Churcham: Charities

CHARITIES.

About 1710 it was said that four houses and 5 a. of land had been given to the parish for the use of four poor women and that 5 a. had been given by a Mr. Blount, (fn. 1) but no later record of the property has been found. Before 1735 20s. to be distributed to the poor in bread on Good Friday and 20s. for a sermon were left to the parish. In 1735 Ebenezer Harris, lessee of one moiety of Churcham manor, was liable to pay the sums but had failed to do so; (fn. 2) in 1750, however, his successor Charles Barrow was paying them. (fn. 3) No later record of that charity has been found.

Highnam, Linton, and Over benefited under the charity estate left by Giles Cox of Abload's Court, Sandhurst, by will dated 1620; under the trust deed of 1633 50s. of the profits of the estate were assigned for the relief of poor householders in the three hamlets. (fn. 4) From 1822 the hamlets received £5 from the charity, which was distributed in sums of 3-10s. among householders not receiving poor relief. (fn. 5) In 1894 the trustees of the charity were paying £3 2s. in the form of a subscription to a coal and clothing club. (fn. 6) The capital of another charity given for the inhabitants of the three hamlets by a Mr. Whitmore was placed by the overseers in unsafe hands and was thought to have been lost by c. 1703. (fn. 7) Susannah Madelin by will proved 1887 left £24 in stock for the poor of Highnam. In 1970 the income from the Cox and Madelin charities, just over £7, was distributed in coal at Christmas. (fn. 8)