Synopsis of Cases by Charity Commissioners. 467

No. 55.-A School in Wales.

Built by founder short time prior to 1705; vested in trustees by deed of that date.

1007. given to trustees by founder.

Schoolmaster to be appointed by founder or his heir.

His salary to be 31. 12s. per annum, to teach 12 poor boys.

Each boy to have 4d. per annum for encouragement.

Nothing was paid to children at the time of the inquiry in 1830.

5s. for vicar, schoolmaster, and trustees, to drink, was paid by the Master to the trustees.

By deed of 1752, the then sole surviving trustee appointed others.

In such deed it is stated that the 100l. was then due on bond from Richard Jones.

Since 1752 new trustees appointed, and names entered in school-book, but no deeds executed.

Interest on the bond has been paid up to 1845.

The bond for 951., dated 25th May 1739, is in possession of the vicar.

Representative of Obligor known and able to pay, but there are no trustees who can apply for payment.

The Charity is too small to bear the expense of legal proceedings requisite for placing it on a proper footing: on the other hand, if no steps be taken, the endowment will probably be lost.

No. 56.- Charity in Lincolnshire.

Rent-charge of 6s. 8d. out of house and land for bread to poor widows. Donor unknown.

Owner refuses to pay it, and expresses his determination to contest the claim. Incumbent and churchwardens have applied to us for advice.

No trustees.

No. 57.-A School in Yorkshire.

Schoolmaster's house, which constitutes sole endowment, and which he is bound to repair, is going to decay, and no one empowered to compel him to repair.

The parties interested do not apply for appointment of trustees on account of the expense.

No. 58.-A Charity in Chester.

Rent charge of 30s. out of house and land; date and mode of gift unknown. Was paid till within the last few years, and distributed in money to poor. Payment now refused by owner of Property.

No trustee to enforce payment.

No. 59.-Parish Lands situated in a Country Parish.

The rent of 12A. 1R. 8P. of land (327.) stated to have been left for repair of eight cottages for poor is applied as follows: 10l. to poor-law guardian; 127. to a person to collect the parish rates; remainder to church-rates.

Application stating the above circumstances was made to us by the overseer and surveyor of highways, with the concurrence of the parish officers, and requesting our intervention.

The establishment of a cheap tribunal for settling a scheme would place this Charity on a proper footing.

In this case application has been made by the trustees to us for advice as to an

H H

exchange which seems desirable, but which we have no power to authorize or entertain, and which in the present state of the law cannot be effected except at a very considerable expense.

No. 61. A small Town in the County of Derby,

Is entitled to participate in 28 Charities, the total income of which is only 1037. 118. 4d. Of this amount 24l. 10s. is for educational purposes; 56l. 3s. 10d. for the general benefit of the poor; 157. 12s. 6d. for apprenticing; and 6l. 15s. for the minister of the parish for his own use.

Nearly the whole of these charities are mismanaged, many of them in danger of being lost for want of trustees, the appointment and continuance of whom would be too expensive for these small Charities; and few of the Charities are of much practical use.

The parishioners, in a communication to us, stated that they were desirous that all the Charities should be consolidated and vested in the minister and churchwardens, in order to avoid expense in the continued appointment of new trustees to each; that the moneys in the hands of individuals should be invested in Government securities, and a scheme obtained for the future application of the funds in one general beneficial object.

Such a measure would be very desirable, but it cannot be effected at present without a private Act of Parliament. An alteration of the law, by enabling the ordinary tribunals to consolidate small charities in one place, would meet the requirements of this parish.

No. 62.-Charities in Wales.

Three separate charities, all intended for purposes of education, and producing respectively 243l. 6s. 4d., 114l., and 1057.

Consolidation desirable, and a scheme for improved management. The trustees applied to us for advice.

No. 63.-Parish Lands.

Situated in a country parish.

Consist of eight old cottages, with gardens, and about 12 acres of land.
Date and object of gift unknown.

Managed by churchwarden and overseers.

Cottages inhabited by poor persons rent free; some repaired by tenants, others by parish.

Question arose at vestry meeting as to repairs, and it was determined to charge rents on tenants for that purpose. Demand made by parish officers for rent, which was paid by some of the tenants and refused by others.

Those refusing to pay were summoned by parish officers under recovery of Possession of Tenements' Act. The application was dismissed by the magistrates, the parish officers not being able to prove title.

Defaulters have since been served with notices under Poor Act, 59th Geo. III. Application has been made to us, stating the above circumstances, and asking for our interference.

Deed of feoffment, dated 1612, states that an inn and an acre of meadow land had been given for the poor of the town.

The donor, and also the date and mode of gift, are unknown.

The inn was afterwards pulled down, and a malt-house and buildings erected on the site.

At the time of the Inquiry by the late Commissioners (1834), the same were let on lease for 21 years from 1825 at the rent of 150l., the lessee being bound to keep and leave the same in good repair.

The lease of the malt-house expired in 1846.

A survey was made of the state of the property, and 250l. paid by the executors of the lessee in lieu of executing the necessary repairs.

That sum, with other moneys, was expended in altering and repairing the property.

Synopsis of Cases by Charity Commissioners. 469

During progress of repairs, the dilapidations were discovered to be more extensive than anticipated.

The malt-house was therefore pulled down.

The income reduced by that means from 150l. to 1071. per annum.

In 1847, 1848, 1849, above 1,300l. was spent in repairs, &c.

There are from 50 to 60 feoffees, two or three of whom hold property as tenants or lessees of the Charity.

The income of this Charity, with that of seven small Charities (making altogether, at the time of the Inquiry by the late Commissioners, upwards of 2401.), is distributed annually among the poor of the parish generally, in sums varying from 31. to 2s., a preference being given to those not receiving parochial relief. Application for advice has been made to us by one of the feoffees.

1840

10,840 12 1,954 133

17,573

137 18,942 139 19,087

Appendix F.

470