CHARITIES FOR THE POOR. (fn. 91)
William Early,
William Comyn, and Edward Hiller, in 1618 settled
approximately 22 a. in Hayes in trust for the use of
the poor. On this land or with this income was later
erected a building called the Church House. In 1815
the Church House and the land on which it stood
were exchanged by John Robins for a piece of ground
at Norwood Green, fronting on Norwood Road, on
which he erected four almshouses. (fn. 92) In 1901 the 4
occupants had one room each, with a communal outside convenience and cold water pump. By 1939
land at the corner of Ellison and Witley Gardens
had been acquired by the trustees to erect five
bungalows to replace the almshouses. Owing to the
Second World War nothing was done and in the
early 1950s the vacant Ellison Gardens site was
bought by the borough council. The almshouses
were repaired from time to time and in 1961 consisted of a row of 4 one-story cottages of yellow
brick under one tiled roof. (fn. 93) They were finally
demolished and rebuilt later in 1961 on the same
Norwood Road site. They then consisted of 4 selfcontained flats in a two-story, L-shaped block. In
1967 the trustees bought two more flats, in Wren
Avenue. (fn. 94) Six other almshouses were given to the
parish in 1897 by William Welch Deloitte in honour
of Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee. The income
with which Deloitte endowed them also provided
gifts of money and coals. The almshouses stood in
1961 in North Road, Southall, opposite Masefield
Avenue, and consisted of a terrace of one-story
yellow- and red-brick cottages under a slate roof. (fn. 95)
Francis Awsiter, by will dated 1625, left a rent of
20s. for those poor widows of Norwood and Southall
who attended an annual Good Friday Sermon which
he also endowed. William Millett, by will dated
1631, left 8 a. to be divided equally between the
poor of Heston and of Norwood and Southall. In
1863 the property also included a tramway toll on
bricks, 3 cottages, and £2,600 stock. (fn. 96) An annual
rent of 40s. was left by George Finch, by will proved
1641, and its payment, which had temporarily
ceased, was enforced by a court order in 1677. (fn. 97)
Robert Hampton, by will dated 1651, also left a rent
of 40s. with which to provide 13 loaves every year,
the surplus to be distributed in money. By will dated
1684 Robert Merrick left £100 to purchase bread for
the needy who were 'not given to the novelties of the
times'. (fn. 98) By will dated 1836 Anne Burrel left 20s.
each to ten poor persons in Norwood and Southall.
An annuity to provide bread and meat from stock
worth nearly £112 was bequeathed by Henry Phelps,
by will dated 1840.
By 1863 a number of the charities had already
been combined, although not in an official Scheme,
and the proceeds were used for gifts in money and
kind, for contributions to penny banks and clothing
clubs, and to support the Norwood and Southall
schools. All the charities were consolidated in 1906
as the 'Almshouse and Eleemosynary Charities'. The
principal charge was the upkeep of the almshouses
and the payment of stipends to not more than four
couples; other income was to be used for subscriptions and contributions to hospitals and provident
clubs, and to provide nurses, annuities, clothes,
bedding, fuel, and medicine. During the 20th century the charity land was gradually sold, and in 1964
the governing instrument was amended. The trustees could still appoint four couples, although in
practice only two of the new flats were suitable for
more than one occupant. (fn. 99) The gross income in 1966
was £567.