News Archive - October 2006
St Mary's Roof News
Our efforts to raise funds to help meet the cost of restoring the roof of St Mary's church have recently been assisted by the award of a grant by a little-known - but locally connected trust - the Francis Coales Charitable Foundation. As this may not be an immediately familiar name, or one with an obvious local connection, we thought that a word of explanation might be appropriate...
Francis Coales farmed at Chicheley near Milton Keynes until 1885 when he retired and with his son purchased an established corn merchant's business - Hives & Sons - in Newport Pagnell. The name of the business was changed to Francis Coales & Son and over the years expanded through the purchase of similar businesses trading around this area, at Bedford, at Olney & at Tring.
In 1973, following a major fire at their main mill at Newport Pagnell, the decision was reluctantly taken not to rebuild the mill, but to close down the business, and from the winding-up was established the Francis Coales Charitable Foundation.
Although now based in Weston-super-Mare, the main object of the foundation is to offer assistance towards the cost of repairs and restoration in the area where the business once traded. Specifically: "to assist with the repair of old buildings open to the public... preference is given to churches and their contents in Bucks, Beds, Northants & Herts".
Thankfully the work to restore the timbers in the roof of the nave of the church met the criteria set by the foundation and St Mary's is grateful for the £3,000 donated by the trustees.
Chris Banks
October 7, 2006 | Permalink | Comment
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