Charities and Charitable Works
This is very much a work in progress as we try to tie up loose ends, tracking down the when, where and who (see also Paupers and the poor). I am very grateful to Sue Cowling and Steve Williams for their book on Alms and Legacies in Stowmarket which has been invaluable for filling in some blanks.
Over the centuries several areas of land have been owned by outside interests to raise money for their own charitable works e.g. Stowmarket, Earl Stonham, Bramford, Ashfield.
This extract related to Stowupland Poor estate and it is thought the farm mentioned is Town Farm in Saxham Street.
1488 deeds found in Stowmarket church relating to TOWNLANDS in Saxton Thorney, a hamlet de Stowmarket{unknown source}
Poor’s Estate
The origins of this estate seems not fully known, but it was under the management of the churchwardens and overseers of Stowmarket and Stowupland. It provided them with the means to distribute relief to the poor of Stowupland as described in the report of the commissioners of the poor in 1837.
- A small dwelling house with outbuildings and 22 acres of land in Stowupland, let to Martha Wilding at a yearly rent of 35 pounds.
- A cottage and piece of land called Colemans (18 acres) and The Town Meadow (3 acres ) let to John Stedman, at a yearly rent of £30.
The rents after deducting necessary expenses were given in money and coal to poor widows and also among other poor persons of Stowupland in proportion to the size of their families.
Blackerby’s gift
Under this donation a coat was given once in four years to a poor man of Stowupland. Thomas Blakerby’s will of 1687 states “I give to 2 honest poor men of Stowmarket and to 1 of Stowupland a cloth gown of violet colour to be faced with yellow bays or serge and the letters TB to be set on the sleeve or breast of every gown and those that wear the same gowns shall from time to time be appointed by the minister churchwardens and overseers of the poor”.
{“Alms and Legacies – a History of the Stowmarket Charities” by Sue Cowling and Steve Williams, 2012.} See also Spoonmans
17th century.
In her will Dorothy Pooley of Stowmarket gave 40s to the poor of Stowupland to be administered by the minister and churchwardens.
From the 1716 Terrier – ‘a free school endowed with six pounds per annum stipend to the master; which stipend is a Rent Charge issuing out of lands called Bills lying in Stowmarket now possessed and occupied by Mr John Pooley’
In his will John Codde of Stowupland gave £3 to be distributed to the poor of Stowupland on the day of his burial.
Extract of handwritten note made by Ena Carter. the full article gives useful information relating to charity lands in Stowmarket and Stowupland. {1716 Stowmarket Terrier/SLHG Archives/charities}.
At this time although Stowmarket and Stowupland had separate churchwardens and overseers they shared the church in Stowmarket, the vicar and the vicarage.
The vicar of Stowmarket and Stowupland recieved income from the tithes for giving a weekly lecture, preaching two annual sermons ( one on the festival of St Peter and one on the festival of St Thomas).
The Terrier adds – ‘A tenement, Barn and four pieces of land lying in Stowupland containing seven acres and abutting on a lane leading to Mr Jacobs to the West, on a field called Spoonmans to the North, on Mr Wells lands to the East and lands late Tarver’s to the South. Now in the occupation of Robert Osbourne senior at the yearly rent of 6 pounds 10 shillings.’
– A rent of four pounds thirteen shillings and four pence per annum issuing out of lands lying in Stowupland late Mr Brandlyns now in the occupation of James Pyeman.
– A rent charge of four pounds per annum issuing out of lands lying in Stowupland belonging to Thomas Tyrell Esquire now in the occupation of Jacob Todd of Gipping.
– The Town Farm consisting of a tenement Barn Stable and Cowhouse with Seven Pieces of land containing twenty two acres more or less now in the occupation of Thomas Sheldrake at yearly Rent of Twenty Pounds (is this Town Farm, Saxham Street?)
– three pieces of land called Coemans, eighton acres more or less abutting the road to Earl Stonham on the South, at the yearly rent of ten pounds.
– The Town Meadows containing three acres more or less abutting on the road to Mendlesham on the North, on Mr Saers land to the West and North and William Grimwood lands to the East now in the occupation of Thomas Wells at the yearly rent of Four Pounds Ten Shillings.
One tenement on Thorney Green occupied by John Hasleton, John Sheldrake and Robert Goddard.
-One tenement in Saxham Street occupied by John Moys Junior
There was an addional insert – ‘A field called Spoonmans lying in Stowupland abutting the aforesaid Townlands to the West on the Common Highway to the North on Mr Suggetts lands to the East on lands late Tarvers to the South now in the occupation James Dalton at the yearly rate of six pounds which lands we purchased with the Forty-five Pounds late in Mr Peaks hands and sixty pound raised by the parishioners of Stowmarket to complete the purchase.’
1827 – Lands, houses etc belonging to the poor of Stowupland {copied by Ena Carter from original 1827 Stowmarket & Stowupland Terrier at Ipswich Record Office }
-Farm consisting of a tenement, barn, stable and cowhouse with 7 peices of land containing 22 acres more or less. late in the occupation of William Wilding now of Mathew Wilding at a yearly rent of £35 per annum
-also a tenement
– also 3 peices of land called Coemans contaiing 18 acres more or less.
19th century
In 1862 The Stowmarket and Stowupland charities were revised by the commissioners after alleged mismanagement by John George Hart. £2 from the Spoonmans charity was given annually to Stowmarket National School (Church of England) along with £15 from the Poor’s Estate to Stowmarket British School (Non-Conformist).
1864 Poor Rate Book – Stowupland
Owner – Stonham Feoffees: Occupiers – William Gosling, land/Town Farm 22a 1r 1p
– Samuel Diaper, land & barn Gipping Rd 23a 1r 26p
Owner – Stowmarket Feoffees: Occupiers – Spencer Freeman, lands & barn Spoonmans 19a 3r 26p
Owner – Stowupland Feoffees: Occ -William Freeman, Pitmans Meadow, 3a 0r 27p
– Zeph Stedman, Land & barn, Stonham Rd 26a 0r 32p
–Wm Wilding, house & farm, Town Farm 28a 3r 20p
– Watling, cottage & garden m Saxon Street 0a 0r 24p
-Hart, cottage & garden m Saxon Street 0a 0r 39p
-John Stedman, Stowupland Town meadow : 3 acres (tm 337 adj to The Vicarage)
Owner – Bramford Feoffees: occ – Thomas Cuthbert House & farm Mill street 12a 2r 26p
Owner – Gipping Feoffees: occupier -Samuel Draper land & barn Gipping Rd 12a 1r 2p
Late barbrake, cottage & garden – – –
John Ames, cottage & garden 0a 0r 23p
Owner – Ashfield Feoffees: occupier – Wm Lankester, land & barn Hoowood 39a 2r 4p
Owner John Barnes: occupier – Wm Lankester, Rent charge -Hoowood
Owner Rev W Steggall occ Christorpher Ryall, house & farm Mount Pleasant 16a 1r 18p
Bramford Farm, Mill Street.
‘In 1703, Wm Acton gave to the poor of Bramford £200, to be laid out in land, for a quarterly distribution of bread, meat etc It was laid out in the purchase of a cottage & 14 acres of land, at Stowupland, now let for £20 a year. The land was exonerated from tithes by Nathaniel Acton Esq in 1796′.Whites 1855, p437 {ECA}
Hoowood, Howgate and Mount Pleasant seem to have a shared past
In the 17th century 44 acres were purchased in Stowupland on behalf of a Great Ashfield charity, this land was known as Hoowood. See also Hoowood and Great Ashfield charity (2021 NL). .
Spoonmans Farm.
From 1716 Terrier for Stowmarket ‘ A tenement barn & four peice of land lyeing in Stowupland containing seven acres …now in the occupation of \robert Osbourn Senior at the yearly rent of six pounds ten shillings.{ECA}
1855 – Land & Spoonmans barn – , owner Stowmarket feoffees, occupier Spencer Freeman (he also owned part of the land) {ECA}
By 1862 The Stowmarket and Stowupland charities were revised by the commissioners after the mismanagement of John George Hart, £2 from the Spoonmans charity was given annually to Stowmarket National School (Church of England){Cowling and Williams, 2021}
In 1921 an indenture ( 1921 spoonmans indenture) was signed between the trustees of Stowmarket Charity Estates and Stowupland Parish Council agreeing to the lease of lands for 8 years at an annual rent of £35.00
Thradstones
An area of 4 fields between what is now the A1120 and Gipping Lane was owned for many centuries by the Earl Stonham Feoffees. It was called by variations of the name Thrandestones , it is now known as Trinity Meadows.
Symmys, Saxham Street.
15th century -A feoffment to property called Symmys in Saxton Street, being held under Thorney Halle is mentioned in Hollingsworth(p108) but not much more is known
Town Farm. Saxham Street
Townsland and Calthorpe Charity
In 2010, the charity made a donation to the Stowupland PCC and £20.00 gifts to 23 elderly residents at Christmas. {From Stowupland Parish Council Annual report 2010}
From 1606 a copy of residents of Stowupland who were deemed to be poor with a reason.
In the late 17th century John Carter was churchwarden, we have a record of money disbursed by him to local people who had been ‘extremely visited by the small pox’.
