| Description | Papers of the Charitable Society of Saintonge and Angoumois, comprising:
Minutes and accounts, 1786-1877.
Records of the Delaigle Apprenticeship Trust, 1739-1838.
Records of the Chauvet Bequest, 1759-1789.
Miscellaneous records (including rules and regulations, and correspondence), 1828-1971 |
| AdminHistory | The small ancient province of Saintonge in Southern France forms, with the province of Aunis (whose chief town was the Huguenot strong-hold of La Rochelle) the modern Département of the Charente Inférieure. Like groups from other French provinces, from which Protestant refugees fled abroad in substantial numbers,a group of Saintongeais in London founded in 1701 a charitable society. This was in part a mutual friendly society, but its objects extended to the relief of any poor refugee from Saintonge. The Society's Rule 15 provided that half the contributions and donations received should be allocated to assisting needy members and the other half to the 'Poor Fund'; separate accounts were to be kept by the Receivers (Treasurers).
On 3 October 1707 it was agreed to extend membership to refugees from the adjoining district of Angoumois (now divided between the Dpartements of the Charente and Dordogne). The Society's title thus became The Charitable Society of Saintonge and Angoumois.
The income from subscriptions and gifts does not appear ever to have been large, and in a Chancery decree of 1775 (SSA/B/3) it is stated to have been then so diminished 'by the death of many of their most affluent ancient members and the gradual incorporation of their descendants born in England with the natives thereof'' that the Society could afford only very small pittances to poor claimants. However, two valuable bequests, from Mme M M Delaigle and Miss Mary Chauvet, though both received after many years' delay pending the death of life tenants, considerably augmented the Society's funds in 1785 and 1819 respectively. The Chauvet bequest was to the Poor Fund, but the Delaigle bequest was specifically for apprenticing children of Saintonge descent; and the administration of this trust evidently became from 1786 onwards the Society's chief occupation.
No early records of the Saintonge and Angoumois Society appear to have survived, but there is a good series of Minute Books from 1786 to 1877, with documents relating to the Delaigle and Chauvet trusts and a few others, including a copy of the original or early Rules. |