Thomas Busby of  Meyford, Staffordshire, by his will dated 13 December 1577 bequeathed to Dr Gabriel Goodman, Dean of Westminster and to Mr Edward Chambers and their heirs one messuage, or cottage, in Langham on trust to give the yearly rent to the poor. There is no longer any trace of this charity. The Bainton Poors Land In 1682 a messuage with appurtances and the lands belonging thereto (15 acres) were given by several benefactors to Henry Hubbard and others, and their heirs, in trust, with the rents of the premises to succour and relieve the poor people and repair the church in Langham. On an enclosure, allotments were awarded in lieu of land lying in the open fields of Bainton, Barwick and Ufford. The estate was then said to consist of a farmhouse, yard and garden with the appurtenances, containing 37 perches, two closes in Bainton containing 13 acres, 3 roods, 27 perches and an allotment of 1 acre, 2 roods, 7 perches in lieu of the right of common in Borough Fen, Lincolnshire. It was let on lease for 21 years from Lady Day 1820 to William Phillips at a rent of £30 a year. -  see the 1682 Indenture & Transciption William Sharrad William Sharrad and a person unknown each gave £10 for the general use of the poor which was also used to pay for the Bainton enclosure. From the Bainton rent sixteen shillings a year was paid in land tax; eighteen shillings deducted for the repair of the church and the remainder used for the benefit of the poor of the parish. The Bainton land was sold during the period 1961/3 with the exception of a small piece of land in Peakirk and the money invested in 5½% Treasury stock. “Tommy Loaves” Two benefactions, amounting to £30, were given by Thomas Sewell and Mary Harris for purchasing bread for the poor on St. Thomas’s Day. This gift was apparently used to defray the expense of enclosing the land at Bainton and a deduction made annually from the Bainton rents to purchase the bread.  The tradition of “Tommy Loaves” continued into the 1960s Frances Clark Gift In 1608, Mrs Frances Clark, widow of Alderman Roger Clark, a Langham man who had gone to London and made his fortune with the Salters’ Company, gave £200 for an annuity to the Tallow Chandlers Company with the conditions that: she was paid £10 a year during her lifetime; on her death the Company spend £10 on a dinner and subsequently £10 a year be paid to the poor of Langham. Frances died in 1618 and her legacy lives on. The Billesdon Poor’s Land In 1684 a conveyance in fee was made to Henry Hubbard and others (described as trustees of the poor of Langham). A legacy given by Elizabeth Chamberlain and others was used to purchase land at Billesdon in trust for the use of the poor decayed inhabitants of Langham. In the enclosure of Billesdon a close of six acres was allotted in lieu of the original land. In 1889 the Billesdon tenant left without notifying the Trustees having sub-let the land to someone who proved to be penniless. The next tenant was Mr Sturgess and the Sturgess family still rent the land. In 1896 the Charity Commissioners decided that the administration of this charity and that of the Frances Clark Gift (qv)  should pass into the hands of Trustees appointed by the Parish Council. This land is still owned by the Langham Parochial Charities and the rent forms part of its annual charity distribution. Henry Hubbard’s Gift In his will dated 1714 Henry Hubbard gave £40 to be put out at interest by his executors for the use of ten poor widows of the parish. The interest was to be paid yearly and distributed at the discretion of the executors and overseers of the poor. A further £10 was given with the yearly interest to be paid to the parish church. Henry’s executors were his son William and his son-in-law John Sharpe. The sum of £1.5.0 was apparently paid by William Hubbard, as interest on one half of the legacy, for some years when land  at Sewstern was purchased. The sum of £1.5.0 continued to be paid; twenty shillings to the ten poor widows and five shillings to the church. The sum of £1.5.0 interest was paid by the other executor and his representatives or descendants until 1814 when Mr Richard Sharpe being in reduced circumstances declined to pay. The land at Sewstern was sold in 1954. Thomas Watkins In his will of 1905, Thomas Watkins bequeathed £10  to the trustees of the parish church for the benefit of the poor. The endowment of the charity consisted of £9..16s..11d. - 2½% Consolidated Stock with the Official Trustees, providing 4s..8d per annum given to two poor persons. Charity Commissioners decision 1896 In 1896 the Charity Commissioners split the administration of Langham Charities between the Church and the Parochial Charities administered by the Parish - The Parochial Charities took on the “The Billesdon Poor’s Land and The Frances Clarke gift” and these two charities are still active today (2006) making a distribution to around 80 Langham residents annually. Langham Village History Group