RECORDS OF THE STOREY'S CHARITY, CAMBRIDGE

There are 585 items.

The following is a summary list of contents:

537/AM1-7 Trustees' minute books 1786-1954

537/T1 Cartulary 1692-1814

537/T2-17 Conveyances to new trustees 1739-1881

537/T18-21 Lease books 1839-1961

537/T22-408 Title deeds and leases 1694-1961

537/T409-434 Deeds of land copyhold of the manor of Merton Hall, 1795-1885

537/E1-36 Estate management records 1757-1958

537/A1-28 Accounts 1732-1955

537/Q1-13 Registers of almspeople and notes of elections 1757-1958

537/Q14-20 Records of Merrill's Charity or Augmentation 1806-1955

537/Q21-25 Charity Commission documents not already in above series 1740-1957

537/Q26 Chancery Court 1843

537/P1-48 Plans of charity property 1830-c.1930

537/Z1-2 Photographs n.d

537/Z3-6 Final miscellaneous 1849, 1870, 1920

The scheme used for listing is a modified version of the standard one of the time, identifying as prefix codes, AM for minutes, T for title deeds, E for estate papers, Q for other charitable records, P for plans and Z for miscellaneous items.

Listed by Alan Akeroyd 1992

<span class="wrapper"><p>Further information on the history of the charity can be found in: Joan Fitch, 'The Foundation of Edward Storery', Cambridgeshire Local History Council Bulletin, 35 (1980), pp. 6-10.</p> <p>H.M. Larke, Storey's Charity (published by the trustees 1980)</p> <p>Thirty-first report of the Commissioners for inquiring concerning charities, 1837, pp.50-58.</p> <p>The official register of the Charity Commission (www.charity-commission. gov.uk)</p></span>

This list relates to records deposited on five separate occasions, in November 1970, February 1971, May 1972, October 1980 and November 1986, the first by the clerk and the others by the charity's solicitors, Francis & Co., (now Mills & Reeve).

By his will of 29 January 1692 Edward Storey of Cambridge, gentleman, bequeathed the rents and profits of his estate for the construction of ten almshouses for the benefit of widows of clergymen of the Established Church and for widows and maidens 'of sober life and conversation' of the parishes of St Giles and Holy Trinity. Little was done at first, and it was not until 1729 that the first almshouses were built.

Since 1729 the original benefaction has been augmented with numerous gifts and bequests, allowing more almswomen to be relieved and the geographical limits of the charity to be extended. New houses were constructed in 1843-44 and again in 1974. It is nowadays one of the most substantial of local Cambridgeshire charities. Since 1891 the charity's formal name has been The Foundation of Edward Storey.