Bishop Laneys Charity 1674.
Benjamin
Laney, Bishop of Ely, by Will, dated 21st January 1674, and proved in
the Prerogative Court, devised all his lands, messuages, and
hereditaments, as well copyhold as freehold, in Soham, or in any Parish
adjoining, to his Executors and their heirs, upon trust, to convey them
to six substantial freeholders, inhabitants of Ely and Soham, or one of
them, upon trust, that they should employ the rents and profits, as far
as they would reach, in putting out apprentices to some honest trade
the children of the poor inhabitants of those Parishes, but not more
than £10. to be allowed to any one child. And he directed that the
residue of his personal estate should be laid out in lands, to be
conveyed to the same Trustees, their heirs and assigns, upon trust, as
he should appoint, and, in default of appointment, upon the trusts
declared of his real estate. It was provided, that when the Trustees
should be reduced by death to three, three other substantial
inhabitants should be added to their number. And it was further
directed, that his Trustees should yearly render an account to the
Vicar, Churchwardens, and Overseers of Soham for the time being, on
which occasion the sum of 20s. was to be expended in a dinner.
On
the 23rd of November 1675, a conveyance was made by the Bishop's
Executors as directed by the Will, the parcels comprised in which were
as follows:-
A tenement and three acres of pasture, in Meere-street.
A tenement and one-and-a-half acre of Hemp-land, in Churchgate-street,
and five acres of pasture and Hemp-land adjoining.
Two tenements and yards in Brooke-street.
A Close of pasture, called Spicer's Weight.
| A | R | P | |
| 16 | 0 | 0 | of pasture, in Clipsall Field. |
| 13 | 0 | 0 | of land, pasture, and Hemp-land, in small parcels. |
| 14 | 1 | 20 | of open field land, in Clipsall Field. |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | of open field land, in No Ditch Field. |
| 12 | 0 | 20 | of open field land, in Great Hales. |
| 12 | 1 | 0 | of open field land, in Little Hales. |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | of open field land, in Downe Field. |
| 0 | 2 | 0 | of open field lands, in Bancroft Field. |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | of open field lands, in Bareham Field. |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | of open field lands, in Metlam Field |
| 18 | 0 | 20 | of open field lands, in Greenway Meadows. |
| 90 | 0 | 0 |
with
their appurtenances. Bishop Laney's Charity Estates. Parcels Tenure Tenant Rent
By
divers mesne assurances, and ultimately by feoffment, dated 20th April
1797, the estates of this Charity became vested in James Merist, John
Peachey, Thomas Waddington, D. D. and Francis Bagge, who, on
31st
August 1803, purchased in addition one acre of pasture ground,
intermixed with the rest.
In the year 1810, an information was filed
respecting this Charity. By the Masters report made in 1813, in
pursuance of an order of reference in the cause, it appears that, with
a view to facilitate the management of the estates, and to apply the
rents and profits as nearly as possible according to the Will of the
founder, one-half of the rents had theretofore been received by two
Trustees at Ely, and the remainder by two Trustees at Soham, and had
been by them applied in binding out poor children of their respective
Parishes, each exclusive of the other. Another Trustee at each place
acted as Treasurer, and on the audit of the accounts received a moiety
of the balance.
The Master ascertained the real and funded property of the Charity, and
approved as a scheme that.
The
Trustees, at the expiration of the then existing leases, after a months
previous notice in the Cambridge papers, should let the estates by
public auction, or private contract, and apply the rents in putting out
so many of the children of the poor inhabitants of Ely and Soham,
Apprentices, as masters could be found for, with a premium not
exceeding £20., instead of £10., as directed by the Will; that an
account should be kept of the names of the children, and the
particulars of their Apprenticeship, and of the other expenditure on
account of the Charity, which should be settled by the Vicar,
Churchwardens, and Overseers, of Soham the Monday before Easter, and
copies made for the Trustees, Churchwardens, and Overseers of Trinity
Parish, in Ely, as also for Soham. The inhabitants of both places to be
at liberty to attend; the Trustees to appoint a Treasurer, and notice
of balances in hand to be given the first Sunday after the audit,
which, if they exceeded one years income, were to be invested in
Government security. The Trustees when reduced to three to appoint
three others, being substantial inhabitants of Ely and Soham, or one of
them, with power to them to nominate a Clerk for preparing the
indentures, &c., who was to be allowed a salary not exceeding
£10.,
including fees.
At the period of the Masters report, besides three
houses, the estates consisted of 155a. 1r. in Soham, and 39a. 3p. in
Fordham, the latter now converted, under the Fordham Inclosure Act,
which was passed in 1809, into 37a. 3r. 19p. With the
exception
of one acre, copyhold of the Manor of Netherhall Tindall, in Soham, the
property is all freehold, and by indentures of lease and release, dated
in 1831, became vested in J. Page, William Harlock,
Luke
Dench, George Hall, John Harlock, and John Garnett,
in fee,
of whom Wiliam Harlock is since deceased.
George Hall and John
Garnett have been admitted to the copyhold. The contents in the annexed
rental are taken from a new survey. The land, except that in Fordham,
is titheable, but is not subject to any land-tax.
A
R
P
£
s
d
52
0
0
House,
Arable & Pasture
Freehold
Edward
West
90
0
0
1
1
37½
House
& Garden
Freehold
William
Tebbett
20
0
0
0
1
14
Cottage
& Garden
Freehold
R.
Staples
8
0
0
35
3
37
Cottage
& Garden
Freehold
James
& Isaac Clements
30
0
0
20
3
35
Cottage
& Garden
Freehold
Charles
Spring
47
5
0
23
3
12
Cottage
& Garden
Freehold
Joel
Chambers
21
0
0
8
1
37
Cottage
& Garden
Freehold
Executors
of J. Smith
24
0
0
3
1
1
Cottage
& Garden
Freehold
Executors
of J. Gateway
8
8
0
2
0
0
Cottage
& Garden
Freehold
J.
Archer
4
0
0
1
0
0
Pasture,
Cottage & Garden
Copyhold
J. King
2
5
0
1
0
30
Cottage
& Garden
Freehold
R. Water
4
0
0
37
3
19
Cottage
& Garden
Freehold
J.
Minett
45
0
0
188
1
22½
£303
18
0
The
land and buildings are in good condition, and the Tenants all hold from
year to year.
The
rents are regularly paid. The Fen land is liable to a drainage tax of
about £10., paid by the Trustees. The copyhold is subject to a small
quit-rent, and the fine is arbitrary. The property has not been let by
auction since the decree, and no notice has been inserted in the
Cambridge papers as directed.
In 1819, £300. 1d. were received for
timber, and £103. 16s. 10d. for gravel; and in the year 1821, £2474.
14s. 6d., Three per Cent. Consols, were standing in the names of the
Trustees, producing £74. 4s. 10d. per annum, and raising the income of
the Charity to £378. 2s. 10d. The income is employed in binding out
Boys Apprentices, and the premium, usually £20., is not paid in full,
one half being generally reserved for three years, in order to insure
attention and proper conduct on the part of the Masters.
Notice is
given at both places of the meetings of Trustees, most of whom at
present reside at Ely, and by far the greater proportion of the
children are bound from that Parish. No meeting for putting out
Apprentices has been held at Soham since the decree, and the children
of that place are required to produce a certificate from the Minister,
Churchwardens, and principal inhabitants, which, however, is only
demanded at Ely when the parties are unknown to the Trustees.
A
statement of the respective numbers bound out in each Parish for a
period of seven years previous to the Inquiry, is subloined.
In
1828
there were
bound out
12,
of whom
4
from Ely.
1829
''
13
7
''
1830
''
15
9
''
1831
''
12
7
''
1832
''
15
11
''
1833
''
16
11
''
1834
''
15
10
''
The
reason given for this disproportion is the difference of population in
the two places, which is nearly two to one, and the wish of the
Trustees to select the most distressed objects, without regard to the
Parishes from which they come.
Several instances were stated of
children being bound to their fathers. It appeared, however, that they
had all been properly instructed. The objects have been selected
without regard to the receipt of parochial relief, and several orphan
children have been Apprenticed from the Workhouse.
It has been recommended that notice of the lettings should be given as
directed by the Masters Scheme.
