hurches.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century a Royal Commission was
appointed to inquire into, and put a stop to, the barefaced robbery of
the Church charities, which had been going on for a century or more.
Every parish in England was visited, and the Report on the Willenhall
Charities was published in 1825 to the following effect:--

1.--PRESTWOOD'S DOLE.

An ancient Instrument was produced to us, purporting to be a
Deed-poll (without any seals thereto, but with a portion of the lower
margin torn off, not, however, as it appeared to us, in that part
where the seals are usually affixed), bearing date 17 August, 1642,
whereby William Prestwood, of Willenhall, in Co. Stafford, and
Mariana, his wife, granted to the Wardens and Sidemen of the Church
or Chapel of Willenhall, aforesaid, and to the Overseers of the poor
of the said Town, and their successors for ever, all the annual rent,
profits, and emoluments whatsoever, issuing, renewing, and arising
from, in and out of a certain Close of the said William and Mariana,
called Canne Byrch, lying and being in Willenhall aforesaid, between
Willenhall Field on one part, and the highway leading towards
Darlaston on the other; to have and to hold all the rent, profits,
and emoluments arising from the said Close, after the death of the
said William and Mariana, for ever; to the pious use following,
viz.:--

To pay and contribute the annual rent aforesaid to the use and behoof
of the Poor in the said Town, at the discretion of the aforesaid
Wardens, Officers, and Overseers of the Chapel and Town aforesaid for
ever, and not otherwise: And it is further declared that the said
rent should be annually paid in the manner and form as the said
William by his last Will should appoint.

We have no evidence that this piece of land, which is well known, was
ever in the possession of the Parish Officers. It is now considered
as the property of Hervey Smith, Esq., of Castle Bromwich, who has
lately succeeded to it on the death of his father, the late William
Smith, Esq., solicitor of Birmingham, and to be subject only to an
annual rent charge of 20s. to the Poor of Willenhall, which is
regularly paid by the tenant of the land. It has been for many years
in the possession of Mr. Smith's family, and he produced several
receipts, the earliest of which