From an old book belonging to the corporation, containing copies of wills and other documents relating to the charities of the town, it appears that James Walters, Esq., in 1624, devised an annuity of £20 to be paid out of his lands in Stanton Lacy and Richards Castle; £10 thereof to be distributed among the inmates of the almshouse, and £10 to be bestowed on the preacher. It appears that a fee farm rent of £24. 13s. 4d., reserved by a charter of King Edward IV., out of certain lands granted to the corporation of Ludlow, and also the rent of £8. 13s. 4d., reserved by charter of King Edward VI., eventually became vested in the corporation; and £20 is now paid to the treasurer of the national school, and the remainder, £13. 6s. 8d., is considered as forming a part of the weekly payments to the almspeople.
Thomas Candland, by will dated 1617, gave a house and shop in Ludlow to William Bevan and Alice his wife, and their heirs, in trust, that they should pay annually the sum of 20s. out of the profits thereof to the bailiffs of the town, to be disposed of by them; to every chamber in the almshouse, 4d.; and the residue of the said 20s. to such other poor of Ludlow as they should think fit. William Archer, by deed dated 1677, charged his close, called Sutton’s close, with a yearly rent of 20s., to be divided among the poor in the almshouse near the parish of St. Lawrence. Susan Gay, by indenture dated 1724, conveyed to Richard Plummer and his heirs, a piece of land called Old Hill, in Kingsland parish, in Herefordshire, in trust, that after her death the bailiffs, rector, lecturer and reader of Ludlow for the time being, should receive from the rents and profits thereof an annuity of £7 for ever; £6 thereof to be yearly distributed among the poor of the almshouses in the upper room and in Corve street, and 20s. to the person who received the rent and looked after the estate. An annual sum of 13s. 4d, from one of the Earl of Powis’s stewards, which is distributed among the 33 almspeople in the upper almshouse. The origin of this payment is not known. Mary Beetenson, who died about the year 1806, bequeathed to the bailiffs of the town of Ludlow, and their successors, the sum of £100, to be placed out at interest, and distributed to the poor people inhabiting the almshouse opposite the church of St. Lawrence. Ann Smith in 1809 gave £50 to the corporation of Ludlow, in trust, to be placed out at interest, and distributed in coals to the poor inhabiting the upper almshouse. Susannah Smith, by will in 1801, gave to the rector of the parish of St. Lawrence, in Ludlow, the sum of £100 to be placed out at interest, and distributed among the inhabitants of the almshouses near the church. These small payments amount annually to the sum of 12s. 5¾d, for each of the almspeople.
Charles Foxe, by his will dated 1590, after reciting that he had lately purchased the chapel of St. Leonard, in Corve street, Ludlow, and a parcel of ground near thereto, whereon he had begun to erect four almshouses, for four poor and impotent persons, gave and bequeathed to certain trustees, in trust, four messuages, and all lands, tenements and hereditaments, with their appurtenances, situated in the city of Worcester, of the annual value of £8; to be by them so settled that out of the rents £4 should be paid to the four poor persons in the almshouse, and divided amongst them quarterly. To the curate of Ludford, or some other sufficient minister, for reading divine service to the poor there, the sum of 40s. yearly. To some learned preacher for a sermon in the said chapel at Christmas, 6s. 8d.; and the like sum for a sermon there in Lent. And the residue of the rents (being £1. 6s. 8d.) he directed to be employed for the necessary repairing the said almshouses and chapel, and other necessary charges. He gave two bells to be hung up in the steeple of the chapel. About the year 1751 the chapel had gone greatly to decay, and the houses in Worcester become so ruinous and incapable of repair, that in 1758 the ground on which the tenements stood was let on building leases, at an annual rent of £11. 9s. 6d., for 99 years. James Foxe the trustee, by deed in 1769, conveyed to the bailiffs, burgesses and commonalty of Ludlow, the aforesaid premises, in trust, for the support of the almshouse, in consequence of his residing so remote from Ludlow. The present income of the charity is £14. 13s. 10d. The almshouse consists of four dwellings, with a garden to each, and is inhabited by two poor persons from the parish of Bromfield, and two from Ludlow; who also receive from the corporation 1s. 6d. per week each, and 3s. 2d. yearly from Mrs. Susan Gay’s benefaction.
Thomas Lane, by will in 1674, after giving certain legacies, bequeathed all the rest of his estate to Sir Job Charlton and two others, to be disposed of by them as he should appoint; and in default of such appointment, to some charitable use according to their best discretion. From the will of Sir Job Charlton, bearing date 1691, it appears that the money derived from this bequest had been employed in repairing and furnishing an old house which had been granted to the trustees by the town of Ludlow, and in purchasing certain lands in Middleton of the annual value of £30. Under the residuary clause of Thomas Lane’s will, a reversion passed to the use of this charity of a dwelling house, a garden, and two meadows, containing 5a. 1r. 9p. of land, which had been granted to his wife by a codicil to his will. These lands, comprising an area of 74a. 2r. 9p. of land, and let at an annual rent of £44 per annum, were exchanged in 1790 with C. W. B. Rouse, Esq. for meadow and pasture lands, situated in Stanton Lacy, containing 41a. 3r. 7p. of land, let for £56 per annum. At the time the charity commissioners published their report, the income of the charity amounted to £120, (exclusive of the interest of £216. 8s. 3d., the amount of a balance due in 1816, arising from savings of income,) which was applied in paying to the governor of the workhouse a salary of £20; in disbursements for taxes and repairs of the building and furniture; and in providing flax, hemp and yarn for making stockings, and leather for shoes, for the poor people in the house to work up.
Thomas Lane, by a second codicil to his will, in 1676, devised his closes of meadow and pasture land, lying near the east side of Broad street, in Ludlow, to be conveyed to feoffees in trust, that the rents and profits should be weekly disposed of in bread and money to twelve poor widows of the town of Ludlow. The land contains 1a. 3r. 34p., which produces an annual income of £23. 10s.
From an entry in an old book belonging to the corporation, it appears that Evan Phillips gave £22 to remain a stock for ever for the poor of the town of Ludlow; and directed certain trustees to dispose of the same in the purchase of lands, or otherwise, as they should think fit; the profits of the £20 to be given to twelve poor persons, and the remaining 40s. to be spent by the trustees, for their recreation, at their meetings on the business of the charity. It appears from the same book that he also gave a judgment debt of £10, due to him, for the use of six more poor persons of Ludlow. There is now a piece of land in Lynney appropriated to this charity, called the Poor’s Close, containing 3r. 26p., which is let at an annual rent of £13; of which £12. 6s. 8d. is distributed among eighteen poor persons by the bailiffs of the town.
Richard Davies, by will dated 1699, bequeathed £100 to be laid out in lands, in trust, to distribute the rents and profits among eight poor widows of Ludlow, not partakers of any other charity in the town. In respect of this sum the corporation make an annual payment of £6, which is distributed as the donor directed. Eleanor Handford left £25, the interest thereof to be given to ten poor persons in Castle street ward on Good Friday, yearly. John Long, by will, gave to the poor of the parish of St. Lawrence, in Ludlow, the sum of £20, the interest thereof to be distributed among the poor. There is also found copied into the charity book a statement that Mrs. Robinson left £100 to the poor of Ludlow, the interest to be applied as follows; viz.: 50s. to the Charity school, and 50s. to twenty poor housekeepers, to be named by the bailiffs and rector on St. John the Evangelist’s day.
Thomas Meyricke, by will, dated 1724, bequeathed to the bailiffs, burgesses, and commonalty £40, in trust, to lend it from time to time to four poor tradesmen, not being ale sellers for three years, without interest, in sums of £10 each, upon sufficient security. Sir Timothy Tourueur, Knight, also gave £100, to be lent for a like time to four young tradesmen upon good security. Thomas Meyricke also bequeathed £40, the interest to be paid to the charity schools at Ludlow.
Richard Gwilliams, by will, dated 1629, gave to the parson of Ludlow and vicar of Leominster, and the vicar of Kings Capel £3 a year, issuing out of all his messuages, lands, tenements, and hereditaments in the county of Hereford, to the intent that they should distribute 20s. thereof yearly to the poor impotent people of each of those places.
Charles Sonnibank, D.D., by deed dated 10th of October, 10th Charles I., after reciting a grant made by him to Margaret Postern and her heirs of a messuage and lands containing about 155 acres, situated at Brome, in the parish of Hopesay, in Shropshire, reserving to him and his heirs a rent of £13. 6s. 8d., granted the said rent to trustees, in trust, to distribute it among ten poor widows inhabiting Ludlow, in weekly payments of 6d. each, and the parson to retain 6s. 8d. for his care in receiving it.