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- Mark Smithson by his will, dated 17th July, 35th Chas.II, (1783) bequeathed to the poor of Barton 40s. yearly, to be paid on St. Thomas's day, and the Friday before Whitsunday, at the discretion of his son-in-law, Thomas Gill, and his heirs, together with the minister of St. Cuthbert´s parish, in Barton, and the church wardens and overseers of the said parish; and he ordained, that the said 40s. should be paid out of his close called Liddell Close, so long as it continued at that rent, and after out of the rents of his close called Pearson´s Pasture. And he further gave and bequeathed the sum of 6l. for and towards the teaching of 10 poor children yearly, at the grammar school in Barton, and for putting one of those 10 poor children every year, to an apprentice, on Mayday; the said 10 poor children to be chosen out of the most indigent poor people in Barton; and the election of them and putting them apprentice to be at the discretion of his son-in-law, Thomas Gill, and his heirs, with the church wardens and overseers; and he bequeathed the sum of 100l. to buy a parcel of land, for the use before-mentioned, and directed the interest of the said 100l. to be yearly applied for that use, until the parcel of ground could be bought by his executors; and he appointed his said son-in-law, Thomas Gill, his executor. The property charged by the will of Mark Smithson, came into the possession of the late Leonard Hartly, esq. under a devise from Thomas Gill, son of the executor above named; but upon the death of Mr. Hartly, the land was sold to persons named John and William Gibson, and William Wilkinson, and the rent-charge was transferred to a close called the Paddocks, now belonging to George Hartly, esq., son of the said Leonard Hartly, out of which close it has ever since been paid. The money is paid by Mr. Hartly´s agent, in half-yearly payments, to a person in the town of Barton Cuthbert's, who distributes it amongst poor persons of the parish, selected by Mr. Hartly, to whom the minister and parish officers leave the application of the charity. The legacy of 100l. bequeathed by the same testator to purchase land for the other charitable purpose mentioned in the will, has not been so invested, but interest after the rate of five per cent per annum has been allowed by Mr. Hartly´s family, on account of this legacy, ever since they became possessed of the estate devised by the will of Thomas Gill. No larger interest appears ever to have been paid. Of this sum, fifty shillings a year are paid to a school masteri n the place, as his salary, for teaching six poor children of the parish to read, write and cast accounts, which is as many as the stipend will admit of. The children are nominated by Mr. Hartly, as vacancies occur, and continue to attend the school till removed by their parents. The master is allowed to take other pay scholars, and he enjoys besides the occupation of a small tenement in Barton, with a garden of about half an acre, which were purchased in 1702 with 20 l. left by a Captain Harrison, of the town of Barton. These premises appear to have been always held by the schoolmaster appointed under Smithson's charity, and are let by the present master, at the rent of 31. 10s. a year. The remaining fifty shillings, other moiety of the 51. are given from time to time, as an apprentice premium with a poor child of the parish, on application made to Mr. Hartly, by the overseers, or by the parents of the children themselves.-From a list kept by the parish officers, it appears, that only three children have received the benefit of the fund on the application of the overseers since the year 1809; others it is supposed have been apprenticed on application made by the parents to the late Mr. Hartly, but no account of their number appears to have been preserved.-There are now two children about to be placed out by Mr. George Hartly, who is at all times ready to apply the fund when required.
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- 1683