COWLING CHARITIES (With Grateful thanks to Mrs. J. Tinsdale)
In addition to exercising the usual powers and accepting the responsibilities of a Parish Council, Cowling is responsible for administering legacies which have been left to be used for a specific purpose. The late Ben Snowden (1845-1920) left a sum of money to the Council to be invested, and the interest used to provide a monetary gift to the elderly people of the village at Christmas, and also gifts to the school children, this charity to be known as the “Ben Snowden’s Christmas Gift Fund”.
The late J. W. Dawson similarly left a legacy to the Parish Council, stating in his will that this money also be invested and the interest distributed to parishioners over seventy years of age to be known as the “J. W. Dawson Bequest”.
It has been the policy of the Parish Council in recent years to combine the interest from the two investments. A proportion of the money has also been given towards the cost of the Primary School Christmas Parties.
The Parish Council is also represented on three other charitable bodies namely, The Rycroft Charity, the Hugh Smith Charity, and the “Annie Driver Award”. The former provides for a small amount of money by today’s standards (1980) to be given to the poorest and most needy families in the village, the second is in the form of a grant to students towards their expenses for further education classes, and the third is financial help given to promising students who formerly attended Cowling Primary School. Unfortunately inflation has sadly eroded the value of these bequests at the present time, which when bequeathed were very acceptable, bearing in mind that the country had no welfare state as we know it today (1980).
Information taken from “Cowling a Moorland Parish” 1980. pages 63/4
Rycroft Charity ceased c. 1978 (see the payment book)(v.ancient charity)
Hugh Smith Charity which began in 1655 was wound up by The Charity Commissioners c.2005.
J.M.Tindale Dec.2008
Council Notes:
The Ben Snowden charity Christmas Gift Fund was distributed on Wednesday 10th December, and now has no funds left in it.
The parish council would like to know if the villagers would like to see something similar carried on.
PLEASE give us your thoughts on this by clicking HERE.
TAKEN FROM THE KEIGHLEY NEWS of Sat. 30th April, 1938
SNOWDEN MEMORIAL:
Mr. Francis Redman (Treasurer) announced on Wednesday evening at a meeting of the LORD SNOWDEN MEMORIAL FUND COMMITTEE held at Cowling, that the total subscriptions amounted to £324 4s. 0d.
The fund is to be left open for a contemplated further memorial to be erected in the village, the form of which has not yet been decided………
Please see later news c. 1944/5 when it was decided to purchase a field at Middleton to be used as a Recreation Ground.
Cowling Parish Council own the Snowden Cairn and land on Pad Cote Lane, and the road leading up to it – vested in Parish Council – this also to be found in 1938 Jan – June news. Sign “To Cairn” needs re-erecting.