Stapleford Tawney: Charities

CHARITIES

There is no record of the origin of the Church lands, which comprised 4 acres of arable near Colliers Hatch. (fn. 1) Their rent rose from £2 10s. in the 18th century to £6 10s. in 1834. (fn. 2) The property was sold in 1869 for £495 which was invested in stock. (fn. 3) Before 1750 the income was spent chiefly on church repairs and, from then until 1783 at least, it was used to educate the poor children of the parish. (fn. 4) It was apparently applied to the poor rates until 1820 and was from then on generally used to give clothing to the poor. (fn. 5) In 1949 the income of £13 6s. 8d. was spent with that of the other charities for the poor, on the distribution of coal, bread, and clothes. (fn. 6)

Thomas Luther of Suttons, (fn. 7) by will proved 1722, left £5 a year issuing from land in the parish to the poor. (fn. 8) In 1726 the vestry decided to use it to pay the parish schoolteacher. (fn. 9) This practice was discontinued by 1750, (fn. 10) and the money was apparently applied to the rates until 1820 when it was given to the poor with the Church lands income. (fn. 11) About 1861 there was difficulty in securing payment as the land was in Chancery and in 1869 half the charge was redeemed for stock. The other half was apparently paid until 1949 when only £2 1s. 8d. income from the stock was received. It was spent with the other charities. (fn. 12)

Jane Luther of Suttons, (fn. 13) by will proved 1745, left £6 a year, issuing out of an estate at Little Warley. (fn. 14) Of this sum £2 17s. 6d. was to go to Kelvedon Hatch (q.v.); of the remainder, 5s. was to be paid to the parish clerk for weeding the gravel walk from the road to the church and the remaining £2 17s. 6d. was to be given to the poor in bread. In 1834 both sums were paid by the owner of Suttons, as by this time the lands actually charged were unknown. (fn. 15) Both rent-charges were redeemed in 1950 for £115 stock for the poor and £10 for the clerk. (fn. 16)

The charities of Sir John Smijth, 9th Bt., and the Revd. Sir Edward Bowyer Smijth, 10th Bt., called the Hill Hall Charity, were founded by an indenture of 1840. There were in 1953 separate endowments of £109 and £119 stock for Stapleford Tawney and Theydon Mount respectively. That for Theydon Mount is said to represent legacies of £50 made under each of the two benefactors' wills together with £10 accumulation of interest: presumably the Stapleford Tawney stock represents similar legacies. Both charities are to be distributed in kind and were used with the other charities for the poor in 1949. (fn. 17)