The Whitgift Almshouses !!1 Welcome to the Whitgift Almshouses, officially known as the Hospital of the Holy Trinity. Thousands of people pass the buildings on the corner of George Street and North End in the centre of Croydon, but do not know about the community of elderly residents who occupy the flats inside. !2 Residents have to have local connections, be over 60, members of the Church of England, and be able to live independent lives, while still willing to share in many of the communal activities. !3 The Almshouses were founded by John Whitgift, who was Archbishop of Canterbury in the time of Queen Elizabeth the First, built between 1596 and 1599 with local bricks and tiles. In the 16th Century there was widespread poverty in England, to which Whitgift himself responded as he had great concern for the poor and needy. !4 Whitgift's link with Croydon stemmed from the fact that there was an Archbishop's Palace there, now the Old Palace School. Archbishop Whitgift had long associations with Cambridge, including being Master of Trinity College, and this may well have influenced his quadrangle design for the Hospital of the Holy Trinity. !The Quadrangle !5 Two plaques show the foundation date and the 1860 restoration. There was originally a well near the West entrance, and the clock with one hand dates from 1608. !6 The bell is rung for chapel services, and the stipend ceremony at 10am on Fridays, when each resident is given a small sum of money. Above the East entrance is a bishop's mitre, and the central astrolabe installed to commemorate 400 years from Whitgift's death includes a sundial and pointers to places linked with his life. !7 Originally there were about 30 residents' rooms, but by 1983 these were converted into 16 en-suite flats with a 24-hour call system for the care of the residents and emergencies. The outside appearance of the Almshouses was preserved, and the internal character of the flats was retained. !8 Residents' flats occupy three sides of the quadrangle, the fourth side has the Foundation's Offices, part of which were Archbishop Whitgift's apartments where he spent time in quiet away from his responsibilities. There was a dining room which is now the Clerk to the Foundation's office, and a bedroom above with heavy door, secret lock, and guard's alcove for protection. !Audience Chamber !9 The large Audience Chamber, now used for the Court of Governors of the Foundation and other meetings has oak panelling, original fireplace, and Whitgift's elm table and stool. On the walls are the letters patent issued by Queen Elizabeth the First and Whitgift's Deed of Covenant, both originals. !10 The small Whitgift portrait was lost, but re-appeared at auction about 1890 and was acquired for the Almshouse. There is an Armada chest of a type used for deeds, documents and money, and a rare ancient Bible, along with several interesting artefacts and pictures relating to the Foundation. !

11 The swan sign came from the adjacent 15th century Swan Inn demolished about 1889, used to board boys from the school which Whitgift founded in George Street. !12 The Victorian school buildings which stood on the site of the present Whitgift Centre were demolished in 1965. Today there are three Whitgift Foundation schools: Old Palace for girls, Whitgift School for boys, and Trinity Schools for boys with a co-educational sixth form, all with generous bursaries and scholarships available. !Common Room !13 Beneath the Audience Chamber is the Common Room, used by the residents for social events. Whitgift himself sometimes ate with the residents, and if he had been with the Queen he would 'pass the honour' on to them. Plaques in the entrances commemorate Queen Elizabeth the Second's visits, in 1983, and 1996 for the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Almshouses. !14 The Common Room has an original fireplace with John Whitgift's initials I W (the Latin form), a sanctus bell dated 1753 which once hung in the tower, and two paintings of the Almshouses dated about 1900. The oak frame contains an original part of Whitgift's tomb damaged in the 1867 Croydon Minster fire, the tomb itself being later restored. !15 Various re-set ancient, and modern glass, in the windows include a painted scene of a ravine with soldiers of the Armada period, and a reference to Edward Aylworth, a lawyer, who paid three pounds four shillings and two pence for glazing around 1598. !16 The Almshouses have three ghosts: the guard who fell asleep and broke his neck, the assassin who was shot, and the grey lady who smokes a pipe. !Chapel !17 The chapel is used regularly for services, and its original backless pews made of chestnut were moved to the walls in 1991, the panelling dating from 1640. A portrait of Whitgift shows items representing his life and the period, including a magnetic compass, and another picture is of his niece and housekeeper, Jane Whitgift Bradbury. The plaque of 1600 shows quotations referring to the poor, and opposite are the Ten Commandments shown with Moses on the left. !18 When the blue door dated 1836 facing North End is closed, the residents can access it by the small door in the centre, known as the cat-flap. The Latin inscription above reads 'He who gives to the poor shall not lack', and the motto on the door 'He conquers who endures'. !19 High up on the gable are Whitgift's initials I W, and a plaque about the Almshouse is on the South wall. Above the chapel window are the words 'A man of York gave this window 1597', it was the Archbishop's chaplain. !20 As well as the Almshouses, there is now further provision for the elderly at Whitgift House, South Croydon, and Wilhelmina House in Addiscombe, and a support service for carers in the community. !21 Whitgift's vision continues in providing care for the elderly and education for the young. !