Bourne
Archive: Bourne
Abbey: Charities
http://boar.org.uk/abiwxo3Ball’sCharities.htm
Latest edit 10 Jan 2011.
Interactive version
©2006 R.J.PENHEY
The Bourne Archive
AN ACCOUNT OF THE CHARITIES
OF
THE PARISH OF BOURNE,
In the
On the face of it,
this is a list of the gifts by and for Bourne people, which form the basis of
the Bourne United
Charities. However, the details
surrounding this document afford little insights into other aspects of the
town’s history. It is a single leaf, printed on one side and a little larger
than A3 size as though intended for pinning up as a notice. It was printed and
published by John Ball of
The modern
In the medieval church, the liturgical
aspect of religious life was emphasized and preaching was relatively
unimportant outside the work of the Dominicans. By the end
of the sixteenth century, the opposite was true. Particularly during the early
seventeenth century, pulpits and seating were added to the old buildings. In
many places, including Bourne, a gallery was added at the western end. The
installation of the one at Bourne has not been dated but it will have followed
the removal of the chancel, which appears to have happened at the end of 1643. The
likeliest time is the second half of the eighteenth century. (Scholes
p. 37) The gallery may have been for accommodating the congregation which, in
its new pews, took up more space than had been the case. However, in 1809, Moore referred
to this gallery as ‘the choir’ and to the ‘table of benefactors’ as being ‘on
the front’ of it. It would thus be legible from the floor of the nave. The
implication seems to be that the gallery was not used by the congregation in
general but was big enough to house the choir and the band which will have been
the forerunner of the organ, the latter endowed by Mrs. Pochin. Scholes (plate 2.2.)
shows the eighteenth century musicians’ gallery in a small
English, Anglican
church.
At Bourne, the chancel was reinstated in 1807, so potentially,
releasing more room in the nave. By 1834, there was an organ in the gallery (SmithJP1 p.12) but in 1869-70,
the north aisle was rebuilt on a widened plan. This included space for an organ,
which replaced that of the west gallery (SmithJP1 p.4). At the same
time, the gallery was removed: the balance was swinging back towards liturgy,
perhaps under the influence of the Oxford Movement.
The space in the gallery was no longer needed as the choir was accommodated in
the chancel. From the vicar’s point of view, the organist and choir were much
more under his eye there, than the band and singers had been in the gallery, at
the far end of the building. Also, the Established Church was being used
progressively less as a means of government control of individual behaviour and
it was more possible to choose to attend other religious houses. For example
Roman Catholics, hitherto seen as potential supporters of foreign powers, were emancipated progressively
between 1778 and 1829.
In medieval churches, the doctrinal message
was imparted pictorially. Most churches had the Day of Judgement
depicted prominently. By the seventeenth century, these were covered with
whitewash and written religious texts were painted onto church walls. At Corby Glen for example, as
well as the famous pictures, there are fragments of later written decoration. In
the eighteenth century, the law required that people of the parish should
attend the church each week. This was therefore a suitable place in which to impart
information on subjects which were not directly religious. It seems from the
present document, that on the western gallery of The Abbey Church, visible by
the congregation in the nave, there was a notice about the social welfare
provision given by benefactors. Its text forms the first part of Ball’s
document.
From the Gallery in the
William Trollope, of this Parish Esqre by his Will, in 1636, founded
the Hospital and gave the yearly sum of thirty-three pounds for the Maintenance
of Six Poor aged Men of this Parish. And also founded the
NICHOLAS RAND, by his Will, in 1637, gave to the Poor of
this Parish Eight Acres and one Rood of Land, in Holbeach, now let at seven
pounds p. ann: [per annum (through the year)]
JOHN BROWN, of Stamford Esqre
by his Will in ---, [This
dash is in Ball’s text] gave to the Poor of this Parish an Annuity of Eight
Pounds, issuing out of the Rectory of this Parish. [In the early seventeenth century, a branch of the
Browne family held the advowson
at Bourne. (FosterCW1 p.
xii) Its coat of arms
(three fulling hammers), at
one time plastered over, is engraved
on the north wall of the chancel near the present organ.]
William
Fisher,
of this Parish, Gent., by his Deed, in 1627, founded the Almshouses for Six
poor aged Women of Bourn, and settled an Estate, at Tumby Wood-side, now let at
thirty Pounds per ann: for supporting thereof. And
the Schoolmaster to read prayers there, and receive five pounds per ann: [The women’s almshouses were in
And also by his Will in 1633, gave a Messuage in All Saints’
Parish, in Stamford,
and Little Casterton Fields, and an Annuity of four Pounds for ever, issuing
out of his estate in Stamford, to the Poor of this Parish. [Fisher owned and probably built, the Red Hall.
Stylistically, it dates from about 1620. RJP]
ROBERT HARRINGTON, of Gray’s Inn, Middlesex, Esqre by his will, dated 14th of July, 1654, and
proven in the year 1657, gave an Annuity of Twenty Pounds for ever, issuing out
of Home Woods and Dobbin Woods, in or near the Parish of Witham-on-the-Hill, in
this County, to be laid out in bread, to be distributed every Sunday amongst
the Poor of this Parish by the Minister, Churchwardens and Overseers of the
Poor.
And also, by his said will, gave his Freehold and Copyhold
SIR Thomas
TROLLOPE, of Casewick, in this County, Bart., by his Will in 1654, gave One
Hundred Pounds for erecting a Work-house in this Parish, now called Town-houses. [This was at the junction of
Thomas
Wilcox
of this Parish, by his Will, in 1660, gave a Piece of Land called Allen’s
Pitts, now let at Twenty Shillings p. ann: towards
the Support of a Workhouse in this Parish.
The Right Honble. BROWNLOW EARL of
MATTHEW CLAY, of this Parish, Gent., in the year 1742, gave the Bran[lacuna]o this Church. [A lacuna
is a hole in the document where the paper has perished and fallen away. The
text will have been “..gave the branch to this
Church.” This was the chandelier (WalkerJ1 p.95) which bears his name as donor
and still hangs in the nave. Matthew Clay was a property owner. Among other
places, he owned the Candlehouse in the Market Place.
(BirkbeckJD2
p. 57.). See Clay
Family]
The RENT of two
acres of Meadow, called the Constable’s Halfacre [lacuna]e Dikereeve’s Halfacre, is every year laid out i[lacuna]d, which is
distributed to the Householders a[lacuna]mmoners in the Eastgate
Ward in this Parish. [This will be
“The RENT of two acres of Meadow, called the Constable’s Halfacre
and the Dikereeve’s Halfacre,
is every year laid out in bread, which is distributed to the Householders and
Commoners in the Eastgate Ward in this Parish.” Commoners were people who lived
in properties to which common rights (to use common land) were attached.]
From the Bo[lacuna]e Charity
Trustees. [This is likely to be “From the Book of the Charity
Trustees.”]
JAMES ORGAN[lacuna]his Will, dated
4th May, 1729, and proved at L[lacuna]n 7th January,
1757, gave to the Poor of Bourn[lacuna]0, to be laid out
by his Executrix, Ann Clay, in Land, and the Rent thereof to be distributed in
Bread amongst the Poor of Bourn, on Saint
Stephen’s day, at the discretion of his said Executrix, her heirs,
executors, administrators, and assigns.
[This is probably “JAMES ORGANER by his Will, dated 4th May, 1729, and proved
at Lincoln 7th January, 1757, gave to the Poor of Bourn £??0 … …”]
JEREMIAH IVES, by Will, dated 11th June, 1798, directed his
Executors to lay out £100 in the Public Funds, in the names of four respectable
persons, Inhabitants of Bourn, to be named by the Minister, Churchwardens, and
Overseers for the time being, or the major part of them, and that the Dividends
thereof should be yearly paid to the Minister, Churchwardens and Overseers, and
applied by them to the benefit of the Poor of the said Parish. £144. 12s. 1d.
By the Award, on
the Enclosure of the North Fen, dated
2nd July 1770, 1a. 1r. 19p. were
allotted to the Inhabitants for the time being, residing in a part of Bourn,
called Eastgate, in lieu of the Constable’s Halfacre
and the Dikereeve’s Halfacre. The
Rent is every year laid out in Bread, and distributed to the Householders and
Commoners of the Eastgate Ward, in
Bourn.
[The date given is that of the
allotment of the land. The Act of Parliament under which it was done was dated
1766. This is the land, Whitebread Meadow, for which
the yearly auction is timed by the running of children. See FNQ 32 and FNQ 1049]
And 1a. 2r. 4p., in the North Fen,
were allocated to the Churchwardens and Overseers of Bourne, and their
Successors, in trust for the Poor of Bourn.
By the Award, on the Enclosure of the South Fen, dated 7th July 1777, 3a. 1r. 21p. were allotted to the
Churchwardens and Overseers of Bourn, and their Successors, in trust, for the
Poor of Bourn.
Herbage Charity.—Under the
Award, on the Enclosure of the Cow
Pasture, in the South Fen, in the
Parish of Bourn, the Inhabitants were empowered to give leave, at a Vestry to
be held annually on the Monday next after
5th of April, to industrious
Inhabitants of the said Parish, not renting and occupying Lands and Tenements
to the amount of more than £8. per annum, to keep and depasture
upon any of the Roads and Ways in the said Parish such number of Oxen, Cows, and
Calves, as the majority of the said Inhabitants should think most proper, --
but no other species of cattle whatever. [The
Cow Pasture was adjacent to the south bank of the Bourne Eau around grid
reference TF136192.]
Catherine Digby, by Will, dated 25th May, 1835,
and proved in Prerogative Court of Canterbury, gave the Officiating Minister
and Churchwardens for the time being of the Parish of Bourn £500, or so much
Stock in 3 per cent. Consols as, at the time of
transferring the same, should be equivalent to £500, to be paid and invested by
them in the said Stock, within a month after her decease, in Trust, from time
to time to apply the Dividends or Interest thereof for a perpetual Salary to
the Officiating Organist, for the time being, in the Parish Church of Bourn
aforesaid. [The organ was installed in
1834 (SmithJP1 p.4) and
will have replaced a band of musicians. Vicars tended to prefer having one
organist to the several players in the band. Organists were generally of a more
formally educated class and more biddable.]
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Printed and sold by Thomas Ball,
at his Printing Office,
Thomas Ball of
For another view of the poor see FNQ177.
A modern view of the Bourne
United Charities may be found on their web site.
