Anne Jolliffe (nee Crew) was born about 1649 at Stean Park, Northamptonshire, the daughter of Thomas Crew and Mary Townshend, the daughter of Sir Roger Townshend. She was a sister of Temperance Crew, Anne Mead’s mother. About 1670 she married John Jolliffe from Leek, Staffordshire.

It would appear that she was widowed before 1714 when William Farrar “alienated a messuage and land” to her. This included Harrold Hall. She and her niece, Anne Mead quite often visited Benjamin Rogers, the Rector of Carlton and he mentions her many times in his diary. In 1729 Anne Jolliffe was ill and Benjamin Rogers’s son, Thomas went to fetch a Dr Brown from Arlsey to attend to her. Presumably Dr Richard Mead was in London at that time, because he did not attend her. When Benjamin Rogers was ill, Anne Jolliffe sent him “many good things” and he visited her to thank her.

In February, 1732 Anne Jolliffe became very ill, losing the use of her limbs and Dr Godfrey was sent for, who, taking it to be the palsy, plied her with rich cordials and allowed her to drink a pint of mountain wine per day.” Benjamin Rogers sent his son, Thomas to London on 13th March to tell the Meads of Anne Jolliffe’s illness. Thy came to Harrold on 14th March and after consultation with Dr Godfrey and otherd, Dr Mead said that “there was a great decay in nature and finding withal a fever, it was agreed to lay aside the cordials, upon which the fever abated and her senses returned…..Jellies and nourishing fruits were given, but without much effect, she continuing as weak as ever.” Dr Mead returned to London, leaving his wife with her aunt. However, on 12th April 1732 Anne Jolliffe died.

Benjamin Rogers wrote “…in her I lost a very good friend. She was a lady of great spirit, of a good deal of wit, religious, charitable and prudent.” He goes on to say that a number of people, including Sir Rowland Alston and Anne Mead, searched for her will. Eventually, having found one that was cancelled, they found the right one, signed and sealed in her handwriting and dated 4th August 1723. she was buried on 24th April in Harrold, the funeral being “grand” according to Benjamin Rogers, attended by local gentry and all the people of Harrold. There is a monument to Anne Jolliffe in Harrold Church.

The Jolliffe Mead Trust

Anne Jolliffe, in her will dated the 4th of August, 1723, in the presence of three witnesses wrote: “and I doe hereby give my estate in Great Odell and Little Odell, in the county of Bedford, which I purchased of Elizabeth Estwick, towards the subsistence of the persons placed in my alms houses in Harrold, who must be all widows; after all the taxes and repairs are discharged, the whole yearlyprofits are to be equally divided between six houses, which, if not built before I dye, I strictly order my executor to buy ground, and build as many as will make those I leave six. I will have them tyled; one good room below, and a chamber over it; to every one of them a buttery, and a place to lay wood in, strongly built. I give this estate, for ever, to the use of these six almshouses as aforesaid, not to be in the power of my executor or trustee to alienate or alter.”

(Extract from the Twelfth Report of the Charities Commisioners, dated July 1824)

She left the residue of her estates to Anne Mead, and appointed her as executrix.

On 19th November 1736 by deed poll, Anne showed that she wanted to fulfil the intentions of her aunt by establishing the charities her aunt had desired. Anne Jolliffe had built three of the six almshouses before she died and Anne Mead directed that land which she owned should be used for the other three. The alms houses were to be occupied by six widows chosen by the vicar and churchwardens of Harrold. They were given bread every week and firewood for as long as they lived in the almshouses.

Anne Mead also stipulated that :

1. the vicar of Harrold should receive twenty pounds per year for his own use on condition that a sermon was preached every Sunday afternoon in St Peter’s, as well as the sermon preached on Sunday morning;

2. ten pounds eight shillings should be used to distribute at four shillings per week loaves of bread valued at three pence per loaf to the poor of the parish;

3. a further sum of twenty shillings should be used to repair the almshouses, the money coming from Anne Mead’s estate. For some years the almshouses were repaired at the expense of the parishioners, but eventually there was no more money available and they were demolished in the 1930s.