The Thomas Gifford Trust

The Thomas Gifford Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission No. 1155669. It is a local charity dedicated to Charlbury Town and the surrounding area. The Trust has existed since 1592 and its charitable purpose is:

• to maintain the Playing Close for the benefit of the inhabitants of the area;
• to promote such other charitable purposes for the benefit of the inhabitants as the Trustees shall from time to time think fit.

History of TGT

HISTORY: as summarised from the research of Lois Hey
The Thomas Gifford Trust was established in 1592, when Thomas Gifford handed over to 8 local residents of Charlbury, Fawler and Finstock to hold on trust, The Playing Close and other properties in Charlbury. These included the Church House (now Manor House and Sunnyside in Church Street) where the Manorial Courts were held and Church Slade, being a two acre field north of Charlbury.

When Eynsham Abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539, all the Abbey’s land in Charlbury became Crown property and, in common with monastic property throughout England, was promptly sold. In 1555, when Mary was on the throne, the Manor of Charlbury was sold by Edward North to Sir Thomas White. Sir Thomas White founded St John’s College in Oxford, and in 1574 he endowed the College with the Manor of Charlbury. St John’s had the foresight to have their ownership endorsed by Elizabeth I. However in January 1590, Elizabeth I gave the Manor of Charlbury to Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, as a present.

Essex sold the Manor two months later to Robert Chamberlain and Philip Scudmore, who financed the purchase by borrowing £800 from a moneylender. They then leased the land for 99 years to John Chamberlain (probably Robert’s brother), who resided at the old Eynsham Court house (now the Priory). However, in 1590 the President of St John’s College, Dr Hutchinson, also happened to be the vicar of Charlbury. He produced the document, endorsed by the Queen, establishing the ownership of St John’s. Robert Chamberlain and Philip Scudmore had no alternative but to sign documents recognising the ownership of St John’s while they still owed £800.

Mr Thomas Gifford, a gentleman of Middle Claydon, Bucks, now enters the story. He was the son-in-law of John Chamberlain. In 1591 Thomas Gifford signed documents whereby he would discharge the £800 owed by Robert Chamberlain and Philip Scudmore in return for, amongst other things, the Manor and tithes of Charlbury.

John Chamberlain then took a new lease to the Manor of Charlbury from St John’s College for three lives, but shortly thereafter sold the lease to Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley. It was then pointed out to Thomas Gifford that property which did not belong to the Lord of the Manor had been included in the supposed sale to him. So it was that in October 1592, he signed a deed handing over The Playing Close and the other lands on a 998 year lease to George Tennant, a dyer, Richard Evans, gentleman, and 6 other local notables to be held for the benefit of the people of the parish of Charlbury – thus The Thomas Gifford Trust was established.

The Playing Close

According to a talk given by Lois Hey to the Charlbury Society in 1987, it is around 400 years since the land now known as the Playing Close was confirmed as belonging “to the only use, profit and commodity of the tenants and inhabitants of Charlbury, and to no other use”.

It was where all the able bodied men of Charlbury had to practise archery in the days of the longbow, to be ready for military service. In 1813, the Trustees had to order that “all timbers and dunghills be removed before the ensuing fair”, although thankfully the atmosphere is now a lot fresher than it would have been then.
The Playing Close is now well known for the magnificent trees, planted in 1890 at a cost of 7 shillings 10d, the Water Fountain erected to commemorate the visit of Queen Victoria to the Town and the green oasis it forms in the middle of Charlbury.

Today we enjoy the Playing Close as a pleasant place to walk and sit, to visit the quarterly Farmers Market, as a venue for fairs and various other events such as the Annual Fun Fair and Street Fair.

If you want to use the Playing Close for your event or other community activity, please contact the Community Centre. If you are a local charity, you can use the Playing Close without charge.

The Trustees gratefully acknowledge funding from the Town Council to assist in the maintenance of the Playing Close.

Have you ever wondered what the names of the trees are on the Playing Close? Each tree has a number on it as they are on this aerial plan and the key to which tree is which can be found here.

Contact

info@charlburycommunitycentre.org.uk