Council Meeting – 27th February 1896
Thursday, February 27th, 1896
Sixteenth meeting of the Parish Council held in the School Room on Thursday, 27 February 1896.
Present: Arthur Bates, Chairman; C.H. Buzzard, James Orr, H.A. Spanton and F. Shimwell (Clerk).
The minutes of the meeting held on the 13th February were read and confirmed.
William Wright’s Charity (107)
In pursuance of the resolution passed on the 13th February, the following letter has been addressed to the Charity Commissioners.
Copy
Great Longstone, Bakewell, Feb. 20, 1896.
Derby.
C 31650: Longstone and other parishes in Bakewell.
William Wright’s Scheme.
Sirs,
The following are the objections and suggestions by the Longstone Parish Council respecting the proposed scheme for the administration of the William Wright Charity.
Trustees. Par 4. — Mr George Thomas Wright of Longstone Hall (not William Wright as erroneously given in paragraph 9) should be a Foundation Trustee, not a Co-optative Trustee. His heirs after him should in succession succeed to the office.
Application of Income. Par 20. — It is stated that the educational moiety of this charity has during the last 4 or 5 years been laid aside in the Bank and consequently there is an accumulated fund of £25. 0. 0. It should be made quite clear that this money shall not be diverted from educational to other charitable uses.
Par 21. — The Longstone School is a Public Elementary School. If the Longstone Schoolmaster were able and willing out of school hours to impart an education higher than elementary or would give technical, professional or industrial instruction approved by the Trustees, would this comply with the conditions named in this paragraph concerning the holding of the exhibitions “at any place of education higher than elementary”? Such technical, professional and industrial classes are at present being held in the village; it would be well if facilities could be afforded for children to attend them.
Par 24. — Let it suffice that the Trustees hand over 1/20 part of the income to the Chairman of Ashford Parish Council, 1/20 to the Chairman of the Parish Meeting of Little Longstone, and 1/20 to the Chairman of the Parish Meeting at Wardlow, leaving the due application of the money to the discretion of these public bodies.
Par 25. — Let it be discretionary whether the money is distributed in coin or in kind.
Finally, the Council are disposed to think that the Charity would be on a secure basis if the Misses Wright of Eyam would convey a definite portion of land in Wardlow of the annual value of £10. 0. 0 to the body of Trustees to be created.
I am also directed to ask for an expression of opinion from you as to whether the whole scheme would not be simplified and improved by making the Longstone Parish Council the Trustees of the Charity. They are a corporate body to whom the Wardlow land would be conveyed if such a course were decided upon.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
Henry Arthur Spanton
(Vice Chairman, Longstone Parish Council)
The Secretary,
Charity Commissioners,
Whitehall.
Thursday, February 27th, 1896
Gilder Stone Quarry
The following letter has been addressed to the Chairman of the Council by Messrs F. & H. Taylor on behalf of Mr G.T. Wright.
Bakewell, February 20th, 1896
Sir,
Mr Wright is informed that, in scheduling the Parish property, the Longstone Parish Council have under consideration the inclusion of a quarry on the Longstone Hall Estate named “Gilder Quarry”. No official communication has been made to Mr Wright (which would naturally have followed if the Parish Council had discovered any evidence of title), but the question having been raised, it would be satisfactory to Mr Wright to know that the Parish Council has no intention of including that quarry in their schedule. The quarry is “old meadow” belonging to Longstone Hall from time immemorial, and you will readily understand that the claim cannot be allowed to pass unnoticed.
Mr Wright thinks that the mistake may have arisen from the fact that the Parish of Great Longstone was awarded, when the Longstone Commons were enclosed in 1824, the neighbouring quarry in the outlands called the “Gilder Quarry”. That quarry was exhausted and closed a few years ago, and the “Gilder Quarry” came into more general use. However that may be, the Gilder Quarry on the Longstone Hall Estate is subject to no Parish rights. We believe past Overseers have been very liberal to their neighbours in giving leave to take stones. The present owner desires to continue to follow their example, on learning from you that you have no intention to include the quarry in your schedule.
We are, Sir,
Your obedient Servants,
F. & H. Taylor
The Chairman of the Parish Council,
Great Longstone.
In the conversation ensuing, however, Mr Spanton stated that Mr Hawes, Clerk to the Bakewell Rural District Council, had examined the Award and gave it as his opinion that it was in no sense favourable to the view that the Quarry on the right-hand side of the road was Parish property. Further, Mr Hawes advised the Council to procure a copy of the Enclosure Act referred to in the Award, as this might throw light on the subject. It was resolved that a copy of this Act be procured.
Hernstone Lane Head Charity (Thomas Wright)
The Charity Commissioners have sent the following communication:
Copy
Charity Commission,
3 February 1896.
C62220
County: Derby
Place: Great Longstone with Holme
Hernstone Lane Head Charity (T. Wright)
Local Government Act 1894.
Sir,
Adverting to the previous correspondence in this matter, I am to enclose for the information of the Parish Council a copy of a letter which has been addressed from this Office to Mr Thornhill, Solicitor, on the subject.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
J. Holford
H.A. Spanton Esq.,
Great Longstone, Bakewell.
Copy of letter to Mr Thornhill, Solicitor.
Charity Commission,
3 February 1896.
C62220
Sir,
Your letter of the 26th November last and its enclosure has been under the consideration of the Commissioners. I am now directed to inform you that it is stated in the printed Parliamentary Reports of the former Commissioners for inquiring concerning Charities that Thomas Wright, the founder of this charity, “left the interest of £22. 10. 0 to be given as a dole to the Poor of Great Longstone and Holme on the Purification of the Blessed Virgin,” and that his practice had always been for the Churchwardens, Overseers and principal inhabitants to distribute it on Candlemas Day among the poor. In these circumstances, the expenditure by Mr Thornhill of part of the capital endowment in making a footway to the Station cannot be regarded as a proper application of the endowment. The Commissioners are therefore of opinion that the money so expended must be refunded by Mr Thornhill.
I am accordingly to request that the sum of £29. 14. 2, which represents the capital of the charity with accumulations when Mr Thornhill commenced the expenditure on the footway, may be remitted to the account of the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds at the Bank of England as soon as possible. The enclosed Bankers slip will facilitate the remittance.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
J. Holford
T.J. Goodwin Esq.,
Solicitor, Bakewell.
It was decided to take no further action during the next three months, and if nothing more was heard from the Commissioners in the meanwhile, then such steps were to be taken for applying the receipts of the charity in the parish.
It was resolved that the Annual Assembly of the Parish Meeting should be held at 7 o’clock on Tuesday, the 24th March, and the next meeting of the Parish Council on Thursday, the 26th March.
It was resolved that a letter be addressed to Mr Loft, proprietor of The Miners’ Arms, requesting him to see to the repair of the kerb-stone trough in front of the kitchen door, the same being in a dilapidated condition.
Arthur Bates
Chairman
March 26th, 1896
In the Wider World – Expanding Local Government Powers
The correspondence with the Charity Commission and debate over Gilder Quarry show how newly created parish councils were testing the limits of their authority. Across England, 1896 saw many such councils asserting their right to manage land, footpaths, and charitable property — areas once handled informally by churchwardens or local landowners. These early negotiations laid the groundwork for the parish system of local self-government that continues today.
