Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    X699
  • Title
    Jane Cart's Trust, Dunstable
  • Date free text
    1736 onwards
  • Production date
    From: 1736 To: 1985
  • Admin/biog history
    Jane Cart died in 1736 at the age of 83 years. Born in Dunstable, she retired there after the death of her husband in 1706. Not only did she out live him, but also her nine children, and all her brothers and sisters. The family distilling business in the City of London had been very successful, so she was left a very wealthy widow. Being a vigorous supporter of the Church, she contributed generously to charitable causes in the area, building alms houses, co-founding a boys’ school, donating communion plate for local churches etc. Shortly before her death she took steps to perpetuate these good works by setting up a Trust with five Trustees and a Clerk, to which she transferred all her properties, and which was charged with the task of administering the properties and distributing the annual revenue to specific beneficiaries. After her death her Will transferred her other investments to the Trust along with further specific instructions. Any annual surplus after these instructions had been satisfied, the Trustees were to distribute to deserving persons within categories stipulated by her. These are clearly expressed in the dedication inscribed on her Memorial in the north aisle of the Priory Church in Dunstable, of which the following is an extract: “Besides several other useful and lasting benefactions, the Surplus of a large Estate by her bequeathed for the annual Relief of poor Clergymen their Widows and Daughters, will be (it is hop’d) an abiding Memorial of her pure Religion, and hearty Affection to the Church of England to the latest Posterity.” Since that time Mrs Jane Cart’s Trust, and its successive Trustees, have continued to manage the Trust’s assets and for many years they have distributed available surpluses by making cash donations to deserving clergy and their dependents. Objects The object of the Charity is to provide support to Church of England clergy, clergy widows/ers and the maiden daughters of clergy (the latter when aged over 45) and where that member of the clergy currently or in the past lives/lived or works /worked in theDiocese of St. Albans. The administration of the trust was taken over by the Bedfordshire & Luton Community Foundation in 2011.
  • Scope and Content
    The collection falls into two parts - that deposited in 1985 dates from the 18th century to c1823, that deposited in 2017 dates from 1880 to present. It is not known where the records relating to the years 1823-1880 are.
  • Archival history
    First deposit from the secretary of the charity in 1985 after the documents had been returned from Courts bank. Second deposit made 2017 by Bedfordshire & Luton Community Foundation.
  • System of arrangement
    The 1985 deposit was catalogued in a way that made it difficult to add the later material. Except for the minutes the later deposit has been added onto the end of the earlier catalogue.
  • Level of description
    fonds
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