Malcolm Bull's Calderdale Companion : Foldout

Saint Peter's Church, Sowerby : List of Benefactions


A list of benefactions to St Peter's Church, Sowerby can be seen on the stairs of the Church – See Paul Bairstow's Charity, Furness Charity, Greenwood's Charity, Mary Wadsworth's Charity, and Wainhouse Charity

Benefactions to the Chapelry and township of Sowerby.

JOHN FOURNESS did give two cottages at Well Head in Sowerby, to the use of three poor men of the said town for ever.

Also the said JOHN FOURNESS did surrender one messuage, one garden and four closes of land, in Sowerby to the use of such persons as shall be Masters of Arts, and a preacher at the chapel of Sowerby, for and during their times, and for the want of a Masters of Arts being a preacher there, then to the use and behoof of RICHARD BRIGGS and his heirs.

N.B. The above farm is called the ?

THOMAS MITCHELL gave twenty pounds, with which land was bought lying beneath Sowerby, now called Chapel House Ing, the rent to be paid to the preacher of, Sowerby, so that he be a Master of Arts: but so often as it shall happen, that such preacher be not a Master of Arts, lawfully allowed and proved, then he shall have no benefit from this gift; and until a preacher being Master of Arts, shall serve and preach, at Sowerby, the said yearly rent shall remain to the Church wardens and overseers and swornmen of Sowerby for the time being, and to the testators executor, to be by them bestowed, yearly, at their discretion, among the poor people inhabiting within the township of Sowerby.

HENRY HAIGH did by will appoint the sum of twenty six shillings and eight pence, to be paid out of certain lands, in Sowerby town, called Haighs Farm to the preacher of God's word for the time being. At the chapel of Sowerby. If a Master of Arts, for preaching one sermon, upon the second Wednesday in the four months May, June, July and August for ever, viz six shillings and eight pence for each sermon, to be paid monthly, upon the same day whereon such sermon shall be so made, and if the minister aforesaid shall either not be a Master of Arts, or not preach as aforesaid, the said monthly payment shall go to his sister, and her heirs.

N.B. If unpaid for ten days, the person to whom the rents belong may make distress. A school on the north side of Sowerby church. was erected by the HORTONS of Chadderton, and given for the use of the township of Sowerby, which from time to time, has been repaired by the churchwardens: also, a pew no. 59 in the south gallery of Sowerby church was purchased for the Master of the above school for the time being.

NATHANIEL WATERHOUSE under his will bearing date 1645, and under the Acts of Parliament, passed, 1777, directed, that one out of his twelve cottages near Halifax church, should be occupied, rent free by aged of impotent poor of Sowerby: and that to each of the occupiers of these cottages, two pounds. per annum shall be allowed towards their main tenance: and ten shillings per annum for black clothing: also that two orphans from the said township, be maintained with all necessaries, from the age of six years, till they accomplish the age of thirteen or fourteen years: that they may be fit for putting fourth apprentices at the discretion of his said trustees: but if they be not fit at these respect- tive ages to be bound apprentices, then they shall be kept till they are fifteen years of age, and after ward left to the provision of their friends: also that in case there be no lecturer at Halifax church the annual rent of forty shillings arising from the lecturer's house, buildings and garden, be divided amongst the poor of Sowerby, and nine other townships. Also that six pounds be given to the preacher of Sowerby, for preaching one sermon at Halifax church every first Wednesday in May, also the residue of his personal estate, after payment of legacies, to be laid out in lands, for the use of the poor in Sowerby, and nine other townships. JOHN BENTLEY left twenty pounds to be spent upon sufficient security, to four poor inhabitants of the said ? for four years, by equal portions, gratis, by THOMAS DOBSON of Stones, HENRY PRIESTLEY of Baitings, and their heirs, and the minister of Sowerby and Ripponden for the time being.

DANIEL GREENWOOD D.D. gave all his land in Cromwell Shaws, to his brother JOHN GREENWOOD upon trust, that he do yearly pay to the minister of Sowerby chapelry, forty shillings, and to the poor of Sowerby chapelry, forty shillings, and these payments to continue for ever, and to be paid on the first day of June, and first day of December, of within twenty days after each day by equal portions, upon pain of forfeiting the said estate.

EDWARD WAINHOUSE gave the rents of a house ??, in Sowerby dean to the old and poor of Sowerby, as do not receive all- owance from the town. N.B. To this house belongs a plot of ground to the west, containing eighty eight square yards; also, the passage to the east ward of it, and for which the owner of the adjoin- ing cottages, pays a small yearly rent.

Revd PAUL BAIRSTOW left an estate at Meopham in Kent to be sold for purchasing lands on or near Halifax, the rents of which, were to be disposed of by his trustees, as follows viz that they were to pay to the schoolmaster, for the time being, of the school of Sowerby, the yearly sum of sixteen pounds. For teaching twelve poor ? within the chapelry of Sowerby whose parents are not worth in real or personal estate above fifty pounds, which children are to be chosen by the minister and churchwardens of the time, also that his said trustees should keep his family plot in repair in Sowerby chapelyard and pay the yearly sum of twenty shillings to the minister of Sowerby, for preaching a sermon upon every Feast day of St Michael the Arch- angel, and profits amongst such ? persons of the said chapelry of Sowerby. who shall receive alms of the said chapelry. In such manner as the said minister and church- wardens shall direct. N.B. The lands purch- ased for these charitable ? called Nether Headly, are lying in Thornton in the parish of Bradford, in the county of York. Since the purchase of this estate two parcels of land both ? in Thornton, have been allowed to it under the enclosure Act. One called Morton End containing about thirteen acres, and another called Upper ? containing about eight acres in this last ground a house and bath ? and trustees. Two shillings ? The governors of Queen Anne's bounty gave £200 ? £100 ? and £100 from ? and ? £400, the farms, called ? Langley in ? ? Birch Farm in ? ? Sowerby were purchased for the ? curacy of Sowerby

HANNAH H? ? or Alms Houses in ? ? five shillings per quarter ? of the three men who must be able to read distinctly, for reading twice every day a chapter out of the New Testament, and some proper prayer, to the remaining five persons they being subject to one halfpenny forfeit, for every time they fail to attend. He also directed, that the said sums and so much as would keep the cottages in re- pair, should be raised out if the real estate.

MARY WADSWORTH gave one farm and a cottage, called Jack Hay in Sowerby, one third of the rents and profits to be given in equal moieties on the first Sunday in May, and November in every year, to such poor persons resident in the township of Sowerby, and whose legal settlement is in Sowerby. not craving of receiving alms or towns pay, in such shares, manner and proportions, as the trustees for each township shall direct, the other two thirds, to be given to the poor, or the townships of Midgley and Rishworth.

Mrs LYDIA PRIESTLEY gave one plot of ground, in thrust, for building thereon a Sunday School, with a cottage adjoining thereto to be for ever made use of in educa ting and instructing poor children, of the township of Sowerby, in the doctrines of the established Church of England, under the direction and superintendance of the minister and churchwardens for the time being. The governors of Queen Anne's bounty gave to the perpetual curacy of Sowerby £800, out of the parliamentary grant fund now invested in 3 per cent Red Bank Equities. Also in 1827, the said governors gave £200 to meet £100 from some of the prin- cipal land proprietors in Sowerby, and £100 from the incumbent towards augmenting the curacy, which sum was laid out 1830 Upon the parsonage House also in 1830 the said governors gave £200 to meet £100 from the trustees of the late Mrs PYACOMBE, and £100 pounds the joint contribution of the Vicar of Halifax, the Incumbent and several of the prin-cipal land proprietors of Sowerby.

The following benefactions are lost

Ten pounds left by GEORGE FOXCROFT, to the poor of the chapelry of Sowerby to be lent from year to year, by the minister, churchwardens and swornmen of the said chap- pel for the time being to the poor of Sowerby Quarter, Blackwood Quarter, and Westfield Quarter, taking security for the same, and nothing to be paid for the same.

Ten pounds left by THOMAS MITCHELL, to be lent gratis in three equal portions, and upon good security, to three poor handicraftsmen inhabiting with in Blackwood Quarter as the minister, church warden. overseer, and swornmen might think to be most in need of the same.

A house in Hunslet near Leeds left by ROBERT BROOKE.

W. H. BULL, M.A. Minister. JOHN FOSTER, THOMAS BERRY, Churchwardens


Transcription of the Parish Registers are shown in the CD entitled Parish Registers: Saint Peter's, Sowerby.

See Church Stile, Sowerby, Furness Charity, St Paul's Church, King Cross and St Peter's Church, Sowerby: Graveyard



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© Malcolm Bull 2017 / [email protected]
Revised 16:50 on 5th April 2017 / qq_136 / 16