CHARITY COMMISSIONERS: ANNUAL RETURNS

These are returns made annually (or less frequently) to the Charity Commissioners of the income and expenditure of charities and charitable bodies in East Sussex. They were formerly in the Public Record Office

Generally they range in date between 1901 and 1954, although many are not so extensive, and no attempt is made here to give more than a general indication of covering dates. Several individual returns will be found to be lacking, although some returns cover two or more years

Apart from the basic financial information, the returns are useful for naming the trustees of charities, and they give a varying amount of information about the recipients - sometimes full lists, sometimes just a cash sum. In the case of the larger institutions or societies, it is common for the return to be submitted as a copy of a printed annual report (containing balance sheet). Some churches submitted copies of their full printed accounts for the year

This series of returns starts at about the time (1902) when educational charities were separated from others, local authorities inheriting responsibility for education and thus the income from relevant charities. As a result educational charities are not usually included here, except by accident

Some indication is given here of the purpose of charities. This information is taken from the returns themselves, but since these are often not very specific about the objects of the charity in question, it may be that further research will pinpoint a more specific purpose (e.g. one indicated as 'for the poor' may prove to be a bread charity, or to be intended for widows only). Thus the index of subjects is complete only as far as the lists go

For general Sussex returns, see end of lists, including the Sussex Congregational Union, and the Sussex, Surrey, Hants and part of Dorset Quarterly Meeting of the Society of Friends (for all Quaker returns)

Records are open for consultation

Interim list of records transferred in December 1983 by the Keeper of the Public Records under Section 3(6) of the Public Records Act 1958