Stotfold Almshouses

Almshouses, 2024

The Church Almshouses were founded by deed of 27th August 1835, when Henricus Octavius Roe and Mary Hindley conveyed to trustees three roods and thirty-six poles, known as Cook's Close, with almshouses erected by H. O. Roe [ref: P83/25/28]. The main element of the deed was to ‘administer and maintain five almshouses in Mill Lane, Stotfold’.

Almshouses deed, 1835 [ref: P83/25/28]

The endowment fund consisted of £5,187.17s.10d. consols given from time to time in his lifetime by the said H. O. Roe and by a legacy under his will, proved in 1854, but including £200 consols given in 1837 by the said Mary Hindley. The income with the rent of a portion of the land amounted to about £134 a year. The inmates also receive 10s. a week from the interest of £200 Metropolitan three and a half percent Consolidated Stock (with the official trustees) given in 1884 by Miss Elizabeth Georgiana Vaughan.

In a declaration of trust dated 26th May 1843, trustees were required to use £900 for ‘poor widows and married couples occupying the 6 almshouses according to their necessities, regard being had to their health and ability to work and subject to them keeping the almshouses in tenantable repair; to lay out the remainder in coals, bread, blankets or necessitous articles to be distributed amongst the widows and married couples. No more than 2 widows or one married couple should be appointed at any one time to live in the almshouses; all widows and married couples to attend divine service every Sunday unless prevented by sickness or infirmity, upon pain of being removed’ [ref: P83/25/31]

List of sources at Bedfordshire Archives: 

• P83/25/28: Almshouse deed, 1835
• P83/25/29: Declaration of trust of £2,500 and £200 stock, 1843
• P83/25/40: Charity accounts for various Stotfold Charities including the church almshouses, 1855
• P83/25/41: Charity accounts for various Stotfold Charities including the church almshouses, 1858-1859
• QDC36: Deposited papers and registered returns for Stotfold Almshouses, 1854-1855