CHARITY

Fo/Q

CHARITY

English

Folkestone benefited from a variety of charities:

a) Sir Eliab Harvey's Charity provided a school [The Harvey Grammar School] founded by deed dated 28 March 1674 which conveyed Combes Farm, Lympne with about 50 acres, and a schoolhouse and piece of ground 'on which a tanhouse had been lately erected' in Folkestone to trustees. The Mayor and Jurats were to nominate 20 poor children, to be taught gratis by a school-master paid £10 p.a. out of the rents of the farm. Any residue after repairs etc. was to be used to buy boats for poor fishermen, freemen, or freemen's sons, or to putting out children as apprentices. A school and schoolhouse were erected out of a legacy given by Dr. William Harvey, who left £200 to the Mayor of Folkestone for the use of the poor of the Town.

b) Jacob, Stone, and Jenkin's Charity originated in William Jacob's grant of 3 acres at Horseborough in July 1569. Thomas Stone granted a messuage and land (1½a.) in Barn Street, December 1590; William Jenkins and others 3 parcels of land (8a.) called Provost Close, Chalkland and Almsland, in 1795. The rents were used to provide sums of money and quantities of bread for distribution to the poor on Christmas Eve and Good Friday, and for apprenticing a poor boy and girl each year. The Charity was administered by the Mayor and Jurats.

c) Susanna Toe's Charity was supported by £500 consuls on trust and administered by the Minister of Folkestone. It provided bread for the poor and money for poor widows, under the terms of Susanna's will, 1799.

d) Daniel and Eliab Harvey's Charity, 1650, provided for weekly bread distributions in Church to the poor, at the discretion of the Mayor and Jurats.

e) Ward and Mitchell's Charity was based upon £60 given by Mrs. Ward and Mrs. Bennett Mitchell, widows, to be disposed of by the Mayor and Jurats. It was supported by the purchase of 3 pieces of land 'at or near' Sandgate (6 acres). The original provision was for waistcoats for the poor; later, the rent was carried to one account with other charities, out of which a sum was paid to another account called The Widows Gift. By this, widows received a ticket for clothing of 10s. in value to change at a shop specified by the Mayor.

f) John Harvey's Charity provided 20 poor families with money or clothing and was supported by £200 Consols under his will, 1792. It was administered by the Mayor and Jurats.

g) Ellis Wolfe's Charity was supported by £500 Consols, less legacy duty, under his will, 1816. Dividends were received by the Mayor, and one moiety divided by him between 27 to 30 persons; the other paid to the churchwardens to distribute in the form of coals, bread, clothing, or money.

h) Thomas Saffeary's Charity provided for the distribution of clothes amongst 12 families on St. Thomas' Day, and for meat and other ingredients to make soup - or for distribution of a sum between poor widows. His will, 1822, directed that any residue from the sale of his estate be used to provide dividends to support the distribution of coals, shoes, and warm clothing.

i) Margaret Saffeary's Charity under her will, 1831, bequeathed £300 Consols to the Mayor and Jurats to pay the dividends to Sophia Dangerfield for her life, and after death to purchase clothes for distribution on St. Thomas' Day to 8 poor female orphans, aged 15 years or more.