title, interest, claim, and demand, as they, every, or any of them, should or might have had or claimed to the said glebe land, if this act had never been made.

CHAP. XX.

An Act for enabling the justices of the peace of the county of Elizabeth-City, and the minister and church-wardens of the parish of Elizabeth-City, in that county, to take and hold certain lands devised by the will of Benjamin Sym, for a free school, and other charitable uses.

Justices and church-war

hold lands

I. WHEREAS Benjamin Sym, late of the county of Elizabeth-City, deceased, was in his life-time seised in fee-simple, of a tract or parcel of land, contain- dens of Elizing two hundred acres or thereabouts, with a marsh abeth-City, contiguous thereto; situate, lying, and being, in the enabled to County of Elizabeth-City, and being so seised, by his devised by last will and testament bearing date the twelfth day Banjamin of February, in the year of our lord, one thousand six Sym, for a hundred and thirty four, devised the use of the said free school. land, (by the description of two hundred acres of land being in the Poquoson river) with the milk, and increase of eight milch cows, for the maintenance of a learned honest man, to keep upon the said ground a free school for the education and instruction of the children of the adjoining parishes of Elizabeth City and Kiquotan, viz. from Mary's-mount downwards, to the Poquoson river, and declared his will and desire to be, that the justices of the peace of the said county, (by the name and title of the worshipful the commanders, and the rest of the commissioners of this liberty) with the minister and church-wardens of the said parish of Elizabeth-city, should see his said will, from time to time justly and truly performed, and further declared his will and desire to be, that when there should be a sufficient increase of the said cattle, part

of them should be sold, and the money raised by suck sale, laid out in building a school-house; and that the residue of the said increase, after the school-master should have a sufficient stock, should be applied to wards repairing the school house, and maintaining poor children, or decayed or maimed persons, according to the direction of the said justices, minister, and church wardens.

II. And whereas the charitable intention of the said Benjamin Sym, the donor, hath not been effectually fulfilled. To the end that the said charity may be more beneficial for the future,

III. BE it enacted by the Lieutenant Governor, Coun cil, and Burgesses of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the present justices of the peace of the said county of Elizabeth-City, and such as after them shall succeed · to be justices of the peace for the said county, during the time they shall so continue justices; the present minister of the said parish of Elizabeth-City, and such as after him shall succeed to be minister thereof, during the time they shall so continue or be in the same office, and the present church-wardens of the said parish of Elizabeth-City, and such as after them shall succeed to be church-wardens thereof, during the time they shall so continue in the same office; shall and may be trustees and governors of the said free school, and of the said tract or parcel of land and marsh, with the appurtenances at all times hereafter for ever: And that the said trustees and directors shall for ever hereafter stand and be incorporated, established and founded, in name and deed, a body politic and corporate, to have cotinuance forever, by the name of the trustees and governors of Sym's free school in the county of Elizabeth-City, and that they the said trustees and governors may have perpetual succession, and that by that name they and their successors may forever hereafter have, hold, and enjoy the above mentioned tract or parcel of land, containing by estimation two hundred acres, according to the known and reputed bounds thereof, and the marsh aforesaid, with the appurte nances; and that the said trustees and governors, and their successors, or the greater part of them, by the same name shall and may have power, ability and capacity, to demise, lease, and grant the said tract or parcel of land and marsh, with the appurtenances, and

the present stock of cattle being thereon, and belonging thereto, for any term of years not exceeding twenty one years, or for any term of years determinable upon one, two, or three lives, or for one, two, or three lives, reserving the best and most improved rent that can be got for the same; and to take, acquire, and purchase, and to sue, and be sued, and to do, perform, and execute all other lawful acts and things, good, necessary, and profitable, for the said corporation, in as full and ample a manner and form, to all intents, constructions and purposes, as any other incorporation, or body politic or corporate, fully, and perfectly founded and incorporated may do. And that the said trustees and governors, and their successors for the time being, may have and use a common seal for the making such their demises, leases, and grants, and for the doing all and every other thing and things, touching or in anywise concerning the said incorporation; and that the said trustees and governors, and their successors for the time being, or the greater part of them, shall and may have full power and authority, by writing under their common seal, to nominate and appoint when, and as often as they shall think good, such person as they shall approve of, to be master of the said free school; which said master, before he be received or admitted to keep school, shall undergo an examination before the minister of the said parish, for the time being, and produce a certificate of his capacity, and also a licence from the governor or commander in chief of this dominion, for the time being, agreeable to his majesty's instructions. And the said trustees and Governors, and their successors for the time being, shall and may have full power and authority to visit the said free school, and to order, reform, and redress all disorders and abuses in and touching the government and disposing of the same, and to remove the said master, as to them, or the greater part of them shall seem just, fit, and convenient. And that the said trustees and governors, and their successors, or the greater part of them for the time being, shall apply the rents to be paid for the said tract or parcel of land, with the appurtenances, and stock of cattle, aforesaid, to the maintenance of the said school-master, and erecting and keeping in repair, a sufficient schoolhouse for his dwelling, and teaching the children of the adjoining parishes of Elizabeth-City and Kique

tan, viz. from Mary's-Mount downwards, to the Poquoson river; and the surplus, in case there shall be any, to the maintenance of such poor children, or decayed or maimed persons, as the said trustees and governors, and their successors, or the major part of them shall think fit.

III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said trustees and governors, and their successors, or the greater part of them for the time being, shall have full power, ability and capacity, by the name aforesaid, to sue for, and recover all rents, and arrears of rent, and all and every sum and sums of money, due for the occupation of the said tract or parcel of land, by virtue of any agreement or contract, heretofore made with the present justices of the peace of the said county, and minister and church-wardens of the said parish, or their predecessors, or the greater part of them against the person and persons from whom the same are due, his and their executors and administrators; and also all damages sustained by occasion of not repairing the houses on the said tract of land, or by the occasion of the breach of any other part of such contract or agreement, any law, or custom to the contrary, notwithstanding.

IV. Saving to the king's most excellent majesty, his heirs and successors, and to all and every other person and persons, bodies politic and corporate, their heirs and successors, other than the person and persons claiming as heir or heirs of the said Benjamin Sym, all such estate, right, title, claim and demand, which they, or any of them should or might have, of, in, to, or out of the premises, or any of them, or any part thereof.

CHAP. XXI.

An Act to enable the vestry of the parish of Blisland, in the counties of James City and New Kent, to sell a plantation and two hundred acres of land in the said parish, and to buy communion plate and ornaments for the lower church in that parish, with the purchase money.

Blisland, in

Kent, autho

the church.

I. WHEREAS Edward Wade, late of the parish Vestry of of Wilmington, in the county of James City, deceased, parish of did by his certain indentures of lease and release, counties of bearing date the fifth and sixth days of March, in the James-City year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and and Neweighteen, for the consideration in the said release ex-rised to sell pressed, convey to George Woodward and William certain lands Barret, then churchwardens of the parish of Wilming and purchase ton, in the counties of James City and Charles City, plate &c for a plantation and two hundred acres of land, or thereabouts, situate in the said county of James City, to hold to them the said George Woodward and William Barret, churchwardens as aforesaid, and to their successors, for and to the only proper use and behoof of the said parish of Wilmington, and their assigns for ever, as by the said indenture, duly recorded in the county of James City may more fully appear. And whereas by an act of Assembly made in the ninth year of the reign of his late majesty king George the first, the said parish of Wilmington was dissolved, and part thereof added to the parish of Blisland, in the counties of James City and New Kent.

JI. And forasmuch as the minister, churchwardens and vestry, by their humble petition have represented to this General Assembly, that the houses on the said plantation are become ruinous and untenantable, and that the said land is a charge, and of no manner of use to the said parish; Be it enacted, by the Lieutenant Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the aforesaid plantation, and two hundred acres of land, with the appurtenances, shall, Z z-Vol. 6.