The estate of the poor in Sion College London truly stated by George Dagget ... in a letter to a friend. Dagget, George. 1688 Approx. 10 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 2 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A35709 Wing D108 ESTC R7050 13227282 ocm 13227282 98582 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A35709) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 98582) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 451:9) The estate of the poor in Sion College London truly stated by George Dagget ... in a letter to a friend. Dagget, George. 1 sheet ([2] p.) Printed for Ric. Chiswell ..., London : 1688. Signed: George Dagget. Caption title. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Sion College. Poor -- England -- London -- Early works to 1800. Broadsides -- England -- London -- 17th century 2006-09 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-09 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-10 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2006-10 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE ESTATE Of the POOR in SION COLLEGE LONDON , TRULY STATED , BY GEORGE DAGGET Attorney , and Clerk of the said College . In a Letter to a Friend . With License , May 5. 1688. SIR , FOR preventing further Mistakes , and saving my self daily trouble in giving Account to such as come or send to me for satisfaction , how the Poor of Sion-College are maintained , and for Vindication of the Reverend , the Governours of the said College , chosen Annually by the whole London Clergy , according to their Charter , who are unjustly reflected upon in this Weeks Publick Occurrences , I have here sent you a brief , but faithful Account how that matter stands , from the Register in my Custody , having been Clerk of the said College , for these thirteen years last past , and resided for the most part in the Lodgings appointed me by the Founders Will. Now by the Books it appears , that according to the said Will , the Alms-people are recommended to the Governours for the time being , by the City of Bristol , the Merchant-Taylors Company , and the Parishes of St. Dunstan's in the West , and St. Gregory's , London . And when the College , of two presented , have chosen one , the respective Presenters give the College Security by Bonds , not only to maintain and relieve them in Sickness and other Exigencies , but also in case of Death , to see them decently buried . And I am able to attest of my own Knowledg , that the said Presenters , especially the two Parishes , do visit and relieve them upon notice given ; and the Alms-people are ready to acknowledg their kindness , except two or three of the Alms-men , that live idly , and s●end their small Allowance , chiefly in Drink , to the scandal of all the rest . I find that but two Women were buried from hence last year , one of St. Dunstan's in the West , the other a Merchant-Taylor's Widow of St. Giles's Cripplegate Parish , both which were taken care of during their Sickness , and buried by the Church-wardens of the said Parishes , as they , and the Nurses of the Deceased , are ready to attest . As to the Ill Management or Misimployment alledged in the Weekly Occurrences ; It is well known , that the whole College and Alms-houses were burnt down , and quite destroyed by the Dreadful Fire , An. Dom. 1666. and that in three or four years ensuing , the Clergy of London , by their own Subscriptions , and the Charitable Contributions of others , Rebuilt the Library , and the Alms-houses under it for ten Men , and ten Women , in decent and distinct Apartments , which cost together 1300 l. and upwards ; this was the first Care of the Governours , after the Fire , and the Alms-people sleep in the Dwellings built by the London Clergy . And as for their Pensions , being now but 3l . 10s . per Annum , whereas the Founder left 6l . to each Person ; it is fit the World should know , That the Lands appropriated to the Alms-Houses , lye in the Hundreds of Essex , and were in the beginning of King Charles the First 's Reign , Reported and setled by Judg Crook and others , to be such as would hold 120 l. per Annum , and by Order in Chancery were Demised to Mr. Keeling , one of the Executors of Dr. White , for 200 years , at 120 l. per Annum , for the Alms-Houses , without Impeachment of Wast ; That about ten years since , the Right of the Lease came to a young Woman , a Descendant of the said Keeling , and was in the Custody of Mr. Keeling a Merchant now in London ; which W 〈…〉 Losses in her Estate ( as Mr. Keeling proved ) became so poor , as to be maintained by Charity , and so all benefit of the Covenant in the Lease was lost ; and hereupon By reason of Rents falling , Mr. Keeling and his Tenant left the Lands and Houses without notice , and very much out of Repair , so that the Governours of the College then sent to the Aldermen of Brist●l , the Company of Merchant-Taylors , and the Church-Wardens of the aforesaid Parishes ; and some of each appointed by the said Aldermen , Company , and Parishes , met at the College , and at Merchant-Taylors Hall several times , and viewing the Title , with Counsel , sent down Agents to view the Lands , and Assist for getting a Tenant ; who , after a years seeking , could not get a good Tenant , at more than 70 l. per Annum ; and it was thus Leased for 21 years from that time , with Covenants for the Tenant to lay out about 200 l. in Repairs , the Farm not being Tenantable without it ; and this was one reason more why the Rent was sunk so low ; and it is to be feared , when this Lease expires , it will hardly yield 70 l. per Annum , by reason of great Damages through Sluces and Salt-water . Observe , that the Poor of Bristol are not maintained by Lands in the Hundred of Essex ; but Bristol will tell you , that the Lands there given them by Dr. White , were set apart by his Will , for repairing a Cause-way leading to the City , and they also are so sunk in value , that the City is forced to pay out of their Chamber , large Sums per Annum , to make up the defects of that Charity . I know also , that of late years , the London Clergy , by their own repeated Subscriptions , and some Contributions , have built the College-Hall , and several Tenements near it , most of which are now let to Students and others ; for which they have expended near two thousand pounds more , and contracted a great Debt , which they are endeavouring to pay by the same means . Observe , that the Founder left 40 l. per Ann. for four Latin Sermons , and four Dinners every year ; but since the Fire the Preachers Fee is lost , and the Dinners ( which were discontinued for some years for want of a Hall ) are now reduced to two in a year , and those ( saving only three years ) were all paid for by Contributions of the Clergy at the Bason , the overplus only being paid by the College . I do not find much above 20 l. per Annum in Ground-rents about the College ; ( other Rents there are , but newly built , and not yet paid for ) ; out of which , by the King's Quit-rent , Rent-charge to St. Alfage Parish , Parish Taxes and Duties , Library-keepers Salaries , Porters and Messengers Wages , River-water for the Alms-people , repairs in Tiling Glazing Paving , &c. the whole is expended , and as much more . And now my Hand is in , give me leave to add , That whereas the Clerk's Salary was before the Fire 20 l. per Annum , with the use of the Hall , and fair Lodgings : I am now contented with 5 l. per Annum , and three Little Rooms , for the building of which , in part , I my self laid out 50 l. And as to the 30 l. per Annum , mentioned in the Occurrences , Lately left the College by a Counsellor , of which ( says the Writer ) they have had no Benefit . The Case is thus : Mr. Brewer late of the Temple , left by Will , a Farm in Hartfordshire to the Poor of Sion-College , which was Leased by himself for twelve years , expiring last Lady-day , for 27 l. per Annum , and that he dying in March 1684. the College hath been in Suits , both at Common-Law , and Chancery ever since , with the Heir and Executors claiming this Estate by Entails alledged ; and that in February last , the Cause in Chancery came to a Hearing , where one of the Defendants appeared by three or four , and the College as Plaintiff , by three Eminent Counsels , and they obtained a Decretal Order against that Defendant , for the Land ; but the other Defendant , to make more work , did not appear . The Charges of these Suits are near 70l . paid , and to be paid out of the Arrears ; and the College have already made a Dividend to the Poor , amounting to more than the over-plus in their Hands . The said Mr. Brewer left also his Library to Sion College , which is still detained by the Executors , alledging that they have not Assits sufficient to pay the Testators Debts ; by which you may observe , That the College takes care in the first place of the Poor's Right , and I have good Assurance that they intend to do so , tho it be to their own Damage . And this , Sir , I hope , is enough to satisfie you and all others . I only wish , That this Paper may be made as publick as the Occurrences . From my Lodgings in Sion College , May 4. 1688. I rest , Yours , &c. GEORGE DAGGET . LONDON , Printed for Ric. Chiswell , at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard . MDCLXXXVIII .