WILLIAM FRENCH'S CHARITY

ACCESSION NO 850 Purchased 20 April 1995.

William French late of Lowestoft in his will dated 14 April 1529, proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury [reference 20 Jenkin] in 1530, left£60 to his executors; Robert Bache and Robert French to buy freehold land to be enfeoffed to the churchwardens, and other inhabitants of the town. The revenue or rent received from the letting of the land was to be distributed by the church reeves or churchwardens for the benefit of the poor. Every Sunday they were to give 13d to thirteen poor people of the town (ie 1d each), so that they would pray for William French's soul, and for the souls of all his friends and all other christian souls. The churchwardens were to receive 4s 3d annually for administering the bequest. He also included the proviso that if his executors did not buy the land then three or four honest men of the town were to buy the land, and make it over for the performance of his bequest.

It appears that his executors died without carrying out his bequest so it was left to Richard Fullwode, Robert Aleyn Draper, James Jettour and Robert Barber wardens of the plate and ornaments [churchwardens] of St Margarets Curch, and Edward Jettour gent, Thomas Annott, Roger Cauncellor, and Thomas Burges four other honest and discrete men of the town to sort out. Johanna Bache the widow and executrix of Robert gave £30 and James Jettour and Agnes his wife the executrix of Robert French gave £10, and John Jettour owed the remaining £20, to make up the £60 of the bequest.

In an indenture of 10 August 1543 John Jettour gave, granted, bargained sold and confirmed to the four churchwardens, and the four honest men of the town as above, plus Antony Jettour, Robert Wodeshyde junior, John Dene, William Cauncellor, William French, Martin Whele, Robert Bache and Thomas Everard, all of Lowestoft, five closes of land amounting to 28½ acres in total, for 20 years to carry out the provisions of the will. The deed then details how the provisions were to be carried out.

The churchwardens were to collect the income or rents etc from the land, half yearly on 29 September and 25 March, and every Sunday they were to give 13d to 13 of the poorest inhabitants of the town assembled in the church at 'about the hour of prime' [c.6am], 'after Matins' had been celebrated and 'before the Mass the last called the High Masse'. The poor would make 'continuous prayers' for the souls of William French, for the souls of his friends, and for other christian souls.

The churchwardens were to give a full account of all the income from the five closes and the money distributed on the day of St John the Evangelist [27 December] each year to the feoffees. If they failed to do this then they would not be entitled to the 4s 3d they were to receive for administering the charity.

At the end of the term of twenty years a new deed of feoffment was to be made creating new feoffees who would carryout the provisions of the will unless they obtained a special licence to do otherwise. They could however sell the closes provided that the income from the sale was used to carry out the provisions of the will until it was all used up.

A new trust deed was made on 4 January 1584 according to the evidence given to a chancery commission who were investigating the misapplication on town business of the rents and profits from the lands [see M18 - The Lowestoft Town Book page 1]. By the decree of the commissioners of 17 February 1614, it was ordered that the churchwardens should distribute among the poor, at their discretion and at the discretion of six of the chief inhabitants of the town, further sums from the annual income, in addition to those detailed in the original bequest, up to the total annual income from the lands.

William French's charity made up part of what was known as the Poor and Town Estate, the remainder of the estate, comprising 67 acres, was given for the use or repair of the church. This estate was amalgamated with other local charities to form the Lowestoft Church and Town Charities, which are administered by the Lowestoft Charity Board.

This deed of gift was probably the one that was originally kept amongst the parish records of St Margaret's Church, Lowestoft.