Page:A History of Horncastle from the Earliest Period to the Present Time.djvu/163

144 Bucks., on the third part." In accordance with this agreement certain lands comprising, with others, the future site of the almshouses, situated on the east side of what was then called Union Street, the property of the said Samuel Curtis Lomas, were acquired through the said Mr. Richard Clitherow, for Mr. G. Whelpton, for the purposes of the charity, with the above relatives as co-trustees. The sum of £1,000 was also conveyed as endowment of the charity, to the trustees.

It was provided by the agreement that the inmates of the houses should be selected from persons who were fit and deserving subjects of the charity, indigent, but of good character, not recipients of parish relief, and not under 45 years of age; and that any, becoming guilty of immorality, should forfeit their privileges. The power of selection of inmates was vested in the trustees, assisted by the vicar and churchwardens of the parish; a clause being added, that, in case of the trustees being incompetent, by reason of infancy or idiocy, the vicar and churchwardens should select. The weekly allowance to the inmates was to be 3s. 6d.

The agreement to this effect was signed, sealed, and delivered, by the said George Whelpton, in the presence of Richard Clitherow, Solicitor, and Charles Dee, Solicitor, both of Horncastle. It was further signed by George Whelpton and William Thompson Whelpton, in the presence of Robert Cunliffe, Solicitor, of 43, Chancery Lane, London; and by Henry Robert Whelpton, in the presence of John Adams Cree, Clerk in Holy Orders, of Upton Park, Slough, Bucks. Appended is a receipt, signed by Richard Clitherow, and witnessed by Charles Dee, shewing that, at the date of the Indenture, the sum of £101 5s. was paid by George Whelpton for the purchase of the site of the almshouses.

This agreement was examined on Feb. 7th, 1888, in the Court of Justice, London, before Mr. Justice Chitty, on an enquiry being made as to the estate of William Thompson Whelpton, deceased, at the instance of the Rev. Henry Robert Whelpton, and Stephen Whelpton; when the Court declared that the direction in the will of the testator, as to the endowment of the charity, was a "valid charitable bequest of £1,000," and the money "invested in three per cents. Consols, for the following purposes": (1) for the repair of the almshouses; (2) to pay each occupant 3s. 6d. per week; (3) in case of there being any surplus, to pay them so much more as the trustees should think fit. A clause was added, empowering the Charity Commissioners, from time to time, to order any part of the income to be applied to special purposes, as they might think desirable.

We may add that while residing at Hastings, Mr. George Whelpton secured two acres of land, at Eastbourne, from the Duke of Devonshire, the owner of the whole town, as he is also of Buxton; and at a cost of about £20,000, erected and endowed the church and vicarage of St. Saviour's, which was held by his youngest son, Henry Robert, who graduated at St. John's College, Cambridge, and was afterwards made Canon of Chichester. This benefice is private property, and is now held by his son, Henry Urling Whelpton, of Pembroke College, Cambridge.

The head of the Whelpton family may now be considered to be the Rev. George Whelpton, at one time residing in France, but now of Trinity House, Abington, Berks. The original George Whelpton died in 1903.

For these details the present writer is indebted to several members of the Whelpton family, with some of whom he was a fellow pupil at the Horncastle Grammar School.