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CHAPTER XVII.

CHARITIES.

ESIDES the usual doles of money, bread, coals, etc., which are found in most English parishes, certain parishes of the district we are considering are specially benefited.

Ditton was, as we have already stated, one of the manors of Sir Thomas Pope, who, in 1554, founded Trinity College, Oxford. He ordered that all persons, who were natives of the parish over which his manors claimed, should be considered as having preference before other students for the emoluments of his foundation.

Tonbridge School, founded by Sir Andrew Judde in 1553, was largely endowed by Sir Thomas Smythe and other benefactors. Amongst the exhibitions of the school five are offered annually in July, of £90, £80, £70, £60, and £21, each tenable for four years at the universities, medical schools, agricultural colleges, School of Mines, South Kensington, Woolwich, Sandhurst, Cooper's Hill, or other approved place of higher education. Foundation scholarships give free tuition in the school. All boys whose parents or guardians are living in Kent within ten miles of Tonbridge are on the Foundation. The town of West Malling, and perhaps parts of the parishes of East Malling, Ditton, Allington, Addington, Aylesford, Leybourne, Offham and Ryarsh, are within the above-mentioned distance.

Dr. Plume, by his will, made in the year 1704, left a certain sum of money to augment the incomes of incumbents in the ancient diocese of Rochester which are under £300 a year. At the present time the parishes of

Cobham College was founded, in Edward III.'s reign, by a certain Lord Cobham, for five priests or chaplains. In Henry VIII.'s reign the master and brethren, foreseeing that what had happened to many religious houses might happen to theirs, sold their college

and lands and possessions to George Lord Cobham. His son, Sir William Broke, founded what was henceforth known as the New College of Cobham, to which twelve parishes have the right of nomination. It is to keep a married couple as a rule. The wife, however, though admitted into the college, has no right to remain after her husband's death unless she is re-elected for the vacancy caused by her husband's death. The rules enjoin that, notice being given on the Sunday or Sunday-week after notice of the vacancy has been received, the incumbent, churchwardens, sidesmen, and overseers, elect, directly after evening service on the same Sunday, a person who has lived in that parish at least three years. There are twenty inmates of the college, one of whom is warden and another sub-warden. Amongst the different parishes that nominate, Halling alone of our parishes has the right to nominate one person perpetually.

Sir Robert Brett, by his will, not only left certain rentals to be given in doles to the poor, but also directed that half a sovereign should be paid to a lecturer, on market-days, at Malling. Marketdays there having become a thing of the past, permission has been granted to transfer this lecture or sermon to Friday evening.

The Rev. Everard Home left a charity to educate the poor of Leybourne, East Malling, and Southborough, which is administered by a board of governors. Exhibitions are offered for persons from these parishes and Ditton.

The almshouses at Aylesford have on them this inscription:

"This house was founded by the Right Honourable Sir William Sedley, heir and sole executor unto his brother, John Sedley, Esq., for the behalf of the poore persons, with like allowance for ever; six at the charge of the said John Sedley and the residue of the said Sir William Sedley; finished primo Aprilis, Anno Dni. 1607. Annoque Regni Regis nostri Jacobi Quinto. Gloria Soli Deo, Deo Patriæ Tibi," with the Sedley arms. And in addition round a triangle runs, "Sacrum Deo Uni"; within, "et Trino," as the

diagram shows. The revenues are raised from the Sedley, Savage, and Faunce charities, the resources of which are derived from lands in Aylesford, East Malling and Frittenden, all in the county of Kent. It is for twelve poor people.

Dr. Milner appears to have first endowed the schools at Aylesford, and Mr. Betts built the Infant school, and the late Mr. Brassey largely aided in building the National school.

The West Malling schools were endowed by Mr. Tresse, Dr. Kennard, Rev. G. F. Bates, Mr. Bell, and Mr. Peter Sutton.

Snodland schools have an endowment given them by Mr. May. Rev. Paul Baristow left, in 1711, money for establishing a charity school at Trottescliffe.

At East Malling Miss Smith left provision to keep five poor widows in almshouses, with an annuity of £12 each; and for this same parish Lady Jane Twisden, in 1702, left a rental of £4 48. to apprentice children.

Edward Godden left land, in 1661, rented at £10 a year, to apprentice children belonging to Snodland; and Edward Godden, in the 14th of Charles II., left land bringing in a rental of £10 a year to apprentice the children of Birling.

The Rochester Bridge Wardens give preference in their exhibitions in the Rochester Grammar School for Girls to girls who are residents in the following parishes amongst others: Halling, Snodland including Paddlesworth, Trottescliffe.

The Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, which is also endowed by the same trust, gives preference to girls that are resident in Aylesford, Birling, Ditton, Leybourne, Malling East, Malling West, and Offham.

It is a curious thing that though the parishes of Addington, Allington, and Ryarsh are among the parishes bound to contribute to repairing the piers of Rochester bridge, for some reason they have been omitted both from the Maidstone and Rochester scheme in the offer of exhibitions for the Girls' Grammar Schools.

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These parishes were probably omitted because they are not mentioned by name as bound to repair Rochester bridge. The ninth pier, however, has to be repaired by Snodland, Paddlesworth, and the men in that valley "— -a phrase no doubt intended to signify the people of these parishes.