MINUTES OF EVIDENCE, 1888-89.
117 Rev Mr Clarke.—As
to Ballymaconnell school, it « open to the Dean at all times; I have no desire to Jfcgthe duties of this office out of the Dean s hands— none whatever.
3111.
It is all right when you have the Dean, but Oct.
24, ms.
another person might hold the office who would not take the trouble at all.
PUBLIC SITTING—THUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1888.
At the Courthouse, Donaghadee.
Present:—The Right Hon.
Lord Justice FitzGibbon, Judicial Commissioner; and the Rev.
Gerald MoLLor, d.d.,
d.sc.,
Anthony Teaill, Esq.,
ll.d.,
m.d.,
f.t.c.d.,
and Professor Dougherty, MA, Assistant Commissioners.
The Assistant Secretary, N.
D.
Murphy, jun.,
was in attendance.
Oct.
25, 1S88
Lord Justice FitzGibbon made an introductory statement.
THE COUNTESS OF MODNT ALEXANDER (MALE) SCHOOL, DONAGHADEE.
Daniel Delacherois, d.l.,
sworn and examined.
3112.
You act as manager under the National Board of the Mount Alexander Male School on behalf of the trustees?—Yes.
3113.
Give particulars of instrument of foundation —the school is endowed under the will of Mary Angelica, Countess of Mount Alexander, dated May 30, 1764?—Yes
(document produced).
3114.
Lord Justice FitzGibbon (reads)— "Heave to the Lord Bibhop of Down and Connor, his Vicar-General of the diocese of Down, or his officiating surrogate of the same diocese, all for the time being, and their successors for ever the sum of £ 120 a \ ear, to be paid est of my real estate in the parishes of Cumber and Donaghadee for ever, in trust for the several purposes fol-Iowhs:—£20 a year, part of said £120 a year, to be paid to r; licensed English schoolmaster Tvho shall be of the Pr< hstant religion, as by law established, and who shall ia-truet thirty poor children yearly in 1 eading, writing, and tte lour common rules of arithmetic, without any other fee or reward save the £20 a year above mentioned ; which said schoolmaster shall be appointed by the said Bishop of Down, Ms Vicar-General or officiating surrogate and snljict to their visitation, and I do hereby empower and atitkjtize the said Bishop, his Vicar-General, or officiating sun gate to remove said schoolmaster as often as to them shall ?ee_n
just cause, and to appoint another qualified as above set forth, in his stead, or when a vacancy shall happen by death or otherwise; also £30 a year, a further part of said £120 a year, to be laid out in clothing said thirty poor children; also £10 a year, a further part of said 4120, to be divided into apprentice fees for such of said children as shall be apprenticed out to Protestant trades¬ men ; also £50 a year, a farther part of said .£120,
to be at etery Christmas divided equally, share and share alike, by my executors hereinafter named, to twenty-five poor house-taperswhohavebeen at least seven years resident in the town «I>onaghadee, or on my estate in tbe parish of Donaghadee, Jw«re they shall be entitled to any distributive share «wof; and I do hereby empower and authorize the Vicar «IJcoaghadee for tbe time being, and his successors, or his °i-n r curatS to nominate and apprentice out said poor *n» and Am* the said vicar or his resident curate aall, on or before the 20th day of December in even-year, »*nn*te to my executors hereinafter named, the twenty-S?Wr.reduced
bouse-keepers who shall be entitled to a wnhative share of said £50; and it is my will that wtows shall always have the preference, and also that £10 t/!f'
^ .remail»ng
Part of said £120, be paid yearly » the officiating clergymen of Donaghadee, for reading •«rag payers on every Wednesday and Friday through-«* tte year m the parish church of Donaghadee, and that ktorJ***??,-
a!i
accoun* yearly at the annual visitation twS881* d,10ce8e of Dowil>l efore the Bish°P5 Us RectOT> » JS**1*^ °r officiatin§ sujga*e for said sum of £120
(To Witness)—Is there at present any Yicar-
t,&x^p\ General of Down ?—No,
since the Church Act that Delaeher«is, office has been done away with.
The Chancellor of v.-l.
Down takes the place of the Yicar-General.
3115.
Is £120 a year still paid 1—Yes, on the certi¬ ficate of the clergyman.
3116.
It is only .-£120
Irish money?—That
is all.
3117.
On whose estate is it charged'?—One
part on mine, and the other part on the estate of Mr.
Crom-melin, of Carrowdore; they are separate estates but the charity is a charge upon both equally.
3118.
To whom is the money paid ?—Every
Christ¬ mas the Incumbent sends in a list of the twenty-five poor housekeepers, and of the pupils, and my agent pays the amount as he does the other charities.
Then there is a certificate that the schoolmaster has done his duty and he gets his money.
Mr.
Crommelin pays one-half and I pay the other half.
The clothing is paid for when the Incumbent certifies that it has been provided, and when the Incumbent sends in a certificate that a certain number of boys are eligible for receiving the apprentice fees and are going to trades,the amount is granted.
Imay say 1 donot think it has been done in a bona fide way for some time past, because the boys take the money and do not go to the trades, and it is rather a bogus sort of business.
It seems practically rather useless in the way it has been given of late.
3119.
The Incumbent nominates the house-keepers and the children who are to receive fees?—Yes,
he, looks after the thirty free boys in the school, and knows when the time has arrived for them to go to a trade.
3120.
Is there any provision for girls in the sehool ] —It has always been treated, since February, 1884, when it became connected with the National Board, as a male school.
Under the Erasmus Smith arrange¬ ment there were girls.
3121.
You had a grant from Erasmus Smith's Board!
Yes, until 1884, when they discontinued the school for want of funds.
I then told the present Primatethat if they did not put it under some board the school would drop to pieces, and he got it put under the National Board.
3122.
Rev.
Dr.
Mollot.
—Since 1884 you have got nothing from Erasmus Smith's endowment 1—No.
3123.
Professor Dougherty.—Have
your boys still the privilege of competing for places in the Blue Coat Hospital 1—I do not think any have gone there.
