Charities.—Bryngwyla School, situated about a mile W.W. by S. from the church, was founded in 1705 by Edward Phillips, for the instruction of twelve poor boys of the parish of St. Martin to read and write. Mr. Phillips also endowed the school with the sum of £100, and directed £3. 12s. yearly to be paid to the schoolmaster, who was to occupy the school-house rent free, on condition of his keeping the premises in repair. The donor also directed 4d. to be given to each boy every Ascension day for his encouragement; and 5s. to be expended by the vicar, trustees, and schoolmaster, in remembrance of the benefactor. The master now receives £4. 13s. 6d. per annum, from which 5s. is paid to the trustees, but nothing is paid to the children. The master receives 25s. yearly in respect of John Price’s charity hereafter mentioned.

Almshouses.—The almshouses are situated near the west side of the churchyard. They consist of six tenements, mantled with ivy, and are supported by Lord Dungannon. The inmates are clothed, receive 15s. a quarter, a loaf of bread on Fridays, and two tons of coal yearly. There is also a school, where twelve children are clothed and educated.

Arthur Trevor, of Kay Mark, left £2 a-year; one half to be given to the poor on St. Thomas’s day, and the other half on Good Friday. The amount is paid by the agent of Lord Dungannon.

Thomas Abellis left 21s. per annum, payable out of a piece of land called Cae-Rhoes. In 1812, Edward Birch, a mortgagee, and Edward Jones, in consideration of £220. 10s., conveyed to the Ellesmere Canal Company a parcel of land called Cae Rhoes, and the said Edward Jones covenanted that he would indemnify the said company from a rent-charge of 20s., payable out of the said premises. The property is still in the possession of the Ellesmere Canal Company, but nothing had been paid thereout to the poor for a period of twelve years when the Charity Commissioners published their report. Application had been made to Mr. Price, of Felton Butler, who married the heiress of Mr. Jones, and he promised to continue the payment of this rent-charge.

Edward Phillips charged a piece of land with the payment of 4s. yearly for the benefit of the poor.

John Price bequeathed £100, and directed the interest of £25 to be applied in the education of youth, and the interest of £75 to be bestowed in clothing for some of the poorest parishioners. The amount is secured on a piece of land in Weston Rhynn, from which £5 are paid yearly.

There are two cottages in the township of Soutley, in the parish of March Weil, Denbighshire, adjoining premises purchased by the governors of Queen Ann’s Bounty, for the augmentation of the vicarage of St. Martin’s. These cottages have for a length of time been let for the benefit of the poor; but it is not known when or how the rents became thus appropriated. They were repaired some time ago at an expense of £30, which was borrowed for this purpose, and they are now let for £6 a-year. Of the rent, £3 is applied in paying off the debt, and the remaining £3 is given among the poor on St. Thomas’s day.

Hugh Lloyd left a rent-charge of 16s. per annum, issuing out of certain lands, called Cae Dickin, in Weston Rhynn, and directed the amount to be expended in sixteen dozen of bread, to be distributed on St. Thomas’s day. It is stated on the table of benefactions, that “Richard Berkley, for Hugh Lloyd, pays for ten dozen of bread on St. Thomas’s day for ever.” The gift of Edward Edwards, of 20s. per annum to the poor of St. Martin’s, is void under the statute of 9 George II. It is stated in the parliamentary returns of 1786, that David Hughes left £10 for the benefit of the poor; and among the parish documents there is a bond, dated in 1746, from Thomas Phillips, of Trehowell, for the payment of this money. Nothing, however, has been paid on this account for many years.

Post Office—At Esther Edwards. Letters despatched at 2.30 P.M.

Beckitt Godfrey, butcher