The Charitable Funds subseries includes correspondence and reports concerning monies and bonds to be used for charitable funds, lists of students who received funds, and accounts of funds disbursed. The series also includes documents that relate to the bequest of James Lesly, Class of 1759, of funds for the "education of poor and pious youth."
This folder contains notices from James Caldwell, trustee, to Jonathan Sergeant, Treasurer of the College, to pay out charitable funds to students. For example: "That the Committee of the Synod to dispose of the interest of the fund in your hands, for the education of pious youth, have allowed Mr. John Phillips, student, seventeen pounds for the ensuing year, is certified according to order of the Committee."
This folder contains a descriptive note, "Bonds given in accordance with Lesly's bequest to College of NJ." James Lesly (also spelled Leslie and Lesley in these and other records) left in his will of 1790 funds "for the education of poor and pious youth for the work of the Gospel Ministry." If students did not enter the ministry after graduation, they were contracted to repay the bonds. Each of these handwritten documents contains a reference to James Lesly's bequest (Lesly died in 1792). Other, later bonds (1816-1853) can be found in AC116, the Office of the Registrar Records, under the heading "College of New Jersey Student Aid Bonds."
Documents and receipts in settlement of the estate of James Lesly (also spelled James Lesley and James Leslie in these and other documents), who donated funds that were used "for the education of poor and pious youth" at the College of New Jersey. Documents in this folder reflect funds dispensed by both John Bingham, executor, and John Broome, executor. One note leaves two hundred pounds "to the use of the Charity School of the Presbyterian Church" and to the Trustees of the first Presbyterian Church.