Drax Charity , Little Stanmore

Dame Mary Lake of Cannons, Little Stanmore, by her will, 1646, devised a rent charge on land to be used to maintain seven poor people of the parish of Little Stanmore in almshouses already built by her. Her son, Sir Lancelot Lake, bequeathed in his will, 1680, the rectory and tithes of Little Stanmore to trustees, to provide additional support for the almshouses. Dame Essex Drax was one of these trustees. In 1693 she transferred her rights and duties under the trust to nine new trustees. By 1811 there were no surviving trustees and therefore a decree in Chancery of that year recreated the trust, endowing it with the tithes of the parish. Between 1811 and 1829 the rector of Great Stanmore acted as minister for Little Stanmore. This may explain the period covered by these records.