CHAPTER XIV .

t e Grammar *cOoof and (JuBeu £harifieg.

THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL. HERE were only about half a dozen grammar schools in when Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne, and seeing the great want of such a means of education in , Archbishop Parker in 1561 proposed to the in- habitants that they should raise a fund to build a school, which he would be prepared to endow, and by indenture dated 4th November, 1562, the vicar granted a site for the building out of the glebe lands ; this conveyance required the confirmation of the archbishop, which was however not received until loth June, 1565, probably because, the necessary funds not having been forthcoming, the school was not completed. From a letter dated 2nd May, 1565, from Francis and Charles Holt, Esquires, and Charles Radcliffe, to the arch- bishop, it appears that the school was then finished . In the meantime the archbishop by indenture dated 1st January, 1564, between himself, the masters and fellows of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and the vicar and church- wardens of Rochdale, had assigned a perpetual stipend to a master and under master for teaching the youth of the parish gratis in the school there to be provided and governed by them, in manner as the archbishop or his successors should appoint. The stipend was to be fifteen pounds a year for the master and two pounds for the under master, which was to be paid by the farmer of the rectory . , The master was to be appointed by the archbishop or his successors, or if the see was vacant, or in default of appointment within three months of a vacancy occurring, the master of Corpus Christi College was to

* This seventeen pounds was obtained from Sir John Byron by the archbishop after a long lawsuit with the former, in consequence of his having failed to pay the stipends of the ministers .-Strype's Life of Parker .

THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL AND PUBLIC CHARITIES . 271 appoint, but in case neither of these filled up the vacancy then the appoint- ment was to be made by the vicar ; the deed sets forth that this was done by the archbishop "for his good will towards the inhabitants, that their youth might be brought up in the learning of true piety and the Latin tongue ." The boys were to be taught gratis, if there were not more than one hundred and fifty, or less than fifty scholars daily . , When Sir John Byron (i Ith December, 1590) received a renewal of his lease of the rectory, one of the conditions was that the seventeen pounds just referred to was to be paid by him until the same be paid by the Blackburn rectory ; 2 this arrangement was not carried out . The school subsequently received various endowments . From an indenture of lease and re-lease bearing date 31st October and ist Novem- ber, 1682, it appears that Elizabeth Dickson, wife of Robert Dickson and widow of John Chadwick, D.D .,3 declared that her former husband had intended to settle lands for her use, but with the proviso that three pounds a year should be payable thereout after her decease to the master of the free grammar school of Rochdale, on condition that he taught free nine poor boys in the town or parish ; she had therefore purchased lands in the county of York, which she had charged with this payment .4 This rent charge was not paid after f8oo. A Mr. Linney of Rochdale gave two pounds a year to the school.5 Canon Raines believed that this was represented by the two pounds a year paid to the school by the Chadwicks of Healey. Jeremy Hargreaves, by will dated 16th January, 1696, left twenty pounds to the school, the interest whereof was to be paid for teaching writing. This benefactor was a solicitor in Roch- dale in 1719 ; this money was used to improve the buildings at Newfield Head. James Holt of Castleton Hall, Esq ., left by will bearing date 24th November, 1712, the sum of one hundred pounds for the master, on condition that he educated free so many poor boys, not exceeding six, settled inhabitants whose parents were unable to educate them, as the vicar and churchwardens should nominate. This sum and Hargreaves' bequest were in 1735 invested with the other money [see Shepherd's charity] in the purchase of Newfield Head farm in Butterworth, it being agreed that half the rent went to the school .6 In 1826 the Charity Com-

' Charity Com. Report, 18x5-35, 269 (Lancashire) . A copy of the endowment deed is in the church chest . 2 State Papers .-Dom . Set ., Vol. 277 . z Dr. Chadwick, son of John Chadwick of Healey Hall. 4 Copy of original deed in possession of Mr. E. Lyon Taylor. s Gast. Not . Cest .-Chet . Soc ., xix., 131 . 6 Charity Com . Report, 1815-35 .

272 HISTORY OF THE PARISH OF ROCHDALE .

missioners reported that there were only sixteen scholars in the school, and the master was determined not to take more, as without an usher he considered that he could not attend to a greater number . Girls as well as boys were admitted . The master considered that he was bound to teach free all boys who only wanted to learn " true piety and the Latin tongue," but no boys applied who did not require to be taught other branches of literature, and for such he considered himself authorized to make his own charge . The school, which was not pulled down until 1846 (when the present building was erected), was only sixty feet in length and twenty feet in breadth. In was built of rough stone and covered with flag slates . Adjoining was a chamber to which access was gained by a flight of stone steps from the outside . This was originally the master's house but it was latterly let to the person who cleaned the school .

HEAD MASTERS.

ROBERT RADCLIFFE was the first master, and was appointed in 1565, He was still here in 1580.' He was a son of Charles Radcliffe of Todmorden Hall. [See Chap. XVIII .] He married Katherine a daughter of Arthur Assheton of . He was buried in the Rochdale Church, 1st November, 1605 . ROBERT , ludimagister, occurs in a deed dated 6th June, 1589. The church registers contain the christenings of several children of a Robert Walkden in 1582 and following years . RICHARD HOLTE. He was buried at Rochdale, 14th December, 1605, and his will was proved three days afterwards at Chester, and he is there described as "late schoolmaster" of this school . He was one of the Holts of Ashworth Hall . From his will it appears that he was a married man and had an interest in property in Spotland . To his usher, John Chadwick, he left a treatise on "Paul's Epistles ;" to James Holt of Rochdale, he left a Bible, a Greek Lexicon and a Thomas' Latin Dictionary . To the vicar he bequeathed " Buden's Commentaries upon the Greek Tongue ." His library was valued at thirty shillings, his apparel at fifty-two shillings, and a stone of black wool at elevenpence .

'The Townley Nowell M.S.-Grosart, p. 270 . ROCHDALE GRAMMAR SCHOOL IN 1840. PROM A DRAWING I :V W . I'IIVSICK (IN Till! AUTHOR'S POSSESSION)

THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL AND PUBLIC CHARITIES . 273

ROBERT MARLAND resigned in 161o. 1 He was the son of James Marland of Marland, gentleman. A child of his was buried 24th February, 16io-II . REV. JOHN ASHWORTH, curate of , was head master for a short time. He died in 1617 . [See Chap. X.] REV. RICHARD WALKER occurs in 1622. Buried at Rochdale, 4th December, 1625 ; his wife on the 14th December, in the same year . REV. THOMAS BROWNS Died at Rochdale, 13th October, 1637 .2 If he was the head master (the evidence of which is not very clear it would be from 1625 to 1629 . He was curate of Whitworth and Littleborough . LAURENCE ORMEROD, B .A. Licensed to the school 22nd June, 1629.3 He was a son of Laurence Ormerod of Ormerod, gentleman . He married, for his second wife, Frances sister of Samuel Radcliffe, D.D., principal of Brasenose College, Oxford . REV. JOHN WICKVNS, M.A. A native of Tylehurst in Berks ; appointed t Ith June, 1638 and remained until 1643 . His son, John Wickyns, was high master of the Grammar School.4 REV. JAMES STEVENSON, in 1642-3 ; was buried at Rochdale, 3rd March, 1648-9 . REV. ZACHARY TAYLOR was born in 1618, and graduated at Dublin ; and on leaving the university held an appointment in Ireland. In 1649 he was rector of Grappenhall in Cheshire, which he did not hold long, as in April, 1653, he was master of the -le-moors Grammar School, and in 1654 he was appointed to the Rochdale School, hold- ing at the same time a curacy at the parish church under the Rev . Robert Bath and was with him ejected in 1662 . About the year 1673 or 1674 he was appointed head master to the Grammar School at Kirkham, where he died in February, 1692 . Many of his children were baptized at Rochdale. One of his sons, also called Zachary, was vicar of Ormskirk and rector of Croston . He was the author of "The Surey Imposter," , 1697, and other works .5 REV. GEORGE JACKSON, B.A., of Emmanuel College, Cambridge . He was master from sometime before 26th October, 1676 to 1696. ' Raines' Memorials of Rochdale Grammar School (no authority given) . Do. 11 „ 11 11 3Bishop's Reg., Chester. +Life of Adam Martindale .-Chef. Soc., iv., p. 176. s Fishwick's (fist . of Kirkham, p. 146. 35

2 7 4 HISTORY OF THE PARISH OF ROCHDALE. He was minister of Ashworth chapel and was buried at Rochdale, 19th January, 1698. REV. ROBERT BOLTON was here in 1696.1 REV. JOHN KIPPAX was master before 1706. How long he re- mained is uncertain. He was curate of Littleborough in 1727 . [See Chap. IX] LEAF was master 1731 to 1739.2 REV. JOSHUA TILLOTSON was master about 1739, in which year he was appointed curate of Milnrow . [See Chap. X.] REV. JOSEPH SUTCLIFFE was curate of Milnrow and Littleborough. [See Chaps. IX. and X.] He held the mastership of the school from 1745 to 1756. REV. JOHN SHAW . Appointed 21st January, 1756 ; died 9th Novem- ber, 1796. He was curate of St . Mary's chapel . [See Chap. XI .] REV, WILLIAM HODGSON . Appointed 19th December, f796 ; died 26th June, 1832 ; having been head master for nearly forty years . He was curate of Milnrow . [See Chap . X.] REV. WILLIAM TOPIIAM HOBSON, B .A., was appointed in Novem - ber, 1832, and resigned 27th June, 1839. He was for some years curate of Smallbridge [see Chap . XI.] and subsequently rector of Brek- ingham, Notts, where he died in June, 1873. He married a daughter of Walter Vavasour. [See Chap . XVI .] REV. ROBERT KENINGALE CoolK was head master from 23rd July, 1839, to 18th December, 1841 . He was also incumbent of Smallbridge. [See Chap . XI .] REV. WILLIAM SIMPSON, B .A., of Queen's College, Cambridge, was appointed 8th January, 1842, and resigned in 1844 on his appointment to the incumbency of Dobcross, Saddleworth. REV. JOHN SHEFFIELD, M .A., of Trinity College, Dublin . Appointed 24th December, 1844, and resigned in 1852 . REV. CHARLES H . PILLING, M .A., was appointed in 1852. Before he came the school had been closed for some time . Mr. Pilling was the son of John Pilling of Manchester, agent for the Company. He died in r86o, and was succeeded by the REV. J . B . WINTER, B.D .,3 in January, 1861 . MR. R. R . GREY, the present head master was appointed April, 1862 .

' Raines' Memorials of Grammar School. 2 Do. 3 Mr. Patchett was master for a short time after Mr . Pilling .

THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL AND PUBLIC CHARITIES . 275

FREE ENGLISH SCHOOL (THE Moss SCHOOL) . This school was founded by John Hardman, who by will dated Loth March, 1759, left to trustees j500, to be invested and the interest thereof to be used for the education of as many poor children residing within the parish as his trustees should think proper. After the death of John Hardman, his mother, Jane Hardman, widow of James Hardman, a wealthy woollen merchant of the town [see Chap . XIX], obtained permission from the archbishop of Canterbury (the owner of the rectory), Lord Byron the lord of the manor, and Thomas Wray the vicar, by instrument dated 18th January, 1761, to enclose a portion of the waste lands called the Vicar's Moss, and to erect a school thereon ; and in lieu of the 4500 above named she endowed it with certain lands in Wardle, which for that pur- pose were conveyed to trustees, who out of the revenue of them were to keep the school in repair, pay the master X25 a year and if there was any surplus to buy books, &c ., therewith. The trustees were to appoint the master, and to take bond from him for £looo to deliver up the school on requisition . The master was to teach free scholars (who were not to exceed thirty in number), and he was allowed to teach scholars on payment of fees, but not above six in the daytime and as many in the evening as the trustees might think fit . When the trustees became reduced to five the survivors were to appoint new trustees to make up the number of fifteen, who were to be Protestants or Protestant Dissenters . The first trustees 1 were William Lord Byron ; Thomas Wray, D.D ., vicar ; John Leigh of Outrington, co . Chester (a nephew of Mrs . Hard- man) ; John Royds of Falinge, merchant ; Thomas Braddock of Redivals, co. Chester ; John Kay of Manchester, gent . ; Daniel Kay of Man- chester, gent . ; Richard Gore of Rochdale, merchant ; -George Walmsley of Rochdale, merchant ; Peter Baron of Manchester ; Joseph Baron of Manchester ; Daniel Kay of Manchester ; Samuel Holker of Manchester ; Samuel Grundy of Baldwin's Lane, merchant . In 1819 the coals under the Wardle estate were sold for nearly £1ooo, with which the trustees shortly afterwards purchased another farm in Wardle. In front of the schoolhouse is a stone bearing the Hardman crest, with the initials " J . H ." and date " 1769." There are now sixty free scholars and twenty who pay fees .

` Charity Corn . Report .

276 HISTORY OF THE PARISH OF ROCHDALE .

TOAD LANE SCHOOL. By indenture of lease and re-lease, dated 9th and loth February, I74o, between Samuel Taylor the elder of Hundersfield, merchant, and Robert Jacques of Spotland, chapman, conveyed to James Hardman, James Haslam, Thomas Lord and John Taylor, two dwelling houses, a shippon and garden at Brownhill, and a house, then used for " a petty school," situate in Spotland, part of a close called Hanging Road, upon trust, to bestow six pounds a year out of the rents of the pro- perty to a schoolmaster to teach in the said school ; the overplus of the rents to be disposed of as the trustees should think fit. A house and barn and one acre of land improved out of the waste at Brown Wardle Hill formed part of the endowment. In r827 the rental from the premises amounted to X24 11s. od. and a room in one of the cottages was let for a school . , In 1840 John Crook, wine merchant of Rochdale, expended about £400 on improving this property. There are now about twenty free scholars and about thirty-five who pay fees .

NATIONAL SCHOOL (RED CROSS STREET). This school was built by public subscription raised in 1814 for the purpose of founding a school on Dr. Bell's system. A plot of land was for this purpose leased for 999 years to Jonathan Fildes the younger, of , Esq ., in trust for the benefit of a school which had just been built on the said plot of land . The trust deed itself was dated 18th November, 1815, the first trustees being Jonathan Fildes the younger ; the vicar ; James Royds of Mount Falinge, Esq . ; John Walmsley of Castlemere ; Thomas Heppon Vavasour of Rochdale ; John Entwistle of Foxholes, the younger ; John Gilbert Royds of Green- hill ; Robert Holt of Crossfield ; John Holland of Rochdale ; Clement Royds of Brownhill ; and Thomas Wood of Rochdale . I Several bequests were subsequently made to this school . Miss Betty Whitworth 2 of the Temple, Manchester, in 1817 left by will fifty pounds, and in 1832 Ann Taylor the daughter of Ralph Taylor,

'Trust Deeds. She also left £5o to be invested and the interest expended in purchase of woollen cloth, to be given to the poor on Christmas Day in each year .

THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL AND PUBLIC CHARITIES. 2 77 the parish clerk, bequeathed one hundred pounds ; John Lea, solicitor, Rochdale, a like sum ; and in 1838 Jonathan Fildes of Quarry Hill, gentleman, left one thousand pounds. Out of these sums the school site was purchased in 1841 .' The administration of the affairs of this charity led, in 1817, to a long paper warfare. Amongst those who took part in this were J . G. Royds, James Midgley and the Rev . J . T. Horton, who published the whole of the pamphlets in what he entitled "The Committee, or the Rochdale way of conducting a Public Charity ;"2 this is now very scarce .

LITTLEBOROUGH SCHOOL. This school was founded by Theophilus Halliwell, the eighth son of James Halliwell of Pike House . He was baptized at Rochdale, 22nd September, 1633, and was called to the bar in 1654. By his will, dated 6th September, 1688, he desired to be buried in the middle aisle of Rochdale Church : he devised to trustees an estate called Crawelshawe in Sowerby near Halifax, and a fee farm rent of twenty shillings " to t he pleasure of Almighty God," and for the use of a schoolmaster at the chapel of Littleborough or some place near there- unto. The right of appointing the schoolmaster was reserved to John Halliwell of Pike House (nephew to the testator) and his heirs for ever. Richard Halliwell (elder brother of Theophilus) by his will, dated 18th December, 1699, left six pounds a year as a charge upon certain tenements in Walsden, the same to be used towards the maintenance of a schoolmaster to teach the children in the school which he had lately erected.3 WHITWORTH FREE SCHOOL. By deed dated 6th January, 1724, between James Starkey, surviving trustee of his brother John Starkey, of the first part ; the said John Starkey of the second part ; and William Bamford, James Scholfield and ten others of the third part ; James Starkey, at the request of his brother, John Starkey, conveyed to William Bamford and others six cottages in Blackwater Street, Rochdale, "about the middle of the street, near the spout," of the yearly rent of £6 4s . od., upon trust ; to dispose of £4 a

' Trust Deeds. " Rochdale, J. westell, by S. Ashworth. 3 Charity Corn . Report.

278 HISTORY OF THE PARISH OF ROCHDALE.

year out of the rents to the use of such Protestant schoolmaster as should be appointed by the trustees to teach at Whitworth Chapel or some place near thereunto ; the master to teach twelve children of the poor settled in the chapelry of Whitworth to spell and read English ; the residue of the rents for repairs or to "raise a stock" to augment the school or to buy books, &c . In 1805 the old cottages in Blackwater Street were pulled down and the premises leased for ninety-nine years at an annual rental of Z14 Ios . At the beginning of this century the school-room was in the "middle of the street of Whitworth," was old and in bad condition, and had, previously to 1824, not been used for many years, when it was sold and a new school built . , [See Brearley's Charity .]

TODMORDEN SCHOOL . The founder of this school, the Rev . Richard Clegg,2 vicar of Kirk- ham, the son of Richard Clegg of Stansfield in Halifax, and grandson of Richard Clegg of Stonehouse in Walsden, who by deed dated 4th August, 1713, conveyed to Henry Pigot, the vicar of Rochdale ; John Halliwell of Pike House, gentleman ; William Byron of High Wardle, yeoman ; and John Crossley of Scaitcliffe, yeoman, a newly erected house in Todmorden then used as a schoolroom, upon trust for such person as the major part of the inhabitants of Todmorden and Walsden shall elect to be master of the said school ; and by another deed, dated the day after the one just recited, and between the same parties, it is set forth that Richard Clegg had collected fifty pounds and himself given one hundred pounds and paid the same to the trustees, who were to invest the same and use the yearly income therefrom for the repairs of the school and for the maintenance of a master, who was to teach gratis two children ; one to be selected by the owners of Stonehouse for the time being and the other by the owners of Eastwood in Heptonstall, as well as two children from Todmorden and Walsden to be nominated by the churchwardens .3 In 1976 the one hundred and fifty pounds was secured on mortgage of premises at Mosley in Ashton-under-Lyne . This school was sold a few years ago by the vicar of Todmorden, and the proceeds (together with the last-named one hundred and fifty pounds)

'Charity Com . Report . 2 See History of Kirkham .-Chet. Soc ., xcii ., Si . 3 School Deeds.

THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL AND PUBLIC CHARITIES . 279

were devoted to educational purposes, in accordance with a scheme sanctioned by the Charity Commissioners. Richard Clegg also left sixteen pounds, to be lent for four years to "none but sober and honest men" of Todmorden and Walsden, newly married, to help them to "keep house." For this no interest was to be paid .

MILNROW SCHOOL . From indentures of lease and re-lease, dated 18th and 19th August, 1726, it appears that Alexander Butterworth 1 of Belfield, before he sold his estate to Richard Townley [see chap . XVIII.] intended to build a school in Butterworth ; and that since then Richard Townley had erected "two bays of good stone building" in Milnrow near the west end of the chapel, for a school house, in order to carry out this intention ; and had conveyed the same with certain lands to Alexander Butterworth and William Buckley as trustees of the said school, wherein youth should be taught by such protestant schoolmaster as should be from time to time appointed by the said Richard Townley and his heirs, being owners of Belfield Hall . The several estates named were to be subject to a rent charge of twenty pounds a year which was to be paid to the schoolmaster, who was to instruct the children of persons, "settled inhabitants" of Butter- worth, free of all charge. From 1789 to 1796 the school was unused . In 1826 the master was appointed by the trustees and was only required to teach twenty free scholars. These scholars are now taught at the National School, the master of which receives the salary under the trust .2 The school- house has been pulled down and the site is partly occupied by the Local Board Offices . This school will always be known as the school of which the well-known Lancashire writer, "Tim Bobbin," was for many years the teacher. John Collier ("Tim Bobbin") was the son of John Collier, school- master of and curate of Eccles. He was baptized (at Flixton) 6th January, 171o . His father (whose stipend never exceeded thirty

Alexander Butterworth, son of the above, by his will in 1714, left a rent charge on Crofthead farm of five pounds a year for the poor of Milnrow . - A new trust deed was made in May, 1856 .

2 80 HISTORY OF THE PARISH OF ROCHDALE .

pounds a year) apprenticed him in 1722 to one Johnson a Dutch-loom weaver, at Newton Moor in the parish of Mottram in Cheshire, but not liking this employment he relinquished it, and when only seventeen years old became usher to the Rev . Robert Pearson, the head master of the Milnrow School, at a salary of ten pounds a year . On 29th March, 1739, Mr. Pearson died and was succeeded by Collier, but it was not until November, 1742, that he became duly licensed as head master ; his testimonials to the bishop were signed by the vicar of Rochdale (Dr. Dunster), the curate of Littleborough, and the Rev. Edward Bolton, who certified that they had known him for three years and that he was "of sober life and conversation and qualifyed for teaching an English school." , He married, 1st April, 1744, Mary Clay, the daughter of Mr. Clay of Flockton near Wakefield, by whom he had six children . He died at Milnrow 14th July, 1786, aged 76, and was buried in the Rochdale churchyard, where his gravestone is often visited by strangers visiting the town . [See p. 163 .] "Tim Bobbin's" great work was "A View of the Lancashire Dialect, by way of Dialogue between Tummus and Meary o' William's o' Margit's o' Roaph's and Meaty o' Dick's o' Tummus o' Peggy's .' .' This was first published in 1746 ; it has been reprinted very frequently and is considered the standard authority for the dialect of the district . "Tim Bobbin" wrote many other pamphlets and was also an artist of some skill, but although his paintings were both grotesque and humorous they were often coarse both in design and execution . ,

CLOUGH FOOT SCHOOL (TODMORDEN) . This school was built in 1819 by public subscription for the education of all classes, and vested in trustees. It is now a Board School .

LANEBOTTOM SCHOOL (WALSDEN) . In 1818 a few inhabitants of Todmorden erected this school on land given to them by John Fielden of Bottomley, yeoman : the trust deed,

Bish. Reg., Chester. ' For notices of "Tim Bobbin" see Lancashire Worthies, by F. Espinasse, Waugh's Lancashire Sketches, &c . For bibliography of his works see The Lancashire Library .

THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL AND PUBLIC CHARITIES. 2 8 1

dated I7th October in that year, sets forth that the founders were "desirous of establishing a Sunday School at Bottomley for instructing the children of the poor and indigent in reading, writing and arithmetic." In this school occasionally on Sundays sermons were preached by both Church- men and Methodists . , In 1843 a controversy arose as to the appointment of trustees, which led to a long dispute . The school was transferred to the School Board under the act of 1870-

HILL'S CHARITY . HOLLING\ORTH AND OGDEN SCHOOLS . John Hill of Hollingworth by his will dated 31st August, 1727, left his estates in Ogden and Hollingworth to certain people for their lives, and he directed that after their decease the rents of the property at Ogden were to be paid as follows, viz ., twelve pounds a year to a schoolmaster at Ogden, one pound a year to the parson of Milnrow, and the remainder to clothe poor children ; and as to his Hol- lingworth property, thirteen pounds a year for a schoolmaster there, and the surplus to clothe poor children ; to carry this out he nominated trustees. There have been several trust deeds executed. Over the door of the school at Ogden is inscribed on a stone slab, "This school, founded and endowed by John Hill, yeoman, A.D. 1727, was rebuilt 1857 . Trustees • -Rev. Canon Raines, M .A., Mr. Samuel Berry, Mr. Charles Mills, Mr . Edward Clegg." The school at Hollingworth was rebuilt about thirty years ago . It is still carried on under the trust deed . On Sundays it is used for • divine service. GARTSIDE'S CHARITY. Josiah Gartside of Rochdale, merchant, by his will dated loth • December, 1712, recites that his mother, Mary Gartside, had be- • queathed £200 for the use of the poor of Castleton, and to augment • this sum he now devises to his wife, Mary, and his brother Samuel, four houses, with a smithy and two chambers over it in Blackwater Street, Rochdale, formerly called "Pear's Houses," upon trust, to the following uses, viz., the minister of Todmorden Chapel to preach a ' The trust gave power to the trustees to permit "a person or persons, as they shall appoint, to preach a sermon therein at such times as they shall appoint," but nothing is said as to the denomination to which • the preacher should belong. 36 f 2 82 HISTORY OF TILE PARISH OF ROCHDALE. sermon in the Rochdale Parish Church every New Year's Day, and be paid for such sermon twenty shillings, out of the rents and profits of the houses, &c . ; and the residue to be yearly laid out in buying woollen cloth or other clothing for poor persons ; or in buying corn when corn is dear ; the same to be distributed as follows, viz ., cloth or corn, £12 every Christmas Day amongst the poor of Castleton and the rest amongst the poor of the parish of Rochdale ; and he enjoined all who partook of this charity to go to hear the sermon on New Year's Day. In 1792 Thomas Cholmondeley of Vale Royal, Cheshire, great-grandson and heir-at-law of Mary Gartside (the mother), and sur- viving devisee of the will of Josiah Gartside, conveyed the property to trustees, who, whenever their numbers were reduced to three, were to nominate other trustees to make up the number to eight ; no one was to be eligible to act unless he held an estate of inheritance in lands in Lancashire of £5o a year. This charity is still regularly distributed and the annual sermon preached in the Parish Church on New Year's Day . HOLT'S CHARITY. This consists of £120 left by Dorothy Holt of Castleton Hall, by her will, dated 14th December, 1717 [see Chap . XVI.], to the vicars and churchwardens of Rochdale, to be invested in lands, and the proceeds devoted to teaching six poor girls of Castleton or Rochdale "the Church Catechism, and to read, knit and sew ; " also for buying for each of them "a new baize mantoe, a petticoat of light coloured blue baize cloth " each year whilst they continued at the school ; each girl, on leaving school, was to have presented to her a Bible, a Common Prayer Book, "The Whole Duty of Man," and "The Christian Monitor." With this money, in 1721, the trustees purchased a messuage and seventy-five acres of land called Hogshead in Spotland .r The in- come of this charity goes towards the payment of the fees of six children at the National School, to whom clothing and books are given in accordance with the trust . GRANTHAM'S CHARITY. This originally consisted of a sum of thirty pounds, bequeathed by will to Dorothy Holt, of Castleton Hall, by her mother, Mrs . Grantham, ' Charity Con,. Report and Mrs . Holt's will .

THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL AND PUBLIC CHARITIES . 283

to the use of the poor of Castleton and Rochdale . At the time of Dr. Drake's death in 1819 there was due from him, on behalf of the Charity, a sum of /8o.' In 1888 the sum of /107 16s. 4d. appeared as invested in three per cent. consols on behalf of this Charity.

KENION'S CHARITY. John Kenion of the Parish of St . Saviour's, York, gentleman, by his will, dated 26th January,2 1789, directed his executors to pay the residue of his estate to the vicar of Rochdale and four other "reputable and substantial inhabitants or housekeepers" of Rochdale, on trust, to invest the same, and apply the interest towards placing out poor children of the township2 of Rochdale as apprentices. In 1826 the accumulated sum amounted to £6,365, which was invested in consols. This charity is managed by five trustees . The funds now invested amount to considerably over /8,000 .

BUTTERWORTH'S CHARITY . This was a bequest made by Alexander Butterworth, the younger, by his will, dated 14th December, 1714, whereby he devised Croft Head Farm, in Butterworth, to Thomas Horton and Elkanah Horton, and their heirs, in trust, to pay out of the rents thereof /5 a year to the minister of Milnrow for the poor of Milnrow . This has been regularly received by the chapelwardens of Milnrow and given to the poor .

WOLFENDEN'S CHARITY . James Woolfenden, of Hades, yeoman, by will, dated Loth January, 1688, bequeathed /10o to the churchwardens and overseers of Roch- dale, to invest and apply the proceeds to the use of the poor of Hundersfield. In 1786 this money was said to be vested in Richard Holt, attorney, of Rochdale, who died about i8o1, and was succeeded in his profession by John Lee, whose bill of costs against the township having exceed /loo he discontinued paying the interest on Wolfenden's bequest.3 ' Charity Co .. Report . ' It was decided in the Court of Chancery that, there being no township of Rochdale, the entire parish was intended by the testator. 3 Charity Coca. Report.

2 84 HISTORY OF THE PARISH OF ROCHDALE.

BREARLEY'S CHARITY. This consists of the interest of fifty pounds left by John Brearley, by his will dated 18th December, 1692, for the poor of Spotland . With this money copyhold land was purchased, called Broad Ing in Wardle, and Horse Croft Moor in Spotland . On part of the latter the Whitworth National School and the Whitworth Free School were built . A portion of the rents has been from time to time laid out in the purchase of cloth for the poor of Spotland and Whitworth . ,

SHEPHERD'S CHARITY. Mary Shepherd of St. James's, Westminster, gentlewoman, by her will dated 3rd September, 1702, left /12o to purchase a rent charge on a parcel of land for the use of six poor women living in the hamlet of Whitworth ; the trustees appointed by the testatrix were the ministers for the time being of Rochdale and Bury .2 This money was, with ,loo left by James Holt to the Grammar School [see p . 271], invested in lands, the proceeds of which have been disbursed by the trustees for the time being in accordance with the wishes of the founders .

GUEST'S CHARITY. Thomas Guest of Blackwater Street, bricksetter, by his will dated 6th November, 1731, left three cottages and a garden in Blackwater Street, Rochdale, to trustees, who were to apply the profits of the premises to the payment of a schoolmaster, who was to teach reading to the children 3 of poor people who lived between the top of Blackwater and the stile that led into Town Meadows ; for this purpose a school was for ever to be kept at the top of Blackwater . This school about the end of the last century fell into ruins, and the site was sold to James Dearden, Esq . The proceeds of the sale are believed to have been spent on the repair of the Whitworth Free School by Mr. Entwistle, who was at that time a trustee of both these charities. Thomas Guest also left a legacy for the schoolmaster of Astley in the parish of Leigh, in Lancashire, of which parish he was a native .4

' Charity Corn . Report . ' A Robert Shepherd founded a charity in Bury in 1666 . 3 Not to exceed ten in number. 4 will proved at Chester .

THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL AND PUBLIC CHARITIES . 2 85

CHEETHAM'S CHARITY. Elizabeth Cheetham of Rochdale gave ,61oo in 1866 to the official trustees of charities, the interest of which was to be paid to the vicar for the time being, for "cleaning or adorning the old parish church of Rochdale."

THE INFIRMARY AND DISPENSARY . This institution was established in October, 1831 . One of its earliest benefactors was Jonathan Fildes of Quarry Hill . The first dispensary was in South Parade, but was removed to premises in Lord Street, where the charity was administered until 1871, when it was deemed advisable to provide for indoor as well as outdoor patients, and to meet this require- ment a large building at the corner of Elliott Street was taken on a lease, but before its expiration the late Mr. Thomas Watson, M, P., pre- sented to trustees, Industry House, which, with large additions made at the donor's expense, forms the present infirmary .

THE LADIES' CHARITY . This was established in 1817. In 1842 it received a bequest of £iooo under the will of Jonathan Fildes of Quarry Hill .

THE GOOD SAMARITAN SOCIETY. The object of this society is to visit the sick and needy and furnish aid and spiritual advice . Its income is mainly derived from annual sub- scriptions. It was founded in 1832 .