SAME GALLERY.
Whereas the church of St. Martin's, in Birmingham, had only 52 ounces of plate, in 1708, for the use of the communion table; it was, by a voluntary subscription of the inhabitants, increased to 275--Two flaggons, two cups, two covers and pattens, with cases: the whole, 80l. 16s. 6d.
Richard Banner ordered one hundred pounds to be laid out in lands within ten miles of Birmingham; which sum, lying at interest, and other small donations being added, amounted to 170l. with which an estate at Erdington, value 81. 10s. per annum, was purchased for the poor of Birmingham.
Richard Kilcup gave a house and garden at Spark-brook, for the church and poor.
John Cooper gave a croft for making of love-days (merriments) among Birmingham men.
William Rixam gave a house in Spiceal-street, No. 26, for the use of the poor, in 1568.
John Ward, in 1591, gave a house and lands in Marston Culey.
William Colmore gave ten shillings per ann. payable out of the house, No. 1, High-street.
John Shelton gave ten shillings per annum, issuing out of a house occupied by Martin Day.
Several of the above donations are included in Lench's trust.
John Peak gave a chest bound with iron for the use of the church; seemingly about 200 years old, and of 200 lb. weight.
Edward Smith gave 20l. per ann. to the poor, in 1612, and also erected the pulpit.
John Billingsley, in 1629, gave 26 shillings yearly, chargeable upon a house in Dale-end, to be given in bread, by six-pence every Sunday.
One croft to find bell-ropes.
Richard Dukesayle, in 1630, gave the utensils belonging to the communion table.
Barnaby Smith, 1633, gave 20l. to be lent to ten poor tradesmen, at the discretion of the church-wardens for two or three years.
Catharine Roberts, wife of Barnaby Smith, in 1642, gave 20l. the interest of which was to be given to the poor, the first Friday in Lent.
John Jennens, 1651, gave 2l. 10s. for the use of the poor, born and living in Birmingham; and also 20s. on St. Thomas's day.
John Milward gave 26l per annum, lying in Bordesley: one third to the school-master of Birmingham, (Free-school); one third to the Principal of Brazen nose College, Oxford, for the maintenance of one scholar from Birmingham or Haverfordwest, and the remainder to the poor.
Joseph Pemberton gave 40s. per annum, payable out of an estate at Tamworth, and 20s. out of an estate in Harbourne.
Richard Smallbrook gave to the poor of Birmingham 10s. per annum, arising out of a salt vat in Droitwich.
Robert Whittall gave the pall, or beere cloth.
Widow Cooper, of the Talbot, No. 20, in High-street, gave one towel and one sheet, to wrap the poor in the grave.
Mrs. Jennens gave 10l. per annum to support a lecture, the second and third Thursday in every month.
The following offspring of charity seems to have expired at its birth, but rose from the dead a few months ago, after an internment of fifty-four years.
The numerous family of Piddock flourished in great opulence for many ages, and though they were not lords of a manor, they were as rich as those who were: they yet boast, that their ancestors could walk seven miles upon their own land. It sometimes may be prudent, however, to believe only half what a man says; besides, a person with tolerable vigour of limb, might contrive to walk seven miles upon his own land, if he has but one acre--a lawyer is not the only man who can double.
Perhaps they were possessed of the northern part of this parish, from Birmingham-heath to Shirland-brook, exclusive of many estates in the manors of Smethwick and Oldbury.
Their decline continued many years, till one of them, in 1771, extinguished their greatness by a single dash of his pen, in selling the last foot of land.--I know some of them now in distress.
William Piddock, in 1728, devised his farm at Winson-green, about nine acres, to his wife Sarah, during life, and at her death, to his nephews and executors William and John Riddall, their heirs and assigns for ever, in trust, for educating and putting out poor boys of Birmingham; or other discretional charities in the same parish.
But William and John wisely considered, that they could not put the money into any pocket sooner than their own; that as the estate was in the family it was needless to disturb it; that as the will was not known to the world, there was no necessity to publish it; and, as it gave them a discretional power of disposal, they might as well consider themselves the poor, for they were both in the parish.
There is nothing easier than to coin excuses for a fault;--there is nothing harder than to make them pass.
What must be his state of mind, who is in continual apprehensions of a disgraceful discovery? No profits can compensate his feelings.
Had the deviser been less charitable, William and John had been less guilty: the gift of one man becomes a temptation to another. These nine acres, from which the donor was to spring upwards, lay like a mountain on the breasts of William and John, tending to press them downwards. Although poverty makes many a rogue, yet had William and John been more poor, they would have been more innocent. The children themselves would have been the least gainers by the bequest, for, without this legacy, they could just as well have procured trades; the profit would have centered in the inhabitants, by softening their levies.--Thus a donation runs through many a private channel, unseen by the giver.
Matters continued in this torpid state till 1782, when a quarrel between the brothers and a tenant, broke the enchantment, and shewed the actors in real view.
The officers, in behalf of the town, filed a bill in Chancery, and recovered the dormant property, which was committed in trust to
John Dymock Griffith,
John Harwood,
Thomas Archer, > Overseers, 1781.
William Hunt,
Joseph Robinson,
James Rollason,
John Holmes, > Constables, 1782.
Thomas Barrs,
Joseph Sheldon,
Charles Primer, > Church-wardens,
William Dickenson,
Edmund Tompkins,
Claud Johnson,
Nathaniel Lawrence,
Edward Homer, > Overseers, 1782.
Thomas Cock,
Samuel Stretch,
Joseph Townsend,
John Startin.
The presentation of St. Martin's was vested in the family of Birmingham, until the year 1537, since which it has passed through the Dudleys, the Crown, the Marrows, the Smiths, and now rests in the family of Tennant.