CHARITY ENQUIRY 1901; Wiltshire Gazette; (20/5/1901: Ref

Village Charities

The following article from the Wiltshire Gazette of May 20^th, 1901 (WAM ref. 10/46) probably supplies the best starting point from which to record the various charities of Burbage. Mr. Vine's comments make interesting reading.

Charity Enquiry 1901

Mr. Carden sat at the Iron room Burbage, a structure in close proximity to the church. Those present include Vicar (EC Hawkes), Mr. Broom Vines (Churchwarden), Dr. Farquhar, Mr. HC Norris, Mr. James Tasker, (trustee of the Pearce’s charity) and Mr. Hammoth. No one came from the Parish Council.

Pearce’s Charity. Founded by the late Philip Pearce, in 1803. £2,130 in 2.75% consolidated stock. Produces £58/11/3d annually. £10 to the Charity School towards the master’s stripend, the rest to the second poor with parochial relief being a disqualification. The Parish Council had acted illegally over some trustees appointments and should re-appoint 3 trustees.

Highett Trust. £500 left by Mr. Robert Highett in 1873. A moiety towards the support of the National School and a second moiety to the needy and aged poor of the parish. Now stood at £483 also invested as above thus producing £13/8/4d. The Assistant Commissioner pointed out that the charity did not allow the sums to be given to paupers and the Vicar pointed out that they were just people in the parish who needed it. Mr. Broom Vines, pointed out that there were no poor in the parish as all of the village’s men smoked cigars on Sunday. Assistant Commissioner, "And yet they are not ashamed to accept charitable money?". Mr. Vines, "No!". In future half will go to the school (it had been less than that) and half to the poor. Currently there were 44 applicants for the coals and they generally received 3 cwt. each.

Archdeacon Stanton’s Charity. £200 dating from 1875, the interest to supply blankets or cloaks to the poor of the ecclesiastical portion of the parish. The capital now stood at £194, it was invested the same as the above and was producing £5/6/8d annually. It was distributed by the Vicar and Churchwardens as blankets.

Lord Ailesbury’s Charity. It seems that this was £20 paid as a gift in 1834 by his predecessors in 1747. It is now lost and no one knew anything about it.

Bushell Charity. This is the rent charge on Gaisford Farm and was left by John Bushell of Great Bedwyn and provides an income of 10/- to be distributed among 20 of the honest, industrious poor. It is administered by the Vicar and Churchwardens and given to aged widows.