Rix Charity

Contents

1815 Survey of the Parish of Deopham

The 1815 survey recorded that there were five acres owned by the Trustees of Rix’s Charity and that these were occupied by Robert Curson. These were numbered 307, 308 & 375 on this survey. By the time of the 1941 Farm survey, the two small plots at the end of Halffield Lane had become part of the Half Moon pub’s estate as is shown here.

1832 Statements

The National Archives at Kew hold two documents¹ in the same folder which read as set out below.

First 1832 document

The first is a letter headed Wymondham, March 7^th 1832 addressed to Mr. Charles Bule, Norwich:

Firstly, it restates the terms of the Rix Charity as in the inscription in the church whereby the Rev. Henry Rix left £60 “to be laid out in lands…”.

This document then continues:-

The Trustees to the above named Charity are the Churchwardens M^r Taylor & M^r Curson & the Rev^d Mr Adams Vicar of the Parish.
There are fifteen acres of land allotted to the Poor at the time the Common was enclosed, the produce of which to be given away as the Parish may deem most expedient.
The about (sic) is a true account of all the Public Charities in the Parish of Deopham of which place I am the Curate.

I am, Sir,
Your most obed^t Ser^t
A. S. Warner

It doesn’t make clear that there are two charities.

Second 1832 document

Another undated (but presumably from around the same date as the above document from 1832) and unsigned document in another hand quotes the church Rix inscription then continues:-

It is stated in the Parish Terrier of 1820 that this legacy was laid out in land and by the award of the Commissioners on the Deopham Inclosures b. a. 16 July 1814 they set out to the Trustees of this Charity two pieces of land one containing 4.1.32 and the other containing 1.0.38.
In the Terrier above mentioned that the 1.0.38 was incorrectly set out to the Trustees of Rix’s charity and that it had been intended to have been allotted in respect of a piece of land called Charter Acre the rents of which had been unintentionally applied in paying 16^s/ annually to the Sheriff for swearing the Town Charter & the residue for the repairs of the church.
The Vicar and Churchwardens act as Trustees.
The land containing 4.1.32 is let to John Curson as yearly tenant at £7. Out of this rent 32^s/ is paid to M^r Simmonds (?) for teaching 4 poor children reading and the Church catechism. The children as vacancies occur are appointed by the Minister & Churchwardens.
There is also paid 10/ to the Minister for preaching a sermon on the subject of death on the Sunday after the anniversary of the Testator’s death and 1^s/ to the Clerk.
The residue of this money is laid out in bread which is given away on two days in the years (sic) Jan^y and July. It is given… all the poor belonging to the Parish there being about 70 persons – in quantities varying from 3 pennyworth to 1^s/ worth according to the number in family – widows & those with large families have 1^s/ worth and the smallest quantity is /3^d worth.
The Charter land is let to the same tenant at £1.10 which is carried to the Churchwardens account out of which the Sheriff’s fee is paid.

This document also refers to the Seaman’s Charity of Hackford.

1904 – Local politics intervene

The following letter appeared in the Norwich Mercury April 30^th1904:

Rebranding as a secular charity

When the Deopham Rix charity became a secular organisation, the charity became known as:-
THE ELEEMOSYNARY CHARITY OF THE REVEREND HENRY RIX, although subsequently it was registered as:-
THE DEOPHAM CHARITY OF THE REVEREND HENRY RIX.

1907 – Land Tax

An article in the Norfolk News published on March 2^nd 1907 drew attention to the fact that since 1899 charity lands had been exempt from land tax. Although the Finance Act of 1898 has exempted persons whose income was less than £160, it had been determined in the courts in 1906 that “persons” did not include trustees. The tenants of charity were therefore obliged to pay land tax, reducing the rent received by the trustees. Representatives of the parishes of Welborne, Wymondham and Wicklewood all expressed concern; Deopham’s concern was communicated by Mr. E.A. Clarke. Lord Wodehouse, local M.P., was asked to bring the matter before the House of Commons.

2001 – Rix Charity objectives

Under resolutions made in December 1897, 1993, and January 2001, the Charities Commission lists the following objectives:

The relief of elderly persons resident in the area of benefit who are in need, hardship or distress;
The advancement of the religious education of children resident in the area of benefit;
The general benefit of inhabitants of the area in such charitable ways as te trustees think fit.

The “area of benefit” referred to above is defined as the “Ancient ecclesiastical parish of Deopham”.

2024 – Rix Charity trustees

Jacky Phoenix
Angela Phoenix
Kathleen Flowerday
Glenys Brown

Footnotes

The National Archives reference is CHAR 2/193. ↩︎

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Rev. Henry Rix

Date	Change
18/3/25	Published as a separate page