The Mysterious Disappearance of the Usher’s Annuity

Description:In 1829 Mr. Tindall, the Usher of Wolverhampton Grammar School, wrote to Mr. Lowndes, the London solicitor of George Granville Leveson-Gower (1785-1833), the Marquis of Stafford, about his annuity from the Leveson family, a subject which had caused him ‘much trouble’.

Mr. Tindall had been elected ‘usher of the grammar school in Wolverhampton’ in 1785. In 1786, a year after his appointment, Tindall discovered than an annual payment of one pound ‘had been paid by the Stafford Family to the former ushers’. After discovering this, Mr. Tindall had applied to Lord Stafford’s steward about the matter, but had received no response.

Tindall informs Lowndes that after sixteen years serving as Usher, he was appointed headmaster and wrote again to the Marquis of Stafford, but again received no response.

However, Tindall writes that on the visiting of ‘the Commissioners of public charities’ to the school, he gave the commissioners information about the annuity and writes to inform Lowndes that they ‘established the claim’.

Following this, William Lewis, the Leveson family’s Trentham Agent, paid the annual sum to the Grammar School’s Usher. However, Tindall had never received his sixteen pounds of arrears. After making legal appeals Tindall had got no further and wrote to Lowndes as he believed the solicitor to be in possession of papers relevant to his claim.

Tindall adds that he ‘had the honour of being personally known to Lord Granville’ and was certain he would oblige and provide him with the money he was owed. Writing that he was ‘on the verge of the grave’ and a ‘clergyman’, Mr. Tindall appealed for Lowndes’ assistance in this ‘act of strict justice’ which would allow him to leave his widow ‘in affluence’ on his death.