Scope and Content
CONVEYANCE between (i) Albert Joseph Cox, bricklayer, Sarah Elizabeth Mastin, widow, and Hilda Annie Cox, spinster, all of Wilstead ("the Vendors") and (ii) the Parish Council of Wilstead, Bedfordshire ("the Trustees") of land in Wilstead for a consideration of £60.
(i) convey to (ii)
- a parcel of land in the Parish of Wilstead having a frontage of c.70ft to the highway, a depth therefrom on the East side of c.92ft and on the West side of c.195ft;
- the right to development value in the said property;
- the right of production of copies of (1) a Conveyance dated 31st December 1914 between (i) and George Grant Stevenson (2) a Mortgage dated 11th January 1915 between (i) and William Bazley, Thomas Hodgson and William Thomas Baker and (3) a Statutory Receipt endorsed on the said Mortgage;
(ii) hereby covenant with (i) to erect a cattleproof fence on the western boundary of the property and a post and wire fence on the eastern boundary and to maintain said fences in good order;
FIRST SCHEDULE TO THE CONVEYANCE:
(1) the property is to be used for the purposes of physical and mental training, recreation and social, moral and intellectual development through the medium of reading and recreation rooms, library, lectures, classes, recreations and entertainments for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Parish of Wilstead and its immediate vicinity without distinction of sex or politics or religion;
(2) the management of the premises to be vested in a Committee of Management of not more than 13 members; with 6 members being elected at each General Meeting and the other 7 members being appointed by the organisations listed in the Second Schedule (the initial appointees are also listed in the Second Schedule);
(3) the Committee are to convene an Annual General Meeting in April of each year, with one week's notice being given to the Parish inhabitants, for the receiving of the Report and Accounts of the Committee, for accepting resignation of any members and election of 6 members as per clause (2) above;
(4) if approved at a meeting of not less than 2/3 of all the Committee members, then any new, relevant Parish organisation is to be allowed to appoint an additional Committee member;
(5) All Committee members shall retire annually at the AGM and entitled organisations shall appoint their representative member within one month of the AGM;
(6) vacancies on the Committee shall be filled by the relevant organisation or, for an elected member, by the Committee until the next AGM;
(7) if any organisation entitled to appoint a Committee member ceases to exist or fails to make an appointment before the AGM in any year, the AGM shall decide how that vacancy should be filled;
(8) the proceedings of the Committee shall not be invalidated by any vacancy among its members or by any defect in the appointment or qualifications of any member;
(9) The Committee may from time to time make and alter Rules and Regulations for the conduct of its business and in particular with reference to: (a) the terms and conditions upon which the premises may be used and the sum, if any, to be paid for such use (b) the appointment of an Auditor, Treasurer and such other unpaid officers and the fixing of their terms of office (c) the engagement and dismissal of such paid officers and servants for the premises as it may consider necessary (d) the number of members who shall form a quorum at its meeting provided that this shall never be less than 1/3 of the total number of Committee members;
(10) all payments in respect of use of the premises and all donations for the benefit thereof shall be paid into an account at the Westminster Bank Limited in Bedford or at such other bank as from time to time substituted therefor by the Committee;
(11) the monies standing to the credit of said account are to be applied in repairing and insuring the premises or the furniture and effects therein, in paying all rent, rates, taxes, salaries of paid officers and servants and other outgoings, and in providing furniture, games, books, newspapers, periodicals and other literature and means of recreation and otherwise for the upkeep and improvement of the premises;
(12) the Committee shall provide the Trustees with sufficient funds to meet all such expenditure in connection with the premises as they may be liable for and shall keep the Trustees indemnified against all liability in respect thereof;
(13) the Committee may, upon the vote of a majority of its members and with the consent of the Charity Commissioners, by mortgage or otherwise, obtains such advances on the security of the premises as may be required for maintaining, extending or improving the same, or erecting any building thereon, or for the work carried on therein, and may continue or repay any existing mortgage or charge on the said premises;
(14) if the Committee, by a majority, decides at any time that, on the grounds of expense or otherwise, it is necessary or advisable to discontinue the use of the premises in whole or in part for the purposes hereinbefore indicated, it shall call a Meeting of the Parish inhabitants of the age of 18 and upwards, with not less than 14 days notice in a conspicuous place on the premises and advertised in a newspaper circulating in the Parish and if such decision shall be confirmed by a majority of the parishioners present at such Meeting, the Committee may, with the consent of the Charity Commissioners, let or sell the premises or any part thereof. All monies arising from such action (after satisfaction of liabilities) shall be applied either in the purchase of other premises to be approved and held in similar trust as set out above or towards such other charitable purposes for the benefit of Parish inhabitants and meanwhile such monies shall be invested in the names of Official Trustees of Charitable Funds. Any income arising therefrom shall be accumulated and added to the capital of such investments or shall be used for any purpose for which the income of the premises may properly be applied;
(15) if any Rules or Regulations made under the power in that behalf hereinbefore contained are inconsistent with the provisions of these presents, the latter will prevail.
SECOND SCHEDULE TO THE CONVEYANCE [initial appointees and organsations entitled to appoint Committee members]:
William Dunham Esq., "Ashlea", Dane Lane, Wilstead, factory foreman, appointed by the Trustees fo the Wilstead Village Hall Fund;
Mrs Mabel Crawley, Chapel Lane House, Wilstead, housewife, appointed by the Committee of the Wilstead Branch of the Women's Institute;
Harold Brightman Esq., Wilstead, carpenter, appointed by the Committee of the Wilstead branch of The British Legion;
Thomas Kendall Esq., Wilstead, factory manager, appointed by the Trustees of the Wilstead Methodist Chapel;
William Henry Boston Esq., Vicarage Farm, Bedford Road, Wilstead, farmer, appointed by Wilstead Parish Council;
Harry Clarke Esq., Wilstead, builder's foreman, appointed by Wilstead United Football Club;
Eric Tuffnell Esq., Wilstead, council employee, appointed by Wilstead Village Production Association;
SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED by:
(i) Albert Joseph Cox, Sarah Elizabeth Mastin and Hilda Annie Cox and
(ii) Arthur Mastin Sharpe and Edgar Thomas Richardson as two members of Wilstead Parish Council
WITNESSES:
Leonard Arthur Mastin of Sherwood House, Wilstead, Bedford, cost accountant and
Thomas J Kendall of "Richmond", Wilstead, Bedford, company director.