CHARITIES FOR THE POOR.
An almshouse
at the north end of the Green was built in the
late 17th century by John Tounson (d. 1687). It
consisted of a curved terrace of eight tworoomed cottages and was to be occupied by
eight old people from Calne, Bremhill, and
Highworth parishes nominated by the bishop
of Salisbury and the vicar of Bremhill.
Tounson intended to give land to provide an
income for the inmates, but the land was encumbered and never entered on by his trustees.
In the late 18th century the almshouse was
managed as a poorhouse by Calne parish, and
elderly women nominated by the vicar and
churchwardens were housed in it. In 1834 the
cottages were occupied by 14 women, all of
whom received poor relief. In the 19th century
and early 20th most inmates were women of
Calne. In 1904 the vicar of Calne, authorized by
the bishop of Salisbury and the vicar of
Bremhill, managed the almshouse, which was
lived in by eight widows aged over 70 and
nominated by him. (fn. 51) The almshouse and several
charities were jointly regulated by a Scheme of
1924. Money from the charities was used to
maintain the almshouse, which was to be occupied by eight widows aged over 60 from the
three parishes specified by Tounson. The almshouse was renovated in 1925, and in the 1960s
it was converted to four cottages. By a Scheme
of 1978 it was separated from all the charities
except Luckett's; Calne Almshouse charity, including Stanier's charity, was created, and the
trustees of the new charity were empowered to
require the occupants of the cottages to contribute to the cost of maintaining the building. (fn. 52)
In 2000, including such contributions from
the occupants, the charity had an income of
£11,136. (fn. 53)
In 1624 Elizabeth Swaddon carried out the
wish of her husband William Swaddon (d.
1623) by giving land in Singleborough (Bucks.)
to benefit the poor of five cities and towns including Calne, which was to receive £4 a year.
From c. 1634 to 1834 or later the income was
received by the constables of Calne who gave it
as doles to poor inhabitants of the town. In the
late 19th century and early 20th the money was
received by the aldermen and spent on sheets or
coal; 15 people were each given a pair of sheets
in 1904. (fn. 54) Distribution of sheets continued until
the mid 20th century. (fn. 55) By a Scheme of 1978
Swaddon's charity for Calne was united with
Ernle's, Weekes's, and Hungerford's charities
as Calne Relief in Need charity. (fn. 56) The new
charity made occasional gifts of money to those
suffering hardship or in distress and in 2000
had an income of £296. (fn. 57)
In 1695 Sir John Ernle (d. 1697) gave several
premises in Calne to benefit four poor women of
the town. The vicar and churchwardens were to
receive the income and to nominate the beneficiaries from among the poor not receiving parish
relief. The women were probably given cash in
the 18th century, as they were in the 19th; in
1834 the charity's income was £13 1s. A new
lease of one of the premises was made c. 1836
and the fine, £100, was invested. In 1878 most of
the premises were sold, by 1883 £1,330 had been
invested, and by 1897 a further £589 had been
invested. By a Scheme of 1902 the charity was
to benefit five poor widows from among the unrelieved poor of Calne, four nominated by the
vicar and churchwardens, one by the trustees of
the charity. The charity's income was then c.
£93, and each widow was to be given 5s. 6d. a
week. (fn. 58) From 1924 to 1978 Ernle's charity was
regulated jointly with the almshouse and other
charities; in 1978 it was united with other charities
as Calne Relief in Need charity. (fn. 59)
By will proved 1736 Thomas Weekes gave 3
a. in Broughton Gifford to benefit poor widows
of Calne. The vicar of Calne was the sole
trustee of the charity and nominated the
beneficiaries. In 1834 he gave away the charity's
income, £7 13s., in doles of 2s. 6d. In 1846 the
land was sold and £450 invested; doles continued to be given. In 1904 and the 1920s and
1930s the income was £13 and poor widows
were given 2s. each; the charity occasionally
paid for repairs to the almshouse. (fn. 60) In 1978
Weekes's charity was subsumed in Calne Relief
in Need charity. (fn. 61)
In 1746 Walter Hungerford (d. 1754) gave a
rent charge of £20 to the churchwardens and
guild stewards of Calne, who were to use it to
help the sick, wounded, or maimed inhabitants
of Calne of their choice. The rent charge was
not paid or claimed until 1792. By a compromise
£400 instead of arrears was paid then, and it
was invested in 1793. Thereafter the charity's
income was given to the sick and aged poor of
Calne; in 1904 the income was £30 and sums
of 2s. 6d. were given away, (fn. 62) and in the 1920s
and 1930s, when it was £26, necessities were
occasionally bought for poor people. (fn. 63) In 1978
Hungerford's charity was subsumed in Calne
Relief in Need charity. (fn. 64)
By 1621 the burgesses of Calne had received
c. £150 from several donors as a stock for loans
to poor craftsmen and artificers of the borough. (fn. 65) The stock, later managed as the Town
Stock charity, was invested by the burgesses in
a turnpike trust c. 1707, and in the earlier 19th
century the income from it was distributed in
sums of 3s. to the unrelieved poor of the town.
In 1904 the income, £5 13s., was spent on c. 34
sheets, (fn. 66) and sheets were still given away in the
1920s and 1930s. In the 1940s the charity's income was allowed to accumulate. (fn. 67) By a Scheme
of 1980 the Town Stock charity was managed
with five other charities as the Calne Town
charity. In 1995 the new charity had an income
of c. £570 and made nine gifts totalling £402 to
help the needy. (fn. 68)
Also by 1621 a Mrs. Wootton had given £52
to the burgesses of Calne, the interest to buy
bread for the poor of Calne. (fn. 69) The bread was
distributed by the vicar and churchwardens.
The burgesses invested the capital with the
town stock, and from 1764 to 1864 no money
was given to the vicar and churchwardens and
presumably no bread was distributed. In 1864
the capital and arrears of interest, a total of
£76, were paid to the churchwardens. That
money was deposited in a savings bank and the
fund was later called the Savings Bank charity.
In the late 19th century and early 20th the income, £1 18s., was allowed to accumulate as a
fund to relieve distress. (fn. 70) In the 1920s the charity paid for blankets. (fn. 71) From 1924 to 1978 it was
regulated jointly with the almshouse and other
charities, and by a Scheme of 1978 it was united
with the Baydon Lands charity and Henry
Smith's charity as the Calne Advancement in
Life charity. In 1993 the income of the new
charity was £716, and grants of £150 were
made to help young people being educated or
trained. (fn. 72) In 2000 the income was £1,358. (fn. 73)
In 1627 Henry Smith endowed a charity to
provide clothing or food for the old and infirm
from among the labouring poor of many places,
including Calne. In 1827 Calne received £20 9s.
from the charity, and clothing was given to 158
inhabitants of the town. In 1866 blankets worth
£12 were given away, and in 1904, when £11
6s. was received, 60-65 pairs of sheets were distributed. (fn. 74) From 1924 to 1978 the charity was
regulated jointly with the almshouse and other
charities. In 1978 it was subsumed in the Calne
Advancement in Life charity. (fn. 75)
The Baydon Lands charity originated in several gifts of money, including one of £200 from
Henry Smith, made to the burgesses of Calne
after 1621. The money was used to buy 27 a. in
Baydon in 1636, (fn. 76) and the income from the land
was spent with the money received from Henry
Smith's charity. In 1834 the Baydon Lands charity had a gross income of £23, in the late 19th
century and early 20th one of £22. In the early
20th century the fund was allowed to accumulate. (fn. 77) Between 1913 and 1920 the land was sold
and the proceeds, and the accumulated income,
were invested. In the 1920s the charity paid for
apprenticing. (fn. 78) From 1924 to 1978 the charity
was regulated jointly with the almshouse and
other charities. In 1978 it was subsumed in
Calne Advancement in Life charity. (fn. 79)
In 1863 £1,000 from the estate of Henry
Harris (d. 1861) was given to trustees, who
were to spend the interest on blankets and overcoats for the poor of Calne parish. The charity's
income was £25 a year. Blankets were given in
most years until the 1950s, and in 1904 there
were 98 recipients. Overcoats were given in
1940. (fn. 80) By will proved 1891 Joseph Harris gave
the income from £200 to benefit 20 poor parishioners, including those living in the almshouse;
the income was spent on coal. (fn. 81) By will proved
1895 Thomas Caish gave the proceeds of the
future sale of a house in Calne to be invested to
buy coal for the poor of the borough; the house
was valued at £200 in 1904 (fn. 82) and was presumably
sold later. By will proved 1908 Thomas's relict
Susannah Caish endowed a charity for a similar
purpose, and by a deed of 1905 Thomas Harris
also founded a coal charity for the poor of
Calne. From the 1920s to the 1950s the charities
of Joseph Harris, Susannah Caish, and Thomas
Harris were managed together; the income, £46
in 1935, was spent on coal. In 1980 all five charities were subsumed in Calne Town charity. (fn. 83)
By will proved 1897 H. A. Luckett gave the
income from £100 to benefit the women in the
almshouse at Christmas. In 1904 £2 4s. was
spent on coal for them. (fn. 84) From 1924 the charity
was regulated jointly with the almshouse. (fn. 85)
By will proved 1931 Susan Stanier gave
£1,200 to the trustees of the almshouse to
benefit those living in it. (fn. 86) In 1978 the charity
was subsumed in Calne Almshouse charity. (fn. 87)