Wright's Almshouses, Nantwich
Encyclopedia
Wright's Almshouses is a terrace of six former almshouse
s now located on Beam Street in Nantwich
, Cheshire
, England. The building was originally erected at the junction of Hospital Street and London Road in 1638 by Edmund Wright
(later Sir Edmund Wright), Lord Mayor of London
in 1640–41, and is listed at grade II*. The low red-brick terrace has stone dressings and a central stone panel with arms. The adjacent stone archway of 1667, which Nikolaus Pevsner
describes as the "best" feature of the almshouses, is also listed separately at grade II*, together with its associated wall.
By the 1960s, the Wright's Almshouses were in a poor condition, and the building was threatened with demolition. The almshouses were saved by a plan which involved moving the building, together with its wall and gateway, from London Road to stand adjacent to the Crewe Almshouses
at the end of Beam Street, and constructing modern facilities shared by both former almshouses. The new complex was completed in 1975, and Wright's Almshouses remain in use as sheltered housing for the elderly.
, later Sir Edmund Wright, and were the town's second almshouse
s (after those on Welsh Row
founded in 1613 by Sir Roger Wilbraham
). Born in Nantwich, Wright became a successful London merchant, serving as an alderman
and then as Lord Mayor of London
in 1640–41. The deed of 20 August 1638 establishing the almshouses stated that they were founded "out of his pious intention and charitable disposition towards the poor inhabitants of Wich Malbank". They were originally located at the far end of Hospital Street and the start of London Road on land that had once been associated with the Hospice of St Nicholas. Wright also donated the land behind the building, and £32 annually in rent from the Ryefields farm in Hillingdon
, Middlesex
.
The almshouses were "for the use and benefit of six poor men". Recipients were required to be single men of at least 50 years, unable to make a living by labour, who had been born in Nantwich and had also been resident in the town for at least the previous three years; they were further required to be members of the Church of England
and "of good honest behaviour and conversation". Men with the surname of Wright were preferred for the positions. In addition to accommodation, each man was given a quarterly pension of 20 shilling
s, and also received a shirt and a pair of shoes and stockings every Christmas, and a gown (and later also a hat) every two years (every three years from 1771). Numerous rules governed the behaviour of the charity recipients, and fines, suspension or even expulsion for infractions are all recorded. Twice-daily prayers and (for the able bodied), regular attendance at church services were required, while the rules prohibited marriage, "swearing, Drunkenness, and all such scandalous Vices" and keeping "any Woman as an Harlot". An annual inspection took place on 24 November, the anniversary of Wright's baptism, followed by a feast. By 1883, 197 men had been almsmen, of whom fifteen were named Wright. Several instances of married almsmen are recorded, but this was prohibited in 1717–18.
The almshouses were administered by a group of thirteen trustees appointed by Wright; the original trustees included several members of the Wright family, representatives of other prominent Nantwich families including the Maistersons, Wilbrahams and Churches, and the minister of St Mary's Church
. Whenever eight of the thirteen trustees had died, the surviving trustees were to elect another eight men to replace them. As with the almsmen, men related to Wright or bearing that surname were to be preferred. Later trustees included local architect, Thomas Bower
. In 1666–68, a stone gateway and an inscribed tablet with a coat of arms were added by the trustees at a total cost of just over £4, paid for by keeping some of the houses vacant.
In 1800, a female caretaker was appointed who lived in one of the houses and looked after the almsmen. As the charity's endowment was fixed at £32, the pension did not increase from the original 20 shillings quarterly, except in being supplemented with a weekly sixpenny loaf from 1795. By the early 19th century, it proved entirely inadequate; some pensioners left the almshouses for the workhouse
, while others "died in great poverty and neglect". A gift from William Sprout in 1829 increased the pension to £10 annually, improving the standard of living from the original foundation.
Maintenance suffered during the Second World War
and, by the early 1960s, the Wright's Almshouses had become dilapidated. The site was then surrounded by the premises of a garage. In 1969, the charity trustees proposed to demolish the building and sell the land. In 1970, a novel plan was proposed which involved moving the Wright's Almshouses to stand at the end of Beam Street adjacent to the Crewe Almshouses
, which were then also in a very poor condition, and constructing communal facilities in a modern shared block. This was eventually agreed and, in 1973, the Wright's Almshouses charity merged with the charities administering the Crewe Almshouses and the Delves and Meakin Almshouses on Love Lane, as well as the Harriet Hope Charity, to form the "Almshouse Charities of Sir Edmund Wright, Crewe and Others". An area of 1032 square yards of derelict gardens to the rear of the Crewe Almshouses was purchased, and in 1973–75, the Wright's Almshouses building was dismantled and reconstructed on this plot, using new and recovered building materials. The cost of moving the building and its gateway was estimated at £16,700. A further estimated £6,300 was spent on building single-storey extensions at the rear of the terrace. The complex was formally opened on 1 December 1975 by Princess Alexandra
. The town's conservation area
was extended to include the entire site.
, as do the surrounds to the doors and windows. There is also a prominent stone coping
to the gable
ends, which is finished with a ball decoration. All the windows have stone mullion
s. There is a stone string course between ground and first floors. The roof has three large brick chimney stacks.
The terrace bears a central stone panel with the arms of the Bulkeley family, including three bulls' heads; local historian James Hall notes that the Wright family did not have the right to bear these arms. The inscription, now partly illegible, is recorded by Hall as "Sr. Edmund Wright Kt. borne in this towne sole founder of this almeshouse a'no dom. 1638."
The use of brick other than for chimneys was very unusual in Nantwich at this date. Other brick buildings include Townsend House, the Wilbraham mansion on Welsh Row completed in around 1580, and the Wright's house
on Mill Street, dating from the early 17th century (both of which have now been demolished). Local historian Jeremy Lake considers that the use of brick was an expression of wealth of the patron.
columns resting on pedestal
s, and has prominent side scrolls, one of which has been restored. The entablature
above the arch is topped with coping in Jacobean
style. English Heritage
describes the structure as "a fine gateway", while Pevsner
calls it the "best" feature of the almshouses. It was originally painted and gilded. The archway is surrounded by a low red-brick wall with a stone coping. A modern commemorative tablet in the wall to the left of the archway records the amalgamation of the almshouse charities; it was dedicated on 24 November 1973.
and Harriet Hope Almshouses.
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s now located on Beam Street in Nantwich
Nantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England. The building was originally erected at the junction of Hospital Street and London Road in 1638 by Edmund Wright
Edmund Wright
Edmund Wright can refer to:*Edmund William Wright , architect and Mayor of Adelaide*Sir Edmund Wright , Lord Mayor of London...
(later Sir Edmund Wright), Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in 1640–41, and is listed at grade II*. The low red-brick terrace has stone dressings and a central stone panel with arms. The adjacent stone archway of 1667, which Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
describes as the "best" feature of the almshouses, is also listed separately at grade II*, together with its associated wall.
By the 1960s, the Wright's Almshouses were in a poor condition, and the building was threatened with demolition. The almshouses were saved by a plan which involved moving the building, together with its wall and gateway, from London Road to stand adjacent to the Crewe Almshouses
Crewe Almshouses, Nantwich
Crewe Almshouses or Crewe's Almshouses is a terrace of seven former almshouses at the end of Beam Street in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The present building was erected in 1767 by John Crewe, later first Baron Crewe, and is listed at grade II. It has a central projecting section topped by a...
at the end of Beam Street, and constructing modern facilities shared by both former almshouses. The new complex was completed in 1975, and Wright's Almshouses remain in use as sheltered housing for the elderly.
History
The Wright's Almshouses were built in 1638 by Edmund WrightEdmund Wright
Edmund Wright can refer to:*Edmund William Wright , architect and Mayor of Adelaide*Sir Edmund Wright , Lord Mayor of London...
, later Sir Edmund Wright, and were the town's second almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s (after those on Welsh Row
Wilbraham's Almshouses, Nantwich
The Wilbraham's Almshouses, also known as the Wilbraham Almshouses, are six former almshouses in Nantwich, Cheshire, England, located on the north side of Welsh Row at numbers 112–116 . Founded by Sir Roger Wilbraham in 1613, they were the town's earliest almshouses. They remained in use as...
founded in 1613 by Sir Roger Wilbraham
Roger Wilbraham
Sir Roger Wilbraham was a prominent English lawyer who served as Solicitor-General for Ireland under Elizabeth I and held positions at court under James I, including Master of Requests and surveyor of the Court of Wards and Liveries...
). Born in Nantwich, Wright became a successful London merchant, serving as an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
and then as Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in 1640–41. The deed of 20 August 1638 establishing the almshouses stated that they were founded "out of his pious intention and charitable disposition towards the poor inhabitants of Wich Malbank". They were originally located at the far end of Hospital Street and the start of London Road on land that had once been associated with the Hospice of St Nicholas. Wright also donated the land behind the building, and £32 annually in rent from the Ryefields farm in Hillingdon
Hillingdon
Hillingdon is a suburban area within the London Borough of Hillingdon, situated 14.2 miles west of Charing Cross.Much of Hillingdon is represented as the Hillingdon East ward within the local authority, Hillingdon Council...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
.
The almshouses were "for the use and benefit of six poor men". Recipients were required to be single men of at least 50 years, unable to make a living by labour, who had been born in Nantwich and had also been resident in the town for at least the previous three years; they were further required to be members of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and "of good honest behaviour and conversation". Men with the surname of Wright were preferred for the positions. In addition to accommodation, each man was given a quarterly pension of 20 shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s, and also received a shirt and a pair of shoes and stockings every Christmas, and a gown (and later also a hat) every two years (every three years from 1771). Numerous rules governed the behaviour of the charity recipients, and fines, suspension or even expulsion for infractions are all recorded. Twice-daily prayers and (for the able bodied), regular attendance at church services were required, while the rules prohibited marriage, "swearing, Drunkenness, and all such scandalous Vices" and keeping "any Woman as an Harlot". An annual inspection took place on 24 November, the anniversary of Wright's baptism, followed by a feast. By 1883, 197 men had been almsmen, of whom fifteen were named Wright. Several instances of married almsmen are recorded, but this was prohibited in 1717–18.
The almshouses were administered by a group of thirteen trustees appointed by Wright; the original trustees included several members of the Wright family, representatives of other prominent Nantwich families including the Maistersons, Wilbrahams and Churches, and the minister of St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church, Nantwich
St Mary's Church, Nantwich, is in the centre of the market town of Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The church has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It has been called the "Cathedral of South Cheshire" and it is considered by some to be one of the finest medieval...
. Whenever eight of the thirteen trustees had died, the surviving trustees were to elect another eight men to replace them. As with the almsmen, men related to Wright or bearing that surname were to be preferred. Later trustees included local architect, Thomas Bower
Thomas Bower
Thomas Bower was an English architect and surveyor based in Nantwich, Cheshire. He worked in partnership with Ernest H. Edleston at the Nantwich firm, Bower & Edleston, which he founded in 1854. He is particularly associated with the Gothic Revival style of architecture.In 1883, Bower was living...
. In 1666–68, a stone gateway and an inscribed tablet with a coat of arms were added by the trustees at a total cost of just over £4, paid for by keeping some of the houses vacant.
In 1800, a female caretaker was appointed who lived in one of the houses and looked after the almsmen. As the charity's endowment was fixed at £32, the pension did not increase from the original 20 shillings quarterly, except in being supplemented with a weekly sixpenny loaf from 1795. By the early 19th century, it proved entirely inadequate; some pensioners left the almshouses for the workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
, while others "died in great poverty and neglect". A gift from William Sprout in 1829 increased the pension to £10 annually, improving the standard of living from the original foundation.
Maintenance suffered during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and, by the early 1960s, the Wright's Almshouses had become dilapidated. The site was then surrounded by the premises of a garage. In 1969, the charity trustees proposed to demolish the building and sell the land. In 1970, a novel plan was proposed which involved moving the Wright's Almshouses to stand at the end of Beam Street adjacent to the Crewe Almshouses
Crewe Almshouses, Nantwich
Crewe Almshouses or Crewe's Almshouses is a terrace of seven former almshouses at the end of Beam Street in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The present building was erected in 1767 by John Crewe, later first Baron Crewe, and is listed at grade II. It has a central projecting section topped by a...
, which were then also in a very poor condition, and constructing communal facilities in a modern shared block. This was eventually agreed and, in 1973, the Wright's Almshouses charity merged with the charities administering the Crewe Almshouses and the Delves and Meakin Almshouses on Love Lane, as well as the Harriet Hope Charity, to form the "Almshouse Charities of Sir Edmund Wright, Crewe and Others". An area of 1032 square yards of derelict gardens to the rear of the Crewe Almshouses was purchased, and in 1973–75, the Wright's Almshouses building was dismantled and reconstructed on this plot, using new and recovered building materials. The cost of moving the building and its gateway was estimated at £16,700. A further estimated £6,300 was spent on building single-storey extensions at the rear of the terrace. The complex was formally opened on 1 December 1975 by Princess Alexandra
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy...
. The town's conservation area
Conservation Area (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, the term Conservation Area nearly always applies to an area considered worthy of preservation or enhancement because of its special architectural or historic interest, "the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance," as required by the Planning ...
was extended to include the entire site.
Description
Wright's Almshouses is a terrace of six cottages with two low storeys, in red brick with sandstone dressings under a tiled roof. The ends of the terrace have stone long and short quoinsQuoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
, as do the surrounds to the doors and windows. There is also a prominent stone coping
Coping (architecture)
Coping , consists of the capping or covering of a wall.A splayed or wedge coping slopes in a single direction; a saddle coping slopes to either side of a central high point....
to the gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
ends, which is finished with a ball decoration. All the windows have stone mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
s. There is a stone string course between ground and first floors. The roof has three large brick chimney stacks.
The terrace bears a central stone panel with the arms of the Bulkeley family, including three bulls' heads; local historian James Hall notes that the Wright family did not have the right to bear these arms. The inscription, now partly illegible, is recorded by Hall as "Sr. Edmund Wright Kt. borne in this towne sole founder of this almeshouse a'no dom. 1638."
The use of brick other than for chimneys was very unusual in Nantwich at this date. Other brick buildings include Townsend House, the Wilbraham mansion on Welsh Row completed in around 1580, and the Wright's house
9 Mill Street, Nantwich
9 Mill Street is a Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The present building dates from around 1736 and is a grade II* listed building. Nikolaus Pevsner calls it a "fine, spacious" house, and the English Heritage listing describes it as a "substantial and well-detailed early, C18 Town...
on Mill Street, dating from the early 17th century (both of which have now been demolished). Local historian Jeremy Lake considers that the use of brick was an expression of wealth of the patron.
Gateway
The arched stone gateway is flanked by TuscanTuscan order
Among canon of classical orders of classical architecture, the Tuscan order's place is due to the influence of the Italian Sebastiano Serlio, who meticulously described the five orders including a "Tuscan order", "the solidest and least ornate", in his fourth book of Regole generalii di...
columns resting on pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
s, and has prominent side scrolls, one of which has been restored. The entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
above the arch is topped with coping in Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
style. English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
describes the structure as "a fine gateway", while Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
calls it the "best" feature of the almshouses. It was originally painted and gilded. The archway is surrounded by a low red-brick wall with a stone coping. A modern commemorative tablet in the wall to the left of the archway records the amalgamation of the almshouse charities; it was dedicated on 24 November 1973.
Modern usage
The Wright's Almshouses remain in use as sheltered housing for the elderly. They are now administered by a joint body of trustees for all the surviving Nantwich almshouses, together with the adjacent CreweCrewe Almshouses, Nantwich
Crewe Almshouses or Crewe's Almshouses is a terrace of seven former almshouses at the end of Beam Street in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The present building was erected in 1767 by John Crewe, later first Baron Crewe, and is listed at grade II. It has a central projecting section topped by a...
and Harriet Hope Almshouses.