PROVIDENT INSTITUTIONS

DEVON AND EXETER SAVINGS' BANK, in Bedford circus, was established in 1815, for the safe and beneficial investment of the savings of the humbler classes. The large and handsome building which it now occupies, was completed in 1839, at a considerable expense, paid out of the surplus fund. The principal office, or banking room, is 60 feet long and from 40 to 60 broad, and is very lofty. The building comprises also residences for the actuary and cashier, a board room, and other offices. The whole is warmed by hot water, heated by stoves on the basement floor, and passed through copper pipes into each compartment. The operations of this Savings' Bank extend over a very large portion of the county of Devon, by means of more than 130 Branches. It is under the direction of 48 trustees, and upwards of 260 managers; and the amount of its deposits is only exceeded by one other Savings' Bank in the kingdom. The sum which it had invested in the Bank of England, on the 20th of Nov., 1848, including a year's interest, was £987,075. 17s. 5d., belonging to about 30,000 depositors, and a number of Friendly and Charitable Societies. The total sum which it had then received on 88,123 accounts, during the 33 years of its existence, amounted to £3,717,827; and the sums withdrawn and interest paid during the same period, amounted to £2,760,427. This institution is empowered, under the provisions of the 3rd of William IV., cap. 14, to grant Government Annuities, immediate or deferred, for life, or for a certain term of years; and the sum of £58,487, has been invested by it in the purchase of annuities of from £4 to £30 each, payable half yearly. A husband and wife are both eligible to hold an annuity of the highest amount. Copies of the regulations, with lists of the trustees, managers, branches, &c., may be obtained at the Bank, on application to Mr. Wm. Lee, the actuary.

The West of England Fire and Life Insurance Company was established in 1807; and empowered by act of Parliament, in 1813. It has a subscribed capital of £600,000, in £100 shares, of which £46.16s. 6d. is paid. Its chief office is a large and elegant building at 237, High street, erected in 1833. The facade of this edifice is of Portland stone, and is about 50 feet wide and 26 high. It has a portico in the centre surmounted by a pedestal, on which stands a figure of King Alfred. Behind this is a large building, erected in 1820, and containing an excellent board room, and the secretary's residence. This provident institution ranks among the principal insurance companies of Europe, and has a large establishment in London, and agencies in Paris, Edinburgh, Dublin, and almost every town in the kingdom. In 1847, it paid no less than £42,856 as duty on fire insurance. Earl Fortescue, Earl Morley, Lord Clifford, Sir T.D. Acland, Bart., Edward Divett, Esq., M.P., and S.T. Kekewich, Esq., are the trustees; W.M. Praed, Esq., is the president; and Mr. Charles Lewis is the secretary. The London office is at 20, Bridge street, Blaekfriars.

The Western Provident Association was established here in May, 1848, for the purpose of assuring to the industrious classes of both sexes, in return for their small monthly contributions, - weekly stipends and medical aid, during sickness and old age; also payments of £5 to £100 at death;- and endowments of from £5 to £50 for children. This mutual assurance society affords to the tradesmen and the working classes all the benefits, without any of the risks and evils of the old Benefit and Friendly Societies. Its rules are enrolled under the act of Parliament relating to such institutions, and its tables have been most carefully calculated by that eminent statist - Mr. Nelson. The benefits of the association may be extended by the Board to any part of the West of England, by the formation of Branches, with the assistance of Local Committees; and any existing Benefit Society may be incorporated with it, on equitable terms. During the first ten months of its existence 663 members enrolled themselves as subscribers for 857 assurances, and their number has since been greatly augmented. Branches have been formed at Plymouth, Devonport, Crediton, Torquay, Ashburton, Bovey-Tracey, Teignmouth, Exmouth, Ottery St. Mary, Leskeard, and other places in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, &c., Viscount Ebrington, M.P., is president, and some of the principal gentry of the city and neighbourhood are the vice-presidents and trustees. Mr. Chas. Hill is the secretary, and the office of the Association is at the Athenaeum, Bedford circus, and is open daily from 10 till 4, and on Tuesday and Saturday evenings from 6 to 8 o'clock.

The National Loan Fund Life Assurance and Deferred Annuity Society has a branch office at 59, High street, and upwards of 70 Fire and Life Insurance Companies have agencies here, as will be seen in the subjoined Directory. The Western Annuity Society was established in 1831, and Mr. W.D. Moore, of 59, High street, is its secretary. Mr. Thomas May is manager of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Exeter Benefit Investment Societies, established in 1845, '6, and '7. These societies consist of many hundred holders of £120 shares, to be raised by monthly contributions of 10s. per share, and lent out on security of freehold or leasehold property. Mr. Thos. W. Gray is solicitor to the Devon and Exeter Benefit Building and Investment Society, established in 1847, and Messrs. Walkey and Truscott are solicitors to the Second Economic Benefit Building Society, established in 1848. J.H. Terrell and Mr. Fryer are solicitors to Exeter and St. Thomas's Benefit Investment Society, founded in 1848. Mr. E.A. Copleston is secretary to the Western Agricultural and General Benefit Society. The Earl of Devon is chairman, and Mr. John Bowring, secretary, of St. Thomas's District Loan Society, which was established in 1839, and meets every Friday at 2 o'clock, in the Agricultural Rooms, 197, High street. Mr. Thomas May is secretary to the West of England and South Wales Land Drainage and Inclosure Company, established in 1844, and incorporated by act of Parliament in 1848. The object of this Company is to afford to landowners and occupiers increased facilities for draining and improving their land in the most scientific and effectual manner, or by the advance of capital for that purpose, to be repaid by instalments. Among the other provident institutions in Exeter are several Friendly Societies and Lodges of Freemasons, Odd Fellows, and other Secret Orders. The Masonic Lodges, (Nos. 46 and 129) are open on the 2nd and last Thursdays of every month at the Tucker's and Masonic Hall, as already noticed at page 112.

EXETER WORKHOUSE

EXETER WORKHOUSE:- In 1699, an Act of Parliament passed for erecting hospitals and workhouses for the poor of the 23 parishes, "c., of the City and County of the City of Exeter; under which a large Workhouse was built in the parish of St. Sidwell. Since 1704, the CORPORATION OF THE POOR, instituted by this Act, have been in receipt of most of an annuity of £40, left by the Rev. John Bury, in 1667, for the support of a workhouse for the poor of the parish of St. Sidwell. As part of this annuity they receive £30 yearly out of land at Netherstover, and £3 from a cottage at Broadnymet; but £8. 8s. per annum charged by the donor on a tenement called Rock, now held by the Dean and Chapter, has not been paid for many years. In 1700, the site of the Workhouse, and 17 acres of land adjoining, were conveyed to the Governor and Guardians of the Poor, subject to a yearly rent-charge of £30, one half of which belongs to Sir T. Lethbridge, and the other half was left to the Episcopal Charity Schools by Mrs. Mary Trelawny. Part of this land is occupied as the Workhouse garden, brick-yard, &c., and the rest is let for about £106 per annum, and chiefly occupied as nurseries, gardens, and the building sites of two rows of houses called Summerland place and terrace. The Corporation of the Poor derive also about £50 a year as the rents of a house and the Bury Meadows, of which four-fifths were left by Sir Edward Seaward, in 1703, and the remaining fifth by Margery Gould, at a subsequent date. About four acres of Bury Meadows were laid out as a public promenade for the inhabitants in 1846. The Workhouse has been enlarged at various periods, and comprises several extensive ranges of brick buildings, in which are accommodations for about 550 paupers, but it has seldom more than 400 inmates. It is pleasantly situated in the eastern suburbs of the city, and is surrounded by gardens and handsome houses. Behind it is a large brick and tile yard, in which many of the able-bodied paupers are employed. The 23 parishes, &c. of the city and county of the city of Exeter, are still incorporated for the support of their poor, under the local act of 1699, and they form a Superintendent Registrar's District, under the general registration act. The numerous and valuable charitable funds, which are periodically distributed among the indigent of Exeter, tend materially to lighten the burden of the city poor rates, which seldom exceed £10,000 per annum, and in 1838 only amounted to £7500. Under the act of 1699, the Mayor and 12 Aldermen are Guardians of the Poor (ex officio,) and about 40 others are elected for life by the ratepayers of the four wards. The following is a list of the Guardians and officers of the

CORPORATION OF THE POOR OF THE CITY OF EXETER.

Wm. Hooper, Esq., Governor; Joseph Cuthbertson, Esq., Deputy Governor; Wm. Lee, Esq., Treasurer; the Mayor and Twelve Aldermen; and Messrs. W.P. Kingdon, M. Franklin, J. Pearse, R. Taylor, E. Woolmer, M. Kennaway, J. Golsworthy, T. Balle, John Dymond, Samuel Mortimer, Samuel Maunder, Henry Hooper, George Maunder, George Bradford, Joseph Sayell, Christopher Arden, Wm. Nation, John Dinham Osborn, Wm. Hobson Furlong, H. Lake Hirtzel, W. Richards, James Luke Knight, Charles Davy, George Ferris, T.E. Drake, J.H. Gasking, R.S. Cornish, J. Pine, J.C. Wilcocks, W. Drewe, J.P. Nichols, J.C. Sercombe, J. Stoppard, R. Pain, T. Salter, John Ware, and Joseph Moxon. Chaplain, Rev. Theodore Coldridge. Solicitor, Chas. Brutton, Esq. Auditor, John Tyrrell, Esq. Clerk, Mr. Robert Hake. Office, New Buildings, Castle St. Medical Officers, Messrs. F.H. Warren, Arthur Kempe, J.S. Perkins, and A. J. Cumming. Head Beadle, Mr. John Shears; Beadle, Mr. John Sparkes; Assistant Beadle, George Couch. Schoolmaster and Mistress, Mr. J. Fryer and Miss A.J. Thompson. Foreman of the Brick and Tile Yard, Mr. Robert Sparke.

Commissioners for Controlling the Expenditure of the Corporation of the Poor:- Messrs. Paul Measor, Thomas Besley, George Braund, Thomas Merchant, John S. Gard, John Hill, Rev. G.M. Slatter, Messrs. J. Northam, R.B. Best, C.K. Webb, W. Lang, W. Land, N.W. Tanner, W.H. Farrant, W. Tombs, W. Pepperell, Ralph Sanders, and George Weedon.

REGISTRARS:- James Terrell, Esq., is Superintendent Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages; and Mr. Edward H. Roberts is his deputy. Messrs. Charles Hill and John Porter are Registrars of Marriages. The following are the REGISTRARS OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS, viz., Mr. S.M. Cox for St. David's District, and Mr. F.G. Farrant for St. Sidwell's District. Mr. B.B. Best is deputy to the former, and Mr. S. Hooker to the latter.

ST. THOMAS'S UNION

ST. THOMAS'S UNION, though none of it is within the municipal limits of Exeter, includes those populous suburbs of the city in the parishes of St Thomas the Apostle, St. Leonard, and Heavitree, as well as 46 other parishes in Wonford and adjacent hundreds. It was formed under the New Poor Law, in 1836. Its 49 parishes comprise an area of about 126,510 acres, and contained in 1841 a population of 46,467 souls, of whom 21,671 were males, and 24,796 females. The total number of Houses in the Union in 1841 was 9735, of which 610 were unoccupied, and 147 building. Its total expenditure on the poor in the year ending March, 1848, was £22,728, including £2605 paid to the county rates. The number of paupers relieved in each quarter of the same year averaged 4571, of whom 350 were in-door poor. The UNION WORKHOUSE is a large stone building in St. Thomas's parishes, and was erected in 1837, at the cost of about £11,000, including the purchase of 3½ acres of land. It has accommodations for 450 paupers, and the rooms are spacious and well ventilated. The Guardians meet every Friday at eleven o'clock, and the Earl of Devon is chairman, and S.T. Kekewich, Esq., and the Rev. A. Atherley are vice-chairmen. The Board consists of 42 ex officio, and 61 elected Guardians. Messrs. J.G. Bidwill and J. Bowring are joint clerks of the Union; and the former is also superintendent registrar, and the latter deputy sup. regr. Mr. and Mrs. Hodge are master and matron of the Workhouse; the Rev. E. Bartlett is the chaplain; and Mr. and Mrs. Dunn are teachers of the schools. Sixteen surgeons are employed for the Union, and one for the Workhouse. Messrs. John Trenchard, of Exmouth, and James Lyddon, of St. Thomas's, are registrars of marriages, and the following is a LIST OF PARISHES IN ST. THOMAS'S UNION.

With Notes referring to the subjoined List of Relieving 0fficers and Registrars of Births and Deaths.

All these Parishes are in the jurisdiction of the County Court, held at Exeter. RELIEVING OFFICERS:- Mr. Badcock, of Kennford, for all the parishes marked A; Mr. Edward Southcott, of Topsham, for those marked B; Mr. Henry W. Austin, of Broadclist, for those marked C; and Mr. Christopher Saunders, of Heavitree. for those marked D.

REGISTRARS OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS:- Mr. Benison, of St. Thomas's, for all the parishes marked 1; Mr. Land, of Exmouth, for those marked 2; Mr. Collyns, of Kenton, for 3; Mr. Tothill, of Topsham, for 4; Mr. Kendall, of Budleigh-Salterton, for 5; Mr. Madden, of Heavitree, for 6; Mr. Cheeseworth, of Dunsford, for 7; Mr. Lindsay, of Woodbury, for 8; Mr. Austin, of Broadclist. for 9; and Mr. Hamlyn, of Christow, for those marked 10.

Brian Randell, 25 Oct 1998