The account book of the Giles Geast Charity, Tewkesbury 1558-1891

摘要

Tewkesbury's Giles Geast Charity was established by the will of Giles Geast, a mercer of the town, made in 1557 and proved the following year. Amongst other provisions, he left the rents from various of his premises in Tewkesbury to be distributed annually for the benefit of the town's poor inhabitants. The will provided that four feoffees should hold the premises in trust in perpetuity. One of them was to act as overseer of the premises and receiver of the rents. The feoffees were to account annually to the bailiffs of the borough of Tewkesbury and the bailiffs and feoffees together were to be responsible for the distribution of charitable income to the poor, this usually taking place just before Christmas. When one of the feoffees died, the remaining ones were to choose another from amongst the residents of the borough.