HEXAB249.1  Click on
Thumbnail
for
enlarged
photo |
| Benefactors' board (extension) on S. wall of Slype |
| board | furniture |
| wood |
| painted |
Pointed additional upper panel flat frame with bead edges (as HEXAB248.1); only gift from Mrs. Jane Lawson.
NB An important record of how poor relieved before statutory social services established. |
| A |
| LIST of |
| BENEFACTIONS |
| which have been left |
| to the Poor of the Pariſh |
| of HEXHAM, and which are |
| now paid. For particulars vid. |
| RITSCHELL's Book of Charities. |
| MRS JANE LAWSON, Spinſter, daughter |
| of EDWARD LAWSON of HEXHAM Gent. |
| did give Forty Shillings a Year to be |
| distributed on GOOD FRIDAY to Forty poor |
| WIDOWS within the said TOWN. |
|
| Words in capitals have a larger initial letter. |
| late 18th cent |
These charities are listed in the County History: 1637 Jane Lawson. 1702 Ann Radcliffe [p.219 ]. 1675 James Crasswell. 1686 Thomas Gibson. 1773 David Johnson, Thomas Howdon, John Forbes. [History of Northumberland, Vol III i, 1896, p.176]
1823: “The screen of the side aisles [leading to chancel] consists … of tables which contain a list of benefactions to the poor.” [Wright, p.68]
On south wall of vestry annex for a time between 1870 and 1907, with lettering visible in Gibson photo:
“1637. Mrs. Jane Lawson, spinster, daughter of Edward Lawson, of Topcliffe, in Yorkshire, Gent., (but then of Hexham) desired her father upon her death-bed to give 40s. a year for ever unto forty poor widows in Hexham, which hath been ever since distributed yearly on Good Friday.” [Wright, 1823 p.232; see also HEXAB1282]
1920: Abbey Encounters. Mr. Wastle from Whickham in Tyne and Wear came in to enquire if what he had worked on in 1920 was still in place. His vivid description of lettering, gold on a black background, in old-fashioned script […] the Charity Boards in the Slype […] they list in meticulous detail past benefactions ‘to the poor of the parish of Hexham’. […] Dear “All” of the Hexham Abbey, I want to thank you for sending a letter, to let me know about the writing on gold on the board that I was working on so many years ago. As I think I told you I am 82 years old, and I worked on churches all over, doing Altars in colours, with both gold and silver leaf, and some took a long time to do but gave pleasure to people, like the day I spent at Hexham Abbey, that Friday a week or two ago. [Abbey Chronicle, Nov. 1993, p.4]
1975: “Benefaction notices: Two on column in N Choir Aisle” [EP 184/275 Inventory 1965–75]
1989: The P.C.C. approved a recommendation from the Museum Committee that the Charity Boards be placed in the Slype and thanked the members for their work. [Abbey Chronicle, May, 1989, p.2. – PCC News]
Matters raised were repair of charity boards and their fixing. [Property Cttee Minutes, 31.7.1989]
1990: Architect agreed to the charity boards being placed in the west end of the slype. [Letter 9.5.1990]
16 July 1990: “Charity boards fixed in Slype.” [Churchwardens Record HEXAB9535 p66] |
| NB: see more details of charitable donations by clicking the URL link. |
| H 1200 |
W 1460 |
| South Transept/Slype |
| CND: S2 |
| See also URL: www.hexhamabbey.org.uk |
HEXAB249.2  Click on
Thumbnail
for
enlarged
photo |
| Benefactors' board on S. wall of Slype |
| board | furniture |
| wood |
| painted |
| Rectangular board with bolection-moulded frame and pointed additional section on top. Painted black with gilt lettering and fillet. Earliest gift from Mrs Ann Radcliffe of Dilston (including to poor Roman Catholics), No dates. NB: An important record of how poor survived before statutory social services established. |
| MRS ANN RADCLIFFE, of DILSTONE, |
| Spinſter left by will, payable out of the |
| Nafferton-eſtate £24, annually to the |
| Townſhip of HEXHAM viz, £10 to put out |
| poor children Apprentices, £10 to the poor |
| of the townſhip, & £4 to poor ROMAN |
| CATHOLICS. |
| JAMES CRESSWELL, of HEXHAM, TANNER left |
| by will an acre of land in Hexham-haugh |
| commonly called Reah's Acre the annual |
| rent of which is diſtributed to the poor of the |
| town of HEXHAM. |
| THOMAS GIBSON, of HEXHAM, CORDWAINER, by |
| his laſt will, gave £20 to the poor out of a cloſe |
| in HEXHAM FIELDS. |
| MR DAVID JOHNSON, of HEXHAM, MERCER, left |
| by will a ſmall field situate near the Maiden- |
| -Croſs to the poor of HEXHAM. |
| THOMAS HOWDON, of HEXHAM, TANNER, left |
| by will, Twenty Shillings, payable yearly |
| out of the rent of a Houſe & grounds, situate |
| in the Fore-street in HEXHAM, to Twenty |
| poor WIDOWS. |
| JOHN FORBES, of HEXHAM, MERCHANT, gave |
| a ſmall field called the Round Cloſe to the |
| Poor of HEXHAM. |
|
| Words in capitals have a larger initial letter. |
| early 18th cent |
These charities are listed in the County History: 1637 Jane Lawson. 1702 Ann Radcliffe [p.219 ]. 1675 James Crasswell. 1686 Thomas Gibson. 1773 David Johnson, Thomas Howdon, John Forbes. [History of Northumberland, Vol III i, 1896, p.176]. See HEXAB9347 for latest paperwork.
1823: “The screen of the side aisles [leading to chancel] consists … of tables which contain a list of benefactions to the poor.” [Wright, p.68]
On south wall of vestry annex for a time between 1870 and 1907, but lettering obscured in Gibson photo:
1920: Abbey Encounters. Mr. Wastle from Whickham in Tyne and Wear came in to enquire if what he had worked on in 1920 was still in place. His vivid description of lettering, gold on a black background, in old-fashioned script […] the Charity Boards in the Slype […] they list in meticulous detail past benefactions ‘to the poor of the parish of Hexham’. […] Dear “All” of the Hexham Abbey, I want to thank you for sending a letter, to let me know about the writing on gold on the board that I was working on so many years ago. As I think I told you I am 82 years old, and I worked on churches all over, doing Altars in colours, with both gold and silver leaf, and some took a long time to do but gave pleasure to people, like the day I spent at Hexham Abbey, that Friday a week or two ago. [Abbey Chronicle, Nov. 1993, p.4]
1975: “Benefaction notices: Two on column in N Choir Aisle” [EP 184/275 Inventory 1965–75]
1989: The P.C.C. approved a recommendation from the Museum Committee that the Charity Boards be placed in the Slype and thanked the members for their work. [Abbey Chronicle, May, 1989, p.2. – PCC News]
Matters raised were repair of charity boards and their fixing. [Property Cttee Minutes, 31.7.1989]
1990: Architect agreed to the charity boards being placed in the west end of the slype. [Letter 9.5.1990]
16 July 1990: “Charity boards fixed in Slype.” [Churchwardens Record HEXAB9535 p66] |
| NB: see more details of charitable donations by clicking the URL link. |
| H 2100 |
W 1460 |
| South Transept/Slype |
| CND: S2 |
| See also URL: www.hexhamabbey.org.uk |