Berkhamsted. Parish

 

A cottage in the churchyard and another at Gossams End were bought by the parish 1703 for the habitation of two poor families. The donor is unknown. This information from Clutterbuck, writing a century later, is the only information unearthed so far.

The words ‘donor’ and ‘bought’ appear to be contradictory. Could it suggest they were available before 1703 then purchased by the parish? It does seem the buildings existed as the record does not say ‘built by’. A search through the vestry minutes may provide information. Unfortunately the copy held at HALS only starts in 1733.

The churchyard mentioned is not Northchurch St Mary’s as he refers to that building in his Berkhamsted notes. The implication is that it was in the churchyard of St Peter’s, Berkhamsted, but that cannot be verified at this stage. Equally it does not refer to the Northchurch almshouse provided by an unknown donor as that was 4 dwellings for 4 widows. not two families.

Gossams End is to the south of the main road roughly on the border between Berkhamsted and Northchurch. The nearest location found is a day nursery and a surgery in Victory Road, with a postcode of HP4 1DL.

References

The History & Antiquities of the County of Hertford, by Robert Clutterbuck
Vol 1 page 309, Hundred of Dacorum
Printed by and for John Bowyer Nichols, 25 Parliament Street, London 1827

Berkhamsted Vestry Minutes held at HALS. Ref DP/20/8/1 (1733-5), DP/20/8/2 (1736-46), DP/20/8/3 (1755-84). More minutes are included in other documents.