Now! Then! 2025! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

York, Masons’ Hospital. Mary Wandesford of the city of York, spinster, by will, 4 Nov. 1725, gave all her lands, &c. to the Archbishop of York and others, in trust for the use and benefit of ten poor gentlewomen, who were never married, and should be of the religion practised in the Church of England, who should retire from the noise and hurry of the world into a religious house; a protestant retirement to be provided for them where they should be obliged to continue for life; and she directed that if any person elected into that society by the trustees, (whom she constituted and appointed perpetual electors,) should withdraw herself from the house, or should marry or behave herself unsuitably to the design and rules of the foundation, the trustees should remove her, and fill her place with another gentlewoman. And she directed her trustees to purchase a convenient habitation for the said poor gentlewomen, where they might all live together under one roof, and make a small congregation, once at least every day at prayers, such as her trustees should think proper for their ease and circumstances, and she appointed £10 per annum to be paid to a reader, who should be appointed by her trustees.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

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Original

York, Masons’ Hospital. Mary Wandesford of the city of York, spinster, by will, 4 Nov. 1725, gave all her lands, &c. to the Archbishop of York and others, in trust for the use and benefit of ten poor gentlewomen, who were never married, and should be of the religion practised in the Church of England, who should retire from the noise and hurry of the world into a religious house; a protestant retirement to be provided for them where they should be obliged to continue for life; and she directed that if any person elected into that society by the trustees, (whom she constituted and appointed perpetual electors,) should withdraw herself from the house, or should marry or behave herself unsuitably to the design and rules of the foundation, the trustees should remove her, and fill her place with another gentlewoman.

And she directed her trustees to purchase a convenient habitation for the said poor gentlewomen, where they might all live together under one roof, and make a small congregation, once at least every day at prayers, such as her trustees should think proper for their ease and circumstances, and she appointed £10 per annum to be paid to a reader, who should be appointed by her trustees.

The maiden gentlewomen admitted, are appointed by the trustees on petition, stating the age, place of abode, and means of the petitioner; that she has lived in the communion of the Church of England, is of sober life and conversation, and of respectable character. Proof is required, that she is above the age of fifty years.-IV. p. 378.

269 words.

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• Archbishop of York (18) ·
• Charity (practice) (10) ·
• Church of England (93) ·
• Convent (2) ·
• Retirement community (1) ·
• Retirement (1) ·
• Trust law (5) ·
• Will and testament (11) ·
• 📌York (164) ·

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