Know all men by these present that whereas Thomas Luther, late of Suttons in the Parish of Stapleford Tany in the County of Essex; Deceased did and by his last will and testament in writing duly executed bearing the date the thirtieth day of July one thousand seven hundred and eighteen, Give and Devise the sum of five pounds per annum to the poor of the parish of Stapleford Tany in the said County of Essex, forever and charged several lands, Tenements, Hereditaments in the said Parish of Stapleford Tany, with the payment thereof of as and by the said recited will relation being there unto had more fully and at large appears. Now know ye that we the Churchwardens, Overseer of the Poor and other Freeholders and Inhabitants of and in the said Parish of Stapleford Tany in Vestry assembled and held in publick Vestry place in the parish church of Stapleford Tany aforesaid, on Monday the eleventh day of April, seventeen hundred and twenty six. In consideration that Jane Luther of Suttons aforesaid widow, the mother of the said Thomas Luther, Deceased having promised to give four pounds per annum towards a schoole for the Instructing of the poor children of the said Parish of Stapleford Tany in such manner as hereinafter is expressed. Doe hereby agree and consent as much as in us lyes that the five pounds per annum so devised unto the poor of Stapleford Tany in and by the recited will of the said Thomas Luther be applied and paid annually for ever hereafter to some honest Schoolmaster or Mistrifs that shall hereafter reside in the said parish of Stapleford Tany and Instruct the Children of such poor persons that are or hereafter shall be chargeable or likely to become chargeable to the parish aforesaid in Reading, Writing, and Accounts, and also learning them the Church Catechism and bringing them up in the religion of the Church of England, which said Schoolmaster or Mistrifs after the death of the said Jane Luther shall be chosen by the proprietors of the several Mansion Houses Hereinafter named that is to say the proprietor of the Mansion House called Suttons, the proprietors of the Mansion House called Tany Hall, the proprietors of the Mansion House called Bells and the Rector of the said Parish of Stapleford Tany for the time being or by any three or more of them which said Schoolmaster or Mistrifs for any wilful neglect of duty or other Misdemeanour may be removed by the same person or persons Intrusted with the choice of such Schoolmaster or Mistrifs.
Witness our hand this eleventh day of April Anno Dom 1726.
Signatures on the Document
E. Smijth
Wm. Nicholson
P. Parker, Rector
Mary Hadon
Charles Haddon
Hen: Mott, junr
James Mott
X the mark of David Trevice.
The Schoolhouse was built in 1726.
In 1725 Sir Edward Smyth lent £20 towards the cost of the building, to be repaid from the rent of the Church lands.
However in the same year Mrs Jane Luther repaid this debt. It would appear that Mrs Luther undertook the cost of the building of the schoolhouse as in her will of 1845 she stated that she had built the schoolhouse at her expense and afterwards received a rent of 30/- a year for it.
She stipulated that after her death this rent was to be used primarily to keep the schoolhouse and its premises in repair, the residue being used to purchase bibles and prayer-books for distribution to the poor.