Sarratt. John Baldwin

 

Baldwin’s almshouse was built in 1550 or 1700. Historic England (citing Pevsner) and Cussans quote the earlier date, while Victoria County History and an 1866 newspaper article quote 1700. The newspaper refers to New House, not Goldingtons. However, its citation of 1781 as the rebuilding date does cast doubt on its sources. Chauncy does not mention any almshouses at Sarratt.

To make matters more interesting, Victoria County History mentions two persons by the name of John Baldwin as owning the manor of Goldingtons in the first half of the 16th century but does not mention any in about 1700. There is a will at HALS for a John Baldwin of Sarratt dated 1720, but it has not been possible to examine it at the time of writing. Cussans says they were erected by a member of the Baldwin family; the other sources say John Baldwin was the founder.

The almshouses were built opposite the church. Note that Goldingtons adjoins the church, hence the almshouse site was on or very close to Goldingtons land. By the early 1800s the building was in a very dilapidated state. It was demolished by Ralph Day and a new building erected on the site in 1821, which survives to the present time.

Location

Georef:     503907  198363
Grid ref:   51^o 40′ 29″N   0^o 29′ 56″W
OS 25” map Hertfordshire XXXVIII.15 (Chenies; Chorleywood; Sarratt; Watford Rural) Revised 1896, published:1898

References

History of Hertfordshire by John Edwin Cussans
p118
Originally published Stephen Austin & Sons 1870-81
Republished E P Publishing in collaboration with Hertfordshire County Library 1972

The Victoria County History of the County of Hertford ed. William Page
Vol 2 p443
Issued Archibald Constable & Co 1908. Reprint by Dawsons of Pall Mall 1971 (ISBN 0 7129 0476 X)
Available online at http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/herts/vol2/pp438-443

Wills at HALS. 11AR47 is a registered will, while 157AW1 is a filed will. Dated 1720 The testator is described as a yeoman who lived at Sarratt Heath House alias Newhouse.

Historic England ref 1348247 https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1348247

Herts Advertiser Saturday 23 June 1866 page 2 col 7. This issue can be viewed on-line at the British Newspaper Archive website.