Ann Coxeter, 50 pounds by Tobias Sadler, 10 pounds by Richard and Ann Blagrave, 5 pounds by Robert Cripps, 10 pounds by Thomas and Ann Hall, and 60 pounds the sum total of several other small donations. They produce at present 10 pounds 19s. half-yearly: of which 2 pounds 14s. 9d. is added to a fund, which accumulates until there is enough to pay a fee for apprentising some poor boy or girl: 6 pounds 16s. 10 pence half-penny is given to the churchwardens to increase the bread-fund, and 1 pound 7s. 4 pence half-penny is distributed half-yearly in half-crowns. After Lady-day the rents will be 30 pounds a year. 12. Lower Moor close and Lake-Reddy close.-It appears that the latter of these fields, about two acres, was sold some years ago by the authority of the commissioners when the Inclosure took place. The Lower moor close, about 9 acres and a half, is now rented by Mr. Bateman and produces 15 pounds per annum, of which 3 pounds 4s. is added to the bread-fund: the rest, minus land-tax, is given to the vicars' fund for supplying the poor with coal during the winter. After Lady-day, 1849, the rent will be raised to 20 pounds per annum. The fields were purchased with the legacies of John Palmer, Robert Veysey, John Tull, John Butt, Henry Clanfield, and others. 13. National School.-There appear to be no trustees of this institution. There is a large building near the centre of the town, consisting of an upper room occupied by the girls, and a lower room, by the boys. The master receives 20 pounds a year the mistress 15 pounds a year: a miserable pittance, when we consider the importance of their duties: they receive also one penny a week from each pupil. The salaries are paid out of the following sources: 30 pounds a year the rent of the Shilton estate, 20 pounds interest of money lent to the Stokenchurch turn-pike trust, and 1 pound 10s. paid by Mr. Waite of Aston, the rent of a small piece of land in Shilton meadow, appurtenant to the Shilton estate, but let to him in a separate occupation. 14. Miss Carr's bequest.—Miss Carr, organist of Bampton church, by her will, dated Aug. 16, 1841, bequeathed 100 pounds to her successor. As the words of the will were not thought sufficiently explicit, Miss A. Whitaker, who succeeded Miss Carr in the office of organist, by a deed of declaration, dated April 30, 1845, vested the trusteeship of the 100 pounds minus 10 pounds legacy-duty, in Fred. Whitaker esq., Rev. D. Adams, Rev. R. Barnes, and A. Close esq., the interest to be paid to the organist of Bampton church for ever. 15. Monk's legacies &c. Mr. William Monk, of Aston, by his will dated Jan. 7, 1848, directs that his trustees, who are also his executors, viz. Mr. Richard Townsend, of Cote House in the parish of Bampton, yeoman, and Mr. David Townsend of Aston, yeoman; after paying certain legacies out of his residuary estate, shall also, from the same source, Place out £50 at interest, free of legacy duty, and with such interest and any part of the principal that may be necessary purchase four and a half tons of coal every year (till the whole be spent) for the use of the most deserving poor of Aston and Coate aforesaid, to be distributed amongst them the day before New Christmas in every year, and then to place out £30 at interest, free of legacy-duty, and with such interest, and any part of the principal, to pay 2s. 6d. a-piece to every poor widow of Aston and Coate the day before New Christmas in every year till the whole be exhausted." Then follow other legacies, after which the testator directs that his said trustees shall Stand possessed of the clear residue, UPON TRUST to place the same out at interest on good and valid security, and expend the same, both principal and interest, one half towards defraying the expense of erecting a spire or tower to the church lately built at Aston aforesaid, and the residue towards buying and putting up bells in the same or otherwise improving the said church or its appurtenances: PROVIDED, NEVERTHELESS that, if in the course of ten years from my death a sufficient sum cannot be obtained, by subscription or otherwise, to erect such tower or spire, then upon trust to lay out the whole in furnishing bells for the said church or otherwise improving or embellishing the same or the things appertaining thereto. The intentions of the deceased, as expressed in his will, are however very likely to be frustrated, for it appears, by the statement of the executors that Mr. Monk had over-estimated his property, and that there will be little or no money remaining for the above-named purposes, after other legacies have been paid. 16. Fox's gifts &c.-Mr. Thomas Fox, of Aston, yeoman, by deed dated May 25, 1839, and duly inrolled in Chancery, gave a yearly charge of £4, proceeding out of a farm-house or homestead &c. at Aston, formerly in his own occupation, towards the repair and maintainance of Aston church for ever. Also the same Mr. Thos Fox, by his last will, dated March 10, 1845, after other bequests, &c. directs that £20 be paid out of the sale of a close of land called Woodleys at Lew, which close is not to be sold until after the death of Mrs. Sarah Baston who is to have the rents for her life, and the said £20 is then to be spent by the trustees of the said will, namely James Rose and Edward Jeeves, in buying fuel for the poor of Aston and Cote in the next winter-season after her death. He also confirms the charge of £4 a year, formerly made by deed inrolled, for the repairs of the church of Aston. 17. Miscellaneous, lost legacies, &c.—Such are the following. The Workhouse, and the land on which it stood, formerly the property of the parish, were sold in 1840, and the proceeds paid over towards the expense of building the Witney Union. Mr. E. Church's legacy, called the Widows' estate by Mr. Hudson, seems never to have become the property of the parish. Mrs. Leverett's, and Mrs. Susanna Frederic's second legacy of money lent to Mrs. Leybourne, and the latter lady's bequest of one guinea for a sermon. I have not been able to procure any information concerning these bequests beyond that which is to be found in Mr. Hudson's pamphlet. Mrs. Dewe's legacy of £200. This money, bequeathed by Mrs. Dewe by will dated Sept. 24, 1763, having been for some years employed, according to the will of the donor, was eventu. ally lent, with the other monies, altogether £1300, to the Stoken-church turnpike trust. Lost charities of Aston and Coate. In the Sixteens' book, hereafter to be described, and preserved at Cote House, page 8, is a list of CHARITABLE GIFTS BESTOWED ON THE POOR OF ASTON AND COAT, BY WHOME AND WHO ARE NOW ACCOUNTABLE TO PAY IT. BY WILL 1665. Mr. John Palmer's gift of Weald in the co. of Oxon, to the poore of Aston and Coate, the sum of £50, lies in the hands of Wm Gardyner of Gyting in the co. of Gloucester, Esq. who pays yearly att Christmas the interest being £3 to the overseers of the poore of Aston and Coat but hath given no security yet (as he ought) to the overseers of the said poor for the said £50. By will 1665. Mr Robert Dale's gift to Coat in the parish of Bampton, in the co. of Oxon is the use of £5. This sum of £5 lies in the hands of his heire Tho. Dale, who by his father's will is tyed to pay the use thereof yearly to the poore of Aston and Coat: the land is to pay it for ever. Mr. Coxe's gift of Stanforde in the Co. of Berks is the use of 33s. 4d. only to be given yearly to Coate every Christmas by John Moulden. Mr Willmot's gifts is 13s, 4d. to be payd yearly att the Easter to the overseers of the poore of Aston and Coat to be pd by Bampton churchwardens. Sir Wm Coventry's gift to the parish of Bampton by his will......... counsel.........we ought to have.........share and when the commission of charitable uses is extant requisite wee make recourse to the commissioners, for........right which gift, if not pd, ought to be demanded of the overseers of the poore of Bampton or of those who distribute the said charity. Thomas Fox his gift to the poore of Aston and Coat is the use of 10s. pd yearly by the owner of Hucket Close to the churchwardens or overseers of Aston and Coat, given in his will, and the close is tyed to pay it for ever 10s. yearly. This last sum was paid by Mr Darby owner of the Hucket Close, until his death in 1810 or 1811, since which time it has ceased to be paid. By the returns made to Parliament in 1786, the bequest is said to have been made in 1721. 29. MANORS OF BAMPTON, BAMPTON-DEANERY, For the following acount of manors I am indebted to the |