What's the history behind Romsey’s Alms Houses? Who lived there, where are they and why were they built

We know of three in Romsey, Agneston, Barlettt’s, and Kent’s, of which only the latter two survive.

Kent’s alms houses are the oldest, established by a bequest of John Kent. Raised in Romsey and a successful London silk throwster, in his will of 1692 he left four houses in Middlebridge Street “for the habitation of the poor people” plus money to support them. They have been rebuilt several times, last in 1995.

In 1807 Dr John Bartlett, surgeon and physician of Romsey, built six alms houses in Middlebridge Street directly opposite Kent’s which were to be used by women; when he died in 1817 he bequeathed funds to provide for their continued support.

For the building of the by-pass in 1931, Bartlett’s houses were demolished and rebuilt in The Meads where they are still in use today. Both Kent’s and Bartlett’s are now overseen by trustees chaired by the town mayor.

Much less is known about the Angeston alms house since no records seem to have survived. What is certain is that it was in a house in Abbey Water and, since it is named in census returns, it is clear it was operational between 1851(Miss C Noel’s alms house) and 1871 (Private Agneston Alms House).

By 1881 it is no longer mentioned as an alms house. At its peak, in 1851, there were seven women in residence but in each succeeding census fewer are recorded until 1881 when only the former matron and one other are present.

The deaths of a number of the residents of the alms house were reported in the Romsey Register, Sophia Powell’s tells us: “She had long been an inmate of the Agneston alms house in the Abbey – a comfortable retreat for aged females, provided by the kind consideration of Miss Noel when residing here, and still charitably maintained by that lady.”

The alms house seems to have been set up and funded by Caroline Maria Noel, youngest of the six daughters of the Vicar of Romsey, after she moved here when her father, Gerard Noel, was appointed Vicar of Romsey in 1841; following his death in 1851 she left the town but maintained an interest in Romsey until her death in 1877; she is buried in the Abbey.

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