The Charities
At the epiphany quarter sessions in 1781 Mr. Milward requested the Mayor to call to his assistance as soon as convenient some jurats, freemen and principle inhabitents to examine and settle the account of moneys received and paid on behalf of Saunders Charity and for other matters. On the 7th of April, 1796, the same gentleman delivered up his lease of the Maudlin [Magdalen Charity] lands of 21 years (from 1787) then occupied by Charles Deudney as his under-tenant, in consideration of the then recent advance value of lands in general, so that the rents and profits of such named land might be for the benefit of the poor of All Saints' and St. Clement's. It was then ordered by the Corporation that Messrs. Jeremiah Smith, of Crowhurst, and Thos. Cruttenden, of Westfield, be requested to re-value the said land.
At the quarter sessions held on the 7th of April, 1801, the a/c of moneys received and paid by Mr. Milward for Saunders' Charity from 1753 to 1795 was examined and allowed, the balance in favour of the Charity being £33 11s 5¾d. At the March quarter-day of 1807, the 86 acres of Charity land at Wittersham, which had before been loaned by William Taylor, was let to Smith Crouch at a rental of £80. To the Corporation on the 27th of May, 1809, was presented a copy of an information in Chancery at the suit of the Attorney-General upon the relation of Thomas James Breeds, of Hastings, and Thos. Clark of Rye, against the Trustees under the will of Mr. James Saunders, and it was then ordered that the Town Clerk, with the assistance of the Mayor and jurats prepare an answer to such information. The Mayor reported that he and the Deputy Mayor met the trustees of the Rye part of the Charity at the Town Hall of that town and inspected the a/cs which appeared to be just. The first letting of the Charity land was for £36 per annum; the second (in 1740) was £32; the third (in 1787) was £32, when was paid off £35 borrowed money; the fourth (in 1797) was £50; and the 5th was £89 5s 6d. There appeared, said the Mayor, nothing to be dissatisfied with. On the 25th of September in the same year, the Corporation received from Mr. Hoad a valuation of Parker's school lands in the parish of Ore, comprising 5 pieces in the occupation of Samuel Satterly (45a. 2r. 9p) valued at £44 per ac.; one piece of arable land called Bunger field (6a. 1r. 24p.), occupied by Mr. Weller, valued at £6; seven pieces of arable land and a shaw (44a. 2r. 37p.) occupied by Richard Edwards, valued at £36 10s.; four pieces of arable and pasture land (9a. 2r. 3p.) occupied by Thomas Sinnock, valued at £47 10s. Total £134.
Mr. Hoad further reported that Mr. Edwards had greatly improved his land since 1802 by underdraining, grubbing and manuring, which ought to be taken into account. Also that Thomas Sinnock's land was much improved, but that in consequence of the barracks close by, it required fencing from the road with post and rail, or its value would be lessened. The Corporation resolved that Mr. Hoad's valuation would be accepted, their belief being that he was a competent judge and a man of strict integrity. The different tenants also agreed to accept his valuation. On the 12th of April, 1810, at a Corporation meeting after the reading of two letters from James Breeds and James Hallaway, the Mayor states that the several augmentations in the rents of charity land had been in 1787 from £30.6s. to £49.16s.; afterwards, under the valuation of Mr. Skinner, from £49.16s. to £67; under the valuation of Mr. Hoad, in 1802, from £67 to £75; and in 1809, -
