Watton at Stone. Crosland

 

Abraham Crosland bequeathed £10 to buy books for the poor of Watton at Stone. He was the rector of St Mary’s church, dying in 1703. The money, worth in the region of £157,000 in 2020,  was to be invested so as to gain interest. The rector and churchwardens were given the task of administering this legacy, according to the terms of his will.

However it seems this did not happen. Clutterbuck notes that a house was bought with the money. The parish paid 10s a year so the poor could live in it. In that respect it may come into the category of an almshouse, but this is not certain. As the parish paid, it indicates it may well have been.

As yet no further information has come to light.

References

The History & Antiquities of the County of Hertford, by Robert Clutterbuck
Vol 2 p 492
Printed by and for John Bowyer Nichols, 25 Parliament Street, London 1827

Crosland’s will can be viewed on the Ancestry website (as at March 2021) https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/5111/images/40611_310704-00218?treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=uVY25&_phstart=successSource&pId=622377
The will mentions the £10 for books but makes no mention of a house for the poor.