Standlake: Charities for the poor

CHARITIES FOR THE POOR. (fn. 1)

William Allen, by will proved c. 1632 or c. 1686, (fn. 2) bequeathed a 10s. rent charge on a house and land for yearly distribution in bread. After the sale of the property in parcels in 1811 nothing was received until 1823 when the purchasers were found to be liable, and three years' arrears were distributed in bread. The charity was mentioned by name in 1852 (fn. 3) but not after 1878, when it was perhaps represented by 10s. rent administered with another charity and distributed yearly in bread to schoolchildren. (fn. 4)

Elizabeth West, by will dated 1638, and her brother John Walter, by will proved 1640, gave land in Appleton (then Berks.) to the poor of Standlake, Witney, and Eynsham. Standlake's share, one quarter, was c. £11 in 1786 and over £18 in 1878, distributed weekly in bread. (fn. 5) Thomas Weale, by will proved 1658, (fn. 6) left a cottage and land for the poor of Standlake, Brittenton, Brighthampton, and Northmoor, in equal portions; Standlake and Brittenton's share, £2 in 1738 and 1786 and £9 10s. in 1878, was distributed twice yearly in bread and money. Robert Wyatt, by will proved 1676, (fn. 7) left a £2 rent charge distributed yearly in money.

In 1694 charitable bequests including those of Dame Elizabeth Stonehouse (£5 by will proved 1655), (fn. 8) one Allen (£5), John Jones (£3), and William Farr (£10 by will proved 1691) (fn. 9) were used to buy a cottage and land later called Yatemans, (fn. 10) the rents to benefit the poor. In the early 18th century the cottage was held rent-free, and c. £1 was received for the land; cottage and land together yielded £4 by 1824 and £6 by 1878, distributed yearly in bread and money.

Susannah Crouch, by will dated 1713, left £300, used in 1715 to buy land in Stanford-in-the-Vale (then Berks.). The rent, c. £16 in 1786 and £48 in 1878, was distributed weekly in bread. (fn. 11) In 1808 accumulated rents of c. £64 were used to build or rebuild cottages for the parish poor at Rack End, and interest of £3 4s. from the overseers was carried to the bread account. In 1866 £36 undistributed income was used to buy two other cottages, (fn. 12) the rent from which, £5 4s. in 1878, was also distributed in bread.

Thomas Weston, by will proved 1757, left a house and close, (fn. 13) the rents to be distributed twice a year in bread. The charity yielded c. £4 10s. in 1786 and £16 in 1878, then distributed in bread and money. A bequest by James Leverett of Witney, by will dated 1783, (fn. 14) seems not to have been received.

A Charity Commission Scheme of 1908, when income, excluding the West and Walter charity, was c. £67, amalgamated the surviving charities, and separately vested the poor allotment of 10 a. granted at inclosure. The Scheme was amended in 1937. A further Scheme of 1976 reorganized the charities as Standlake Welfare Trust for the benefit of Standlake and that part of Hardwick-with-Yelford formerly within the parish. Brighthampton's share of Weale's charity became part of Bampton Consolidated Charities and later of Bampton Welfare Trust under Schemes of 1888 and 1972; a two-acre close in Bampton thought to belong to the Brighthampton poor was sold in 1967 for £450, interest from which was administered by the Trust for the benefit of the Brighthampton poor. (fn. 15)