Group    From 1566 

Bedford Charity

Categories: Education

Created by a gift of land by Sir William Harpur to the corporation of Bedford. A merchant from Bedford he had come to London and done so well that he was Lord Mayor in 1561. The following year he purchased 12 acres of land that had belonged to Charterhouse and in 1566 he and his wife Alice gave the property to the Bedford Corporation to support education in Bedford.

The charity has been renamed the Harpur Trust and still owns properties within the original Harpur estate and still supports education in Bedford.

We learnt all this from the resourceful A London Inheritance where there are maps showing the extent of the estate and photos of 5 other extant Bedford Charity markers. 

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Bedford Charity

Commemorated ati

Mrs. Eliz. Doughty and the Bedford Charity

These plaques mark property boudaries and identify ownership.

Read More

Other Subjects

Emanuel School

Emanuel School

Originally founded as a school for poor children as part of the legacy of Lady Dacre. She wrote that its aims should be: 'for the bringing up of children in virtue and good and laudable arts so tha...

Building, Education

1 memorial
St Luke's Parochial Schools

St Luke's Parochial Schools

St Luke's Old Street Conservation Plan (a pdf) refers to "History of St Luke's School" by M. Routledge, 1989, a book or leaflet, we assume.

Building, Education

6 memorials
Chiswick National School

Chiswick National School

Much of the following information comes from the very helpful Gill Clegg's Chiswick History page. 1707 a charity school was founded at St Nicholas church near the river. It expanded until in 1813 ...

Group, Education

1 memorial
John Hayes

John Hayes

J. F. R. Hayes, one of the Governors of John Lyon School in 2007 and Chairman of the Governors in 2013.

Person, Education, Politics & Administration

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Faith Winter

Faith Winter

Faith Weamy Beatrice Ashe was born in August 1927. Electoral registers from 1949 to 1954 list her living at Keston Cottage, The Street, Puttenham, Guildford, Surrey. Also on the registers at this a...

Person, Sculpture

3 memorials
Jesus Hospital Charity

Jesus Hospital Charity

Established by James Ravenscroft and his wife Mary to look after six lady residents, 'Sisters', living in Ravenscroft Cottages in Wood Street, Barnet.  Over time more almshouses were added, and the...

Group, Philanthropy

1 memorial
English Heritage

English Heritage

English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts,...

Group, Architecture, History, Property

417 memorials
Women's Freedom League

Women's Freedom League

Split off from the Women's Social and Political Union where Emmeline Pankhurst held sway. Worked for equality between men and women. Dissolved in 1961.

Group, Gender Issues

1 memorial
Period Living magazine

Period Living magazine

Launched in 1990, we thought this mag had folded years ago but, 2021, it's still going.

Group, History, Journalism / Publishing

1 memorial