ga2benevolat

Her name was Dame Hannah Rogers. She was the wife of a Member of Parliament, Sir John Rogers of Blatchford, in the Devon village of Cornwood, and when she made her will on 8th September 1764 she bequeathed the not inconsiderable sum of £10,000 towards the cost of upkeep of a school for orphans in Plymouth. The school was originally a tavern – the Bowling Green House – and the trustees of Dame Hannah’s Will bought the lease of the premises at the end of 1787. This cost £25.

The school provided education for “poor and unfortunate” girls who had been living in either Devon or Cornwall, and who were between the age of 8 and 14. By 1820 the school was looking after 44 girls – the bequest required the school mistress to maintain the girls in return for a capitation fee of three shillings per week per pupil. The girls were given a new pair of shoes every two years, and were provided with a cloak and hat. To meet this expense the Charity paid five guineas per child.

When the girls left school, every effort was made to ensure a proper training. The Charity paid the “signing on” fee of a guinea due on apprenticeships for every girl, as well as the legal fees for drawing up the formal deed of apprenticeship. By Mike Rendell, extracted from Georgian Gentleman website.

Now Hannahs aims at helping children, youngsters and adults with disabilities. Click here to access their website.