WOBURN
The parish of Woburn has an area of 3,446 acres,
of which about 2,000 are permanent grass and about
700 arable land. The county is thickly wooded, the
plantations covering about 700 acres. (fn. 1) The soil is
Lower Greensand, with a subsoil of gravel, and the
chief crops are wheat, oats, barley, peas and beans.
The ground rises from 300 ft. in the north of the
parish to 500 ft. in the south. The village is situated
midway on ground rising from 370 ft. to 386 ft., and
occupies both sides of the road from Leighton Buzzard
to Newport Pagnell. It is neat and clean in appearance
and is now well lighted by gas; but in the early part
of the 19th century the lighting was very bad, and
Stephen Dodd, (fn. 2) writing in 1818, complains of the
lack of lamps.
Infant School, Woburn
The reservoir is kept for the use of the fire brigade,
and the water supply is at present obtained from
private wells; waterworks are, however, now being
carried out at Birchmoor, a little distance to the north
of the town.
The principal buildings are grouped round the
wide space formed by the junction of the two roads
leading from Leighton Buzzard to Newport Pagnell.
Here is the town hall, built in 1830 on the site of
the market hall erected in 1737 by the fourth Duke
of Bedford. Lord Verulam in 1768 (fn. 3) spoke of the
market hall as 'not very superb,' and the lower story
was for long used as a shambles. The present town
hall was restored in 1884 at the expense of the Duke
of Bedford, at which date the library of the Woburn
Institute was removed from the building to the new
institute in Leighton Street, where there are also
reading and billiard rooms. Another modern building
is the cottage hospital, built in 1903; but there
are still some fine Georgian houses in a good state of
preservation standing in the Market Square. The
old church of St. Mary, of which little remains, stands
back from the High Street. Adjoining the churchyard is an Elizabethan building used as an infant
school. The modern church of St. Mary stands to
the eastward of the main street on a fine site near
the gates of Woburn Park. The Wesleyan chapel is
in the High Street and the Congregational chapel
up a passage from Chapel Street.
At the southern entrance to the town is the 'Royal
Oak,' a thatched half-timber inn; the Sun Inn is
a building of similar character. Of the Eleanor Cross
which formerly stood in Woburn, probably in the
market place, no trace now remains. It was begun
in 1292, rather later than most of the other crosses.
A great part of the work was done by Ralph de
Chichester, and the total cost of the whole cross was
£60 6s. 8d. (fn. 4)
The vicarage is on the northern outskirts of the
town, not far from Birchmoor Green, a group of
cottages built along an open space. From here a
by-path leads north-west to Birchmoor Farm, the old
manor-house of the Stauntons in the 17th century.
The stream which flows past the farm passes Horse
Moor Farm higher up. In the south of the parish it
also crosses the grounds of Utcoate Grange, which
belonged to Woburn Abbey before the Dissolution.
Formerly the manufacture of lace 'was the usual
employment of the poor' of Woburn, but this
industry has now disappeared. (fn. 5)
Woburn has several times been devastated by fire.
On the first occasion, 13 September 1595, the cause
of the outbreak was 'a simple old woman, as simple
and seelie, as ever I knew almost, slow in speech,
deafe in hearing and which is worst of all very dull
of understanding and sense,' (fn. 6) who threw the old
straw of her bedding into the fireplace. Her cottage
having caught fire, 'the Lord raised up even at that
very instant a great and mighty wind to carry it from
one house to another,' (fn. 7) and the houses being very
dry, owing to a previous drought, some 130 buildings
perished in the flames. Of a second fire in 1645
some account is given below. A third fire in June
1724 destroyed thirty-nine dwelling-houses and
damaged others, and such distress was caused that
petitions for help signed by the justices, churchwardens and overseers of Woburn were sent to neighbouring parishes. (fn. 8)
Woburn was staunchly Parliamentarian in its
sympathies. In May 1642, before the outbreak of
hostilities, Lord Keeper Williams set out from London
to join the king at York, and was arrested at an inn
in Woburn by the constable, who locked him up in a
room and sent to a justice of the peace for a warrant.
But before this could be obtained and before the
party in pursuit of him came up his servants managed
to obtain his release, and he continued his journey
after three hours' imprisonment. (fn. 9)
In November 1645 a sharp skirmish took place at
Woburn between the townsfolk and a party of Royal
Horse. Though the loss on both sides was but slight,
considerable damage resulted to the town, as under
cover of the confusion of the fight 'some desperate
fellows of the neighbourhood' pillaged the north end
of the town and burnt some twenty-seven houses, (fn. 10)
and the inhabitants were forced to apply to the Parliament for help in their distress. (fn. 11) Charles I passed
through Woburn and stayed at the abbey on three
occasions between the years 1644 and 1647. (fn. 12) On the
last occasion he was a prisoner under the guard of
Colonel Whalley, (fn. 13) and during his few days' stay the
'army proposals' were submitted to him there. (fn. 14)
Apart from the house of Russell but few natives of
Woburn are known to fame, but, as Stephen Dodd
says, 'if this town has produced no very distinguished
characters, it has at least experienced the fortunate
absence of notoriously bad ones.' (fn. 15) Among those who
have done credit to the town are Thomas Gurney
(1705–70), a schoolmaster, who invented the system
of shorthand bearing his name (fn. 16) ; John Facey (1766–1826), a geologist of note in his day, who acted as
agent to the Duke of Bedford for some years (fn. 17) ; and
the two literary Quaker brothers, Jeremiah and Benjamin Wiffen, the elder of whom (referred to in
Noctes Ambrosianae as 'the best scholar among a' the
Quakers') acted as librarian at Woburn Abbey for
many years. (fn. 18)
Among those who do less credit to the town are
Stephen atte Clyve, who in 1393 broke into the house
of John Brasier by night and stole a pair of silver
'bedes' and another of garnet worth 26s. 8d. and a
quantity of linen and woollen cloth worth 20 marks (fn. 19) ;
and Roger Brisey and Mabel his wife, who in the
reign of Edward I bribed the sheriff, John de Cheney,
with £20, so that they should not be kept in chains
until the day of the gaol delivery. (fn. 20)
The park which surrounds Woburn Abbey is one of
the finest in England. It extends into the parishes of Husborne Crawley, Steppingley and Eversholt, and has an
area of 5,000 acres. It is well stocked with deer of all
kinds, whilst in special paddocks are many beasts not often
found in English parks, such as llamas, yaks, zebras,
Indian cattle, camels, gnus, buffaloes, and wild horses.
Francis Duke of Bedford was granted a licence to
keep deer in the park in 1690. (fn. 21) At the beginning
of the 18th century the stock of deer was very low,
and in 1703 the duke was obliged to borrow from
the Duke of Rutland in order to fulfil his obligation
of sending two bucks to Trinity College, Cambridge. (fn. 22)
On the other hand, at the beginning of the 19th
century, the Archdukes John and Lewis of Austria
wrote (1815), 'we had never seen a park so full of
deer as that of Woburn.' (fn. 23)
The park is well wooded and there are several fine
lakes. The main entrance is on the London road,
while there are smaller gates by the church, in
Ridgmont and in Eversholt.
An object of special interest in the park is the
building depicted in the well-known picture (by
G. Garrad) entitled 'Woburn Sheep Shearing.'
The annual Woburn sheep-shearing was a function
of considerable importance in the agricultural world for
some years. It was established by the fifth duke in
1797, and was attended by many distinguished persons,
but was allowed to lapse after 1821. (fn. 24)
Queen Elizabeth visited the abbey in 1572. The
following letter from Francis Earl of Bedford to Lord
Burghley (dated 16 July 1572) referring to this visit
is of considerable interest: 'I am now going to prepare
for her majesty's coming to Woborne, which shall be
done in the best and hastiest manner I can. I trust
your lordship will have in remembrance to provide
helpe that her majesty's tarriing be not above two
nights and a daye, for, for so long tyme doe I prepare.
I pray God, the rowmes and lodging there may be to
her majesties contentation for the time. If I could
make them better upon such a sodayn, then would I,
be assured they should be better than they are.' (fn. 25)
The following place-names have been found in this
parish:—Armsall Tonge, Baghehella Biggyngefeld,
Carswell, Cherlewood Heath, Crouchecrofts, Chalvecrofts, Losewod. (fn. 26)
The boundary of the men of Woburn (Woburning a gemacre) is mentioned in 969 in the Aspley
charter. (fn. 27)
MANORS
In the time of Edward the Confessor
Alric, a king's thegn, held Woburn,
and there were six sokemen there who
held 2 hides. (fn. 28) After the Conquest the property was
granted to Walter Giffard, and in 1086 it was
assessed at 10 hides and valued at £5. (fn. 29) Walter
Giffard's tenant was Hugh de Bolebec, who (either
himself or his son Hugh) became seised of the manor
in chief. Hugh the younger
included Woburn in the
original endowment of the
Cistercian Abbey of Woburn,
which he founded in 1145. (fn. 30)
This grant was confirmed by
King Stephen, (fn. 31) Henry II
and later sovereigns, (fn. 32) and the
abbey continued to hold the
manor in frankalmoign till
the dissolution of their house
in 1539. With the traffic
brought by the needs of the
abbey a town sprang up, and
in 1245 Henry III granted the monks the right to
hold a market on Fridays 'at the chapel of Old
Woburn' and a yearly fair there in September to
last for three days. (fn. 33) In the 13th century the abbot
claimed the right to hold a market, (fn. 34) a view of
frankpledge and the right to gallows, (fn. 35) and in 1299
he obtained a grant of free warren. (fn. 36) Two additional fairs at Woburn were granted to the abbot by
Henry VIII in 1530, the one in March and the
other in July. (fn. 37)
Woburn Abbey. Azure three bars wavy argent.
In 1315 the abbey buildings suffered much from a
fire caused by lightning. (fn. 38)
At the Dissolution the manor of Woburn was
valued at £67 1s. 5d., (fn. 39) and there exists a letter
from George Giffard to Thomas Cromwell, dated
September 1538, advising him to ask the king for it,
which he doubted not the king would give him 'for
the asking.' (fn. 40) He does not appear to have acted on
this advice, but the Woburn property was included
in those monastic lands of
which he was appointed
chief steward the next year. (fn. 41)
In 1542 Woburn Manor
was annexed to the newlycreated honour of Ampthill. (fn. 42)
Edward VI in 1547 granted
the manor, with the monastery buildings and granges,
the fairs, the weekly market
and all appurtenances, to John
Lord Russell, (fn. 43) who was
created Earl of Bedford two
years later. (fn. 44)
Russell, Duke of Bedford. Argent a lion gules and in chief sable with three scallops argent therein.
The manor has remained
the property of the Russell
family down to the present day, Herbrand eleventh
Duke of Bedford being the present lord.
WOBURN ABBEY
Woburn Abbey, the seat of
the Duke of Bedford, stands
to the south-west of the
village of Woburn, on the site of the Cistercian house
founded by Hugh de Bolebec in 1145. There is no
trace of the original monastic buildings remaining,
but a local tradition states that the present house
stands exactly on the site of the old cloister. A
drawing of 1661 contains no indication of any work
earlier than the latter part of the 16th century, but
a pen-and-wash drawing at the abbey, of the first
half of the 19th century, though apparently copied
from an earlier source, seems to show that at some
time the monastic dwellings were adapted to the use
of their secular owners.
With the exception of a bay and a half of the
north range, the house was almost wholly rebuilt
about 1746 from designs by Henry Flitcroft. The
house forms a complete rectangle, with its longer
sides on the east and west, inclosing a quadrangle.
The principal entrance is on the eastern side, and
owing to the westward fall of the ground opens into
the first stage of the building. Thus on the eastern
front are only two stages, while on the internal or
quadrangle side of the same range, and throughout
the rest of the house, are three stages. On the east,
north and south ranges, on the quadrangle side, the
lowest stage is occupied by service corridors, stores,
kitchens, &c. In the west range a principal corridor
opens into the West Hall, which occupies the centre
of the range, and looks out into the park towards an
ornamental lake and long vista of trees beyond it.
The design of the building, which is in freestone,
is extremely plain. On the east side the principal
entrance consists of an Ionic portico with pairs of
plain columns. Above the entrance an octagonal
clock cupola rises, surmounted by a circular Ionic
colonnade with a cap and vane. On the north,
where the ground drops to a small hollow, the
greater part of the façade continues the plain elevation
of the front, but the last two bays, in the ground
stage of which are the kitchens, are of an earlier and
more elaborate design, with a wall arcade inclosing
the windows and slightly varied panels below them.
This is a remnant of early 17th-century work which
escaped in the general reconstruction by Flitcroft.
It contains a strange apartment known as the
'Grotto,' in which the vault and walls are decorated
with elaborate patterns of Tritons and sea-monsters
in high relief in shells set in stucco.
The west range, which contains the state and
other principal apartments, has a fine west front,
absolutely symmetrical in design, with a slightly
projecting central compartment, in which are the
central door and two windows of the West Hall, and
rising from the string above them, four well-proportioned plain Ionic three-quarter columns of two
stages height support a pediment inclosing the ducal
achievement. On either side are plain wings, with
five windows in each stage, those on the first stage
being surmounted by pediments and having balustrades at the sills. The three corresponding windows
between the columns of the central compartment
have broken pediments and their balustrades are set
out to the faces of the columns. In the side wings
the walls terminate at the sill level of the third stage,
and are finished with a balustrade, the windows of
the third stage being dormers. Flanking the side
wings are two projecting portions of three full stages,
with a single plain window in the ground stage, a
group of three windows, of which the central one
has a round head rising above the other two, in the
first stage, and a single semicircular window with
two mullions in the top stage. These flanking
portions are finished with plain parapets on modillioned
cornices. Flanking these again are two rusticated
portions of a single stage, with round-headed doors
and a balustraded parapet. That on the north
contains offices connected with the kitchens, but that
on the south forms the end of a kind of undercroft or
corridor below the terrace of the south side, which
contains the library and private apartments. The
south front looks upon a formal garden separated
from the park, which rises rapidly on this side, by a
ha-ha; it is of two stages only with pedimented
windows on the ground stage (which, as has been
shown, is level with the first stage on the west) and
square windows below a deep cornice and balustrade
on the first stage. The last two bays at each end
project slightly, and the windows of the ground
stage in these bays are sunk in blind arches. This
wing contains the private apartments and the
library.
On the inner side of the quadrangle the first two
stages have continuous corridors. That on the first
stage forms a gallery communicating with all the
principal rooms in the house, and is also a picture
gallery containing a remarkable series of family and
other portraits, beginning at the middle of the east
side to the south of the principal entrance with
portraits of the first earl by Holbein and including
examples of all the great English portrait painters.
Also in the east wing a number of cases set in the
wall, to the north of the principal entrance, contain
fine specimens of rare china, for the most part Sèvres.
This corridor is wider in the western than in the
other ranges and is known as the picture gallery, and
from it open the state apartments. In the centre of
the west wing is the Queen's Saloon, so called from
the visit of Queen Victoria in 1844, which rises to
the full height of the two upper stages, and has a
rich coved ceiling. It is lavishly decorated in French
blue and gold brocade, and contains a fine portrait of
the fourth Duchess by Gainsborough and a series of
enamels by Bone, reproducing the contemporary
portraits of the earls and dukes from the first earl,
with their consorts. This salon opens northwards
into the Queen's drawing-room, similarly decorated
and containing good examples of Cuyp and Ruysdael.
Next to this is a smaller room, the Queen's dressingroom, in the same style, with a fine portrait of Cuyp
by himself over the mantel. Beyond this again and
forming the north-west angle of the wing is the
Queen's bedroom, decorated in white and gold with
yellow hangings and containing pictures by Hayter,
Landseer and others, among them two portraits of
Queen Victoria and the well-known picture of the
trial of Lord William Russell.
Next to this room, in the north wing, are the
Prince Consort's dressing-room and sitting-room, in
the latter of which are many fine pictures by
Reynolds. A room in the same range contains some
picked specimens of Sèvres displayed in cases. In
two rooms in this range are also painted Chinese
wall-papers, probably contemporary with Flitcroft's
building, of fine design and in excellent preservation.
Southward from the Queen's Saloon, the dining and
breakfast rooms lead to the south wing, in which
the westernmost room is known as the Canaletto
Room and contains a large series of Canalettos of
Venice. In an adjoining room known as the
'Museum' is a fine Canaletto of Covent Garden
Market, which has, of course, been in the hands of
the Dukes of Bedford for some generations.
Beyond the Canaletto room is the library, a
pleasant sunny apartment, decorated, where the books
leave space for decoration, with portraits of artists by
themselves. Beyond the library are sundry private
apartments, and from these a covered way continues
eastward to the sculpture gallery, a well-lighted
building 138 ft. by 25 ft., with a low central dome
supported on eight magnificent coloured marble
columns, brought from Rome by the fifth duke. It
contains, besides the famous Lanti vase, several good
pieces of ancient sculpture and a large number of
works by Canova, Westmacott, Thorwaldsen and
Edgar Boehm. Beyond this, curving from an eastward to a northward direction, the camellia-house
and a high stone wall with glass-houses on top of
it lead to the riding-school and tennis-court, which
stand parallel with the east front of the house,
screened from it by a high wall which is flanked
by stables, grooms' quarters, &c., to north and south,
forming a quadrangle in front of the house, in the
centre of which is a magnificent cedar tree.
Another cedar tree on the north side of the house,
close to the kitchen and the older portion mentioned
at the beginning of this account, is remarkable as
being the breeding-place of paroquets, which may
be seen—and heard—even in snowy weather, flying
in flocks about the tree. The whole of the park
is stocked, not only with deer, but also with many
exotic animals and birds. Demoiselle cranes and
Japanese storks cut wild capers before the western
windows of the house. Emus may be seen peacefully facing an English winter. Giraffes have been
imported into an English landscape. The magnificent
open spaces, fine timber and abundant water of the
park form an almost natural habitat for creatures
which afford constant novelty and amusement.
The park contains several groups of farm buildings,
all erected during the 19th century. Their material
is red brick and their style is an unpretentious
approximation to that of 16th-century domestic
architecture.
The monks had two granges in Woburn, Utcoate
alias Hudicote and Whitnoe alias Whitnow. The
former was situated some distance to the north-west
of the abbey buildings beyond the Dunstable road.
The abbot in the early half of the 14th century
leased the great ox stall and dairy at Utcoate, with
various crofts, and closes 'with quick hedges and
dikes,' the right to take bracken on Charlewood
heath and common at Utcoate at all times of the
year to Simon Cole, Isabella his wife, and Robert
his son to hold for their lives. (fn. 45) There was a
'warren of coneys' at Utcoate, which Henry VIII
in 1539 leased with the grange to John Williams for
twenty-one years. (fn. 46) In 1547 the grange was included
in the grant made by Edward VI to Lord Russell, (fn. 47)
and it is now the property of the Duke of Bedford.
In 1306 the Abbot of Woburn was concerned in
a suit respecting the boundaries of Utcoate. He
claimed that a pasture (fn. 48) called Horthornes was
within its boundaries, whilst Adam de Osgodby
maintained that it was in Wavendon in Buckinghamshire. (fn. 49) At the time of the dissolution of the
monasteries Utcoate was valued at £35 3s. 4d. yearly.
Whitnoe Grange was situated to the south of the
abbey within the precincts of the modern park. Sir
Francis Bryan in 1545 had a grant of it, (fn. 50) and
two years later it, like Utcoate, was granted to Lord
Russell. (fn. 51)
The property which afterwards became known as
the manor of BIRCHMORE does not appear to
have been a 'manor' in the strict sense of the term.
Its origin must be sought in the Birchmore lands of
the monks. Though no record of such grant has
been found, it appears possible that the abbot before
the dissolution of his house leased or sold the
Birchmore lands to Edward Staunton, the bailiff of
Woburn. (fn. 52) This seems the more possible as the
Birchmore lands find no mention in the subsequent
royal grants of the rest of the abbey's property, and
that when the first documentary evidence regarding
this 'manor' is found under the date 1612 it concerns the tenure of one Francis Staunton, (fn. 53) a descendant of Edward Staunton. Francis Staunton, who
was knighted at Bletsoe in 1621, (fn. 54) died seised of the
manor in 1639. (fn. 55) It remained in the hands of the
Staunton family until the end of the century, (fn. 56) when,
on the death of Stavely Staunton, it passed temporarily to his widow and her second husband Montagu
Pickering, whom she had married in 1679. (fn. 57) It
afterwards went to Stavely Staunton's daughter Elizabeth, the wife of Sir Gilbert Pickering, first cousin of
Montagu Pickering, (fn. 58) and through her to her son
Sir Edward Pickering, who in 1747 sold it to the
Duke of Bedford. (fn. 59) The duke's descendants have
continued to hold it down to the present day. The
old manor-house was converted into a farm-house,
and is still standing.
Three virgates at Birchmore were in the time of
the Confessor held by five sokemen of the king. (fn. 60)
In 1086 they were held by Herbert, a king's bailiff. (fn. 61)
King Henry granted them to Pharus de Boulogne, (fn. 62)
and their further descent is the same as that of the
manor of Eaton Bray (q.v.).
CHURCHES
The old church of ST. MARY
THE VIRGIN was pulled down in
1868, and was rebuilt as a mortuary
chapel, 39ft. 6 in. by 18 ft. 7 in. The old tower
was preserved, but so much repaired and altered that
nothing but the lower part of the walls shows any
old masonry. The chapel is built in 15th-century
style, and contains nothing of interest beyond the
alabaster mural monument of Sir Francis Staunton,
1630, with kneeling figures of himself and his family,
and some modern tablets to members of the Russell
family. The chapel stands a short way to the south
of the tower, and is connected with it by a passage,
on each side of which is a window of three cinquefoiled lights.
The tower is in four stages, with diagonal buttresses
at the angles, surmounted by crocketed pinnacles, and
is crowned by an embattled parapet and an octagonal
stone lantern capped by a small crocketed spire.
There are eight bells, the treble and second by
Mears & Stainbank, London, 1877, and the rest
by Mears, 1829.
The plate consists of two chalices, patens and almsdishes of 1802, all silver gilt, given by John Duke of
Bedford in 1811. There are two modern glass silvermounted flagons given by the present duke in 1901.
The books of register are—(1) 1558 to 1653; (2)
1653 to 1711; (3) 1712 to 1743 (all entries); (4)
1743 to 1801, marriages till 1754 only; (5) marriages
1754 to 1775; (6) marriages 1775 to 1804; and (7)
baptisms and burials 1802 to 1812.
The new church of ST. MARY, consecrated in
1868, consists of a chancel 50 ft. 3 in. by 26 ft. 4 in.,
a nave 84 ft. by 24 ft. 3 in., north and south aisles
each 16 ft. wide, and a tower at the south-west angle
over the west bay of the south aisle 19 ft. 10 in.
square. The whole church is vaulted with stone;
at the east end are two single lights, with a circular
window over them; on each side of the chancel are
three single lights. The nave arcades are in five
bays, springing from coupled columns, with foliate
capitals. The aisles are lighted by a single light to
each bay of the nave arcade, and also in the east end
of the south aisle and west end of the north aisle.
There is one very large bell, weighing 55 cwt., by
Mears & Stainbank, 1868.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of Woburn Church
follows the same descent as the manor
(q.v.), being attached to the abbey
prior to the Dissolution, and passing eventually to
the Dukes of Bedford. Until recently Woburn
Church was exempt from the jurisdiction of the
bishop of the diocese.
All trace of Birchmore Church, formerly existing
in this parish, has long since disappeared, and the
place where it stood is not known. (fn. 63) The advowson
followed the same descent as the manor of Woburn
(q.v.). In 1308 the abbot obtained licence to
appropriate the church. (fn. 64) Under the terms of the
appropriation the church was to be served by one of
the monks, but a secular priest was to be associated
with him for the administration of the sacraments.
The abbot, however, in 1399 obtained licence to
dispense with the secular priest. (fn. 65) The tithes of the
church were valued at £2 13s. 4d. at the time of the
dissolution of the monasteries. (fn. 66)
CHARITIES
The almshouses in Bedford Street,
founded in pursuance of the will of
Sir Francis Staunton, kt., 1635, were
by an Act of 1760 granted to John Duke of Bedford
and his heirs, who should erect twelve almshouses
and provide £30 a year for the use of the inmates,
and keep the same in repair. The annuity is charged
by the Act upon the manor-house of Birchmore and
other lands therein specified. There are now twenty
inmates.
The Free School, (fn. 67) originally founded in 1582 by
Francis Earl of Bedford, is regulated by a scheme
of the Charity Commissioners of 1 February 1884.
The trust estate consists of the schoolhouse and
£406 18s. 10d. consols, with the official trustees,
representing the redemption in 1875 of a rentcharge of £10, and accumulations of income, producing £10 3s. 4d. annually.
In 1710 John Fountain by will charged his lands
in Whittlebury with £20 yearly for the poor in
bread, which is duly distributed by the churchwardens.
In 1793 William Underwood by will left £100,
income to be distributed in bread on 1 January.
The legacy is represented by £160 12s. 10d. consols,
with the official trustees, who also hold £157 17s. 11d.
consols in respect of a legacy in 1859 by will of
Elizabeth Green, Thetford. The yearly incomes of
the two charities, amounting to £7 19s., are applied
in pursuance of a scheme of 15 March 1904, in
donations to the poor, also in clothes and coal.