Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-02-28
miscellaneous
From Chambers journal,
CURI0sITIEs OF PosTHUMOus CHARITY.

The curious observer, in his rambles about
town, 10 occasionally struck with some singular
demonstrations for which he is at q loss to account.
Sometimes they assume II benevolent form, aud
sometimes they have a holiday-mLking aspect, yet
with a touch of the luguhrious. In London, or in
some one Of the thriving towns lying within a
score Of miles vi it, he strolls into a church. where
he sees n number of loaNes Of bread piled up at
the back Of the communicable, or ranged, as
they are in a bakers shop, upon shelves against
the wall. 1t is a pleasant sight, but apt to be
somewba puzzling. Perhaps lie saunters into a
country church. yard, and there finds amongst the
rank grass and moss grown and neglected memo
rails Of the silent multitude, one trim ana we'll
tended monument, uninvaded by cryptogamia,
free from all stain of the weather, and tie sur
rounding grassy sward neatly mown and fenced
ip, IL may be, with budding willow branches or a
circle Of clipped box. Or he finds his way through
q suburban village blocked up sumo fine morning
by q crowd Of poor women and girls, clustered
round the door Of a retired tradesman or the Gu
rate Of the place, from which three or Tour at a
time emerge with g%ratihed looks, and go about
their business, while others enter in thor turn
Such demonstrations as these, and VIC might men.
tion many others, have their origin in certain
charitable dispositions AMI requests, many OF
which are of considerable antiquity. There IL
one in operation to this day, near winchester,
which dates from the time ct William OF Nyke
ham; by virtue Of which every traveller passing
that way. if he choose to make the demand, Is re
called with n pint Of beer and a meal of bread ana
cheese. There is another similar antique charity
in operation in Wiltshire, near Devices, where, on
one occasion, the dispenser of the bcnevolence. in
the exercise of his privilege to feed the hungry
THEW O loaf Of bread into the carriage vt George
ILL.,, as the royal cortege passed the spot. The
name of these post. mortem charities is legion
They abound in every city, burgh, town, and ham
let IN England, to an extent absolutely startling to
a person who looks into the subject for the first
time Tho nnnhar of than hplnr rim n "a tho oit 4
OF London alone-that is, originating among her
citizens, and mostly dispensed under the direction
Of the several worshipful companies-can hardly
be fewer than 1900, if so few, The parocEial
charities only Of London city Weld an income of
nearly 100000, a year. The history of all these
charities would fill many bulky volumes. We pro
pose merely TO take a passing glance Mt n few,
which are Interesting from their singularity, or
from the light which they reflect upon the benevo-
lent aspect OF u certain section Of society in times
long past; and which, perhaps, may lie found in
some degree instructive and suggestive, as Illus
trsting the operation of postmortem b'nevolence.
At st. - Church, NOT Il hundred miles from
St. Martins lie Grand, there prevails an amusing
instance Of the perversiUn OF the funds of a chart
81 to purposes which could not possibly have been
intended ty the founder. Many centuries ago, a
Roman Catholic gentleman, dying, bequeathed to
that church IL small estate, tho proceeds OF which
no directed should be devoted to the purpose Of
supplying the officiating priests with refreshment
on the Sa6bath-day. The Roman Catholic service
has long since given place to o Protestant enc, and
the band of officiating priests has dwindled down
TO one clergyman-whiie the value ot the estate
has increased perhaps fifty fold. At the present
moment, the sum which the estate originally pro-
duced is paid over to the church-wardens, who arc
at times n little puzzled as to what to do with 1t.
They get rid of a good portion in this way at ev-
cry service which is held in the church, they place
o bottle of the best sherry which can be procured
for money upon the vestry-table, from tbs the
Officiating priest strengthens his inner man with
q glass or two before commencing his ministra
tiOns, and then the ch~urch-wardens sit down anc
finish the remainder comfortably by themselves
while the reverend gentleman is in the reading
desk or the pulpit. The cost of the wine, howeve
docs not amount to half the sum in their hands
and the remainder goes TO form a iund from who
the church is painted, repaired, decorated, an
kept in apple-pie order-the whole fabric under
going q thorough revision and polish both outsid
and in as often as a pretext can be found. VIVA
becomes of the bulk of the property-the larg
surplus arising from the increased value of the dc
vised estate-this deponent sayeth not; the reade
may be in o condition to guess by the time he ha
read to the end of this paper.
In the year 1865, a Mr.. Edward Taylor willie
to the Leathersellers' Company a messuage, ten'
ment, and melting-house, in the Parish of st. U
ave, and other messuages in the same parish, upo
condition that they should, quarterly and toreVe
distribute amons the poorest and neediest peop
ia the Poultry Compiler one kilderkin of beer 40
twelve penny OF bread, and the same to Il
poor OF Wood Street Compiler, Newgate. and t!
Fleet, the Kings Bench, and the Marshalsea pri
ons. Under this bequest, the company are at pre-
ent in Possession of considerable property, vast
increased in value since the date of the will;
respect Of which property, Is. worth of penn
loaves, and Is. in money, in lieu of beer, are sci
by them every quarter tc the poor prisoners
each OF the prisons mentioned in the original tie
lament!
Robert Rogers devised in 1901 the sum of 400
to the Leather sellers Company, ito be employe
In lands, the best pennyworth they could GET AT
that the house should have 40s. of it a year fore
or. The remainder was to be bestowed upon po
scholars, students of divinity-twc of Oxford, al
two of Cambridge, for four years; and after the
to two Others; and so on forever. lie also, by Il
anne will, devised 2OW. to be lent to four your
men, merchant adventures, at 81. lbs. Id, for Il
200l. interest. The whole Of the interest was
be spent in bread--to be distributed among 20
prisoners-and coal for poUr persons, with the Q
csption of some mail fees and g%ratuities to Il
parish clerk and beadle, for their trouble in carr
ing out his intentions.
Lewisham, once a town in Kent, but now not
ing mure than "a suburb of London, ENJOYS Il
benefaciions of tho Rev. Abraham Collie, who,
1856. bequeathed property for the maintenance
numerous charities. Some OF them are %singularl
characteristic. Having provided for the erectic
of three strong alms-houses, he directed that &c
tain aims-bodies shoUld be periodically chose
who were to he "godly poor inhabitants of Lee
isham, and being single persons, and threescU
years old, pact their hard bodily labor, and able
say the Lords Prayer, the Belief, and the L,
Commandments" &C., &c. All these alms-5odi
were to have sd. each allowed them every d,
for their comfortable sustenance that is, 2id
week-tO be paid them every month during the
siagte life. and rs long as they should behave thei
relses honestly and godly, and duly frequent {
parish church" They we're to be sumu.aIily
moved if guilty of p%rofsne or wicked conduct.
The Aims-bodies we're not to exceed five in numb
at any one time, lie directed a buttery to be bu
for theii convenience. aud also a little brick ROOF
with u window in il, for the five alms.bodIes to a
ssmbie in daily for prayer, and that the schoC
master OF the reading.sohOol should pray wi
them there. He further directed the enclosure
gardens. of sixteen feet broad at the least, for the
recreation. Mr.. Cole also left money for lectur
at Lewisham Church, as we'll as a sum for the pu
chase of Bibles. until they should amount to Il
number ct thirty or forty, which were to be chat