Successive Dukes of Grafton - especially in the 19th century - were instrumental in bringing about social change and improvement through their provision of land and funds for the building of things such as schools, chapels and churches. The brief histories of the villages features numerous instances of this charitable activity, which went much further than simple notions of Christian duty or noblesse oblige.
Nor was it a case of making offers which couldn't be refused. When in 1855 Roade faced the problem of its church tower being declared unsafe, and the Vestry respectfully declined the Duke of Grafton's offer to defray part of the cost of pulling down the tower, no offence was taken. The tower was made safe again in 1856 by other means, and in 1857 the Duke restored the chancel, adding a high-pitched roof.
All transactions, donations and contributions made by the Dukes were recorded in their Charity Book. Although it is beyond the scope of this project to provide the sort of listings applied to the rents and surveys logged in the Estate records, a very small cross-section of charitable activities is presented here. Images have been made of some of the Charity Book entries, and can be viewed by clicking on the relevant links below.
