Notes for: George Riste
From "Literary anecdotes of the eighteenth century" by John Nicols (London 1814), on Google Books:
Joseph Bentham, the Printer and Alderman, was born at Ely in November 1708. He married Anne, sister and heiress of George Reste, esq., and died June 1, 1778, s.p. He was buried, as was his wife, in Trumpington Church, in the same vault with a very near Relation; to whose memory they placed the following Inscription, obligingly transmitted to me by Mr George Dyer:
"In a vault near this place are deposited the Remains of George Reste, Esq. Alderman of the Town of Cambridge, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the Town and County of Cambridge, and one of the Conservators of the River Cam; who, among other tokens of friendship, gratitude, and public spirit, out of a pious regard to the place of his nativity, bequeathed 20£ to be given to the Poor of this Parish at his decease, and 10£ to be charged on his estate at Botesham (sic), to be distributed among them in bread and coals annually on St Thomas's day. He died October 1761. aged 66 years.
"Jos. Bentham Aldn of Cambridge And Anne his wife only Sister of the said Geo Riste Erected this Monument To commemorate his Charity and their affection for him.
From http://www.trumpingtonlocalhistorygroup.org/subjects_Charities_Robinson.html :
George Riste, one of the aldermen of Cambridge, by Will, dated 17th February, 1761, gave unto
the poor of the parish of Trumpington 10£, to be laid out in coals and bread on St. Thomas's
Day yearly, for ever, which payment he charged upon his estate at Bottisham. This devise being
void, under the statute of mortmain, Joseph Bentham, of Cambridge, and Anne his wife, who
was the sister and heir-at-law of the testator, being desirous of carrying his intention into effect,
by indenture, dated 13th April, 1762, enrolled in Chancery, and made between themselves of the
first part, and the Rev. Jeremy Pemberton, and five others, therein named as trustees, of the
second part, in pursuance of a fine previously levied, gave, limited, assigned, and appointed unto,
and for the benefit of, the poor of the parish of Trumpington, one like annuity or annual sum of
10£, to be issuing out of lands, tenements, and hereditaments of the said Joseph Bentham, and
Anne his wife, in Bottisham, (being the property intended to be charged by the Will), to be laid
out in coals or bread on St. Thomas's Day yearly, for ever, and to be paid by the tenant at
Michaelmas, clear of land-tax, and all other deductions, to the churchwardens and overseers of
Trumpington, or the major part of them, they giving a receipt for the same; and to be yearly, on
St. Thomas's Day, for ever, by them, disposed of, to and amongst such, and so many poor
persons of the parish, in such proportion and manner as they, or the major part of them, should
think proper, with power of entry and distress to the churchwardens and overseers, any or either
of them, who were also directed to cause an inscription to be put up in the church to perpetuate
the memory of the donation; and to provide a book, and annually enter therein the receipt and
disposal of the annuity, to be attested by five or six of the principal inhabitants of the parish,
which the trustees were to be at liberty to inspect, and subscribe their names that the same was
duly distributed, and with a provision for the appointment of new trustees.
The annuity issues out of 33 acres of land at Bottisham, the property of Benjamin Norton, Esq.,
of Bawburgh Hall, near Norwich