Merchant of ye staple Gave a small Tenem scituat in ye Rotten Row in this Town ye best rent thereof to ye benefit of ye Poor in this Town for ever by deed.

Mr. Attwell a Minister of Gods word born in this Town Gave towards a Common stock to set the poor on worke 17 13s 4d now improved to 4l.

Elizabeth Banes spinster born in this Town gave 107 ye Interest thereof Yearly to be given to ye use of ye poor in this Town for ever.

Mr John Ridly of this Parish Gave 201 to his wife to be employ'd to ye benefit of the Poor for ever.

M3 Alice Green widow Inn-Keeper at ye Cock Daughter of Mr. John Garbet of Nether Penn hath assured out of Lands in Breearly a Yearly rent of 208 to be distributed to ye poor in this Town for ever on ye 30th of March by deed.

John Pooler of this Town Weaver observing in his time a dangerous Quarrel and Feight on Easter day in ye Afternoon after their Receiving of ye Communion did provide that for ever after a sermon should be Preached on Easter day at Evening prayers for which he hath purchased Lands of the Yearly Value of 78 appointing 68 8d to the preacher & 4d to ye Bell-Ringer by deed And he hath also provided 13s 4d more Yearly Rent for ever to be disposed to ye Poor of this Parish which he disposeth in his life time and willeth that his wife after his death shall so do likwise & after to ye care of ye Inhabitants.

Doct Masters Chancell' of Lichfield delivered 5l to be disposed towards relief of ye Poor for ever.

Edward Tonks Tanner born in this Town Gave by his Will 201 towards ye like relief.

Edward Wareing of Leacroft in ye Parish of Canock Esqr Gave a certain Annuity of 27 12s to Twelve of the Poorest Inhabitants of this Town yt shall constantly frequent ye Church (viz) to each of them one Loafe of Bread upon every Lords day after Eveniug Service.

Mr. Gervase Hall of this Town Gave 17. per Annum to be paid to ye Church-Wardens on the Second of September, and to be distributed by them on ye Sixth day of September, viz. 13s. 4d. to ye poor, and 6s. 8d. for a Sermon on that day. The Said Mr. Gervase Hall Gave Also 20s. to be Yearly distributed by ye Church-Wardens to Sixty poor people upon the feast of Simon and Jude.

Mrs. Cicely Haynes of this Town Widow Left 20s. a year to ye poor of this Town and Walshall to be equaly divided upon St. Andrew's day amonge Sixty poor Widows, (viz.) Thirty in this Town and Thirty in Walshall.

Mr. Robert Hanbury of this Town Gave 27. 128. to be laid forth by Twelve pence a weeke for buying fourteen loaves of Bread & to be given to fourteen poor people of this Town.

Mr. Charles Wynn Vicar of Penn gave 6 pound Yearly to be laid out in setting Poor Children to School and buying them Bibles.

Mrs. Mary Leigh of this Town Widow, left 17. per Annum for Fourty poor widows to be distributed on St. Thomas Day.

Mrs. Elizabeth Barnefield of this Town widow Gave ye use & profits of 201. for the setting forth poor Boyes apprentices.

John Bradney of this Town, Yeom: gave 17. per Annum to be paid on ye first day of December 13s. 4d. thereof to be distributed to ye poor on the Twenty fourth of december and 6s. 8d. for a Sermon on the Feast of St. John Baptist.

Mrs. Jane Lassells of this Town Spinster Gave ye Yearly profit of 10 pounds Five shillings thereof to be distributed in Bread to poor persons of this town and the rest of the profits for a Sermon on her Funeral day, viz. ye Thirteenth of February.

Mr. Robert Brindley of London Merchant, born in this Town, gave ye Interest or Profits of 1007. for a Lecture to be Preached in this church. John Granger of this Town Baker Gave ye Yearly sum of 21. 12s. to be

paid to the Church-Wardens and overseers on ye feast days of ye Anuntiation of St. Mary & St. Michael by equal portions, & to be distributed to ye poor of this Town by Twelve pence per week in bread at their discretion. Mrs. Ann Brindley of this Town Widow Gave ye Interest or profits of 107. to be distributed Yearly to poor Widows of this Town on all saints day.

Mr. George Birch of this Town Gave Yearly ye sum of 17. Thirteen shillings four pence thereof to be distributed to ye poor of this Town & Six shillings & eight pence for a Sermon on Christmass day.

Sr. Richard Leveson Gave 5 pounds per Annum to ye poor of this Parish to be paid out of ye Rents of a Tenemt. and Lands late in ye possession of Mr. John Richardson upon ye 25th day of August.

Roger Hinton of Rickerscoate Gent: Gave to ye poor House-keepers of this Town an annuity to be paid by Lewis Dickinson of Acton Trussell his Execut & Yearly disposed of by the Minister & Church Wardens of this Town out of ye said Mr. Roger Hintons at Rickerscoate. This now produces £30 per annum.

Mr. Henry Bracegirdle Sacrist of this Colegiate Church Gave a Silver Communion Plate for ye use of the Church & Also 40l. to purchase Lands ye Rents or Profits thereof to be divided between ye two Clarks so longe as they keep the Church clean.

The Reverend John Hillman Master of Arts & Minister of Codsall, did in ye Yr. 1726 Amongst other Charitable Legacies Bequeath Fourty Pounds to ye Poor of ye town of Woolverhampton ye Interest to be distributed amongst them Yearly with which Money A House in Bilston street has Been Purchased and ye Rent Apply'd according to ye Intention of ye Donour. Fra: Horton: Jos: Elton Church wardens 1728. The Reverend John Mansell, Clerk, Vicar of Greasley Nottinghamshire a Native of this Town by his Will left inter alia Twenty Pounds the same to be Invested in a purchase, or plac'd out at Interest, and the Rent or Interest thereof for ever Paid once or twice a Year, at such time or times by the Church Wardens and Overseers of the Poor of Wolverhampton for the time being in such a manner as they shall think proper and which is now settled on a House belonging to the Town (for that purpose) situated in Bilston Street late in the Possession of the Widow Nichols.

February 7th A. D. 1819 Wm. Tonkys Price, of this Town Gentleman, gave to the Blue Coat School, the sum of Seventy Pounds.

Peter Pershouse Esq. late of this Town in his life time gave to this Charity School one Hundred Pounds Anno Dom. 1731.

Mr. John Kent of this Town Chirurgeon gave by his last Will one Hundred pounds to this Charity School Anno Dom. 1737.

Mrs. Elizabeth Woodhouse Widow late of this Town gave by her last Will Ten Pounds to this Charity School Anno Dom. 1749.

Mrs. Mary Tomkys Widow late of this Town gave by her last Will Ten Pounds to this Charity School Anno Dom. 1750.

A TABLE OF BENEFACTIONS TO THE TWO CHARITY SCHOOLS, ONE FOR BOYS, AND THE OTHER FOR GIRLS IN WOLVERHAMPTON, BESIDES THE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS.

September ye 29th 1711. A Person desiring to be unknown gave by the hands of Mr. Wm. Wood the sum of twenty pounds for the Use of these Schools.

November ye 14th, 1712. Mr. Jno. Allison Woollen Draper & Merchant Taylor of London and A native of this Town gave five pounds. Also on Feb the 2nd 1718. He gave by his last Will Three Hundred pounds to these Charity Schools.

May ye 4th 1814 Jno. Crowley of Greenwich, in ye County of Kent, Esq. gave five pounds seven shills and six pence for the same Use.

November ye 7th 1717. Mr. John Turnpenny of this Town gave by his last Will five pounds for ye same use.

The Reverend Mr. Jno. Hillman late Prebend'y of this Church gave 601. to be laid out in lands for ye Use of ye Chay Schools. 1723 Mr. Tho. Cotton of Dodd lespoole in this County haveing had part of his Education at the Gramar School here gave 601. (being part of a Sum of Money left to be dispos'd of to pious and Charitable Uses at his Discretion) to these Schools. 1723 Mr. Joseph Woodhouse Ironmonger in this Town gave by will Ten Pounds to the Use of these Schools.

Mr. Isaac Hollier, late of this Town left by his last Will Fifty Pounds. Anno. 1728.

Mr. John Harrison, of Aston by Birmingham in the County of Warwick five Pounds.

Mr. William Sutton late of Fetherstone in this Parish Ten Pounds.
Mrs. Sarah Foxall, late of this Town left by Will Twenty Pounds. 1732.
John Grosvenour, Esq. left by his last Will Sixty Pounds. 1732.

In the Year 1725. Mr. Thomas Dunn of this Town gave Ten Shillings per Annum to the Charity Schools for ever to be paid out of the Rents of the Houses in John's-lane.

Mr. Jno. Turnpenny of London Distiller, a native of this Town gave by Will to this Charity School Fifty Pounds. Anno Dom. 1756.

Zachariah Foxall, Esqr. late of London, a native of this Town gave by Will to this Charity School two Hundred Pounds. Anno Dom. 1758.

Mr. Thomas Gibbons, Sen" of this Town, gave (in his Life time) to this Charity School twenty Pounds Anno Dom. 1773. to which he likewise annually contributed.

Thus far the account of charities is taken from records in the church. Many of the donations, I regret to add, are unfortunately lost. I subjoin a few others which are inserted in the Parish Dole Book.

Mr. John Jesson left an Annuity of £2 12 0 payable out of lands at Merridale, to be given to the poor in bread.

Mr. Dobson gave a piece of land on this side the water, below Standeford bridge, 3/5ths of the rent of which to be paid to the poor of Wolverhampton, and 2/5ths to the poor of Tettenhall.

Mr. John Hinman left to the Poor of Wolverhampton the rent of a house in Bilston Street.

Mr. Branson left 108. a year for the same purpose, as did also Mr. Henry Pinson.

I.

THE FREE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

AFTER much litigation respecting the trust of this school, between the inhabitants and the Merchant Taylors' Company, in 1788 the latter finally declared, "that they and their predecessors having been for 140 years past, at different times, harrassed by suits at the relation of different sets of the inhabitants of the town of Wolverhampton; and having always been, and still are, in considerable advance on account of the said charitable institution; are willing and desirous, after payment and satisfaction to them of all sum and sums of money justly due and owing to them, as laid out and expended in and about the execution of the said Trusts, to be discharged from the care and management of the said school and premises." This reasonable request was complied with by the Lord Chancellor, and he ordained that the Trustees should for the future be forty in number; and that at every new election, the Bishop of the Diocese, and the two Knights of the Shire, should always be named. When the number is diminished to twenty-one, the list is to be filled up by their nomination. An election of Trustees has taken place in the present year, and the list now stands as follows:

OLD TRUSTEES.

Sir John Wrottesley, Bart. M.P., Wrottesley.

Joseph Tarratt, Esq., Fordhouses, near Wolverhampton.
The Rev. George F. Molineux, Ryton, near Shiffnall.

John E. Molineux, Esq., Wolverhampton.

Henry Jesson, Esq., Trysull, near Wolverhampton.

Richard S. Pountney, Esq., Low Hill, near Wolverhampton.

Phillips Deakin, Esq., Penn, near Wolverhampton.

The Duke of Sutherland.

Lord Hatherton.

Edward Monckton Esq., Somerford Hill, near Wolverhampton.

The Rev. Charles Wrottesley, East Knoyle, Wilts.

The Rev. John Clarke, Wolverhampton.

John Pearson, Esq., Bengal, in the East Indies.

Thomas Perry, Esq., Wolverhampton.

William B. Pershouse, Esq, Penn, near Wolverhampton.
Alexander Hordern, Esq., Oxley, near Wolverhampton.

John Corser, Esq., Oaks, near Wolverhampton.

William Herrick, Esq., Beau Manor, Leicestershire.

The Rev. Thomas Walker, Merridale House, near Wolverhampton.
William Warner, Esq., Wolverhampton.

NEW TRUSTEES.

Henry Lord Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry.

Sir Francis L. H. Goodricke, Bart. M.P. Studley Castle, Warwickshire
Sir Oswald Mosley, Bart. M.P. Rolleston Hall.

Edward Buller, Esq., M.P., Dilhorne Hall.

The Rev. George Oliver, D.D., Wolverhampton.
The Rev. George B. Clare, Wolverhampton.

The Rev. Humphrey Pountney, Wolverhampton.

The Rev. Cornelius Jesson, Trysull, near Wolverhampton.
Edmund Wigan, Esq., Lapley, near Wolverhampton.

Henry Hordern, Esq., Dunstall Hall, near Wolverhampton.
George Holyoake, Esq., Ruckley, Salop.

John Stokes, Esq., Wyrley Grove, near Wolverhampton.
William Wenman, Esq., Gorsebrook, near Wolverhampton.
Mr. William Buckle, Wolverhampton.

Charles H. Molineux, Esq., Wolverhampton.

Mr. William Warner, jun., Wolverhampton.
John Tarratt, Esq., Wolverhampton.

John Fowke, Esq., Wolverhampton.

John Freer Proud, Esq., Wolverhampton.

Henry Hill, Esq., Tettenhall, near Wolverhampton.

Francis Corser, Esq. Solicitor.

I subjoin an account of the property with which this school has been endowed.

The rental of the above Farms and Lands amounts to £1032 8s. 4d.

K.

CHARTER OF QUEEN MARY,

This Charter, dated 26th December, 1 Mary, Recites that she, the said Queen Mary, considering as well the great zeal and ineffable love which her father King Henry VIII., as other her progenitors, from the time of King Edw. III. had towards the Dean and Canons of Windsor; and that her said father, and other her progenitors were buried there; and that the stall of the most serene Order of the Garter was in that chapel; and that it would be a great damage and diminution of the revenues of the said Deanery and Deans of Windsor, who could not support and sustain the burthens incumbent on his deanery, without the said deanery and prebend of Wolverhampton, and the possessions and revenues thereof; and being rather willing that the revenues should be increased than diminished; she the said Queen Mary, by her letters patent, declared that she would have such a college or free chapel or deanery, and such prebends to be in the said parish of Wolverhampton; and such offices as were there before; and to have the same possessions, titles, oblations, obventions, jurisdictions, privileges, franchises, immunities, rights and appurtenants as the said college, free chapel, deanery and prebendaries had before the making of the Act of Parliament for the dissolution of chantries and free chapels. And therefore the said Queen Mary did thereby ordain, constitute, make, declare and grant for herself, her heirs, and successors, that for the future the said church of Wolverhampton should be one college or free chapel or deanery, to consist of one Dean, and eight prebendaries, and one officer called the sacrist or sexton; and that it should be called the college, free chapel royal, or deanery of Wolverhampton; and she therein, and thereby named, constituted and appointed, one William Franklin Clerk, the dean of Windsor, to be the dean of Wolverhampton, and prebendary of Wolverhampton aforesaid, for his life; and his successors, deans of Windsor aforesaid, to be deans and prebendaries of Wolverhampton aforesaid; and thereby united and annexed the said deanery and prebend of Wolverhampton to the said deanery of Windsor, for ever. And thereby also nominated and appointed one Adam Brooke to be be prebendary of the prebend of Kinvaston; and one Thomas Cresswell to be prebendary of the prebend of Fetherstone; and one Thomas Aston to be prebendary of the prebend of Hilton; and one Humfry Horton Clerk, to be prebendary of the prebend of Willnall; and one William Hynde Clerk, to be prebendary of the prebend of Monmore; and one William Sale Clerk, to be prebendary of the prebend of Wobaston; and one John Leveson, to be prebendary of the prebend of Hatherton; and one John Wallowes Clerk, to be the sacrist or sexton. And that they should be persons fit and capable in the law, by the name of the dean, prebendaries and sacrist of the said college of Wolverhampton, to plead and be impleaded in all courts, suits, and places, before all judges, justices, and other persons whatsoever; and should have a common seal for all their affairs. And she thereby and therein granted unto them, the said dean, prebendaries and sacrist of Wolverhampton aforesaid, and to their successor for ever, all and singular the lordships, messuages, lands, mills, meadows, pastures, woods, underwoods, commons, and common of pasture, waters, water-courses, rents, reversions and services; and the advowsons, donations, and free dispositions of all rectories, vicarages, churches, chapels, offices, pensions, portions, tithes, and oblations, courts leet, and frank pledge, free warrens, goods and chattells of felons, fugitives and felos de se; and all other rights, estates and titles, with their and every of their appurtenances in Wolverhampton, in the county of Stafford, or elsewhere within the said county, or in any other county or place within the kingdom of England, which did anciently belong, or appertain to the said college, or free chapel, or deanery, or lately to the dean, prebendaries