A history of Wing from an account dated 1925 - Page 5

Charities

Dormer's Hospital.-This inscription was on the wall of the hospital; 'Dormer's Hospital of the foundation of Dame Dorothy Pelham, sometime wife to Sir William Dormer, Knight, lord of the Manor of Wing, 1569.' As Sir Williarn died in 1575 this date should probably be 1579 or 1596.

The hospital is regulated by schemes established by the Court of Chancery 3 November 1855, and by the Charity Commissioners 28 May 1886, and is possessed of the following endowments: 6 a. I r. 25 p. at Linslade let at £30 a year, wharfage at Linslade producing £2 14s. a year, £1,052 2s. 2d. consols, and £1,320 London and South Western 3½ preference stock, which are held by the official trustees, arising chiefly from sales, and producing £72 10s:. a year. Each of the eight inmates has 4s. a week. The almshouses have recently been put in a state of repair.

Charity of Thomas Pratt, founded by deed, 18 November 1614. This parish is entitled to a four-thirteenths part of the net income.

In 1909 the sum of £16 was received and applied in the distribution of articles in kind with the income of the charities next mentioned.

The following charities are regulated by schemes of the County Court of Bedfordshire of 21 May 1860, and of the Charity Commissioners of 9 December 1892 ; namely, the charities of :-

I. William Dent, founded by will, 1757 trust fund, £59 consols with the official trustees, producing £1 9s.4d. yearly.

2. William Robinson, will 1686, being an annuity of £2 out of land at Burcott.

3. Lady Carnarvon, will 1707, and the charity of William Hoare, will, 1714 consisting of 5 a 3 r. I 8 p. at Burcott, known as the Poor's Piece, awarded under the Wing Inclosure Act, 1797, in exchange for land purchased with legacies of £50 and £40 by wills of these donors respectively. The land is of the annual rental value of £20.

4. Robert Shepherd, by deed, 1685, charged a piece of land at Dagnall (Edlesborough) called Hall Mead with an annuity of £2 3s. 4d. for the distribution of bread weekly to ten poor children, and the same donor by his will gave a rent-charge of£3 13s:. 4d issuing out of land at Northall, to be applied as to £2 13s. 4d. in the distribution of bread weekly to ten poor boys, 20s. to the minister for catechizing the recipients, and 10s. to the minister of Leighton Buzzard for a sermon upon Ascension Day.

5. The Fuel Allotment formerly consisted of 5 acres in Wing and Crafton, 2 a. 2 r. in Burcott, and 2 a. 2 r. in Ascott, awarded under the Inclosure Act, 1797, to the poor for cutting fuel. The land in Wing and Burcott was sold in 1861, and the proceeds invested in £268 9s. 1d consols with the official trustees, producing £6 14s. yearly.

6. The church lands, which originally consisted of a cottage and an acre of land and two cow common; are now represented by £475 0s. 8d. consols with the official trustees, producing £11 17s. 4d. yearly, which is carried to the churchwardens' account.

Robert Shepherd's charity and the church lands are applied in accordance with the trusts thereof, as stated. The incomes of the remaining charities, with that of Thomas Pratt's charity, are applied together in the distribution of coal tickets, blankets and sheets, doles to aged poor, and two coats to old men.

Hamlet of Littleworth.- In 1887 George Trueman, by will proved at Oxford 21 October, bequeathed £200 to the Congregational Union Chapel for investment, subject to the life interest of the testator's widow.

The legacy has been invested in £197 9s. 6d. consols in the names of Arthur Somers Hely and three others.