Parochial Charities
Steventon parish boasts several ancient charities comprising principally the Causeway Charity, and the Poor Money whose origins can be seen in the Charity boards displayed in Steventon church vestry.
The parish of Steventon boasts several ancient charities comprising principally the Causeway Charity, and the Poor Money whose origins can be seen in the Charity boards displayed in Steventon church vestry. The Causeway Charity was founded by two sisters who ‘by ancient report’ gave various pieces of land for ‘ye Maintenance of ye Cawseway of Steventon’. Unfortunately the names of the sisters and the date of their generous gift are not recorded. The Poor Money was made up of smaller gifts by various benefactors over the years, while four others were founded in the nineteenth century.
On 27th March 1890 the Charity Commission made an inspection of the Steventon charities and soon after consolidated them under the title of The Parochial Charities in a document sealed on 10th June 1892. The Trustees were to consist of ‘nine competent persons’, including the Vicar and Churchwardens as Ex-Officio Trustees, four Representative Trustees, appointed by the Vestry of the Parish, and two Co-optative Trustees, appointed by the existing Trustees, and they were to meet at least twice a year.
Their duties were to manage the property of the Charities, then consisting of about 20 acres of pasture and arable land, 6 cottages and about £1200 pounds in government bonds, and to apply the income to specified aims, including the advancement of education of poor children in the parish, the repairing, maintaining and lighting of the Causeway, and supporting in various ways the poor of the Parish and other ‘deserving and necessitous persons’.
The Charities’ focus has inevitably changed over the years and the cottages and land have all been sold. The Trustees chief concern now is the maintenance of the Causeway, in particular the trees, with a full inspection twice a year, followed by any necessary work such as the removal of dead twigs or branches or the planting and care of new saplings to fill any gaps, and the pitchings. These need to be reset from time to time as they become displaced by the action of tree roots. Formally this work was carried out by local labour, but as the Causeway is a II* listed building, regulations demand that is is now done by qualified professionals.
Any major work in these areas now needs financial assistance from the Parish, the new Steventon Allotments and Relief in Need Charity (SARINC) or other funding bodies. By the late twentieth century the resources available for distribution by the Poors Money had also dwindled and needs had changed, so the custom was established of giving modest Christmas presents to village pensioners. Benefactions have recently been more varied, including grants to the local Damascus youth group, the provision of a bee hive to the school, and assistance last December with the Christmas lights displayed last December along the Causeway trees, among other things.
Phil Boyes repairing the pitchings
