Wokingham United Charities

Introduction

The collection comprises papers relating to the administration of the charities of Wokingham town and parish, mainly in the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Although originally administered separately, in time several charities seem to have been grouped together for administrative purposes, such as those of Hawe and Davis. In 1885 schemes for the amalgamation of several charities by the Charity Commission led to the formation of several groups of charities, each administered by one set of trustees. These groups included the Educational, Municipal and General charities and in 1921 further consolidation took place when the Municipal and General charity groups were merged, together with Brackstone's charity and the Fuel Allotment charity, to form Wokingham United Charities.

1885

Educational:

How

Martin

Tickner

Cotterell

Municipal:

Wolley

Planner

Thare

Merryweather

Staverton

Laud

Yarnold

General:

Ball

Bateman

Bromley

Brookbank

Challenor

Cruttwell

Hawe & Davis

Hedger

Jay

Monke

Nash, J

Nash, W

Palmer

Tickenor

Tickner & Cotterell

Westende

Whitlocke

Miscellaneous:

Palmer, M

Palmer, C

Parker

Willmot

Fuel Allotment

Winder

Lucas Hospital

Griffine

Jackson

Atkins

Wesleyan

Methodist

Molloy

Church House

Brackstone

1921

United:

Brackstone

Fuel Allotment

General

Municipal

Parker added at a later date

Wilmot added at a later date

Management added at a later date

Relief added at a later date

Nicholls added at a later date

The list falls into two basic sections : papers relating to several charities and papers relating to the administration of specific charities. Brief histories of the charities can be found in the report of the Royal Commission on the Endowed Charities of Berkshire, vol II, a copy of which is available for consultation in the Search Room. In the very brief explanation of some of the charities given in this list please note that the exact distribution of the charity, that is between the town of Wokingham and that part of the parish in Wiltshire and that part in Berkshire has not been given. In addition only sales of lands by the trustees prior to 1921 have been noted. In the list where a charity applies to more than one parish the records here refer only to Wokingham unless otherwise specified.

Some documents bear signs of several previous arrangements.

<p>For other documents relating to Wokingham charities see D/P 154 25/1, D/P 154 25/2, Wo/FQ, Wo/AQ and Wo/RZ1</p>