Blue Plaque 1 - The Charity of Thomas Barton

Little was known of Thomas Barton or of the historical details of his Charity until 1998 when an investigation was completed for the Trustees by Mr A.F. Cook, a Nuneaton historian.  His findings were fully reported in a book published by the trustees in April 1998 entitled “NO MUD IN HIS EYE”.
The Charity of Thomas Barton, or The causeway Charity, as it was sometimes known, was founded by him on Saturday 10th JULY 1400 by Deed Poll.
In the days of 1400, Stoke Golding was a tiny village of about one hundred and twenty souls, living mainly around the church.
King Richard II, who had been on the throne since 1377, had been ousted in 1399 and was supplanted by King Henry IV, who had him incarcerated in a dungeon in Pontefract Castle, where he starved or was smothered to death in the year 1400.
Just thirty four days before Barton signed his deed the new King Henry had passed within twelve miles of Stoke Golding on his way north to fight the Scots.
Being a local man Barton chose local men by the name of Robert de Peckleton, Richard Mould and Thomas Ward to be the first trustees of his Charity and deed.
The ancestry of this charitable man can be traced back to the Bartons of Lancashire, although his lineage was a branch that moved southwards in the 12-13thC.
Mr Cook’s investigation concluded that Thomas Barton was born sometime between 1355 and 1375 in the Hinckley, Leicester and Twycross triangle, and he had a cottage dwelling in Stoke Golding sometime after 1381 Until at least 1400. He died and was buried in that same area sometime between 1401 and 1420. He was associated with the mediaeval Barton family in Leicester, and other surrounding villages.
His forebears (cousins or uncles) had tenancy connections with Bilstone watermill and yardlands in 1350 and 1352. His ancestors also included Leicester bakers (cousins or uncles) in 1348, 1354, and 1379, and his contemporaries and descendants (cousins or nephews) were bakers, tanners, priests, freemen, mayors, officers and stewards of the fair in 1492, 1495 and 1526-30. A tentative reconstruction of his pedigree suggests he was a cousin of William and Thomas de Barton (Bilstone connection) as well as a great nephew or grandson of Thomas de Barton the Leicester baker.
He was related to John Barton, who, in 1397 was recorded as being on a jury at Stoke, looking into the death of Joan Roger who went to a well near the church and fell in and was drowned.
Why did he set Up this Charity? It is interesting to read in full the translation of his Latin Deed.

“To all Christ’s faithful, to whom this present writing comes, Thomas Barton of Stoke Golding sends hearty greetings. That which is called the pavement on the way out of Stoke and the many other ways around the aforesaid Stoke, ruined on account of default of payment as a great document sent now to all of the tenants of the area, or of other passers by, those who walk over the land there or those working the aforesaid paths, know that 1, the aforesaid Thomas Barton moved by kindness and Holy Charity have given, confirmed and by this my present writing, have granted to Robert de Peckleton, Richard Mould and Thomas Ward of the aforementioned Stoke Golding two smallholdings and fields with their pertaining rights, to have and hold  the aforesaid land and dwelling with all their pertaining rights to the aforesaid Robert, Richard and Thomas to their heirs and assigns in perpetuity, from their feudal overlords, through the obligations and dues customarily owed them in law. And indeed, 1, the aforesaid Thomas Barton, and my heirs will warrant and depend in perpetuity, the aforesaid land and dwelling, all its pertaining rights, by the necessary cause aforesaid, its repair now and as is necessary in the future as was said above, for, to the aforesaid Richard, Robert and Thomas their heirs and assigns against all peoples. In testimony of this thing I append my signature. Given at Stoke aforementioned on the tenth of the month of July in the first year of the reign of King Henry I V”

So he formed the Charity as an act of Christian Faith and because he wanted to rectify the long term neglect of the area’s road ways.
Thus, local traders benefited by having improved access to the markets and fairs in Hinckley, Nuneaton and Market Bosworth and beyond. It is said that the roads were thus made up for a mile in each direction.
Nichols’ History of Leicestershire of 1811 states that a copy of the deed in Latin was “in the town chest in 1683.”
The duties of the Trustees were not without problems and the Charity’s assets were almost lost in 1640. Lord Harrington sold the Manor lands to various people and numerous illegal exchanges of land took place, leaving the Charity with poor land and loss of revenue. The residents demanded an enquiry into this misuse, and the Commission of Enquiry declared the exchange null and void, and gave title to the Charity Trustees.
In 1883 the assets of the Charity were listed as four cottages, stores and gardens, (Blacksmith’s Yard) the Blacksmith’s Shop and ‘penthouse’, the Blacksmith’s House, a butcher’s shop, house yard and gardens off Town Street, Meadow Close and Far Close (over five acres) and land at Wykin Holes used as village allotments of over sixteen acres.
In 1929, the Charity Commission made an order that the future election and conduct of the seven Trustees should be governed by the Hinckley and Bosworth Councils. This duty is now entrusted to Stoke Golding Parish Council.
In recent years various properties owned by the Charity have been sold to provide an investment portfolio.
With roads and pavement repairs being the responsibility of local and county councils, it was decided by the Trustees to ask the Charity Commissioners for a new order to be made to allow the Trustees to spend interest from their investments for the general benefit of all the people of Stoke Golding. This Order was granted on 17 July 1992 and thus, the generous endowment by Thomas Barton in 1400 celebrates its 600th anniversary on 10 July 2000 by still providing benefits for the village community.
This plaque commemorating the Millennium and the Charity’s 600th anniversary is mounted on one of the cottages mentioned in the list of 1883, in Blacksmith’s Yard. Other properties in the yard still form part of the Charity’s endowment.

Blue Plaque 2

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