Now! Then! Mr Fairest details the historical embezzlement and misdirection of charity funds in Ecclesfield (Sheffield), until the audience can take no more

Excerpt

A meeting of the inhabitants of Grenoside and neighbourhood was held on Wednesday evening at the Old Red Lion Inn. Mr. Thomas Shaw, Ecclesfield, was voted to the chair, and said the meeting had been called for the purpose of making known what had become of many of the charities left for the benefit of the poor in Ecclesfield parish, and to ask them to assist the committee formed at Ecclesfield to try and recover those charities thought lost. Mr. Fairest said that for the past six months he had taken a great interest in the subject of the Ecclesfield charities. The readers of the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent would remember the letters that had appeared inquiring what had become of Steers’, Bright’s. Green’s, and Brailsford’s doles, which had not been distributed for a long time. He had received a reply from Mr. Smith, Barnes Hall, referring him to Eastwood’s History of Ecclesfield, of which, after a great amount of trouble, he had procured a copy, which stated that the above doles were, like many others, spent illegally. The History stated that there were charities left amounting to £360, which ought to have been yearly distributed amongst the poor, but the money had been taken to build a workhouse. The seven inmates of Lane End Hospital [the almshouses] had been endowed with an income of 6s. each per week. Where has the remainder, 1s. 9d. per week each, gone to? Again, in 1711, Mr. Silvester left £240, which purchased a farm at Whitley, the rent of which was to be distributed yearly at Easter to the poor of Grenofirth. This charity had been discontinued, and the amount placed in the bank. With respect to Grenoside School, he found that in the year 1737 £6 was given to Greno School, and that Mr. Walker, schoolmaster, had received interest amounting to 24s. In 1745, Richard Carr left £20, the interest (18s.) to be paid to teach two poor children to read and write in Grenoside School. This sum (£20) was paid for repairing and rebuilding Wadsley Bridge School. In 1772 Sarah Smith left £30, the interest (26s.) to be paid for teaching poor children in Greno School. In 1789. the Commissioners of the Old Enclosure Act gave three pieces of land, the rent cf which was to be paid for teaching poor children in Grenoside School. In 1807, Mr. Walker endowed the above school with £10. The evening being now far advanced, it was resolved, and carried unanimously, “That this meeting be adjourned until Wednesday next.”

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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.
Abbreviations:

ER: East Riding
GM: Greater Manchester
NR: North Riding
NY: North Yorkshire
SY: South Yorkshire
WR: West Riding
WY: West Yorkshire

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Similar. At the time of posting this, I haven’t read Eastwood’s book (Eastwood 1862).

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Original

A meeting of the inhabitants of Grenoside and neighbourhood was held on Wednesday evening at the Old Red Lion Inn. Mr. Thomas Shaw, Ecclesfield, was voted to the chair, and said the meeting had been called for the purpose of making known what had become of many of the charities left for the benefit of the poor in Ecclesfield parish, and to ask them to assist the committee formed at Ecclesfield to try and recover those charities thought lost. Mr. Fairest said that for the past six months he had taken a great interest in the subject of the Ecclesfield charities. The readers of the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent would remember the letters that had appeared inquiring what had become of Steers’, Bright’s. Green’s, and Brailsford’s doles, which had not been distributed for a long time. He had received a reply from Mr. Smith, Barnes Hall, referring him to Eastwood’s History of Ecclesfield, of which, after a great amount of trouble, he had procured a copy, which stated that the above doles were, like many others, spent illegally. The History stated that there were charities left amounting to £360, which ought to have been yearly distributed amongst the poor, but the money had been taken to build a workhouse. The seven inmates of Lane End Hospital [the almshouses] had been endowed with an income of 6s. each per week. Where has the remainder, 1s. 9d. per week each, gone to? Again, in 1711, Mr. Silvester left £240, which purchased a farm at Whitley, the rent of which was to be distributed yearly at Easter to the poor of Grenofirth. This charity had been discontinued, and the amount placed in the bank. With respect to Grenoside School, he found that in the year 1737 £6 was given to Greno School, and that Mr. Walker, schoolmaster, had received interest amounting to 24s. In 1745, Richard Carr left £20, the interest (18s.) to be paid to teach two poor children to read and write in Grenoside School. This sum (£20) was paid for repairing and rebuilding Wadsley Bridge School. In 1772 Sarah Smith left £30, the interest (26s.) to be paid for teaching poor children in Greno School. In 1789. the Commissioners of the Old Enclosure Act gave three pieces of land, the rent cf which was to be paid for teaching poor children in Grenoside School. In 1807, Mr. Walker endowed the above school with £10. The evening being now far advanced, it was resolved, and carried unanimously, “That this meeting be adjourned until Wednesday next.”

423 words.

Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

15 January 1873: Mr Fairest details the historical embezzlement and misdirection of charity funds in Ecclesfield (Sheffield), until the audience can take no more

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