In
the latter part of the eighteenth century the Manor
of High Littleton was owned jointly by two spinster
sisters, Elizabeth and Mary JONES of Stowey, who
inherited it on the death of their father William
JONES in 1748. When Elizabeth died in 1783, Mary
became entitled to the whole of the Manor, which, at
the time of Mary's death, represented 366 of High
Littleton's 683 acres (excluding Hallatrow). With
Jacob MOGG owning 234 acres, there was only 83 acres
of High Littleton in other hands.
Mary JONES died on 13th Sep 1791 at the aged of 86
and by her Will dated 18th Jan 1787 left £1,500 in
trust, to be invested in the Public Funds 6 months
after her death, in four separate amounts of £500,
£500, £300 and £200, the income of which was to be
used for the benefit of the necessitous poor of the
parishes of Stowey, High Littleton, St. Michael in
the City of Bristol and East Cranmore respectively.
By a codicil to her Will, dated 26th April 1791,
Mary JONES charged the High Littleton Estate,
including Mearns Coal Work, with the payment of the
£1,500, thereby discharging her Executors from the
liability for payment, as a result of which her
charitable intentions towards the poor of the four
parishes became liable to be defeated. The principal
beneficiary under Mary JONES' Will was Dame
Elizabeth JONES, late wife of Sir William JONES Bt.
Dame Elizabeth was Mary's second cousin once
removed, being the daughter of William and Eleanora
JONES of Ramsbury Manor in Wiltshire and was already
a wealthy woman in her own right. Having inherited
High Littleton Manor and Estate from Mary and
supporting the latter's intentions, Dame Elizabeth
paid from her own pocket the sum of £1,500 to the
trustees nominated by Mary, and the High Littleton
Estate was discharged.
As
far as the High Littleton part of the Charity was
concerned, a Deed dated 6th July 1792 established a
trust for the uses declared in Mary JONES' Will and
the sum of £500 was utilised in purchasing £532.
9.10 of 3% Consolidated Bank Annuities. The first
year's dividend of £15.19. 5¼ was received on 5th
July 1793. After deduction of the initial legal
expenses, £14.13. 6 was spent in purchasing various
articles, namely 2 coats, 1 waistcoat, 26 shifts, 1
apron, 4 shirts, 4 handkerchiefs, 1 bedgown, 21 blankets, 2 pairs of sheets and a quantity of linen
for making sheets and shirts, which were distributed
to 30 poor people in December 1793.
In
subsequent years there was less selectivity in
catering for individual needs and a blanket for each
recipient became the norm, which made it possible to
assist more people. In order to widen the scope
even further, it became the practise to rotate the
beneficiaries, so that one was unlikely to receive a
blanket more than once every two or three years. At
Christmas 1874 the trustees provided blankets for 47
persons, who comprised 21 coal miners, 6 labourers,
5 old men, 12 widows, 1 single woman and even the
village postman and policeman. Since there were
then only about 175 occupied dwellings in the
parish, the occupants of 1 in every 4 houses
benefited from Mary JONES' charity each year.
In
1891 the trust came under the overall control of the
Charity Commissioners. There was little inflation
during the nineteenth century and although the
interest from the Consols. was reduced from 2¾% in
1892 to 2½% in 1903, there was sufficient income for
59 blankets to be purchased and distributed in the
latter year. In 1912 the Trustees departed from the
long-standing tradition of distributing blankets and
distributed coal, clothing and groceries instead.
Until the passing of the Trustee Investment Act,
trustees had no option but to invest in Government
stocks and the value of such stock dwindled over the
years. The ravages of inflation meant that the
fixed income from 2½% Consols. in 1961 would not buy
many blankets or similar and was only sufficient to
distribute in cash 12/6d. to 6 couples and 8/- to 25
individuals. In 1962 Trustees were empowered to
invest in a wider range of investments and the
Charity Commissioners set up appropriate funds in
which individual charities could reinvest the
proceeds of sale of their government stocks. The
matter was discussed by the Mary JONES trustees in
December 1962, who decided to retain the Consols. A similar decision was taken at several subsequent
meetings.
Inflation continued to take its toll and in 1987 the
fixed income of £13 was distributed in the form of a
plant, cash and christmas card to 3 elderly ladies. In 1988 - 26 years too late - the trustees finally
decided to sell the Consols. and reinvest in
Charinco units. By this time the capital of the
trust was worth a fraction of the original bequest
in monetary terms and, in terms of what it would
buy, the income was derisory. Whilst halting the
erosion of the capital, the investment change meant
the acceptance of a reduced income for several
years, as a result of which the trustees decided not
to distribute anything between 1988 and 1994, when
£60, representing 6 years' income, was distributed
to 3 couples and 9 individuals. If the right
decision had been taken in 1962 the trust capital
would now be worth over three times the amount of
the original bequest and the annual income about
£75. How wonderful is hindsight!
The first Mary JONES Charity book was deposited at
Somerset Record Office many years ago and
covered the period from 1793 to 1871. From the
latter date until 1891 no book appears to have been
kept and the records of the Charity consist of a
bundle of the original lists of recipients as pinned
up in the Schoolroom each year.
Transcription of the second book
The second book was started in 1891, when the trust was
reconstituted under the auspices of the Charity
Commissioners, and was still in use in 1996.
Whilst generally transcribing the narrative
faithfully, it was decided to place recipients'
names in alphabetical order each year for easier
reference. In addition the format of some
statements of account and minutes have been modified
for the sake of consistency and obvious errors or
additions have been highlighted by brackets or italics. A further bundle of original annual lists,
covering the period 1891 to 1909, has been preserved
at Somerset Record Office. For most years these
lists incorporate a record or signature of persons
actually collecting the blankets. A comparison of
the annual lists with the book also revealed minor
discrepancies and extra information. Where
relevant, the extra detail for the period
1891-1909 and names of collectors of blankets have
been included in this transcription.
The annual list of names is useful as an
"alternative directory" of many of the inhabitants
of High Littleton, who do not figure amongst the
tradesmen and minor gentry to whom Kelly's Directory
restricts itself. No overall index has been
prepared.
HL
Mary JONES Charity Records 1891-1994.pdf
The charity is ongoing.
