CEMETERY. - The P]ymouth, Stonehouse, and Devonport Cemetery Company, was established in 1846, with a capital of £15,000 in £25 shares, for the purpose of supplying an extensive cemetery for the three towns, where the old burial grounds have long been crowded, especially those at the parish churches, and that in Westwell street. This Cemetery is pleasantly situated on a gentle acclivity, about half a mile north of Plymouth, and about two miles from Devonport, and comprises ten acres of ground; more than half of which was consecrated by the Bishop, on June 5th, 1849, for the use of the Established Church, and the rest is appropriated to Dissenters, and was first opened in December, 1848. The ground is well enclosed and tastefully laid out, and has two neat chapels, in the decorated style, one for the consecrated, and the other for the unconsecrated division. About 8A. of land adjoining is to be added to the Cemetery, when required, having been purchased by the Company for that purpose, but now let for pasturage. The Cemetery forms a pleasant promenade, and east of it is a newly made road through the beautiful grounds, called Hyde Park. Mr. J.L. Colley, of 3, St. James' place, is the secretary; and the Rev. Wm. Hocker is chaplain of the church portion. Schools, and Bible, Tract, Missionary, and other Institutions for the instruction and relief of the poor, and for the dissemination of religion, are attached to the churches and chapels, and the town has many Charitable Institutions, supported either by endowments or voluntary contributions. Miss Sellon and a few other ladies belonging to the Established Church, associated themselves in the three towns, in 1848, under the name of the PROTESTANT SISTERS OF MERCY, for the purpose of visiting and relieving the poor, and imparting to orphan and other children the blessings of a sound scriptural education. They now occupy a house at Wyndham square; but subscriptions to the amount of more than £14,000 have been raised, in answer to the appeals of the bishop and clergy, for the purpose of erecting them a home in one of the "Five Fields." A Brotherhood of Protestant religious zealots has recently been established at Eldad.
ALMSHOUSES. - The Old Church Almshouses for twelve poor widows and a nurse, are supported by the Corporation, and were in existence before 1573, but their origin is unknown. There is a large garden for the use of the inmates, and they each occupy separate rooms, and have weekly stipends of 1s. 9d., and monthly allowances of 12 pounds of flour. The Corporation pay the gardener and furnish the seeds. At the back of these are 12 almshouses for poor single women, under the care of the Guardians of the Poor, but they have no endowment. Under the same management are the New Church Almshouses, in Green street, built about 1680, with £300 left by Jno. Lanyon, and £100 given by John Gubbs. They afford shelter to 36 paupers. Prynne's, Baker's, and Fownes's Almshouses were sold by the Guardians of the Poor, about 50 years ago, for £600, and taken down for the improvement of the town. The £600 was expended on the workhouse buildings. Alice Miller's, alias Baker`s Almshouses were endowed with £10 a yeare out of 22A. of land at Tamerton Foliott, now belonging to the Guardians of the Poor, and let for £25 a year, which is divided among the inmates of almshouses in the borough. Jory's Almshouses at Coxide, were built and endowed by Joseph Jory, Esq., in 1702, for twelve poor widows. They are endowed with 16 houses, &c., in St. Andrew's parish, and a farm of 30½A., at Modbury, let for about £250 per annum. Each inmate has an allowance of 30s. per calendar month. Victoria Cottages, in Victoria street, were purchased in 1834 by the late Mrs. Hodson, who vested them as almshouses for twelve poor women, and endowed them with £500 three per cent. consols.
The Borough Charities, vested with the Corporation, and now managed by the Borough Charity Trustees, (see page 652,) comprise the following, and also the Orphans Aid, and the Old Church Almshouses, already noticed. At an early period, Sir John Gayer left an estate at Torr, in Pennycross, now let for £44. 18s. a year, out of which £8 is paid to the vicar of Charles, for preaching sermons preparatory to the administration of the sacrament; 24s. to the clerk and sexton, and £4 to the Orphans' Aid. The rest of the rent is distributed among the poor of the borough, chiefly in shirts, shifts, petticoats, and other clothing, together with about £90, arising yearly from the following gifts, viz., John White's, £11. 15s., left in 1584; John and Thomas Bound's, £2, left in 1642, out of Thistle Park; Robt. Hewer's, £4; and Baron's, Collin's, Hill's, and Ackerman's Gifts, amounting to £9. 12s. per annum. The Corporation have £14. 8s. yearly out of the tithes of Egg Buckland and St. Budeaux, left by John Burrough, for providing clothing for the "two town corporals and the governor of the barbican." Mrs. Joan Bennett's Trust, for the support of two exhibitioners from Plymouth at one of the Universities, yields about £100 per annum, of which about £40 arises from premises in Southside street, and the rest from £1841 three per cent. consols. Robert Rawling, in 1626, left £250 in trust to pay yearly £3 for the poor in the almshouses; £2 for the poor of Compton Gifford; 30s. for poor burgesses; and 10s. each to seven other parishes for the poor. He also left two tenements in Batter street, and other property, to the Orphans' Aid Hospital. WM. ROWE, in 1690, left 3A. 3R. 27p. of land, called Shute Park, in trust to distribute the rent among the poor of the borough. It is now let for £52 per annum, which is distributed by the Guardians of the Poor. The same donor also left £841, three per cent consols, the dividends of which are applied towards the support of the Free Schools. In 1727, JAMES MADDOCK left to the Guardians of the poor £1500, in trust to distribute the proceeds yearly in clothing among the poor, one half to those receiving and the other half to those not receiving parochial relief. This charity now consists of £1400 old South Sea Annuities. In 1732, HENRY KELWAY left £1900 bank stock, in trust for the benefit of his relations, or in default of such, for the poor. This stock has since been increased by bonuses, &c., to £4860. 17s. 3d., which yields dividends amounting to about ten per cent. Pursuant to the donor's will, £43 is yearly distributed among his relations, and the rest of the income is applied in educating their children. The two vicars and the master of the Grammar school are the acting trustees.
St. Andrew's Parish Church is a spacious and venerable structure, which is mentioned in a survey made in 1291, but was evidently mostly rebuilt in the 15th century. It has been thoroughly renovated and much improved since 1824, and has now 2500 sittings, of which 1000 are free. It is chiefly in the perpendicular or early English style, and consists of a spacious nave, chancel, and sides aisles, two small transepts, and a fine lofty tower, which contains a peal of eight deep toned bells, and was built about 1440, by a merchant of Plymouth, named Yogge. The weight of the tenor bell is 2½ tons, and the tower is surmounted at each angle by handsome and lofty pinnacles. The church being in a very dilapidated state, the parishioners in 1824 determined on its restoration, at the cost of £5000, part of which was borrowed from the Exchequer Loan Commissioners, to be repaid by annual payments of £150. The improvements were continued at intervals, and church rates were annually levied till 1834, when Mr. F. Bone became churchwarden. In 1839, Mr. Bone (without the aid of church rates) having succeeded in completing most of the intended renovations, and also in liquidating the debt, was presented by the parishioners with a valuable service of plate. The interior is divided by clustered columns and pointed arches, and has now a handsome appearance. Much elegance is displayed in the design and ornaments of the pulpit and reading desk, which, like the pews and seats, are of oak. The unsightly galleries in the aisles were removed, and new ones were erected in the transepts, and at the west end. The beautiful oak roof, with its finely carved bosses, was thoroughly cleansed and restored, and a noble stair-case of teak wood was constructed in the lower story of the tower to communicate with the galleries and the organ loft. The organ is very powerful, and was purchased by subscription in 1735. Saml. Addis, in 1741, gave £400, to be invested in the funds, for the benefit of the organist. The three east windows have been enriched with stained glass, and a handsome altar screen has been erected since 1841. The western windows in the aisles are about to be replaced by new ones, and the north porch is about to be rebuilt. The great defect in this extensive church is the want of a clerestory. Its situation was formerly too closely confined by a number of old houses, which belonged mostly to the vicarage, and have lately been removed for the improvement of this central part of the town. In the aisles are many neat mural monuments, on one of which is a fine bust of the Rev. Zachary Mudge, a late vicar, who died in 1769, and was the author of a volume of sermons. Another monument is in memory of Dr. Wm. Woollcombe, an eminent physician, who died in 1822. The principal group represents the genius of medicine supporting indigence. In the north aisle is another monument, on which religion, personified by a female figure, rests upon a medallion bust of the Rev. John Gandy, M.A., a prebendary of Exeter, who died in 1824, aged 85 years, during 55 years of which he held this vicarage, besides previously officiating here five years as curate. This memorial was erected by public subscription, in record of the many virtues of the late venerable vicar. Here is also a tablet in memory of the late celebrated comedian, Charles Mathews, who was born in 1776, and died in 1835. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £12. 5s. 5d., and in 1831 at £921, is in the patronage of the Rev. E. Holland, and incumbency of the Rev. John Hatchard, M.A., who derives his income partly from fees and vicarial property, and partly from the small tithes, which have been commuted for the following yearly sums:- £153 from St. Andrew's, £350 from Pennycross, and £65 from Compton Gifford. The vicar of Charles has £525 a yeare in lieu of tithes, of which he derives £160 from Compton Gifford. The great tithes belong to the land owners, except a few small moduses. The Reverends C.A. Marrett and C.T. C. Trelawny are the curates, and Mr. W.P.H. White is the clerk.
ST. ANDREW'S PARISH has the following charities, besides its share in the general charities of the borough. The poor have four annuities of 52s. each for weekly distributions of bread, left by Sir John Acland and Wm. and John Hill, in the 17th century, and by John Morshead in 1750. For the same purpose they have the following yearly sums, viz., 50s. left by Capt. Ackerman, and £2. 2s. 3d. from Huxham's charity. The churchwardens distribute the bread. The poor of Pennycross tithing have £4 a yeare from the gift of John Harris, Johannah Knighton, and Robert Rawling. The Parish of King Charles the Martyr has the following, besides its share of the borough charities. For distributions of bread, the poor have £5. 10s. yearly, as interest of £102. 10s. left by Mary Collins and John Morshead in 1750, and lent to the churchwardens. The Vicar distributes £7 yearly in clothing, as the gift of Eliz. Chapman and Mrs. Sutton. In 1796, Eleanor Huxham left £660 three per cent stock, in trust with the Vicar, to pay £15 yearly for ten poor women of Plymouth, in equal shares, and to distribute the rest of the dividends in bread at the two parish churches. The dividends of £334. 14s. 6d. three per cent. consols, left by James Stevens in 1797, are applied, one-half to the support of the Sunday School, and the other in distributions to the poor. The interest of £150, left by J. Bruce in 1841, is divided among three poor tradesmen's families. In 1829, Mrs. Mary Glanville Hodson, left the dividends of £500 three per cent. stock, to be distributed in bread on the 12th of April and Dec.; and in 1830, John Morris left the dividends of £100 of the same stock for distribution in bread among the poor parishioners on the 1st of January. The poor of Compton Gifford have 40s. a yeare from Rawling's Charity; and the interest of £200 left by Rebecca Shaw and Sarah Hancock.
ST. ANDREW'S CHAPEL, in Lockyer street, is an elegant chapel of ease to St. Andrew's parish, and was erected In 1822-3, at the cost of £5000, mostly contributed by the Rev. B. Lampen, (the first incumbent) and R. Woolcombe, J. Pridham, and Thos. Gill, Esqrs. The front is composed of large blocks of granite, in the Grecian style, with a cupola and bell on the top. The interior has about 1100 sittings, and is handsomely fitted up. It has galleries and a good organ, and many of the pews are private property. The benefice is a perpetual curacy, valued in 1831 at £115, and now in the patronage of the vicar of St. Andrew's, and incumbency of the Rev. G. Hadow, M.A.
CHARLES' CHAPEL, in Tavistock place, was built by subscription in 1828, as a chapel of ease to the parish of Charles, and has upwards of 1500 sittings. The living is a perpetual curacy, valued in 1831 at £109, and is in the patronage of Trustees, and incumbency of the Rev. W. Hawker. To supply that great want of church room which has long been felt in Plymouth, large portions of the town and two parishes have lately been divided by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners into the five DISTRICT PARISHES and perpetual curacies of Trinity, Christ Church, St. Peter, St. James, and Sutton-upon-Plym, but churches for all of them have not yet been provided. TRINITY CHURCH, in Southside street, is a substantial structure, in the Doric style, erected in 1841-2, by subscription and a grant from the Incorporated Society. It has 1082 sittings, of which 636 are free. The Rev. H.C. Smith is the incumbent, and the vicar of St. Andrew's is the patron. CHRIST CHURCH is a handsome structure, in Oxford street, and was built in 1845-6. It is in the perpendicular style, and has 1080 sittings, of which 536 are free. The vicar of St. Andrew's is patron, and the Rev. R. Malone, M.A., is the incumbent.