In the reign of Henry the Eighth, William Lench, a native of this place,
bequeathed his estate for the purpose of erecting alms houses, which are
those at the bottom of Steelhouse-lane, for the benefit of poor widows,
but chiefly for repairing the streets of Birmingham. Afterwards others
granted smaller donations for the same use, but all were included under
the name of Lench; and I believe did not unitedly amount, at that time,
to fifteen pounds per annum.
Over this scattered inheritance was erected a trust, consisting of
gentlemen in the neighborhood of Birmingham.
All human affairs tend to confusion: The hand of care is ever necessary
to keep order. The gentlemen, therefore at the head of this charity,
having too many modes of pleasure of their own, to pay attention to this
little jurisdiction, disorder crept in apace; some of the lands were
lost for want of inspection; the rents ran in arrear, and were never
recovered; the streets were neglected, and the people complained.
Misconduct, particularly of a public nature, silently grows for years,
and sometimes for ages, 'till it becomes too bulky for support, falls in
pieces by its own weight, and out of its very destruction rises a
remedy. An order, therefore, from the Court of Chancery was obtained,
for vesting the property in other hands, consisting of twenty persons,
all of Birmingham, who have directed this valuable estate, now 227_l_.
5s. per annum, to useful purposes. The man who can guide his own private
concerns with success, stands the fairest chance of guiding those of
the public.
If the former trust went widely astray, perhaps their successors have
not exactly kept the line, by advancing the leases to a rack rent: It is
worth considering, whether the tenant of an expiring lease, hath not in
equity, a kind of reversionary right, which ought to favour him with the
refusal of another term, at one third under the value, in houses, and
one fourth in land; this would give stability to the title, secure the
rents, and cause the lessee more chearfully to improve the premises,
which in time would enhance their value, both with regard to property
and esteem.
But where business is well conducted, complaint should cease; for
perfection is not to be expected on this side the grave.
Exclusive of a pittance to the poor widows above, the trust have a power
of distributing money to the necessitous at Christmas and Easter, which
is punctually performed.
I think there is an excellent clause in the devisor's will, ordering his
bailiff to pay half a crown to any two persons, who, having quarreled
and entered into law, shall stop judicial proceedings, and make peace by
agreement--He might have added, "And half a crown to the lawyer that
will suffer them." I know the sum has been demanded, but am sorry I do
_not_ know that it was ever paid.
If money be reduced to one fourth its value, since the days of Lench, it
follows, that four times the sum ought to be paid in ours; and perhaps
ten shillings cannot be better laid out, than in the purchase of that
peace, which tends to harmonise the community, and weed a brotherhood
not the most amicable among us.
The members choose annually, out of their own body a steward, by the
name of bailiff Lench: The present fraternity, who direct this useful
charity, are
Thomas Colmore, _bailiff_.
George Davis,
Win. Walsingham, _dead_,
Michael Lakin,
Benjamin May,
Michael Lakin, _jun_.
James Bedford,
Samuel Ray,
John Ryland,
James Jackson,
Stephen Bedford, _dead_,
Joseph Tyndall,
Joseph Smith,
Robert Mason,
Joseph Webster, _dead_,
Abel Humphreys,
Thomas Lawrence,
Samuel Pemberton,
Joseph Webster, _jun_.
John Richards.