Canterbury: Gifts of land to the city

DIFFERENT GIFTS OF LANDS, TENEMENTS, &C. TO THE CITY.

JOHN BRIGGS, anno 36 Edward III. gave to this city a parcel of land, called Le Gravel Pet, in Winchape-field, in the parish of St. Mary de Castro, lying between a certain way leading from Winchepe towards Dodingdale, towards the south, as the deed expresses it. (fn. 1)

WILLIAM BENNET, of St. Andrew's parish, mayor of this city in 1450, gave by his will in 1464 (fn. 2) to this city, two tenements beside Jury-lane, in St. Mary Bredman's parish, to the welfare and common profit of the city for evermore, except 10s. to be paid yearly to the parson and churchwardens of St. Andrew's; and he ordered his executors to buy 300 feet of ashler, of Folkestone stone, to make a wharse about the King's-mill thereto, and 5s. for the reparation of the shamelys for strange bocherys to occupy every market day, and for paving the strete from St. Andrew's to the Pyllorie, that might go cleaner thereto 10s. John Fremingham and Tho mas Lambsyn were his seoffees and executors; (fn. 3) besides the before-mentioned, he gave other benefactions, as will be mentioned elsewhere.

ROGER BRENT, of All Saints parish, in this city, and owner of the Dungeon manor, who died in 1486, having been an alderman and thrice mayor of this city, gave to the community of it and their successors, his messuage called Stonehall, in the parish of All Saints, in which church he lies buried, to hold to them and their heirs, upon trust, that they and their successors should build a certain dwelling for honest men and women to live in, for which they should take the annual profits arising from thence, to the use of the said community. (fn. 4)

JOHN BROKER, of St. Margaret's, alderman and twice mayor of this city, by his will anno 1521, gave to the mayor and commonalty of this city for ever, two houses, the one in St. Mary Castle parish, the other at the Waterlock, in St. Margaret's parish. (fn. 5)

THOMAS PETTIT, esq. of St. George's, by his will anno 1626, gave 50l. to the mayor and commonalty, to be employed by them continually for the maintenance of two hospital boys at the least, in their new hospital.

JOHN WEBB, gave by his will anno 34 Elizabeth, as appears by the burghmote book, 50l. to the mayor and corporation of this city.

THOMAS LUDD, glazier, of this city, by indenture, dated April 28, 1649, out of the good will which he bore to this city, gave and confirmed to the mayor and commonalty of it and their successors, one annuity or yearly rent charge of IIs. to be issuing and going out of his messuage, with its appurtenances in a street, called the Rush-market, in the parish of St. Alphage, in this city, (fn. 6) and payable on Midsummer day to them, for the purpose of establishing a lecture or sermon for ever, to be preached yearly, upon Holy Cross day, being the day of the election of the mayor, and immediately before the election, by such a preacher as the mayor for the time being should think fit, and at such place as he should appoint for the more solemn meeting of the mayor, aldermen, &c. of the city; and he ordered, that the mayor, &c. and their successors should pay to every such minister for his pains therein, the sum of ten shillings, immediately after the end of the said sermon; and to the parish clerk one shilling, for ringing the sermon bell and for his attendance; with a power of distress, &c.

HENRY VANNER, of St. George's, in Canterbury, alderman of this city, by his will in 1630, gave to the mayor and commonalty of it and their successors for ever, the sum of 150l. upon condition, that they should for ever thereafter, from time to time, maintain and keep, bring up, and place in a decent and religious manner, within the city, six poor children, born within the same; whereof two of the said six should be kept and maintained in the name of Joanne Vanner, his late sister deceased, aud the other four in his own name, until such time as the said children should be fit to be apprentices, or should otherwise be provided for; the election, denomination and appointment of them to be in the said mayor and commonalty for ever. And he gave to the said mayor and commonalty, one yearly rent of 10l. to be received from his executor, out of the rents of his leases of Barton lands, for so long time as they should continue in being; and directed, that the said legacy should be employed towards the raising of a stock of money for the helping of poor tradesmen; for which purpose his desire was, that the said mayor and commonalty, from such time as they should be possessed of any competent sum of money, fit to be let out to poor tradesmen, which should need to have any such sum of money as 5l. that then such person or persons, giving sufficient bond with sureties, to the mayor and commonalty for the repayment of it, should have the same for such term as the mayor and commonalty, and the person or persons so requiring the said sum or sums, should agree upon; for which money no use or interest should be required. And he ordered that the said poor tradesmen, dwelling in the parish of St. George, should have the preference before any other.

ROBERT ROSE, gent of the precincts of Christ-church, by his will in 1620, gave 100l. to be for the poor children of the hospitals of Canterbury, in such sort to be employed for the best use and purpose, as the like by others had been bestowed.

HESTER HAMMOND, spinster, of Canterbury, by her will proved 1719, gave the sum of 20s. per annum, to be paid by her executor yearly, towards the charges of maintaining the charity school for boys in the city of Canterbury; the same to continue to be paid so long as that school should be maintained and kept up; her niece Phebe, wife of Mr. Thomas Lefroy, her executrix.

DOROTHY NIXON, widow, of Christ-church, in Canterbury, by a codicil to her will proved with it, in Feb. 1730, gave 400l. to her nephews, Herbert, Thomas and George Randolph, upon trust, that they, the survivor or survivors of them and the heirs of such survivor, should lay out the same in land of inheritance, and in the mean time to place out the same at interest, and apply the same to the putting out of one boy, and the remainder towards the putting out of one girl; if not enough for both to be apprentices, to be chosen by her said trustees, or the majority of them, out of some or one of the charity schools within the city and liberty of Canterbury; and if the said schools should all fail, then the said boy and girl should be chosen and elected out of the poorer sort of the children belonging to, and of the parish of St. Margaret, within this city.