School Endowments
JOHN SILCOCKS'S CHARITY.
John Silcocks, by his will, dated 22d July 1741, gave the sum of £200 to Christopher Griffith the elder, and Christopher Griffith the younger, their executors, administrators and assigns, and the churchwardens and overseers of John Silcocks's the poor of the parishes of Stoke Gifford, Winterborne, Filton and Aldmondsbury, and to their successors, in trust, that the said sum of £200 should be put out at interest in such securities as the said Christopher Griffith the elder, and Christopher Griffith the younger, their executors, administrators and assigns, should approve of, and that the interest or produce of such money should be paid by his said trustees, as after mentioned, viz. ; the interest or produce of £50, being one-fourth part thereof, to the minister of Stoke Gifford, for preaching four sermons at the said parish church, in the morning, on the four Sundays next after the four following quarter days, yearly, for ever, viz. on the Sunday next after the Annunciation, the Sunday next after the feast of St. John the Baptist, the Sunday next after the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, and the Sunday next after the Nativity, by equal payments ;and the remaining £150. to the respective ministers of the parishes of Winterbourne, Felton and Aldmondsbury, for preaching four several sermons at their respective parish churches, at the days and times above mentioned, in each year, for ever ; that is to say, one third part of the interest of the said sum of £150 to be paid to the minister of Winterbourne ; one other third part to the minister of Felton ; and the other third part thereof to the minister of Almondsbury for the time being, for ever.
And the said testator also gave the sum of £200 to the said Christopher Griffith, the elder and younger, their executors, &c. and to the ministers and churchwardens for the time being of the said several parishes of Stoke Gifford, Winterbourne, Almondsbury and Felton, in trust to put out the same at interest on such securities as his trustees should think fit; and that the interest or produce thereof should be paid to such schoolmasters or schoolmistresses as should be chosen from time to time by the said Griffiths and the said ministers and churchwardens, for teaching poor children of the said four several parishes to read, whose parents received no alms, and constantly resorted to the said several parish churches respectively.
And the said testator also gave to the said Christopher Griffith the elder, and Christopher Griffith the younger, and to the minister and churchwardens of Stoke Gifford, the sum of £200, in trust to place the same out at interest, and that the interest or produce thereof should be laid out in bread, and given weekly, on Sundays, immediately after divine service, for ever, at the same parish church, to twelve poor men, housekeepers of the said parish, who should constantly frequent the said parish church, and should have no alms of the said parish; such twelve poor persons to be nominated and appointed by his said trustees, or the majority of them.
And the said testator also gave to his said trustees, and to the minister and churchwardens of Stoke Gifford aforesaid, the further sum of £100, in trust to put out the same at interest, and to pay such interest to Mary Pruett, during her life, and after her death, to lay out the same in bread, to be distributed equally between such twelve poor men, housekeepers in the said parish, as should receive no alms, and that constantly frequented the parish church, in addition to the bread already given to them by his said will.
And he directed, that no part of the above money should be laid out in purchasing any lands or tenements or hereditaments, but put out to interest only, and the produce thereof' applied as above directed.
And he appointed the said Christopher Griffith the elder, sole executor of his said will.
The interest of the sum of 50l. has been regularly paid to the former ministers of the parish, by Messrs. Sturge, of Bristol, as agents to the late General Griffith and his son, C. D. Griffith, esquire, the present owner. The present incumbent, having only lately come to the living, has not yet received it.
There is a school in this parish, supported in part by this charity, and partly by the voluntary contributions of the Duchess Dowager of Beaufort, in which about 24 girls and 12 boys are taught to read, write and cast accounts, and regularly taken by the mistress to church on Sunday. The mistress receives from Messrs. Sturge the annual sum of £12 10s.
It appears from an account given by Messrs. Sturge, that the sum of £15 per annum has been regularly paid by them to a baker residing in or near the parish of Stoke Gifford, for bread, which is distributed every Sunday, after divine service, among twelve poor persons, housekeepers of the parish, according to the directions of the will, selected by the minister and churchwardens, who have attended divine service.
Messrs. Sturge also pay, by the same directions, 50s. a year to the schoolmistress before mentioned.
These sums have been paid out of the rents of the estate of the late General Griffith, and now the property of his son, C. D. Griffith, esquire. It does not appear that any security has been given, either by way of mortgage or charge upon the estate; but Messrs. Sturge will apply to Mr. Griffith, the present owner, to give security for the future payments.
JACOB WEBB'S CHARITY.
Jacob Webb, of the city of Bristol, by his will, dated 18th October 1511, gave to the churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the parish of Stoke Gifford, in the County of Gloucester, the sum of £50 to be by them invested in the public funds, in the names of proper persons, as trustees for the said parish; and he directed that the yearly dividends arising from the said principal sum, should be divided yearly, on every New Year's day, by the said churchwardens and overseers, between five poor men and women belonging to the said parish, not receiving parochial relief; which legacy he directed should be paid out of his personal estate, free and clear of the king's duty.
This sum of £50. appears to have been received by John Witchell, William Builder, and Daniel Webb, and invested by them in the purchase of £50 2s. five per cents, since reduced to new fours, which stock produces an annual dividend of £2. 3 s. 8 d.
These dividends are regularly received by the churchwardens, and distributed by them, on New Year's day, or the next succeeding Sunday, among five poor men and women of the said parish who have attended divine service on that day, and who subsist without parochial relief, in equal shares.
