200-year-old Yorkshire almshouse charity changes name and abolishes waiting list for homes as part of modernisation drive

Beverley Consolidated Charities was formed out of an amalgamation of historic almshouses, hospitals and gentlewomen’s homes that were previously run by separate trusts in the early 20th century.

The organisation, which owns over 100 properties around Beverley, some over 150 years old, will now be known as Beverley Housing Charity following fears that eligible residents were not aware of its role and work.

‘Alms’ in the form of housing relief were traditionally given to elderly people in need, many of them widows. The current criteria for a tenancy is that an applicant must be over 60, have lived in Beverley for at least 10 years and not own a property.

Chief executive Andy Barber said: “Taking the decision to rename such a well-established charity is never to be taken lightly. However, over the years, the communication of our offer to local people had become unclear, meaning some people with a genuine housing need were potentially missing out on high-quality accommodation, which is needed in Beverley now, more than ever before.

“For some people, circumstances can change unexpectedly. During difficult and challenging times we can offer a home and a community to be part of. BHC is here for those who have reached retirement age, have lived in Beverley for 10 years or more and are in financial need.

“Working with our existing residents, trustees, team, and partners we have created a new 10-year plan, enhancing our offer to those already benefitting from the charity, as well as reaching out to those in need, aiding independence in later life, helping people to live not just exist.”

Since the traditional waiting list system was abandoned, cases are assessed individually and tenancies are sometimes granted within weeks. Fees are kept significantly below the market rate.

Chair Richard Miles added: “The new name and identity gives us a platform to communicate our core messages further. Many in the past have called us Beverley’s best kept secret, but we fail people if we remain a secret.

“We no longer operate a waiting list, instead, when a person approaches us for their own housing need, or that of a loved one, we look at each case individually to assess the circumstances. In some cases, residents have been able to move within a matter of weeks.

“Many private landlords are choosing to sell their properties or raise rents due to interest rates increasing; our offer is based on quality housing and fair monthly maintenance fees, not rents, which in most cases are at least 25 per cent cheaper than current private rental rates for like-for-like properties in the area. The maintenance fee helps us to keep the property at a high standard and residents happy and independent for longer."

The almshouses are a range of one- and two-bedroom properties and there are currently 220 residents. There are bungalows, houses and apartments, some in modern developments. The charity arranges activities such as day trips and Christmas lunches. Historic properties tend to be in the town centre, with new housing aimed at recently-retired tenants on the outskirts.

A history of almshouses in Beverley

Over time, a number of different charities and trusts which owned housing for those in need joined the consolidated group.

These include Anne Routh’s on Keldgate; the Bede Houses on Lairgate; Charles Wharton’s; Minster Moorgate; Elizabeth Westowby’s on Keldgate; Ellen Kennington’s on Toll Gavel; the Maisons de Dieu; and William Parker’s at Woodlands.

The original Maisons de Dieu on Morton Lane date back to 1467 and were funded by the Church. The almshouses were rebuilt in 1823, but sold in 1937 and later demolished.

However, 14 new properties were built in 1934 on land purchased by the Beverley Consolidated Charities from the trustees of the Boyd Home for Gentlewomen.

In 1912, 44 charities previously administered by separate trustees were amalgamated into the BCC. By 1986, there were 80 residents in the original almshouses, which included the Maison de Dieu, Bede Houses, and foundations left by the benefactors Keningham, Parker, Routh, Walker, Westowby, and Wharton.

The Boyd Home for Gentlewomen, also called Walkergate House, was set up in 1924 with funds from Alexander Boyd’s will. It housed six wives, widows or daughters of military officers, civil servants, doctors, lawyers or country gentlemen. The house was requisitioned during World War Two and the four women still living had to move out. After the building and grounds were sold in 1953, the income was used to build the four Boyd Homes flats.

The Bede Houses were first recorded as a hospital for poor women for 1625, and the four cottages were rebuilt in 1862.

Minster Moorgate was a hospital for poor widows established in cottages conveyed by Thwaites Fox in 1636. The bequest also paid for clothing, coal and food allowances for the women. It was sold in 1872 and demolished, though named widows still received payments from the trust until 1922.

Ellen Kenningham donated two houses and three cottages on Toll Gavel for alms uses in 1862, and they were sold in 1925 and converted into two properties.

William Parker’s four-room almshouse in Woodlands was endowed by land donations in 1868, and the land was sold in 1918.

Anne Routh, a generous benefactor to various local causes, donated money for a hospital for six poor widows in her will in 1722. The hospital in Keldgate was built in 1749 and eventually extended to accommodate 20 widows. A new building was added in 1810. The estates were sold in 1918 but the hospital survived.

Elizabeth Westowby’s donation in 1863 of a newly built almshouse on Keldgate for three people remains, with some land sold in 1921.

More mordern developments, such as the 12 almshouses for couples built on New Walkergate in 1984, were also funded by wills and bequests.

The hospital established by the Wharton family in the 1700s was sold and demolished in the 1950s.