A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



Metropolitan Consolidated Stock, with the official 

 trustees, the dividends, amounting to ^^3 17/. \d., 

 together with the moiety unredeemed, received from 

 the estate of Mrs. W. Vaughan, are carried to the 

 coal fund account. 



In 1684 William Field by will left ^£60 to 

 purchase land to be settled in trust for the use of the 

 vicar of Stotfold and of the poor of that parish for 

 ever, m equal proportions. A piece of land known as 

 ' Wythe's Close,' containing nearly two acres, is held in 

 trust for this charity, which is let in allotments pro- 

 ducing ;^5 a year, £z 10s. being paid to the vicar, 

 and £z 10/. to the coal fund account. There were 

 twenty-eight allottees in igo;. 



In 1905 28 tons 5 cwt. of coal were distributed at 

 a cost of £i^, 226 tickets for 2 J cwt. each having 

 been issued. 



In 1 7 1 3 William Trimer by will proved at Bedford 

 gave 5/. a year out of a close called Morrells, in Stot- 

 fold, for buying shoes for poor children. The annuity 

 is received from Mr. William Boot of Ickleford, Herts, 

 and duly applied. 



In 1795 Jane Brooks, by will proved in the 

 commissary court of Huntingdon, left ^£160 for 

 investment in land, one fourth part of the rent to 

 be distributed in bread to the poor of this parish on 

 Christmas Day and Good Friday. The endowment 

 consists of nearly eight acres of land at Stocking Pelham. 

 The amount apportioned to this parish was ^^l zs. in 

 1905, which was distributed in thirty-eight loaves 

 on Good Friday and in thirty-seven loaves at Christmas. 

 See parish of Biggleswade. 



In 1832 Lawrence Tristram by his vi'iM {inter aEa) 

 gave ;£loo consols, income to be distributed among 

 the poor in bread, clothes or otherwise at the discretion 

 of the vicar and churchwardens. The stock is held by 

 the official trustees, the income being applied in 

 distribution of bread. 



The Charities of Henricus Octavus Roe and Charity 

 of Mary Hindley. 



The Church of England School founded in 1 808 by 

 Henricus Octavus Roe, who in his life-time endowed 

 the same with gifts amounting to ^^1,830 consols. 

 (See above, ' Schools.') 



The National School endowed by the said H. O. Roe 

 by gifts in his lifetime and a legacy by his will proved 

 in 1854, represented by ^(^2,243 19/. consols. (See 

 above, ' Schools.') 



The Church Almshouses, founded by deed of 

 27 August, 1835, whereby the said H. O. Roe and 

 Mary Hindley conveyed to trustees three roods thirty- 

 six poles, known as Cook's Close, with the almshouses 

 erected thereon by the said H. O. Roe. The en- 

 dowment fund consists of ^5, 1 87 Ijs. I Oi/. 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 amounts to about j£i34 a 

 year. The inmates also receive 10/. a week from 

 the interest of ;^200 Metropolitan three and a 

 half per cent. Consolidated Stock (with the official 

 trustees) given in 1884 by Miss Elizabeth Georgiana 

 Vaughan. 



Roe's Church Bread Charity. The said H. O. Roe 

 by deed, 1837, gave £^20 consols, augmented by 

 deed of 1849 to ^yio consols, in trust for divi- 

 dends amounting to ^^19 10/. a year for distri- 

 bution on Sundays of six penny loaves at the parish 

 church. 



Roe's Bread, Fuel, and Clothes Charity, deed 1 849 

 consists of £,6\o consols, income of j^l 6 a year, applied 

 usually in payment of j^io a year to clothing club 

 and remainder in distribution of coal irrespective of 

 creed of recipients. 



Roe's Charity for Parish Clerk consists of cottage in 

 Frog End, Stotfold, purchased in 1835 by saidH. O. 

 Roe from Trinity College, Cambridge, the lords of the 

 manor of Stotfold, for the occupation of the parish 

 clerk. By deed, 1837, a sum of ^^150 consols was 

 given by H. O. Roe for keeping the said cottage 

 in repair. By the Stotfold Inclosure Award of 1 8 5 1 

 a piece of land, copyhold, of the Rectory manor 

 containing three acres two roods was awarded in 

 respect of the common rights belonging to such 

 cottage. 



Charity for Apprenticing. Tjje said H. O. Roe by 

 his will, proved in the P. C. C. 23 November, 1854, 

 left a legacy, now represented by £^87 ijt. lOi/. 

 consols, income to be applied in placing out in service 

 children of poor persons living in the parish attending 

 the National or Endowed Schools above referred to. 

 The several sums of consols above mentioned, amount- 

 ing in the aggregate to £1 1,819 •4-''- 8</. consols, are 

 held by the official trustees for the several charities 

 respectively. 



UPPER STONDON 



Standon (xi cent.). 



The parish of Upper Stondon contams 427768 

 acres, of which 332^ are arable land, 59 permanent 

 grass, and 4 woods and plantations.' The soil is rich 

 loam, the subsoil clay. The principal crops are wheat, 

 barley, peas, and beans. The slope of the land is from 

 north to south, the highest point attained is 272 ft., 

 the lowest 204 ft. above the ordnance datum. The 

 road from Meppershall forms part of the northern 

 boundary of the parish, and then strikes south-east, 

 and passing through the village leads to Lower Stondon 

 in the parish of Shillington. The village, which is 

 extremely small, is in the east of the parish. The 



' Statistics from Bd. of Agric. (1905), 



rectory lies on the right-hand side of the road from 

 Meppershall. Immediately opposite is All Saints' 

 Church, and beyond on the same side the Manor 

 Farm. The nearest station is Henlow, I J miles to 

 the west, on the Bedford and Hitchin section of the 

 Midland Railway. There are brick-works in the 

 north-eastern corner of Upper Stondon. 



Ancient British coins of copper and brass have been 

 found in this parish.' 



In the time of Edward the Confessor 



MJNOR Ulmar of Eton held 2^ hides in UPPER 



STONDON, which, when the survey was 



made, were part of the dower of Azelina wife of 



' y.CH. Bed,, i, 173. 



304 



