The College of Matrons (or Matrons' College) is a residential building and charity within the Salisbury Cathedral Close, Wiltshire, England. It was constructed in 1682 by Seth Ward, bishop of Salisbury, as an

almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...

for ten widows of clergy ordained within the

diocese of Salisbury The Diocese of Salisbury is a Church of England diocese in the south of England, within the ecclesiastical Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of Dorset (excepting the deaneries of Bournemouth and Christchurch, which fall within t ...

. It is on the extension of Salisbury High Street that enters the cathedral close through the North Gate. The building was listed at Grade I in 1952.

History

Bishop Ward gave properties, including Whaddon Farm in the parishes of Alderbury and

West Grimstead West Grimstead is a village in Grimstead civil parish, on the River Dun in Wiltshire, England, about southeast of Salisbury. History Until the early 20th century, much of West Grimstead was owned by landed gentry and was part of larger est ...

, to generate rent to fund the almshouse and to provide the widows with a small income. In the early years the widows received a weekly pension of six shillings. To be eligible to live in the college, widows had to be at least 50 years of age and have an annual income of less than £10 a year. Should there be insufficient candidates within the Salisbury diocese, applicants from the Diocese of Exeter would be considered. Among the early rules of governance, tenants were required to attend two divine services each day in the cathedral and could not be absent from the cathedral close for more than a month in each year. When the charity was first established, the selection of the tenant widows was the responsibility of Bishop Ward; after his death the task fell alternately to the bishop and the

dean and chapter A dean, in an ecclesiastical context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and many Lutheran denominations. A dean's assista ...

. Over the intervening centuries the charity has benefited from the wills of various individuals, for example,

William Benson Earle William Benson Earle (1740–1796) was an English philanthropist. Life Earle was the eldest son of Harry Benson Earle. He was born at Shaftesbury, Wiltshire, in 1740, but his life was passed at Salisbury, with the history and charities of which ...

who left 2000 guineas in 1796, Thomas Henry Allen Poynder from Hartham Park in Corsham who gave 1,000 guineas in 1865, Helen Nevill, who bequeathed £1,000 in 1929, and Mary Fletcher who bequeathed £1,500 in 1953. The College of Matrons also derived income from various property rents in Middlesex, London, Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Berkshire; in 1883 these rents totalled about £28 per year. However, by the end of the 19th century many of these farm rents had been redeemed and by 1958 the charity was only receiving £13 per year from farm rents.

Conditions of residence

Since the inauguration of the charity, the monetary limits have increased to reflect financial inflation. From the original six shillings a week paid to the first occupants, the yearly pension had risen to £40 (15 shillings a week) in 1833, and the qualifying limit of annual income for residency had risen to £20. At this time the number of applicants for residence in the almshouse was "not numerous". There was a change in administration of the college in 1869 whereby the number of matrons was reduced to eight, but could be increased to ten at the discretion of the governors. At this time the annual allowance was increased to no more than £60 per year, with a qualifying income of £50, and eligibility was extended to unmarried daughters of clergy ordained in the Salisbury or Exeter dioceses. There were eight matrons resident in 1907, the majority having their own income and some employing servants. In the 1930s and 1940s a scheme to raise the personal income limit was suggested but was declined by the Charity Commissioners as there were sufficient candidates within the £50 limit. In 1955 the personal limit to qualify as a resident was raised to £200. As of 2013, the one-bedroom accommodation is available to any single, independent lady of at least 55 years of age living in the Salisbury area, with preference given to widows and unmarried daughters of clergy.

The building

There is some uncertainty as to whether

Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches ...

designed the building. It is brick-built with stone window surrounds, stone quoins and red tiles. It has a central front with extended wings. A leaded-glass, lead domed

roof lantern A roof lantern is a daylighting architectural element. Architectural lanterns are part of a larger roof and provide natural light into the space or room below. In contemporary use it is an architectural skylight structure. A lantern roof wil ...

surmounted by a golden ball is positioned on the rear of the roof at the centre of the frontage. There are six diagonally-set stone

chimney stacks A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are ty ...

. Above the porched main entrance, set in a roof-level gable end, is a brightly painted Royal Coat of Arms from the Stuart period, with drapes of fruit on each side. There is a garden area to the rear and some other smaller associated redbrick buildings. The building is fronted by a long narrow garden contained within an original brick, stone-topped wall with three iron gates, the central one flanked by stone pillars. The wall and gates are Grade I listed separately from the house. The building was extended and renovated in 1870.

References

{{coord, 51.066659, -1.797729, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Buildings and structures completed in 1685 Almshouses in Salisbury Grade I listed buildings in Wiltshire Grade I listed houses Salisbury Cathedral 1685 establishments in England