The Seward Charity

In Volume 11 of the papers of the House of Commons (Reports of commissioners on charities 1831) these entries can be found on pp 502, 514

502

SEWARD'S CHARITY

Seward's Charity. Under the Will of Elizabeth Seward, dated 2d June 1753, of which see a further account under the head of Charities in the Borough of Evesham, the parish of Badsey is entitled to 6s. per month to be applied in paying for the teaching of poor children to read.

There is a schoolmistress in Badsey, appointed by a Baptist minister, of Evesham, who has the teaching of nine poor children of the parish, in consideration of such payment; she also takes day scholars from the parish at small weekly payments. She is said to do her duty diligently and carefully.

514

CONGREGATION OF PARTICULAR BAPTISTS IN COLE-STREET.

Elizabeth Seward's Charity. By certain clauses in the Will of Elizabeth Seward, bearing date 2d June 1753, and proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury 6th February 1754, it was directed by her, that the interest and dividends of 350£ South Sea Stock, part of 2,000£ in the said fund, bequeathed by her to the several trustees named in her Will, should, after certain life interests therein given by her, be paid to each of every minister or teacher for the time being of the congregation of Protestant dissenters of the denomination of Particular Baptists, in Bengeworth, for so long as such congregation should continue in being, towards the maintenance of such minister or teacher; and it was by the said testatrix further directed, that her said trustees should from time to time pay the interest and dividends of 400/. South Sea Annuities, other part of her said 2,000£ South Sea Annuities, to Jacob Moore, during his life, and after his death to each and every succeeding minister or teacher of the said congregation of Bengeworth, to the intent that he and they should therewith or thereout pay for teaching poor children to read, whose parents were not able to pay for the same, of the place and schools of Badsey, near Evesham, two schools in Evesham, and one in Bengeworth aforesaid; viz. to pay 6s. per month to Badsey, and to the said three other schools 4s. per month each; and further, the said testatrix directed that her trustees should from time to time, and at all times thereafter, pay the interest or dividends of the sum of 400/. South Sea Annuities, other part of her said sum of 2,000/. South Sea Annuties, into the hands of every minister or teacher for the time being of the said congregation, to be by him or them paid for the support of monthly lectures in divinity, to be preached in Bengeworth aforesaid; viz. the sum of 8s. to be paid to the minister who should preach such lectures for every such lecture, and the sum of 12s. for the expense of entertaining the ministers who should attend every such lecture at friends' houses as they should agree to meet in.

The body of the trustees has been regularly kept up by new appointments, as vacancies have occurred.

The congregation intended to be benefited by the testatrix, for some time after her death, continued in existence at Bengeworth; but after a certain period of time a portion of that congregation separated from it, and established themselves at Mill Hill, at Evesham, the Bengeworth congregation still continuing there, till that also removed to Cole-street in Evesham in 1788, where it has ever since been in active existence, and so continues to be. Since the separation above alluded to, the ministers at Bengeworth and in Cole-street have uniformly received the benefit of this donation.

The interest of the 400/., which was to be paid to the minister of Bengeworth for teaching children to read, has regularly come to his hands, and has been employed for the purposes expressed in the will concerning the same.

There is a school at Bengeworth for teaching poor children, under the care of a schoolmistress, appointed by the minister of the congregation, and another under similar management at Evesham, towards the support of which schools this fund is applied. To the schoolmistress of the school at Bengeworth 2£ 12s is paid per annum; and to the school at Evesham 51£ 8s per annum; the two schools intended by the testatrix to have been established there having been consolidated.

The interest of the 400£. South Sea Annuities, assigned by the testatrix to a lecturer in divinity, is regularly paid. But the sum of 8 s. was found to be a very insufficient consideration for the duty required; and the present minister has thought it more conducive to the objects of the testatrix to procure a lecture to be preached in the chapel every two months, for which he pays the sum of 1/. 10s., making the amount paid to the preacher 9/. per annum, to which 3£ is added for his incidental expenses; from which it appears that the 12s. assigned monthly for the expense of entertaining the lecturer is accounted for.