| AdminHistory | The 'Deakin Institution for Granting Annuities to Unmarried Women, Resident in any part of England' was a charitable body founded in 1852 by Mr Thomas Deakin, a merchant of Sheffield. He died in 1849 leaving a sum of £3,000 in his will which was to go towards establishing a charitable institution in Sheffield for 'single women of good character who have not been married and are members of the Church of England or Protestant Dissenters...'
A comparable sum was raised by public subscription; the names of the subscribers are given in the first minute book and included the Archbishop of York; James Montgomery, the Lord Bishop of Ripon; Earl Fitzwilliam; the Earl of Effingham; James Dixon, Thomas Holy, Edward Vickers, Henry Newbould and many others (see: LD2188). The annuitants were elected by those who subscribed to the fund.
A first meeting of the contributors was held on 15 Aug 1851 with James Montgomery in the Chair. The Institution was formally established at a meeting on 19 Jul 1852 where the rules were laid out. The original annuity was £20 per annum, granted for life, or until it was forfeited (eg. by marriage), or voluntarily resigned.
At the first meeting of the Governors of the Institution, held at the Cutlers' Hall in Sheffield on 30 Mar 1853, four persons were elected annuitants - one residing in London, one is Sheffield, one at Aston and one at Ripon (LD2186/1-40). A list of annuitants can be found in the Registers of Annuitants, 1866 - 1989 (LD2186/4/1-5).
The Deakin Institution continued its charitable work well into the 20th century. The final extant Annual Report of the Deakin Institution (at Sheffield Archives) dates from 1995. However, the Deakin Institution continued, later becoming known as The Deakin and Withers Fund 'specifically for the benefit of female Church members who find themselves in difficult financial times'. Those eligible must be 'women over 40 years of age, single, widowed or divorced, who are active members of a Church (that is a member of Churches Together) and are in need or suffering, hardship or distress'. The charity is still active at the time of writing (2017).
Charity Number: 221932.
Source: Illustrated Guide to Sheffield, Pawson & Brailsford, 1862 (charitable institutions); records of the Deakin Institution at Sheffield Archives (LD2136). |
| Description | Annual reports, 1863 - 1995 (incomplete run) (LD2186/1)
List of Governors of the Institution, 1867 - 1868 (LD2186/2)
Minutes, Board of Management and of the Governors, 1851 - 1975 (LD2186/3)
Registers of annuitants, 1866 - 1989 (LD2186/4)
Ledgers and cash books, 1908 - 1979 (LD2186/5)
Special pensions ledgers and cash books, 1907 - 1966 (LD2186/6)
Legacy files, 1967 - 1991 (LD2186/7) |
| CustodialHistory | This collection was deposited in two lots by John Watson, Sons and Wheatcroft (later Watson Wheatcroft), accountants, in Apr 1982 and Jan 1996. |