From the provisions of the will of the said John Whiteman*, it appears that on the demise of his widow, the rents are to be appropriated to the use of the poor of the said hospital, paying out thereof the sum of two shillings per week to his sister, and the like sum to his brother, if living.

The poor of this hospital will, from this bequest, gain a clear income of twenty pounds and upwards per annum; a sum which, added to their other resources, will contribute much to alleviated the anxiety of old age, and to render the winter of life more serene and peaceful,

Bead-House Hospital.

This hospital is situated at the bottom of Micklegate, and has eight rooms, in which are placed sixteen poor people.

There is a small parcel of ground at the back of this hospital belonging thereto.

Also Mrs. Favel gave a garden at the bottom of Slutwell Lane, called Favel Garden, which is now part of Mr. Seaton's grounds, and for which he pays the poor of this hospital four pounds per annum. This payment is paid to the vicar, who distributes the same amongst the widows, who are exclusively entitled thereto.

* John Whiteman was a native of Pontefract, and had by diligence and labour acquired the property specified. Having no children, nor any relatives likely to preserve what he had industriously acquired, he was induced to leave all to the hospital, in which two of his uncles and his brother had found an assylum; and he hoped should any of his remote re lations be reduced to want, the town would provide for them in the same house.

Thwaites Hospital, in Newgate.

May 20, 1620, Mr. Richard Thwaites, by his will, gave two cottages, divided into four rooms, and also two gardens threreto belonging and adjoining, for an hospital for four ancient poor women, who shall be single women, to dwell severally in the said four rooms, and have equal shares and profits of the two gardens. Also an annual rent, to be paid by his heirs, out of the rents and profits of a close, called Tanshelf Well Close, adjoining to Pontefract Park, of twelve horse loads of coals to each poor woman in the said hospital, for their fire, yearly; and also forty shillings a year, to be paid quar terly, on the feast of St. John the Baptist, St. Michael the archangel, St. Thomas the apostle, and the annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary, to them and their successors for ever, towards their relief and maintenance. Three of the said poor people to be placed in the said rooms to be taken out of the town of Pontefract, and the fourth of them out of Tanshelf, at all times for ever. And in case the said coals should not be brought regularly to the poor people by his heirs, or the purchaser of his copyhold estate, then the trustees therein after mentioned should receive three pounds every year, out of the rents and profits of the said Tanshelf Well Close, and therewith procure the said coals for them for ever. The trustees appointed by the said will were his heirs and their successors, so long as there should be any of them remaining. And in case of a failure therein, then the mayor and vicar of Pontefract, for the time being, and

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Henry Frank, his brother in law, and two senior aldermen, during the life of the said Henry Frank; and the three senior aldermen, after his death, to have the sole direction of the said hospital.

It was decreed by the commissioners of pious uses, by an inquisition taken at Snaith, April 10, 1674, that Mr. Thomas Ward, the then possessor of Tanshelf Well Close, his heirs and assigns, and the owner and occupier of the said close, shall for ever thereafter pay and stand charged with the payment of three pounds yearly, to the poor women of the said hospital; and the mayor and vicar of Pontefract, for the time being, and three senior aldermen, or the greater number of them, be perpetual trustees for the said hospital.

Frank's Hospital."

This hospital is situated at the bottom of Micklegate, and formerly contained only one apartment, in which were placed two two poor

women.

It is supposed to have been left by Mr. Matthew Frank, formerly an alderman of this borough, and the donations of it are One garth at the back thereof; a liquorice garden, near St. Nicholas' hospital, called the Bull Garth; and an house at the bottom of Micklegate.

There is also another hospital adjoining to the above, supposed to have been built by Mr. Robert Frank, upon part of the ground left by Mr. Matthew Frank, above mentioned, and is endowed as follows.

November 16, 1629, By a deed made between Leonard Ward, of Pontefract, on the one part, and Robert Moor, gentleman, then mayor, Matthew Kay, of Beghall, Richard Frank, of Campsall, gentlemen, and Dorothy Frank, of Pontefract, widow, on the other part, reciting that Mr. John Frank, alderman, deceased, by his last will, in writing, bearing date January 16, 1618, did give to the poor of Pontefract fifty pounds, to be paid by his son, Mr. Rich. Frank, within two years after his death, out of lands in Fenwick and Norton, to the churchwardens of the town of Pontefract, for the time being, to be bestowed in lands or otherwise, to and for the use aforesaid, by the mayor of Pontefract, for the time being, and by Matthew Kay, of Brotherton, and by Henry Frank, his brother, and Richard Frank, his son, or by so many of them as should be then living. And his will was that the said fifty pounds, or lands and profits thereof, should yearly remain to the use aforesaid for ever, to be distributed by the consent of the said mayor, and his heirs. And further reciting that the said Richard Frank had already paid the said fifty pounds into the hands of the said Dorothy, his mother, by the consent of the said churchwardens; and that she, of her own free will, had given ten pounds. more to the use aforesaid, which said sums made together sixty; with which the said mayor, Mr. Kay, and Richard Frank, with the assistance of the said Dorothy, had agreed with the said Leonard Ward for the purchase of the lauds thereafter mentioned. The said Leonard Ward, in consideration of the said sixty pounds,

did convey one acre of arable land at Beckhill, and two acres of inclosed land, called Long Close, in St. Thomas' Hill Field, abutting upon Monkhill Lane, to the only use and behoof of the said Robert Moore, Matthew Kay, and Richard Frank, and their heirs for ever, upon trust, that they and the survivor or survivors of them should stand and be seised as feoffees in trust, to the only proper use of the poor people in Pontefract, for the time being, for ever, to be distributed by the mayor, for the time being, and by the heirs of the said John Frank.

Although the above donation is to the poor of the town generally, the rents of the land have been distributed to the poor people in this hospital, out of respect to the donor.

Robert Frank, Esq. by his will, dated Dec. 26, 1737, devises to his daughter Margaret and her heirs, the above mentioned cottage or tene ment, which he had lately built in Micklegate, in Pontefract, for an almshouse, wherein he had placed or put Susanna Firth and Ann Porter, two poor widows, for their lives. And also all his, the said testator's trust, estate and interest of and in the closes of land above mentioned, to have been purchased with the said sixty pounds*; for the use, and in trust, and to the intent that the said Margaret Frank, her heirs and assigns, should pay and distribute the rents, issues, and profits thereof, to the said Susanna Firth and Ann Porter, for their lives; and after their decease to such widows as should thereafter be placed in the said almshouse, in the room and

By what right had he the disposal of this land. See the before mentioned deed, Nov. 16, 1629.