Midland Churches: A History of the Congregations on - General ...

On 16 and 17 June, 1736, Robert Baylies conveyed more property to
John Finch for <strong>the</strong> benefit <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> school; and again, on 24 and 25 May,
1739, in order to make some better provision for <strong>the</strong> charity scho01,'~ he
conveyed to John Finch <strong>the</strong> house and gardens " fronting to Castle Street,
Dudley, in which Robert Baylies <strong>the</strong>n lived."
By his will, dated 23 May, 1739, and proved 22 February, 1745, good
Robert Baylies was fur<strong>the</strong>r mindful for <strong>the</strong> welfare <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> school he had
so dearly at heart, and, in addition to bequests to its trustees and to <strong>the</strong>
trustees "<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> meeting-house belonging to <strong>the</strong> society <strong>of</strong> Protestant
Dissenters called Presbyterians," he directed his executors to pay A50 to
<strong>the</strong> meeting-house trustees, who were to expend <strong>the</strong> interest <strong>of</strong> it "yearly
in providing a dinner for <strong>the</strong> ministers who should attend <strong>the</strong> annual
lecture <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> society in Dudley, commonly called <strong>the</strong> Double Lecture."
By degrees <strong>the</strong> school rose in numbers, so much so that about <strong>the</strong>
year 1820 <strong>the</strong> improvement <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> funds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> charity was such as to
permit <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> educating <strong>of</strong> over 200 boys, "though only 50 were clo<strong>the</strong>d
from <strong>the</strong> bounty."
New premises became necessary, and in 1824 <strong>the</strong> familiar building,
with its two costumed boys in <strong>the</strong> .niches over <strong>the</strong> doors, was built, at a
cost <strong>of</strong> about AI, 200, in Tower Street-formerly Pease Lane-" on part
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> property originally settled by Samuel Baylies." This new school-
house was formerly opened on Monday, 22 March, 1824, on which occasion
an address was delivered by <strong>the</strong> Rev. James Hews Bransby, which was
subsequently printed by John Bransby, at Ipswich, and filled 36 pages 8vo.
At this time it was stated that <strong>the</strong>re were " between 230 and 240 boys
in <strong>the</strong> school, all supplied with books and stationery, instructed on <strong>the</strong>
Lancasterian system, and in <strong>the</strong> Christian religion. Although required to
attend <strong>the</strong> chapel on Sundays <strong>the</strong>y are by no means all children <strong>of</strong> mem-
bers <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> congregation. Fifty boys are clo<strong>the</strong>d annually, each receiving
a cap, coat, trousers, two shirts, two pairs <strong>of</strong> stockings, and two pairs
<strong>of</strong> shoes, <strong>the</strong> cost <strong>of</strong> which amounts to about A2 on an average for each.
There are generally about five or six boys bound apprentice annually
without premium, but <strong>the</strong> trustees give each boy a suit <strong>of</strong> clo<strong>the</strong>s, <strong>the</strong>
cost <strong>of</strong> which is about 50s. each."
On 8 February, 1831, <strong>the</strong> surviving trustees were James Hews Bransby,
Joseph Hodgetts, Booth Hodgetts, and John Twamley, <strong>the</strong> elder ; who
<strong>the</strong>n conveyed all <strong>the</strong> valuable trusts to Mark Bolton Hughes, Henry Hunt,
Thomas Yate Hunt, William Morris, John Twamley <strong>the</strong> younger, Oliver
Newey, Charles Twamley, Michael Hemming, and, Richard Nicklin.
Later than this date it is not necessary to pursue <strong>the</strong> history <strong>of</strong> this
important trust, so admirably administered for <strong>the</strong> education <strong>of</strong> successive
generations <strong>of</strong> Dudley youths by <strong>the</strong> minister and members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Old
Meeting.
I
One or two details are worthy <strong>of</strong> record. In 1781 John Finch gave
A400 to <strong>the</strong> charity, which sum <strong>the</strong> trustees accepted for <strong>the</strong> purposes <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> trust. The master <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> school has also been, from early years <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
nineteenth century at least, secretary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dudley Book Society (p. 116) ;
which it is surmised may be coeval with <strong>the</strong> enlightened family <strong>of</strong> Baylies.
A school <strong>of</strong> industry for girls was built on land purchased by <strong>the</strong>
meeting-house trustees ; <strong>the</strong> money necessary for <strong>the</strong> building, amounting
to upwards <strong>of</strong> A500, was supplied from <strong>the</strong> funds <strong>of</strong> Baylies's Charity.
This school was entirely supported by voluntary subscriptions, and only
ceased its operations when <strong>the</strong> " Daniel Parsons' Schools " were founded.
DANIEL PARSONS' CHARITY.
By his will, dated 23 December, 1814, and proved in <strong>the</strong> Prerogative
Court <strong>of</strong> Canterbury on 19 March, 1821, Daniel Parsons, nailmaster, <strong>of</strong>
Dudley, gave to his sister, Mary Parsons, and his friends, <strong>the</strong> Rev. James
Hews Bransby, Charles Finch (<strong>of</strong> Cambridge), and Henry Hunt (<strong>of</strong> West
Bromwich), all his houses, lands and real estate upon trust to sell <strong>the</strong>m
and to invest <strong>the</strong> proceeds, paying <strong>the</strong> interest to his sister Mary, for her
life, and after her death and <strong>the</strong> payment <strong>of</strong> certain legacies, including
one <strong>of</strong> "LIOO to <strong>the</strong> trustees <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> dissenting academy in York," to pay
"out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> money <strong>the</strong>n in <strong>the</strong>ir hands <strong>the</strong> sum <strong>of</strong> L~o,ooo <strong>of</strong> lawful
British money," to 24 trustees* towards sz@jorti?zg or establishing a school i?z
or near WoZver/la??@to~z Sireet, i ~ z Budley, for tile edz~cal'ing <strong>of</strong> boys and girls,
"They were in order named in will :-Thornas Webb Hodgetts, James Hunt, Francis
Finch, Joseph Wainwright Hodgetts, James Whetstone, Mark Bolton Hughes, Benjamin
Stokes, Peter Homer, Robert Wallace, Major Parkes, John Lee, James William Cannon,
James Cooksey, Stephen Grainger, James Brettell, John Robinson, Henry Woodhouse,
Peter Anthony Downing, Joseph Fletcher, James Gordon <strong>the</strong> younger, William Mi~urice,
all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> parish <strong>of</strong> Dudley ; William Kicklin, William Nicklin <strong>the</strong> younger, <strong>of</strong> Tipton;
and James Grafton, <strong>of</strong> Brettell Lane.