Monken Hadley: Charities for the poor

CHARITIES FOR THE POOR. (fn. 1)

Sir Roger Wilbraham built alms-houses for six poor women at the north-eastern corner of Hadley Green in 1612. They were endowed with the rents and profits of two houses in the parish of St. John, Clerkenwell. A total of £1,180 stock was added to the endowment between 1791 and 1819, as a result of benefactions by Samuel Whitbread, George Burrows, Mrs. Mary Horton, Sir Culling Smith, and the Revd. C. J. Cottrell, and in 1880 the income of the charity was £157, derived from the interest on £3,102 stock and the rent of no. 56 St. John's Square, Clerkenwell. (fn. 2) The alms-houses, a single-storeyed row of six redbrick cottages, were extended at the back in 1815.

In 1616 Thomas Fletcher bequeathed to the poor of Monken Hadley a rent-charge of £4, which in 1966 was paid by the occupiers of Beacon House, west of the church. A Scheme of 1910 united the charity with that of Thomas Browning, which had been founded by will proved 1804 and endowed with £260 stock, and produced £7 a year in 1966. In 1966 the income of Browning's and Fletcher's charities was applied to the general benefit of the poor or of other residents selected by the trustees.

In 1626 Thomas Emerson conveyed land in Monken Hadley in trust for the benefit of the parishioners. The rent of £8 supplied coal for the poor at 1s. a bushel but in 1809 the trustees resolved to spend it on coal for the church stove. The charity came to an end soon after the parish joined the Barnet union in 1835, when the house was sold to contribute towards the union workhouse. (fn. 3)

In 1678 Justinian Pagitt conveyed the old 'vicarage house' in trust, to provide residences for the incumbent, the parish clerk, (fn. 4) and six poor couples or single women. From 1788 two of the alms-houses were leased to the incumbent to raise money for the repair of the other four. After some £200 had been raised by subscription, the alms-houses were replaced c. 1822 by four new houses on an adjoining part of the Rectory garden, the rector taking the old site in exchange. Two more alms-houses were added to the south end of the building in 1848 and the balance of the funds was invested in £86 stock. Pagitt's alms-houses consist of a two-storeyed brick building east of the church; the frontage is faced with knapped flint and pierced by Gothic doors and windows.

By will proved 1883 George Pooley left the income on £2,500 stock for distribution among the Pagitt alms-people. His endowment was united with the Pagitt charity in 1884 and afterwards was further augmented by bequests from Charles Hemery and others. By a Scheme of 1958 the monetary endowments of £2,856 were established as the Pagitt alms-house charity, to maintain the alms-houses, while the parish clerk's house formed part of the new Pagitt ecclesiastical charity. In 1967 the income of the alms-house charity was £321, which included interest on £250 granted by the Jesus Hospital charity, Chipping Barnet (Herts.).