in the year 1832, and has since been enlarged. It is now capable of
seating 250 persons. A Sabbath school is connected with the chapel,
where about seventy children attend.
THE NATIONAL AND INFANT SCHOOLS, situated on elevated ground in Listley
street, were established in 1820. There is accommodation in these
schools for 300 children: 150 boys and 50 girls attend. The schools are
supported by annual subscriptions, donations, charity sermons, and small
weekly payments from the scholars. The income for the year ending March
25th, 1851, amounted to £228. 14s. 3d.
THE BRITISH SCHOOL, in West Castle street, is held in a spacious and
convenient room under the Baptist chapel: it is numerously attended.
There is also a school taught in a room over the Independent chapel,
where about sixty children are instructed.
ST. MARY’S SCHOOL, situated in the Low Town, is a commodious building of
brick, erected by public subscriptions in 1847, at a cost of £756.
Upwards of 100 children attend the school.
THE FREE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.—This school was founded more than three hundred
years ago, by the bailiffs and burgesses, for the purpose of affording,
free of expense, to “_all comers_,” instruction in literature and good
learning, until they shall be capable to be sent to the universities of
Oxford or Cambridge. For the better maintenance of the school, Sir
Rowland Hayward, in 1624, gave a rent charge of £20 per annum; £4 a year
was left by his son; £2 a year was left by Sir John Hayward for the
usher; and £8 a year, called the king’s allowance, was also paid to the
usher out of the audit money. In 1639, the lease of a house was granted
by Sir William Whitmore, at an annual rent of 8s., for a residence for
the master. In 1687 Sir William Whitmore renewed the lease, and by a
covenant therein, bound his successors to continue the lease on the same
conditions, as long as the school should continue to be a free school.
It appears that the master of the free school has always received some
allowance from the corporation, which in 1726 amounted to £10; in 1817 it
was increased to £30; and it was further agreed to supply from the
private funds of those members of the corporation who sent their sons to
this school, as much money as, in addition to the several sources of
emolument before particularised, would make up an annual salary of £100
for the master. For the last two years the grant from the corporation
has been discontinued: it is hoped, however, the corporate body will see
the propriety of renewing their grant. The various bequests to this
school, and the exhibitions at Christ College, Oxford, will be found
noticed with the following account of the general charities of
Bridgnorth.
CHARITIES.—_Edward Careswell_, by will dated 3rd February, 1689, left
certain lands in the counties of Salop and Stafford, in all containing
1,075A. 2R. 23P. of land, chargeable with the maintenance of eighteen
scholars in the college of Christ Church, in Oxford, four of the
aforesaid scholars to be chosen from Shrewsbury Free Grammar School,
three from Bridgnorth, four from Newport, three from Shiffnal, two from
Wem, and two out of Donnington, in the parish of Wroxeter, who were to
receive while undergraduates £18 each for four years, after he should
have commenced bachelor of arts; £21 each for three years, until he
should commence master of arts; and £27 yearly to each for three years
after he should commence master of arts, and no longer. In the year
1813, a considerable surplus of the rents and profits having accrued, the
sum of £1,500 was applied to the purchase of the rectoral tithes of the
Walker’s Low and Walkham Wood farms: and in 1815 the further sum of
£1,515. 7s. was laid out in the purchase of 26A. 0R. 38P. of land, with a
new built brick and tiled barn in the parish of Quatford. This farm had
previously gained an addition of 36A. 1R. 14P., under the Morfe Enclosure
Act; and on the Priors Ditton enclosure, in 1813, an allotment of 10A.
1R. 2P. was awarded to the Sydnall Farm. The tenants of the land
respectively hold from year to year, and the rents are varied from time
to time, as circumstances are found to require. At the time the charity
commissioners published their report, the annual rent was £1,191. 2s.
From the surplus rents and profits there remained on 25th January, 1820,
the amount of £9,394. 7s. 6d. three per cent. consols, and in cash the
sum of £1,093. 18s. 1d.; the former sum affording an income of £281. 16s.
7½d., which, with the rents, make the sum of £1,472. 18s. 7½d. as the
total annual income, which is subject to a charge of £308. 1s. 4d. for
repairs, leaving for the objects of the charity the sum of £1,164. 17s.
3½d. By a codicil to the will of the aforesaid Edward Careswell, dated
24th February, 1689, he devised the sum of £10 to be annually paid to the
minister of Bobbington, in augmentation of his salary, which sum was to
be deducted out of the several allowances of the eighteen scholars, when
the same shall become payable, by an abatement of 11s. 1½d. out of each
of the said scholars’ allowance.
_Arthur Weaver_, _Esq._, by will, dated 27th February, 1709, gave to his
son Anthony and his heirs the granary, and garden thereunto adjoining, in
Bridgnorth, and £112. 12s. 6d. to be disposed of as follows:—First, he
desired that it should be employed for keeping about 900 bushels of corn,
to be bought when it was 2s. 6d. per bushel and sold when it was above
4s. per bushel, and that the residue of the building and garden should be
employed towards the charge of looking after the corn. For perpetuating
the stock, he desired that 2s. 6d. should be reserved out of each bushel
sold, the residue to be given from time to time to the poor housekeepers
having three or more young children of both the parishes of Bridgnorth
only, as also the product of the stock when not laid up in the said
granary, it being found after the testator’s death impossible to comply
with those directions, the sum of £112. 12s. 6d. was placed out at
interest and the interest, as also the rents of the granary, were
distributed as directed by the will. In 1779, by an order, the aforesaid
sum was directed to be invested in the three per cent. consols, and the
interest is now distributed to poor housekeepers. The rents accruing
from these charities are now applied in aid of a free school, called the
Blue Coat School, in which thirty boys are instructed and clothed, and at
the time of their leaving school a small sum is allowed to each scholar
to apprentice him to some trade. The school is situated over the North
Postern Gate.
THE ALMSHOUSES—The earliest mention of the almshouses is contained in a
document preserved among the archives of the corporation, which purports
to be the presentment and verdict of a jury, impanelled at Bridgnorth, on
the 2nd of September, in the 6th year of Charles I., under a commission
of charitable uses, by which they presented that _William Swanwicke_ gave
to divers feoffees, on the 2nd of March, 2nd and 3rd of Philip and Mary,
a tenement and three gardens for the use of the poor almsfolk residing
within the almshouses in Church street of the said town. They further
presented that _Henry Taycock_ gave towards the relief of the poor
almspeople aforesaid a certain close called Brown’s Croft, and seven
acres and two selions of land; and _William Sparry_, by indenture, dated
the 2nd of May, 26th Elizabeth, gave two acres of ground in Astley
Abbotts, for 3,000 years, to the intent that the profits of one acre
should redound to the use of the poor almspeople aforesaid, and the rent
of the other acre to the use of the poor of St. Leonard’s parish.
The sum of £80 was vested by the bailiffs and burgesses in the year 1709,
with other monies, in the purchase of an estate at Higley, of which we
shall give an account when treating of St. Leonard’s parish. In respect
of this, an annual sum of £4 is distributed by the churchwardens of St.
Leonard’s among the twelve almswomen, together with 10s., which in some
of the earlier entries in the parish books is termed “the interest of
£10,” and in others, “the interest of late Milner’s money.”
In a common hall order, dated 18th of January, 1768, reciting that twenty
elms, the property of the almshouses, were sold for £11, it was agreed
that the corporation should take the money, and pay the almswomen 12s.
yearly at Christmas for the same. The corporation likewise pays the sum
of 20s. yearly for the interest of £25, which was left for the use of the
poor people in the almshouses. The inmates have the interest of £100,
left in 1838, by _Mr. Milner_, and of a sum of £37. 5s. 6d., the gift of
_Mrs. Bell_ in 1832. Each almswoman has 3s. 6d. weekly. They are
appointed by the corporation.
_Paul Bridgen_, by will, dated 24th of February, 1769, gave to the
corporation of Bridgnorth the sum of £24, for the poor women of the
almshouses to have a shilling each paid to them on Good Fridays, and one
upon the second day of March, it being the interest thereof.
_Sarah Pardoe_, in 1808, left the sum of £100, to be placed out at
interest for the use of the almshouses. This donation was invested in
the purchase of £156. 3s. 3d. consols, the dividends of which being £4.
12s. per annum, which sum, after deducting charges, is divided among the
twelve poor women in January and July, in shares of 3s. 10d. each.
_Mr. Clark_ left 10s. for a sermon on the 11th day of January, and three
shillings to be given in bread the same day.
_William Taylor_, by will, dated 6th of February, 1735, directed that
every person who should hereafter be an owner of his two freehold
messuages, land, and premises, with the appurtenances, situated in High
street, in the parish of St. Leonard’s, should yearly for ever provide a
dinner on the 26th of December, for the poor persons called
almshouse-women; or, in default, he ordered the sum of £10 to be divided
between the aforesaid almswomen, the same to be chargeable yearly upon
the said messuages and premises.
_Mary Childe_, by her will, dated 27th of August, 1817, and proved in
November, 1819, gave the sum of £100, to be placed at interest on some
good security, and to pay the interest, dividends, and produce thereof,
in equal shares at Christmas, to the almswomen of Bridgnorth.
BREAD FUND.—The almswomen also participate in the general distribution of
bread from the parochial fund of St. Leonard’s, of which we shall give an
account among the charities of that parish.
_Walter Wrottesley_, by will, proved in 1630, bequeathed to the poor
people of Bridgnorth the sum of £100, to be disposed of by the
magistrates of the town as they should think fit. It was resolved in
1633 to repair the conduit pipes of the town with the principal, and that
£5 per annum as interest should be given to the poor of St. Leonard’s and
St. Mary’s parishes; which sum they now receive.
_William Pulley_ bequeathed a house and land, situated in Beauchamp
Roothing, in Essex, on the 20th of December, 1640, to the inhabitants of
Bridgnorth for ever, on condition that they should give £16 every year to
two young men or women who should stand in need of it; and that those who
had it one year should have it no more for the space of three years
after.
_The Rev. Francis Wheeler_, by will, dated 8th of February, 1686, gave
five meadows in St. Mary’s parish, containing 21A. 2R. 5P. of land, on
condition that the sum of £10 should be given to the poor of Bridgnorth,
as an annuity or rent charge; £10 per annum for a sermon to be preached
by the minister of St. Leonard’s on the feast of St. James. And having
further charged the lands with an annuity of 50s. yearly to the curate of
Masemoor, and 10s. to the poor of Willey, he directed that if the rent of
the premises should be improved, the increase of the rents should solely
redound to the settled public preachers of Bridgnorth. The premises were
let in 1818 for a rent of £102. 2s. 6d., which, after deducting the rent
charges, left the sum of £44. 11s. 3d. to each of the two ministers,
subject to occasional expenses for repairs.
_The Spinners’ Money_—It seems that the sum of £215 is in the hands of
the corporation (which was left by Mr. Blakeway, Mr. Lamb, and Mr.
Elliot, for the use of the spinners and carders), for which is paid the
small sum of £3. 18s, 4d. yearly, as interest, which is divided among the
poor of the town.—_Bridge Lands_: There are several tenements in
Bridgnorth, the rents of which are applied to the repair of the bridge,
but when and by whom left is unknown. The annual rents amount to £18.
7s. 2d.
CHARITIES OF THE UPPER TOWN.—PALMER’S HOSPITAL.—_The Rev. Francis
Palmer_, by will, dated 2nd September, 1680, bequeathed the sum of £800,
to be laid out in the purchase of free lands in or near the county of
Salop, of the clear yearly value of £30 per annum; and he also willed
that his executors should cause to be erected an almshouse containing ten
distinct rooms for ten several poor widows of the Upper Town, such as
should frequent the church, and to allow each of them the sum of £3 per
annum, save only repairs to be deducted. The executors purchased an
estate in Hopton Wafers, containing 111A. 3R. 32P., which was let in
1807, at a rent of £93. 6s. per annum; by a valuation of premises made
when the Charity Commissioners published their report it was found that
the annual value was £119. 6s. 3d. From sales of timber in 1797 and
1810, and a donation of £200 in 1803 from the executors of the late Mr.
Hawkins, the sum of £24 is paid to the charity as interest of the money,
in addition to the rent of the land.
_Mary Elton_, by will, dated 24th of September, 1770, bequeathed the sum
of £200, upon trust, to apply the interest for the use and benefit of the
ten poor widows of Palmer’s Hospital.—_Richard Adney_ bequeathed in 1805
the sum of £200, the interest thereof to be divided among the inhabitants
of Palmer’s Hospital.
_William Warter_ gave the sum of £20 to Palmer’s Hospital, in respect of
which 20s. is paid from an estate at Rudge, which formerly belonged to
the donor, on St. Thomas’s day, and distributed among the inmates.
_Bread Fund_.—The poor women of this charity also participate in the
general distribution of bread in the parish of St. Leonard’s.
THE LOW TOWN.—_Sir Robert Lee_, _Knt._, in 1635, bequeathed £100, to be
applied in the purchase of land, the rents and profits thereof to be
given for the use of the poor residing in the Low Town of Bridgnorth.
The money was applied in the purchase of a close containing about five
acres of ground, situated in Oldbury Lordship, the annual rent of which
amounts to about £21, which is distributed as the donor directed.
CHARITIES OF ST. LEONARD’S.—_Henry Bourne_ bequeathed in 1693 the sum of
£50, the interest thereof to be given away to the poor of the parish in
bread every Sunday, as the churchwardens and overseers should think
fit.—_Edward Jackson_, who died in 1709, gave the sum of £100, the
interest of which was to be given to the poor in bread every first Sunday
in the month. In the year 1709 the bailiffs and burgesses of Bridgnorth
purchased an estate at Highley for the sum of £390, which was made up of
the following sums:—£50 of Henry Bourne’s legacy, £100 of Edward
Jackson’s charity, £50 of John Lem’s legacy, the interest of which was
left for the minister of the parish, together with a further sum of £10,
said to be given for putting out apprentices, £80 of the almshouse money,
and the residue, £110, was money belonging to the parish. This estate
consists of 33A. 2R. 20P. of land, which produced in 1820 the sum of £70.
16s. 9½d., and after payment of £4. 10s. to the almspeople, has formed
the basis of a general bread fund.
_John Bennett_, by will, dated 18th January, 1732, gave an annual rent
charge of £5, clear of all reduction, to be paid out of his estate at
Bobbington, to be laid out in bread and given to such poor as attended
church on the days of Wednesday and Friday. He also gave 20s. yearly to
the minister of St. Leonard’s for a sermon to be preached every 10th day
of October. The £5 for bread forms one of the items in the general
distribution.
_John Guest_, by will, dated 15th of December, 1773, gave to the bailiffs
and burgesses of Bridgnorth for the time being the sum of £200, to be put
out at interest, and he directed that the interest of £50, part of the
said legacy, should be laid out in bread and distributed every 9th day of
January, or the Sunday following, at each of the parish churches of
Bridgnorth. This legacy was invested in the three per cent. consols, and
produces the annual sum of £7. 17s. 6d., of which the sum of £1 is
annually paid to the parish of St. Leonard’s, and forms part of the
general bread fund, and £1 to the parish of St. Mary.—_John Guest_, the
younger, by will, dated 10th December, 1780, gave £20 to the two parishes
of Bridgnorth, in trust, to apply the interest annually for the use of
the poor, to be distributed in bread.
_William Guest_, by will, dated 21st June, 1811, bequeathed £400, upon
trust, to apply the interest thereof in the purchase of bread, to be
distributed among the industrious poor of the parish.
_Bread Fund_.—A general distribution of bread is made every Sunday in the
year by the churchwardens to such objects as appear to be most in need,
from the charities of Wheeler, Bennett, John Guest, John Guest, jun., and
William Guest, which in all amounts to £96. 19s. 10½d.
_Edward Guest_, by will, dated 13th March, 1797, bequeathed the sum of
£300, upon trust, to place out the same at interest, and of the profits
thereof to pay one-third part to the minister of the church of St.
Leonard, and one-third part to the minister of St. Mary’s, and he gave to
the churchwardens and overseers of the poor of each of the said parishes
£50, to be by them placed out at interest, and the dividends distributed
in bread at Christmas, to the poor of the said parishes.
The £2. 10s. which the parish of St. Leonard’s receives on account of
Wrottesley’s charity, as stated in the report of the borough, has been
hitherto improperly applied in aid of the poor’s rates.
_Mrs. Law_, by will, bequeathed the sum of £40, upon trust, to place the
same out at interest, or purchase land with it, and yearly to buy as much
cloth or linsey woolsey as the interest or rent would buy, and have the
same made into ten women’s petticoats, and to give the same away at
Christmas to ten poor widows, four of whom should be of the parish of St.
Leonard’s and six of the parish of St. Mary’s. The benefactions to the
minister, amounting to the sum of £65. 11s. 3d. annually, have been
noticed in the preceding pages.
_Mary Elton_, whose bequest to Palmer’s Hospital has been already
mentioned, further gave the sum of £100 towards augmenting the income of
the minister of this parish. There is reason to believe that this sum
formed part of a sum of £200, which the Rev. Thos. Littleton appears to
have deposited in the year 1775 with the Governor’s of Queen Anne’s
bounty, the remaining £100 being probably a benefaction of his own. This
sum, with a like one advanced by the governors, was applied to the
purchase of certain premises, containing, by estimation, about nine
acres, in the parish of Eye, in Herefordshire.
_The Earl of Thanet_ left a legacy of £200 in the year 1776, for the
augmentation of the living of St. Leonard’s Church. The Governors of
Queen Anne’s bounty having added a like sum, the amount was applied in
1777 to the purchase of certain premises at Tenbury, in Worcestershire,
containing about ten acres of land, which produces a sum of £15 annually.
The rents of two houses and a garden have been long applied to the
repairs of the church, but from what source they were derived is unknown.
The annual rents amount to £25. 10s.
CHARITIES OF ST. MARY’S PARISH.—_The Rev. David Llewellin_, by his will,
dated 25th of April, 1794, gave the sum of £50, on trust, to the
minister, churchwardens, and overseers of the parish of St. Mary’s, to
place the same out at interest, on good security, and to apply the
interest thereof to the use of the poor, in such manner as they should
direct.
_Eleanor Church_, by will, dated 1798, gave the sum of £20, the interest
thereof to be distributed in bread the first Sunday after the 26th of
May. _John Guest_ bequeathed a legacy of £20 to this parish, which is
mentioned in our report of St. Leonard’s parish. _Sarah Medlicott_ gave
the sum of £10 in the year 1780, the interest thereof to be laid out in
sixpenny loaves, and given to twenty poor housekeepers of this parish, on
every 14th day of February for ever. BREAD FUND.—There is a general
distribution of bread weekly, amounting in the whole to £10. 8s. per
year. The distribution in September, 1819, appeared to have settled to
the amount of four shillings worth of bread weekly, which was far short
of the amount of the several charities for which the charity trustees
were accountable. _Richard Goodden_, in 1806, assigned four pews in the
church of St. Mary Magdalene to the minister and churchwardens, on trust,
to pay and distribute the rents among poor persons not receiving
parochial relief, in sums of not more than 5s. each. The rents amount to
£3. 18s. annually.
_Mrs. Law’s Charity_; the particulars of which (the parish of St. Mary’s
is entitled to six-tenths) have been given in the report of St. Leonard’s
parish.
_Paul Bridgen_, by will, dated 1763, gave £10 to this parish to purchase
a pew, or part of a pew, in the church, from the rent of which 5s. was to
be given to the minister for preaching a sermon on Good Friday, and one
shilling to the clerk to toll the bell on the said day, and the remainder
to be given to the poor. The benefactions to the minister, amounting to
£49. 1s. 3d., have been noticed in the preceding pages. _William Hand_,
by will, in 1706, bequeathed to the minister of this parish and his
successors, for ever, a messuage, which is let to weekly tenants at 2s.
6d. per week, which sum the minister now receives. _Bridget Stackhouse_,
by will, in 1756, gave the sum of £131 to the minister of the parish of
St. Mary Magdalene and his successors, for ever. This legacy was
invested in the purchase of £145 South Sea annuities, the dividends of
which, amounting to £4. 7s. per annum are duly received by the minister.
It appears that in the year 1811 and 1812 the Governors of Queen Anne’s
bounty agreed to augment the curacy of St. Mary’s with five several sums
of £200 each, out of grants made to them by parliament, and that, in the
year 1816, they agreed further to augment the same with the sum of £300
out of the said grants, in conjunction with _Thomas Whitmore_, _Esq._,
the patron, who gave the sum of £200, and paid the same to the treasurer
of the said governors for the purpose of such augmentation, which said
several sums, amounting together to the sum of £1,500, were ordered by
the said governors to be laid out in the purchase of lands, tithes, or
other hereditaments, to be settled for the perpetual augmentation of the
curacy of the said parish. The sum of £1,150 was laid out in 1816 in the
purchase of a dwelling-house, with appurtenances thereto, situated in
Bridgnorth, together with a pew in the parish church of the said parish.
The minister also receives the sum of £14, as interest on £350 (the
residue of the said £1,500), which remains on their hands applicable to a
further purchase.
_Thomas Milner_, by will, dated 1837, bequeathed £150, the interest
thereof, to be distributed in bread on the first Sunday in every month,
after divine service, to the poor of this parish. He also gave the sum
of £100, the interest thereof to be applied towards clothing and
educating boys of the Blue Coat School, and the sum of £100, the interest
to be applied to the benefit of the poor widows of the almshouse of
Bridgnorth.
POST OFFICE—_Mr. Charles Edward Macmichael’s_, East Castle street.
Letters from all parts arrive at 6.35 A.M., and are despatched at 5.30
P.M.
Acton Edward Farrer, Esq., Gateacre Park
Acton Sir John E. D., Bart., Aldenham Hall
Adams Mrs. Anne, West Castle street
Audsley Thomas, engineer, West Castle st
Ayre Rev. Legh Richmond, M.A., Newtown
Bache John, Esq., Chesterton
Backhouse Richard Onions, solicitor, Whitburne street
Baker John, Esq., Walsbatch
Baugham Benjamin, Esq., Oldbury Wells
Baugham Thomas, Esq., St. Leonard’s
Bank, Cooper, and Co., High street
Bank, Pritchards, and Co., Waterloo terrace
Bank Saving’s, Bank street