Sawbridgeworth. Frances Lane

Colin Wilson

Miss Frances Lane died in 1895 at the age of 83. Her obituary was included in Hertfordshire Mercury at the time, but it has not been possible to locate a copy. In her will she left £300 of her £10000 estate for the erection of an almshouse or almshouses when land was given. This £300 equates to about £27500 in today’s money, a modest amount for such a building. This can be compared with Reveley’s bequest of £15000 for 10 almshouses, or about £1500 each (five times the amount). The legacy was invested and the amount available in 1909 amounted to £341 7s. 4d. The implications are that she hoped that someone else would provide the land and that the money had not been used fourteen years after her death.

Beneficiaries were to be married couples aged over 60 (or single people may have been considered). There may have been a provision for payment of alms.

Whether or not any building was erected has not been ascertained.  Indeed, by 2022 it seems that the charity showed very little activity. The Opencharity website reported income in the region of £1200 a year between 2005 and 2009, with no expenditure. The Charity Commission listing in 2022 stated that the charity did not own or lease any land or property. Income from 2016 – 20 ranged from £1 to £11 per year, again with no expenditure.

The Charity is registered with the Charity Commission ref 246624. It is not affiliated to the Almshouse Association.

Unfortunately no further information has come to light.

References

The Victoria County History of the County of Hertford, ed William Page
Vol 3
Issued Archibald Constable & Co. 1912. Reprint by Dawsons of Pall Mall 1971 ISBN 0 7129 0477 8
This publication is available online at http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/herts/vol3/pp332-347

Charity Commission https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=246624&subid=0

Total Giving https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/charity/frances-lane-for-almshouse-or-almshouses

OpenCharities http://opencharities.org/charities/246624. Note this website was temporarily suspended in March 2022

Ancestry https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1904/31874_222962-00067?pid=5430931&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D1904%26h%3D5430931%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DoER9%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=oER9&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true#?imageId=31874_222962-00067 is the link for her will record.

Hertfordshire Mercury 31 Aug 1895 p5. Francis Lane obituary 1895

 

 

 

 

This page was added on 25/03/2022.

Add your comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.

Start the ball rolling by posting a comment on this page!