Northam Charities mark 600 years of giving

By Lewis Clarke 1 OCT 2023 for DEVON LIVE

Two blue plaques have been erected in Appledore and Northam, on the site of former almshouses to mark the 600th anniversary of charitable giving in Northam Parish.

The ‘Northam Charities’ who now look after the parish charity funds, arranged for these plaques to be specially made to mark the location of the almshouses in both Appledore and Northam. This 600th anniversary was recently identified by local historian David Carter, who found an old Elizabethan document which recorded the giving of lands to a Fraternity at Northam in the 15th and 16th centuries.

David Carter who is vice-chairman and secretary of the present Northam Charities Board, said: “I found in an old Elizabethan document that the earliest donation of land was made in September 1423, which means that it was exactly 600 years ago. That first plot of land in question was near to today’s Torridge Pool and Leisure Centre, but over the next hundred years many other plots of land in and around Northam parish were donated for charitable use. This included the establishment of Almshouses for the benefit and accommodation for poor widows of the parish.”

The Northam Almshouse was a Tudor building established by William Leigh in 1576, erected on the junction of Northam Square with Tower Street. It could accommodate four poor widows in two ground floor rooms and two first floor rooms. Each room was just 15 feet by 10 feet, but by early Victorian times, the whole building was said to be in a very poor condition. It was demolished in August 1867 when the road was widened, at which time a new Almshouse was erected in Springfield Terrace. A plaque to mark this former site was unveiled on 3rd September by Sir Geoffrey Cox MP.

The Appledore Almshouse was established by Sir Thomas Berry in 1695. He was Lord of the Manor of Northam, and purchased a building in today’s New Quay Street, now the site of the Appledore Community Hall, turning it into accommodation for four widows and orphans. The thatched building caught fire on Friday 13th May 1859 and although no-one was injured, the almshouse building was completely destroyed. The blue plaque to mark the site was unveiled on 19th September by Devon historian Todd Gray MBE as part of the Appledore Book Festival. The Mayor of Northam, Cllr Peter Hames, was present on both occasions, along with the current trustees of the charity.

Charity chairman Cllr Jane Whittaker said:

“Not many people will have heard of the Northam Charities because we don’t do fundraising – we just quietly exist to run the Northam Parish Almshouse, and to hand out money to groups and individuals connected to Northam parish, who may be needing a bit of financial assistance for whatever reason. This ‘Community Aid’ fund is open for anyone to apply. It’s a great little feelgood charity to be part of, which just exists to help people. When we found out we had a milestone anniversary, it seemed a good opportunity not just to celebrate, but to tell everyone what we do”.