Lady Cadogan's Girl's Fund

In October 1907, Lord Cadogan established a Trust Fund as a memorial to the late Lady Cadogan. At the initial meeting at Culford Hall he stated that the Fund was to be for the benefit of young girls on the Culford Estate, he desired that the interest of this fund should be distributed by a committee of ladies.
The Trust deed gave further details of the aims of the Fund' ...for the benefit of Young Girls on the Culford Estate, without distinction of Sect or Religion, between the ages of 12-25 years, and to assist them in their start in life... but not for the relief of, or the payment of expenses, incurred by sickness or for educational purposes, other than education in some industrial course or occupation'.
Lord Cadogan gave £600 which was invested in the London and Brighton Railway, the Caledonian Railway and later in War Bonds. The Trustees were to be Lord Cadogan, representing the Culford Estate Trustees; Rev. J. Mahomed, as Rector of Culford and Ingham; Rev. A. Pemberton, as Rector of West Stow and Wordwell; and Mr. M. Mortimer, as Agent for the Culford Estate.
The Ladies' Committee comprise Lady Lurgan, daughter of Lord Cadogan; Mrs. Mahomed; Mrs. Pemberton; Mrs. Douglas-Hamilton, wife of the Seven Hills curate, and Mrs. Mortimer.

Girls on the Estate were assisted in various ways including payment towards the cost of clothing for domestic service, and towards the cost of board and lodging for up to two years. L. Howson was aided in 1909 when she went to work in an artificial flower factory in Clerkenwell. In 1913 Gertrude Pattle left her employer because he had not paid her wages or fed her properly. The trustees investigated and discovered the employer had become bankrupt, and that unfortunately there was no possibility of Gertrude being paid.
In 1918 the Conunittee paid £110s. towards Alice Burroughes boots; and between £3 7s. 6d. and £4 4s. 6d. for 'outfits' for Mable Banks, Elise Dean, Flora Sinunons and Alice Burroughes. In 1922 grants of £4 each were made towards the 'outfits' for Edith Everett, -Newdick and J. E. Pearce.
From 1923 to 1943 the grants were fixed at £5 for each girl. Three girls received a grant in 1923; six in 1924; seven in 1925; six in 1926 and 1927; three in 1928; six in 1929; four in 1930; three in 1931; two in 1932; six in1933 and 1934. The girls who received grants in 1925 were Ida Cross, Joyce and Christina Fenton, Beatrice Everitt, Joyce PattIe, Edith Coulton and Margaret Medlar; and in 1934 Frances Clarke, Dorothy Burroughes, Mabel Coulton, Gladys Rickwood, Vivien Flack and Bessie Baker.

Following the death of Lord Cadogan and the sale of the estate the last trustees meeting was held in the estate office in March 1935. The Estate solicitors had decided that the Fund should continue under the supervision of the Rector of Culford and Ingham, the Rector of West Stow and Wordwell, and a committee of ladies. The new Lord Cadogan expressed the wish that'. ..the funds of the trust should only be applied to the girls of those parents who were residing on the Culford estate as constituted on 11 th October 1934'.
Payments of £5 continued to be made between 1935 and 1943. Seven girls received a grant in 1935; twelve in 1936, four in 1937, three in 1938, two in 1939, six in 1940 and 1'943.
No further payments were made until 1958 when two grants of £15 occurred; four payments of £25 in 1969, and finally four of £25 in 1973. The War Bonds were sold in 1970, and the money invested in further British Rail stock. In January 1977 the British Transport Shares brought in £5.27, and the total capital amounted to only £112. The shares were subsequently sold in April 1977, the fund 'wound up' and the funds returned to the Cadogan Estate Trustees.