John Laughton
| John Laughton | |
|---|---|
 Stained glass depiction of John Laughton | |
| Died | c1707 |
John Laughton has Boston Grammar School's Laughton (yellow) house named after him.
Laughton's Charity School was founded by John Laughton, of Boston, gentleman. In his will, dated 27 November 1707 and proved in the Prerogative Court of Canturbury on 31 January 1708, he left to William Faulkner, of Boston, clerk, and Henry Pacey, of Boston, gentleman, and to their heirs, his lands in Skirbeck Quarter in the parish of Skirbeck, consisting of four enclosures (quantity of land not stated), upon trust for the following purposes:
That is to say, 10£., part of the rents and profits thereof yearly, unto such person as the vicar and head master of the free school of Boston for the time being, and the said William Faulkner and Henry Pacey, and their heirs and successors, should make choice of, to teach so many of the poorest freemen's sons of the borough of Boston to learn to read English, to write, and to cast up accounts, as they should think fit; and 30s. other part of the rents thereof, to be laid out yearly in buying of Bibles with the Common Prayer in them, and books called The Whole Duty of Man, to be distributed yearly to such poor families as the before-mentioned persons and their heirs and successors should think fit. The said testator further directed that the residue of the rents and yearly profits thereof should be laid out yearly and every year, in putting out three such poor freemen's sons of the said borough, apprentices; first deducting 20s. to be spent by them, the said Vicar, William Faulkner and Henry Pacey, and their successors, in such a collation or treat as they should think fit. And the said persons (Faulkner and Pacey) were respectively empowered to nominate and appoint their successors by their last will or otherwise.
In c1853, according to Pishey Thompson[1] the trust was vested in the Pacey and Hart families; the latter as successors of the Revd. William Faulkner. The land was freehold and tithe-free; and produced, in 1837, the annual rent of £114. The total income of the charity at that time was £129 15s.
The Laughton Charity School was originally situated within St Botolph's Church, Boston and after various moves finally settled in a purpose-built home at the junction of Norfolk Street and Witham Place in 1876.[2] Laughton's bequest is now known as the John Laughton Educational Foundation.[3]
John Laughton's endowments were partly applied to Boston Grammar School from 1909 onwards.
Before the introduction of gas to St Botolph's, the church was lit by brass chandeliers suspended in the main aisle, each supporting a number of candles. One of the chandeliers was given by John Laughton.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The History and Antiquities of Boston" by Pishey Thompson - Reprinted in 1997 by Heritage Lincolnshire - ISBN 0948639202
- ↑ Boston's Long Past - Part 2
- ↑ Open Charities