roberts Thomas, vict., Lamb Inn, High st

Robinson Jonathan, brazier, Bargates

Rogers Ann, shopkeeper, Watergate street

Rogers William, painter, Watergate street

Roome Mrs., Chester street

Ruscoe Eliza, shopkeeper, Pepper street

Ruscoe John, victualler, George & Commercial Hotel, High street

Ruscoe Thomas, confectioner, High street

Sadler Peter, The Mount farm

Sadler John, beerhouse, Watergate street

Sandford Elizabeth, victualler, Horse and Jockey, Claypit street

Sandford Holland, Bargates

Sandford The Misses, Church street

Savage Josh., blacksmith, Green-end street

Saxton William Charles, professor of music, Dodington street

Shone John, draper, Green-end street

Shone Joseph, ropemaker, Green-end street

Skidmore James, painter, High street

Smith Joseph, innkeeper, Green-end

Smith Mr. Charles, Green-end street

Stevens Rev. George Henry, Bargates street

Summer William and Daniel, pumpmakers, Dodington street

Tetlow John Richard, Grove Cottage

Thelwall Thomas, hosier, High street

Tilston, Smith, and Co., dealers in tillage, salt, slates, &c., &c., Canal

Totherick Robert, methodist minister, St. Mary’s street

Tudman Edward, spirit dealer, High street

Turnbull Rev. Robert, M.A., Allport Cottage

Venables Samuel, confectioner, High street

Venables Richard, gentleman, St. Mary’s st

Walmsley and Parson, drapers, High street

Wardle Joseph, Fenshall farm

Welsh Benjamin, omnibus proprietor, Green-end

Whittingham Thos., timber merchant, Green-end street

Whittingham Thos., jun., bend-ware manufacturer and accountant, Green-end street

Williams John, coal agent, Old Wharf

Williams William Chaloner, nurseryman, High street

Wood Mrs., straw-bonnet maker, High street

Wood Thomas, shoemaker, High street

Woodward William, Wirswall Hall farm

Worthington Archibald, Esq., The Mount

Wright George, shopkeeper, Mill street

Wycherley Hannah, beerhouse, Green-end st

Wycherley John, saddler, Bull ring

Youd Thomas, dyer, Bark Hill

Academies.

_Marked * are Boarding Schools_.

* Cooke Miss, St. Mary’s st

* Dupre Lucy, Dodington

* Grammar School, Bargates street; Rev. James R. Peake, principal

Hewitt Ann, St. John street

* Jackson Miss, Dodington

Keable William Clarke, commercial, Chester street

National, Clay pit street; Ann Miller, teacher

Accountants.

Parker Samuel H., St. Mary’s street

Whittington Thomas, jun., Green end

Architects & Surveyors.

Groom Samuel, Clay pit st

Jenkins George, Green end street

Smith William, Dodington

Attorneys.

Brookes & Lee, Dodington

Clay Charles, New town

Etches James Gouldburne, St. Mary’s street

Harper and Parry Jones, St. Mary’s street