The Church & Town Lands
There are two allotments of land, one containing 2a 0r 28p, and the other 22 perches in the parish of Alderton, which were awarded to William Slater as heir-at-law of the surviving feoffee of certain lands held immemorially as church and town lands. The allotments form one piece of ground, which is let to Thomas Slater as a yearly tenant at the annual rent of £3 but the land is stated to be worth about £3.10.0 a year. The rent is received by the churchwardens, and applied with the church rates, agreeably to long established usage.
There are also five cottages in Alderton, which belong to or are reputed to be part of the church and town estate: they are occupied by parish paupers.
Rent charge of 10s. a Year
The sum of 10s a year was formerly paid for the poor of this parish in respect of a close called Gorge's Close, now the property of Mr. James Hill. The payment continued to be made until the death of Mrs. Hill, the last preceding owner of the close, which happened about 40 years ago; but Mr. James Hill has resisted or refused the payment on the ground of there being no writings respecting it, nor any proof that the payment was other than a voluntary donation. We have met with no documentary or other evidence respecting the origin of the payment, and we apprehend there are no adequate means of enforcement its resumption.
