1,939/. 18s. 6d. Reduced Three per Cent. stock. Nearly all the remainder of the necessary sum was raised in two days by means of a bazaar, the proceeds of which exceeded 800l. It was held, by Mrs. Young's permission, in the gardens of Riversdale, under the special presidency of her late Royal Highness the Duchess d'Aumale, to whose presence and support its success was, in a great measure, due. A suitable site was purchased in the Arragon Road, from Mr. C. M. Corben, for 820%., upon which most commodious buildings of excellent design were erected at a cost of about 2,000/. Mr. F. H. Pownall was the architect, and Mr. J. H. Tarrant the builder. There are also apartments for the master of the Boys' School and for the mistresses of the Girls' and Infants' Schools.

The new schools were opened by the Duchess d'Aumale on the 31st December, 1862.

The demoralizing system of gratuitous education and clothing was abandoned, more efficient teaching power secured, the schools were put under Government inspection, and now are, except in name, essentially National Schools. The annual expenses connected with them at the present time amount to about 500l., to meet which the income derived from all sources (including a Government grant) is barely sufficient.

In the Boys' School the number on the books is 139, and the average attendance 110.

In the Girls' the number is 109, the average 77, and

In the Infants' School the number is 116, the average 67.

There is a Sunday School held both morning and afternoon.

Two curious answers, which show the unsatisfactory character of the education imparted by these schools, about twenty years ago, have been preserved. Upon the question being put, "What is a fox?" not a single child knew that it was an animal, while one girl, who was anxious to give an answer, said it was the place where they got beer. "The Fox" is the sign of a public house in the town.

Another girl, who had left the school and had gone to service, was asked if she could read; she replied, No, she could not read, but she could mark, interpreting the familiar words of the collect as having reference to marking linen.

This condition of things has happily been exchanged for a better.*

The information concerning the schools has been mainly derived from Lord Brougham's Charity Commission and from a report made to the Charity Commissioners' in the year 1860, by one of their inspectors. Lysons' account, which he says "is given from the information of Samuel Prime, Esq., and the Rev. Mr. Fletcher, the late and present treasurers," contains certain statements which the authorities I have consulted do not verify. He mentions Mr. Robert Moore's legacy, but also states that “Mrs. Elizabeth Cole, who died in 1707, bequeathed the sum of 100l. to be laid out to the best advantage for the benefit of the Charity School at this place, so long as the subscriptions for its support should amount to 30/. per annum, otherwise to be given to the Charity School of some neighbouring parish. This bequest lay dormant for a considerable time. About twenty years ago (i.e. about 1790), Mr. Stephen Cole, representative of the testatrix, made over to the parish the sum of 439/., which was laid out in the purchase of 500/. 3 per cents., and is now appropriated to the support of the boys' school, which is endowed also with two small pieces of land let at 77. 10s. per acre. James Chamness, Esq., gave 100%. 3 per cents. to this school and the same sum to the girls' school, which has no other endowment except a small stock, the produce of savings." Mrs. Elizabeth Cole left 100/., the interest to be expended annually in buying sea coal for the benefit of the poor. Mr. Chamness' bequest is included in the balance of 1,000l. school stock. The numbers given by Lysons (1811) are 30 boys and 24 girls, clothed, and 116 others "taught reading, writing, and accounts," in addition to them.

CHAPTER IX.

THE TWICKENHAM CHARITIES.

THE ALMSHOUSES-PERRYMAN'S GIFT-SYON MEAD-TWICKENHAM AYTE-FERRY MEAD-TWICKENHAM MANOR-TWICKENHAM BULL LAND-WHITTON BULL LAND-MORE MEAD AND IVY CLOSE-GIFTS OF HENRY BECKETT, MARY BUSH, ROBERT MOORE, ELIZABETH BOUCHIER AND LEWIS OWEN-RICHARD MOORE'S GIFT-POOR'S Allotment—PEW RENTS-FRANCIS POULTON'S GIFT-VICAR'S BREAD-MRS. ELIZABETH LOVE'S GIFT-GEORGE GOSTLING'S GIFT-FRYER'S GIFT-MRS. Cole's GIFT-FUEL LAND-BENEFACTION OF JOHN AND FRANCES WEST-MRS. WEST'S CHARITIES THE EARL OF Orford's CHARITY ROBERT MOORE'S GIFT TO THE MINISTER-MRS. GOSTLING'S GIFT-MADAME ARTAULT'S GIFT-MISS BEAUCHAMP'S GIFT-MISS NICHOLSON'S GIFT-OTHER BEnefacTIONS AND GIFTS THE NEW MISSION ROOM AND HOUSE.

It is necessary here to give a short account of the various moneys possessed by the parish; it will suffice to give their donors' names with the respective dates, stating briefly the terms of the bequests.

With the mode of their distribution as at present conducted, or with any changes which may be in contemplation, whether desirable or not, and what their ultimate destination may be, we have no concern. We have to consider only what they were and are, leaving what they may hereafter become to those whose business it will be to determine the point when the fit time arrives.

THE ALMSHOUSES may be first considered. An entry in the vestry book of the 13th March, 1703, states that the Duke and Duchess of Somerset, Lord and Lady of the Manor of Isleworth Syon, had granted to the parish of Twickenham an acre of land, lying in the lower common of Twickenham, to the intent that the parishioners should erect certain cottages for the benefit of such poor persons as the vestry should appoint and put into the said cottages. On the 19th June, 1704, it was ordered by the vestry "that six cottages be erected on the south side of the said acre of land, and that towards the charge thereof the 100l. given by Mr. Harvie for the benefit of the poor should be called in and employed, and that such further sum as might be wanting should be paid by the churchwardens and the parishioners." The date of Mr. Harvie's will is not known, but in the vestry minutes of April 9th, 1694, the legacy of 100l., by Mr. Mathew Harvie, is mentioned "to be laid out for the purchasing of land for the benefit of the poor of this parish."

In 1721 six additional almshouses were built, three at each end of the original six, towards the expense of which was applied a legacy of 200/. from the Honourable Sarah Greville, who, by her will dated the 17th March, 1718, gave that sum to the minister and churchwardens of Twickenham, to be by them employed in such manner as they should see fit for the benefit of the poor.

It is said that there was an inscription on a stone in front of one of the last mentioned almshouses, recording the legacy of Madam Greville and its appli

A condition of this benefaction was that Mr. Harvie's and his lady's monument should be always kept in repair.

cation to that building, with this addition, " 10l. the interest thereof is yearly to be laid out in shifting cloth and given to the poor inhabitants of the parish." The vestry ordered on January 7th, 1728, that shifts and shirts should be provided out of the rates, to the value of 10l. There is, however, no trace of the order having been carried out then, or ever after; one vestry suffered, perhaps, a qualm of conscience, which no other sympathized with. But Mrs. Greville's will does not show that she ever directed such an application of the interest of her legacy.

These almshouses were subsequently, by degrees, in addition to another building erected at the end of them, wrongfully converted into a workhouse; and in 1821, the parish appears to have become sensible of this, for an order of vestry (January 5th) directed that three old houses in Freeschool Lane, belonging to the parish, and forming part of the church-houses, should be considered and applied as almshouses, and that the inmates should be elected by the vestry. By the same order of vestry the rent of a house, coal-shed and garden, belonging to the parish, was appropriated to the purposes of the charities. Some other parts of the parish property were first appropriated at this time, probably in like manner. The house and coal-shed have been pulled down: it was intended that other almshouses should be built on the site which faces the river at the end of Freeschool Lane, but in consequence of the confined nature of the locality the idea was abandoned.

The trustees permitted the late Duchess Dowager of Northumberland to erect the handsome pump, which