A 300-year legacy: The gift of Arthur Winsley
This summer, residents of Winsley’s Almshouses in Colchester will be invited to gather for afternoon tea. There will be conversation, laughter, and perhaps a quiet toast. The man they will be celebrating will not be present, but his generosity shapes their lives every day, three centuries after his death.
Arthur Winsley was one of Colchester’s most prominent citizens, a successful wool and cloth dealer, Alderman, Justice of the Peace and Mayor. He was a man deeply committed to his town and its people.
In his will of 1726, he made an extraordinary decision. He left £500 and much of his property, including Brickhouse Farm in St Botolph’s Parish, to establish a charity. His aim was clear and compassionate: to provide a home for “Twelve Ancient Men, that had lived well and fallen into decay.”
By 1734–35, his vision had taken physical form. Brickhouse Farm was transformed into 12 almshouses and a chapel, built at a cost of £560. The first residents received not only shelter, but dignity, a weekly stipend of 2s. 6d. each and 36 bags of coal each year. The stipend was discontinued in 1956.
Winsley also insisted that a “Good Preacher” deliver a service annually in the chapel, a tradition that continues every January, linking present-day residents with their founder’s original intentions.
Over time, other benefactors added their support, strengthening and expanding Winsley’s original foundation.
Over the years, some of the original farmland was sold off. In 1811, the charity bought Barn Hall farm, adjacent to Brickhouse Farm. Parts of it were sold in 1899 and 1931, and the remainder in 1945. The land of Brickhouse Farm was sold for building between 1893 and 1914; the southern part of the farmhouse, which had been separated from the almshouses and used to house the tenant farmers, was demolished in 1966.
From twelve men to a thriving community
Today, Winsley’s charity, formally known as The Almshouse Charity of Arthur Winsley and Others, provides more than 80 homes for over 90 residents. The accommodation includes houses, bungalows, and flats, offering security and independence for older people with strong ties to Colchester.
Much has changed over 300 years. In the early days, residents’ wives were required to leave upon their husband’s death, a stark reminder of the social realities of the 18th century.
Modern residents do not pay rent but make a contribution, including towards maintenance and heating. Applicants must be over 60 and have a significant connection to the city, with many now applying through Colchester City Council’s Homechoice service.
The current Trustees of Arthur Winsley’s charity are proud of his legacy and committed to providing modern facilities for its residents. In 2019, some of the oldest listed properties, off Old Heath Road, were refurbished and adapted for modern living. A multi-million pound building project, which will start in the charity’s 300th year, will see bungalows in the Rose Garden area of the site, off Gilberd Road, adapted and extended and additional homes being built.
The organisation is a registered charity, a member of the Almshouse Association, and part of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, reflecting its commitment to high standards of care and governance. It has recently become a Charity Incorporated Organisation.
The Charity is administered by seven Trustees, and managed by their Clerk, Sareena Cobden, who is also the General Manager. The current Trustees are David Hart, Amanda Westbrook, Simon Pinion, Tim Field, Andrew Waters and Irene Kettle.
The Trustees used to collect rent from the tenant farmers at their annual dinner, to which the Mayor, Chief Executive of Colchester City Council and “Good Preacher” are invited today.
The monument and the greater memorial
Arthur Winsley left £250 for a monument so that he wouldn’t be forgotten. Despite being a Nonconformist, he asked to be buried at St James The Great and St Paul’s Church, East Hill, Colchester. Arthur Winsley said the memorial was to be erected “with my statue cut out in marble lying with the left hand under the head and a book in the right hand and in a night gown with inscriptions as my most judicious friends shall think proper”. David Beattie’s fascinating booklet on the monument identifies Richard van Spangen (c.1689-1757) as the sculptor. The bill came to £203 3s., which included a smaller version of the work which is in the Winsley’s chapel. The booklet, The Memorial to Alderman Arthur Winsley at the Church of St James the Great, Colchester is available from David Beattie, david.beattie@btinternet.com, for a suggested donation to St James The Great and St Paul’s Church.
The stone monument to Arthur Winsley is impressive, but surely his best memorial is the one he bequeathed to thousands of people – a home for their later years. It was an astonishing gift and an awe-inspiring legacy.