CHARITIES FOR THE POOR. (fn. 50)
Walden abbey undertook to pay £1 a year out of the
rectory to feed 30 paupers in Edmonton but payments apparently ceased at the Dissolution. (fn. 51)
Sir Christopher Askew, alderman of London, by
will proved 1539, left £100 for 'best full white
herrings' to be distributed among the poor of
Edmonton each Lent. (fn. 52) His son Richard said that
the charity had already lapsed by 1551, because of
the high price of herrings. (fn. 53)
During the 17th century important charities were
founded for schools, which are dealt with above,
and for alms-houses. By 1819 there were 20 charities
in Edmonton, mostly for the poor or to augment the
existing education and alms-house charities. They
were administered as the Edmonton charities by
trustees consisting of the vicar and churchwardens
and 11 prominent inhabitants. (fn. 54) A committee of the
vestry, appointed in 1848, alleged that 11 charities
should not be administered by the trustees but by
the parish or by the vicar and churchwardens,
that the funds of the various charities were amalgamated, and that there was misappropriation,
particularly in the case of Latymer's charity, which
accounted for £500 out of the total annual income
of £900. The trustees denied the charges and by a
Charity Commission Scheme of 1866 were authorized to administer together 23 charities, although
excluding the Latymer charity. The 23 charities
were those of Alston, Cade, Chaplin, Colfe, Elliott,
Hallam, Huxley, Jackson, Lewitt, Maule, Pitt,
Rogers, Skip, Smith, Stanbridge, Edmund and
Sarah Slaughter, Style, Tatem, Uvedale, Wilde of
Edmonton, Wilde of Barking, and Wyatt.
In 1889 another parochial committee reported
that money, particularly for apprenticing, was not
being properly applied and in 1891 it proposed a
new Scheme. It was not until 1899, however, that
the Charity Commission established a new board of
trustees, consisting of the vicar, 5 representatives
of Edmonton U.D.C. and 4 of Southgate U.D.C.,
and 8 co-opted members. There were to be two
groups of charities-the United charities of
Judith Alston and others and the Ecclesiastical
charities. The Ecclesiastical charities consisted
of Maule's charity and the ecclesiastical provisions of
the charities of Hallam, Rogers, and Wilde of
Edmonton, producing a total annual income of £143.
The United charities consisted of the remaining
charities in the 1866 Scheme, together with those of
Baker, Bellis, Board, John and Henry Field,
Jifkins, Larman, Whitbread, and part of Knight's
and Rowley's charities. The total stock amounted
to £9,933 and the annual income to £469.
By a Scheme of 1902 the United charities were
divided into three branches: educational, which
consisted of £20 a year from Style's and £8 a year
from Wilde of Edmonton's charities; apprenticing,
consisting of £10 a year from Style's, £6 a year from
Wilde of Edmonton's charities, and the relevant
portion of Chaplin's charity; and alms-houses and
pensioners, to which all the other income was
applied. The educational branch was abstracted
from the United charities by a Scheme of 1905,
which transformed it into the Educational Foundations of John Wilde of Edmonton and Thomas Style.
Knight's charity and the Oswin fund were added
to the United charities in 1914 and 1928 respectively.
By a Scheme of 1965 pensioners were omitted
from the third branch of the United charities, all
the money going to the alms-houses. The income of
the United charities in 1964 was £1,760, of which
£228 was paid to alms-people. In 1973 the income
was £1,100, which was wholly applied to the
upkeep of the alms-houses. By 1973 the apprenticing
branch of the charity was dormant, virtually no
applications being made for it.
Several charities were founded during the 19th
century for the benefit of Southgate parish,
especially by the Walker family, and in 1906 the
Southgate relief committee, which included the
vicar and churchwardens of Christ Church, was
formed to administer them. In 1973 the committee
administered £120 income from the charities of
John Julian, Frederick Walker, Vyell E. Walker, and
Russell Walker, and the relevant portions of
Sophia Walker's charity and the Weld Chapel
trust. (fn. 55)
The United Charities.
In 1662 John Wilde of Edmonton, had 'lately' built
three alms-houses next to the churchyard in Church
Street. By will proved 1665 he conveyed houses and
25 a., mostly of common-field land, to trustees to
apply the profits to several charities, including £4 a
year for the inmates of the alms-houses. (fn. 56) By
1867 £7 was being paid by Wilde's charity to the
Thomas Style (d. 1679) built two alms-houses
adjoining the churchyard for 6 poor men and 6 poor
women of Edmonton. In 1679 he endowed the
alms-houses with part of a rent-charge of £66 on
Dephams estate, of which £1 16s. a year was to be
spent on repairs and £33 16s. a year on weekly
payments of 1s. 1d. each to the almspeople.
John Lewitt of Palmers Green, by will dated 1771,
bequeathed £800 stock yielding £24 a year which
was distributed among the 12 inmates of Style's
alms-houses. George Stanbridge of Edmonton, by
will dated 1780, bequeathed £500 stock to the
trustees of Wilde's and Style's alms-houses, who
in 1823 distributed the income of £16 10s. amongst
the 15 alms-people. Other charities for the benefit
of the 15 inmates were those of Sarah Huxley,
daughter of Thomas Huxley of Weir Hall, who
bequeathed £1,000 yielding £38 a year by will
dated 1800; Miss Catherine Tatem of Edmonton,
who bequeathed £50 stock yielding £1 10s. by will
dated 1812; Thomas Elliott, clock-maker of
Edmonton, who by will dated 1824 bequeathed
£450 stock, which in 1899 yielded £12; John Pitt,
who bequeathed £100 stock yielding £3 a year by
will dated 1826; (fn. 57) Edmund Slaughter of Edmonton,
who by will proved 1832 bequeathed £500 stock,
yielding £14 in 1899; (fn. 58) and William Skip of
Edmonton, who left £100 stock yielding £3 a year
subject to the repair of his vault, by will dated 1836.
In 1861 Thomas Knight of Edmonton endowed
the 15 alms-houses with £500 stock producing
£13 15s. and in 1879 Hannah Whitbread gave £607
stock yielding £18, to maintain the buildings or
benefit the inmates.
Several charities provided for benefits in kind. By
will dated 1820 Sarah Slaughter directed that the
interest on £50 stock was to be spent on Christmas
dinner for the 15 alms-people. The interest was
£1 10s. in 1867. Ann Larman, by will proved 1867,
bequeathed £105 stock yielding £3 a year to buy
coal for the inmates of Style's alms-houses. In
1892 George Bellis left £103 stock yielding £3 to
buy coal for the 15 alms-people. By will proved 1892
Thomas William Rowley bequeathed £500 stock
producing £14 to provide bread and coal for the 15
alms-people but by a Scheme of 1893 the money was
to supplement their stipends.
The alms-people, in 1851 6 men and 9 women,
mostly widows, (fn. 59) were chosen by the vestry until
1899 when full control passed to the trustees.
The alms-houses were in disrepair in the 1740s
and Style's alms-houses were rebuilt in 1754 and
again in 1903 to the designs of H. W. Dobb.
Nearly all the stock was sold in 1960 to modernize
the buildings but the Ministry of Housing made a
grant for the Charity Commissioners to reinvest.
In 1851 Thomas Knight gave two cottages
which he had recently erected in Church Lane in
trust to the Edmonton benefit society, for two old
and handicapped members of the society or their
widows. (fn. 60) The cottages, which Knight endowed
with £50 stock yielding £1 5s. a year, were administered as part of the United charities under a
Scheme of 1914. There were four widows in
Knight's alms-houses in 1933 but in 1960 the
cottages were demolished and six garages, each let
at 15s. a week, were built on the site.
Henry Cade of Edmonton,
yeoman, in 1578 gave a rent-charge of 6s. 8d. from a
house, later the Cock public house, and 1 a. on the
west of Hertford Road for the use of the poor. In
1823 it was added to the sacrament money and paid
to the poor 'from time to time'.
By will proved 1579 (fn. 61) Richard Rogers the elder, a
London goldsmith who lived in Edmonton, left all
his freehold property in Edmonton and Tottenham
in trust to pay, inter alia, (fn. 62) 1s. a week in bread and
money to 6 of the poorest people of Edmonton and
13s. 4d. to the poor on the anniversary of his death.
Rogers's nephew Richard Rogers the younger,
Comptroller of the Mint, by will dated 1636, left
a rent-charge of £2 to provide 6d. a week in money
or bread for 6 poor people and 10s. 8d. for distribution among the poor on the first Sunday in August.
Edward Rogers of Edmonton, son of Richard the
younger, left a further rent-charge of £1 9s 4d. by
will proved 1659, to be distributed, inter alia, as 6d.
a week in bread to poor parishioners. In 1823 the
total income of the Rogers charities, which were
always distributed together, was £7 1s. 4d., from
rent-charges on freehold estates in Fore Street,
Church Street, and the marsh. Of this £5 4s. was
paid in bread to 12 poor people every Sunday and
£1 4s. to the poor on the first Sunday in August.
The rent-charges were redeemed in 1934 and 1964.
By will dated 1614 John Wilde of Barking
(Essex) gave a rent-charge of £2 a year upon
premises in Fore Street, to buy twopenny-loaves for
the poor of Edmonton each quarter. The rentcharge was redeemed in 1934.
Jasper Hallam, leatherseller of London, by will
dated 1625, left £3 6s. 8d. out of a rent-charge on
Bury farm to provide £2 worth of bread for the poor
every Sunday in Lent and 6s. 8d. for a Lenten meal
for the poor town-born people of Edmonton.
The rent-charge was redeemed in 1903.
Among property devised by the Revd. Abraham
Colfe to the Leathersellers' Company of London for
charitable purposes, by will dated 1656, was 5 a. in
Edmonton. A rent-charge of 8s. 8d. from part of the
property on the east of Lower Fore Street was to
buy two penny loaves each Sunday for two of the
'godliest and poorest' householders of Edmonton. (fn. 63)
By 1823 the money was applied by the churchwardens in occasional charity to the poor.
By indenture and will dated 1677 Judith, widow
of Penning Alston, grocer of London, conveyed
copyhold property in trust to pay annuities and
thereafter to provide £4 quarterly payments to the
poor of Edmonton and £1 a year each to 16 other
poor people. The property, in 1677 a house, 9 a. of
common-field arable, and 2 a. of marsh-land, was
exchanged at inclosure for a house and 7 a. at
Tanners End and 5 a. of marsh-land. In 1819 the
profits of £28 were distributed in quarterly payments of £1 to the poor and in £1 payments on
1 January to 20 poor annuitants. By 1867 the
quarterly payments were given in bread and £78
was given in money. The marsh-land was sold in
1907 and the land at Tanners End in 1914 and 1928;
the purchase money was invested for the benefit of
the United charities.
Catherine Jackson, of the family which owned
Broomfield, left £100 in trust for the poor of
Southgate by will dated 1687. The poor received £5
a year until the capital, together with money from
Maule's and Latymer's charities, was used to
purchase land in Hammersmith. The rent therefrom
was apportioned among the three charities, £3 10s.
being allotted to Jackson's charity from 1768 and
paid in bread or 5s. doles to the poor of Southgate.
The rent had risen to £7 10s. by 1899 and was given to
Southgate widows in 1902. (fn. 64) The land at Hammersmith was sold in 1913 and the money invested.
By will proved 1771 John Lewitt (fn. 65) bequeathed
£100 stock, the interest on which was spent in
bread for the poor. By will dated 1780 George
Stanbridge bequeathed £400 stock, the interest to
provide bread for the poor between Michaelmas
and Lady Day. By 1823 £12 was distributed in
bread. Margaret Uvedale (d. 1814), widow of RearAdmiral Samuel Uvedale, bequeathed £300 stock
by will dated 1813. (fn. 66) The income was to maintain
the vault of the family of William Washbourne,
vicar of Edmonton, and to relieve the aged poor of
Church Street ward on Christmas day. By 1819
there was £37 10s. interest, of which £2 10s. was
spent on the vault and £35 distributed in £1
By will proved 1828 John Field bequeathed
£1,000 stock and by will proved 1836 Henry Field
bequeathed £500 stock, to supply bread and coals
for the poor. The interest from their combined
charities was £45 in 1867. By will proved 1844
William Baker bequeathed £100 stock yielding £3
interest, to be paid to the elderly poor subject to the
repair of a grave. By will proved 1858 Ann Jifkins
left £47 stock, the interest to be used for repairing
her husband's tomb and distributed to the poor of
Church Street ward on Christmas day. By will
proved 1878 Edward Board bequeathed £928 stock
yielding £25 a year to provide money and clothing
for 20 aged poor, with preference for natives or old
residents of Edmonton and for those engaged in
agriculture. The Oswin fund, founded by Mrs.
Sarah Eleanor Browne by will proved 1901,
consisted of £654 stock and £31 annuities.
By will proved 1665, John
Wilde of Edmonton left £6 a year for apprenticing
two sons of two poor widows of Edmonton to some
trade in the City of London.
In 1679 Thomas Style gave £10 a year to
apprentice one or two poor boys within the parish.
In 1724 Francis Chaplin and his wife Joyce
conveyed the moiety of 6½ a. of marsh-land to be
used after their deaths for the repair of Chaplin's
vault in the church and for apprenticing a poor boy
from Edmonton. Through neglect at inclosure the
land was apportioned to others and only ½ a. at
Jeremy's Green and £30 were allotted to the
charity. By 1823 two cottages had been built and
the rent of £3 3s. was applied in apprenticing one
boy, although the trustees were criticized in 1849 for
retaining the money or granting too little. The land
was sold and the money invested in 1905. In 1933 it
produced £17 a year.
Ecclesiastical charities. (fn. 67)
By will dated 1714
Thomas Maule bequeathed £100 for the benefit of
10 poor church-going widows. In 1737 the money,
with money from Jackson's and Latymer's charities,
was used to buy land in Hammersmith, the rent
from which was divided among the charities.
Until c. 1819 the £3 a year apportioned to Maule's
charity was given to three inmates of Wilde's almshouses but thereafter it was given to 10 poor widows
who regularly attended church. When the Ecclesiastical charities were instituted in 1899, Maule's
charity produced £7 10s. a year. The land was sold
in 1913 and by 1962 the income from Maule's
charity had risen to £43, of which 15 poor widows
received 10s. each and the remainder was paid into
the sick and poor fund.
Southgate Charities. (fn. 68)
The charity of Sir John
Weld of Arnolds (d. 1623) provided for payments
of £13 6s. 8d. to 6 poor kindred and £2 12s. in
bread to 12 poor widows of Southgate every
Sunday. (fn. 69) By 1867 £31 4s. a year was distributed in
bread and in 1973 the bread portion of the charity
was administered by the Southgate relief committee.
Mrs. Sophia Walker, by will proved 1865,
bequeathed £596 stock for educational and other
charitable objects in Southgate. In 1899 £2 15s.,
the interest on £101 stock, was spent on medical or
nursing needs. In 1973 the income was divided
among the Southgate relief committee, Christ
Church Sunday school, and St. Andrew's day
By will proved 1892 John Julian left £1,000
stock to provide £1 each for 20 poor widows of
Christ Church parish in the week before Christmas
and to divide the remaining interest in bread for
the poor. In 1962 the income was £25, administered
by Southgate relief committee.
Four of the Walker brothers made bequests for
the benefit of the poor of Southgate. Frederick
Walker, by will proved 1890, Vyell Edward
Walker, by will proved 1906, and Russell Walker,
by will proved 1907, each left £1,000 stock. In 1962
the income was £34, £33, and £33 respectively,
administered by the Southgate relief committee.
Isaac Donnithorne Walker left £500, which
yielded £15 in 1962 and which the vicar of Southgate still administered for the poor of Southgate
village in 1973.
By will dated 1826 Elizabeth Martin bequeathed
£498 stock, the interest to be distributed to the poor
of Christ Church. In 1970 the charity produced
£12 which was given by the vicar in money and
Christmas gifts to old age pensioners.
John Woolnough, by will proved 1939, left money
to Southgate corporation to provide Christmas
dinners and coal for old people. Trustees were
appointed by a Scheme of 1961 and in 1973 the
income was under £250.
Other charities for the poor.
There was a group
of charities for medical and nursing purposes:
Elizabeth Whitehead bequeathed £116 stock yielding £3 4s. in 1800, Mrs. Frances Smith bequeathed
£272 yielding £7 9s. 8d. in 1811, and Edmund
Slaughter bequeathed £107 stock yielding £2 19s
in 1831. By 1872 there was also a lying-in charity, of
which the origin is unknown, which in 1899
consisted of £150 stock yielding £4 2s. 4d. By a
Scheme of 1940 its administration passed to the
trustees of the United charities.
Mrs. Esther Doe, by deed in 1863 and by will in
1872, left houses and stock yielding an annual
income of £447 which was to be spent on the almshouses.
The Bush prize fund, founded in 1869, provided
£10 a year from £250 stock to be used for
George Ringrose, by will proved 1885, left £92
stock producing £2 11s. to be spent in coal, bread,
and money for the deserving poor of Edmonton.
The income in 1966 was £2 6s. 4d.
Isaac Padman, by will dated 1818, left £500 to be
invested, the income to be applied to the religious
and 'respectable' poor of Winchmore Hill. By a
Scheme of 1893 the income of £24 a year was to be
applied in nursing, provident clubs, clothes, or
temporary relief to the residents of the ecclesiastical
district of Winchmore Hill, the rest of Edmonton
parish, and Enfield or any adjoining parish. In 1965
the income was £20, which the ministers of
Winchmore Hill Congregational church and Christ
Church Congregational church, Enfield, distributed
in coal, bedding, and clothes.
By will proved 1880 Peregrine Hogg Purvis of
Winchmore Hill left £2,000 to the vicar and
churchwardens of St. Paul, Winchmore Hill, the
interest to be distributed annually before Christmas
in £1-gifts to 50 poor inhabitants of Winchmore
Hill, irrespective of creed but with preference to
residents in Highfield Row. In 1966 the income was
£53. He also left £100 stock, producing £2 15s. in
1899, to nonconformist bodies, £200 stock producing £5 10s. for church purposes, and £200 stock
producing £5 10s. for education.
Elizabeth Winsdale, by will proved 1887, left £500
for the sick poor of the parish of St. James, Upper
Edmonton. The sum was invested and produced
£13 a year in 1964. In addition to his bequest to the
alms-houses Thomas William Rowley, by will
proved 1892, bequeathed £200 stock yielding
£5 10s. a year to the poor of St. James's parish.
Edward Chapman, by will proved 1902, bequeathed
£250, the income to provide coal for the poor of
St. James's at Christmas. In 1969 the income of
some £7 was spent on coal for 3 persons. Maria
Linzell, by will proved 1920, bequeathed £50 to
augment offertories for the poor, defray the cost of
church work, or benefit the parish charities of
St. James's. The income was £3 in 1964.
By will proved 1937 Frances Isabella Hammond
bequeathed £300 to maintain a tomb in St. Mary's,
Edmonton, any residue to benefit the sick and poor of
the parish. The income in 1966 was £10, spent on
groceries and other necessities.