About – Webster Charity

Image: Mary Swanwick School, Church Street North, Old Whittington, in the late nineteenth century.

What we do and our history

The Webster’s Whittington School Charity and Estates provides grants to young people, (aged 19 years old or under), from the parish of Whittington in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, going on from school to study a full-time course in the sixth form, at college or university.

Grants are normally awarded in late October each year.

Visit the ‘Eligibility’ page to see if you are eligible for a grant.

Peter and Joshua Webster

The Charity was founded in 1674 when Peter Webster, originally from Whittington, and a successful London merchant in the cloth trade, left money in his will to pay for the education of poor children of his home village. His son, Joshua Webster also left money in his will to the Charity.

Nineteenth Century

The Charity grew over the centuries and was responsible for building the schools in Old Whittington, New Whittington, Whittington Moor, and the Brushes, and for employing the teachers.

Much of this development took place under the chairmanship of Frederick Swanwick, a civil engineer who lived in Old Whittington and worked with George Stephenson on the building of the North Midland Railway through Chesterfield. His daughter, Mary, was also a Governor and the school in Old Whittington is named after her.

Some of the school buildings still in use today were built by the Webster’s Whittington School Charity and Estates.

Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries

Since local authorities took over the funding and running of schools, with the establishment of local education authorities at the beginning of the twentieth century, the Charity has used its funds to provide small grants to students from Whittington who are going on to study a full-time course in the sixth form, at college or university, which lasts at least one academic year.

The Charity may also from time to time make one-off grants to schools within the parish of Whittington, or those outside the parish which are attended by students, resident within the parish of Whittington.