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Parish Council Minutes - 6 Sep 1937

Minutes of the Longwick-cum-Ilmer Parish Council on 6th Sep 1937.

Meeting of the Longwick-cum-Ilmer Parish Council held in the Schoolroom, Longwick on Monday Sept 6th 1937 at 8 pm. To read and confirm Minutes of last meeting. Correspondence. Consideration of reply received from the Charity Commissioners re the Charity consisting of the Baptist Chapel at Longwick. Present:- Councillors Wm A. Walker (Chairman) Herbert S. Pope, A. J. Goodchild, W. J. Harper, F. Williams, E. J. Girling. H. W. Lewis and Mr Robert Bailey (Clerk).

Minutes Minutes of last meeting read and confirmed.

Pond outside Chestnut Farm The Divisional Highways Surveyor, wrote with reference to the Pond outside Chestnut Farm, that he was in agreement with the suggestion that the pond should be filled in, and he would have this done as soon as he had available material in the district.

Charity Scheme relating to Baptist Chapel, Longwick The Secretary to the Charity Commission wrote with reference to a proposed Order for Establishing a Scheme for the regulation of the Charity known as the Baptist Chapel, in the Parish of Longwick-cum-Ilmer whereby it was proposed to provide by the Scheme that the Charity and the endowment thereof shall henceforth be administered and managed by a body of Trustees consisting of the following body corporate and persons:- The body corporate called the Baptist Union Corporation Limited and Thomas Hopcroft, William Saunders and George Dorsett, He stated that the Charity was created by an Indenture dated the 13th November 1810, whereby the property therein described as "all that piece of ground situate and being near the Common at Long Wick in the Parish of Princes Risborough on a part of which a meeting house has been lately erected and built at the expense of many persons well wishers to the cause

of Christ containing in length 42 feet and in width 36 feet the said Common lying on the north and east sides thereof and land belonging to William Edmonds lying on the south and west sides thereof, which said piece of ground was lately in the occupation of the said William Edmonds together with the right of way to and from the same" was conveyed to 12 individuals "in trust for perpetuating for ever the preaching of the everlasting Gospel in the said Meeting house lately erected and built upon the said piece of ground as aforesaid". This Deed provided for the appointment of new Trustees by a majority of the surviving Trustees when the number should be reduced to three. By Deed dated 30th March 1861, Edward Ayres, the survivor of the Trustees appointed by the Deed of 1810, appointed 11 new Trustees to act with him. By Indenture of the 7th June 1901, John Eggleton, Joseph Rose and William Horton, the three survivors of the Trustees appointed by the Deed of 1861, appointed nine new Trustees to act with them. The survivors of the Trustees appointed by the Deed of 1901 are Thomas Hopcroft, George Dorsett and William Saunders, and the application to the Commissioners for the appointment of the Baptist Union Corporation Limited with the said three persons was duly signed by these three persons. After giving the matter due consideration. Councillor Pope proposed and Councillor Williams seconded that an objection be lodged with the Charity Commission, against the inclusion of the Baptist Union Corporation Limited in any Scheme which the Charity Commissioners may contemplate making in connection with this Charity, on the grounds that it is strongly felt that if the Baptist Union Corporation Limited are appointed to act with the

surviving Trustees (who are of the Baptist denomination) in the management of the Charity, there may be a tendency on their part at a later date, to claim the sole rights and privileges of using the Meeting House, to the complete exclusion of any other religious bodies who may desire to use the same for the preaching of the Gospel, such a claim would be against the original intention of the Charity, it having always been understood that the Meeting House was left for the use of anyone desiring to hold services therein. In the opinion of this Council the appointing of twelve Trustees as hitherto, should present no difficulties, as it is possible to secure nine other persons from the village of Longwick willing and capable of acting with the surviving Trustees in the management of the said Charity. Carried unan Oct 11th 1937 Wm A Walker