Church Burgesses

Last updated

The Church Burgesses, formerly known officially as the Twelve Capital Burgesses and Commonalty of the Town and Parish of Sheffield, are a charitable organisation in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire.

In 1297, the Burgery of Sheffield was established in the Charter to the Town of Sheffield. Thomas de Furnival, Lord of the Manor of Sheffield, granted land to the freeholders of Sheffield in return for an annual payment, and a Common Burgery administrated them. [1]

In 1554, a charter established the Twelve Capital Burgesses, a petition to Mary Tudor, probably supported by the fifth Earl of Shrewsbury, presented by the inhabitants of Sheffield. The lands confiscated by King Edward were returned to the people under the 1554 Charter. The Burgesses were charged with providing stipends for three assistant ministers at the church and with the maintenance of the church. They were also given the power to maintain and improve streets and bridges in the environs of the church. In contrast to the Burgery, which was an elective body, the Burgesses were to fill empty positions by co-option. [1]

Elsewhere in England, the existence of a church rate proved a source of conflict between members of the Church of England and nonconformists, and in some cities, church posts became politicised, but the existence of the Burgesses meant that no rate was levied in Sheffield. [1]

In order to pay for their works, the Burgesses were endowed with land in the parish. From 1736 to 1829, they leased a large amount of land, second in the town only to the Duke of Norfolk. By 1833, they owned 146 acres (0.59 km2). They received rental income from the land, and also income from investments. However, by the nineteenth century, this proved insufficient for them to undertake the maintenance and improvement work. In 1805, they convened a public meeting to discuss the formation of an Improvement Commission. Although this idea was initially rejected, the Sheffield Improvement Commission was established by the Sheffield Improvement Act 1818. [1]

Relieved of their obligation to maintenance in the town, the Burgesses refocussed on a range of charitable works. Today it splits its income between "ecclesiastical purposes in support of the Church of England... education and for the betterment of the needy and deprived and ... the benefit of the community." In addition to supporting Sheffield Cathedral (the former parish church), it puts money towards the building of churches and payments towards Anglican clergy stipends throughout Sheffield. A separate trust, the Church Burgesses Educational Foundation, administers its educational funds. [2]

Related Research Articles

Dissolution of the monasteries 1536–1541 disbanding of religious residences by Henry VIII

The dissolution of the monasteries, occasionally referred to as the suppression of the monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents, and friaries in England, Wales, and Ireland, expropriated their income, disposed of their assets, and provided for their former personnel and functions. Although the policy was originally envisaged as increasing the regular income of the Crown, much former monastic property was sold off to fund Henry's military campaigns in the 1540s. He was given the authority to do this in England and Wales by the Act of Supremacy, passed by Parliament in 1534, which made him Supreme Head of the Church in England, thus separating England from papal authority, and by the First Suppression Act (1535) and the Second Suppression Act (1539). While Thomas Cromwell, Vicar-general and Vice-regent of England, is often considered the leader of the Dissolutions, he merely oversaw the project, one he had hoped to use for reform of monasteries, not closure or seizure. The Dissolution project was created by England's Lord Chancellor Thomas Audley, and Court of Augmentations head Richard Rich.

Charitable trust Irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes

A charitable trust is an irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes and, in some jurisdictions, a more specific term than "charitable organization". A charitable trust enjoys a varying degree of tax benefits in most countries. It also generates good will. Some important terminology in charitable trusts is the term "corpus", which refers to the assets with which the trust is funded, and the term "donor", which is the person donating assets to a charity.

The Bridge House Estates is a charitable trust, originating in the late eleventh century and formally established by Royal charter in 1282 by the City of London Corporation in London, England. It was originally established to maintain London Bridge and, subsequently, other bridges. Funded by bridge tolls and charitable donations, the trust acquired an extensive property portfolio which made it more than self-sufficient. As well as maintaining the bridges, the estates also makes other charitable grants through the City Bridge Trust, their grant-making arm. It is one of three funds managed by the City of London, the other two being the City Fund and the City's Cash.

Collegiate church Church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons

In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost. In its governance and religious observance a collegiate church is similar to a cathedral, although a collegiate church is not the seat of a bishop and has no diocesan responsibilities. Collegiate churches were often supported by extensive lands held by the church, or by tithe income from appropriated benefices. They commonly provide distinct spaces for congregational worship and for the choir offices of their clerical community.

Charitable organization Nonprofit organization with charitable purpose

A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being.

A parochial church council (PCC) is the executive committee of a Church of England parish and consists of clergy and churchwardens of the parish, together with representatives of the laity. It has its origins in the vestry committee, which looked after both religious and secular matters in a parish. It is a corporate charitable body.

Feoffee

Under the feudal system in England, a feoffee is a trustee who holds a fief, that is to say an estate in land, for the use of a beneficial owner. The term is more fully stated as a feoffee to uses of the beneficial owner. The use of such trustees developed towards the end of the era of feudalism in the Middle Ages and declined with the formal ending of that social and economic system in 1660. Indeed the development of feoffees to uses may have hastened the end of the feudal system, since their operation circumvented vital feudal fiscal mechanisms.

History of Sheffield History of the English town

The history of Sheffield, a city in South Yorkshire, England, can be traced back to the founding of a settlement in a clearing beside the River Sheaf in the second half of the 1st millennium AD. The area now known as Sheffield had seen human occupation since at least the last ice age, but significant growth in the settlements that are now incorporated into the city did not occur until the Industrial Revolution.

Church Commissioners Body managing the historic property assets of the Church of England

The Church Commissioners is a body which administers the property assets of the Church of England. It was established in 1948 and combined the assets of Queen Anne's Bounty, a fund dating from 1704 for the relief of poor clergy, and of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners formed in 1836. The Church Commissioners are a registered charity regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, and are liable for the payment of pensions to retired clergy whose pensions were accrued before 1998.

This timeline of Sheffield history summarises key events in the history of Sheffield, a city in England. The origins of the city can be traced back to the founding of a settlement in a clearing beside the River Sheaf in the second half of the 1st millennium AD. The area had seen human occupation since at least the last ice age, but significant growth in the settlements that are now incorporated into the city did not occur until the industrial revolution.

County Borough of Leeds Administrative division of Yorkshire, England until 1974

The County Borough of Leeds, and its predecessor, the Municipal Borough of Leeds, was a local government district in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, from 1835 to 1974. Its origin was the ancient borough of Leeds, which was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. In 1889, when West Riding County Council was formed, Leeds became a county borough outside the administrative county of the West Riding; and in 1893 the borough gained city status. The borough was extended a number of times, expanding from 21,593 acres (8,738 ha) in 1911 to 40,612 acres (16,435 ha) in 1961; adding in stages the former area of Roundhay, Seacroft, Shadwell and Middleton parishes and gaining other parts of adjacent districts. In 1971 Leeds was the fifth largest county borough by population in England. The county borough was abolished in 1974 and replaced with the larger City of Leeds, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire.

Sheffield City Trust is a registered charity in the United Kingdom that owns and/or manages twelve entertainment and sports venues in Sheffield, England.

Clergy Support Trust

Clergy Support Trust is a charity which was formerly known as Sons & Friends of the Clergy. The full official name of the charity is Governors of the Charity for Relief of the Poor Widows and Children of Clergymen. The present charity resulted from an amalgamation of two Anglican clergy support charities in December 2012. The two parent organisations, the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy and the Friends of the Clergy Corporation, date from 1655 and 1820 respectively. The charity exists to provide financial and other support to serving or retired clergy of the Anglican Communion, with a main focus on clergy in the British Isles. It also provides assistance to clergy widows, children, orphans, and other dependants.

The Sheffield Town Trust, formerly officially known as the Burgery of Sheffield, is a charitable trust operating in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.

Queen Elizabeths Grammar School, Crediton

The former Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Crediton, Devon, England was founded in 1547 by Edward VI and re-endowed and renamed in 1559 by Elizabeth I.

The Feoffees of Ecclesfield was originally created in 1574. The word "Feoffees" translates into modern language as the word "Trustees" and that is in effect what the Feoffees are. Ecclesfield is a village on the northern perimeter of the City of Sheffield in Yorkshire. When originally created, the Feoffees were much more than trustees. Land and properties were donated by a wealthy landowner and the trustees were in effect the "Elders and Rulers" of the village of Ecclesfield and several surrounding villages. The key responsibilities were the following:

National Churches Trust

The National Churches Trust, formerly the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, is a British registered charity whose aim is to "promote and support church buildings of historic, architectural and community value across the UK". It carries out this aim by providing financial grants to repair and modernise church buildings, supporting projects to enable churches to remain open, collaborating with local Churches Trusts and volunteer bodies, providing practical advice, support and information, and working to promote public awareness of the needs of churches. Its forerunner was the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, whose functions it has taken over, together with those of the Incorporated Church Building Society.

Aberdeen charitable trusts

Across the United Kingdom, many services such as hospitals and schools depend on private or corporate donation. In the sixteenth century,(before 1560 in Scotland) the Church and the nobility were the only source of such support. By the nineteenth century, government and local authorities had taken over this responsibility. Poor Laws in the nineteenth century provided a more secure form of help for the poor and gradually the use of mortifications declined. Sometimes a hospital, Bedehouse, or care home was given money directly to further its purposes. The City of Aberdeen like many across Scotland, and in the rest of the United Kingdom, administers charitable trusts to benefit its residents. Some of these date back to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. In general these mortifications were endowed to benefit Guildry members, the poor, medical, educational, cultural, arts and heritage purposes individuals and groups. Recently the City Council has re-organised these charities together with OSCR. Some of the charities have been wound up with residual funds allocated to other charities with similar purposes in Aberdeen.

Coat of arms of the University of Sheffield Coat of arms of University of Sheffield, England

The coat of arms of the University of Sheffield is the official heraldic emblem of the University of Sheffield. It was granted by the College of Arms on 28 June 1905, one month after the university's royal charter was sealed. The coat of arms was registered as a trademark by the University of Sheffield in 1992. In 2005, the university designed a logo consisting of a simplified version of the arms; the logo, however, does not supersede the heraldic symbol.

Reports on the Education of the Lower Orders Historically Important 2nd Ever Select Committee Report on Education

The Reports on the Education of the Lower Orders were published between 1816 and 1819 by a select committee of the House of Commons under the chairmanship of Henry Brougham. The committee made only the second ever government inquiry into education, as it comprehensively investigated the provision of education for poor working class children in Great Britain during the early 19th century. The reports exposed the inadequate provision of schooling and the maladministration of charitable funds given for educating the poor. It was eventually used to justify the first state intervention into English and Welsh education in 1833 when the treasury started to help fund the badly needed construction of new school-houses through an annual grant. It also started a parliamentary commission of inquiry into improving charitable foundations which eventually led to formation of present-day charities commission.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Clyde Binfield et al., The History of the City of Sheffield 1843-1993: Volume I: Politics
  2. Sheffield Burgesses Archived 2008-03-19 at the Wayback Machine , Sheffield Cathedral

3. George Tolley. We, of our Bounty.