CHARITIES FOR THE POOR.
Preston hospital was founded under the will, proved 1716, of
Catherine, Lady Herbert, daughter of the 1st earl
of Bradford, the bequest being a thanksgiving for
her rescue when lost on the Alps. She left £6,000
to her brother Lord Torrington and other trustees to build and endow almshouses in Shropshire
for 12 women and 12 girls. (fn. 99) The numbers of
widows and girls were each soon increased to 20.
In 1719 Torrington's estate was added to her
legacy, with an additional £1,000 to build a hall in
the middle of the almshouses. The money was
largely invested in South Sea annuities, sold in
1730 to buy an estate mainly in Preston, to which
land in Hortonwood was added in 1750. In 1802
Lord Mountrath, whose mother was a Newport,
left £4,000 with the intention of increasing each
widow's pension to £30 a year. From 1827 the
number of widows was increased to 26 and in
1830 each received £18 a year, 2 tons of coal, and
bedding and furniture, with £5 allowed for funeral expenses. Twenty of the widows also received
£4 half-yearly from Lord Mountrath's gift. The
widows, selected by trustees nominated by the
Bridgemans, were women formerly of good station but in reduced circumstances. Each usually
occupied a linked parlour-bedroom in the west
wing and had her own small garden.
Girls were lodged in dormitories in the east
wing, clothed, and educated from the ages of 7 to
14, the older girls being taught dairying, with the
expectation of going into service. (fn. 1) By 1880 the
ages had risen to 10 and 16. No girls boarded in
the hospital after 1952. (fn. 2)
The original building, by an unknown architect
but in the style of Gibbs, faces south forming
three sides of a quadrangle, with a hall in the
centre of the north wing. It was apparently
complete by c. 1726, (fn. 3) and is of red brick with
stone dressings. The hall, formerly used as a
schoolroom and for Sunday services, has giant
pilasters, two large arched windows, and a grand
doorway facing the courtyard. It is outset from,
and taller than, the two bays between it and the
angles of the wings. The first three bays of each
wing are closed, the remaining nine bays being
open on the ground floor in loggias with elliptical
arches.
The building was designed to house 20 widows
and 20 girls but in 1799, when there were 20
widows, only 13 girls were resident. (fn. 4) In 1807
plans were put forward not only to subdivide the
hall, and to provide a sick room by division of the
steward's room, but also to provide places for
eight more girls. (fn. 5) In 1809 temporary places were
being provided for them at Lady Bradford's instigation but some of the girls already slept three
to a bed, which was thought 'not wholesome'. (fn. 6) In
1827 the two side wings were carried forward to a
design by J. H. Haycock (fn. 7) of outward-curving
quadrants of three bays, originally of one storey
only, later raised to two, and two storeyed pavilions. The additions provided eight apartments
for eight more widows, although by 1830 only six
more were resident.
Two lodges were built south of the hospital in
1831, one to house the first resident male servant,
a gardener, felt to be necessary because a night
emergency would oblige one of the girls to walk a
considerable distance to get help. There were also
fears of robbery, especially when the widows had
been paid their pensions. (fn. 8) In the same year 58
cwt. of iron railings were bought from the Coalbrookdale Co. (fn. 9) Separating the main building from
the avenue of trees that approaches from the
lodges are fine wrought-iron gates by Robert
Bakewell (fl. 1707-55). (fn. 10) An infirmary block built
in 1893 was the last major alteration. (fn. 11)
Preston shared in a charity established by will
of Andrew Charlton of Apley, proved 1617. (fn. 12)