HISTORY
The William Tyrrell Trust was founded in 1662 by William Tyrrell
for the benefit of the poor in West Hagbourne.
In his will, William Tyrrell left a piece of land that is known
to have been much larger than that of today. There are no records
indicating what factors may have caused diminution of the size of
the original piece of land over time, but all that remains now is
just over 3 acres (3 acres, 3 rods and 17 perches) of arable farmland
that is currently let, providing a small annual income.
Little is known or recorded about the history of the Trust prior
to 1900. The Charity Commissioner's scheme of 1896 directed that
the income of the charity should be used in supplying clothes, boots,
linen, bedding, and fuel to the Poor who were not in receipt of
Poor Law relief.
Early records show that once a year certain poor villagers were
given 5cwt of coal at Christmas. This practice continued into the
1930s, but after the war this was changed to a scheme where designated
villagers were provided with food tokens. The Charity is now regulated
by a scheme prepared by the Charity Commissioners and duly approved
on 8th September 1931.
In 1990 all pensioners in the village were invited to a Christmas
lunch paid for by the Trust. Latterly, with the rise in standards
of living for all in the village and in line with the recommendations
of the Charity Commission, the Trustees have considered it more
appropriate to offer small monetary grants, constrained by the very
small annual income of the Trust.
PRESENT AIM OF THE CHARITY
Most recently, grants have been awarded to young people to assist
them in pursuing specific and worthwhile goals. The aim is to support
and enhance equal opportunities for the young people of the village
in today's challenging and competitive environment. Young people
who think they might qualify for a small grant should contact one
of the trustees.
THE TRUST'S LAND
The Trust's land lies at the bottom of Hagbourne Hill, bordered
by land owned by Thames Water to the south, Chilton Road to the
east and land owned by Mrs J. Napper/ the A417 to the north. The
western boundary lies alongside farmland owned by Hagbourne Farm
Partners. The Trust's land is registered by H.M. Land Registry (Title
no: ON219113); Title Absolute having been granted in April 2000.
The Official Custodian for Charities is the designated proprietor
of the land.
The Trust land also potentially contains 4 - 5 village allotments.
The portion of land reserved for allotments has fallen into disuse
and the Trustees are considering what to do with it in the future.
THE TRUSTEES
There are 3 Trustees at any one time, all of whom must be residents
of West Hagbourne village and, if possible, one of whom should ideally
be a Parish Councillor. Trustees are appointed by the Parish Council
and serve for a period of four years.
The present trustees are Mike Butler, Marion Judd (Vice Chair, West
Hagbourne Parish Council) and Bridget Pickup.
MORE INFORMATION
More detailed information about the Trust can be found in Windsor
Hakebourne: the Story of West Hagbourne published by the
West Hagbourne Village History Group. (Chapter 6, P89: The Hagbourne
Charities and the Philanthropic Tyrrells; The William Tyrrell Charity,
P100) |