The Feoffees of St.Sidwell have administered land and property in their possession for the benefit of the parishioners of St Sidwell’s parish for well over four hundred years as will be seen in the section on the “Parish of Saint Sidwell, Parish Lands” in the book Exeter Charities 1825, The Report of the Commissioners concerning Charities. This report gives details of the earliest deeds the Commissioners had seen detailing the individual plots, and which had been rented out. The Commissioners refer to “an indenture of feoffment bearing date 27 July 1688” and which included a reference to a deed “bearing date the 16th December, 18th Elizabeth” (and therefore 1576). The original deed described parcels of land as lying between the lands of named others on the north, west, east and south, and sometimes citing named highways. In order to clarify the exact position of these plots and properties, the Feoffees had a map book drawn up in 1802 which is now in the care of the Devon Heritage Centre (formerly the Devon Record Office). What is remakable about these maps is that they show the exact shape of the individual plots as detailed on much later OS maps of 1876 and 1905.
The map book details 27 properties, 25 of which are in the original parish of St
Sidwell, one of which is in the parish of St Mary Major, and one in Thorverton parish. Not all of the plots were originally built on and many were rented out as fields and gardens. The spread of Feoffees’ properties, whether described as fields, gardens, orchards, dwelling houses, cottages, shops, inns etc. were eventually identified in Paris Street, Cheeke Street (Searles or Cheeks Lane), Summerland Crescent and Street, Belgrave Road (Spillers or Fox Lane), Sidwell Street, King William Street (Well Lane), Blackboy Road, Jesmond Road (Trewell/Idol/ Idle/ Brickhouse Lane), Old Tiverton Road, Union Road(Pester or Pesterhouse Lane), Polsloe Road (Workhouse Lane), Pensylvania Road and Rosebarn Lane, with the many earlier names making the task of identifying them very difficult.
With extensive research into minute books, Charity account books, cashbooks, correspondence files, Charity commission papers about parish lands, deeds of appointment of new feoffees. leases, conveyances and sundry other documents connected to St Sidwell’s Church which have been studied at the Record Office, it has been possible to identify how various properties have been disposed of over the past 200 years, and what is still in the Feoffees possession and rented out. The earliest property of the 27 listed which was disposed of was a public house called the Peter Bell abutting the original Palace Gate, the property mentioned above in the parish of St Mary Major. The feoffees owned a “moiety” which was equivalent to a half or three sixths, William Bligh of “Mutiny on the Bounty’ fame with others owned one -sixth, and Honor Pring (widow of Daniel Pring) owned two-sixths.
The whole of the property was conveyed back to Mr Ralph Barnes of the Dean & Chapter in 1811 so that the building could be demolished along with the original palace Gate for road-widening purposes. Marker posts were placed on either side of the road, although only one now remains on the opposite side of the road to where the Peter Bell stood.
Another public house, the Axminster Inn and cottages and gardens adjoining at the bottom of Paris Street were sold to Messrs. Norman & Pring in February 1883.
In 1813 the land on which three properties stood in St Sidwell’s Churchyard was conveyed back to the Reverend Ralph Barnes and the properties demolished in order to release more space for burials. The properties consisted of a dwelling house on the corner of Well Lane and a tenement known as the Engine House. Quoting from a “Lease for 500 years dated 1665 (of) 1. Feoffees (to) 2. John Bury clerk, rector of St Mary Mitchell als. St Mary the More, Exeter, premises; one newly repaired tenement or dwellinghouse consisting of five rooms, that is two ground or under rooms and three higher rooms or chambers over them, adjoining the churchyard and part of the Church House now or late in the tenure of Roger Harte, weaver. consideration; the better bringing up of poor children to be taught in the Free School rent: 1d, condition: the house is to be used as a Free School, and if it is converted to any other use, 1. has the power of repossession”
Other properties were sold off during the 1800s and 1900s with consent of the
Charity Commission and the proceeds invested. Many properties in the Sidwell Street area suffered extensive damage in the air raids of World War 11 and were repaired where possible for continued occupation but were compulsorily purchased under the 1953-1955 Central Areas Reconstruction Scheme and the Feoffees received compensation for loss of development rights.
In December 1900 an exchange of property took place between the Feoffees who owned No 1 Hampton Buildings, Blackboy road and Messrs. Reynolds Bros. who owned land in Toronto road. Eleven garages were eventually built in July 1957.
Colwell Cottage, Idle Lane (now Jesmond Road was demolished in October 1966
and an exchange of land with Exeter City Council enabled the Feoffees to convert the site into Bowe Court with six flats for the elderly people which was completed in March 1975 and officially opened by the Bishop of Exeter, the Rt. Rev. Eric Mercer who praised it”for its most moder and imaginative approach”. These flats are still in the Feoffees’ possession along with other flats and houses in Blackboy Road and Hampton Buildings.
A large plot of land extending from Elmside to Spinning Path (but minus the land owned by the Dean & Chapter on which the Bowling Green pub (formerly The Ropemakers’ Arms) stands) was originally owned by the Feoffees. Four houses known as 1/2/3/4 St George’s Place (now Nos 31-34 Blackboy Road and including Laurel Cottage behind No 34 in Elmside) were built between 1832 and 1837 and in July 1974 were noted as being scheduled by the Department of the Environment as “Buildings of Historic Interest”. All have now been sold off, with the latest three flats of No 33,33A and 33B sold very recently in July 2014 and the proceeds intended to enable the re-development of the site on which the garages are situated in Toronto Road. Part of the remaining field between Hampton Buildings and Spinning Path was sold to the industrial Dwellings Company in 1874 for the building of Kendall’s Buildings.
One of Exeter’s more famous residents occupied a house built on land owned by the eoffees. Originally descreams s eid in Whipping a he near the Eastern Road to Maripoolhead, Cobbam in Rosebarn Lane was built for Dr. Thomas Shapter who can e originally to Exeter in 1832 at the outbreak of cholera to set up his medical practice. He wrote the definitive work The History of the Cholera in Exeter in 1832 published in 1849. He became Mayor of the Corporation in 1847 and his name can be seen in the stained-glass window of the Guildhall with the date 1848. Dr Shapter occupied Cobbam at the time of the 1881 census. This property was eventually sold in 1937.
The property in Thorverton was described as “Four houses and Orchard, Rowes
Park”, now known as Rosepark and sold in 1919.
Not all of the Feoffees 27 properties have been described in detail above, but during the course of research over several years all have been identified as to their precise location, when sold or disposed of, and at what price. Some had been leased for a period of years to the more well-to-do residents of Exeter, others at a yearly rent, and yet others at weekly rents.
The many Minute Books dating from 1834 – 2000 trawled through gave some interesting insights into the deliberations of the Feoffees. There were frequent themes running through the Minutes such as grants to the poor and needy of the parish when funds permitted, and which were suspended for periods when bank balances were to low.
Amounts of £1-£2 were recorded. One application was for a rheumatic belt where £1 was authorised but on enquiries being made to its suitability was found to cost 10/- more. ” It was Resolved that the extra sum be granted and the Beltr loaned.” There were applications for funds to replace trademen’s tools and another where a donation of One Guinea was made towards providing a set of false teeth.
There were also frequent changes of mind by the Committee whether to sell property, repair or rebuild; instances of rent default, giving notice to quit, placing matters in the hands of solicitors, obtaining court orders for eviction, the need for extensive repairs after tenants had given up the property they were renting, dealing with properties over-run with rats, and the problem of squatters when properties were empty for a time, one instance which included extensive damage, the clearing up of rubbish and needles, repairs, replacing carpets and fumigation of the house before it could be re-let.
All general repairs needed were noted in the Minutes of the Properties Committee, the building firms which were asked to tender for the work which inevitably went to the company submitting the lowest price. Protracted discussions took place regarding the replacement of Webb’s almhouses which were a casulty of World War 11 along with houses in Blackboy Road extensively damaged in 1940 and 1942 and eventually rebuilt as Old People’s Homes and occupied by 1967.
Perhaps the most interesting item to emerge was the decision to hold a Queen’s
Jubilee Dinner on Tuesday 21 June 1887 for 300 Adults of St Sidwell, the design of the poster to be printed and distributed with adverts placed in the various local newspapers. A sub-committee was appointed with “Mr Angel and Mr Pearse to procure necessary cutlery. dinner ware and glasses and ale and aerated water and table cloths”, Mr Land and Mr Passmore the supply of meat; Mr Marsh and the Chairman (Mr Force) the supply of bread,
puddings and cooking and arrangement of tables etc; Mr Allen the supply of salt, mustard and pickles etc, and Mr Pocknell, tobacco and snuff”. It had originally been intended to provide the women with snuff, but this was later changed to a half pound of tea and pound of sugar to each woman and 1 ounce of tobacco to each man.
The deaths of Feoffees were recorded in the Minutes and the names of their replacements. Also recorded were the deaths of serving monarchs – Queen Victoria in January 1901, King Edward VIl in May 1910 and King George VI in January 1952.
The Properties Committee reported War Damage to seventeen properties in
Blackboy Road and Sidwell Street belonging to the Charity following enemy action on the night of 3&4 May 1942. In respect of 1/6 Parsonage Court “The Clerk reported that he had satisfied himself that all the tenants of this Charity had got away safely from the houses but all the tenants in the Sidwell Street area have lost all they possessed. The Local Authority is very slow tackling first aid repairs to the damaged houses.”
The end of World War ii was
also recorded in the Minutes; “At 2.41am on Monday 7h May 1945 the Germans signed instrument of unconditional surrender, to all the Allied Forces of Great Britain, USA and Russia, at Rheimes at the Headquarters of General Eisenhower.” The Feoffees contributed to the upkeep of St. Sidwell’s Church and the Charity Commissioners’ report mentioned above cites an entry in the churchwardens’ book in 1766 with the Feoffees responsible for payments “for the work of the carpenter, hellier (slater or tiler), mason,plumber,glazier and smith, about the fabric of the church only: for ropes, oil and leather for the bells; for the repairs of the school house (probably the small building adjoining the church yard before mentioned), the high rent to the dean and chapter, and the king’s audit.” Meetings were held there before the church was badly damaged in the War. The Feoffees’ records were kept in two safes housed in the church and the Minutes of 10 May 1948 record that they remained under the debris of the church. BY 12 September 1949 the safes had been extracted and the contents found to be in good order. The Charity Commissioners’ Report also lists individual charities which ere originally overseen by named Trustees, but which eventually became the responsibility of the Feoffees. These were charities which generated income to be used to support specific causes and stem from wills which were drawn up in the 1600s and 1700s: Gifts of Baker and Sandford – Ann Baker’s will of 13 July 1689, Christopher Sandford’s indenture of 17th December 1689. Webb’s Almshouse – John Webb’s will of 3г April 1676.
Moffatt’s Gift – John Moffatt’s will of 1717.
Chapple’s Gift – William Chapple’s will of 31″ March 1729.
Seldon’s and Acland’s Gifts – Gifts of Lawrence Seldon and Sir John Acland
Herman’s Gift – Ralph Herman’s will of 25th July 1661
Cheeke’s Gift – John Cheeke’s will of 17th April 1678.
Tooker’s Gift – Thomas Tooker’s will of 31* March 1640.
Smalridge’s Gift – Thomas Smalridge’s will of 21% October 1719.
Gifts of Hester and Thomas Bussel (no will details).
Interest of Money Paid by the Chamber of Exeter – by a decree made by the Lord keeper on the 6th July 1633.
Tucker’s Gift – James Tucker in 1643.
Vilvaine’s Gift – Dr Robert Vilvayne by the will of his executor Simon Snow made in 1666.
Newte’s Gift – John Newte, clerk, by his will of 10th January 1715.
These gifts included specifying the binding of up to three children as apprentices to some honest trade or employment; support for four poor almshouse women; help for 10 honest poor housekeepers, living in the parish of Saint Sidwell, not receiving alms; purchase of two changes for two poor persons, viz. a man and a woman; the purchase of six shifts for six poor men; and with several of the charities giving instructions for the distribution of loaves of bread to the poor of the parish.
After more than 400 years of its existence, the feoffees of St Sidwell, probably Exeter’s oldest charity, continue to support the parish of St Sidwell together with St James and St Matthew.