Ashton Stock Charities

Ashton Stock Charities were established in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries for the relief of the poor in Ashton-in-Makerfield by providing for an annual supply of clothing to the needy. The charities were the Ashton Linen Stock, the Ashton Coat Stock and the Ashton Breeches Stock, and their accounts were recorded in four tablets of stone which were removed from St Thomas's Church when it was rebuilt in 1892-3, and are now located in the stairway entrance to Ashton Town Hall.

The tablets read as follows:

	No. 1 Ashton Linen Stock	L	s	d
1583	Robert Byrchall, of Ashton-in-Makerfield, to relieve with the Interest thereof the most needy in Ashton, and other Places adjoining, with Shirts and Smocks gave	16
1588	Robert Byrchall, of Ashton	4
	Humfrey Layland, of Ashton, for the poor of Ashton	7
	Thurstan Birchall, of Burtonwood	6
	Geoffrey Birchall, of Croft	20
1609	John Lowe, of Cuerdley	10
	Roger Houghton, of London, Esqr	7
1613	Ralph Lowe, of Ashton	1
1616	Thomas Darbisheire	10
1620	Lawrence Sixesmithe, of Cuerdley	3	6	8
	James Byrom, of Ashton	5
	Gilbert Hill, of Ashton	5
	William Knowll	5
	Richard Blackbourne, of Newton	24
	Accumulated Interest of this Stock	24
		141	6	8
1625	An Estate on Edge Green, consisting of five Closes, called the two Makerfields, two Lower Overfields, and the Overfield, was purchased, by the Trustees, with	131
		10	6	8
1630	Elizabeth Darbyshire	5
	Humfrey Birchall	1
	William Birchall	1
	John Birchall	1
	John Ashton	1
	John Ashton Senr.	2
		21	6	8

	No. 2 Ashton Linen Stock	L	s	d
	Stock brought forward from No. 1	21	6	8
1636	Thomas Darbishyre	1
	The Revd. Charles Herle. Rector of Winwick	20
1647	Thomas Hey, of Ashton	10
	Thomas Hasleden	6	13	4
	Ralph Lowe, of Ashton	2
1718	The Edge Green Estate was let to George Sotherne, for 30 years, on condition that he should build a House and Outhouses, on this Estate, at his own Expense
1730	Alice Heys, of Ashton	27
	Peter Wrenall, of Ashton	5
1741	Matthew Hatton, of Ashton	20
	Robert Wareing, of Ashton	10
1760	Gabriel Lund, of Ashton	5
1788	James Smith, of Ashton	10
1789	Stock augmented by the Sale of Timber on the Edge Green Estate	33
1796	Anne Gaskell, of Haydock	5
		176
1814	Buildings on Edge Green Estate repaired	55
		121
1822	A Weaving Shop was built, on the Edge Green Estate, by the Trustees	20
		101
	These Four Tablets removed from St Thomas Church when rebuilt 1892-3 were placed here as a record of Ancient Township History

	Ashton Coat Stock	L	s	d
1694	Thomas Harrison, of Ashton, to provide for the poor of Ashton with the Interest thereof, grey woollen Cloth Coats, edged down the Seams with red, and having a red Crosf on the right Shoulder, gave	50
1714	George Richardson, of Ashton	10
1720	Elizabeth Taylor	2
1720	William Newton, of Ashton	5	10
		67	10
1720	Half of the Stubshaws, consisting of two fields, called the Stubshaws, was purchased by the Trustees, with	57	10
		10
1720	Mary Harrison	3
1721	Thomas Potter	5
1728	William Newton, of Ashton	40
1728	Elizabeth Arkwright, of Ashton	3
1732	Catherine Wallis, of Ashton, gave a Rent Charge of L 1 10 a Year upon her Estate in Ashton, to be Laid out in drab woollen Cloth, for the impotent poor of Ashton
1734	Henry Darbyshire	5
		66
1746	Reduction of Stock by Money lost	9
		57
1774	Peter Smith, of Ashton	20
		77
1800	Stock augmented by Sale of Timber	14	14
		91	14
1807	Half of the House, and Outhouses, built on the Stubshaws	141	5
1807	This Stock in Debt	49	11
1820	Half of the Bakehouse built on the Stubshaws	5
		54	11
1822	The Debt of this Stock was liquidated, by yearly payments, out of the Rent of the Stubshaws from 1807 to this time	54	11

	Ashton Breeches Stock	L	s	d
1632	John Lowe, to provide Breeches, with the Interest thereof, for the poor Inhabitants of Ashton, gave	60
	Robert Whalley	20
		80
1720	Half of the Stubshaws, consisting of two fields, called the Stubshaws, was purchased by the Trustees, with	57	10
		23	10
	Matthew Lowe	2	10
	William Fazakerley, of Ashton	4
		29
	Reduction of Stock by Money lost	5
		24
1806	Stock augmented by Sale of Timber	14	14
		38	14
1807	Half of the House, and Outhouses, built on the Stubshaws	141	5
1807	This Stock in Debt	102	11

1820	Half of the Bakehouse built on the Stubshaws	5
		107	11
1822	The Debt of this Stock was liquidated, by yearly payments, out of the Rent of the Stubshaws from 1807 to this time	107	11

The Stock Charities still exist in the form of the Ashton Linen and Woollen Stock Charity, which is administered by local Trustees providing an annual grant to organisations within Ashton which are of charitable benefit to the local community.

David McKendrick

Ashton Community Forum