The Dame Mary Morison for Apprentices Trust
England and Wales Charity
Registration number: 312129
The Dame Mary Morison for Apprentices Trust is a remarkable charity that has been helping children and young people in Watford for nearly 400 years. The Trust was first established on 6 April 1629 at the Manor Court of Cashiobury (Cassiobury) by the lady of the manor, Dame Mary Morison. She donated land to support almshouses and a charity to place out poor children of the town and parish of Watford to be apprentices, whose parents or friends should not be able to provide for them.
The Trust is one of the oldest of its kind in England and is a continuing example of the importance of philanthropy in supporting education and opportunity. The trust's Bursaries have helped countless of children and young people over the centuries to achieve their full potential, and they continue to be a vital resource for young people in Watford today.
OUR TRUSTEES
The Trustees of the Bedford Morison and Cordery Almshouse Charity also manage the Dame Mary Morison for Apprentices Trust. The fact that these Trustees manage the Trust further demonstrates the interconnectedness of these charities and their commitment to helping the people of Watford.
The Trust focuses on supporting children and young adults in education. This is an investment that pays off in the long term, as it helps children and young people to develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in life.
Dame Mary Morison (1589-1639) was a wealthy and influential woman in 17th century England. She was the daughter of a successful merchant and politician, Lord Baptist Hicks, Viscount Campden (1551-1629). Baptist Hicks was an English cloth merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1621 and 1628, a merchant importing silks and fabrics, but he also inherited his mother’s moneylending business. At his death in 1629, Lord Baptist Hicks was rumoured to be the richest man in the kingdom.
In 1606, Mary married Sir Charles Morison the younger (1587-1628). After her husband's death in 1628, she inherited a significant fortune, which she used to fund a number of charitable causes. It was in 1629 that she set aside funds to provide bursaries for children in need for help to enter a trade, profession, calling or otherwise to earn their own living.
Morison's bursaries have been helping children and young adults for nearly 400 years, and they continue to be awarded on an annual basis today in the form of the Dame Mary Morison Award. This is a remarkable legacy, and it is a testament to Morison's generosity and compassion.
In 1919, Frederick Cordery, a Master Tailor from Watford, left a sum of money to build six Almshouses in Watford. Cordery's shop was located at 32 High Street, Watford (next to what is now McDonald's in Rigby House). It is likely that Frederick Cordery, who added to the almshouses of The Bedford, Morison and Cordery Almshouse Charity in 1919, benefited from such a bursary. This would mean that Morison's impact on society has continued to be felt for centuries.
The Bedford, Morison and Cordery Almshouse Charity provides a valuable service to the people of Watford today. It offers affordable housing to older people, and it supports children in education through the Dame Mary Morison for Apprentices Trust. The charity's work is particularly important in today's climate, where the cost of living is rising, and many people are struggling to make ends meet. The Almshouses provide a safe and secure home for older people, and the bursaries awarded by the Trust help children to reach their full potential.
Morison's story is an inspiring one. She was a woman who used her wealth and privilege to help others and make a difference in the world.
The Dame Mary Morison Award has been given to young people in the care of Hertfordshire County Council as part of the annual HERTS (Hertfordshire Encouraging a Road to Success) Awards ceremony for the past 10 years.
The recipients are all young people in care or care leavers and fulfil the criteria of living or working (or educated) in the Watford area and have been nominated for an Award in the HERTS Awards process. The HERTS Awards is a way of celebrating the achievements of children looked after by the Authority and is part of the work by the Virtual School to promote achievement and enable young people to fulfil their full potential. It is an event that was initiated in 2003 and has grown in both size and reach over the past 20 years.
Young people in care often achieve far less well than their peers because of the impact of the difficult early start they may have had in life. The Hertfordshire Virtual School is a service that is specifically tasked to improve outcomes and life chances for the children and young people who are looked after by the County Council.
The Dame Mary Morison Award is one of many special awards made to individual young people at the HERTS Awards that are awarded for exceptional effort, endeavour and achievement and are sponsored by charities, commercial organizations, and the Chair of the County. The Hertfordshire Virtual School organises the HERTS Awards.
To find out more please go to; www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/virtualschool/
For more information about The Dame Mary Morison for Apprentices Trust or The Dame Mary Morison Award, please Contact Us.
