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

cing <strong>the</strong> chil'dren <strong>of</strong> poor persons, who, frotlt time to tzine, for <strong>the</strong> time beilzg,
should at <strong>the</strong> tinze <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> admisszon <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir cAiZd~en upo;tz <strong>the</strong> foztndatzbn <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
school to be established under that his wild, fie parishioners <strong>of</strong> and inhabitants
wifiziz <strong>the</strong> paris/z <strong>of</strong> Budley, or witt'ti~z oqze mile and a hag <strong>the</strong>re<strong>of</strong>, iz writing,
reading, sewzizg, and arit/zmetic, and in clothing <strong>the</strong> same boys and girls. The
trustees were also to elect some proper persons belonging to <strong>the</strong> society
<strong>of</strong> Protestant Dissenters in Wolverhampton Street, Dudley, <strong>of</strong> good
character, to be <strong>the</strong> master and mistress, who, after <strong>the</strong>ir appointment,
should on every Sunday "attend <strong>the</strong> boys and girls to <strong>the</strong> said dissenting
meeting-house to hear divine worship "; and " every morning and evening
prayers should be read to <strong>the</strong> boys and girls." The trustees were to be
"men <strong>of</strong> integrity and honest reputation, and also members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> said
congregation <strong>of</strong> Protestant Dissenters attending <strong>the</strong> said meeting-house ;
and trustees <strong>of</strong> a certain piece <strong>of</strong> land [Inhedge] lately given by Daniel
Parsons for burial ground." Attached to <strong>the</strong> will are two memoranda,
stating among o<strong>the</strong>r things "that every child belonging to <strong>the</strong> schools
should have given <strong>the</strong>m every Sunday one penny loaf and a small piece
<strong>of</strong> cheese "; that A20 should " be given in bread and herrings every
Christmas to <strong>the</strong> poor <strong>of</strong> Dudley and adjoining parish "; and that <strong>the</strong>
Sunday school, "taught by Mr. Hallard be given 10s. per week to buy a
dinner for 50 children every Sunday," and he "gave <strong>the</strong> table cloths,
spoons, knives, and cups, &C., to <strong>the</strong> school for <strong>the</strong>ir use."
15'1311~ years had to elapse before <strong>the</strong> school could be established. Miss
Mary Parsons died on 28 April, 1849, at <strong>the</strong> advanced age <strong>of</strong> 96 years, in
<strong>the</strong> house in Wolverhampton Street, and was buried in <strong>the</strong> Old Meeting-
house on 4 !Jay, where, it is said, her bro<strong>the</strong>r, Daniel, was also buried.
After her death litigation followed, and it was not ui~til 29 October, 1863,
that <strong>the</strong> scheme for <strong>the</strong> management and regulation <strong>of</strong> Daniel Parsons'
Scl~ools and for <strong>the</strong> application <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> income <strong>the</strong>re<strong>of</strong> was directed by <strong>the</strong>
vice-Chancellor, Sir Richard Torin Kindersley, by order made at Chambers
in certain suits: entitled ' Hunt V. Parsons,' ' Hunt v. Isaac,' and Hunt
v. Houghton.' The full number <strong>of</strong> trustees is fifteen.* These were to
7YThe first set named in <strong>the</strong> scheme, in order as printed, were :-" James Hunt,
William Nicklin <strong>the</strong> younger, Rev. Mat<strong>the</strong>w Gibson, William Chrysostom Wood, Samuel
Hoiden Blackwell, Edward Grainger, John Finch, George Thompson, Henry Wood,
Charles Wood, Josiah Southall, Henry Wright, Henry Bodin, John Williscr<strong>of</strong>t, and
George Blunt, all <strong>of</strong> Dudley, and members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Protestant Dissenting Meeting-house
in Wolverhampton Street, Dudley."
remove so much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> premises <strong>the</strong>n recently purchased by <strong>the</strong>m from
<strong>the</strong> trustees <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Old Meeting as was necessary, and erect suitable resi-
dences for <strong>the</strong> master and mistress, and to make <strong>the</strong> alterations and
additions necessary to collvert <strong>the</strong> Girls' School <strong>of</strong> Industry, <strong>the</strong>n established
<strong>the</strong>re, into schools for boys and girls. The foundation boys and girls, not
less than 20 <strong>of</strong> each, were to be clo<strong>the</strong>d yearly at an expense not exceed-
ing A2 10s. od. per boy, and L2 per girl.
Suitable prayers, to be approved by <strong>the</strong> trustees, are read every morning
and evening in <strong>the</strong> respective schools by <strong>the</strong> master and mistress, and all
<strong>the</strong> boys and girls are present once every Sunday at Divine worship in
<strong>the</strong> Old Meeting.
No congregatioil mentioned in this book enjoys anything like so great
educational trusts as does this <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dudley Old Meeting, in <strong>the</strong> Baylies's
and Parsons' charities. Long may <strong>the</strong> trustees continue to discharge <strong>the</strong>
responsibilities cast upon <strong>the</strong>m by <strong>the</strong>se pious benefactors, and that with-
out fear or favour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir fellow townsmen, in <strong>the</strong>ir endeavour to train
aright <strong>the</strong> children committed to <strong>the</strong>ir charge in "<strong>the</strong> knowledge and
practice <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Christian Religion."
INHEDGE BURIAL GROUND.
On I January, 1811, Daniel Parsons conveyed to James Whetstone
and 23 o<strong>the</strong>r trustees certain shrubbery and pleasure grounds <strong>the</strong>n in his
occupation, and known as <strong>the</strong> Inhedge, Wolverhampton Street, Dudley, to
be used and e?ybyed as a burial ground by a certain cong~egation <strong>of</strong> Prot~stanf
Dissenters in Dztdley now atzd hereafter assembZi~zg for zelorshz2 at <strong>the</strong> meetinglzouse
i?z Wolverha~~2pton Street. The extent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> land was some 41 yards
long and 21 yards broad, and in <strong>the</strong> whole 861 square yards. This trust
has been regularly kept up ; at <strong>the</strong> appointment <strong>of</strong> trustees on 29 June,
1847, James Whetstone, Major Parkes, and William Nicklin, were <strong>the</strong> only
survivors <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> original trustees ; and <strong>of</strong> those <strong>the</strong>n elected in 1847,
Charles Twamley, Edward Grainger, John Finch, and John Hodgetts Smith
were left to pass on <strong>the</strong> trust, on 19 September, 1881, when <strong>the</strong>y elected
as <strong>the</strong>ir successors, <strong>the</strong> Rev. Mat<strong>the</strong>w Gibson, dissenting minister; George
Thompson, maltster and hop merchant ; Henry Wood, grocer and provision
merchant ; William Partridge Greenway, ironmaster ; Edward Harper, <strong>the</strong>
elder, iron merchant ; George Frederick Thompson, maltster and hop