________________
260
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[NOVEMBER, 1917
be invested in goods proper for Europe and sent as by the Right honoble. Companies Permission on as many and such shipps as my Overseers shall think convenient.
"Fifteenthly I hereby acquitt Mr. Charles Pate from his debt to me of Fifty Pagodas lent him at the Fort.17
"Lastly I will and ordaine the honoble. Daniell Sheldon and my eldest daughter Mary Charnock to be Executors of this my last will and Testament revoaking and disanulling all former or other Will or Wills that have beene made in witness whereof I have hereunto putt my hand and seale this ninth day of January one thousand Six hundred and ninety twn [ 1692/3 ].
JOB CHARNOCK Signd and Sealed in the presence of Jonathan White
Francis Houghton
John Hill,” Probate was granted on the 12th June, 1695, to Robert Dorrell, attorney to Mary Charnock, Daniel Sheldon renouncing.
Job Charnock's behest with regard to his daughters' return to England was disregarded. - The three girls, children of his native wife, remained in India and married there. Mary became the first wife of Charles Eyre, Charnock's successor as Agent in Bengal. She died on the 19th February, 1697. Elizabeth married William Bowridge, a junior merchant in the Company's service. He died in April, 1724 and his widow survived in Calcutta until August, 1753. Ma y Charnock, Job's youngest daughter, married Jonathan White, also a servant of the Company. He became Second of Council and died in Calcutta on the 3rd January, 1704, three years after the death of his young wife.
It is interesting to trace thefate of Job Charnock's bequest to the poor of his native parish.
A vestry minute of St. Katharine Cree of the 28th August, 1695, records the gift of ** Mr. Job Charnock, late of the East Indies, merchant, of 501. to the poor of this parish," and further states that it was ordered at that vestry, that " in consideration of the said 501. the poor should have distributed amongst them 31. yearly, for ever, by two equal payments, upon the 5th November and 5th February."
At a subsequent vestry, held on the 1st February, 1699, it was ordered that "the 501. given to the parish for the use of the poor by Mr. Job Charnock, and the 1001. given for the like use by Mr. John Jackson should be settled on the house belonging to the parish, situate in Fenchurch-street, and the said house was thereby charged with the repayment thereof, with five per cent. interest, such interest being 71. 103., to be yearly paid for the use of the poor. 18
In 1860, the house, No. 91, Fenchurch-street, was let on lease to John Moore for a term of 21 years from Christmas, 1849, at the rent of £42 per annun, and Charnock's £2 10-0 interest was carried to the bread account for the distribution of twenty 2-lb. loaves to 20 persons every Sunday.
For the later history of the bequest I am indebted to Mr. Henry Bowyear, Chief Charity Commissioner, who informs me that “The house, No. 91, Fenchurch-street, was taken under the provisions of Michael Angelo Taylor's Act (57 Geo. III. o. XXIX) and the purchase money was paid into Court and was represented by a sum of £ 1,949-10-8 Consols. By the statement prepared under the City of London Parochial Charities Act, 1883, for the Parish of St. Katharine Cree, this sum is scheduled as the endowment of the three Charities of Richard Lingham, Job Charnock and John Jackson, and by the operation of that Act and the Central Scheme made thereunder, on the 23rd February, 1891, it was merged in the Central Fund of the City Parochial Foundation."
17 Fort St. George, Madras, 18 Reports made to the Charity Commissioners, Accounts and Paper. (H. of C. Vols. 71 and 334 of 1904).
