The Strangeway's Widows Charity or the Catherine Richards Charity

Mancath/1/3/1/2/1

The Strangeway's Widows Charity or the Catherine Richards Charity

1734-1988

Containing: vouchers for spending on the Accounts, the signed statements of widows to say that they are widows, deeds from the Warden and the Earl of Ducie asking the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor to apprentice the children of widows. etc.

CW 1/Strang

English

8 boxes

The Catherine Richards Charity arose from the will of Catherine (or Katherine) Richards, deceased, dated 3 Mar 1711. The object of the Charity was for the relief of widows of decayed tradesmen of Manchester and for the instruction and apprenticing of poor children of decayed tradesmen, to be nominated alternately by the Warden/Dean of the College and the Earl of Ducie. In pursuance of the will, a School House was provided in Manchester with a School Master and Mistress on 'suitable salaries' for the instructing of poor boys and girls of 'decaid tradesmen' there. £50 per annum was set aside for the instucting and apprenticing of these children, which sum was paid into the hands of the Churchwardens and Overseers of Manchester by half yearly payments. For many years, John Whittaker stewarded the estates whence the charity payment came. The endowment was in the nineteenth century converted to 293 shares in the Charities Official Investment Fund with a receivable Chief Rent of £100.