History
About the Trust
The Newbury Municipal Charities, better known as Newbury Almshouse Trust was established in the early 20th Century in order to bring together a number of different Almshouse and Charitable Trusts dating back over several hundred years.
Our oldest Almshouse is the St Bartholomew’s Hospital, established in around 1200, with the current building dating from 1698, The Upper and Lower Raymond Almshouses date from the 18th Century and our newest being the Hunt’s almshouses built in 1956 and St Mary’s Almshouses that were completed in the mid 1970’s
Along with our Almshouse legacy we also maintain a rich heritage of many smaller bequests including charities established to provide education for the children of Newbury, loaves of bread for the poor, overcoats for the elderly, a variety of regular stipends, coal allowances, an annual sermon for the weavers and even a stipulation that “10 shillings to be spent by the trustees for a drinking” (we’ve no record of it, but we like to think that instruction was enthusiastically accomplished).
Stories from
old benefactors
Charity of Margaret Cross, 9 Aug 1613
Margaret Cross, by deed dated August 9, 1613, gave to Thomas Coldwell, and six others, the sum of £50, upon trust, that the same might be lent to little tradespeople, in sums not exceeding £10 each, at five per cent, interest per annum; and that the trustees should dispose of the income thencefrom arising as follows:- 30s to the poor of Newbury, in money, bread, or clothing; 10s for a sermon to be preached in the parish church on St. Margaret's Day; and the remaining 10s to be spent by the trustees for a drinking.
Charity of Peter Wybrowe, 6 Jan 1620
Peter Wybrowe, by deed dated January 6 1620, gave the sum of £30 to the same trustees for the like purpose [as Margaret Cross]; and directed that the income should likewise be disposed of in money, clothing, or otherwise, at their discretion.
Kendrick's (Morning Prayer) Charity,
29 December 1624
This Charity comprises the "School" Charity, the "Morning Prayer" Charity, and the " Loan Fund " Charity, all of which were endowed with funds bequeathed for charitable purposes by the will of John Kendrick, dated December 29, 1624.
The approximate income of this Charity is £280, derived from real property.
The Kendrick School Charity and Kendrick's Loan Charity are now administered in accordance with a scheme for the management of St. Bartholomew's Grammar School, dated February 14, 1883.
The revenue of the Morning Prayer Charity is derived from freehold land, part of Wash Farm, in the parish of Newbury, and £500 Consols, the net proceeds being paid to the Rector of Newbury, as directed by the will of the founder, "for the maintenance of Divine Service in the Parish Church of Newbury, to be said every morning of
the week by the parson or his curate at six o'clock"
The prayers are now said in the church at nine o'clock instead of six o'clock.
Charities of Richard Dickson and William Deale, 9 Apr 1624
Richard Dixon, by Will, dated April 9, 1624, devised to certain trustees therein named (being members of the
Weavers' Company), a messuage situated at Newbury on the west side of Cheap-street, a public house called the
"Weaver's Arms" upon trust, to pay, during the life of his brother John, the sum of 6s. 8d. per annum to the Rector, for preaching a sermon upon the day on which the weavers kept their feast, and the further sum of 6s 8d. towards the said feast ; and, after the decease of his brother, upon trust, to bestow one moiety of the rent of the said messuage towards the relief of poor weavers or weavers' widows, to be paid to them half-yearly, and to apply the remaining moiety to the relief of such poor aged people of Newbury, as his said trustees, during their lives, and, after their decease, the parson and the churchwardens of Newbury, should think most fit to receive the same.
About the same time William Deale, by Will, gave a messuage in Cheap-street, adjoining the above, to the Weavers' Company of Newbury, and their successors for ever, upon trust, to supply poor weavers, yearly, with a gown each and 4s. in money.
The churchwardens who, by Dixon's Will, are entitled to select the recipients of one moiety of the rent of the
"Weaver's Arms," do not appear ever to have exercised this right. But there is no doubt that they could find some more useful method of disposing of the income than in providing a feast for the members of the Company, 6s. 8d. only being allowed for that purpose by the will. For many years the Rector also does not appear to have claimed his payment of 6s. 8d., nor was the sermon preached, but both conditions are now regularly fulfilled.
Raymond's Charity, 23 January 1676
Philip Jemmett, of London, erected in his lifetime twelve almshouses in Newbury, and devised the same by
will, dated January 23, 1676, to his grandson Jemmett Raymond, upon trust to permit the same to be occupied by twelve poor persons to be nominated by the said Jemmett Raymond and his heirs. He further bequeathed
£600 to his son-in-law. Sir Jonathan Raymond, upon rust to lay out the same in the purchase of land for augmenting the stipends of the almspeople. Lady Raymond, by will dated March 26, 1709, bequeathed the sum of £400 for increasing the stipends of the twelve almspeople. The number of almspeople at present connected with this Charity is twenty-two, eleven of each sex.
The approximate annual income of this Charity is £537 of which £426 is derived from Tithe rent-charge issuing out of lands at Kintbury, and from real property at Newbury and Speen, the remaining £111 being derived from dividends on £3,720 in Consols and New Three per Cents.
Charity of Stamp (otherwise Stanney),
15 August 1699
By an order of the Mayor of Newbury [Adam Hill], dated August 15, 1699, it was directed that the trustees of Margaret Cross's money should be intrusted with the management of the £20 given hy Mr. Stampe, also of the £20 given by William Tolfrey, and of the £10 given by Elizabeth Blackbery.
Charity of William Tolfrey, 15 August 1699
By an order of the Mayor of Newbury [Adam Hill], dated August 15, 1699, it was directed that the trustees of Margaret Cross's money should be intrusted with the management of the £20 given by Mr. Stampe, also of the £20 given by William Tolfrey, and of the £10 given by Elizabeth Blackbery.
Charity of Elizabeth Blackbery, 15 August 1699
By an order of the Mayor of Newbury [Adam Hill], dated August 15, 1699, it was directed that the trustees of Margaret Cross's money should be intrusted with the management of the £20 given by Mr. Stampe, also of the £20 given by William Tolfrey, and of the £10 given by Elizabeth Blackbery.
Education Foundation of Thomas Hunt
The Almshouse Charity of Thomas Hunt,
19 June 1727
Thomas Hunt, by will dated June 19, 1727, founded an almshouse at West Mills, for three poor widows, inhabitants of Newbury (preference being always given to such as were related to the families of Hunt and Merriman), to be paid a weekly stipend, with an allowance for clothing and fuel. The remainder of the income, which is derived from a small farm at Cold Ash, to be applied towards teaching the poor children of the town of Newbury to read.
Charity of Thomas Stockwell, 22 June 1736
Thomas Stockwell, by deed dated June 22, 1736, granted a yearly rent charge of 30s issuing out of a tenement of his at Newbury, to be laid out in bread, and given to the poor on St Thomas's Day, by the mayor and aldermen of the said borough.
The tenement thereto consists of a house and shop in the Market-place, Newbury, formerly belonging to Anna and Martha Perry.
Charity Known as Robinson's Almshouses, 28 Sep 1754
Benjamin Robinson, by will dated September 28, 1754, established three almshouses for poor weavers (preference being given to such as were of the family of Robinson), and endowed them with 2s. per week each, and a certain quantity of fuel.
John Kimber's Almshouse Charity, 26 March 1790
John Kimber, by will dated March 26, 1790, and by a codicil thereto dated February 30, 1792, founded and amply endowed twelve almshouses for six poor men and the like number of women, inhabitants of Newbury, " not being Papists." These almshouses are near the Marketplace, and besides a weekly stipend the almspeople have a good supply of fuel, and a certain quantity of clothing.
John Kimber also charged his trustees to pay out of his personal estate the sum of 6d. per week to the inmates of the Church Almshouses, and directed that the Rector of Newbury, for the time being, should always be one of the trustees. And further desired that the officiating minister of Newbury should preach a sermon on the Sunday next following his decease, and on that day in every year, for which he should receive a sum of £1 1s yearly, at which sermon should attend every person receiving the charity, unless prevented by illness, and in default thereof should forfeit one week's pay.
Charity of Ann Ayres, 22 July 1920
Ayres, Ann of St Mary's Almshouses, Newbury, Berkshire spinster died 16th June 1920 Probate granted at Oxford 22nd July to Walter William Penfold Draper and John Freman accountant Effects £713 15s 3d