the poor, and a small sum towards repairing the church; Vesey’s 1583, known as the “Loveday Croft” gift; Ward’s 1573, and Wrexam’s, 1568, both for gifts to the poor on Good Friday; Ann Scott’s, 1808, providing small amounts to be given to the inmates of the Almshouses, &c.  The Trust now maintains four sets of almshouses (Conybere Street, Hospital Street, Ravenhurst Street, and Ladywood), accommodating 184 inmates, all women, who receive 5s. a week each, with firing, medical advice and medicines when necessary, and sundry other small comforts beloved by old grannies.  The solicitors to the Trust are Messrs. Horton and Lee, Newhall Street.  The income of Lench’s Trust for the year 1883 amounted to L3,321 10s., of which L1,825 14s. went to the almswomen, L749 1s. 8d. for matrons, doctors, and expenses at the almshouses, L437 9s. 4d. for repairs, insurance, rates, and taxes, and L309 5s. for clerks, collectors, auditors, law and surveyor’s charges, printing, &c.

Milward’s Charity.—­John Milward in 1654 left property then worth L26 per annum and the Red Lion public-house (worth another L26, but which could never be traced out), to be devided between the governors of the Free Grammar Schools of Birmingham and Haverfordwest and Brazennose College, for the support at the said college of one student from the above schools in rotation.  The Red Lion having been swallowed up at a gulp; the other property would appear to have been kept as a nibbling-cake, for till the Charity Commissioners visited here in 1827 no scholar had ever been sent to college by its means.  The railways and canals have taken most of the property of this trust, the invested capital arising from the sales bringing in now about L650 per year, which is divided between the two schools and the college above named, the Birmingham portion being sufficient to pay for two scholarships yearly.

The Nichol Charity provides for the distribution of bread and coals to about 100 people on New Year’s Day, by the vicar and churchwardens of St. David’s.

Old Maids and Widows.—­About L40 per year are divided by the Rector and Churchwardens of St. Philip’s amongst ten old maids “or single women of virtuous character,” and twelve poor widows attending divine service there, the invested money arising from Shelton’s Charity, 1826, and Wilkinson’s Charity, 1830.—­Thomas Pargeter (of Foxcote) in 1867, left money in trust, to provide annuities of L20 each, to unmarried ladies of fifty-five or more, professing Unitarianism, and about 100 are now reaping the fruit of his charity.  Messrs. Harding and Son, Waterloo Street, are the solicitors.

Ridduck’s Trust, for putting poor boys out apprentice, was devised in 1728, the property consisting of a farm at Winson Green.  By direction of the Court of Chancery, the income is now divided, L70 to Gem Street Free Industrial School, and L20 to the British School, Severn Street.  The Trustees include the Mayor, the Rectors of St. Martin’s, St. Philip’s, St. Thomas’s, St. George’s, several Nonconformist ministers, and the Registrar of the Society of Friends.