The charitable donations and benefactions that have been left to this
town are very numerous, and amount to a large sum of money.
Here are six different alms-houses, one school wherein thirty-nine
boys are taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, and thirty-six girls
are instructed in reading, writing, sewing, and knitting. There is
also a school of industry, and four sunday schools. A lying-in charity
is also established here, for the relief of poor married women,
residing within the borough, who each of them are accommodated with a
set of child-bed linen for one month, one pound of candles, one pound
of soap, and during the winter months, with two hundred weight of
coals. They are also provided with a sufficient quantity of caudle,
together with proper attendants, and all necessary medical advice. In
addition to the before-mentioned there are two poor-houses.
There is also a very ancient building, denominated Leicester's
hospital, for the reception of twelve indigent men, who are termed
brethren, together with a master, who must be a clergyman of the
established church, and in preference to all others, if he offers
himself, the vicar of St.
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