Belfast Monthly Magazine

Report of the Maryborough Charitable Society from 23d March 1808, till 21st March 1809Source: The Belfast Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 13 (Aug. 31, 1809), pp. 102-104Published by: Belfast Monthly MagazineStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30072384 .

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10o2 Account of the Maryborough Institution. [ Aug. Tic priest-hood, who certainly have from their numbers, at least, as strong a claim to such a payment as any other. Some may call such a systein lenient: I am incitned to denoliinate it artful. I give more credit to Lord Castle- reagh for his policy than his jus. tice. The Anti-burgher Synod, at a reeting held in Belfast, lately, have refused to accept the regium donumn on the terms of submittintg to the classification, and other conditions coupled with thig measure. K.

For the Belfast Monthly Magazine. REPORT OF TIIHE MARYBOROU GH CHARITABLE

S0CIETY FROM 123d MARC[I

1808, TILL 21st MARCH 1809.

I. s.d. TO amount of Subscriptions 58 15 1 To amount of collections

made inl town ...... 48 15 4j To amount of a fine, levied by

a magistrate ...... 5 0 0 To amount of loan instalments,

paid till '20th Marrh . . 137 8 1' To amount of blanket instal-

ment, paid till 20th March 38 T5 9- To amount of ready cash, re-

ceived for blankets . . . 14 12 6 To balance due to treasurer,

an settling the year's ac- count,j22d March, 1809 10.5. o 5

By 507 families relieved frIom 16th August till 2Oth March ; in whichI were 1199 persons,, to whonm rehef las afforded for one week, to thet amount 1. s. d. of....... .. ... . 39 17 . 5

12 persons relieved with the loan, to the amuount of 237 0 6

115, pair of blankets* pur- chased ..........106 17 4

By salary to Secretary. Sta- tionary, Stamps, &c.&c. 25 1 o0

,fp40u I ri :4 State oqf te fund, 22d March, 180is.

I. s. d. Instalments due on loan .

. 10) 77 ~11tto, on bli kets. ..... 4.5

18 1 '26 pair of blankets on hands 28 3 4

-ta 1 4- 0Z To balance due to Treasurer 15

9 5 Strength a t

n Of tie above, 76 pairs were sold to 74 perscmn and paids for by iiistalmeets andl.3 one Ihalf pairs for ready cash,.

The foregoing statement having appear. ed in oue of the Dublin papers, a let. ter was written on behalf of the Pro- prietors of the Belfast Monthil Ma- gazine, to the Managers f the So- czety, requesting an explanation of their plan, in order to lay it beibre our Readers, it being our wish, by giving accounts of well /managed institutions of this kind, to stimu- late other places by example. We have been fwvoured with the follow- ing obliging letter from a gentle- man at Alaryborough, with an ex- planatory statement of the report ef' their respectable and praise- worthy institution.

SIR, I send as I promised (though I

have too long deferred it) a sketch explanatory of the system of onr So- ciety, in M aryborough. As you seem- ed to wish for its publication, I have studied to word it briefly ; I flatter myself that every thing almost neces- sary has been stated.

I leave it, as you will perceive, in great measure to speak for itself, but 1 think it speaks clearly. Our suc- cess, in a poor town, meeting with opposition fiom bigotry, and receiving scurce

any support from those best able to afford it, should tend to en- courage exertion in other places. [ have no hesitation in assuring you, that be the experiment tried whet it may, if tried with zealous perse- verance, that it will succeed, and I know of no means so admirable of mnanaging money for the purposes of charity. EXPLANATORY STATEMENT OF THE REPORT

OF THE MARYBOROUGH CHARITABLE So. CIETY.

It will be necessary, as introduc- tory of the report of the Mlaryborough Charitable Society, to state the ob- ject which the society has proposed to itself to hold in view, for the a- melioration of the coindition of the inliustrious, the relief of tlhe poor, and t:e improvement of the town) itself.

'l he first object proposed, is tile promotion of the spiritual welfare of' the people, by friendly exh~lrtation on the part of the Visitors, by cir- culating the scriptures and by the encoulagement of a daily, and a Sun- day schooL

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1809.] Account of the 4Iaryborougk Institution. 103

A schoolmaster who has been in- structed (at the school, in school-street, D)ublin) :inr Lancaster's system of e- ducationi has been engaged by the Society, and has established a school, under their patronage, for which he receives for this year a gratuity of

.w20 and may be farther encouraged

as circumstances may admit. Tl'e so- ciety reserve to themselves the pri- vilege of sending fifteen children (chiefly, if'not altogether, from the Sunday school), to be educated gratis, and assert the right of inspecting it, and giving directions in matters re. lating to ird economy.

A Sunday school was established long before the existence of this so- ciety. It is not too hazardous an as- sertion to make, that however supe- rior it may be to inost, it is inferior to few either in England or Ireland. Its chief excellence is owing to the zealous, though gratuitous' exertions of the teachers. It is the. intention of the society to appropriate part of their funds to aid this school. It consists of about one hundred and ninety children.

I shall not enter farther into detail on this object, as It is a matter in general exciting little interest.

The second main object proposed by the society, is the temporal wel- fare of the poor, &c.

This object is classed under several heads.

1. The affording relief in times of sickness.

2. The loan of small sums, to be repaid by instalments.

3. The sale of blankets,

frize, straw, flax-uheels, implements of trade, &c. on loan, to be repaid likewise

b, in. stalments.

4. : he filling the holes and mend- ing the ways leading to, and about the dwellings of the poor, and the promotion of cleanliness by premiums.

I. Ihe town is -divided into four districts, 'to each 6f which, visitors, male and feirale are appointed, whose duty it is to attebd when called upbn, and where they deem it necessary to advance any sum not exceeding three shillings and three pence a week, to any one faaily, unless by special prrmission of the committee.,

This money so advanced, is repaid

to the head visitor (one of whiclh is appointed to each district, as the or- gan ot communication between the committee and the visitors) on his producing the visitor's weekly report- book, in which the name of the per- sons relieved, the number in family, and the relief given, are entered wiih any remarks that may occur, and sub- mitting it to the weekly comnmittee, by, whose chairman it should be signed.

The persons proposed for relief, are the poor hopsekeepers' of' the town, who are aged, sick or maimed, arnd strangers to case of sickness. Relief is never allowed to professed beggars, except in cases of necessity.

It is farther the duty of the isitors to go through their distriots once a week and collect sums, however

.malll from house to house, which are deliv- ered in to the committee. ' hese col- lections (which in this small and poor town, produced, '48 1I5 4L within the year) arespecially appropriated to the relief of the sick poor. The

subssci-p.- tions of the members, donations, &c. are applied to the other purposes of the society.

2. Charitable loan. Any person requiring the loan of

money, leaves with the secretary a note stating the amount of the sunt he wants, the time for whigh he wants it, his residence, and the names and residence of two persons who ofter to become his securities. '1 his note is submitted to the weekly committee by the chairman, and if the principal and securities are approved Iof, the sum (sometimes the whole requested, sometimes less) is ordered by him to he lent. This is a warrant go the treasurer to advance the slum approv- ed of, on the borrower passing a joint note with his two securities to repay the same (generally within twenty-tour weeks) by weekly instal- ments, with legal interest. No loan to drunkards, &c.

3. Sale of blankets, frize, &c. The society being but yet in its

infancy (not having been quite two years established) have pioceeded no farther on this head, than the sale of blankets. 'In no respect perhbps have their labours proved more uet ul, thap in this, there havir~ been no less

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104 An Arcount of Island Magee. [Aug. than one hundred and five pair of blankets added to the stock of this town and its vicinity, and purchased chiefly by persons who would but for this advantageous method held out to thein, probably never have obtained them.

The price of the blankets is con- sidered as a loan, and the person proposing for them ofliers his securi- ties and the business is transacted in the same mannier as if for the loan.

4. Fillbig the holes, and mending the ways, &c.

Nothing has as yet been done in this matter, but it has been consid- ered that the health as well as the comfort of the people will be much improved by attention to it, and'that premiums offered within given limits, for the most cleanly and best con- structed houses under certain con- dlilions and restrictions may prove highly conducive to health and clean- Niess.

With regard tothe general system of the institution: it is placed under the direction of an open committee, constituted of all subscribers of half a guinea a year and upwards, and subscribers of five guineas a year for life.

Two general meetings are held half yearly, who hold controul over the proceedings of the weekly com- 3lf1ttee.

The duty of the committee is to re- ceive the weekly collections of money, to o der payment to the district visiturs, on examining their reports, to lend out money (generally ia sums fronm one to ten pounds) to sell blankets, &c. to inspect the accoutnts and to give directions relative to the daily school.

The officers consist of a treasurer wvithout, and a secretatvy ,ith

a sa- lary of d20 a year. '1 he secretary collects the insiahnents and transacts all the weighty business.

This institution was formed chiefly on the model of one in Cashel thle plan of which was commnunicated by his Grace, the Archbishop of Cashel. Notwithstandiing the insignificance of its funds (to which must be attribut- ed the delay in bringing to practice stwveral of the objects proposed) the Maryboirough society has already

proved the value of the system; per- haps there exists no

movde whatever

(at least none acknowledged) by which small means can effect so great objects as that which this system offers.

For the Belfast Monthly Magazine.

AN ACCOUNT OF ISLAND MAGCE, TAKEN IN 1809.

SLAND MAGEE is situated in the S. E. part of the county of Antrim.

1 he west end is about four English miles from Carrickfergus; it is six miles in length, and near two in breadith. It is a peninsula, bounded on the south by Carrickfergus lough, on the north by that of Larne, oi the east by the Irish channel, and on the west it is joined to the main land by a marshy isthmus of about a mile in breadth. 'lThe land is mostly arable, and well cultivated, producing abundance of wheat, corn, beatlE, &c. xihich generally meet a preference in market. There are, however, some fields,

, With blossom'd furze, unprofitably gay.' The soil is a deep clay, with lime-

stone in many parts, some of which they export to scotland, and the op- posite coast of the county of Down. I he face of the country is pleasantly diversified with little hillts and vatihes; yet, from the almost total want of planting, it has but an indifferent ap- pearance at a distance. The Marquis of Donegall is lord paramount of the island. The present landlord is Lord

DungannoU, a very indulgent one. indeed, I have often thougit one might casily form a pretty correct opinion of thie landlord, by taking a general view of his tendntry ; and no where in Ire- land do the houses of the farmers exhibit a greater plenty of homely *are than in Islahd Magee. The in- habitants live mostly by agriculture and fishing; they are robust and of a ruddv complexion, speaking very broaid, 'ith somewhat of a Scottish accent: to be brief, in both persons and manners they somewhat resemble the inhabitants of North Britain, which may in some degree be accounted for by their -remote situation ob'struct- ing their marriages with the interior. I lie inhabitants ace supposed to

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