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The Reverend William Sharpe. I was interested to learn that he had been a benefactor of the almshouses at Houghton-le-Spring. Mr Sharpe was never Vicar of Sherborne. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring the son of John Sharpe, and matriculated at University College, Oxford, in 1743, when he was 19. He took his BA in 1746 (MA 1749) and was ordained deacon in 1747. He served his Title at Houghton-le-Spring, and then served churches at Sedgefield, County Durham, and Bishop’s Stortford, Herts. He became Usher, or sub-Master, of Sherborne School in 1760. He was presented to the living of Long Burton by the Earl of Northumberland in 1763, but did not come into residence until 1767, having relinquished his role at the School in 1766.. Sharpe took an interest in the (unsuccessful) attempts to find coal in the parish, publishing A Treatise upon Coal in 1769. Two or three years earlier he had published The Hard Case of a Country Vicar in respect of Small Tythes. He died away from Long Burton, though still in office, in 1784, and was buried ‘in the North of England’. [Source: Canon C H Mayo, MA, FRHistS. The Registers of Long Burton 1580 – 1812 (1894)]. Long Burton (or Longburton, as it is usually rendered these days) is a village due south of Sherborne on the main road to Dorchester. Its remarkable parish church began life as an outpost of the Abbey here in Sherborne, and was served by the monastic community. It achieved independent status in 1405. By the time of my arrival in 1993 it was part of a much bigger Benefice, which has since been dismantled. It seemed good to the people of Longburton to rejoin the Sherborne Benefice, and we hoped that the formalities for this could be completed in 2005 – 600 years after its independence, and exactly 1300 years after the Abbey’s foundation by St Aldhelm as the first cathedral of the western West Saxons. However, the Order in Council was not signed until 2006. Today St James the Great, Longburton, is the vibrant centre of the village community, and has this year been redecorated, re-ordered and given a much needed new heating system!

Alms Houses The Rev George Lilburn by will dated Jan 1 7 1675 gave to three poor people widowers or widows residing in the hospital of Houghton and their successors to be chosen by his executors out of the parish of Bishopwearmouth or Houghton 10 per annum by quarterly payments out of certain houses devised to his son The Rev George Davenport by his will dated September 17 1676 directed that his executors should pay 166 or purchase a rent charge of 10 for the maintenance of three poor persons inhabitants of Houghton le Spring The alms houses thus endowed contain six comfortable habitations respectively belonging to Lilburn's and Davenport's charities Lilburn's bequest is collected from the occupiers of property in Sunderland belonging to the Marchioness of Londonderry A further endowment is derived from the gift of Miss Dorothy Spearman Mrs Fenwick of Old Acres niece of the Rev W Sharp vicar of Sherborne Dorsetshire a native of Houghton who purchased 600 consols the dividends to be paid to the three alms women of Lilburn's endowment and for the repairs of the hospital Thirty shillings a year is reserved for the latter purpose the remaining 16 10 is equally divided amongst the three alms women The other income of the hospital is derived from eight acres of land purchased with Davenport's bequest and amounting to 15 a year 21 a year under the will of the Rev Dr Bagshaw and 86 a year being a moiety of the proceeds from Sir George Wheeler's bequest which is divided equally amongst the other three alms people The latter sum is derived from a leasehold estate in Bainton purchased with 586 13s id derived from the legacy and tbe reserved rent of which is 21 3s 3d per annum besides a fine to the dean and chapter every seven years for renewal

228764 - KEPIER ALMSHOUSE CHARITY 228764 - KEPIER ALMSHOUSE CHARITY Governing document SCHEME OF 14 JUNE 1976 Area of benefit SEE OBJECTS Organisation type STANDARD REGISTRATION Where it operates Registration history 14 June 1976 Registered Charitable objects THE PROVISION AND MAINTENANCE OF ALMSHOUSES FOR POOR PEOPLE IN THE PARISHES OF OF BOURNMOOR, SOUTH BIDDICK, AND WEST RAINTON, HETTON AND WARDEN LAW, AND THOSE PARTS OF SUNDERLAND AND THE PARISH OF FRAMWELLGATE MOOR WHICH FORMERLY CONSTITUTED PART OF HOUGHTON-LE-SPRING. Classification What • ACCOMMODATION / HOUSING Who • ELDERLY / OLD PEOPLE How • PROVIDES BUILDINGS / FACILITIES / OPEN SPACE

NZ34NW HOUGHTON-LE-SPRING CHURCH STREET (north side) Houghton-le-Spring 7/22 Davenport and Lilburne 26.4.50 Almshouses. G.V. II Almshouses, now 3 separate dwellings. Dated 1668, restored c.1978. Coursed squared sandstone; roof pantiled. E-plan: one cottage flanked by 2 cottages. One storey, 5 bays. Central door under flattened Tudor arch in stop-chamfered surround with triangular-stopped label mould; either side are 3-light mullioned windows with similar moulds. Returns to street have door in angle and one 3-light window; gables to street have 3-light window:all similar to central house. Gable peaks contain inscriptions and shields: the north commemorating George Lilburn's building of half of the hospital in 1668, the south an endowment from the Reverend William Sharp. Flat stone gable coping and one transverse ridge chimney on each return. Listing NGR: NZ3425249831 Source: English Heritage Listed building text is © Crown Copyright.

“in the churchyard to the south of the school-house an almshouse for six poor people” The Penny Cyclopedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, 1837

Ref No. EP/Ho 779 Copy of declaration of trusts by the governors of the Kepier Grammar School in respect of £600 stock, transferred by Miss Dorothy Spearman for augmentation of the Lilburne Charity, 14 May 1784 (3 papers) Ref No. EP/Ho 780 'A Statement of the Revenues of Kepier Grammar School, Houghton le Spring, 1802', 1818 (2 papers) Ref No. EP/Ho 781 No. EP/Ho 927 24 September 1787 (1) Dorothy Spearman (2) Isabella Coates of Bishopwearmouth, widow Appointment by (1) of (2) as an almswoman in Lilburne's Almshouses in Houghton-le-Spring (1 paper) Ref No. EP/Ho 928 Correspondence between various parties concerning rents due to the Lilburne charity from properties in Sunderland, 2 January 1869 - 11 March 1887 (9 papers) Ref No. EP/Ho 929 Copy of letter from Henry B. Wright, Seaham Harbour, to Mr. Pemberton, relating to the collection of £10 granted under Lilburne's will, 31 January 1881 (3 papers) Ref No. EP/Ho 930 Statement of facts by Henry B. Wright, Seaham Harbour, concerning Lilburne's endowment of the almshouses and Kepier Grammar School, n.d. (6 papers) Ref No. EP/Ho 931 Copy of case, and opinion, of Christopher Fawcett, concerning the will of the Rev. William Sharpe, and the right of presentation of almswomen to the Lilburne hospital charity, n.d. (1 paper) Ref No. EP/Ho 932 List of endowments of the Kepier almshouses, n.d. (2 papers) Ref No. EP/Ho 933 Draft letter from Henry B. Wright to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, Whitehall, London, requesting assistance in establishing title to a £10 annual rent charge 'in danger of being lost to the Charity', n.d. (3 papers) Ref No. EP/Ho 934 Account for legal work submitted by Henry B. Wright to the Governors of the Kepier Almshouse, November 1896 - February 1898 (1 paper) Ref No. EP/Ho 935 Ground plan showing proposed additional W.Cs. at Kepier Hall, 31 October 1967 Scale: 8 feet to 1 inch [1:96] (1 plan, 28 cm. x 20 cm., coloured pencil) Ref No. EP/Ho 936 Notice of passing of building plans for Kepier Hall by Houghton-le-Spring Urban District Council, 29 November 1967 (1 paper) Ref No. EP/Ho 937 Working drawing of plan, elevation and site plan for restoring the Kepier almshouses by Hayton and Lee, Owengate House, Durham, March 1972 Scales: 1:100 and 1:2500 (1 plan, 84 cm. x 60 cm.) Ref No. EP/Ho 938 Kepier Almshouses Improvement Scheme: sketch proposals by Hayton and Lee, Owengate House, Durham, chartered architects, July 1972 Scale: 1:100 (1 plan, 59 cm. x 42 cm.) Ref No. EP/Ho 939 Photographs of St. Michael's Church, the almshouses, and the view from the almshouses, Houghton-le-Spring, 1972 (5 photographs, 12.5 cm. x 9 cm., black and white) Ref No. EP/Ho 940 Plan, elevations, location plan, and outline specification of the proposed restoration of the Kepier almshouses, scheme B, by Hayton, Lee and Braddock, Owengate House, Durham, architects, February 1976 Scales: 1:100 and 1:2500 (1 plan, 84 cm. x 60 cm.) Ref No. EP/Ho 941 Kepier Almshouses restoration scheme: plans of location and ground floor, half plans of services and roof, by Hayton, Lee and Braddock, Owengate House, Durham, November 1977 Scales: 1:1250 and 1:50 (1 plan, 84 cm. x 60 cm.) Ref No. EP/Ho 942 Copy specification for proposed restoration of, and alterations to, the Kepier Almshouses, Houghton-le-Spring, by Hayton, Lee and Braddock, Owengate House, Durham, 27 January 1978 (1 file) Ref No. EP/Ho 943 Kepier Almshouses restoration scheme: sections of building by Hayton, Lee and Braddock, Owengate House, Durham, January 1978 Scales: 1:50 and 1:5 (1 plan, 84 cm. x 60 cm.) Ref No. EP/Ho 944 Charity Commission order sanctioning the borrowing of up to £35,000 for converting the Kepier Almshouses into two dwellings, 27 February 1978 (2 papers) Ref No. EP/Ho 945 Accounts of the Kepier Almshouses Charity and the Relief in Need Charity, 1981 (1 paper) Ref No. EP/Ho 946 Copy of the Kepier Almshouse Charity return to the Housing Corporation, 30 September 1981 (3 papers) Ref No. EP/Ho 947 Letter from the Director of Architecture and Planning, Sunderland Borough Council, to Niven & Niven, Old Hall, West Auckland, architects, concerning proposals for the development of Kepier Hall, 14 July 1987 (1 paper) Ref No. EP/Ho 948 Existing elevations at Kepier Hall by Niven & Niven, Old Hall, West Auckland, architects, 28 August 1987 Scale: 1:100 (1 plan, 84 cm. x 60 cm.) Ref No. EP/Ho 949 Plan of existing site lay-out at Kepier Hall by Niven & Niven, Old Hall, West Auckland, architects, 23 September 1987 Scale: 1:200 (1 plan, 59 cm. x 42 cm.) Ref No. EP/Ho 950 Plan of suggested amendments to plans submitted to Sunderland Borough Council for a proposed new hall at Houghton-le-Spring, October

In 1769 the Rev. William Sharpe [1724-83], who had become vicar in 1763, published his Treatise upon Coal Mines. A strange subject you might think for a Dorset country vicar, except that Sharpe had been born in the Durham coalfields and had visions of pit-heads and slag heaps in the Dorset countryside. Not such a far fetched idea, since at least five attempts had already been made to find coal in the surrounding area. The following year he issued an appendix to his treatise documenting these failed attempts.

George Lilburne From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia George Lilburne (c1585 - 23 August 1666) was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War. Lilburne was the son of John Lilburne of Thickley Punchardon, and his wife Isabel Wortley,[1] and was baptised at Auckland St Andrew on 16 January 1586.[2] He settled at Sunderland and was probably a merchant adventurer and involved in the coal trade. Like others of his family he became heavily involved in politics.[3] On the outbreak of the Civil War, he was Mayor of Sunderland and was the only opponent of the other magistrates of Durham and Northumberland who met and formed themselves into Commissioners of Array for the King to raise transport and supplies. As a result, Lilburne was imprisoned and kept at Durham and then York. Sunderland remained Royalist until captured for Parliament by the Scottish army in 1644. Parliament then wanted to restore the coal trade and bargained with the Royalists for the release of George Lilburne in exchange for a prominent Royalist prisoner. He found the mines in very poor condition.[4] He was then the only magistrate in Sunderland and sat on all the committees of sequestration. He managed to get hold of the Harraton colliery belonging to the lessees of Sir John Hedworth.[3] However it was not back into production until 1647.[4] In 1654, Lilburne was elected Member of Parliament for County Durham in the First Protectorate Parliament. This was the first time that the County of Durham was represented in parliament.[5] Lilburne was one of the governors of Kepyer School. After the restoration he built a north wing of the hospital and endowed it.[6] Lilburne died in 1666 (although some sources give his death as occurring in 1677). Lilburne married firstly Jane Chambers and had a son Thomas who was a parliamentary soldier and MP. He married secondly Eleanor Hicks and had further children. Through his son WIlliam, he was the ancestor of US President Thomas Jefferson.[7] Lilburne was the uncle of Robert Lilburne, the parliamentary soldier, and John Lilburne, known as Free-Born for outspoken support of democratic freedoms.[8] [edit]References