| Description | James George Greenwood, a member of the Bethnal Green Pavement Commission (and described in BG/323, folio 40, as of Kings Street in 1823) died in January 1837. His will, besides making other charitable bequests, provided for coals to be given each Christmas to "poor persons of good character residing in that part of ... Bethnal Green which is westward of the turnpike road leading from Mile End Turnpike to Hackney".
This volume of the minutes of the annual meetings of the Trustees between May 1838 and December 1885 also records the names, ages and addresses of those to whom the coal was distributed, together with details of the tenders received for the supply of coal.
Pasted inside front cover is the label of Fremont, stationer, book binder & paper-hanger, of 30 Browns Lane, Spitalfields. |
| AdminHistory | The charity was part of a network of distributive charities operating in East London throughout the 19th and much of the 20th century. James Greenwood's original remit was as a member of the Bethnal Green Pavement Commission, part of a system of local government established by parliamentary legislation in 1770.
The responsibilities of pavement commissioners covered paving; the repair and cleaning of streets; the prevention of nuisances and the lighting and watching of the town. In 1844, their role was made stronger, as they were replaced by Improvement Commissioners.
Greenwood's will from 1837 contains several charitable bequests. Principally it facilitated apprenticeships for pupils at the Parochial Charity School, and for the interest on £1,300 stock to provide coal each Christmas to 'poor persons of good character ' living in the western half of Bethnal Green. The coal portion was jointly administered with Mary Baker's charity from 1978. The apprenticing part was subsumed by other educational charities in 1933.
Mary Baker's Charity continues to make grants to individuals and groups, in order alleviate poverty and hardship, especially among people living within the parish of Christ Church, Spitalfields area.*
Sources of information:
'Bethnal Green: Charities For The Poor ', in british-history.ac.uk.
I/MIS//5 John George Greenwood's Coal Charity : Minute Book (1838-1885) at the Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archive.
P72/MTW/208-211 John George Greenwood's Coal Charity : Extracts from Greenwood's will; Notices to Recipients and Responses; Bank Statements; Trustees' Minute Book; Cash Book and Notebook listing Trustees (1887-1977) at the London Metropolitan Archive.
*marybaker.org.uk |