b'the day of such preaching distributed atWhen Rev Metcalfe was being interviewed by the the said church to the poor in bread.HeCharity Commissioners on August 14th 1823, he said, confirms that he receives 10/- monthly andwith regard to the Poor Lands, that the rent that the monthly bread is provided by thehas not been received for 2 or 3 years. tenant of the Manor House to the amountIt used to be paid by Robert Williamson, of 3/4d each month and is distributed bylate of Bishop Wilton who was owner of a him in penny loaves at the church in thehouse and considerable landed property in presence & occasionally with his advicethe parish consisting of 80 or 90 acres. He to the most necessitous families in thecontinued this payment annually until his parish, some receiving two or three loaves,death about 20 years ago. according to their need. When Thomas Williamson succeeded his father, he paid out until he in turn died, when the land was Ralph Quarton & Thomas Sandersonsleft to his daughter and her husband George Wilson. Charity and Poor Land But when he learnt that the Sotheby Dole payment Rev Metcalfe makes a long entry for this charity,was no longer being made as it had been (by Todd explaining how the two areas of Poor Land, or land& Sotherons, Booksellers of York, on account of Mr set aside for the benefit of the poor of the parish,Constable of Burton Constable),George Wilson in came about:his turn stopped paying the rent that constituted the In the Parish Register, under the date ofSandersons Dole, saying he will not pay unless 1707 is the following entry: compelled to. However, on August 16th 1823 he Ralph Quarton to 6 oxgang of land rentagreed to resume paying out 3/- a year. 15/- Mr Woods CharityThomas Sanderson one oxgang of poorRev Metcalfe notes that this charity is still operating land, rentsuccessfully: 1/16/6 The sum of 10/- a year is received by the In the year 1772 all the open lands in theOverseers from Richard Denison Esq as the parish were inclosed & the commissionersproportion due to this parish of the charity awarded to the churchwardens & overseersof Mr Thomas Wood. of the poor, in lieu of their oxgangs, anThis amount had been assigned by the Vicar, along allotment containing 17 acres 2 roods 1with other small bequests, into a parish Coal Fund, for perch, now divided into 2 closes. Thesedistribution to the poor.were let by the Parish Officers to Mr Thos. Pope of Nunburnham at Lady Day 1817 forJoy Bests Charity 3 years at an annual rent of 16.Although this Dole was listed on the board in The land had been let during the high priceschurch, it seems that not a lot was known about it or of agricultural produce for 28 a year to onethe man who left it. It appears to date from 1793. Rev Holmes, but he fell into bad circumstancesMetcalfe makes the following notes:& gave it up having been unable for someHe died, as it is said, about 20 years time to pay the full amount. The landago, possessed of a house and a garth in had been neglected by this tenant & MrBishop Wilton which was afterwards sold to Pope offered to take it at the present rentGeorge Stubbing, and the house has since & to bring it into cultivation, & the parishbeen pulled down. There is no proof that deeming him to be a responsible tenantthe 6/6d was paid by Joy Best in respect thought it advisable to accept his offer.of these premises, but Stubbing states The amount appears sufficient under thethat he has no objection to pay this dole circumstances. if the other disputed doles are paid by the There is also a field containing 5 acres & 3persons of whom they are claimed. All of roods in another part of the parish near thethe foregoing doles are carried to the fund town which was allotted to the overseersfor the distribution of Coals.of the poor of Bishop Wilton for the use of the poor under an inclosure of part ofOther Charities not listed on the the open field land in the parish made by agreement between the lord of the manor &Boardscopyholders in the year 1726. The Charity Commissioners also note the following This field at the time of this inquiry is let tosmall doles, not listed on the church boards: John Matthews from year to year forBenjamin Cobb pays out of his land 6/10/-. 2/6d. This is now paid by Geo Stubbing in BULLETIN 12 209'