The Reeve’s Tale magazine website
CHARITIES IN THE PARISHES OF
BAWDESWELL AND FOXLEY by Margaret Joice
PROBABLY THE BEST KNOWN of these
is the Leeds Educational Charity which now gives a cash grant
each year to children from Bawdeswell Primary School as they go on to
secondary education.
By the Will of John Leeds of
Bawdeswell, dated 1728, about 16 acres of land was left to Trustees "upon
condition that they should yearly pay over the rents and profits
thereof for teaching of twelve poor children of Bawdeswell and eight
poor children of Foxley to write and read by a Schoolmaster.
The Trustees for the educational
charity are now:
An appointee appointed by
the Local Education Authority, The Rector,
The Head Teacher of Bawdeswell
School, A representative of the Parish Council.
The Fuel Allotment Charity is
connected with Bawdeswell Heath, and the details of this are lost in the mists
of time.
By the Will of Alice Leeds, dated
1860, money should be "distributed annually among such poor
widows or other necessitous poor, residing in the said parish of
Bawdeswell as the Rector or churchwardens for the time being shall select,
or in such a manner as they shall think fit. "
Alice Leeds died in 1867 leaving
£10 for distribution in coal.
The Thomas and Jane Elsden Charity
was set up in 1908. In her Will of 1905, JaneElsden left £100
to her Trustees and directed that "part of the income arising from
the investment of that money should be applied in the purchase of coal
for distribution during the winter months, in quantities of one hundredweight
to each poor widow and industrious but distressed family, and to
deserving poor residents of the said parish of Bawdeswell".
There are still members of the
Elsden family living in Bawdeswell, who are descendants of Thomas and
Jane Elsden.
The William Dewing Charity. In his
Will dated November 1719 William Dewing says 'my lands and premises situated
in Bawdeswell shall be charged with yearly payment of twenty shillings
(£l) per annum :- ten shillings in December and ten shillings in
March to be paid to churchwardens and overseers of Bawdeswell in the
Parish Church porch, and to be bestowed and laid out in twopenny bread
and by them given and dispensed to the poor children of the said town of
Bawdeswell. "
It seems that the Charities: Heath
Fuel Allotment, Alice Leeds, Thomas and Jane Elsden, and William Dewing, have all
been amalgamated, unofficially at least, since 1949 and probably before that.
The records are not clear.
From 1949 Mr Sam Eglington must
have been the moving spirit among the trustees until he resigned in 1964, when
he was thanked for 50 years service. He died In 1970 aged 98.
Jack Mann of Billlngford Road was
also interested In the Heath Charity.
In 1994 the Charity
Commissioners decided to amalgamate the above four charities officially.
The Income is very low as the value of money has changed so much over the
years. The spending of it is at the discretion of the Trustees and
usually a small grant is made to a surviving spouse after a bereavement.
They are known collectively as 'The Heath Charity' and the Trustees are
as follows:-
'The Lord of the Manor"
The Rector
A parish councillor representative
Secretary and Treasurer
Other members can be co-opted.
The Trustees feel that we are
fortunate to have the Heath as common land for our enjoyment. Families
with children have also benefited from the generosity of earlier
residents in their commitment to education and their practical help for poor
families in times gone by.