Jessie Anne Alford was the wife of William Charles Alford, a local market keeper, Councillor and Poor Law Guardian in the 1920s.
They were members of the Plymouth Brethren community and when Jessie died in 1947 she left £1,000 in trust to the local Council. A scheme was established by which the charity was to benefit spinsters and widows aged 60 and over living in Tavistock.
The distribution of funds is made just before Christmas each year to a maximum of eight deserving applicants selected by the Trustees.
Applications are requested in the period running up to Christmas each year. Please see the News page of the website in November for application forms and details of the closing date.