1889 - Westgate Almshouses - West Street, Warwick, UK
N 52° 16.784 W 001° 35.452
30U E 596131 N 5793086
These four alsmhouses stand immediately outside Westgate at the junction on West Street and Green Street.
Waymark Code: WMHP29
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/29/2013
Views: 2
The buildings still serve the purpose for which they were
built in 1889.
There are two inscriptions on the houses. The first on the
front reads:
For the Love of God and in
memory of their mother, Louisa
Harris, these almshouses were
rebuilt by her daughters Louisa
H. & Julia Harris. AD 1889
The inscription on the side, south west facing, wall
reads:
These almshouses were
modernised in 1993
with the help of
generous donations by
the trustees of
Mrs Godfrey-Payton
and Henry VIII's charity
The
British
History website gives some background:
WESTGATE ALMSHOUSES.
The Guild of Warwick included among its charitable work the support of eight
poor women, who were said to have been housed in part of the guild
buildings. It is not clear how these almswomen were maintained after the
guild's dissolution, but by 1582 they were receiving parish relief. In the
next century the Priory estate provided a quarterly payment of 34s. 8d. and
a clothing allowance, administered by the bailiff of Warwick and the Vicar
of St. Mary's. By 1826 eight widows lived in four houses and received 13d.
quarterly. After the death of Mr. Henry Wise, owner of the Woodcote estate,
in 1883 no new inmates were appointed, but three years later seven women
were still in residence, two receiving 2s. 6d. a quarter and five 13d. In
1888 the Misses Louisa and Julia Harris financed the demolition of the
almshouses and erected the four which now stand by the West Gate.
One of these ladies, then Mrs. Trollope, by will proved in 1904, devised
£1,000 to the almshouse trustees to be invested to provide 2s. each week to
each of the four inmates. In 1956 the whole income, comprising a rent charge
of £1 14s. 8d. on the Woodcote estate and the Trollope legacy, became part
of the St. Mary's Almshouse Charity.
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